Personally I always assumed magic in harry potter was sort of like a muscle. Some people are definitely more naturally gifted at it, and have potentially far higher peaks (magical equivalent of olympic athletes) but anybody can become 'strong enough' even if they're not going to place top 100 in the world even if they train forever. And magic multiple times seems pretty tightly connected to emotion and emotional health. Also it always seemed to me like nearly everything 'learnable' in magic is always more of a focusing tool. Wands help focus a wizard's magic, and I'm assuming even spells do. Like, I don't believe 'wingardium leviosa' is the only possible way to cast a levitation spell, it'd be odd for magic to truly be tied so hard to a language, how were ancient egyptian or mayan wizards supposed to know 'stupify.' Faith and belief in a spell I think is what gives them power. It also explains how certain creative people can just...make new spells.
I agree, this is how kind of see it too. When Harry is learning the patrons, he gets tired, or needs to catch his breath, like exercise. Also seems like witches and wizards are "naturally" talented in certain types or disciplines of magic(Seers, potions, charms, etc.)
There also seems to be magical specialties. Like you might not be the best at transfiguration but you're a wiz at potion making. Or maybe you can't fly on a broomstick very well, but taking care of magical plants (herbology) just comes naturally to you. Case in point, Neville Longbottom. He's thought of as a magical dunce for much of the series. A nice guy, but not very talented. However, he is very talented when it comes to herbology. Neville also blossoms more when he gets his own wand instead of using his father's so magical talent could be hidden if the wand isn't right. Kind of like how you might not be good at fixing cars if all you have to work with is an old rusty screwdriver, but if given a proper set of tools you might excel at it.
I agree magic probably works like stamina. You can't run out of muscle, but you can certain tire yourself out the harder or longer you choose to exercise.
Hmm, this makes me wonder if the ‘repression leading to weakened magic’ has an equal and opposite effect that’d explain why Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Harry all seem to be that little bit more powerful. Specifically, these three are *more* powerful in part because they faced many challenges in their youth, but persisted in spite of those restrictions. Harry and Voldemort both grew up in environments where the world around them demanded they act less ‘weird’ and more ‘normal’, and they both resisted that demand (Voldemort in a way that was pretty violent, admittedly). Dumbledore meanwhile basically lost his entire family to Muggles hating magic, but continued to learn magic even after the Grindelwald skirmish that killed his sister.
Kinda also feels like collective consciousness could be part of it. Assumed power, leading to actual power. Fame and followers. In the end Voldemort lost because he was alone.
Yeah, as I mentioned in my comment, it seems like the most powerful spells rely on emotions. Depression deadens your emotions, you just feel empty. So it makes sense that magic would be weaker or impossible to perform. Meanwhile, Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Harry all have traumatic backstories like you say, but they stay strong and get stronger because of it. Because you never know true strength until you're really tested. So that raises their convictions and makes them more emotionally stronger.
The fact that all those three you've mentioned are constantly being praised for their magical prowess could also work as a direct opposite to situations that Credence or Voldy's mom were in - Albus, Voldemort and Harry are always being told how powerful they are, thus making them more confident about their skills (with Voldemort and Albus being mature enough to only need their own self-confidence while Harry is still growing).
I like to think that Neville wasn’t really terrible at magic but merely grew up seeing his parents and subconsciously adapting a fear of what magic can do and accidentally suppressed his own
So we can say that Neville Longbottom had a wand that didn't accept him, we can say that because he was "abused" and looked down upon for his lack of magic (because of said wand), this got him to crate a psychological barrier that makes it even harder for him to use magic. Poor guy. Ron too somewhat, his wand was from his older brother and the pressure that he was not as good as his brothers.
Agreed, in the HP universe anyone can be a uber strong wizard as long as they the time and effort into their preferred method of magic. After Neville got his own wand his magic got so much stronger and he became an exceptional wizard. All because of the work he put in with a wand that didnt accept him, once he got a proper wand he was on the same level as everyone else.
Neville wand was his dad’s wand, till that wand was broken he was not that good. After he got his own wand his magic became better if not more powerful just not as powerful as Harry an dark lord.
Who wouldn’t be like Neville, given his dad’s wand since both parents were tortured into insanity were not even magic can fix them and raised by his grandma who constantly talks down to him and comparing him to his parents (pre-insanity).
Was just listening to Prisoner of Azkaban and just noticed that Lupin tells Harry that if a wizard is surrounded by dementors for long enough they will lose their own powers. This confirms that despair can lead to the loss of a wizards powers.
Clearly not permanently though. Bellatrix was in Azkaban for nearly fifteen years, and she was up and casting spells in mere months. Sirius was in Azkaban for twelve years but never lost the ability to turn into a dog.
7:38 “Only Harry’s is the super Patronus that can take on a hundred dementors at once.” (cut to footage of Aberforth’s Patronus taking on a hundred dementors at once)
That was in the movie, DH2. But Harry also canonically fought off a hundred dementors in PoA (the 3rd book, when he was 13 years old) which was also in the movie. They just included the clip from DH2 for more... mana? Oomph? Whichever.
Don't forget how the Dementors are able to slowly drain a wizard of their powers when continually exposed. Sirius talks about this in PoA. This probably also has something to do with depression and fear, as the people are left with only their worst thoughts and memories.
I’m pretty sure magic in the Harry Potter universe is tied directly to emotions. In fact I think it’s spelled out fairly well. As was stated in the video the main instances of the books and movies stating what is required of a certain powerful spell all have to do directly with emotions (good and happy emotions for the patronus and hate for the cruciatus curse). This would also explain why depression which tends to limit ones emotions and lead to general apathy would dampen or remove people’s magical abilities. It would also explain certain instances of incredible magical power. The obscurus could have been formed from the repressed hate inside of Credence. It would also explain how Voldemort is so powerful because he is fueled by unparalleled hatred.
It seems like the magic is almost like a muscle and that emotions are highly connected to the use of it. Someone who can channel anger, hate, love, fear, happiness and excitement or feel those emotions extra strongly but have the ability to control those emotions and channel them might be candidates for "more powerful witch or wizard ". Ive read some fantasy books that have that emotional connection and control to the magic. In The Wheel of Time there is a character that others like her can sense and tell she is powerful. She has a lot of emotional walls up and often times holds herself back because she lets her anger explode instead of channeling it into her magic.
They also say that people can give off a positive and evil Ora and they can see it within the Iris of the eye. And people can feed off your Ora and drain it.
I agree with this sports comparison hypothesis. Additionally, there are different types of magic to specialize in and be good at: charms, transfiguration, divination, occlumency, legilimency, offensive, and defensive magic. Harry, for example, is the absolute king of defensive charms. He's the Dennis Rodman or Gianluigi Buffon of magic. Nothing is getting past Harry. Voldemort and Dumbledore are like LeBron James or Zenedine Zidane. They're amazing at nearly everything. Other people are capable of kicking a soccer ball, but not like Zidane, Ronaldo, or Messi can kick a soccer ball. They can easily do things that other people wouldn't dream of attempting
I read The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear, and The Slow Regard of Silent Things based on your guys' recommendation. It's such an incredible series so thank you so much for the suggestion. Need to watch your theory videos on that universe now and would definitely be excited if you guys to put more content out in that vein.
ehh i started that series and found my self struggling to read it......it was very drawn out and boring half the time. If you want a great read, and i know that SCB doesn't like the series so will never say how good it is, is the Percy Jackson series. It goes way beyond just the Greek stuff, it covers greek, roman, egyptian, norse mythology and is really good, greek and roman stuff is connected into one long 9 or 10 book series and the egyptian stuff is a 3 book side story that connects to greek stuff by the main characters from both series meeting up and help eachother, while the norse stuff is connected because the main character from the norse stuff is related to one of the main characters to the greek stuff.......trying not to give to many spoilers lol.....but you get the idea. It's way better than what SBC says it is.
@@lordvika2526 When did they say they didn't like the Percy Jackson series? I liked book 1 of Magnus Chase, the other 2 we're sort of meh. Never got around to finishing the Kane Chronicles.
@@thegreatfusili4673 It was back during a live stream, and i asked if they would ever do content about the Percy Jackson series and they said they read book 1 but wasn't to interested in it.
