Chapter 180: Creating Spells!
In the traditional Wizarding World way, it’s certainly not possible.
For every Young Wizard who enrolls, the first Charm class they attend, the first piece of knowledge about Charms that the Professor teaches, is the accuracy of pronunciation and the accuracy of wand movements.
There can’t be the slightest mistake!
The Young Wizards didn’t understand why. They could only hear some rather terrifying stories from the Professor: a certain Wizard mispronounced a syllable of the Levitation Charm, and suddenly a cow appeared and crushed his chest.
A certain Young Wizard made a mistake with Apparition, and his head ended up in Provence while his body remained in England!
As beginners, the Young Wizards didn’t understand why mispronouncing a spell would have such consequences. Some mischievous individuals with vivid imaginations would even intentionally try to mispronounce spells to “invent” new ones.
For example, the case of the person who mispronounced the Levitation Charm and ended up summoning a cow.
Such attempts, of course, would not succeed.
Although Magic is a subjective thing, subjectivity still has its logic and patterns. A spell that can be passed down, even if it’s subjective, must have undergone extensive correction and adjustment by generations of Wizards to ensure that the “spell” describing its effect and the wand movement structuring it can accurately convey the Magic’s function.
Think about it, even for a spell as relatively simple in its physical manifestation as “Incendio,” how many concepts need to be condensed into the spell and wand movement?
If calculated using the Muggle way, the movement patterns of pure plasma alone would need to be divided into ion acoustic waves, Alfvén waves, whistler waves, Langmuir waves, and so on.
And this is still within the scope of spells.
The spatial structures represented by wand movements also have various geometric configurations.
With so many things simplified, one can imagine how much information is contained within the short syllables of a spell and the seemingly simple wand movements, and how much error even the slightest alteration would cause!
Therefore, since enrolling, Vaughn has never tried to modify any spell. Those who understand Magic deeply understand its complexity and difficulty the most.
“But now, I think I’ve found a new path…”
Looking at the formulas on the blackboard in front of him, Vaughn’s eyes gradually brightened.
“Excluding Legendary Wizards like Dumbledore, whom I don’t yet understand, looking solely at living beings, Wizards and Muggles don’t have much difference in how they understand the world. Both use their senses to receive external information. The difference is that Magic Power and Magic allow Wizards to see some things intuitively, while Muggles need imagination.”
“Interestingly, when expressing the world they see and imagine, the convenience brought by Magic hasn’t enabled Wizards to describe the inherent essence of what they see in a concise and convenient way. Instead, it’s the Muggles, who rely on imagination, who have deeply constructed theories and models when expressing their observations and hypothetical results…”
“Magic thus becomes ‘vast’ and crude; it can directly manifest a certain result, but the principles of how to create this result are lacking sufficient clarity and ease of understanding. It relies on intuition. Mathematics, conversely, appears ‘small’ and precise. It cannot directly turn the final solution into reality, but through seemingly complex calculations, it solves not just the answer to the problem, but also the detailed process of arriving at the answer!”
“Both have flaws, but both… can also be combined!”
The feeling of his thoughts connecting brought Vaughn a genuine joy.
Although he heard Matthew re-entering the space and bringing many people with him, he paid no attention.
Clutching the inspiration he had, he once again began to calculate.
The new formulas were no longer entirely Muggle mathematical formulas. Instead, they incorporated “unknown quantities” that he, as a Wizard, someone proficient in Apparition, and an “observer” with direct perception of spatial structures, directly felt.
The traditional methods of the Wizarding World indeed make it difficult to modify a mature spell.
It’s not because the spell is perfect, but because the lack of theory makes it difficult for Wizards to clearly understand where to even begin!
Even now, mathematics cannot be equated with Magic.
However, at least on certain issues concerning reality, concerning this world and universe we all live in, he saw the possibility of constructing “theory” for Magic through the path of mathematics!
Calculating and writing rapidly, Vaughn heard Matthew ask him something, but his attention was no longer there.
He didn’t even know what he had answered.
