Apparition

Fred is right, they really can't change their itinerary.

The Weasley family set off early the next morning to visit Bill, as planned.

The once bustling the Burrow suddenly fell silent, and Kyle was momentarily disoriented.

With about a week left until August, and Fred and George out, Kyle sought out Chris to keep himself occupied and pass the time.

"You want to learn Apparition?"

"Yes," Kyle nodded. "Is that alright?"

"Can you tell me why?" Chris asked, puzzled. "You probably don't need this right now... Hogwarts forbids Apparition, and you don't need it at home either."

Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic stipulates that Apparition can only be learned by wizards aged seventeen and older. If you are discovered, you may be in trouble."

Learning Apparition is dangerous; one wrong move and you could leave your arm or even your head behind.

Seeing a part of your own body appear in another place is not a pleasant experience, and it is a huge challenge to a wizard's psychological resilience.

Historically, there have been instances of young wizards who, while learning Apparition, saw their own headless bodies and suffered a complete breakdown, becoming mentally challenged Squib.

And this is not an isolated case.

To prevent this from happening frequently, there is a strict rule that wizards under the age of seventeen are not allowed to learn Apparition.

However, at Hogwarts, students can start learning in their sixth year, presumably to accommodate older students.

The Ministry of Magic turned a blind eye to this, since there wasn't much difference between sixteen and seventeen years old, and with a professor watching over them, nothing unexpected would happen.

But Kyle is only fourteen years old... strictly speaking, even thirteen, so he definitely can't start learning yet.

"It's okay, I have this..." Kyle held out his hand, showing off the ring on his finger.

"If anyone finds out, I can just say it's the effect of a magical item."

Two weeks ago, Diana returned the ring to him, and the number of Apparition increased to three again.

"In that case... alright then." Chris hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

Because Kyle has consistently performed admirably over the past few years, Chris rarely objects to his requests, even if they are slightly excessive.

Of course, if it's something really extreme... like wanting to learn the Killing Curse, then that's definitely not allowed.

However, Apparition is more of a test of mental fortitude, and Chris still has a lot of faith in Kyle about that.

Having made his decision, Chris didn't hesitate any longer. In the afternoon, he used the excuse of going to Romania to apply for a week's paid leave from his department, and then took Kyle to a clearing on the northern mountain.

Few people go there, and it's not visible to people from the villages below, making it a perfect place to practice Apparition.

Several owls flew over and landed on the surrounding trees.

"There are two things you must remember before you start learning."

Chris said earnestly, "When you Apparition, you must have a very clear memory of the location you're going to, the more detailed the better. This will help you avoid ending up in mid-air or getting stuck in a tree."

"Also, unless you can Apparition as easily as eating and drinking, never use this ability in combat... The enemy won't help you put your severed head back on."

If necessary, you can use a ring; it won't put you at risk of Splinching.

Kyle nodded.

"Next comes the most basic stuff: goals, determination, composure..."

"Set your goal, as I've already mentioned, so let's get straight to the most important part... Make up your mind and let the thought of going there fill your entire body."

If you have any hesitation or lack of confidence during this process, the magic will be disrupted, causing part of your body to remain in place.

Finally, calm yourself down and move around naturally... If you really feel nervous, you can try spinning in place; that should help you relax a bit."

Chris explained it in great detail and demonstrated it three times before agreeing to let Kyle give it a try.

He casually tossed a stone away.

"That's your target, remember what I just said..."

Kyle took out his wand, took a deep breath, and gradually, his eyes were fixed only on the stone...

Having likely Apparition multiple times before, Kyle naturally entered that familiar state... like being thrown into a washing machine.

"Smack!"

With a dizzying sensation and a loud bang, he successfully appeared five meters away.

Kyle quickly checked his body.

Great, your arms and legs are still there, and your head is still in the same place...

"Although there are a few minor flaws, it's already very good for a first attempt."

Chris smiled and walked over to where Kyle had been standing, picking up a few strands of hair from the ground.

"I think you must have been distracted the moment the squeezing sensation appeared, and that's the hardest problem to solve."

"Try again."

Chris threw out another stone, "To learn Apparition, you have to try to get used to it and ignore the feeling of being squeezed by the change in space."

Kyle's expression began to turn serious.

Now, besides wanting to learn Apparition, he has another serious reason: to save his hair.

In the case of a normal Splinching, the magic of Apparition will remain at the wound site, connecting it to the body. As long as it is reconnected in time, there will be no problem.

But if it's hair, it's very difficult to pinpoint where it started to separate; every bit that falls out is a bit less.

Apparition, Kyle was still slightly distracted, and this time it was more serious; he left half a finger behind.

Although it didn't hurt, the feeling was indeed a bit terrifying.

Chris quickly reattached him and applied some Essence of Dittany to the joint to speed up healing.

"I feel like you're even more nervous than before..."

"It's nothing," Kyle chuckled dryly, then remained silent.

He couldn't very well say he was nervous because he was afraid of going bald, so he could only change the subject, saying, "Let's do it again..."

What followed was an afternoon of continuous practice.

Whether it was the seventh or eighth attempt, Kyle had successfully mastered the feeling and left nothing behind.

Chris was extremely surprised. When he and Diana were in school, it took them five or six lessons and dozens of failures before they could barely get used to the effects of Apparition.

This is already a pretty good result; he always thought Kyle would be about the same as them.

However, Kyle didn't seem to think anything of it.

Honestly... anyone, whoever they are, once they've experienced the brutal way Phoenix travels, will find it much easier to adapt to the effects of ordinary Apparition.