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HRA# CHAPTER 141
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 23:21:55 +0000 UTC“I only know it’s awfully convenient,” Harry said with a shrug. “The books in the Hogwarts library only mention the effects of this spell, how it was invented, and how it evolved.”
Even The Hundred Most Common Spells didn’t include any details about this particular charm.
“Hahaha!” Mr. Weasley burst into laughter. “The Ministry of Magic would never allow students to secretly learn Apparition on their own. It’s not about the Ministry trying to control wizards—it’s purely because this magic is incredibly dangerous. Even adult wizards who’ve mastered it can still botch it, let alone students.”
“Yeah, the second half of that book is just a list of failed cases, complete with pictures,” Harry nodded. “For students, those images are pretty terrifying.”
“Splinch, yes, that’s truly horrifying,” Mr. Weasley agreed solemnly. “When a Splinching happens, the pain is the least of your worries.”
“I read that Hogwarts offers a twelve-week Apparition course for sixth-years, one hour per week,” Harry continued. “Plus, there’s a twelve-Galleon registration fee. I’d be willing to—”
“Oh, no, no, no, Harry! I’m not taking your money!” Mr. Weasley interrupted, waving his hands frantically before Harry could finish. “I told you, I want to thank you, got it?”
“Alright, I won’t insist,” Harry said with a smile. “So, we’re agreed?”
“Not so fast,” Mr. Weasley chuckled, shaking his head. “You almost had me there, lad. You need to understand that Apparition is an extremely advanced spell. Even if you’ve learned it, you still have to pass the Ministry’s Department of Magical Transportation test to use it freely.”
“I know that, Mr. Weasley,” Harry sighed. “But I can’t wait until sixth year to learn such a useful spell.”
“Er, you don’t seem too concerned about the Department of Magical Transportation’s test,” Mr. Weasley said, momentarily thrown off.
“Oh, I’m concerned,” Harry said, grinning as he nodded toward his right. “About as concerned as I am about that car.”
Mr. Weasley’s eyes widened. He and Harry both glanced in that direction, where, under a makeshift canopy, the gleaming rear of a polished Ford Anglia peeked out from the edge of the shelter.
“The car… erm, dear Harry, you might not believe me, but that car isn’t technically illegal,” Mr. Weasley said with a nervous chuckle, slinging an arm around Harry’s shoulders. “If you look closely, you’ll see that as long as I don’t intend to fly it, the fact that it can fly doesn’t actually break any laws.”
“Really?” Harry teased. “If a flying, invisible car doesn’t count as misuse of Muggle artifacts, then what does?”
“It doesn’t count!” Mr. Weasley said confidently. “As long as the modifications aren’t made with the intent to use them, it’s not illegal.”
“That’s the logic, sure,” Harry said, his expression turning sly. “But as I understand it, Mr. Weasley, you’re the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. And didn’t you push through a new Muggle Protection Act earlier this year? Ron was thrilled about it in his letter… So, did you deliberately leave a loophole in the law?”
Wasn’t that technically breaking the law while knowing it?
“Ahem, Ron should be thrilled,” Mr. Weasley said, glancing around nervously. “That law let me legally search Malfoy Manor. But that’s a completely different matter, you see. Two different things.”
“No need to get so nervous, Mr. Weasley,” Harry said, amused by the man’s frantic search for excuses. “I’m well aware of how… flexible wizards can be.”
“Er, are you?” Mr. Weasley paused. “I hope you don’t have any misconceptions about wizards… You know what I mean.”
“Of course,” Harry said with a shrug. “So, I just want to study Apparition for magical research purposes and won’t use it outside. That should be fine, right?”
“…As far as I know, the Department of Magical Transportation’s laws don’t have specific regulations on that,” Mr. Weasley said carefully, meeting Harry’s gaze.
“In other words, they don’t prohibit it,” Harry added with finality.
“Well done, Harry,” Mr. Weasley said, suppressing a laugh as he clapped Harry on the shoulder. “You’ve already grasped the essence of wizarding law. If what Dumbledore and Percy have said about you isn’t exaggerated, I can’t think of any reason to stop you.”
“As I said from the start, Mr. Weasley,” Harry raised a hand, “I think I’ve got the foundation to master this spell.”
With Harry’s words and gesture, a shovel planted in the Weasley garden suddenly bent its wooden handle, yanked itself out of the ground, and sprouted two rusty legs from its sides. It scurried over to them, performed a quick tap dance, and ended with a flourish, one “hand” leaning against the wall before transforming back into an ordinary shovel.
“Merlin’s beard!” Mr. Weasley exclaimed, barely believing his eyes. “Is that… Transfiguration? No, wait—yes, but… You didn’t even use your wand!”
For wizards in this world, wandless or silent magic was a hallmark of extraordinary power. Most wizards were helpless without their wands, unable to produce so much as a spark.
Mastering such techniques required not only immense magical strength but also an intricate understanding of spells—a daunting challenge.
“Wait, am I forgetting something?” Mr. Weasley muttered, lost in thought. “Oh, right! The ban on underage magic outside school! Aha! You’ve found another loophole, haven’t you?”
Mr. Weasley let out a long sigh.
“So, I should have the skill to study Apparition, right?” Harry asked, blinking innocently.
“Absolutely,” Mr. Weasley laughed, slinging an arm around Harry’s shoulders again. “If someone with your magical ability can’t learn Apparition, then ninety-nine percent of wizards in the world should be banned from using it. How about the morning after tomorrow? It’s the weekend, so we’ll have plenty of time.”