He only knew that he would soon finish the calculation, and then, following the process revealed by the calculation, he would empty his mind and let his thoughts spread out, making contact with space.
It was like the first time he learned Apparition.
But unlike then, what guided his “learning,” what he perceived, was no longer vague “imagination,” no longer “recall, think of the scene you want to go to.”
Instead, it was a more sober, more abstract, but rigorously defined “world” through calculation.
He “saw” the air around him, as his thoughts spread and Magic Power was output, a smooth, static sphere silently appeared.
It was a singularity, and also a wormhole.
But it was also a stable entrance to a passage, and to achieve all this, he had only slightly modified some quantities based on the calculation results.
Thus, with the support of energy （ Magic Power ）, it appeared in a way different from Apparition!
Vaughn gently raised his hand.
Without any sensation, his hand reached into the opening of the sphere!
Then, on the other side of the passage, he felt… the sea breeze…
…
Clint almost forgot how he had walked out of the Suitcase Space.
When he snapped out of his shock, he was already standing outside the hotel, in the dark night, the damp, salty wind blowing from the bay bringing a slight chill.
He looked around. Melody, Zack, and even Captain Oliver had expressions of dazed shock similar to his.
The few of them stood there foolishly for a while longer.
Melody then spoke as if in a dream, whether to herself or asking, “Weasley… did he use a Muggle thing to research a new Magic?”
“No, not necessarily…”
Zack instinctively retorted, “Are those things on the blackboard definitely mathematics? Maybe Clint mistook—”
“They are mathematical symbols!”
Shaking his slightly swollen and heavy head, Clint took off his glasses, rubbing his temples as he said, “Although I don’t understand the specific content, the format doesn’t lie. No set of symbols in the Wizarding World would be written that way.”
“That doesn’t prove anything,” Zack said stubbornly. “So what if it’s mathematics? Maybe Vaughn… Mr. Weasley was just writing it for fun? And it just so happened that after he wrote it, he wanted to test out some newly researched Magic…”
“In that scene, your reasoning doesn’t hold up. We all saw him thinking in front of the blackboard, and then his hand…”
Melody didn’t know how to describe her feelings.
She felt as if her brain had been heavily struck by what she had seen not long ago, and it was still groggy.
She understood why Zack stubbornly wanted to refute it, because she herself didn’t really want to admit everything she had seen not long ago.
Researching Magic with Muggle knowledge… it was too absurd!
How could Muggle knowledge lead to the development of Magic!
But that was precisely what she had witnessed.
“Fuck!” Grabbing his head, Melody couldn’t help but curse, then she looked at Oliver, who hadn’t said a word since they came out, “Captain, what’s your opinion… Captain?”
“Hm?”
Oliver, seemingly just coming to his senses, heard her question, blinked, and shook his head. “I don’t have any opinion. The truth is probably as Clint said, Mr. Weasley researched a new Magic using the Muggle mathematics on the blackboard…”
“…”
Zack was dejected.
Just as he was about to say something else, he saw the hotel door open, and the two Ministry Aurors walked out, looking just as dazed as they were.
Seeing Oliver and the others, the two of them came back to themselves, but they didn’t say anything, just gave a polite nod of greeting and hurried away.
Soon after, two brooms shot up into the sky, and the two quickly disappeared into the night.
Their departure, however, finally pulled Melody out of her earlier confusion. She muttered, “Damn hyenas… Captain, what do we do now? Those two were here the whole time, and we didn’t get to speak with Mr. Weasley. Should we go back after they leave?”
“No need.”
Oliver smiled. “I’ve already contacted Mr. Weasley. As for now, let’s just leave this city as we would after a normal transaction!”
“Already contacted him? When?”
“While you were all spacing out!”
Oliver chuckled, teasingly. No one noticed a wisp of white mist flash in his narrowed eyes…
…
“Sir, you…”
Inside the Suitcase Space, all outsiders had left. Matthew, with shock lingering on his face, hesitantly asked, “Did you invent a new Magic using Muggle mathematics?”
