"Battle?" Mr. Weasley gasped, appearing beside Harry with a final Apparition. "I must say, I think I overestimated myself a bit. Give me a moment, Harry, don't talk to me just yet."
Looking as though he might collapse, Mr. Weasley took deep breaths to suppress the nausea roiling within him. He seemed on the verge of vomiting.
"Alright, Harry," he said after a while, signaling that Harry no longer needed to support him. Straightening up, he continued, "Merlin's beard, that feeling is awful—you've probably noticed, Apparition is… well, rather unbearable."
"I've been Apparated with someone before, and yeah, it's not pleasant," Harry nodded in agreement.
It was a sensation that could only be described as agonizing—like being forcibly stuffed into a tight rubber tube, your entire body constricted by iron bands, eyeballs squeezed back into your skull, eardrums pressed deep into your head…
"Side-Along Apparition, eh? No wonder you're keen to learn this spell," Mr. Weasley said knowingly. "But I'll tell you, Harry, once you master Apparition, that awful feeling lessens, like you've gotten used to it."
"But if you Apparate multiple times in a row, that discomfort multiplies, and the risk of Splinching increases significantly. That's crucial to understand," Mr. Weasley said, gripping Harry's shoulders. "After each Apparition, you need time to assess your surroundings, stabilize your body and mind, then prepare for the next one."
"I noticed you paused after each Apparition," Harry said, nodding.
"Exactly, Harry. Sharp observation," Mr. Weasley said with a sigh. "So you can see why no wizard uses this spell in combat, right? No one wants to be attacked by a spell when they've just Apparated, head spinning and body wobbling. Speaking of which, why are you imagining combat? Kids your age…"
Shaking his head with a rueful smile, Mr. Weasley saw a spark of the youthful energy he expected from someone Harry's age—rowdy and spirited.
"Just a thought," Harry said with a grin. "So, can I give it a try?"
"Of course," Mr. Weasley chuckled. "Don't worry, I brought a big bottle of Dittany. Plenty for you to use."
Harry: "…"
Dittany was used to treat the consequences of a Splinch during Apparition. After using a counter-spell to reassemble a wizard's body, Dittany was applied to the affected areas for healing.
Mr. Weasley had clearly thought this through, but the problem was—did he already assume Harry would Splinch?
Standing before a wooden hoop about half a person wide, Harry focused his wandering thoughts, tuning out Mr. Weasley's repeated instructions echoing in his ears.
"…The three Ds, Harry, don't forget. First, picture your Destination—that hoop ahead. Then focus with Determination. Got it? Imagine yourself already inside the hoop, fully occupying that space, every inch of you—oh, brilliant! You did it, Harry!"
Did he… succeed?
Harry opened his eyes, elated. He had felt the familiar squeezing sensation of Apparition. Having been Side-Along Apparated a few times before, Harry thought he'd grown accustomed to it. So, had he mastered it already?
Easier than he'd expected. As he turned to look at Mr. Weasley, Harry suddenly lurched to the right, nearly falling. In a panic, he summoned the nearby earth elementals, and a stone pillar shot up from the ground to steady him.
Looking down, Harry was stunned to see he only had his left leg. His right leg was gone from mid-thigh, as if sliced clean through at an angle, the rest nowhere to be seen.
Glancing back, he saw the missing half of his leg still standing where he'd been.
"So, I Splinched?" Harry's voice carried rare disbelief. With his magical prowess and willpower, Splinching shouldn't have happened to him.
What about his supposed natural talent?
What went wrong? Had this world's safe, peaceful environment dulled his edge?
Harry began to wonder if he'd grown too complacent, letting himself fall into such an embarrassing mistake.
"Hey, Harry? Harry!" Mr. Weasley's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He'd retrieved Harry's stray leg and brought it over. "I know what you're thinking, but don't overthink it, lad. You've done brilliantly, you hear me?"
"But I still Splinched," Harry sighed. "Was my willpower not strong enough? That shouldn't be…"
If the willpower he'd honed through his experiences in Azeroth wasn't enough for Apparition, then few wizards in this world could cast the spell, let alone rely on it as a common means of travel.
Something must have gone wrong in the process.
"Honestly, Harry, I'm shocked you managed to get most of your body to the destination on your first try," Mr. Weasley said, placing Harry's right leg on the ground. "Have you really never studied this spell before?"
"Of course not," Harry shook his head. "No reason to lie."
"Fair enough," Mr. Weasley scratched his head. "So, this is a shaman's magic? It's completely different from wizarding magic."
Crouching beside the stone pillar Harry had summoned, Mr. Weasley curiously touched it—solid stone, cold to the touch.
Despite missing a leg, Harry wasn't panicked. He was more curious about the detached limb. Holding the pillar with one hand, he picked up the severed half of his leg with the other, examining it closely.
The cut was clean and smooth, with only a faint ache. No blood flowed, as if the leg were still attached. In Harry's perception, his body felt intact, both legs whole.
Fascinating. Despite being visually separated, the leg's clothing showed no sign of slipping, as if still connected to the rest of him.
From the clean cut, Harry could see the flesh, white bone, red marrow, and even the blood flowing through blue veins—yet it stopped at the cut, vanishing as if redirected to the rest of his body. It was bizarrely surreal.
