A new Harry Potter theory explains a major unaddressed spell mystery which gives more insight into the complicated rules of magic. The Harry Potter universe has expanded greatly with the release of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, although a better Harry Potter prequel was already written and has given audiences more insight into the depths of the wizarding world. Throughout the Harry Potter movies, magic is shown to be various and versatile, whether it's involved in fixing Harry’s glasses to apparating across the country - and the rules are similarly various and versatile.
One magical ability is apparating, which allows the wizard to transport from one location to another. Apparating requires a lot of skill and mind control, and so wizards are not allowed to practice apparating until they are 17, as any mistakes made while trying to apparate can cause "splinching," such as what happened to Ron in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There are more rules and difficulties with apparating, such as trying to apparate long distances. JK Rowling confirmed (via jkrowling.com) that Newt Scamander had to take the boat in the first (and arguably the best) Fantastic Beasts movie because apparating that far could be seriously damaging.
It is not just the wizarding rules that affect magic in Harry Potter, one theory (via Reddit) explains a wizard’s skill level affects the execution of the spell, which has previously been an unaddressed mystery. When apparating, most Wizards make a popping sound, but the theory explains that the more highly skilled Wizards, like Dumbledore, apparate silently. The theory compares this to Mundungus Fletcher who apparates with the sound of a gunshot or even to house elves, who have a different kind of magic, and apparate with “loud cracks.” The theory compares when Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange visited Snape in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince; Narcissa’s apparating is described as having a “faint pop,” whereas Bellatrix, who is different in the Harry Potter books, is with a “second and louder pop,” which shows Narcissa is more skillful than Bellatrix.
How Magic Is Influenced By Wizarding Level in Harry Potter
This spell mystery has never been discussed by Rowling, but the effort to include these descriptions for each wizard supports the theory about apparating. It is likely that the skill of the Wizard being reflected in the execution is not limited to apparating, and spells performed by less skilled wizards would either make louder noises or be visibly less impressive. When Dumbledore and Voldemort battle in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, they both use non-verbal spells and the execution of them is very silent and clean. There are only sounds from the building being damaged around them and the magic is clearly visible from their wands. In comparison, second year Ron Weasley tries to attack Malfoy with “East Slugs!” in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which uses the same musical cue as Star Wars. Though he had a broken wand, Ron is very inexperienced at this point and the light that comes from his wand is very explosive, unlike the quick flashes audiences see in later Harry Potter movies.
This small detail emphasizes the complexity of magic in the Harry Potter universe and its reflection in the movies supports the theory. The ability to perform non-verbal spells is only possible by experienced Wizards. Audiences can see how these are used more in later movies and this supports the theory even further as it improves the execution of the spell. Although it has not been confirmed by Rowling, who was mostly ignored in the Harry Potter reunion, the theory explains the major mystery surrounding Apparating and how much magic is influenced by a Wizard’s skill level in general.
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