In front of him, Vaughn, seated in a chair, was observing with great interest a “sphere” suspended before him, which from any angle appeared to be a perfect circle.
The reason it wasn’t directly called a sphere was that, to the naked eye, its appearance was indeed that of a circle, with no discernable spherical structure.
Matthew couldn’t understand why this sphere was so peculiar.
Just as he couldn’t understand how Muggle mathematics could lead to the development of Magic.
After observing the strange sphere for a while, Vaughn seemed to perceive his confusion and said, “After graduating from Hogwarts for so many years, you must have also tried to develop spells, right? Don’t you find spell development particularly difficult?”
“Uh, yes.”
Of course, it was difficult. There was no starting point.
“Then have you ever considered why spell development is difficult?”
“…” Matthew was speechless.
Vaughn didn’t expect him to answer and replied directly, “Because we lack theory, the theoretical analysis of common, self-evident phenomena like 1+1=2.”
Matthew blinked. He didn’t quite understand.
Why would anyone study such a trivial problem as 1+1=2…
After digesting it for a good while, Matthew, who had barely kept up with Vaughn’s train of thought, asked, “So, in your eyes, Muggle mathematics can serve as the theory for spell development?”
Despite his Muggle origins, Matthew still found such an idea utterly absurd!
To his surprise, Vaughn shook his head. “Of course not!”
“?”
“Muggles and Wizards are ultimately different. Although they have constructed many models using mathematics, they cannot fully encompass the principles of spell formation, especially in the representation of time, space, and dimensions…”
As he spoke, Vaughn looked at the “sphere” being maintained by his Magic Power and fell into thought again.
Yes, mathematics cannot serve as the “theory” for spells. Although Vaughn successfully modified Apparition using mathematical calculations, turning it into another form of Magic.
But in essence, Apparition and the mathematical model he used are different.
For example, in the description of a Lorentz wormhole, the concept of dimensions is lacking, but Apparition does have dimensions. Any Wizard using Apparition can see the same scene during the transition—a tubular, “passage-like” thing.
Wizards stretched into a wormhole-like form are essentially sliding along the inner wall of that tubular passage.
This is different from the spacetime view of a Lorentz wormhole.
Its manifestation is more like a distortion of three-dimensional space. More accurately, it’s that Wizards, as three-dimensional beings, can only interact with and see this “tubular passage” warped from three-dimensional space.
So, could there be higher dimensions?
Certainly, because in the Wizarding World, time Magic is undoubtedly real!
At the same time, the existence of spells like the Backwards Charm and Mending Charm, which can manipulate time, proves that dimensions higher than four exist.
For instance, five dimensions!
A strange dimension where time has positive and negative properties, space has positive and negative properties, and velocity also has positive and negative properties. In short, in that dimension, time would flow backward, space would return to the past, and velocity… would become instantaneous movement!
Or instantaneous travel!
“Unfortunately, current mathematical models have not performed any derivations for this. Only the relatively crude Euclidean wormhole possesses vaguely similar concepts, but its foundation is quantum fluctuations and string theory…”
Vaughn thought with some regret.
However, it was only “some” regret. He looked at the “sphere” before him, and a smile gradually formed on his lips. Yes, mathematics cannot be the complete “theory” for Magic. It has flaws, but these flaws can be compensated for!
At least, he had seen the direction.
This “direction” requires Muggles and also more powerful “Magic Tools”!
Seeing the President’s smile, Matthew became even more confused. The brief exchange not only failed to resolve many questions in his mind but made them even more profound.
To the point where he suddenly felt as if he had learned nothing in his decades of studying Magic…
Lost in thought, Matthew saw Vaughn stand up:
“My dear Matthew, stop agonizing over things you can’t figure out. It’s still too complex right now, but one day, I will make it simple… Go and stand guard outside. Don’t let anyone disturb me. The Fire Dragons have arrived, and I need to research them quickly!”
“…Yes!”
The Fire Dragons delivered by Oliver and his group were bound by enchanted chains and tethered to the center of the distant plains, next to the Werewolf experimental zone.
