Chapter 6: Prevent feeling of inferiority
Neville rushed to his sister because he wanted to play with her now that she was home for a while.
"Big sister, can you play with me?"
"Not now, Neville, I'm practicing my calligraphy," Evelyn replied while continuing to write with great care.
"I don't understand how you call this practice."
His big sister paused and turned to her little brother.
"The use of spells requires wand movements that must be precise unless you are powerful enough to cast the spell without movement or even without a wand. The movement and incantation mainly help your body recognize the spell you're trying to cast. Otherwise, you might try to do a Stupefy, and instead, you could accidentally cast an Expelliarmus. By practicing, you can eventually use spells without movement or a wand. So right now, I'm practicing to perfect my wand movements for more complex spells in the future. The better the movement, the greater the power and effectiveness of the spell."
Neville had trouble understanding but more or less grasped the essentials.
"But I don't want to do what you do."
She smiled because she knew that few children would use calligraphy for practice.
"You don't have to do what I do. You could also try painting or any other activity that requires concentration and precise movement. Anyway, I have some news to tell you."
She paused dramatically, trying to create suspense.
"What is it, big sister? Tell me! Tell me!"
He was so curious that he was almost ready to jump on his sister to make her answer.
"Calm down. I have a birthday present planned that you won't forget."
She hadn't intended to reveal it yet but knew that her gift would make Neville very happy.
It is said that the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment because we expected too much. But this was not the case for Neville, as Evelyn had arranged for him to visit one of the largest flower gardens in the world, thanks to the connections she had made during her research.
In this garden, they found flowers not typically used for potions, as well as very rare flowers that require a very specific climate.
Neville, being a passionate of Herbology, thoroughly enjoyed the visit and learned a lot about the plants.
"If you keep going like this, I'll end up asking you questions in Herbology," she said, half-jokingly, while seriously considering it for later.
Their grandmother kept talking about how amazing their parents were and putting pressure on them to accomplish even greater things than they already had.
Evelyn didn't feel too much pressure because she was nearly recognized as a renowned scholar in the magical world, but her little brother was clumsy and still hadn't shown any sign of magical ability. She planned to prevent him from developing an inferiority complex and make him believe that she was less competent than he was in Herbology.
The worst part was that they tried to stimulate his magic, but it didn't work. Their great-uncle Agie was particularly extreme, even trying dangerous methods to force him to develop his powers.
Evelyn intervened several times to save him and shouted at their great-uncle for his recklessness. She cared deeply about her brother's safety because she knew that life had not been kind to him. He was already clumsy; it was unnecessary for him to have bad luck as well.
The next day, Evelyn went to Ollivander, the famous wand maker, to do some research on wands and ask him if he could show her the technique of creating one.
"Can the creator have an affinity with all the wands he creates?"
Her question was for future preparation.
"The creator has a small connection with the wand he creates, but not to the point where the wand recognizes him as its bearer."
"But could he still try to use it so that it is recognized?"
She wanted to ensure that there were no gaps in her understanding.
"Wand creators are special and can be recognized by all their creations, but for that to happen, the creator needs to use the wand many times. For example, I only use it to test and see if it is a wand that can be used."
"So correct me if I'm wrong, but the more we use a wand, the stronger the connection between the creator and the wand?"
"Yes, you've summed it up perfectly."
"Thank you for this information. Now, can you tell me how wands are made?"