"Hmm, I don't get it," Mr. Weasley said, standing and shrugging. "It's definitely different from wizarding magic, and it's not Transfiguration either… No wonder Percy admires you so much, haha."
Clearly, Mr. Weasley's curiosity for magic lacked the fervor he showed for Muggle artifacts.
"Should we reattach this leg?" Harry asked, waving his detached limb with an odd expression.
It was a first for him.
"Of course. Wait too long, and it could get messy… Honestly, I'm surprised you're not screaming in pain, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, amazed. The pain was indeed growing sharper with time, and quickly.
No wonder wizards needed to pass a Ministry of Magical Transportation test to Apparate freely. Imagine an unskilled wizard Splinching during a long journey, unnoticed by others. As the magic faded, the cut would bleed, pain overwhelming them until death.
A torturous way to go.
Mr. Weasley waved his wand, and the half-leg in Harry's hand flew back to its proper place, aligning perfectly with the other half. He then slit Harry's trouser leg with another spell, carefully applying Dittany along the Splinch line before repairing the fabric.
With Mr. Weasley's spell, Harry felt his leg truly reconnect. Only then did real pain flare along the Splinch line.
Harry noticed blood beginning to seep from the line as the Dittany was applied.
"Want to try again?" Mr. Weasley asked cheerfully, setting down the Dittany jar. "You're progressing much faster than I expected, Harry. Most students in Apparition lessons are thrilled if they manage to send their hair or eyebrows across on the first day."
"Many don't master it until the final lesson, and some never do, wasting twelve Galleons. It's not uncommon."
"Thanks for the encouragement, Mr. Weasley," Harry said with a smile. "Let's keep practicing. This pain won't stop me."
"It's not just encouragement—it's the truth," Mr. Weasley said, stepping back. "Go on. I think you're close to mastering it. Honestly, I thought we'd be here all day."
Harry smiled, saying nothing. He focused again, picturing the hoop ahead. Destination. Determination. Deliberation. Crack!
With a loud pop, Harry vanished. He immediately turned to check his original spot, relieved to see nothing left behind.
Clap, clap, clap…
Mr. Weasley applauded enthusiastically.
"I did it?" Harry asked, turning.
"Well, almost," Mr. Weasley said, inspecting Harry's original spot. He pointed to the air. "You left some hair behind."
Harry stepped out of the hoop to see a few strands floating in midair, destined to fall once the magic wore off.
No need for Dittany for that.
"As I said, you're learning fast, Harry," Mr. Weasley laughed. "Got any secrets?"
"Still too tense," Harry said, shaking his head. "Looking back, I nailed Destination and Determination, but I slipped on Deliberation."
Even Harry found it amusing. A man in his thirties, who'd slain demons and dragons and faced countless dangers for nearly two decades, couldn't manage Deliberation. It was almost laughable.
But identifying the issue made it a… side effect.
A side effect of mage portals.
Apparition felt awful, but Azeroth's mage portals were no picnic either. Passing through one was like being rolled in a barrel—dizzying, with arcane energy pressing on both body and soul.
During his first Apparition attempt, Harry had instinctively tensed up, as he did when passing through mage portals in Azeroth. His body had gone rigid, completely counter to the relaxed Deliberation required.
That instinct, honed in Azeroth, had caused his right leg to stay firmly planted—quite literally—in place.
Now aware of the problem, Harry's next attempts went smoothly. The spell's difficulty wasn't an issue for him. When he reappeared in the hoop and Mr. Weasley confirmed no Splinching, he declared Harry graduated.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Harry said sincerely. "Thank you for taking the time to teach me."
"No trouble at all, Harry," Mr. Weasley shrugged. "Honestly, I see why professors love clever students. Teaching quick learners like you is incredibly rewarding, haha."
"Then you must've been a professor's favorite," Harry teased.
"Oh, no way," Mr. Weasley waved off. "I was a Gryffindor, you know… always in detention. I swear Professor McGonagall clenched her fists every time she saw me, haha!"
Mr. Weasley laughed heartily, and Harry couldn't help but join in. He was in high spirits. Mastering Apparition meant something special to him—he was now a mage who could go anywhere he pleased.
In a world without Astral Recall, this was a game-changer.
Plus, Apparition allowed Side-Along Apparition to bring others along, meaning Harry, a shaman, could effectively "open portals" for others. No more relying on anyone else.
Harry was thrilled with this world's magic. His only regret was not being able to show off to Jaina Proudmoore, basking in her envious, teasing gaze.
True, this world's magic lacked the destructive power of Azeroth's, but its depth and breadth were unmatched. From unique spells to the Time-Turner, and especially Transfiguration, it was enough to make Azeroth's mages gape in disbelief.
Thanks to Jaina, Harry knew what mages could do. Blink was a short-range emergency spell, but long-distance travel required lengthy incantations for portals.
No spell was perfect—Blink, portals, and Apparition each had strengths and weaknesses. A skilled mage used the right spell for the situation. But Harry, a shaman, not a mage, had fewer options.
He didn't understand arcane theory or magical formulas, but now he had a spell letting him go anywhere, anytime—a feeling even his strong will couldn't resist.
From now on, Jaina could no longer trick him with a portal to Dalaran's crater while claiming it led to Orgrimmar!
Harry felt triumphant.
But in the next moment, realizing he couldn't share this with Jaina, his excitement deflated.
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