The Tree Bee, now promoted to Vaughn’s top henchman, flapped its club-like tail, flying around the five Fire Dragons and intimidating them with fire.
The five Fire Dragons were: a Black Dragon from the Hebrides Islands, a common Welsh Green Dragon, a Tree Bee, an Australian Green Dragon, and a Fireball Dragon.
The Black Dragon and the Green Dragon are both native English species. The Black Dragon lives in the Scottish Highlands （ habitat of the Hebrides Islands, and it was only designated as a Black Dragon conservation area ） after the 《 Statute of Secrecy 》 was enforced. Before the conservation area was established, it was practically a mainstream dragon species in England.
Because this dragon is ferocious and belligerent, it is one of the few Fire Dragons that are not inclined to flock together. Adult individuals prefer to live alone.
In ancient times, a Black Dragon’s territory could extend up to 100 square miles. The entire British Isles are only a little over 90,000 square miles.
Therefore, it has always been the most active Fire Dragon in England. Its vast territorial needs mean they are either fighting or on their way to fighting, making them the species most frequently responsible for Magical leakage incidents in Britain.
“Roar—”
Under the bright moonlight, the Black Dragon, with its obsidian-black scales like a layer of matte armor, let out a menacing roar at the Tree Bee despite being bound by chains.
After spitting another gout of flame, which infuriated the Black Dragon, the Tree Bee’s agile eyes revealed a hint of cunning playfulness.
It then saw Vaughn approaching, its pupils instantly constricted, and it obediently landed.
“Goo~~~~~~”
The Tree Bee, like a fawning cat, purred in its throat and affectionately nudged its head towards Vaughn.
Stroking the spines on its head, Vaughn casually cast a Stunning Spell at the enraged Black Dragon.
The Black Dragon struggled desperately, but its dragon scales and skin, which had excellent resistance to Magic, were completely unable to withstand a powerful Wizard’s spell.
Soon, it fell unconscious.
This made the Tree Bee, which witnessed it firsthand, look even more docile. It playfully rolled over and exposed its belly. In nature, both ordinary beasts and Magical Creatures consider their bellies their most vulnerable spot. Although animals don’t have the concept of submission, the meaning conveyed is similar.
Scratching Betty’s parrot-like beak and chin—Vaughn had heard one of Oliver’s subordinates, a burly man named Zack Greyback, call the Tree Bee that.
Although the Tree Bee couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge him, it didn’t object to the name, and Vaughn didn’t want to come up with a new one, so he kept it.
Amidst Betty’s purring, he observed the Fire Dragons.
Compared to the ill-tempered Black Dragon, the other Fire Dragons appeared much calmer, though this didn’t mean they had good temperaments.
For instance, next to the Black Dragon was the common Welsh Green Dragon. This dragon, entirely dark green, curled its slender body. Its membrane-like skin, reflecting the moonlight, contracted and expanded as if breathing, like a coiled viper ready to strike.
This was a sign of its wariness.
Beside it, the Fireball Dragon from East Asia, whose scales were originally fiery red, remained brilliantly colored even under the night and moonlight.
It looked as if fire flowed within its scales.
This dragon, which appeared to have wings and resembled a salamander magnified hundreds of times, had a distinctive fringe of tassels around its neck.
Thus, the Fireball Dragon is also called a Lion Dragon.
At this moment, the fringe around its neck was puffed out. The Fireball Dragon, feeling threatened, stared at Vaughn with its bulging eyes, the air around its snout and mouth distorted by the brewing fireball.
Vaughn found the Fireball Dragon quite novel.
He was from East Asia in his previous life, and in his childhood education, dragons were always treated as totemic figures of faith.
But the actual Fireball Dragon had little relation to the dragons in myths.
Speaking of which, the Fireball Dragon was the only subspecies of Fire Dragon that considered man-eating to be part of its diet.
This dietary habit was widespread among Fireball Dragons. However, according to the literature Vaughn had seen, about a few hundred years ago, when the Federation supervised the division of Fire Dragon conservation areas in various countries, they organized an investigation team to study the phenomenon of Fireball Dragons eating humans.
