Reading alone wasn't boring for Alaric, but soon the girls shifted the topic to him.
They discussed the spell he used and how he took out his wand.
Hermione, who loved digging into details, was the first to ask him a question.
"What spell did you use just now?" she inquired. "You instantly disarmed that redhead's wand."
"That was the Disarming Charm," Alaric casually replied. "It's the most commonly used spell in wizard duels, and the incantation is 'Expelliarmus.'"
"I know that!" Marietta chimed in eagerly. "I remember, this charm was mentioned in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. But the teacher said we would learn it in higher grades."
"You can actually use such a complicated spell! How did you do it?" Hermione, also a Muggle-born like Alaric, was visibly affected. She couldn't wait to ask him for tips.
"Actually ," Alaric explained, "this spell is not complicated. It's even considered the simplest among the spells used in direct confrontation.
Although it doesn't have a powerful offensive effect and can be easily blocked by various counter-spells, it has an advantage that surpasses other spells."
"What advantage is that?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"It's the shortest incantation among duel spells, and it can be cast the fastest. Using this spell often gives the caster the advantage of taking the initiative in magical duels."
Upon hearing this explanation, Cho Chang and Marietta nodded in understanding, feeling admiration for Alaric's extensive knowledge.
However, Hermione was still dissatisfied; she questioned, "I have never seen such an answer in any book—'Expelliarmus' having the shortest incantation.
Where did you read that? I haven't seen anyone mention the length of incantations in any magical books."
"This is my own conclusion. I compared several relatively simple duel spells, such as the Stunning Spell, the Impediment Jinx, the Full Body-Bind Curse, and the Dancing Feet Spell. After that, I arrived at this conclusion," Alaric replied.
"But since it's not mentioned in any books, how can you ensure that this is the correct conclusion? Remember, these books were written by the greatest wizards. Even they didn't say this. What makes you think you are right?!" Hermione challenged.
Such a proud girl, unwilling to admit defeat at any time. Let me teach you a lesson.
Thinking so, Alaric sternly criticized Hermione.
"Miss Hermione Granger, I assume you haven't studied Muggle science seriously since being admitted to Hogwarts, have you?"
"Well... not really, but what does that have to do with Muggle science?" Hermione blushed a bit and asked back.
"It has a lot to do with it. Although Muggle science lacks convenience and magic, it is very worthwhile to study in terms of logic and problem-solving methods. Even in the study of magic, you can add a thing or two, it can be used as a reference."
"For example, when researching the duration of incantations, I only need to maintain my magical power and energy in an equally abundant state. Using the same volume, the same speed, and clear pronunciation, I cast different spells and record the time taken for each.
This way, I can roughly compare the lengths of the incantations. This is the controlled variable method used in science," Alaric explained seriously.
"Finally," he concluded, "The spirit of science tells us that practice is the only way to find the truth. Blindly believing in authority is not advisable.
Even the theories of the great scientist like Newton have been proven not to be absolute truths in modern times, and they have limitations in many aspects.
So, why do you think that the wizards who wrote these textbooks are absolutely correct? After all, magic is not as rigorous as science in terms of precision."
"If these predecessors' words are completely correct, how are new spells created? After all, their books did not mention these spells. Following your reasoning, the entire wizarding world would never progress."
This explanation left Marietta, who came from a wizarding family, confused—indeed, many wizards lacked logical reasoning abilities. But Hermione Granger, who came from a Muggle family and had long been in the Muggle world, barely understood what Alaric was saying.
"This kind of thinking, I've never heard of it before." Cho Chang looked admiringly at her fellow Muggle-born. "Using scientific methods to study magic, you're really a genius."
Hermione, on the other hand, felt a bit teary-eyed from Alaric's words.
She had always considered herself intelligent and was unwilling to admit defeat to Alaric. However, Alaric's theory was reasonable, leaving her unable to refute.
She found herself in an embarrassing situation—she wanted to argue but couldn't, and she wanted to apologize but felt embarrassed.
In the end, she chose to apologize.
"Sor... sorry," she whispered. "I admit I was wrong..."
But before she finished speaking, she ran out crying.
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