NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: Afraid of Magic
[Scourgify, the Cleaning Spell, removes all dirt from an area with a simple wave of the wand.]
[At first glance, it seems like an innocuous and functional magic, eliminating only what we consider unnecessary. But the question arises: what can truly be defined as 'trash' or 'dirt'?]
[Harry knew that, from a biological standpoint, what we call trash can actually be the natural byproducts of life, inevitable waste that is part of the cycle of renewal and decomposition. Among them are dead cells, fallen leaves, and even artifacts abandoned by humanity. But what if the concept of 'trash' is more complex than that?]
[What we often see as trash is not limited to the physical. Emotional residues, unwanted memories, and even objects that, for some, hold sentimental value, can be considered 'unnecessary' by others. Thus, the cleaning magic, when used with a deeper awareness, can go beyond simply removing visible dirt. When conjured, this magic can inadvertently remove anything the user perceives as useless or disposable.]
[Imagine, for example, someone who deems an old flower as something worthless, an object to be discarded. The Scourgify spell could eliminate that flower. Now think of something larger, like a rusty car taking up space without apparent utility.]
[The magic, guided by the perception of what is 'trash,' could make it disappear. Taking this idea to the extreme, we can ponder the moral and ethical implications of this magic if used irresponsibly. If a human being is perceived as 'trash,' undesirable, or useless in the eyes of the one casting the spell, could this magic also eliminate that person?]
[The real question, then, is about the limits of the definition of dirt. If the cleaning magic were to be used with a misguided or dangerous understanding of what is considered disposable, the consequences could be devastating.]
[What may seem like a simple physical cleaning could turn into the elimination of anything that, from the user's perspective, no longer has purpose, life, or value, whether an inanimate object or even a person. The power of magic, therefore, lies not only in its technical execution but in the ethical understanding of those who wield it.]
[As if to test his hypotheses, Harry looked at a vase of flowers on his desk. He began to firmly formulate the idea that all those flowers were nothing but trash and, with a flick of his wand, he coldly uttered:]
["Scourgify."]
[With his incantation, a beam of yellow light shot across the room and landed on the vase of flowers; then… nothing happened. Harry sighed, thinking he was wrong in his assumptions. He approached to place the flowers on the windowsill to get some sun, but when he looked at one of them, his face froze. On one of the plants, half a leaf was missing. It looked as if it had been torn. No, it was as if it had been perfectly cut and vanished. This meant his spell had worked!]
[At that moment, Harry should have been very happy to succeed in his experiment, But Harry's fear of magic simply reached its peak. Drops of sweat began to trickle down his face.]
[The Dursley family and many who know Harry claim he is a true genius, a prodigy who can become a world-renowned scientist. However, Harry secretly believes he is unworthy of that title.]
[To Harry, a true genius is someone capable of doing something that everyone considers impossible for their time, just like Isaac Newton, who revolutionized physics with the Law of Universal Gravitation, and Albert Einstein, who transformed science with the Theory of Relativity.]
[Harry sees himself as just someone who learns quickly from the knowledge already provided and can use it in the best way possible. But one thing is undeniable: Harry has a strong fear of magic and is unable to seek true innovation.]
[Let's consider the [Magical Training Method]. This method seems quite powerful; it allowed Harry to have a stronger physique than the strongest man in the world and an overwhelming amount of magic for a wizard of his age. But we must consider that this method emerged from the inspirations of the immortality practices Harry saw in novels while growing up. And now?]
[Don't mention the fantasy world; even in the low-level martial arts world, Harry's method can barely be judged as 'decent,' and that's it. But is the blame on the immortal path that Harry sought inspiration from? No, the blame lies with Harry, who is unwilling to take risks in search of greater power.]
[The immortal path says it is necessary to open the sea of consciousness in the mind to protect the cultivator's soul from all evil. Don't say that Harry didn't know anything about soul magic before. Even if he did, would he dare to try to open the sea of consciousness?]
[Wouldn't Harry find it strange that he would go crazy overnight, or worse, the next day, if Aunt Petunia came to get his already cold body? Harry even contemplated the possibility of forming the dantian of the immortal path, but when he thought that, for some unknown reason, the dantian storing all his magic could suffer some kind of imbalance and not withstand his magic, exploding his body, he also refused to form the dantian.]
[Thus, Harry's method is nothing more than a way to make magic circulate more quickly and smoothly through his meridians, which, as a positive consequence, strengthens his body to the peak of human fitness.]
[But it's not just his [Magical Training Method]. Harry has various spells he dares to imagine but not execute. For example, two spells that Harry deems failures to this day: mind reading and illusion.]
[Harry knows that there is a part of the brain called the hippocampus, responsible for storing and managing memories. However, even being aware of this, what could he really do? He would simply direct his magic to that region of someone's brain and, voilà! He would have access to that person's entire life as if it were an open book.]
[In the worst-case scenario, he could accidentally make them insane. Harry is not a psychopath who would experiment on humans just because of a spell, and he definitely wouldn't be wandering the streets of Little Whinging looking for gangsters for his experiments; He's not like a certain Batman from Gotham City.]
[And what about animals? What similarities exist between any animal's brain and a human brain? He even thought about using a primate... forget it.]
[Similarly, on another occasion, Harry used a spell that seemed like an illusion, but it was nothing more than an advanced light magic technique to reflect images. Again, this magic did not establish a connection with the target's brain, but only with their eyes; various means, such as cameras, X-ray glasses, and even a more intense light, would be able to see through the illusion created by Harry.]
[For Harry, the true illusion is when, with a snap of your fingers, you can send your opponent on a trip to hell and feel, at the soul level, the sensation of being chewed up by Cerberus, and finally have your soul worn away in seconds.]
[With your fear of magic hidden in the depths of your heart, Harry spent all the years since he was two years old refining the spells he was sure he could control: elemental magic, telekinetic powers, and transfiguration.]