For the first time in his life, the magic in Robert's body has left it's container. Children have all these new emotions that they are finding out, and do not know how to control those emotions. But, as those children grown in adulthood and beyond, they learn how to not let those emotions take over them, without at least some tempering. And Robert having lived a full life completely, he never truly let his emotions take over him. One thing taught by magic academies throughout the world, is that excessive uncontrolled emotions lead to casting accidental magics.
As Robert had, for the most part, a control over his emotions, and the realization that his body did not want to allow his magic to escape from it, due to him feeling a sense of pain every time he tried, he had never let out any type of magic. Unknown to Robert, or anybody that he knew, this was a good thing for a wizard or witch. No, it was not a good thing, it was a blessing.
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In the untold history of the wizarding world, because it had been forgotten by subsequent generations, certain spell casters were the only ones trained, and it was a rare bunch of students taught. Trained wizards and witches in those days of yore separated all magic children from negative situations, as a way to prevent those children from adverse experiences. It was an attempt to keep them from using their magic before their bodies were ready to use that magic.
And the reason for that? It was to keep their magic pure from the taint of the outside world.
Accidental magic, or any such magic that is exuded by a child's body, before it was ready, would leave what is essentially an open wound, allowing outside influences to enter their body. It would stain their magic in ways that would prohibit their magic from gaining certain traits. Traits that made using their magic… special.
Magic, in those people that let their first use of magic come out naturally, would produce a new sense in their body. And this sense was exclusive to those that had not tainted their magic with outside influences of their magical environment. It gave those 'pure' people the ability to sense all magic, in their proximity. With such abilities as to sense magic, they were able utilize magic in ways that 'impure' magical people could not conceive of.
As for those children that did not have pure magic, were seen as not a true wizard or witch, or whatever words their society used for them in those times. They were given a modicum of training, just enough so that they did not harm themselves, or those around them. With just that training, they were let loose on the world, to do as they wished.
Ignored by the 'pure' wizards and witches of those times, they developed their own magics to utilize their abilities. When those ignored by the true witches and wizards developed far enough, they worked their way into discarding the old ways of using magic, due to their sense of jealousy grown throughout years of neglect. Eventually, the old ways were forcibly forgotten, and erased from the teachings of history. Making it that the current population, of this day, to have no knowledge about those forgotten times.
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There is an experiment in the muggle world of trying to explain to someone that is blind what a specific color is. The problem is that one who has no frame of reference cannot comprehend how a sighted person experiences that color. To explain a sense to someone else, other than using their feelings about a certain color, they struggle to use words not associated with sight.
If some would use the example the color red, they would try to compare it to heat, or maybe they would compare it to blood, or something that symbolizes, to that person, what that color evokes in themselves. The blind person would still not be able to understand what the color red would look like, it would be a concept formed around other sense.
Now if someone gained the ability to use the sense that they were previously lacking, and without having any safety guards when they first started to experience that gained that sense, it would be a sensory overload on their system. With nothing to prohibit those outside stimuli from reaching that person, they would be overwhelmed. Too much of something new to that person, and they could be essentially paralyzed interacting with their new senses.
And this is what Robert was going through when he released his first magic spell.
While his new sense had not fully strengthened to what it could, and would, be in the future, he was now able to sense all the magic that permeated throughout his surroundings. He could now experience all the magic steeped in everything. His new sense was starting to overwhelm him. It was to the point that the sense that he was used to using, were now starting to diminish, in an attempt to let his mind understand…
Fairly quickly, even though most body processes are nearly automatic, his breathing started to slow down, to a stop. Robert could not feel the pain of his body wanting more oxygen in his system. And with his body not getting enough new air, it thankfully let his mind lose consciousness.
As time passed, and without Robert having been seen by any of his family members when he was expected, they found him passed out in the room that he was practicing his magic in. Unfortunately for her, Beth was the one that found him passed out in his practice room. Like him as a newborn baby, he was unresponsive with nothing wrong, visibly or through the abilities of her spells.
Beth had recovered from the loss of her husband, at least for the most part, but there was still the fear in her that she would still lose her son one day. And with seeing him as she found him, she came close to losing her mind. The experience of finding out that her newborn son, her last remaining connection to her departed husband, in this state caused her to yell out in a primal scream.
"NOOOOOO!!! I don't do this to me. I can't lose you too. Come on Robbie, don't do this. Please."
In a panic, the door to the room that Beth and Robert were in, was pushed further open by a rushed grandmother. "Tell me what's wrong. Oh Merlin, no. Please Eliza, let me check on Robbie. I know more healing spells then you. Let me check him over for you?"