@@lordvika2526 I had heard in a live stream ben say that he had read the whole thing, and j said he hadn’t started, and overall they said it’s nice series, but they didn’t know how to make many theories based on it.
Have not read The Name of the Wind, but if you enjoyed Harry Potter and enjoy Tolkien's work, I highly recommend The Wheel of Time. There is an Amazon tv adaptation premiering next month, but if you can, suggest reading the series.
This is only somewhat related, but going off of the hard and soft magic systems, I think the HP universe is a hard magic system tacked onto a soft. Reading the books you get the notion that before wands, hogwarts and essentially magical governments you had a very loose system of creating magic. You had a feeling and you made magic happen. There were no wands or incantations, it was simply old magic that would happen at the behest of the magic user and whoever had more control over it succeeded. Over time people discovered that you could focus that magic with wands, movements and incantations...the way I understand it is none of those are actually needed to perform magic, they're just a ruleset that lets you do it better. A structure that can then be duplicated and regulated. It even seems like there's an approved list of magical spells and if you create your own spells it's, at best, sketchy, and at times simply labeled dark magic. A hard magic system tacked onto a soft one and that soft magic sometimes peeks through.
Thank you for this comment! I’ve always felt weird about placing HP somewhere on the soft to hard-scale, but this explains exactly why. It’s not in between the two ends of the spectrum, it’s got both. 👍
From what i got from reading the books and even from reading articles on the website Is that yes you can do magic non verbally, which we see Harry doing, but Olivander's family has been making wands since 382 BC so they have been making wands for centuries. From what i learned is that before established wands were created, wizards used other things to channel their magic, and it could have been things like the cores that wands having now days. Like a wizard with a phoenix feather could cast spells better than a person without it, and later on learned how to encase it in something to protect it so that it wouldnt get damaged and they found out that specific types of wood were the best depending on the item you used, and that different people with different combinations of this could cast spells better.
I’d love to see/hear an in universe example of creating a spell in the Harry Potter canon in future books/TV series/movies. So interesting how that works. Feels very much like “naming” in the Kingkiller Chronicles except that it’s if anything even more mysterious as there is never any mention of how the true incantations for spells are ever discovered…
JKR presents magic in Potterverse as requiring varying degrees of focus. Some spells, after you get them down, require extremely little conscious effort, rather like getting down operating a clutch with a manual transmission. Other spells require far more focus. Apparition requires the three Ds. The patronus requires concentration on a very happy thought - not just cheerful, but one that reaches deep inside of the wizard. The unforgivable curses (I expect that the Cruciatus isn't the only one here) require real commitment to carry out what you intend to do. In each example here, emotion and the will to act are involved. So, even if magic power itself can't be exhausted, being psychologically/emotionally compromised, whether by depression or torment or whatever can block the witch's or wizard's ability to access his or her magical power. You mention Tonks and Merope, but there is also the example of wizards and witches who spend time in Azkaban and just fall because of the impact of the dementors. Psychological/emotional distress seems to be the common factor in all of these.
I thought you might have brought up the part where Mad Eye Moody told all the students to point their wands at him and use the Avada Kedavra curse. He mentioned that they'll probably only give him a nose bleed cos they're not powerful enough. It's a case of "magical power" being mentioned.
It seems to me that force of will, determination, and confidence have a lot to do with the level of power in the HP universe. Look what Molly did to Bellatrix. That's a great example of force of will and determination. And the only thing Neville was ever missing was confidence.
There is an overarching term for what you are describing. Mental fortitude and I do believe that is what the magic comes down to. The more you are willing to commit to a spell, the more powerful it will be. The more common you think of the spell, the easier it will be. With a lot of the magic itself being able to be done custom on the fly or based upon a prior template that you have created requiring very little effort to cast. So of course more powerful magic won't be done as often hence no prior template hence harder.
Discussion about hard magic systems reminded me about Dresden Files. The books have one of the greatest magic systems I've ever read. It's all so sciency and mathematical, formulated and clear, and has a huge strain on Dresden's body and mind every time he goes over his limits. I just loved reading the books for it.
I think it's like being able to run out of the ability to walk. Sure there's never a literal 'can't take another step' moment, but that doesn't mean you can walk infinitely either.
I’m glad you covered the Obscurus and depression angles, both canon and very legit reasons of magic being ‘inaccessible’ but still available. Great video, as always guys!
Along with emotional stability, I believe there is also an innate difference in the rate that people can channel the magic. Mcgonagal is a good example. She could perform magic from a very young age which was considered to be exceptional. Other exceptional wizards, harry and voldy displayed similar results. And the sheer strength of the dumbledore family lends credit that a factor for how much magic an individual can channel. I also believe with time and practice, the amount of magic they can channel at once also increases hence why older wizards were always presented as significantly powerful. Between their amassment of knowledge and the sheer regular practice of the spells, they strengthen their magical connection. Harry in particular I think bore some special benefits with regards to that. Being born of james and lily may have been some contribution but I believe Voldemort's exceedingly well practiced magic connection was shared with harry by way of his soul. And since only a fraction of his soul was needed for harry to match his power and voldy doesnt seem any magically weaker for lack of most of his soul, I believe the quantity of a soul doesnt matter too much. So its something to do with the soul and blood. Perhaps blood and soul another channeling agent of magic not unlike wands but from wherever the source of magic lies or if its just everywhere and the difference in power is simply how much of it you can command.
Dumbledore also theorised that Merope's powers may have again been sapped by depression after Tom Riddle Sr abandoned her, which I was surprised you didn't mention!
I highly recommend The Dresden Files. I love how magic works in that series. Also, has anyone done a video about why learning music would be the best way to train for nonverbal magic in HP?
I always imagined magical power in Harry Potter is much like a person's IQ or intelligence some people are gifted with more and some have less and some are incredibly studious so they might look gifted when its seriously hard work.
I always considered that a strength of the HP series, myself. I see it as a terribly tired old trope, the old "I've lost my powers!" or "He's taken my powers!" or "Magic doesn't work here!" - it's just a convenient excuse to rob a character of their greatest strength and force them to make do with other means. How can you possibly make a magical world work, if it works like that? How can you trust your livelihood, the safety of your home, or your very LIFE to something that can disappear entirely? You would NEVER feel safe if your defensive spells could just stop working, you would NEVER feel confident enough to be relied upon if you could one day find yourself unable to function, through no fault of your own! You would ALWAYS be wondering if today would be the day that your spells fail, and would you be surrounded by muggles when it does? What if you worked with dragons and suddenly found yourself without a way to defend yourself, or even disapparate away to safety? You'd be dragon chow, totally helpless! And, yes, I know about Merope Gaunt, who couldn't work much of any magic when she was under the thumb of her domineering father, Marvolo Gaunt. Once she left his oppressive home, her abilities blossomed, showing her problems were largely psychological. Watch any other magic-based show/movie and, if it goes on long enough, they will ALWAYS try this! It's SO annoying! And it's also hard to believe. A world built like THAT simply does not work.
I always figured it was like a muscle. Gotta work it out to get better. Some people are more gifted and quicker and require less training. You can for sure over do it and become “drained” like when you take a difficult test. You feel super tired but haven’t necessarily expended any physical effort. The force in Star Wars seems to work the same way.
As a DM I really appreciate this comment at 7:46, however Harry 18 CHR 15 INT 20 CON Hermione 20 INT 16 CHR 17 WIS Ron 16 INT 17 CHR 19 WIS plus 1 INSP for loyalty.
The massacre at Malfoy manor probably involved a lot of consecutive killing curses and it didn't seem to affect Voldy's abilities (he apparated a bit later to check on his horcruxes) but maybe he's too powerful to count
You are Honestly brilliant. Every time I watch a video you give amazing messages of support and good information for any young viewers and i just ugh its so nice i stan
7:56 Fiendfyre. Can't remember if it was Crabbe or Goyle who used it but it killed one of them when they used it. So there are some spells that can kill you even if you manage to cast them.
