novelraw Chapter 68 An Attempt at the Guardian Spell
Chapter 68 An Attempt at the Guardian Spell
Chapter 68 An Attempt at the Guardian Spell (3.7k)
There were no classes on Saturday, and Karen was already awake. He lay in bed, staring at the four-poster bed, his mind still replaying his discussion with Professor Flitwick the previous night. The concept of an autonomous defense system was like a magnet, firmly drawing his thoughts in.
"What are you thinking about? Why don't you get up?" Fabian's voice came from the side. He was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing glasses, his curly black hair disheveled.
Karen sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Thinking about something," he said, his voice still hoarse from the early morning.
Wesley poked his head out from under the covers, his reddish-brown hair sticking up like a bird's nest. "Merlin's socks, can't you sleep in a little longer on Saturdays?"
Ernesto, already dressed and making the bed, looked at Wesley with a smug glint in his eyes. "Some people stayed up all night reading Quidditch magazines last night, and now they're complaining."
"Now that you mention it, I remember, Karen. What exactly was that self-defense magic you mentioned last night?" Wesley, who had been a little confused, suddenly perked up.
Hearing Wesley's words, Karen put on her dressing gown and walked to the center of the dormitory. "I have something I'd like to share with everyone, about what I discussed with Professor Flitwick last night."
Three pairs of eyes immediately focused on him, and Karen then succinctly explained the concept of autonomous defensive magic, drawing inspiration from the Patronus Charm and alchemy. As he spoke, his roommates' expressions gradually shifted from curiosity to excitement.
"That's awesome!" Wesley jumped up, completely forgetting his earlier drowsiness. "Even more amazing than I imagined last night?"
Fabian adjusted his glasses and tapped his fingers lightly on the bedpost. "You said Flitwick said it's theoretically feasible, but in practice it's probably not easy."
"The Guardian Charm is indeed magical," Ernesto interrupted, his grey eyes gleaming. "My father said..."
That's one of the advanced defensive spells; some masters can even develop incredible abilities from it.
"I've studied it. Although it's a rather advanced form of magic, its casting animation and incantation aren't difficult," Karen said, tapping her wand lightly in her palm. "The key is that the Patronus Charm requires a strong memory of happiness as its foundation."
Wesley suddenly jumped out of bed. "It's Saturday! No classes! We can go to the library to find information, then go to the Eagle's Nest to practice! Let's actually try out this profound magic!"
The suggestion was met with immediate enthusiasm. The four quickly washed and changed, even eating breakfast absentmindedly. In the Great Hall, Wesley nearly spilled his drink on his robes, drawing sidelong glances from several nearby Hufflepuff students.
"Slow down," Karen said, pressing down on Wesley's agitated arm. "Studying magic requires patience."
The library's oak doors gleamed warmly in the sunlight. Mrs. Pince's sharp gaze swept over the four Ravenclaws, but her expression softened when she saw them obediently hand over their borrowing slips.
"Guardian Angel Spell: Guardian of Light," "Mind Defense Magic," "The Magic of Happy Memories"—Mrs. Pince read the titles, her eyebrows rising higher and higher, "Guardian Angel Spell, upper-grade material, lads."
Karen calmly met her gaze. "Professor Flitwick suggested we do some further reading, madam."
Inside the Eagle's Nest, sunlight streamed through the high windows, illuminating the practice mats and a few simple bookshelves along the wall. Karen closed the door and cast a soundproofing spell.
"Alright," he put down his book, "let's start with the basic theory."
The four sat around the table, books open in front of them. Karen opened "Guardian Angel Spell: Guardian of Light," her finger tracing the silver guardian illustration on the page.
“The book says,” Fabian pushed up his glasses and read, “that the key to the success of the Guardian Charm lies in ‘pure and intense memories of pleasure.’”
Ernesto nodded thoughtfully. "It's not just any happy thing; it has to be an important, intensely joyful memory."
Wesley scratched his reddish-brown curly hair. "Which memory should I choose? I do have a strong memory, though—I was so angry when we lost to Germany on penalties in the World Cup semi-final this summer!"
Karen gently shook her head. "Intense light isn't enough; you also need positive and joyful moments. Think about deeper moments, those memories that warm your entire being."
A silence fell. Karen looked at his roommates, lost in thought, and closed his eyes as well. Memories of his past life intertwined with his present-day experiences: the happiness of having a complete family, the awe of witnessing magic for the first time, the joy of receiving his Hogwarts acceptance letter, the excitement of realizing he was in the Harry Potter world, the warmth of late-night conversations with his roommates… But which one felt more fitting?
After a moment, Karen regained her composure and tapped the table. "Guys, if you can't figure it out, don't think about it yet. Let's practice the casting animations and spell pronunciation first!"
"That's right, we should master the basics first!" Fabian and Ernesto both nodded in agreement.
Returning your attention to the book, the casting action for the Guardian Charm involves drawing a complete circle clockwise (approximately 30 centimeters in diameter) with the caster's wrist as the center, accumulating magical power for the spell. Then, while chanting the incantation "Call the Guardians," the wand is quickly thrust upwards, and it's important to prolong the final syllable of the incantation.
After understanding the spellcasting steps, the group dispersed, and the chanting of the God of Protection spell echoed continuously from the Eagle's Nest.
As time went by, the group gradually became familiar with the spellcasting actions and incantations.
"I want to try," Ernesto said suddenly, his voice much softer than usual. He stood up, wand in hand.
Perform a spellcasting motion. "Protector of Gods!"
But the raised wand did not react at all, and Ernesto frowned, a hint of frustration flashing in his gray eyes.