Reluctantly, and with understanding that Mary was right, Beth allowed her mother to check on Robert's condition. Time passed in frustrating agony for Beth, as Mary cast a plethora of spells, checking over Robert, trying to identify what was wrong with the boy. Nothing cast showed that their was anything wrong with Robert's body. It allowed Mary to give some comfort to her daughter, telling her that everything was going to be fine.
"Come on Eliza, take Robbie to his bed. He'll be fine. I don't know what happened, but let us let him rest. Just let him rest."
"Mhmmm," in a daze Beth responded to her mother's gentle command.
"When he wakes up, just ask him what happened. We all know how much you care for him, but right now, you can't do anything for him."
And with wilted energy, Beth lifted her growing child in her arms, attempting to keep him as close to her as she could. It was her instincts as a mother to want to protect her child in any way she could. And Morgana forbid anyone that stands in her way.
As she made her way to Robert's bedroom, with her own mother following her, Robert, with all the fuss surrounding him, and with all the spells having been cast on him, started to awaken. Awakening, but not alert, he responded to the warmth provided by his mother, and pressed into the comfort that she was giving him. In his impaired state, the safety and security of his mother's familiar presence allowed his body to relax enough to awaken.
"Mom? What happened?"
"Oh, Robbie, you're awake. Oh Merlin, thank you. I was so worried about you."
"I'm… fine. I think. I was…"
Robert was interrupted by his mother before he could explain what had happened, and what he was still experiencing. "Don't. Don't try to explain. You're fine, that's all that matters right now. Now, let's get you to bed, and let you recover. We can talk about what happened later, once you are better."
"Thank you, but I'm fine. It's just… I don't know what words to use."
"No, no talking right now. Rest, we can talk about it later. You're still pale. I don't care about what happened until you're better."
"But Mom…"
With a soothing voice, Mary interrupted whatever Robert was going to say. "Listen to your mother, dear one. She's just worried about you. We only want you to get better."
With a still weakened body, and with still attempting to navigate through the overwhelming new sensations he was trying to adapt to, he could only nod in agreement to the two women's desire for him to rest and recover. He knew it was the best advice he could receive at this moment, even though he did not want to show his weakness in front of those he cared about. The atmosphere given off by both his mother and grandmother weighed on him, prevailing on him that they were correct in this situation.
As they got to Robert's bedroom, Beth reluctantly let him down from her grasp, allowing him to move through his own volition. Though she still followed as closely as she could, in attempt to prevent further harm coming to her child. The plodding steps of Robert eventually led him to his bed, and the last of his energy that he could use, he fell on his bed.
While sleep would have been a welcome event for Robert's mother, he was not tired at this moment, which prevented him from sleeping. He was not tired, he was only weakened from having passed out earlier, when his new sense prohibited from regulating his breathing. All that he needed at this moment was to relax, and to attempt to get used to this new sense.
"I'm fine Mom. Just let me lie here for a while."
"But…"
"Please Mom, I'll be fine."
"I'll just sit here, and when you think you're ready, we can talk."
"I know you want to make sure I'm fine, but… I need to be alone right now. I need to… uggh, I don't know how to explain."
"Alright Robbie. I'll be nearby in my room. If you need anything just call. I will cast a charm so you can call me when you're ready," Beth tried to explain to Robert.
With alacrity Beth grabbed her wand and cast a modified alerting charm.
The new sense that now were part of Robert, and with no knowledge on how to control it, allowed him to sense the spell that she cast. To Robert, it overwhelmed him, and disgusted him. He sensed the spell, and could sense strands of the strands of magic that came together, and he sensed the putrescence that permeated the spell. And like smelling a rotten food, or the pain that high heat produced, it was just wrong.
For the first time Robert inexpertly focused his new sense on his mother, and his grandmother too, and noticed that wrongness in their bodies, just swirling around. It was just wrong. And it disgusted him, sensing the foulness in their bodies. The worst part, with Robert having noticed this wrongness his new sense focused on that vileness, overwhelming him.
With belabored breaths, trying to calm himself down, and trying to ignore his new sense, attempted to focus on something, anything else. The difficulty of said task prevented him from seeing his family members leave his room, not noticing the suffering that he was in, thankfully.
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Here is his cheat. I'm still thinking on some things on how best to utilize this cheat.
On a side note, the next chapter that I'm about to write is on Robert's sorting. Just curious what house that you think he will be in.