I don't know I feel like when Harry's learning the Patronus he does say that he's getting drained even while he's using the spell to keep the dementor boggart away
In the Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance) magic is treated like pure energy manipulation, meaning doing anything through magical means drains the caster's energy as much as doing it by mundane means. This makes it so certain determinate spells can even kill the caster if the caster's physique cant «produce» said energy, and some kill the caster anyway(such as trying to revive a dead person) and the caster can become exhausted upon spellcasting. The energy manipulation (magic) can be done by usage of a magical language (called the Ancient Language) either verbally or non-verbally or by imbuing your thoughts in magic, but the latter is much more difficult to master than the former. Some of the attributes also parallel real life,, like they say matter is «solidified energy» that you can turn into energy (there are 2 instances of this happening in the books, and the after-effects are basically the same as a nuclear blast, maybe doing it controllably is also possible to power up your spells, like its used in a nuclear power plant) You can also «drain» other lifeforms of energy (ultimately killing them) to replenish your stock or to «feed» your spells, and even store some into certain artifacts, usually precious stones like diamonds, rubies or sapphires...
Yes i really like the magic system of Eragon (except the true names, they are kinda uncertain) It is such a great way of making some Magic available but not everything.
I think the strength of the witch or wizard isn't in how powerful he/she's magic is, but is how powerful their mind is, how much faith they have in their own ability to do magic or anything else for that matter.
12:05 and same case as Ariana. I actually like the explanation that G. Norman Lippert gives in James Potter and the Morrigan Web. It makes sense even if I also believe that she was an obscurus because the muggles did something that made Kendra and Albus to hide her magic
To be fair, Ron's brothers probably also had a hand in why he thought that would be a spell. Probably didn't help that he attempted it on an already transformed person though.
@@insaincaldo In my head cannon, Fred and George "proved" that the spell worked by using it to turn Scabbers yellow. Except one used nonverbal magic (practiced purely for this practical joke) while the other uttered the nonsense spell so it looked like the spell worked.
@@Techydad i really love this theory, but Fred & George have only finished 2yrs at Hogwarts by this point, and i don't think they teach non-verbal magic until 5th/6th year.
I would imagine its similar to how the Weave works in Dungeons and Dragons. Its like the electromagnetic field for magic. Where a wizard would act like a circuit and draw energy from the electromagical field to use as work. I guess a wizards aptitude would be genetic, some just being born with a wider capacity to tap into the field.
Yeah, the magic always seems to be there for a magical person, but it’s clear that some wizards are “more” magical than others. Some are just seem more naturally gifted to do stronger or more complex magic, whereas some struggle with more mundane magic. Kind of like how some muggles are just more naturally gifted athletes.
"OH, it's gonna be one of THOSE ad reads. Alright." Had me rolling in my seat with that one J! You guys are one of the few RUclipsrs that I actually enjoy the ad read as much as the video!
You've inflicted Name of the Wind on me and now I'm in the eternal wait for the 3rd book camp...thanks. Now, like the Ring, I have to recruit others :)
I have always had a love hate relationship with the magic system in HP. Although it is very vast it does seem to lack some of the feel of what Sanderson does with his magic systems. The important difference being the cost of magic. Basically the energy it takes to do something magically vs normally. This part is not a factor in most scenarios in HP.
Harry Potter is a perfect example of why explaining magic only makes it worse. If I remember right, food can't be made using magic, yet Draco can create a snake that's real enough for Harry to talk to with parseltongue. So you can use magic to create a snake but not an apple? And what if you kill the snake you conjure and try to cook and eat it, would it just dematerialize?
I know you probably already have several up-coming videos already filmed, but for the rest of the month you should do all your videos in that spooky lighting. I was digging that during the ad read.
Of course! Chocolate releases endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in your brain! It makes you happy! End of explanation! Yes, the Brothers missed this prime example!
I’m not first but I’m early Another example: Lupin casting a patronus after transforming *THE NIGHT BEFORE* Also you might want to maybe check out the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs, oh and the Mysterious Benedict Society quartet by Trenton Lee Stewart, also great. And the Unwanteds.
Like when Fred died and George lost his ability to summon a patronus charm due to his great depression. Remember Fred is still with us, he's just on the other side of the vail where we, the living, can't see or hear him.
I’m always interested as to how somebody loses their power in the HP universe. Case in point: Grindlewald. If you’re so powerful you’re able to throw cars around wandlessly then what on earth causes you to become so powerless that you can be locked in a prison of your own making just because somebody took your wand. There are a few mentions of people “losing” their powers in the story, it’s said that when people go to askaban they go mad and lose their power eventually. So that would be a case of losing the mental capability to comprehend doing magic and therefore losing the ability But Grindlewald doesn’t lose his mind - he even taunts Voldemort about not giving up the elder wand. So why is he powerless? Did Dumbledore take the power in their duel? When you’re the Everest of power like Dumbledore is can a defeat be that much of a hit that you go from the Everest of magic to nothing? Or if a regular power level wizard went in to see Grindlewald in his cell could they be easily over powered by Grindlewald?
the inheritance cycle is both. they have magic and depending on the magic is what it costs. to light a candle by normal means like a match very easy so by magic its very easy. and to take some ones life is how you take there life. so break there neck by your hands will take the same energy that way in a fight would take the same with magic. now if you do a task that would take a week by hand and do it in a hour would take that amount of energy out of you so if you dont have that energy you will die
If each Voldemort horcrux is half of his soul, at the moment of fighting Harry Potter in the end he is left with 0.7% compared to Harry being 1.5% ( his horcrux). So is Harry potter more Voldemort than Voldemort himself at that point?
I was recently watching a theory by the game theorists on this topic, and the answer is yes, harry was more voldemort than voldemort was voldemort at the time of the last duel. That makes the final battle make a lot more sense, with the turning to dust dying and stuff.
A random theory I came up with the other day: Each Hogwarts Founder had a 2nd Relic Gryffindor: Sorting Hat Slytherin: Basilisk Horn Wand (Rowling revealed this through the story of Ilvermony) -Or another one could have been the silver shield with Snake on it, (in an S shape) Voldemort had in the Order of the Phoenix, which he used when battling with Dumbledore. Noticeably his shield seemed to absorb the spells with the shield being undamaged. Which is very similar to how the Sword of Gryffindor functions, also it's kinda of poetic that Gryffindor would have had a sword as relic while Slytherin would have had a shield as they were the founders who clashed the most. Ravenclaw: (This one is a bit of a longshot), In the only published photo we have of the Rowena Ravenclaw (by Rowling on Wizarding World) she isn't actually wearing her Lost Diadem, which is strange as all the other founders are holding/wearing their relics. Gryffindor is holding his sword (and Hat) Hufflepuff is holding her cup and Slytherin is wearing his locket. The only item she noticeably has is her stroking a. locked book. Is it possible she also possessed an enchanted book as a relic? It would make sense relating to Ravenclaw house imo. Hufflepuff: Another longshot but Rowling said she originally wanted Hufflepuffs horcrux to be a golden cauldron (which she referenced had some food related uses) but eventually decided to make it her cup because it was more portable, but it could be possible Hufflepuff still owned a golden caudron with these food related abilities.
I like it! I also notice that two of these relics correspond to two of the suits in a tarot deck: swords and cups. The other two being wands and pentacles (or coins). A wand may not be necessary, since everyone is a wizard and they all have wands. But there is the Elder Wand, which could be thought of as a "relic" wand, though not specifically associated with a Hogwarts founder. Maybe also something relating to the Four Rooms theory: that each of the founders also contributed an important room to Hogwarts. Slytherin made the Chamber of Secrets, Gryffindor made the headmaster's office, Ravenclaw made the Room of Requirement, and Hufflepuff made the kitchen (under the Great Hall, with magic to transport the food up the the hall when it was ready).
love the theory! I might be wrong, but I believe the book of admittance and the quill of acceptance are also artifacts of the founders. I believe SCB did a theory on this once.
Please please please do more king killer theories, I read both books after your recommended them and they’re my new favorite fantasy series. I would love to see more content on them!
Honestly I feel like magic has to do with less than an infinite source in the individual but more of one's self and soul in the world around them. Think of it lile the force from star wars. Anyone can use it if they're sensitive enough for it and depending on the person in question it allows them to use different abilities either easier or harder than others. Wizards and witches are probable more sensative to magic than muggles and squibs are and their soul as well as their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual personalities and limits will influence their overall magic abilities. Things such as wands being compatable are other such things since they act as a matching conductor, gifting wizards compatable with them easier and more concentrated forms of magic while wandless and incompatable wands, while capable of working, takes much more effort. If that is indeed the case then that not only adds more to the meaning of the four houses where each person has their own strengths and weaknesses.
