#62 - Magic Output

Anduin nodded, then raised his wand and called out, "Protego!"

As Anduin chanted, the magic within him surged. A shield-shaped barrier formed at the tip of his wand, but it looked weak and could not solidify. After a few breaths, it dissipated like a bubble.

Lily was surprised that Anduin could actually cast the Shield Charm, albeit barely. It seemed her little junior had very precise control over his magic. She remembered that when she first started using the Shield Charm, nothing happened at all when she recited the incantation.

Lily then had Anduin repeat the Shield Charm several times. Anduin did as he was told, but the Shield Charms either flickered a few times and disappeared, or were as soft and weak as his first attempt.

However, Lily quickly found the crux of the problem and said to Anduin, "I think I understand. There's nothing wrong with your incantation, and your magic control is perfect, but it's still difficult to cast successfully in your current state. But this is actually normal."

Anduin tilted his head in confusion. The incantation was fine, but he still couldn't cast successfully? Was it really normal? Was it related to his condition?

Lily didn't let Anduin think for too long before explaining, "Like this, I'll give you an example and you'll understand.

You're Muggle-born, so you should know about water pipes and valves. Usually, when we cast spells, reciting the incantation is like opening a valve in our body, and our magic is like water flowing out along an invisible pipe. This pipe isn't as hard as iron, but like a living, flexible hose.

Our control over magic allows this pipe to lead to the correct place, preventing the water from flowing astray. If the control is strong, we can even control the flow rate and density. If our control over magic is insufficient, we can't control the flow. The more powerful the magic, the more rapid the flow, and the harder it is to control. But this isn't your problem; your control over magic is astonishing."

Lily paused, then continued, "But besides controlling the magic, there's another important factor that determines whether a spell is successfully cast: whether your pipe is thick enough. Even if a thin pipe is full of water, the outflow is still small. That's your situation. The Shield Charm is a very energy-intensive defensive spell that can withstand most jinxes and dark magic, including the Unforgivable Curses. To cast a Shield Charm of sufficient strength, you must not only control the magic well, but also ensure that enough magic is injected.

As soon as Anduin heard Lily's analogy, he immediately understood. In other words, the magic output per unit of time wasn't enough to support him using such a powerful spell. Then he asked in confusion, "Then how can I make my 'pipe' big enough, or rather, how can I output enough magic?"

Lily smiled when she heard Anduin's question and said, "It seems you still don't fully understand. The so-called 'pipe' is your body. You're young, and your body hasn't fully developed, so it's naturally difficult to cast powerful spells. As you get older and your physique strengthens, casting spells with your current control will be very simple.

Besides making the 'pipe' in your body thicker, you can also make the water flow faster, so that enough magic is injected to support your casting. But I don't recommend you do that. Your inability to cast successfully is your body's warning. If you forcefully accelerate the injection of magic, it will be very bad for your body. If your physique isn't good enough, the 'pipe' may rupture, causing damage to your body."

"I see," Anduin understood. So, he couldn't cast because he was still young. And according to Lily, if he wanted to output enough magic per unit of time, one way was to wait for his body to grow, so that his body could circulate more magic at once. The other method was to 'pressurize,' like a water pump pressurizing water, causing the magic to flow out rapidly, but the consequence might be excessive pressure, and then his body couldn't withstand it and exploded.

At the same time, he recalled the Sectumsempra curse. The power of this curse was not weak, but it wasn't difficult for him to cast. It seemed that this curse didn't have exaggerated requirements for magic. This made him once again raise the danger level of the Sectumsempra curse in his heart. It was powerful and the casting standards weren't high, making it even more dangerous than forbidden curses.

As for forcibly practicing the Shield Charm, he wouldn't rashly try such a high-risk thing. He didn't want to die. Even getting injured was unacceptable. It seemed that he couldn't practice these spells that required a lot of magic support in the short term. However, since magic output was related to physique, exercise and eating more foods that enhance physique should be effective.

Anduin finished calculating. It seemed that his long-term persistence in exercising and cultivating was still very necessary. And he had to mooch off Hagrid for foods that enhance physique. He had eaten a lot of meat from magical creatures before, and even tried dragon liver, which did enhance his physique. Continuing like this, he should be able to successfully cast these spells before long.

Since he couldn't practice these spells that required strong magic for the time being, he could only change direction. Anduin prepared to start with ancient runes, study some rune theories, and learn to make alchemical items. At the same time, during magic practice, Anduin prepared to start learning Occlumency and Legilimency. It was said that Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin, was a master of Legilimency, and many famous Legilimens were also from Slytherin. He wondered if this pattern would be effective for Anduin.

After thinking about it, Anduin explained to Lily that he wanted to study 'runes' and wanted to learn from her how to make alchemical items.

"I'm relieved to see that you're not preparing to stubbornly practice the Shield Charm. That's a very risky attempt. But I'm not particularly good at ancient runes and alchemy. I can only teach you what I know. Actually, if you're interested in alchemy, you can learn from Professor Dumbledore. I remember Mr. Edgar Bones also has great attainments in alchemy," Lily said to Anduin in a gentle tone.

"I don't think you need to be modest. I think that amulet is very practical. I'd be satisfied if I could learn to make magical items like that amulet," Anduin didn't think Lily's level was as bad as she said. In the research materials and textbooks that Anduin had seen Lily leave behind, he could clearly feel that she was very knowledgeable, at least in terms of runology.