agneskamilla (agneskamilla) wrote in adventdrabbles, @ 2014-12-18 13:29:00 |
|
|||
Snape’s laboratory consists of a spacious main chamber and several smaller rooms opening from there. The main chamber is mostly empty except for the shelves covering almost every available square inch of the walls, stuffed with books and other magical items which Harry doesn’t recognize.
“This area is used for trying out experimental spells,” Snape explains. “The place is heavily warded, of course.”
Harry nods his understanding.
“Today I will introduce you to the basics of spellcrafting. Pull your wand,” he instructs Harry with his own wand firmly in hand.
Harry takes out his mahogany wand from under his sleeve.
Snape frowns when he catches sight of Harry’s wand.
“Is that yours?” he asks.
“Yes, sir. Once it belonged to my father,” Harry answers.
“Yes, I can see that,” Snape replies with a dark expression.
“You didn’t like my dad,” Harry states. He is not judgemental, albeit curious. He heard his fair share of stories from his mum.
“I found nothing to like about him in the many years I knew him,” Snape spits angrily.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Harry says honestly.
“Indeed?” Snape eyes him suspiciously, as if waiting for something. “I find pity highly repulsive, Mr Potter.”
“And you won’t get any from me, sir,” Harry promises. “Although my mum told me that you had a long-going enmity between you and Dad and Uncle Sirius, I never knew them, not really. I don’t even remember them,” he admits.
Snape chooses to avoid the subject of Harry’s father and godfather. “Why have you never purchased a wand of your own?”
“This one works well for me,” he shrugs, “and mum really didn’t like to visit Diagon Alley, or any crowded place like that. Sometimes we went there of course, wearing a disguise, but…”
“A disguise?” Snape interrupts, his face full of suspicion.
Shit. Harry didn’t want to let this bit of information slip.
“Yes, because of the hysteria surrounding the widow of a National Hero,” Harry tries to save face.
Snape scowls in obvious disgust at the title and seems to be accepting Harry’s explanation.
Instead of asking more questions, he starts lecturing. “The essence of creating new spells is transforming your intention into movements and words. While the crafter must have an aptitude for channelling his intention directly into magic, without words, the average wizard is not capable of that. Thus the spellsmith has to translate for the masses, give them tools how to call upon magic for the same effects,” Snape explains.
Harry tries his damnedest to understand.
After Harry’s affirming nod, Snape continues. “The spellsmith must let their purpose permeate their mind, must let it take over their every thought, leading their wand in a pattern that represents their aim the best. Only after finding the appropriate wand movement comes the incantation; the spellsmith calls the magic by its name,” Snape explains cryptically.
Harry is confused. “Its name, sir?” he asks.
“Yes, you call out the name and thus summon the magic to do your deed,” Snape says.
“So you have to come up with a fitting name… And the crafter is the one who chooses the name? For example, Wingardium Leviosa was the creator’s choice when they wanted to christen the spell to lift something?” Harry tries to understand. “They could have thought out something easier or shorter,” he muses. “Wait, must it be in Latin?”
“No, but it is more practical, because Latin is not an area-specific language.” Snape says this as it should be obvious.
“Could have the levitation charm been called, I don’t know, Wingybingy Thingy in place of its current incantation?” Harry asks smiling.
Snape snorts. “Not likely. You will find that the magic prefers more dignified names, those that suit its purpose somewhat,” he answers. “Magic is more than random boosts of energy. In this regard, you should think about it as an entity; once you utter an appropriate name which is accepted by it, then anybody can summon it again, with the right intentions, using the same name.”
Harry struggles to take all of this in. “Sounds very complicated.”
“Let me demonstrate. One of the first spells I crafted was based on the intention to… remove certain … threatening elements from my vicinity,” he explains.
Harry has his suspicions of the identity of those elements.
“I needed to let this intent rule my movements.” Snape demonstrates with the swift, circular movement of his wand.
“After that I only needed to find the magical words, in this case, Levicorpus!”
Harry is suddenly hanging in mid-air by his ankle, while Snape smirks at him.
“And voila, with the same incantation now anybody is able to have the same effects, if they wish so,” he finishes.
“Wicked,” Harry praises with a smile.
“Liberacorpus!” A smug looking Snape releases him with a downward jerk of his wand.
After finding his footing once again Harry asks, “How old were you when you came up with this one?”
“Fifteen,” Snape says proudly.
“That’s impressive,” Harry exclaims. He wonders if Master Snape ever used the same spell on his father.
“The first thing you must learn, Mr Potter, is to turn your intention into a magical act without the help of words or pre-designed wand movements,” Snape continues the lecture. “For a start, imagine some change to your surroundings, something you don’t know a spell for, and try to channel this aim into magic,” Snape instructs.
Harry nods and concentrates.
For moments nothing happens, but then the hardwood floor under their feet turns into grass. Pink grass.
Harry beams. Snape seems to be surprised.
“I didn’t expect you to be able to manage it this soon,” Snape says. “You seem to have an aptitude for this area,” he adds somewhat grudgingly.
Harry’s smile almost splits his face into two.
Snape goes on. “If we wished to turn what you just did into an actual spell, then we would need to find an appropriate wand movement and incantation to represent it. I hope mankind will forgive us if we don’t strive to immortalize this particular bit of magic.” He frowns at the pink grass under them, clearly disgusted. “You may start practicing this first step. And for heaven’s sake, Potter, banish this monstrosity!”
Harry does, with a smile.