I really wish J and Ben would drop the Betterhelp sponsorship considering it’s come to light that the company sell their users private mental health information for profit…
I’ve always believed that magic usage was like stamina usage. Dueling might take up a lot of energy, but doing simple stuff wouldn’t. That would account for things like dumbledore fighting grindelwald to a standstill. Maybe the elder wand doesn’t make a wizard more powerful, but instead greatly reduces the toll it takes.
I have a cool theory. In chamber of secrets After the second year students transfigure their animals into water goblets. if mcgonagall Used a spell to untransfigure the wzter goblats. Why did peter pettigrew stay a rat when she reversed it.
If you’ve seen or watched The Magicians, they have what I would say a hard magic system. Their system has math, physics, heck even start positioning, that can affect their spells. And watching this video and remembering the obscurous (?) it reminds me of what happens when the Magicians use too much magic. Basically when a magician uses too much magic on a spell that has certain requirements, such as significant power, or it being a cooperative spell, they could turn into a niffen. It’s basically an obscurial, but! They are focused on themselves and what they desire. Just wanted to give another magic system that had an obscurous type affect with magic.
Fun fact: Wingaurdium leviosa is mostly said the same in all languages accept for very few which say it slightly differently taking a couple of words and replacing them for example winhardium
wait meundies makes umbridges? :O all jokes aside it is an interesting question. From the top of my mind I don't remember a wizard being exhausted by casting spells. I mean even Dumbledore was only weakened because of the curse and not because of casting the flame spell. Glad it seems I am remembering correctly :D
If wizards and muggles ever do live together without the statute of secrecy, then we could probably get humans to other planets by now considering wizards have what's basically infinite green energy that if used smartly can solve a lot of polution.
In D&D magic energy can come from 3 different places. Life force (Eragon), a being from another dimension (Dr. Strange or The Shadow Man from Princess and the frog), or the inate energy of the universe. I think in Harry Potter it is the last one. Nobody collapses from casting a powerful spell and we never see anyone communicating with an otherworldly entity. The books mention that there is so much magic around Hogwarts that electronics don't work. This is because their magic is messing with the fabric of reality to cast there spells, the energy is being pulled from the universe itself.
I honestly thought as magic in Harry Potter as the witches and wizard being conduits of magic. That magic in the hp world is ethereal and they channel it though them and the higher their affinity the stronger they are. Also I always thought of spells as a guideline. Based on hbp Amy person could theoretically create new spells any time they want to if they are sufficiently skilled
I doubt many are skilled enough for intentional spell crafting, but we see it in kids doing spontaneous none verbal magic. It seems power is easier to come by, then the focus to utilize it.
I agree that different characters seem to have different power levels, even in the secondary/supporting cast (see Ginny Weasley's Bat-Bogey Hex). It is weird that they don't seem to have a negative consequence.
Thank you for recommending Name of The Wind! I finished it up a couple months ago and it was one of the best series I have ever read. Can't wait until the next book comes out!!!
All Harry Potter spells are Cantrips and Harry,Dumbledore and Voldemort have a Charisma Score of 20 or above ( In D&D therms there are Sorcerers not Wizards.)
I REALLY wanna see you guys talk about "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality". They cover this very plot point in the story and it plays a big role in what options the characters have when things get crazy. It's an amazing fanfiction, and even has it's own audio book versions. It seems very up your alley and like something you guys could get a few videos out of if you really wanted to.
Unrelated question. Does your soul split every time you kill someone? Dumbledore tells Snape it is up to him to figure out if killing Dumbledore hurts his soul, and he wants Snape to do it so Malfoy's soul stays intact. Does your soul split only when you mean to kill someone or does it split even if you kill by accident? Did Harry's soul split when he was one of the reasons Quirrell died? (weakening Quirrell so much that he died when Voldemort left his body) Does your soul split when you step on a bug? (split might not be the right word to use, maybe injure is better?). Also: Could a house-elf be a secret keeper?
I would think that your soul only splits depending on the reason for the kill and the targets state of mind. For example, Snape killing Dumbledore wouldn't split Snape's soul because Snape was doing it as a mercy kill (Dumbledore already slowly and painfully dying), a protection kill (protecting Malfoy), and whats more Dumbledore actively wanted to die and knew he was dying from the curse of the ring. Where Harry killing Quirrell was an accident, he didn't mean to kill him, so it didn't split his soul either. Where Voldemort killing someone, he did it with malice, and they didn't want to die. He MEANT to kill, to hurt. So, it obviously split his soul.
You guys should look into the inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini. It’s a great series that has a lot of stuff that could be analyzed and theorized about
HEY YOU! You're awesome! Give yourself a high five!
You guys are awesome! We love you!
👏
i have one arm so …. nope
HI GUYS IVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS FOR YEARS AND NEVER GOT TO COMMENT EARLY ENOUGH FOR YOU TO MAYBE SEE I LOVE YALL
Yeah high five🖐👍
"Harry, quick, we need a patronus now!"
"Sorry, I'm out of mana."
“Come on Harry what did you do with the mana potion I gave you?!”
“That was a mana potion?”
@@dragonex4723 Harry : I gave it to hedwig
hermione; grrrr RON Patronus NOW !
Ron : ( dead )
hermione: uhggg
Hedwig : ( cast a human patronus )
@@laxminiraula6652 other guy is hermione
"Here's my last estus flask"
Tap a Sol Ring and an Arcane Signet.
Personally I always assumed magic in harry potter was sort of like a muscle. Some people are definitely more naturally gifted at it, and have potentially far higher peaks (magical equivalent of olympic athletes) but anybody can become 'strong enough' even if they're not going to place top 100 in the world even if they train forever. And magic multiple times seems pretty tightly connected to emotion and emotional health. Also it always seemed to me like nearly everything 'learnable' in magic is always more of a focusing tool. Wands help focus a wizard's magic, and I'm assuming even spells do. Like, I don't believe 'wingardium leviosa' is the only possible way to cast a levitation spell, it'd be odd for magic to truly be tied so hard to a language, how were ancient egyptian or mayan wizards supposed to know 'stupify.' Faith and belief in a spell I think is what gives them power. It also explains how certain creative people can just...make new spells.
I agree, this is how kind of see it too. When Harry is learning the patrons, he gets tired, or needs to catch his breath, like exercise. Also seems like witches and wizards are "naturally" talented in certain types or disciplines of magic(Seers, potions, charms, etc.)
I like this one !
this.
There also seems to be magical specialties. Like you might not be the best at transfiguration but you're a wiz at potion making. Or maybe you can't fly on a broomstick very well, but taking care of magical plants (herbology) just comes naturally to you. Case in point, Neville Longbottom. He's thought of as a magical dunce for much of the series. A nice guy, but not very talented. However, he is very talented when it comes to herbology.
Neville also blossoms more when he gets his own wand instead of using his father's so magical talent could be hidden if the wand isn't right. Kind of like how you might not be good at fixing cars if all you have to work with is an old rusty screwdriver, but if given a proper set of tools you might excel at it.
I agree magic probably works like stamina. You can't run out of muscle, but you can certain tire yourself out the harder or longer you choose to exercise.
Hmm, this makes me wonder if the ‘repression leading to weakened magic’ has an equal and opposite effect that’d explain why Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Harry all seem to be that little bit more powerful. Specifically, these three are *more* powerful in part because they faced many challenges in their youth, but persisted in spite of those restrictions. Harry and Voldemort both grew up in environments where the world around them demanded they act less ‘weird’ and more ‘normal’, and they both resisted that demand (Voldemort in a way that was pretty violent, admittedly). Dumbledore meanwhile basically lost his entire family to Muggles hating magic, but continued to learn magic even after the Grindelwald skirmish that killed his sister.
Kinda also feels like collective consciousness could be part of it. Assumed power, leading to actual power. Fame and followers. In the end Voldemort lost because he was alone.