The results greatly surprised the Wizarding World at the time—the man-eating habit of Fireball Dragons was innate. This meant that even a newly hatched wyrm instinctively knew that humans were on their menu.
Yet, strangely, this man-eating habit was slowly weakening. Some “mutant” individuals tracked and observed by the investigation team even abnormally showed a tendency to be close to humans.
The Wizarding World had no concept of biology. The research on Magical Creatures generally focused on what materials could be utilized from them or exploring new directions for their use.
Therefore, even now, the Wizarding World did not understand why Fireball Dragons were undergoing such strange changes, until Vaughn discovered in the Hogwarts Library the investigation reports donated to the school by several “alumni” who had participated in the investigation back then.
Vaughn, who understood East Asian culture and possessed Muggle scientific thinking, had some speculations: “The change in the Fireball Dragon’s diet might be related to the dragon totem worship of Muggles in East Asia… The influence of Muggle legends on the mystical…”
“When I have more free time, I should visit East Asia. The Fireball Dragon might be the first population that can be observed as being influenced by Muggle legends…”
Gazing at the Fireball Dragon with its fringed mane puffed out and its fierce glare.
Vaughn decided not to kill it for the time being.
Because its value was not only in completing the system’s Side Quest but also related to deeper issues that interested him—
Why is the Fireball Dragon’s diet man-eating?
For any creature, even a Magical Creature, its survival habits and strategies must be closely related to its environment.
By this logic, the man-eating habit that spans the entire Fireball Dragon population is unlikely to be a recent phenomenon of the last few thousand years. Therefore, how far back can it be traced? Can it prove or disprove his previous speculation that Fire Dragons might not be native Earth species?
Furthermore, is there a connection between the changing diet of Fireball Dragons and the dragon totem worship of Muggles in East Asia? If so, was it spontaneous reverence for dragons generated by Muggles, or the result of deliberate guidance by those Qi Practitioners?
These are all very interesting topics.
The former might help trace the time of Magic’s “appearance” on Earth, or even the origin of Magic. The latter is related to the Magic community of that East Asian country.
International understanding of the Qi Practitioners is very limited. However, it is certain that with the gradual opening up of Muggle regimes in East Asia, the Magic community there is no longer as closed off as it was in previous decades.
In the foreseeable future, they will gradually re-engage in international affairs within the Wizarding World and, like their Muggle governments, rapidly expand their influence.
Neither Vaughn nor the WAC can ignore their existence!
Not only the Fireball Dragon survived, but also the last Fire Dragon.
Shifting his gaze from the Fireball Dragon, Vaughn looked at the last one, quietly basking in the moonlight, its entire body pearly white, gleaming like a work of natural art—
The Australian Green Dragon!
A Fire Dragon that has almost nothing to do with Australia, living in New Zealand, and looking completely unlike a Fire Dragon!
Its pearl-shaped, round, and exquisite scales reflected every ray of moonlight. Its unique structure even caused the scales to decompose and recombine colors, presenting a chromatic dispersion phenomenon.
The specific visual effect was as if… it was draped in a faint rainbow, shimmering with colors that flowed across its body with each breath!
Even its eyes, which lacked pupils, were like two opals, colorful.
“So beautiful…”
Even though he had seen this beautiful creature in photos, photos were just photos. Seeing it up close was different.
At the very least, current photographic technology could hardly do justice to the stunning colors it displayed.
Hearing Vaughn’s murmur, Betty, who was rolling on her belly and playing with Vaughn’s hand with her parrot-like mouth, seemed to understand.
She immediately flipped over and sat up, her slender serpentine eyes fixing on the Australian Green Dragon with ill intent.
The Australian Green Dragon showed no reaction to its sudden hostility. There was no roar, no anxious defensiveness. This Fire Dragon, whose beauty was matched by every curve from scale to body, responded to everything with a gentle demeanor, much like its beauty.
A Fire Dragon actually gave the illusion of a refined lady!
