If someone asked you right now, "How does magic work?",
would you be able to give them a good answer?
Something to do with saying funny words and waving a wand around, right?
Well ...
What?
Fear not. This video is here to answer this question for you.
So, let's dive into the magic of the wizarding world and unpack what it truly
means to be magical.
We see moments where budding witches and wizards get to grips with their magic
well before their magical education begins.
And when a young witch or wizard feels particularly emotional ...
Shut up! Shut up!
That can cause a magical reaction too. Sometimes quite an explosive one.
Ah!
Usually, these magical manifestations start happening around the age of seven.
However,
non-magical families, known as "Muggles", are in for a bit of a shock when their
child starts performing magic tricks that go a little further than pulling
rabbits out of hats.
These magical children born into non-magic families are known as "Muggle-borns",
and they may not get an explanation for this strange behaviour until around their
11th birthday.
However, this doesn't make them any less talented.
Just look at Hermione.
Move over!
Alohomora.
And this all comes down to your study of magic.
Which is why every witch and wizard in Britain receives a letter inviting them
to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Children from magical families will have been
waiting for this letter for their entire lives.
So, what is magic? Well,
witches and wizards are born with the ability to perform acts that regular,
non-magic folk cannot.
Such as making things float,
or changing one thing into something else.
It also helps to have a tool to control the magic.
Which is why it is common practice for witches and wizards to use wands.
Wands help witches and wizards control their magic,
allowing them to cast spells, charms, jinxes, hexes
and even curses, with some spells proving more complex than others.
Vera Verto.
Because a witch or wizard needs to learn all of this,
you can get in major trouble for performing magic before you turn of age at 17.
Unless it was an innocent misunderstanding, of course.
And usually, you need an incantation to make a spell work.
Oculus Reparo.
But some older witches and wizards are skilled enough to perform wordless,
wandless magic.
To really master magic,
it comes down to different factors.
Ability, emotion, and wand movement.
But do you make sure you pronounce things correctly too.
Diagonally!
What did he say, dear?
Diagonally.
I thought he did.
Magic doesn't have to come from a wand either.
It could be from growing a magical plant or brewing a potion.
Even objects can be enchanted,
which can aid a magical person to do even more.
Such as fly, send messages or even disappear.
Wow!
But when it comes to casting magic themselves,
some witches and wizards struggle.
Look at Harry's classmate, Neville Longbottom.
Help!
Despite coming from a well-regarded magical family,
Neville's magical powers didn't kick in for some time. There was even a worry
he might be a Squib, a non-magical person who comes from a magical family.
It was only during a moment in his childhood where Neville discovered his powers,
after bouncing to safety upon falling out of a window.
Well, that's one way to learn.
Why is it always me?
So, it turned out Neville wasn't a Squib.
But there are some non-magical folk who we meet in the stories, such as the
Hogwarts caretaker, Argus Filch.
Despite Filch's inability to cast spells, this doesn't stop Squibs from experiencing
the weird and wonderful delights of the wizarding world though.
And then you have some witches and wizards with one magical parent
and one Muggle parent.
They're known as half-bloods.
Harry Potter himself had two magical parents, and his mother, Lily, was Muggle-born.
Hence his extended family, the Dursleys, being Muggles.
She was exceedingly bright your mother.
Even more impressive
when one considers she was Muggle-born.
There are sadly some people in the wizarding world who judge others based on
their blood status.
You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.
They believe that so called "pure-blooded" wizards,
people whose entire family tree is populated with magical folk,
are superior to all others.
You filthy, little Mudblood.
Draco Malfoy's family are pure-bloods, and they believe this
makes them better than everyone else.
Now, now, Draco. Play nicely.
However, the Weasleys are also pure-bloods and
they accept everyone for who they are.
They know it's not where someone comes from that matters, it's who they become.
Indeed, everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts,
no matter who their family are.
Because like learning anything,
it takes practice to get it right.
Just ask Harry's classmate, Seamus Finnigan.
As they get older,
the students learn which branches of magic suit them best.
Expelliarmus!
Neville found that his talents lay in Herbology, the study of magical plants.
If you're interested in plants,
you'd be better off with Goshowk's Guide to Herbology.
While Harry excelled in Defence Against the Dark Arts,
Hermione is skilled in many
areas, such as charms, the study of spells.
Miss Granger's done it!
Transfiguration, turning one thing into something else.
And, well,
everything really.
Even Seamus Finnigan was eventually embraced for his, uh,
talents.
As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics.
Of course, magic can have its limitations too.
For example, a broken wand can make your spells go haywire.
Eat slugs!
And magic can't fix everything. There are certain rules.
For example, you can't conjure food from thin air.
It can only be magically summoned from nearby.
And perhaps the biggest rule in magic,
is that you can't bring people back from the dead.
Although there are other ways you can still magically thrive
from beyond the grave.
There are some in the wizarding world who use their magic for much darker purposes.
We won't ruin the mood by talking about this topic too much,
but you should know that dark magic exists in the wizarding world.
And with dark magic, comes a number of cruel spells that do terrible things.
Crucio!
Not all wizards are good.
Luckily, there are far more good wizards than evil ones.
We've all got both light and dark inside us.
What matters is the part we choose to act on.
Harry and his friends are dedicated to using magic,
to fight for good in the wizarding world.
Despite the many difficult situations they find themselves in throughout the years.
Because at the end of the day,
you can be the most powerful witch or wizard out there.
But sometimes, the real magic is being there for a friend.
To find out more about the magical wizarding world,
stay tuned for more Discover Harry Potter.