Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Summary of Spellcasting

It felt strangely unfamiliar.

Perhaps it was the silence. There was no music during breakfast at the bottom of the sea. By all rights—considering the theatrical nature of this journey—there should have been something: elegant tunes or mysterious melodies to mark the beginning of a meal.

None of these sounds came from the wizarding wireless stations that were common in the market. At least, Alexander hadn't heard anything like this before.

By now, they had likely entered the shallow water zone. Not that Alexander used any special perception magic to determine that—the evidence was right before him. The dining hall's environment had changed, transforming into a space that resembled a giant aquarium.

If you were a Slytherin student, you'd probably feel a strange mix of familiarity and unease.

The familiarity came from the fact that the Slytherin common room sat next to the Black Lake and often had a view like this—green-tinted water with aquatic life drifting by.

The unease came from the floor.

It was entirely transparent.

Despite the surroundings still being relatively deep—sunlight struggled to fully penetrate the dense ocean—the view was much brighter and more vibrant than before.

Kate was positively beaming. She pointed her wand from time to time, commanding a small paper figure to bounce energetically across the table.

The figure looked like a tiny vampire hunter—no doubt inspired by the thinking game they'd played the night before—and was clearly made from leftover parchment scraps from their homework. With careful magical cuts, it moved with surprising animation.

Around it flew crude, balled-up monsters made from paper scraps. They lazily floated toward the paper man as though attempting to attack.

"Kate, if Professor McGonagall saw this, she'd probably say, 'Ten points from Ravenclaw!'" Alexander remarked, walking over with a sandwich in hand.

"My Transfiguration is naturally awful," Kate replied with a sigh.

"But Alexander, you're using spellwork to control a transfigured object—that's not technically transformation!" she added, stowing her wand and casually tossing the paper man aside.

"What do you mean it's not Transfiguration?" Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Okay, you might not be good at it yet, but you can do it. It's just... theoretical at this point. Then again, you are only a first-year."

"Do you know the spell Avis?"

Kate perked up. "Of course. You mentioned it during your spell classification lecture. It's a Transfiguration spell."

"Right. And Oppugno?"

Kate squinted. "Isn't that... a volley of attacks? Like shooting magic missiles?"

Alexander grinned. "Close enough. Remember, a Charm is a spell that changes an object's behavior without altering its inherent nature. That means you don't need to transfigure the object beforehand to use a Charm like Oppugno."

"But combining them—that's the trick. You conjure a flock of magical birds with Avis, then control them with Oppugno. It's much more efficient if you maintain them in a circular orbit, like a solar system. That way, your magic flows evenly and steadily."

"The key is that Transfigured birds are much harder to disrupt using more Transfiguration spells. They're not like enchanted objects—they're fundamentally changed. Using those birds to attack someone is far more effective than just throwing knives."

He sipped his milk calmly, then added, "If I threw a knife at you right now, and you were skilled enough in Transfiguration, you could turn that knife into a paper plane with just a flick of your wand. No need to even aim."

Kate looked impressed. "Wow. That's a lot more complicated than it looks. But it also sounds really demanding—you'd need to be good at both Transformation and Charms. Plus, you'd have to make sure the object retains its shape enough for the second spell to work."

"Exactly," Alexander nodded. "And that's the point. Stronger spells don't always mean better spells."

"Sometimes, a simple combination of Transfiguration and Charms can be more effective than a direct curse or hex."

"Take the Glisseo spell I taught you for dealing with zombies. Altering the terrain is often more efficient than trying to blast through your enemy's defenses."

"You could create mist to obscure your body—classic concealment magic. Or conjure thunderclouds to harass the opponent. That's a weather spell."

"When you were fighting zombies, remember how you used that poison-based spell to make their shoes stick to the floor?"

Kate nodded. "That was fun. Slowed them down right away."

"And it's brilliant," Alexander affirmed. "It doesn't target the body—it targets the shoes and the ground. If you're facing someone barefoot, sure, it takes more magic. But against someone in boots, it's devastating. Especially if they don't expect it."

"Even if you're up against a more powerful wizard, messing with their footing throws them off balance. That's your chance to follow up with something strong—like Stupefy."

Kate had long since taken out her notebook and begun scribbling furiously.

As expected from a Ravenclaw. A bad memory was still no match for good notes.

Poseidon slowed as the water outside grew lighter and clearer. Though the dwarf wizard had said they wouldn't arrive until nightfall, it seemed the ship was deliberately decelerating so they could take their time enjoying the mysterious underwater scenery.

Sure enough, a massive rectangular shape appeared on the horizon.

Alexander guessed they had arrived near the submerged ruins of Bimini—first discovered by Muggle scholars in 1967.

Kate noticed too. She leaned eagerly on the sofa, eyes wide with wonder.

The most eye-catching structure was a stone wall nearly two kilometers long. It was accompanied by paved streets—rectangular and polygonal stones arranged in intricate patterns.

Some of the formations resembled flat-topped pyramids, invoking visions of ancient Egypt.

This was one of Poseidon's sunken cities, once prosperous and thriving. Docks and port infrastructure dotted the landscape, while marble statues imbued with religious significance stood in solemn ranks at the city's center.

They passed countless pyramids and ruins, silent reminders of the past. Clearly, pyramid architecture had been popular among ancient wizarding civilizations.

Kate finally pulled out her camera—a clunky, unfamiliar model—and began snapping pictures eagerly.

Cameras, a long-adopted Muggle invention, had long since found their place in the wizarding world. Most wizards preferred magical ones that didn't require development potions. Still, some poorer witches and wizards used Muggle-made cameras, scavenged and restored, then modified with wizarding developer solution.

Not all pyramids were deserted.

As they floated by, Alexander and Kate spotted a few glassy pyramids only visible to magical eyes. They gleamed like crystal—smooth, reflective, and enchanted.

A manual sat on the observation table nearby. According to it, these were the dwellings of a wizarding community living in seclusion beneath the sea.

It was romantic, in a way. A city hidden beneath the waves, protected by magic and obscurity.

With so many wizards living in the region, it was no surprise that the legendary navigator Columbus experienced magical interference in the Bermuda Triangle. As his ship neared Bermuda, all his navigational instruments failed—likely due to lingering magical energy.

The same reason why Hogwarts couldn't support Muggle electronics.

The wizarding world—distinct from the magical world—was far grander, stranger, and richer than anything described in the seven Harry Potter books.

And it was only just beginning to reveal itself.

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