"It seems this method is a true failure," commented Christian. He has been trying to imagine a raging inferno while casting Incendio for the past few spells, but nothing has changed. The same was true for any elemental base spells. He was a little saddened that the chemical formulas of water had no effect whatsoever, but now, he had to accept this fact.
"Indeed," nodded Tiara. "Let's end today's lesson."
The two returned home and had dinner. Aunt Eleanor was busy and said she wouldn't be back tonight, so they did not wait for her. Later that day, Christian read more books in his father's study after chatting with the painting. He continued his daily routine of night meditation and seeing one of Jim's memories before sleeping.
…
"Today's lesson is about Bewitching or Enchanting," said Tiara. "Do you remember the official definition of Charms in your book?"
"Charms, also called enchantments, were spells that added certain properties or characteristics to an object or individual, unlike Transfiguration, which changed the property of said object or individual."
"Enchanting or bewitching an object or person basically ensures the spell has a lasting effect instead of a temporary one. This method is how magical artifacts are created. Understand?"
Christian nodded.
"Three things determine the strength or duration of an enchanted item: skill, material, and location. Skill is pretty apparent: the more talented the person bewitching the object, the more potent and lasting it can be."
Christian nodded again to indicate he understood and was listening.
"Magic conducive materials allowed an enchantment to last for a long period of time, sometimes for hundreds of years. I've discovered many artifacts from thousands of years ago."
"And they still work?"
"Yes."
"Were the ancient wizards very skilled?" asked Christian.
"Not necessarily, but they had access to Goblin Silver," replied Tiara.
"A Goblin-created material?"
"Correct, and it's one of the best magic conductors in the world. Before the recipe was lost, wizards worldwide would ask the Goblins to make items for them before bewitching them themselves. In our time, any artifact made with Goblin Silver was extremely valuable. However, according to Goblin Custom, they own anything they've created — even if you pay for it— so there are usually battles over who owns these artifacts."
Christian did not know how to feel about this news. On the one hand, he wanted to respect the Goblins' culture, but he also could not accept not owning something he had paid for.
"The last criterion is location. Some places are, how do I explain this…sources of magical powers. If you enchant these locations or leave enchanted items there, the magical source will nourish these enchantments and prevent them from degrading. A perfect example is Hogwarts. It's built in one of those sources, so the enchantments on the castle have lasted for thousands of years."
"Magic Source? That sounds interesting. Can you elaborate?"
"Do you remember the magical power you feel when casting a spell?" Tiara asked.
"You mean the one that travels from the heart, through the hand, and out of the wand?"
"Exactly. You can think that the magical sources are areas with an immense amount of this magical power. Ancient wizards love building their houses and tombs in these areas, so I've dealt with them in many ruins."
"The idea of a large magical source to power up a house or tomb has many implications. Is this what you mean when you said magic can be external?" Christian asked.
"But where do these sources originate from? How to utilize them?"
"Sorry, but I don't know much about that," Tiara said. "You would have to find a Geomancer or Feng Shui Master with a deep understanding of leylines to get an answer. However, when we study Warding, I will teach you some basic applications of these energy sources."
She initially learned about the profession from her grandmother, but did not come into contact with them until she started working as a Curse Breaker right after graduation. Additionally, during Voldemort's rampage, she wanted the help of a Geomancer who would find her the best place to build a house and place her Warding. Their current main house was the result, and after that, she had a few encounters with a Feng Shui Master while traveling in the East.
"Now that you have a basic understanding, let's begin with the lesson," said Tiara; they each had a quill before them.
"The spell is simple: Scribe."
"An English Spell?"
"One of the few," nodded Tiara. "The real difficulty is the process. You need to focus and imagine a link between you and the object being bewitched. Then, you need to command it, as if it were your employee, to do what you want with the incantation. There might be resistance, but push through it until you can hold on anymore. Go ahead and try it."
