Wandless magic in Chapter One

[kneazle255]

No: HPFGUIDX 82465

James Chirps in with his 2c:
 
I think you are all reading too much into the wand less magic thing. 
The wand seems to act as a focusing device (it is not the source of 
the magic, the wizard is), with the lumos incident in PoA the wand 
was close by so I don't think this tells us anything much about 'wand 
less' magic. 

Kneazle responds:

Wands are a big deal in the WW. A lot of races (eg house elves) are 
banned from using them. Wizards rely on them heavily. 

There are types of magic that don't require wands, but the all 
are 'inwardly' focused and highly specialized like metamorphmagus and 
animagus abiliites. Some talents (parseltongue) don't require wands. 
But it seems that all wizards require wands to harness magic and 
affect anything deliberately.

By my count, thru five books, we've seen one instance of outwardly 
focused, deliberate magic, and that's Harry's little lumos spell.

Plus, Voldemort and Harry's wands cancel each other out. If Harry can 
control and focus magic without a wand, he can lock wands with 
Voldemort, then attack him while V is essentially defenceless.

James says:
 
My interpretation of the Inflating marge / bouncing Nevil / 
disappearing glass type wand less magic is that the magical power 
when unfocused is a bit unpredictable. The magical energy may be 
slightly akin to static electricity, when unused (During early child 
development or a summer away from hogwarts) the ambient charge may 
build up and 'earth' itself.

Kneazle:

I agree with this.