Yeah, as I mentioned in my comment, it seems like the most powerful spells rely on emotions. Depression deadens your emotions, you just feel empty. So it makes sense that magic would be weaker or impossible to perform. Meanwhile, Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Harry all have traumatic backstories like you say, but they stay strong and get stronger because of it. Because you never know true strength until you're really tested. So that raises their convictions and makes them more emotionally stronger.
Get a hobby
@@zylux9671 You are aware that this is a channel dedicated to fandom and theory crafting?
The fact that all those three you've mentioned are constantly being praised for their magical prowess could also work as a direct opposite to situations that Credence or Voldy's mom were in - Albus, Voldemort and Harry are always being told how powerful they are, thus making them more confident about their skills (with Voldemort and Albus being mature enough to only need their own self-confidence while Harry is still growing).
I like to think that Neville wasn’t really terrible at magic but merely grew up seeing his parents and subconsciously adapting a fear of what magic can do and accidentally suppressed his own
Actually, it comes down to his WAND. Remember, he used his father's wand until the end of Order.
So we can say that Neville Longbottom had a wand that didn't accept him, we can say that because he was "abused" and looked down upon for his lack of magic (because of said wand), this got him to crate a psychological barrier that makes it even harder for him to use magic. Poor guy. Ron too somewhat, his wand was from his older brother and the pressure that he was not as good as his brothers.
No I need a ride home the front desk in my trunk
Agreed, in the HP universe anyone can be a uber strong wizard as long as they the time and effort into their preferred method of magic. After Neville got his own wand his magic got so much stronger and he became an exceptional wizard. All because of the work he put in with a wand that didnt accept him, once he got a proper wand he was on the same level as everyone else.
@@lordvika2526 thank ya for everything
Neville wand was his dad’s wand, till that wand was broken he was not that good. After he got his own wand his magic became better if not more powerful just not as powerful as Harry an dark lord.
Who wouldn’t be like Neville, given his dad’s wand since both parents were tortured into insanity were not even magic can fix them and raised by his grandma who constantly talks down to him and comparing him to his parents (pre-insanity).
Was just listening to Prisoner of Azkaban and just noticed that Lupin tells Harry that if a wizard is surrounded by dementors for long enough they will lose their own powers. This confirms that despair can lead to the loss of a wizards powers.
Clearly not permanently though. Bellatrix was in Azkaban for nearly fifteen years, and she was up and casting spells in mere months. Sirius was in Azkaban for twelve years but never lost the ability to turn into a dog.
We already saw this with Tonks after Remus left her when she was pregnant
7:38 “Only Harry’s is the super Patronus that can take on a hundred dementors at once.” (cut to footage of Aberforth’s Patronus taking on a hundred dementors at once)
That was in the movie, DH2. But Harry also canonically fought off a hundred dementors in PoA (the 3rd book, when he was 13 years old) which was also in the movie. They just included the clip from DH2 for more... mana? Oomph? Whichever.
@@thathsaraamarasinghe6774 OP comment was about "only Harry" part.
Don't forget how the Dementors are able to slowly drain a wizard of their powers when continually exposed. Sirius talks about this in PoA. This probably also has something to do with depression and fear, as the people are left with only their worst thoughts and memories.
I’m pretty sure magic in the Harry Potter universe is tied directly to emotions. In fact I think it’s spelled out fairly well. As was stated in the video the main instances of the books and movies stating what is required of a certain powerful spell all have to do directly with emotions (good and happy emotions for the patronus and hate for the cruciatus curse). This would also explain why depression which tends to limit ones emotions and lead to general apathy would dampen or remove people’s magical abilities. It would also explain certain instances of incredible magical power. The obscurus could have been formed from the repressed hate inside of Credence. It would also explain how Voldemort is so powerful because he is fueled by unparalleled hatred.
It seems like the magic is almost like a muscle and that emotions are highly connected to the use of it. Someone who can channel anger, hate, love, fear, happiness and excitement or feel those emotions extra strongly but have the ability to control those emotions and channel them might be candidates for "more powerful witch or wizard ". Ive read some fantasy books that have that emotional connection and control to the magic. In The Wheel of Time there is a character that others like her can sense and tell she is powerful. She has a lot of emotional walls up and often times holds herself back because she lets her anger explode instead of channeling it into her magic.
I would think so. It is said that extreme anger and depression usually with teen can develop a poltergeist wrapped around a person.
They also say that people can give off a positive and evil Ora and they can see it within the Iris of the eye. And people can feed off your Ora and drain it.
Yeah, Nynaeve. Great series, my personal favorite.
I agree with this sports comparison hypothesis. Additionally, there are different types of magic to specialize in and be good at: charms, transfiguration, divination, occlumency, legilimency, offensive, and defensive magic. Harry, for example, is the absolute king of defensive charms. He's the Dennis Rodman or Gianluigi Buffon of magic. Nothing is getting past Harry. Voldemort and Dumbledore are like LeBron James or Zenedine Zidane. They're amazing at nearly everything. Other people are capable of kicking a soccer ball, but not like Zidane, Ronaldo, or Messi can kick a soccer ball. They can easily do things that other people wouldn't dream of attempting
I really wish these guys would write their own novels. Can you imagine the intricacies?
Yes. We need that!!! #SuperCarlinAuthors #Ijustradomlymadeupthishashtag
They should write for the HP TV show
it never would end
It's much easier to find the intricate details than to create them...
@@rho_man But because of their experience here, they would know what to account for.
I would say running out of magic isn't possible however you could run out of energy by casting magic repeatedly.
"Harry has run out of PP"
@@hasty_rychu ETHER RIGHT NOW
RSI is probably a huge issue in the wizarding world
I read The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear, and The Slow Regard of Silent Things based on your guys' recommendation. It's such an incredible series so thank you so much for the suggestion. Need to watch your theory videos on that universe now and would definitely be excited if you guys to put more content out in that vein.
ehh i started that series and found my self struggling to read it......it was very drawn out and boring half the time.
If you want a great read, and i know that SCB doesn't like the series so will never say how good it is, is the Percy Jackson series.
It goes way beyond just the Greek stuff, it covers greek, roman, egyptian, norse mythology and is really good, greek and roman stuff is connected into one long 9 or 10 book series and the egyptian stuff is a 3 book side story that connects to greek stuff by the main characters from both series meeting up and help eachother, while the norse stuff is connected because the main character from the norse stuff is related to one of the main characters to the greek stuff.......trying not to give to many spoilers lol.....but you get the idea.
It's way better than what SBC says it is.
@@lordvika2526 When did they say they didn't like the Percy Jackson series? I liked book 1 of Magnus Chase, the other 2 we're sort of meh. Never got around to finishing the Kane Chronicles.
@@thegreatfusili4673 It was back during a live stream, and i asked if they would ever do content about the Percy Jackson series and they said they read book 1 but wasn't to interested in it.
@@lordvika2526 I had heard in a live stream ben say that he had read the whole thing, and j said he hadn’t started, and overall they said it’s nice series, but they didn’t know how to make many theories based on it.
Have not read The Name of the Wind, but if you enjoyed Harry Potter and enjoy Tolkien's work, I highly recommend The Wheel of Time. There is an Amazon tv adaptation premiering next month, but if you can, suggest reading the series.
This is only somewhat related, but going off of the hard and soft magic systems, I think the HP universe is a hard magic system tacked onto a soft. Reading the books you get the notion that before wands, hogwarts and essentially magical governments you had a very loose system of creating magic. You had a feeling and you made magic happen. There were no wands or incantations, it was simply old magic that would happen at the behest of the magic user and whoever had more control over it succeeded. Over time people discovered that you could focus that magic with wands, movements and incantations...the way I understand it is none of those are actually needed to perform magic, they're just a ruleset that lets you do it better. A structure that can then be duplicated and regulated. It even seems like there's an approved list of magical spells and if you create your own spells it's, at best, sketchy, and at times simply labeled dark magic. A hard magic system tacked onto a soft one and that soft magic sometimes peeks through.
Thank you for this comment! I’ve always felt weird about placing HP somewhere on the soft to hard-scale, but this explains exactly why. It’s not in between the two ends of the spectrum, it’s got both. 👍
It's much easier to teach others and your own children magic if there are specific rules and incantations.
