Ancient Magic and wands

[Meira B]

No: HPFGUIDX 49299

Tzvi of Brooklyn wrote:

Ancient Magic:
Perhaps this type of magic is strictly a mind over magic operation. Lily is 
a mudblood and I would not think in the 7 years at Hogwarts you are taught 
lots of ancient magic such as self sacrifice. And maybe in the later years 
of the school they do happen to teach such spells/incantation/mind over 
magic solutions. We know that James and Lily were married right out of 
school and had Harry immediately after leading to the downfall of Voldermort 
when Harry was just a year old. Harry seems to have learned plenty in his 
first 4 years. Lily had 8(?) or so years to learn everything. Perhaps a 
Hogwarts diploma or O.W.L. degree is sort of like an enlightenment, or I've 
heard from this site
and sorry for not searching each and every message, but as Hermione can make 
up spells with her knowledge of magic, in 7 years you learn enough that 
magic conforms to you and you are not limited by standard books of spells 
and the like.


Now me:

I don't think that such ancient magic, such as self-sacrifice, is taught at 
school. I don't think it's something that Lily was even aware that she knew.
To me it souds like a very instinctive magic. Magic that isn't thought about 
consciously.

I think that Hermione can make up new spells because she knows the latin 
words. for example, in 'Mobiliarbus' (PoA? Three Broomsticks? HRH overhear 
the Conversation about Harry's parents and Sirius? sorry for not bringing an 
exact quote), she can make up that spell because she knows what "mobil" is, 
and what "arbus" means.
And if she needed to move a chair, she would say "mobili"+latin word for 
chair.
But at the same time, we know that exact words are not required to perform a 
spell, they help focus the mind on the thing, yes, but in PS, when Ron says 
"Wingardium Leviosa" he knew that it's a spell that makes things fly, but he 
didn't know which part was the "feather" and which part was the "fly". But 
the effect was the desired effect, because he was focused on the object that 
he wanted to levitate.
So if Hermione wanted to move that tree (or was it a plant? forgive me again 
for misquoting the book), but she didn't know what was latin for "tree", and 
she would have known the effect that "mobilicorpus" has on the object, she 
would have said "mobilicorpus" to the tree and it would have moved fine just 
the same.
Same thing happens in the first task in GoF. When Harry accio-es his 
Firebolt, he says "accio Firebolt". He is thinking about the Firebolt, he 
has a clear image of it in his mind, and the "Firebolt" part of the spell is 
used to further focus his mind on the spell he wants to do.


Tzvi of Brooklyn wrote:

wands:
Mr. Ollivander was telling Harry when he first walks into the shop that Lily 
favored a wand that was good for Charms while James favored a wand that was 
good for transfiguration. We can tell that wands might help to make the 
Witch or Wizard. Prof. McGonagall was probably destined to be a 
transfiguration teacher and her wand will probably be like James in that 
context. I wonder what all the other cores do.


Now me:

I think that it's not so much each different sort of core having a different 
trait (dragon-heartstring does this, unicorn hair does that, phoenix tail 
feather those another thing), but rather, it's the combination of wood + 
magical core + wizard (or witch) that has a different result each time, and 
that is what makes each wand different. Each wand reacts differently to each 
person. A large group of people could wave around one single wand, but the 
best results will only be achieved with one specific witch or wizard.


Tzvi of Brooklyn wrote:

As well, Mr. Ollivander had a single wand that lay on a faded cushion in the 
shop window. If I were him, of all the wands that I would make, mine would 
be the best. I mean, why not? Canon has little to say on the subject of Mr. 
Ollivander, but I think he is a more important character than we give him 
credit for.

Now me:

Of course he's important. Like Hagrid says (yet again, forgive my 
less-than-exact quotes, I only hope I'm not contaminating this post with 
TMTMNBN - is that how it's spelled?), Ollivander's is the best place to get 
a wand. Many important people bought their wands there, including James, 
Lily, Voldemort, Cedric, probably most of the Hogwarts population, and who 
knows who else.

As for Ollivander keeping the best wand for himself, I don't think that 
there *is* a best or worst wand. Each wand is unique, and suits only one 
witch or wizard. What would be the point of keeping a wand if the wizard and 
it don't get along too well?

And now a question that has been pesking me for some time now:
We know that Witches and Wizards in Europe use latin for their spells (and 
probably the americans also). But suppose there is a magical community in 
Egypt, or it China (or anywhere else in the world, India, for example), what 
would be the language of their spells? Would spells work as efficiently if 
using regular, daily words in the local language or are the latin words used 
to help the wizard (or witch) to fully focus their minds in the task at 
hand?

Meira (who can't believe she has managed to survive a whole semester at the 
university... Go Me! :))

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