Chapter 49: Classification of Spells
The scenery outside the window blurred past, revealing it was already late at night.
Whether it was the dragon meat or something else, Alexander Smith and Kate still felt unusually energetic.
"Aha, was this plot intentional by the author, or did he just not understand it?" A strange bit of storyline made Alexander laugh.
"Something wrong?" Kate rubbed her eyes, surprisingly not yawning.
"The classification is wrong. The Horn Curse shouldn't be labeled as a Jinx—it should be a Hex or, more generally, just a Spell," Alexander corrected.
"Isn't it just a name? They're all spells. I think everything should be under 'Spell'," Kate replied, sounding annoyed.
"Kate, there's a reason for the naming differences." Alexander secretly agreed with her logic—after all, his system panel lumped most magic together, except for Transfiguration which was in a class of its own. But without his panel, most wizards had to go by traditional categorization.
"These names aren't just semantics—they represent risk and principles."
"If you judge spells only by function, you can split them into defense, offense, and healing. But that's too rough."
"More precisely, there are seven types of spells."
"First, Transfiguration changes the form or appearance of the target—like Avis, which conjures birds."
"Second, Charm modifies a target's properties or behavior, without altering its core nature. That's why Professor Flitwick is the Charms professor, not a general Spell teacher."
Alexander paused. Luckily, it was just the two of them here, with no surveillance items or magical detection tools around. Under the Phoenix's eyes and magic vision, things felt more relaxed.
"Third, Jinx—literally meaning 'bad luck'—is a mild form of dark magic. It causes inconvenience and is often used for pranks. For example, Impedimenta, a defensive jinx, can slow actions."
"Fourth, Hex—a step darker than a jinx. It keeps a person in a negative condition over time. The Bat Bogey Hex and Horn Curse are good examples."
"Fifth, Curse—true black magic. It causes severe harm: pain, insanity, or even death. I don't need to list them; you already know which spells those are."
"Sixth is Counter-spell, which negates or blocks another spell."
"And finally, Healing Spells, which restore or improve a target's condition."
Alexander had only learned about these categories after reading the original English versions of wizarding books—something his previous life's Chinese translations lacked.
"By the way, what does Defense Against the Dark Arts mainly involve?" Alexander asked suddenly.
"Charm… um, Jinx and Hex?" Kate replied hesitantly.
"Bingo! Ten points to Ravenclaw!"
"And why are they divided like this?" Alexander followed up.
"For fun?" Kate guessed.
"No—it's to make young wizards more aware of danger. Saying 'white magic vs black magic' is simplistic nonsense—something only Gryffindors say!"
"What about Hufflepuff?" Kate asked, frowning.
Alexander coughed. "Apologies to Hufflepuff. You know, back when I played mobile games before all this, I picked Hufflepuff too."
He tried to keep his cool. "They're brave about gossip, sure, but not so bold when it comes to magical knowledge."
Hannah Abbott, that third-year badger who once told everyone Sirius sneaked into Hogwarts by turning into an orchid, might disagree. Though, technically, Sirius did sneak in… just as a dog.
Alexander rubbed his temples, clearing the random thoughts in his head.
"But maybe you'll get involved with curses in the future," he said with a smirk.
"How is that possible!" Kate protested.
When the fake Moody becomes Defense teacher—oh right. By then, she'll have graduated.
"I'm too young for all this. Percy's four years older than me, and I haven't even started Hogwarts," Alexander muttered.
"Kate, I'm going to shower!" he declared, rolling his eyes.
Although most of Alexander's mind worked constantly—analyzing danger, tracking magic, predicting threats—he still kept a small corner for humor and normal thoughts from his past life.
That led to occasional slip-ups—some intentional.
He opened the door to the left of the couch, stepping into a bathroom decorated with black and green scale tiles that gave a metallic feel. Two golden horns framed the mirror.
Romanian Longhorn Dragon elements were everywhere. While there wasn't a complete dragon, the aesthetic evoked one instantly.
Only wizards could design something so over-the-top. Their isolation from Muggles made their fashion and architecture eccentric.
Even Hogwarts uniforms weren't always robe-based—Muggle styles slowly crept in. Now Ron wore sneakers, and Fudge had a dark green suit under his striped robes.
Some older wizards, though, never adapted. They still mistook Muggle pajamas for formal wear or mixed pleated skirts with capes.
Thankfully, that crowd was shrinking. Muggle culture—games, styles, even slang—was quietly transforming the wizarding world.
And the new generation of Hogwarts students would bring even more change, energy, and creativity.
Imagine: Hogwarts once relied on carriages or Portkeys.
That changed in 1827 when Minister Otaline Gamble defied critics and led the Ministry to use 167 Obliviate spells and the biggest concealment charm in British wizarding history.
They acquired the Hogwarts Express from Muggle engineers in Crewe, Cheshire, overnight. When villagers in Hogsmeade awoke to a new station, they were stunned.
Gamble even decreed: "No train, no Hogwarts!"
That ended the pureblood whining about the train being "unsafe," "dirty," or "improper."
The only casualties were the Muggle engineers, who spent a year wondering what they'd forgotten.
If only the Ministry paid them for their confusion.
Looking at it now, Arthur Weasley's obsession with Muggles wasn't just a hobby—it was visionary.
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