When the Scotsman seemed to catch on, and even raised an interesting question regarding Jack's full potential, James paused to mull over his reply carefully before shaking his head slightly at last. "Not quite. The young man can reach his full potential by practicing his abilities on a regular basis, provided he also uses caution and moderation since backlash is always a very real problem. When it comes to using an external source of energy though...be it the ley lines, or a focus, such things can offer a temporary boost to the output of power. Yet over reliance on such things would likely result in severe burnout."
The simple fact of it was that no one who used magic could safely expand an enormous amount of it for long. "It's the all tied to the law of conservation of energy, you see. Energy, be it magic or truly any form, cannot be created out of nothing. In Jack's case, he can act as a conduit of sorts for it since the Magi are innately attuned to such things. However, to keep that power flowing through him it comes at a cost. For the young man it exerts a physical toll. One that would become detrimental if used for prolonged spans of time."
Kieran's inquiry into that first time drew a contemplative look from the sorcerer, and with a nod back to the tea kettle the illusion of the small balloon reappeared. "I can only speculate on what happened. But from what I understand that first time, when he accidentally took us to the future, he unintentionally tapped into the ley line during Zion's usual teleportation. Which in turn set off something of a chain reaction." As the kettle grew transparent again Kieran could see the flames beneath it causing the water to boil. Yet with no 'string' or 'anchor' the balloon continued to swell until it exploded right off of the spout...and landed halfway across the room on the floor. "And when that happened were were all taken from the past to the future."
A warm smile was offered when Kieran apologized, and Blackstone simply shook his head again. "Oh it's quite alright. Such matters take a bit of time to process and so there is no need to apologize." Hearing that Jack was planning to try it again made perfect sense to the Professor, since they still had yet to reach the 20's. However when Kieran asked what he could do to help this time around James scratched his head and shrugged a little. "Well practically speaking, I'm not sure what all can be done to lend aid. Perhaps working with him to help Jack practice his control through smaller uses of his power could be a boon. After all, practice makes perfect, and starting with simple tests of his capabilities could also help bolster his confidence as well."