"Your casting motions and incantations are fine; it seems the problem lies in evoking happy memories," Karen commented after carefully observing Ernesto's movements.
"Don't worry about it!" Fabian encouraged. "This is a very profound spell; it's unlikely to work on the first try."
Wesley jumped up eagerly. "My turn!" He took a deep breath, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Palmtops of Protection!"
Unexpectedly, his wand emitted a blurry silver mist, which vanished in an instant. Wesley's eyes widened in surprise. "I...I did it?"
"Merlin's beard, how did you manage to do that so easily?" Even Fabian, who was usually calm, was shocked by Wesley's performance, and Ernesto was also staring intently at Wesley's wand.
Karen watched this scene thoughtfully. "What are your happy memories?" he asked softly.
Wesley's smile softened. "On my eighth birthday, my father took me to my first live football game. It rained that day, and we were all soaked to the bone," he said nostalgically, "but that was the happiest I've ever seen him, and it was also the happiest day of my life."
Karen thought to herself, "The key is indeed how to evoke strong, happy memories."
Fabian then tried the spell, but with the same result as Ernesto. He pushed up his glasses, looking somewhat dejected. "Looks like my memory isn't strong enough."
"Don't be discouraged," Karen comforted. "The book says that many people need months of practice to summon a fully formed Guardian."
He stood up, feeling the weight of the wand in his hand. It was his turn to try. Karen closed his eyes; his memory in this life was extraordinary. Others might have hazy memories, but his were not.
Searching his memory, he recalled his family life in this life. Perhaps because of his memories of a past life, although he felt happy for his current family, this emotion wasn't particularly intense or suitable for spellcasting. He then thought back to the day he received his acceptance letter, the surprise and joy he felt upon learning he had entered the world of Harry Potter and possessed magical talent—
"Protect the Gods!"
A dazzling silver light burst forth, followed by an even denser silver mist than Wesley's earlier mist, within which something could be faintly seen.
The three roommates stared in disbelief at the scene.
"Merlin!" Wesley exclaimed, "You almost succeeded on your first try?"
Karen himself was somewhat surprised. He looked down at the still faintly glowing tip of his wand. "I didn't expect this either—"
Ernesto took a step closer and exclaimed, "Your talent is truly enviable. I never expected you to perform so well with the Guardian Charm."
Karen briefly recounted what she had recalled, and then emphasized to her roommates that they must choose their memories carefully and keep recalling them as clearly as possible.
"Let's continue practicing," Karen said. "The book says that the silver mist can also make people around you feel happy, and maybe it can help you better feel the Guardian Charm."
Over the next few hours, silver light flashed continuously in the Eagle's Nest. Wesley was able to consistently summon a blurry silver mist, but it lasted only a short time; Fabian's wand began to emit a faint but pure light continuously; even the usually reserved Ernesto excitedly announced that he had seen his own silver light appear, and Cullen's Patronus Charm was becoming more and more clearly shaped, but it was still a little short of being fully formed.
Around noon, they paused their practice and shared sandwiches they had gotten from the kitchen. The sunlight had moved to the other side of the classroom, illuminating the magic charts on the wall.
"I have an idea," Fabian said, biting into his ham sandwich, "If the core of the Guardian Charm is happy memories, then theoretically—"
"You mean, we can share happy memories with each other!" Wesley exclaimed excitedly, breadcrumbs spraying from the corner of his mouth.
Ernesto rolled his eyes gracefully, but couldn't resist his curiosity. "How will you share it?"
Karen put down her sandwich, her grey-blue eyes gleaming with thoughtful consideration. "Verbal descriptions are enough; vivid and detailed descriptions can evoke similar emotions, but the important thing is emotion."
Thus began an unusual memory-sharing session. Wesley recounted his first encounter with football and his first glimpse of magic, describing the joy of playing and the awe of witnessing the unknown world; Fabian shared the moment he discovered his awakened magical powers, with his mother displaying the gentle smile of magic; Ernesto, unusually, opened up about a peaceful time spent watching the night under the stars with his grandfather.
"One more time!" Wesley jumped up, wand in hand, "Palm of Protection!"
This time, the silvery mist was even thicker, lasting for almost a minute before dissipating. Wesley was so excited his face turned red that he almost knocked over the inkstone next to him.
Fabian and Ernesto's silver light also became brighter and more persistent. Although they still failed to form fog, the progress was evident.
"Emotional resonance," Karen murmured to herself, looking at her roommates' achievements. "Sharing memories definitely enhances the effect."
As for Karen, "Protector of God!"
Another dazzling silver light burst forth, swirling in the classroom. The light gradually coalesced, forming a clear shape—a snow raven with outstretched wings, exactly like his pet Phobos. The guardian gracefully circled in the air, scattering specks of silver light before dissipating into the air.
"You did it, Karen!" The three roommates stared in shock at the specks of silver light in the air.
With Karen's success as a precedent, everyone practiced with greater focus, and with each attempt, the practice time gradually increased.
The silvery light cast down made the whole room a bit brighter.
"Did you notice?" Fabian suddenly said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Although we haven't succeeded yet, that feeling of joy will last a long time."
Ernesto nodded in agreement, a rare occurrence for him. "It's like a memory has been refreshed, becoming clearer and more vivid."
As the sun set, the four, exhausted but content, packed up their books and wands. Faint silver specks of light still lingered in the eagle's nest, like lingering traces of magic in the air.
"Next week?" Wesley asked expectantly, his reddish-brown hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.
"Of course," Karen replied with a smile.