Chapter 166: Research wandless magic
Narcissa's sixteenth birthday was over, and James returned home. The duel was the most interesting thing, then he chatted with Sirius and Regulus and met Sirius' parents for the first time. They just said hello and nothing more.
In the last few days before Hogwarts, she focused on her training in wandless magic. Since the vacations began, he started research on his wandless magic.
He had to find a more effective training method. Squeezing his brain to the maximum by controlling objects was no good. His limits were not improving, he could improve his control, but it was not the most effective way to improve.
Emotions were key. Especially to overcome his limits at a moment's notice, like when he saved Regulus.
He read texts on African magic wandless. It was difficult to read the various African languages, but James was always a genius when it came to languages. He managed to learn them and read the texts that had not been translated.
The European magic community viewed wandless magic with disdain, believing it to be dangerous and volatile. The wand is more accurate and increases power. Why spend time on wandless magic?
The Uagadou School of Magic is an African school of magic with a great reputation. It was founded a long time ago and is about the same age as Hogwarts (maybe older, records of so many years are hard to keep track of.) At this school of magic, they cast spells simply by pointing a finger or by hand gestures.
James found that if he used his hand to channel his magic his power increased. This was useful for immobilizing living things or strangling them. On lifeless objects, it is best to use his sight unless it is a very heavy object.
The best emotions to enhance his magic without a wand were anger, hatred, and sadness. The opposite of a Patronus. A dangerous path, but necessary for this war. James was trying to balance them with his Patronus, to have a balance between negative and positive emotions.
'Maybe a feeling of protection will do the trick too...' thought James with a new idea in mind. Protecting his family and friends, was his main goal after all. When he protected Regulus from almost dying, he did it because he wanted to protect his best friend's younger brother. Not because he felt hatred or anger towards the Ice Knights.
James did tests. He tried to stop animals like deer from running away from him with his magic without a wand. In his neutral state, he can't do that. He tried trying to evoke more positive feelings like protection towards his family and friends.
There were changes in his power, but it was minimal. Although his desire for protection is strong it is difficult to channel. It requires more concentration and control, for some reason. It is much easier to channel hatred and anger.
The moment he remembered the people who insulted his family by calling them traitors a great anger radiated from him, and the deer stopped instantly. He drew it to him until it lost power and the deer regained mobility.
'Tsch is difficult,' thought James, clicking his tongue. Maybe the European community wasn't all bad. It could be volatile if with more negative feelings your magic without a wand is empowered. In a wand, you don't need such empowerment, as the wand is concerned with improving your power and accuracy.
However, it is not the same in all spells. James knew that in Unforgivable curses you had to have great intent behind them to make them effective. Not just great skill and power. You had to want to murder or harm your enemy.
On the last night before starting his third year at Hogwarts, James stood on the balcony of his room. The full moon lit up the night.
'Finally, a month passed,' thought James, spitting a saliva-filled leaf into a small glass jar.
The leaf James spat out was a mandrake leaf that could be used as an ingredients in potions, but he was using it for a different purpose: to become Animagus.
An Animagus is a wizard who can transform into an animal and back again at will. It is an ability that can be learned, it is not hereditary. The process of becoming Animagus was a kind of long and difficult ritual. You must have skill and patience.
James decided to become Animagus as it would be useful for war, although he could not transform into the animal he wanted. It was random.
In a casual chat with the marauders at Potter Manor, he told them this, and Sirius jumped up with excitement saying that he too wanted to transform into Animagus, furthermore, he proposed that this way they could help Lupin on his full moon nights. So that Lupin wouldn't have to be locked up in a lonely house hurting himself. Since without them being animals Lupin wouldn't attack them when he was transformed into a wolf.
James liked the idea and hadn't thought of it that way. Peter and Toby also liked it.
James had a lot of knowledge in the transfiguration branch. He already knew the whole ritual and explained it to the marauders.
The first step was to keep a single mandrake leaf in the mouth for a full month from full moon to full moon. If the leaf is removed or swallowed, you must start over.
'I wonder if they've succeeded,' thought James. Toby if he had made it, he knew he still kept the ugly leaf in his mouth from the ugly expressions he made during this last month.
After the month has passed you must spit out the leaf and place it in the glass jar which must be illuminated by the pure rays of the moon. That is not all, before closing the jar you must add a hair of your own, a teaspoonful of silver dew taken from a place that had not seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven full days, and the chrysalis of a death's-head hawkmoth.
James made the mixture with extreme care. It was hard to get that damn teaspoon of silver spray. He won't miss. He'll get it right the first time. He'll be pissed if he has to start the whole process all over again.
Once he had the resulting mixture James put it in a new wallet that had an extension spell. He prepared this wallet to hold the vial, as it should be kept in a quiet, dark place. He would just keep the vial here.
'Well, now I must wait for a thunderstorm... I hope there is one before winter...' thought James with a grimace.
If winter comes and there are no thunderstorms he will have to wait for the winter months to pass, as at that time usually thunderstorms are less common, as winter conditions are usually dominated by low-pressure systems that bring rain, snow, and high winds, but do not usually produce the warm and humid conditions needed for thunderstorms.
During this waiting period, James should recite, at dawn and dusk every day without fail, the incantation: Amato Animo Animato Animagus. When he does so he must place the tip of his wand over his heart.
So James hopes that there will be a thunderstorm in September or October. Otherwise, he will have to spend many months repeating this incantation, if he fails he will have to start from scratch. Also, during the casting of the spell, he must remain calm and not be disturbed.
If any part of this process was done incorrectly, it had the potential to backfire and cause the transformation to go wrong (such as causing permanent half-human, half-animal mutations).
'If I'm lucky in two or three months, I'll be an Animagus,' James thought with a slightly expectant smile. He wondered what animal he would transform into. As for the process, he wasn't afraid of failing. He was confident in his transfiguration skills and knowledge. Moreover, he was patient, disciplined, and hardworking.
Before going to bed he visited Toby, who had good news. He had placed the leaf in the jar and completed the initial step of the ritual. Now came the hardest part.
After saying goodnight to his family, which had now expanded to include a brother and sister, James went to bed. He couldn't deny that he was excited to begin his third year at Hogwarts. Although there was the anticipation of war, he always enjoyed Hogwarts.
This year, he will have two more subjects compared to previous years. His time will be more limited, but he has already created a study and training plan to be organized from day one.
On the other hand, they will start from day one the search for the third vault. With no word from Gwen, Regulus and Snape solve the riddle at Potter Manor during the vacation. They had already solved the riddle. The vault was in the forbidden forest.
According to Hagrid, a friend of James', the forest hid many secrets, and he was right. He already had the map and directions that would lead them through the forest to the vault. After that, there would be the last vault. Where the supposed Japanese dark wizard, Dai Ryusaki had hidden his most powerful magical artifact. That was James' goal.
The items he found so far were good. Short weapons spells, which he could not replicate. Besides being an expert in ancient runes you had to know how to forge those runes in very complicated metal. Dangerous curses, ice spells, knights, and a giant Golem alive.
Whatever is in each vault, James knows it will be helpful. Weapons that cut spells were very useful to him. Thanks to that sword, he defeated Professor Eustace. He couldn't take credit for it.
'I wonder if Gwen will be alright...' thought James, slowly falling asleep.
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