Theory of Magic

Prevailing theories of magic are debated among the brightest and best in the wizarding world. There is criticism that some of the theories currently hailed as being the best are extremely Eurocentric, or have been nicked from already existing historical theories in other parts of the world and given new names. All of that aside, those looking to study the theories of magic are only able to work with what has been published unless their eye is on a career in research.

Listed below are the most popular theories of magic in Europe.

## Theory of Magic

Prevailing thought is that magic falls into one of two categories, spells or enchantments. However, this has been criticized as being human-centred thinking, and discounts the forms of magic that are accessed and used by a variety of sentient creatures that also inhabit the planet (See: Veela Lore). Still, these theories remain published in textbooks across the globe. We do not currently know the exact reason that magic came into existence in the universe. Academics in a variety of different fields of study have their own theories to explain this phenomenon, but there are five theories that have recently become laws.

### MacBhàtair's Law of Energy

Much like Muggle thinking, this law states that magic is a tangible microscopic energy.

### Anaya's Law of Summoning

Given MacBhàtair's Law of Energy, it can be assumed that magical folk possess the genetic ability to call upon magical energy in order to harness it for use. Wands and incantations are a conduit in order to summon these energies, however magical folk can summon through other methods. Some have posited the possibility of this law implying that witches and wizards do not become more powerful as they age but, on the contrary, become more efficient.

### Boudreaux's Law of Transformation

This law states that magic is not created or destroyed, it is only transformed. This means that the magic that is in existence has been used many times over but for many different purposes. You can rest assured that the magic that you use to summon your slippers to you has been used thousands of years ago.

### Nzeogwu's Constant

Given Boudreaux's Law of Transformation, we can assume that there is a limited amount of magic within the universe that can be used, this amount remains constant at all times. While this amount is not infinite, it is large enough that there is not a worry within the magical community that the well should run dry.

*It should be noted that this law has been used to fuel the flames of anti-Muggleborn sentiments, being cited as a reason to deny Muggleborn students entry to magical schools.*

### Zozulya's Law of Wastage

If you conceptualize magic as a limited energy source, it can be assumed that a specific amount that goes into creating an effect. Similarly, there will be an amount that is wasted. This wastage becomes background magic which can go on to interfere with Muggle technology, be absorbed into enchantments, or made use of by creatures.

## Spell Theory

There are a variety of facts that have been well-established in the literature about spell theory. They can be elaborated on in their respective texts but are listed below for brevity:

* Spells can fall into one of three categories: one-off spells, actively maintained spells, or temporary spells.
	+ One-off spells (e.g. Bombarda) are cast and the effect is immediate
		- Temporary spells (e.g. Jelly-leg Jinx) last for a specific period of time and then fade.
		- These spells vary in length depending on the nature of the spell and the experience/power/intention of the caster
	+ Actively maintained spells (e.g. Leviosa) can last for the duration of the attention of the caster
* Some spells can overlap (e.g. the caster puts up a shield while simultaneously casting an offensive spell) but this is only effectively done by those who are higher in their education. First years will not be able to accomplish this task while seventh years will be able to.
* Jinxes and hexes are dark versions of spells but function under the same theories as listed above.
	+ Given the nature of dark intentions being more powerful than lighter ones, these spells last for longer periods of time or have effects that are more severe
* Incantations for spells are native to the location that a magical person is born and raised. The prevailing language of incantation across Europe is Latin however in other locations (i.e. Africa) they do not use incantations at all except in upper-level study for those interested in moving. However, countries (i.e Japan) use other non-Latin forms of incantations. Some locations that were subject to magical colonialism use a combination of Latin with other non-Latin incantations.

## Enchantment Theory

There are a variety of facts that have been well-established in the literature about enchantment theory. They can be elaborated on in their respective texts but are listed below for brevity:

* Enchantments are different from spells in several ways:
	+ Enchantments can absorb other magic (e.g. spells that are cast around them) in order to make them more stable
		- This can either be intentional (e.g. a team of magical architects strengthening the enchantments on a building to keep it protected) or unintentional (e.g. a spell cast by a student in a Hogwarts corridor can create background magic which will be absorbed by the enchantment that keeps the Room of Requirement invisible)
	+ They are layered magic (e.g. a combination of Charms, Transfiguration, Runes, Potions, etc). This creates more stability within the enchantment which is why they can last for a longer period of time than spells. However, this is what makes them more difficult to do.
	+ Enchantments can last past the death of the caster(s)
* Enchantments can be undone with magic to counter them but they also degrade with time due to the friction caused by background magic interacting with the enchantment. This can lead to them needing to be shored up on occasion to keep them active, if that's what you are aiming to do.
* Curses are dark versions of enchantments
	+ Given the nature of dark intentions being more powerful than lighter ones, these curses last for longer periods of time or have effects that are more severe. However, they're bound by the rest of the rules that enchantments are bound by.
* Singular witches or wizards can create or build enchantments but it can only be successfully done by those who have studied it for quite some time.
	+ However, life-long enchantments like those on Hogwarts castle need to be completed by a team of people in order to ensure the longevity of it.
	+ While enchantments are not taught at Hogwarts, they may be taught at other wizarding schools depending on their curriculum. However, most commonly, this type of magic is studied post-graduation during training for careers that heavily use this type of magic, like in Curse Breaking.

### Wandless & Non-Verbal Magic

Wandless magic is a novelty in most European countries, however it is natively used in a variety of other places, Africa being the most documented of those locations. Those who are studying wandless magic after completing school at a place like Hogwarts will spend many years studying under an expert in order to hone in this craft. Many who have studied wandless magic are not successful in learning the skill but equate the process to be like learning a new language; they imagine the wand movement that they would perform and the incantation that they would say and then do the associated hand movement in order to summon the magic to cast the spell. Those who have learned wandless magic from the start of their education do not learn incantations as they are not needed and wand movements are not a subject that is broached. Their approach to magic is different and would not be easily adapted to someone born and raised in a country that uses wands.

All Hogwarts students learn non-verbal magic when starting their sixth year of education at Hogwarts. However, as stated above, there are those who use non-verbal magic from the beginning of their education. Apart from wandless users, those who do not speak would use non-verbal magic from the start (i.e. Deaf and Hard of Hearing magical folk). There is a learning curve for these students and so their magic production may be delayed in comparison to their peers.

### Magic & Muggle Technology Interactions

Magic and Muggle technology can sometimes exist in the same frequencies and interfere with each other. While they are different particles, they can get jumbled up and this can lead to magic not functioning as it should or, more frequently, technology ceasing to work. There have been more modern efforts in order to retrofit Muggle technology for a magical world so that it can function on magic, however these devices can be unreliable at times. Within a household or a building, there is a threshold of magic that can exist in the same space as Muggle technology before things go haywire. Magical individuals are encouraged to keep the technology to a minimum in order to use their magic to its fullest extent. However, if they're not able to do that, it's encouraged for magical folk to keep their casting to a minimum so that there are not ill-effects of the magic on their surroundings or damage done to the electronics.