Limited magic
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:date: 2024-07-01T09:39:00
:category: literature
:tags: review, harryPotter, blogComment, fromReddit, storyPrompt
(“`my thread on reddit`_”)
.. _`my thread on reddit`:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/comments/kq3edc/limited_magic/
You know how every super!Harry starts with dismissing all magic
taught at Hogwarts, pulls out some forgotten grimoire and starts
using much more powerful long forgotten spells nobody else knows?
What if it was just the opposite? What if the spells taught in
the regular courses at Hogwarts are it? Yes, there are some
special wizards who dive deeper than others (Voldemort and
Dumbledore), but for most wizards and witches what they learn
until their O.W.L.s is mostly all magic they will ever learn, and
N.E.W.T. courses are truly advanced magic only for selected few.
There is slight undercurrent of this thoughts present in the
canon. See for example this:
“Oh yes,” said Mr. Weasley matter-of-factly. “But they got a
heavy fine, and I don’t think they’ll be trying it again in a
hurry. You don’t mess around with Apparition. *There are plenty of
adult wizards who don’t bother with it.* Prefer brooms — slower,
but safer.” (HP&GoF, chapter 5 “Portkey”)
In most fanfiction stories, apparition is something so simple
that basically everybody manages to do that (including fifth-year
Harry in many cases). If it was so simple why would the main way
how people get to work at Ministry use Floo? Why would there be
Portkeys at all?
or for example this from the Weasley twins:
“We’ve just developed this more serious line,” said
Fred. “Funny how it happened …”
“You wouldn’t believe how many people, even people who work at
the Ministry, can’t do a decent Shield Charm,” said George. “
’Course, they didn’t have you teaching them, Harry.”
“That’s right. … Well, we thought Shield Hats were a bit of a
laugh, you know, challenge your mate to jinx you while wearing
it and watch his face when the jinx just bounces off. But the
Ministry bought five hundred for all its support staff! And
we’re still getting massive orders!”
“So we’ve expanded into a range of Shield Cloaks, Shield Gloves
…”
“… I mean, they wouldn’t help much against the Unforgivable
Curses, but for minor to moderate hexes or jinxes …”
(HP&HBP, chapter 6 “Draco’s Detour”)
