Chapter 117: The Teaching Assistant's Speech: The Debate on the Mind and the Tool!

"That's good, that's really good! Teaching Assistant Dursley, thank goodness you're here. Otherwise, some students might have gotten accidentally injured today."

Professor Flitwick waved his short arms. He was very excited.

After thanking Dudley, he immediately glared at Ron angrily:

"Ron Weasley! I don't know whether to praise you or punish you! The last wizard who accidentally cast the Buffalo Summoning Spell was Baruffio many years ago.

But Baruffio didn't mispronounce the Levitation Charm. Instead, when he was casting another incantation, he pronounced the 'f' as an's', and there isn't even an 'f' in the incantation of the Levitation Charm.

How could you be so careless and mispronounce the Levitation Charm like that?

What's even more outrageous is that you managed to cast the Buffalo Summoning Spell, which is clearly a spell with spatial magic properties, in Hogwarts where Apparition is strictly prohibited. In a way, you're really a genius!

But no matter how talented you are, you can't summon a buffalo in class! Considering it was an accident, ten points will be deducted from Gryffindor! Go back and write a ten - inch essay on the Levitation Charm on parchment and hand it to me in my office before the next class!"

"I understand, Professor Flitwick." Ron hung his head down sadly, barely holding back his tears.

Hermione beside him quickly reached out and gently patted Ron on the back to comfort him. She even ignored the feathers floating in the air, letting them drift down slowly.

Seeing this, Harry cast another Levitation Charm, controlling his and Hermione's feathers to land gently on the desks.

"Everyone, continue practicing the Levitation Charm! Remember, the pronunciation and the wand - waving gestures must be accurate. Come on, repeat after me..."

Professor Flitwick resumed his teaching, which was as dogmatic as ever.

Dudley couldn't stay silent any longer and immediately spoke up to remind him, "Please pause for a moment, Professor Flitwick. I think there's a slight deviation in the focus of your teaching."

As soon as he said this, the students in the class were shocked again.

Professor Flitwick was also taken aback. His gaze, which had been wandering among the students, refocused on Dudley. He wasn't angry, just simply confused:

"What do you mean, Teaching Assistant Dursley?"

Dudley looked calm. He paced slowly in the open space between the rows of desks in the classroom, looking at everyone in the class and started a self - questioning and self - acting speech:

"What do wizards ultimately rely on to cast magic?

On spells? Then why is there the skill of the Silencing Charm? Why can I make objects float without chanting a spell?"

As Dudley spoke, he didn't chant any incantation at all. With a wave of his hand, the buffalo's carcass on the open space by the door floated into the air and quickly circled the classroom, scaring the first - years from Gryffindor and Slytherin pale.

"On wands? Then why is there the skill of Wandless Spellcasting? Why can I enlarge or shrink objects without using a wand?"

Dudley continued his narration. With a mere thought, the floating buffalo carcass first expanded until it was as large as a wild elephant, filling a large space above the classroom. Then it shrank until it was as small as a mouse and floated above Dudley's palm, like a toy model.

After asking several questions in a row and combining them with this amazing magical effect, it completely confused the first - years from the two houses. At the same time, their curiosity was also piqued.

"Teaching Assistant Dursley, the Silencing Charm and Wandless Spellcasting are advanced skills that only outstanding senior students will learn. It's too early for the first - years."

Professor Flitwick interjected.

He admired Dudley's strength, but he didn't understand Dudley's intention of talking about these advanced things to the first - years. He thought it was like trying to help the shoots grow by pulling them up (a metaphor for spoiling things by excessive enthusiasm).

"Hey, Professor Flitwick, you're wrong! You guys have been wrong all along!"

Dudley disagreed with Professor Flitwick's view. "It's not early at all. In fact, it's already late to let wizards know about these things when they're in their first year!

When wizards cast magic, they rely on their magic power, their minds, and their will! As for spells and wands, they're just tools!

Otherwise, how could Harry and I have come up with the Calm Mind Spell without a wand or having read any spell - books?

Professor Flitwick, you're a Charms professor, but you can't only focus on spells and wand - waving gestures.

You need to let students use their mental power before casting spells, first clarifying what kind of effect they want to achieve with magic, and after firming up their thoughts in their minds, then recite the incantation and cast the spell.

If they do this, even if they mispronounce the incantation, it won't lead to such an absurd situation where the Levitation Charm turns into the Buffalo Summoning Spell.

You've over - emphasized the role of spells and wand - waving gestures, causing the students to focus all their attention on the pronunciation of the incantation and the hand movements.

This is like letting the students hand over the power of spell - casting to a few syllables and the wand. They become slaves to magic instead of its masters.

The mind is more important than the tools. If you don't teach the students this truth now, how many detours will they have to take to figure it out on their own?

Some wizards with average talent may never understand this truth in their whole lives. They'll only know how to stick to the spells left by their predecessors and kill their own creativity with their own hands!

In today's wizarding world, there's a temporary shortage of new talent and the inheritance is gradually withering away. To put it bluntly, it's related to this rigid and dogmatic spell - teaching model.

Humans are born with the ability to swim. If they don't train and get familiar with it after birth, they'll gradually lose this skill.

Wizards are born with magic. They've all experienced magic power eruptions. Without a wand or spells, they can still achieve what they want in a muddled way to some extent.

But after they enter school at the age of eleven, they pick up the wand, recite the spells, ignore their mental power, and become dogmatic and rigid. They completely forget the amazing feeling during the magic power eruption and don't try or exercise it. Eventually, they become mediocre.

Professor Flitwick, haven't you ever noticed this problem? I think wizards need guidance, not just rote memorization, especially in the field of spell - casting."

Professor Flitwick stared blankly at Dudley, who was giving a passionate speech, with mixed feelings in his heart.

He really hadn't thought about this question until now. His understanding of the Silencing Charm and Wandless Spellcasting mostly stayed at the level of "practice makes perfect."

He had always known about the power of the mind and will, but he had always taken it for granted and ignored it.

He knew that most adult wizards in the wizarding world were the same.

At this moment, he suddenly realized the difference between an excellent wizard like himself and a top - tier wizard like Dumbledore.

Apart from the upper limit of strength restricted by inborn endowment, whether one could actively and consciously use mental power was also an important reason for the gap in strength between them.

"I really haven't paid enough attention to mental power previously. I should reflect on myself!

I'm really grateful to Teaching Assistant Dursley for sharing the secret and the truth! This is of great significance to my teaching level and the improvement of my own strength!

I think we should all bow to him and keep what Teaching Assistant Dursley just said in mind!"

Professor Flitwick spoke up. He very sincerely jumped off the stack of height - increasing books and walked up to Dudley and bowed solemnly.

The first - years from Gryffindor and Slytherin had no choice but to stand up obediently and salute Dudley.

But in fact, there aren't many among them who can understand the significance and importance of what Dudley had just said at the moment, and digest and absorb it to turn it into a boost for their own strength improvement.

It's just like when a peerless secret manual is made public, but masters won't flood the world.

There are really too few people with comprehension.