Chapter 231: DA Files: The Force of Emotions (2/2)
”Ah, don't get me wrong,” said Quinn, noticing everyone's expression, ”there was a time I used emotions like determination and stubbornness; there's nothing wrong with them; I just don't use them anymore, that's it.”
”.. . you didn't answer the question.”
”Don't worry about it,” he didn't want to say.
”Out with it!” Eddie shouted from the crowd.
”I will tell, but don't try to copy me.” Quinn looked at everyone and said, ”I use fear as my emotion of choice while casting defensive magic.”
”Fear?” asked Daphne.
Quinn nodded. ”Fear is a natural, powerful, and primitive human emotion. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or the threat of harm. It's what teaches us what's dangerous and what's not. A baby who touches a candle flame and gets burned will never touch it again because they know it'll hurt and form a fear of that action.
”Why do we block or dodge spells? It's because we know that they will cause harm to us, so we avoid it. Spells like a Pinching hex might not inspire fear, but I have developed my mind to think what it would feel like if a hundred Pinching hex attacked me at the same. I'm able to think what it would feel like what a spell hitting me would feel like when it's dialled up to eleven. I taste the fear and will do anything to avoid it — my magic while feeling fear would go above and beyond when I'm in danger.”
It was a revelation while Quinn was using the summer break when he lost magic to charge his defensive magic. He had noticed that there was another emotion attached to those memories — it being fear — and Quinn was subconsciously drawing from the emotion of fear, and it was giving a substantial boost. Previously, determination was the primary, and fear was the subconscious secondary emotion. After the realization stuck, Quinn switched it up — fear became the primary emotion, and because it was a ”dark” emotion, Quinn used determination as the secondary and the emotion that kept fear in check. The result of the experiment was a major boost to power for his defensive spells.
And that was precisely the reason why he didn't want to share this with everyone.
”Don't use fear!” said Quinn, warning. ”Fear, while powerful, can cause an internal collapse at difficult situations when pressure is at peak. Magic and emotion are volatile and tricky to manipulate, so I repeat that none of you attempt to use fear as the force behind your magic. The emotions I mentioned before have their own specialties and are much more stable than fear. Moreover, after a certain level, channelling fear doesn't feel pleasant; the aftermath more often than not ends up pushing you feeling all worked up.”
It had taken a while for even Quinn to not let the fear dominate him in the aftereffect.
Quinn warned a couple more times before starting with Neville. They followed the same defense-offense system as others, with Quinn shooting Disarming charms just strong enough to challenge Neville but not enough to overwhelm.
”So, Neville, you have been doing good for the past few weeks,” said Quinn after Neville blocked a shot, ”you have had the best improvement than anyone else,” Neville flushed red a little, on inside he was feeling like his delight would fly him out of the room, that is until Quinn said, ”that is ever since Bellatrix Lestrange escaped Azkaban.”
Neville froze up. The fresh shield he had brought up collapsed of the shock and daze.
Neville looked around to see if anyone had heard. ”W-What?”
”You don't have to worry about anyone listening in. I have cast a silencing ward around us for this conversation,” spoke Quinn. ”I noticed the name Longbottom while reading upon Bellatrix Lestrange, and after a search in the archives, I found that Frank and Alice Longbottom were your parents.”
”I don't want to talk about it,” said Neville in a surprisingly determined voice and cast Shield charm, which was immediately met by a Disarming spell from Quinn.
”I don't want to talk about your parents, Neville,” said Quinn, ”the reason I bring this up is that it's related to your sudden boost in magical improvement.”
Neville stared at Quinn skeptically. He searched for something on Quinn's face.
”When we started DA, I noticed that your wand wasn't compatible with you,” said Quinn, ”the compatibility factor was terrible, and when I asked around, I found out that you always had trouble with magic,” Neville looked uncomfortable, ”it's not your wand, is it, Neville?”
Quinn already knew the backstory, but he needed to weave it up to proceed with the conversation.