From what i got from reading the books and even from reading articles on the website
Is that yes you can do magic non verbally, which we see Harry doing, but Olivander's family has been making wands since 382 BC so they have been making wands for centuries.
From what i learned is that before established wands were created, wizards used other things to channel their magic, and it could have been things like the cores that wands having now days.
Like a wizard with a phoenix feather could cast spells better than a person without it, and later on learned how to encase it in something to protect it so that it wouldnt get damaged and they found out that specific types of wood were the best depending on the item you used, and that different people with different combinations of this could cast spells better.
This is a great comment.
I’d love to see/hear an in universe example of creating a spell in the Harry Potter canon in future books/TV series/movies. So interesting how that works. Feels very much like “naming” in the Kingkiller Chronicles except that it’s if anything even more mysterious as there is never any mention of how the true incantations for spells are ever discovered…
JKR presents magic in Potterverse as requiring varying degrees of focus. Some spells, after you get them down, require extremely little conscious effort, rather like getting down operating a clutch with a manual transmission. Other spells require far more focus. Apparition requires the three Ds. The patronus requires concentration on a very happy thought - not just cheerful, but one that reaches deep inside of the wizard. The unforgivable curses (I expect that the Cruciatus isn't the only one here) require real commitment to carry out what you intend to do. In each example here, emotion and the will to act are involved. So, even if magic power itself can't be exhausted, being psychologically/emotionally compromised, whether by depression or torment or whatever can block the witch's or wizard's ability to access his or her magical power. You mention Tonks and Merope, but there is also the example of wizards and witches who spend time in Azkaban and just fall because of the impact of the dementors. Psychological/emotional distress seems to be the common factor in all of these.
I thought you might have brought up the part where Mad Eye Moody told all the students to point their wands at him and use the Avada Kedavra curse. He mentioned that they'll probably only give him a nose bleed cos they're not powerful enough. It's a case of "magical power" being mentioned.
This fits really well with how they used dementors to subdue witches and wizards at Azkaban!
I just started watching you guys again , I forgot how good u are
dawwwww thanks!
Same 😅 for some reason I had steered away from theories, I’m not sure why…
I have to agree with XgamerX C, your videos are awesome
Yeah I'm the same way idk why I stopped watching but I'm glad I started again
Good times ｡◕‿◕｡
It seems to me that force of will, determination, and confidence have a lot to do with the level of power in the HP universe. Look what Molly did to Bellatrix. That's a great example of force of will and determination. And the only thing Neville was ever missing was confidence.
There is an overarching term for what you are describing. Mental fortitude and I do believe that is what the magic comes down to. The more you are willing to commit to a spell, the more powerful it will be. The more common you think of the spell, the easier it will be.
With a lot of the magic itself being able to be done custom on the fly or based upon a prior template that you have created requiring very little effort to cast. So of course more powerful magic won't be done as often hence no prior template hence harder.
@@RikkiCattermole mental fortitude... yes.
This has truly been an enlightening lesson in magic. It’s a good thing there is no spell that can be used to drain the magic from another wizard.
Yes they can. When JK Rowling retcon things in Harry Potter, the stories would lose its magic.
Just don’t read her retcon. It’s that easy. No one can change how a series affects you but yourself
What did she retcon?
i mean you did nothing but cry :)
well within your rights, but it did nothing to actually add or take away from the overall question
Just don’t listen to her. What she says should not be considered canon, mainly anything she said after the release of the cursed child.
Jorge Bardales only problem is the fan base is fueled by canon.
Discussion about hard magic systems reminded me about Dresden Files. The books have one of the greatest magic systems I've ever read. It's all so sciency and mathematical, formulated and clear, and has a huge strain on Dresden's body and mind every time he goes over his limits. I just loved reading the books for it.
A fun read for sure.
Love those books
I think it's like being able to run out of the ability to walk. Sure there's never a literal 'can't take another step' moment, but that doesn't mean you can walk infinitely either.
A Thousand Words would be a strange kind of magic system.
Not as often as Spider-Man runs out of webs🤣😂
So true 😅
LOL
Out of fluid again!
You have like web blood? 😏😏
Always at the worst moment too 😂😂😂
I’m glad you covered the Obscurus and depression angles, both canon and very legit reasons of magic being ‘inaccessible’ but still available.
Great video, as always guys!
Along with emotional stability, I believe there is also an innate difference in the rate that people can channel the magic. Mcgonagal is a good example. She could perform magic from a very young age which was considered to be exceptional. Other exceptional wizards, harry and voldy displayed similar results. And the sheer strength of the dumbledore family lends credit that a factor for how much magic an individual can channel. I also believe with time and practice, the amount of magic they can channel at once also increases hence why older wizards were always presented as significantly powerful. Between their amassment of knowledge and the sheer regular practice of the spells, they strengthen their magical connection. Harry in particular I think bore some special benefits with regards to that. Being born of james and lily may have been some contribution but I believe Voldemort's exceedingly well practiced magic connection was shared with harry by way of his soul. And since only a fraction of his soul was needed for harry to match his power and voldy doesnt seem any magically weaker for lack of most of his soul, I believe the quantity of a soul doesnt matter too much. So its something to do with the soul and blood. Perhaps blood and soul another channeling agent of magic not unlike wands but from wherever the source of magic lies or if its just everywhere and the difference in power is simply how much of it you can command.
So Harry is more of a sorcerer than a wizard 😂
I wanna see the battle of Hogwarts but after every other spell everyone has to chug a mana pot lol
"Can a wizard run out of magic?"
As someone who has played a few JRPGs, I can safely say...
IN A FLUFFIN HEARTBEAT.
I'm convinced McGonagall, at some point, created a Grizzly-Eagle-Shark just because she could
Dumbledore also theorised that Merope's powers may have again been sapped by depression after Tom Riddle Sr abandoned her, which I was surprised you didn't mention!
I highly recommend The Dresden Files. I love how magic works in that series. Also, has anyone done a video about why learning music would be the best way to train for nonverbal magic in HP?
I always imagined magical power in Harry Potter is much like a person's IQ or intelligence some people are gifted with more and some have less and some are incredibly studious so they might look gifted when its seriously hard work.
I always considered that a strength of the HP series, myself. I see it as a terribly tired old trope, the old "I've lost my powers!" or "He's taken my powers!" or "Magic doesn't work here!" - it's just a convenient excuse to rob a character of their greatest strength and force them to make do with other means.
How can you possibly make a magical world work, if it works like that? How can you trust your livelihood, the safety of your home, or your very LIFE to something that can disappear entirely? You would NEVER feel safe if your defensive spells could just stop working, you would NEVER feel confident enough to be relied upon if you could one day find yourself unable to function, through no fault of your own!
You would ALWAYS be wondering if today would be the day that your spells fail, and would you be surrounded by muggles when it does? What if you worked with dragons and suddenly found yourself without a way to defend yourself, or even disapparate away to safety? You'd be dragon chow, totally helpless!
And, yes, I know about Merope Gaunt, who couldn't work much of any magic when she was under the thumb of her domineering father, Marvolo Gaunt. Once she left his oppressive home, her abilities blossomed, showing her problems were largely psychological.
Watch any other magic-based show/movie and, if it goes on long enough, they will ALWAYS try this! It's SO annoying! And it's also hard to believe. A world built like THAT simply does not work.
I always figured it was like a muscle. Gotta work it out to get better. Some people are more gifted and quicker and require less training. You can for sure over do it and become “drained” like when you take a difficult test. You feel super tired but haven’t necessarily expended any physical effort.
The force in Star Wars seems to work the same way.
As a DM I really appreciate this comment at 7:46, however Harry 18 CHR 15 INT 20 CON Hermione 20 INT 16 CHR 17 WIS Ron 16 INT 17 CHR 19 WIS plus 1 INSP for loyalty.
The massacre at Malfoy manor probably involved a lot of consecutive killing curses and it didn't seem to affect Voldy's abilities (he apparated a bit later to check on his horcruxes) but maybe he's too powerful to count
You are
Honestly brilliant.
Every time I watch a video you give amazing messages of support and good information for any young viewers and i just ugh its so nice i stan
This video is just J trying to find the right words to determine the backbone of magic in this universe
7:56
Fiendfyre. Can't remember if it was Crabbe or Goyle who used it but it killed one of them when they used it. So there are some spells that can kill you even if you manage to cast them.
