Chapter 1815: Genius
Chapter 1815: Genius
"Thanks for the umbrella, Hagrid."
As Alice knocked on the wooden door of the hunting lodge, she handed the umbrella back to Hagrid. Noticing the old man’s gaze, she smiled and introduced, "This is Daphne."
"Oh, come in."
Hagrid ushered them inside.
"Albert was worried you wouldn’t find any friends at school, but it looks like his concerns were completely unfounded."
"Dad really needs to stop worrying. How could I not find friends!"
Alice scanned the empty hunting lodge and suddenly asked, "Hagrid, where’s Fluffy?"
"Fluffy passed away last winter. I buried it by the Forbidden Forest." Hagrid placed the umbrella on a nearby shelf and brought over the tea and snacks the house-elves had prepared to entertain the two of them.
"Passed away, huh?"
Alice seemed a bit dazed, thinking of her own fat cat, Tom, who was still very much alive. She sighed inwardly, not every Tom gets such a good life.
"True, Fluffy was very old. It’s a relief in a way." Alice felt a bit down but quickly perked up, looking at the elderly man beside her.
"Hagrid, have you thought about getting another dog?"
"Hmm, I haven’t decided yet."
"Avalon has quite a few people who keep Swallowtail Hounds. They’re not picky eaters, never betray you, and are very cute. They also live longer than regular dogs."
"Cough, a friend offered to give me a dog last time." Hagrid cleared his throat and changed the subject, "I heard everyone’s calling you a genius now."
"Alice is indeed very talented. She picks up everything so quickly, it feels like she’s just playing around."
Daphne, who had been unable to join the conversation until now, naturally picked up where Hagrid left off.
Alice had only been at Hogwarts for a few days, but her reputation as a genius had already spread among the professors and students.
Some things just can’t be hidden. Even though Alice had never deliberately showcased her talents and abilities, she inadvertently revealed her exceptional qualities in her everyday interactions with others.
In Daphne’s own words:
Until I met you, I never knew what a genius really was.
Perhaps, you don’t even need to attend classes.
Daphne wasn’t wrong. Alice had only come to Hogwarts for the formality of it.
At least, that’s what she believed.
If possible, Alice wouldn’t have wanted to attend Hogwarts at all, especially after a few days of classes, the feeling of a middle schooler in kindergarten became increasingly pronounced.
What bothered Alice the most, however, was the conflict in the understanding and philosophy of magic.
Being able to use magic doesn’t mean you understand it.
Hogwarts doesn’t cultivate witches who understand magic but rather a group of tools who can use it.
From Albert’s educational perspective, Hogwarts’ rigid curriculum isn’t about nurturing students with critical thinking skills but rather confining geniuses and ordinary people within a certain range, producing more "mediocrities."
A few geniuses might eventually stand out, but once their way of thinking is set, it’s hard to break free, which ultimately locks most geniuses into a lower ceiling.
"You’re a genius yourself."
"My matchsticks still can’t turn into needles." Daphne said self-deprecatingly, "There’s no such genius in this world."
"You’re much stronger than most of the other first-year students."
Alice felt that if she and Daphne were to switch places, the difference wouldn’t be that significant.
No matter how strong one’s talent, it needs good education to realize its full potential.
"Your only issue is your understanding of magic."
Alice was undoubtedly fortunate. Albert had already given her the necessary cognitive education when she was young, helping her jump out of that mental trap.
While this made her stand out at the large Hogwarts, it was fortunate that Ravenclaw was never short of "eccentrics."
Hagrid suddenly understood why Alice had found friends so quickly at the start of the term.
"Oh, do tell." Daphne was genuinely interested.
"The most important thing in learning magic is having a flexible mind. Creativity should be cultivated from a young age."
Take Daphne herself, for example. Before entering Hogwarts, she had created several magical spells under Albert's supervision.
"That's quite a high bar. I'm just an ordinary witch who takes ages to learn a single spell. I'd probably drop dead if I tried to learn from you."
In the ordinary world, Daphne would be considered a genius, but in the world of witches, she was just an ordinary witch.
"The way you learn spells is flawed, or rather, the way Hogwarts teaches new students is flawed." Alice hesitated for a long time before finally voicing her thoughts, which left Hagrid speechless.
"So, there really is an easier way to learn magic?" Daphne's eyes lit up, intrigued by the genius education Alice had received.
"Learning magic has four key points", Alice said in a gentle voice, as if she were explaining to a child. "You need to pronounce the spell correctly, use the right wand movement, focus your attention, and have enough confidence in yourself."
"All four points are aimed at enhancing your control over your magical power, which helps you use your wand effectively to cast spells."
"It's normal for new witches to struggle with controlling their magical power, but Hogwarts doesn't provide specific training in this area, which is a significant issue."
"Their solution is to have students gradually master it through spell practice, which takes a lot of time. As a result, many first-year students can barely turn a matchstick into a needle by their second Transfiguration class."
"So, it's really about laying a solid foundation", Daphne immediately grasped the key point. "How did you improve your control over your magical power?"
"Through meditation", Alice said without hesitation. "Take some time each day to meditate. Even if you only manage to get a basic grasp, it will improve your focus."
"Can meditation really help improve control over magical power?" Daphne was skeptical but didn't think Alice was lying.
"Yes."
"But why…."
"Hasn't anyone noticed?" Alice chuckled. "Because most people lack patience!"
"Those who pick up meditation quickly can do so in a few days, while others might take a month. In the beginning, there's no noticeable effect. How many witches do you think can stick with it?"
"How long have you been meditating?" Daphne was even more curious.
"Almost five years, I think. I learned it along with yoga from my mom." Alice found it hard to believe she had stuck with it for so long.
"How effective has it been?"
"Didn't you guess?"
Saying this, Alice raised a finger and softly recited, "Lumos."
A faint light orb appeared at the tip of Alice's finger, nearly causing Hagrid's jaw to drop.
"Wandless magic", Hagrid whispered, finally realizing the true extent of Alice's talent.
"I'm pretty sure Albert couldn't do this when he first started."
"Dad didn't have anyone to teach him magic", Alice said, extinguishing the light.
"How long do you think it will take me to reach your level?" Daphne, from Hagrid's reaction, realized that casting spells without a wand was a remarkable feat.
"If you work hard, you should be able to cast some simple spells wandlessly by the time you graduate", Alice gave a conservative estimate.
"Seven years?"
Daphne's eyes widened.
"That's already quite impressive. In the entire British magical world, the number of witches who can skillfully perform wandless magic can be counted on two hands." (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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