NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: “The Four Elements of Magic”
At eleven o'clock at night, it was considered late for wizards who lacked a nightlife. But for Tver, this was merely the second phase of his reading time. Accustomed to staying up late, he habitually pulled out one of his own treasured books—Origins of Curse Magic. Since returning home from Durmstrang, it seemed the only difference was the change of scenery for his reading.
Realizing this odd routine, he decided it was time for a change. The Fawley family's collection was extensive, perhaps not as grand as the library he would soon visit at Hogwarts, but it boasted a richer array of ancient magical texts. This was partly because the family in recent generations had ceased to pursue magical research actively. Fortunately, no profligate heirs had emerged, and the family business thrived, preventing any decline.
Tver left his bedroom to find the house eerily quiet, with only a few candles lighting the hallway. The library was not far from his room, deliberately chosen because it was the closest to his extensive collection of books. Among the Fawley family, he was the only one who enjoyed reading.
With a creak, he pushed open the seldom-used library door. Inside, the room was larger than Tver's bedroom and held even more books. Thus, the entire room was imbued with the scent of old books, like freshly cut herbs, waiting for Tver's arrival.
The library housed two types of books. One type, written in English or Latin, was on the left bookshelf. The other, inscribed in ancient magical scripts, lay on the right. Having finished the former type two years ago, Tver's goal that night was the ancient texts.
Durmstrang had offered courses in ancient magical scripts, many of which recorded dark magic. Ancient magic, often considered dark due to its formidable power and unconventional methods, contrasted with the more controlled practices of modern magic.
The ancient texts were fewer and noticeably more worn; some lacked even a cover, boldly displaying their titles like The Four Elements of Magic—an odd title indeed.
In this world, the concept of elements did not hold. Tver could conjure both water and fire spells, their power dependent not on any elemental theory but on his understanding of the spells themselves. Thus, the notion of four elements seemed even more peculiar.
In the eyes of Muggles, the four elements were the ancient Greeks' understanding of the world, comprising air, water, earth, and fire.
However, to wizards, these were seen as primitive notions from ancient wizards attempting to comprehend the origins of magic. This was a staple exam topic in Magical History at Durmstrang, taught as early as the first year.
So the presence of this book here piqued Tver's curiosity greatly.
"You have successfully caught my attention."
The book was not thick, containing only a few dozen pages.
Tver pulled the book out and deliberately lit the candles in the study, sitting down on the floor.
If the book turned out to be nonsense, he would put it back and choose another.
Upon opening the first page, Tver found that it was written in ancient magical script, still swirling with some magical reactions.
It was not said that ancient scripts could store magic for so long. The magic on these pages was due to some ancient scripts having the ability to absorb magic, which they would draw from Tver as he read, protecting the book from decay.
This was why books written in ancient scripts could be preserved for so long.
Of course, this protection had its limits.
Tver briefly lost himself, flipping through his mental index of ancient magical scripts.
Since they offered little enhancement to his power, he wasn't particularly skilled in this area, treating it merely as a tool for reading.
Fortunately, the content was not complex.
"Any spellcasting adheres to four principles: magical power, transformation of form, duration of effect, and speed of release."
"Magical power, known as Earth, nothing in the world is more solid than the vast earth. The ground beneath your feet is no longer a constraint but a loyal servant, each spell you cast carrying the weight of the earth."
"Transformation of form, known as Water, has no fixed shape and changes with a single thought. Magic transforms in myriad ways, just like water that you shape at will, be it fire-like water or earth-like wind, all under your control."
"Duration of effect, known as Fire, is the fire of the soul, ceaselessly burning. Those who achieve this are no longer confined to their physical bodies, possessing souls that are nearly eternal."
"Speed of release, known as Air, everything moves with the wind and follows the heart. Those who excel in this aspect can invigorate their thoughts a hundredfold, returning to the essence of magic."
This was the first time Tver had encountered such a theory. These four principles were like the foundation of the basics in the magical world, each aspect relying on a wizard's understanding of a spell.
The deeper the understanding of magic, the synchronous improvement of release speed, transformation, duration, and power. No one had ever thought to separate these fundamentals and enhance them individually; that would be a mere waste of time.
Yet, the assertion of this book suggests mastering one principle could enhance all aspects of one's magic without needing to understand each spell individually.
It was like understanding that 1 plus 1 equals 2 inherently teaches that A plus A equals 2A. But the issue was, the 1 and A in magic are not the same!
Driven by curiosity, Tver continued to flip through the pages. However, the subsequent content offered no explanations or methods to bridge the understanding gap between different magics.
It mostly described the powers of these four aspects and mentioned that achieving the pinnacle of these could break the bounds of time and space, elevating one to a deity unbound by the world.
Tver quickly lost interest, concluding that this was merely a book of nonsense, filled with ancient wizards' superficial knowledge of magic. If he gave it to a professor of Magical History, it might make a good exam question, but for him, it wasn't even entertaining as a leisure read.
Yawning, Tver regretted wasting his time on this book and decided it was better to just go back to sleep. Standing up, he rubbed his slightly sore thighs. The candle on the desk had extinguished at some unknown time, and sunlight now streamed into the room, casting a golden sheen.
Yet, Tver shivered with a chill. He distinctly remembered only reading one page seriously; he had merely skimmed the rest. It couldn't have taken all night!
"Young Master?" At that moment, Jeff opened the door to the study and, seeing Tver, smiled happily.
"I didn't see you in your room and thought you might be here. But you must take care of your health—"
"Jeff, what time is it now?" Tver easily searched his memory, a trivial task for a Legilimens master.
Jeff hesitated, "It's seven in the morning, the time I always wake up."
Eight hours.
He had spent eight hours just reading one page. The last time he felt like this was when his brain was under the control of his teacher. Back then, his thoughts were incredibly slow, yet the knowledge taught by the teacher was deeply imprinted in his mind as if he had always known that magic.
His brain had been controlled once again!
Tver picked up the book once more. The title was the same, but there was an additional line beneath it.
"This is valuable material worthy of my lifetime's study, left here in the hopes that the next one who understands will find it. — Rowena Ravenclaw."