It's Crabbe in the books, Goyle in the films
I don't know I feel like when Harry's learning the Patronus he does say that he's getting drained even while he's using the spell to keep the dementor boggart away
In the Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance) magic is treated like pure energy manipulation, meaning doing anything through magical means drains the caster's energy as much as doing it by mundane means. This makes it so certain determinate spells can even kill the caster if the caster's physique cant «produce» said energy, and some kill the caster anyway(such as trying to revive a dead person) and the caster can become exhausted upon spellcasting. The energy manipulation (magic) can be done by usage of a magical language (called the Ancient Language) either verbally or non-verbally or by imbuing your thoughts in magic, but the latter is much more difficult to master than the former. Some of the attributes also parallel real life,, like they say matter is «solidified energy» that you can turn into energy (there are 2 instances of this happening in the books, and the after-effects are basically the same as a nuclear blast, maybe doing it controllably is also possible to power up your spells, like its used in a nuclear power plant)
You can also «drain» other lifeforms of energy (ultimately killing them) to replenish your stock or to «feed» your spells, and even store some into certain artifacts, usually precious stones like diamonds, rubies or sapphires...
Yes i really like the magic system of Eragon (except the true names, they are kinda uncertain) It is such a great way of making some Magic available but not everything.
I think the strength of the witch or wizard isn't in how powerful he/she's magic is, but is how powerful their mind is, how much faith they have in their own ability to do magic or anything else for that matter.
That was a really cool video. Magic systems are always very interesting.
To be fair to Ron, all of Lockhart's spells sound like that, too haha
Also, it's great how positive and encouraging this channel is!
12:05 and same case as Ariana. I actually like the explanation that G. Norman Lippert gives in James Potter and the Morrigan Web. It makes sense even if I also believe that she was an obscurus because the muggles did something that made Kendra and Albus to hide her magic
“Hey Brother”, said Ben calmly.
🤣🤣🤣
I understood that reference!
J, I’m disappointed in you. The “spell” Ron used on scrabbers did not work because he wasn’t a rat, he was a man in rat shape. Duh!
To be fair, Ron's brothers probably also had a hand in why he thought that would be a spell. Probably didn't help that he attempted it on an already transformed person though.
@@insaincaldo In my head cannon, Fred and George "proved" that the spell worked by using it to turn Scabbers yellow. Except one used nonverbal magic (practiced purely for this practical joke) while the other uttered the nonsense spell so it looked like the spell worked.
@@Techydad i really love this theory, but Fred & George have only finished 2yrs at Hogwarts by this point, and i don't think they teach non-verbal magic until 5th/6th year.
@@JuanMataCFC They did whatever whenever.
I would imagine its similar to how the Weave works in Dungeons and Dragons.
Its like the electromagnetic field for magic. Where a wizard would act like a circuit and draw energy from the electromagical field to use as work.
I guess a wizards aptitude would be genetic, some just being born with a wider capacity to tap into the field.
Yeah, the magic always seems to be there for a magical person, but it’s clear that some wizards are “more” magical than others. Some are just seem more naturally gifted to do stronger or more complex magic, whereas some struggle with more mundane magic. Kind of like how some muggles are just more naturally gifted athletes.
"OH, it's gonna be one of THOSE ad reads. Alright." Had me rolling in my seat with that one J! You guys are one of the few RUclipsrs that I actually enjoy the ad read as much as the video!
Definitely had a total geek-out moment at the mention of Name of the Wind.🖤
You've inflicted Name of the Wind on me and now I'm in the eternal wait for the 3rd book camp...thanks. Now, like the Ring, I have to recruit others :)
Delving into the affects of trauma on magic could be really interesting . . . I could imagine CinemaTherapy doing something like that
I have always had a love hate relationship with the magic system in HP. Although it is very vast it does seem to lack some of the feel of what Sanderson does with his magic systems. The important difference being the cost of magic. Basically the energy it takes to do something magically vs normally. This part is not a factor in most scenarios in HP.
The Harry Potter universe has that unlimited mana cheat on lol
Harry Potter is a perfect example of why explaining magic only makes it worse. If I remember right, food can't be made using magic, yet Draco can create a snake that's real enough for Harry to talk to with parseltongue. So you can use magic to create a snake but not an apple? And what if you kill the snake you conjure and try to cook and eat it, would it just dematerialize?
Name of the wind!! Please make more of those videos!
I know you probably already have several up-coming videos already filmed, but for the rest of the month you should do all your videos in that spooky lighting. I was digging that during the ad read.
When you mentioned depression suppressing magic, I was expecting you to show the train scene with the Dementor and the chocolate solution.
Of course! Chocolate releases endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in your brain! It makes you happy! End of explanation! Yes, the Brothers missed this prime example!
I’m not first but I’m early
Another example: Lupin casting a patronus after transforming *THE NIGHT BEFORE*
Also you might want to maybe check out the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs, oh and the Mysterious Benedict Society quartet by Trenton Lee Stewart, also great. And the Unwanteds.
4:12 I'm annoyed at you guys for getting me into a new book series, that is unfinished. That's just not fair.
Like when Fred died and George lost his ability to summon a patronus charm due to his great depression. Remember Fred is still with us, he's just on the other side of the vail where we, the living, can't see or hear him.
"This whole video was a metaphor, the magic is in you. Celebrate yourself, and read Name of the Wind"
This made my day
I actually think it's kinda like physical abilities every now and then you get very talented people, and then you get people who's not that talented.
I’m always interested as to how somebody loses their power in the HP universe.
Case in point: Grindlewald. If you’re so powerful you’re able to throw cars around wandlessly then what on earth causes you to become so powerless that you can be locked in a prison of your own making just because somebody took your wand.
There are a few mentions of people “losing” their powers in the story, it’s said that when people go to askaban they go mad and lose their power eventually.
So that would be a case of losing the mental capability to comprehend doing magic and therefore losing the ability
But Grindlewald doesn’t lose his mind - he even taunts Voldemort about not giving up the elder wand. So why is he powerless?
Did Dumbledore take the power in their duel?
When you’re the Everest of power like Dumbledore is can a defeat be that much of a hit that you go from the Everest of magic to nothing?
Or if a regular power level wizard went in to see Grindlewald in his cell could they be easily over powered by Grindlewald?
Title: _Can a wizard run out of the magic?_
Me looking at the picture: _No, but the wizard can run out of... Soul._
In your magic system meter, Eragon should be right at the top of hard or the bottom of a new category, very hard.
the inheritance cycle is both. they have magic and depending on the magic is what it costs. to light a candle by normal means like a match very easy so by magic its very easy. and to take some ones life is how you take there life. so break there neck by your hands will take the same energy that way in a fight would take the same with magic. now if you do a task that would take a week by hand and do it in a hour would take that amount of energy out of you so if you dont have that energy you will die
Just hold a vain is their brain for a few sec and they are dead all the same 😜
@@robbevanooteghem7429 you know the ancient language word for that vain lol
@@LoveShaysloco its only thought to older riders. So sadly no😞
I wasn't expecting that last hug. But I needed it indeed. Thank you 💓
If each Voldemort horcrux is half of his soul, at the moment of fighting Harry Potter in the end he is left with 0.7% compared to Harry being 1.5% ( his horcrux). So is Harry potter more Voldemort than Voldemort himself at that point?
I was recently watching a theory by the game theorists on this topic, and the answer is yes, harry was more voldemort than voldemort was voldemort at the time of the last duel. That makes the final battle make a lot more sense, with the turning to dust dying and stuff.
Yes this is very old news
All your videos are so enthusiastic, it's a delight to watch. Even wildest theories so fun to consider and are actually backed up. Thank you!
A random theory I came up with the other day: Each Hogwarts Founder had a 2nd Relic
Gryffindor: Sorting Hat
Slytherin: Basilisk Horn Wand (Rowling revealed this through the story of Ilvermony)
-Or another one could have been the silver shield with Snake on it, (in an S shape) Voldemort had in the Order of the Phoenix, which he used when battling with Dumbledore. Noticeably his shield seemed to absorb the spells with the shield being undamaged. Which is very similar to how the Sword of Gryffindor functions, also it's kinda of poetic that Gryffindor would have had a sword as relic while Slytherin would have had a shield as they were the founders who clashed the most.