Christian did as he was told, imagining a deep connection between him and the quill. Then, he commanded it to do as he wished. After casting the spell, the quill began to move on its own. Whatever Christian thought, the quill automatically wrote it.
"Let's see," said Tiara as she took the quill and placed her wand on it. A blue light flashed from the tip, and she said, "Excellent. Not only did you succeed in your first attempt, but the enchantments should last more than five days. It seems you've inherited both our family's talent for enchanting."
The Malik Family ran an Enchanting Shop for many generations until Isaac's disappearance, and Tiara herself was quite talented in that field, which was another thing that drew her closer to her husband.
"Let's try enchanting other items before learning to do it without your wand," she said, so the training continued.
"...The biggest challenge is bewitching ordinary items or the ones created with extremely high conductivity. The former has nothing to sustain itself and must rely heavily on the enchanter's skill, while the latter has too much innate magic and resists any foreign invasion or changes. Most people cannot bewitch these items due to the immense resistance. The only way to remove the resistance is through training and increasing their focus.
"...The deepest connection will make you feel like the object is an extension of your limbs. So you must be patient, focus, and establish a deeper bond or connection."
"... At an even deeper level of connection, you will begin to feel the energy flowing through the item and only need to weave a spell into its very fabric. I've barely touched this level, and only a few people can enchant items on this level. Once your skill reaches that level, your enchantments will last decades without any magical source supporting them."
"Would I be able to feel the energy flow of living creatures as well?" asked Christian.
"Hmm, that's an interesting question that I don't have an answer to. You'll have to find that out yourself."
"I will."
After the lesson, Tiara led Christian to one of the rooms in this practice mansion.
"You've been introduced to the magical world for a little over a month. Do you know what you want to do in the future?"
"It's only been a month. How could I know such a thing?" said Christian. Previously, his life plan was simple: get into Eton, then Oxford University, where he would probably get many degrees in either the field of linguistics or archaeology, or both.
"I'm probably going to become a Curse Breaker like you. I'll visit different ruins and learn more about the lives of ancient wizards," replied Christian.
"That's a good direction," Tiara encouraged. Of course, she would not tell him she felt he was destined for far greater things and should aim higher. Christian was still a child and had time to realize how much his presence would influence the world once he reached his full potential.
"This might help you," Tiara said as she showed him a mirror in the middle of the room. Christian looked at the mirror and muttered:
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on whosi," read Christian, who soon understood it was rearranged differently. "I show not your face but your heart's desire."
"Correct," said Tiara. "This magical artifact is called the Mirror of Erised, and it shows you what you truly desire in life. It's a good way to understand yourself and maybe get a glance at your goals and ambitions."
"That's interesting," muttered Christian before standing before it. He paused briefly before hearing his mother ask what he saw.
"I see myself standing on a podium receiving an award. You, father, and Aunt Eleanor are behind me, smiling happily."
"This indicates that what you truly wish for is a happy family," said Tiara with a doting smile. "What about the award? What's it for?"
"Let's see. It says to the wizard with the greatest influence on the magical world."
'Bingo,' thought Tiara. "So, is that your desire? To change the magical world for the better?"
"I guess that's true," replied Christian. "After experiencing and learning some things, I was a little disappointed that the magical world was not as I envisioned it. Maybe, deep down, I truly want to see a better and more prosperous magical community."
"And there is nothing wrong with that," said Tiara. "But you should also understand this won't be an easy path. You will first need to prove to the world you're a wizard on par with Dumbledore and show you might.
"On top of that, you would need political, military, or soft power, most likely a combination of the three."
"I understand political and military power, but what's soft power?"
"Influence and reputation," replied Tiara. "I hate to continue to use Dumbledore as an example, but he's perfect. For someone like him, his every word can influence magical worlds worldwide. And that's because he has a great influence on the magical world because of his strength and accomplishments in different fields."
"I think I understand," nodded Christian.