Neville stared down at the wand in his hands. ”It's my father's.”
”Hmm, I figured. That wand's the reason why you struggled with magic, Neville.”
”W-What do you mean?” said Neville; it was the first time he was hearing this.
”The wand chooses the wizard, Neville. You can't just pick up any wand and make it work. A magical and his magical focus needs to be sync for the magical to be able to bring out its magic to the fullest.”
The truth of the matter was that in a person's life, they went to get themselves a wand at the age of eleven. Quinn wasn't sure about others, but if one went to Ollivanders, they would be told about the ”the wand chooses the wizard,” saying.. . but that was it. Once in their lives, people heard that saying, maybe twice if they went in for another wand in their lives.
No usual person would be expected to remember a single event in their lives that happened when they were at the tender age of eleven. By the time people grew up, they would forget about the saying from the strange wand shop owner. Moreover, it was a severe violation of common place manners to ask for people's wands.
So while everyone brought their children new wands because it was expected to do, not everyone knew why new ones were brought except for wanting their children to have new ones.
That's why it wasn't strange that Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother, the old lady, would remember the reason behind buying wands; combining that with the sentiment, had Frank Longbottom's wand end up in Neville's hands.
”Your father's wand wasn't compatible with you, and for four and half years, your magic didn't channel properly. That's the reason why you have been struggling with magic ever since coming to Hogwarts.”
Neville remained rooted to his spot. He had thought he was terrible at magic for his entire life because something was wrong with him. Not only him, but everybody else felt the same. His grand-uncle had to drop him off from the top of the stairs just to bring out his magic. But here he was hearing Quinn West saying that it wasn't his fault, but his wand's.
”B-But, y-you just said that I was doing good.”
”Wands are complex magical artifacts. Just as wands can fall out of sync with their users, they can also form bonds with those they previously rejected,” said Quinn. He pointed at Frank/Neville's wand, ”that wand, from what I can tell is made from Ashwood, and Ash wands are known to cleave to their one true master and ought not to be passed on or to be gifted from the original owner, because they will lose power and skill. The wand rejected you previously is now accepting you and is finally conducting your magic perfectly.”
”Why now?”
”Tell me, how did you feel about the breakout, or to be exact, how did you feel about Bellatrix Lestrange's escape?”
The mention of the name made Neville's blood boil. That vile woman had turned his mother and father into what they were today. He had spent his entire life seeing complete family; people his age spending time with his family, and all he had were parents driven to madness. It always made him wonder what it would be like.
”I hate that vermin,” said Neville acidly. He wanted nothing more but to take revenge against Bellatrix Lestrange for ruining his life.
”You have gained a goal, Neville, and with it come has a resolution. The wands liked it and had offered you its support.”
Neville clenched at the Ash wand with the unicorn core. The wand was the constant reminder of what a failure he was. It reminded him of his grandmother's disappointment and how he had let his parents down. It felt him conflicted — the wand was the reason for his struggles, but now it supported him because he wanted to kill her parent's assailant.
”Let's continue,” said Neville. He didn't want to continue this topic.
Quinn obliged and shot a Disarming spell on Neville's Shield charm. The shield was substantially stronger than before — focus and deep determination were being amply channeled through the spell.
'Take advantage of it, Neville,' thought Quinn, 'the wand will be the best conductor for you, and when the day comes that Bellatrix Lestrange dies and your goal accomplished, that wand will fall out of sync with you.'
The correct thing to do would be to urge Neville to buy himself a new wand. But right now, the wand in Neville's hands was a constant reminder that it wasn't his fault. It reminded him of the wrongful humiliation he suffered. Those emotions would keep Neville in focus and keep him motivated to keep improving to prove everything wrong.
Determination, perseverance, and defiance were powerful emotions after all.
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Quinn West - MC - Good.. . good.. . let the hate flow through you.
Neville Longbottom - To everyone - ”I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
Neville Longbottom's wand - Ashwood and unicorn - What is thy bidding, my master.
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