In fact, it was indeed the most gentle species among all Fire Dragons. From the ferocious Tree Bee, to the man-eating Fireball Dragon, to the insidious Green Dragon and Poison Fang Dragon.
These Fire Dragons could all be described as ferocious and evil. Even now, with Fire Dragon conservation areas established, news of Fire Dragons escaping due to lax supervision and attacking Muggles still appeared in the press annually.
Only the Australian Green Dragon has never been reported to actively attack Muggles or Wizards since the history of the Wizarding World （ it will attack if threatened ）.
It is said that even in its most starved state, this Fire Dragon would not consider food other than sheep… utterly preposterous!
“Compared to humans, it’s like two extremes with the Fireball Dragon…”
Ignoring Betty, who was being pampered and acting spoiled, Vaughn walked over to the Australian Green Dragon and stroked its cool, smooth, gem-like scales.
The Australian Green Dragon lowered its head, looking at him gently, and exhaled a wisp of bright red flame from its nostrils.
This was the most beautiful Magical Creature he had ever seen, more beautiful than a Unicorn or an Occamy. It was also the first time he faced a creature that he was reluctant to “sacrifice” purely out of admiration for its beauty!
What a wondrous Fire Dragon…
Behind him, watching Vaughn stroke the Australian Green Dragon with such fondness, Betty was so jealous she was about to split. Therefore, when Vaughn, having satisfied his curiosity by rubbing its scales, began the experiment not long after.
The moment Vaughn gave the order, Betty impatiently rushed into the Fire Dragons and beat the experiment subject he had designated—another Tree Bee—within an inch of its life!
Compared to other Fire Dragons, the Tree Bee had a higher degree of evolution. Vaughn needed to study it by observing its movement patterns （ including combat ）.
Soon, the large Suitcase Space was once again filled with surging Magic fluctuations.
Outside, Matthew guarded the entrance as per Vaughn’s orders.
Feeling the Magic fluctuations emanating from within the suitcase, he looked up at the sky. The nearly full moon made his own Magic stir.
“The full moon is fast approaching…”
He thought.
He couldn’t help but recall his past life with Greyback.
Unlike Werewolves who found ways to restrain themselves before the full moon, the transformation during the full moon was the only revelry for Greyback and the Werewolves around him each month.
Every time, driven by the increasingly active Magic within them and their excited spirits, they would go out and search for “blessed ones.”
That is, Muggles or Wizards that Greyback fancied and could develop into “brothers”!
It was in this way he was “developed.” Twenty years ago, Greyback personally scouted him, understood his personality and family relationships, and dragged him into hell…
His memories gradually turned scarlet. Matthew’s breathing quickened. Thick black hairs slowly but surely began to emerge from his pores.
His eyes rapidly became bloodshot!
He did not suppress his anger and hatred. This change would not continue before the full moon, and he had already taken the Wolfsbane Potion. His consciousness was always enveloped by a cold sensation, maintaining his clarity.
“I am no longer in hell now, Greyback. Will you be disappointed?”
His fingernails also gradually sharpened and thickened. Matthew clenched his fist, feeling the pain of his sharp nails digging into his palm, his expressionless.
His submission to Vaughn was not just because he wanted to see if Vaughn’s promise to Werewolves would come true.
It was also because he wanted revenge!
However, that was for later. His duty now was to serve his new master—even if he wasn’t good at it.
Strangely, he felt a longing for Lupin.
Leaning against the window, Matthew looked out at the Muggle city under the moonlight, gazing in the direction of the Charles River.
Lupin had been undercover for three days. He wondered if he was alright…
…
“Alas, this is truly terrible!”
The camp was deserted in the early morning.
Lupin, with a grim expression, walked to the riverbank and used his wand to summon clean water to wash himself—he would forgo the nearby river. Yesterday, Lupin had personally seen a mumbling fellow urinate into the river, and shortly after, a fish floated to the surface belly-up.
Who knew what strange things were in there, or what substances existed within the Muggles who had urinated in the river…