Ravenclaw: (This one is a bit of a longshot), In the only published photo we have of the Rowena Ravenclaw (by Rowling on Wizarding World) she isn't actually wearing her Lost Diadem, which is strange as all the other founders are holding/wearing their relics. Gryffindor is holding his sword (and Hat) Hufflepuff is holding her cup and Slytherin is wearing his locket. The only item she noticeably has is her stroking a. locked book. Is it possible she also possessed an enchanted book as a relic? It would make sense relating to Ravenclaw house imo.
Hufflepuff: Another longshot but Rowling said she originally wanted Hufflepuffs horcrux to be a golden cauldron (which she referenced had some food related uses) but eventually decided to make it her cup because it was more portable, but it could be possible Hufflepuff still owned a golden caudron with these food related abilities.
I like it! I also notice that two of these relics correspond to two of the suits in a tarot deck: swords and cups. The other two being wands and pentacles (or coins). A wand may not be necessary, since everyone is a wizard and they all have wands. But there is the Elder Wand, which could be thought of as a "relic" wand, though not specifically associated with a Hogwarts founder.
Maybe also something relating to the Four Rooms theory: that each of the founders also contributed an important room to Hogwarts. Slytherin made the Chamber of Secrets, Gryffindor made the headmaster's office, Ravenclaw made the Room of Requirement, and Hufflepuff made the kitchen (under the Great Hall, with magic to transport the food up the the hall when it was ready).
love the theory! I might be wrong, but I believe the book of admittance and the quill of acceptance are also artifacts of the founders. I believe SCB did a theory on this once.
Please please please do more king killer theories, I read both books after your recommended them and they’re my new favorite fantasy series. I would love to see more content on them!
Honestly I feel like magic has to do with less than an infinite source in the individual but more of one's self and soul in the world around them. Think of it lile the force from star wars. Anyone can use it if they're sensitive enough for it and depending on the person in question it allows them to use different abilities either easier or harder than others.
Wizards and witches are probable more sensative to magic than muggles and squibs are and their soul as well as their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual personalities and limits will influence their overall magic abilities. Things such as wands being compatable are other such things since they act as a matching conductor, gifting wizards compatable with them easier and more concentrated forms of magic while wandless and incompatable wands, while capable of working, takes much more effort.
If that is indeed the case then that not only adds more to the meaning of the four houses where each person has their own strengths and weaknesses.
I really wish J and Ben would drop the Betterhelp sponsorship considering it’s come to light that the company sell their users private mental health information for profit…
I’ve always believed that magic usage was like stamina usage. Dueling might take up a lot of energy, but doing simple stuff wouldn’t. That would account for things like dumbledore fighting grindelwald to a standstill. Maybe the elder wand doesn’t make a wizard more powerful, but instead greatly reduces the toll it takes.
I have a cool theory. In chamber of secrets After the second year students transfigure their animals into water goblets. if mcgonagall Used a spell to untransfigure the wzter goblats. Why did peter pettigrew stay a rat when she reversed it.
If you’ve seen or watched The Magicians, they have what I would say a hard magic system. Their system has math, physics, heck even start positioning, that can affect their spells. And watching this video and remembering the obscurous (?) it reminds me of what happens when the Magicians use too much magic. Basically when a magician uses too much magic on a spell that has certain requirements, such as significant power, or it being a cooperative spell, they could turn into a niffen. It’s basically an obscurial, but! They are focused on themselves and what they desire. Just wanted to give another magic system that had an obscurous type affect with magic.
Ps, forgot to mention, Niffens are also pure magic and made of blue fire.
* whispers * "this whole video was a metaphor...."
I read a Name of the Wind after that first video came out and it was fantastic! Please make more Kingkiller videos!
Fun fact: Wingaurdium leviosa is mostly said the same in all languages accept for very few which say it slightly differently taking a couple of words and replacing them for example winhardium
Harry, after Bellatrix kills sirius: doesn't mean it enough
Harry, after carrow spits in McGonagalls face: I see what Bellatrix meant
wait meundies makes umbridges? :O
all jokes aside it is an interesting question. From the top of my mind I don't remember a wizard being exhausted by casting spells. I mean even Dumbledore was only weakened because of the curse and not because of casting the flame spell. Glad it seems I am remembering correctly :D
If wizards and muggles ever do live together without the statute of secrecy, then we could probably get humans to other planets by now considering wizards have what's basically infinite green energy that if used smartly can solve a lot of polution.
In Fantastic Beasts, wizards rebuild part of the city in minutes. Can you imagine what a wizard construction company would be like?
I love name of the wind. The magic system has always been one of the highlights for me. Always good to find another fan.
Woah, mind blown 🤯
In D&D magic energy can come from 3 different places. Life force (Eragon), a being from another dimension (Dr. Strange or The Shadow Man from Princess and the frog), or the inate energy of the universe. I think in Harry Potter it is the last one. Nobody collapses from casting a powerful spell and we never see anyone communicating with an otherworldly entity. The books mention that there is so much magic around Hogwarts that electronics don't work. This is because their magic is messing with the fabric of reality to cast there spells, the energy is being pulled from the universe itself.
I honestly thought as magic in Harry Potter as the witches and wizard being conduits of magic. That magic in the hp world is ethereal and they channel it though them and the higher their affinity the stronger they are. Also I always thought of spells as a guideline. Based on hbp Amy person could theoretically create new spells any time they want to if they are sufficiently skilled
I doubt many are skilled enough for intentional spell crafting, but we see it in kids doing spontaneous none verbal magic. It seems power is easier to come by, then the focus to utilize it.
I agree that different characters seem to have different power levels, even in the secondary/supporting cast (see Ginny Weasley's Bat-Bogey Hex). It is weird that they don't seem to have a negative consequence.
Thank you for recommending Name of The Wind! I finished it up a couple months ago and it was one of the best series I have ever read. Can't wait until the next book comes out!!!
Off topic question I was hoping you could answer for me:
If your greatest fear is the boggart, what does said boggart become?
All Harry Potter spells are Cantrips and Harry,Dumbledore and Voldemort have a Charisma Score of 20 or above ( In D&D therms there are Sorcerers not Wizards.)
Wandless & silent spellcasting is restricted to Sorcerers.
Animagi are Druids.
I REALLY wanna see you guys talk about "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality". They cover this very plot point in the story and it plays a big role in what options the characters have when things get crazy. It's an amazing fanfiction, and even has it's own audio book versions. It seems very up your alley and like something you guys could get a few videos out of if you really wanted to.
Just in time!
Unrelated question. Does your soul split every time you kill someone?
Dumbledore tells Snape it is up to him to figure out if killing Dumbledore hurts his soul, and he wants Snape to do it so Malfoy's soul stays intact.
Does your soul split only when you mean to kill someone or does it split even if you kill by accident?
Did Harry's soul split when he was one of the reasons Quirrell died? (weakening Quirrell so much that he died when Voldemort left his body)
Does your soul split when you step on a bug?
(split might not be the right word to use, maybe injure is better?).
Also: Could a house-elf be a secret keeper?
I would think that your soul only splits depending on the reason for the kill and the targets state of mind. For example, Snape killing Dumbledore wouldn't split Snape's soul because Snape was doing it as a mercy kill (Dumbledore already slowly and painfully dying), a protection kill (protecting Malfoy), and whats more Dumbledore actively wanted to die and knew he was dying from the curse of the ring. Where Harry killing Quirrell was an accident, he didn't mean to kill him, so it didn't split his soul either. Where Voldemort killing someone, he did it with malice, and they didn't want to die. He MEANT to kill, to hurt. So, it obviously split his soul.
You guys should look into the inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini. It’s a great series that has a lot of stuff that could be analyzed and theorized about
I was thinking the same thing
Hmm, what if in Fantastic Beasts, Credence pheonix is owned by Grindelwald because he has the blood pact with Dumbledore?
Hi
J: There is a spell for everything!
First Year Hermoine: not for Fire!
When Hogwarts Legacy (or whatever it’s gonna be called) are you guys gonna play it?
1:40- I think a great example would be lumos versus crucio