“No problem,” Harry agreed instantly. “I’m ready anytime.”
“It’s settled then. I hope Ron won’t be too upset with me,” Mr. Weasley said with a shrug, then added, “Oh, and about learning Apparition—keep it…”
“Secret,” Harry finished smoothly. “I promise no one will know I learned it from you.”
“Er, it doesn’t need to be that serious,” Mr. Weasley said, scratching his head. “Just… don’t let Molly find out. After that car business, she’s already given me an earful today.”
At that, Mr. Weasley looked positively haunted.
“Haha, got it. I’ll keep it quiet,” Harry said, stifling a laugh. He could see where Fred and George got their mischievous, incorrigible streak.
“Perfect,” Mr. Weasley said, nodding with satisfaction.
The Burrow, despite its ramshackle, magically patched-together appearance, was anything but shabby inside. True to its name, it wasn’t much to look at, but its interior radiated the warmth of a true home.
Like their fiery red hair, the Weasleys had a passionate, welcoming nature. Even Ginny, the youngest, who idolized Harry, managed to muster the courage to talk to him the next day with her mother’s encouragement.
Though her cheeks were still flushed, she was making progress.
As Mr. Weasley predicted, Ron was a bit miffed when he learned Harry was going somewhere without him. Fortunately, Harry left his suitcase behind, and once Ron dove into the suitcase’s pocket dimension, he forgot all about it.
At the base of a northern hillside, far from the Weasley home, a cluster of trees provided ample shade for the two about to begin their practice.
“Honestly, this is my first time teaching anyone,” Mr. Weasley said cheerfully, standing on a patch of open grass. “If I’m unclear about anything, Harry, ask me right away. Don’t hold back.”
“Got it, Mr. Weasley,” Harry said earnestly.
The worst thing in learning magic was pretending to understand when you didn’t, then casting a spell with unpredictable consequences.
“Hmm, let’s see…” Mr. Weasley said, as if reciting from memory. “According to Bill… I should first explain why the Department of Magical Transportation only sends instructors to teach Apparition to sixth-years. The main reason is that sixth-years are nearly adults.”
Harry noticed that when Mr. Weasley got serious, he was surprisingly reliable. Clearly, he’d consulted his Ministry colleagues for this lesson.
“Young wizards’ magic is still developing before they come of age,” Mr. Weasley explained thoroughly. “This makes it hard for them to control the strength of their spells accurately. By sixth year, that growth stabilizes, and their magical reserves reach a level where they can reliably cast complex spells.”
“Of course, that’s the general case, Harry,” Mr. Weasley added quickly. “You’re obviously an exception… Not that it’s a bad thing. Beyond magical ability, sixth-years also have more mature minds—stronger willpower and better focus. These are the core elements of Apparition.”
Harry listened intently, pulling out a notebook and a ballpoint pen to jot down key points. Understanding a spell’s origins and requirements deepened his grasp of it.
Most importantly, this information wasn’t in Hogwarts’ library. The Department of Magical Transportation had scrubbed it clean to prevent students from experimenting on their own.
“So, the spell requires sufficient magical power, firm willpower, and strong focus,” Harry summarized. “It’s not much different from other spells I’ve learned. Nothing special.”
“Not special to you, Harry,” Mr. Weasley said with a laugh. “I don’t doubt that. But for other young wizards, meeting those three requirements is incredibly difficult—even for many adult wizards.”
“Plenty of adult wizards, even after years of mastering Apparition, still risk Splinching,” Mr. Weasley said with a sigh. “The pictures in books don’t do it justice, Harry. I’ve seen a Splinched wizard in person—it’s horrific. You don’t want to see it.”
“I’ll be careful, Mr. Weasley,” Harry said with a smile. “This open field is perfect. At least I won’t end up Apparating into a wall.”
“Exactly. This clearing is ideal for practice,” Mr. Weasley said approvingly. With a wave of his wand, a wooden hoop appeared on the grass to Harry’s left.
“Aha, here’s the trick,” Mr. Weasley said cheerfully. “The Department’s method for teaching Apparition hasn’t changed in years… Saves me from relearning it.”
“Destination, Determination, Deliberation—the three Ds, Harry. That’s all you need to remember,” Mr. Weasley said, turning to face him. “Apparition is actually two spells: Disapparition, which makes you vanish, and Apparition, which makes you reappear where you want to be.”
“From the moment you start preparing to cast this spell, you must strictly follow the three Ds,” Mr. Weasley said, then caught himself. “Merlin’s beard, what am I saying? You need to follow them from the moment you begin the spell.”
For the first time since they’d met that day, Harry saw a truly serious expression on Mr. Weasley’s face—more serious than when Mrs. Weasley had scolded him.
“First, Destination. Focus entirely on your target—the area inside that hoop. Forget about places you can’t see for now; that’s for after you’ve mastered the spell.”
“Second, Determination. You must be absolutely determined to occupy that space, that exact spot. Let that desire consume every part of you, down to your toenails.”
“And finally, Deliberation. Spin in place, letting yourself enter a calm, empty state. The movement must be natural, relaxed, deliberate. Got it?”
“This spell does demand more mental focus than others,” Harry said, setting down his pen and nodding. “I’ve got it.”
“Good. Now I’ll demonstrate,” Mr. Weasley said, puffing out his chest.
To ensure Harry could follow each step, Mr. Weasley moved slowly, even shouting “Apparate!” as he cast the spell—though Harry knew from his experience with Lucius Malfoy that wizards typically cast it silently.
With a sharp crack, Mr. Weasley appeared inside the wooden hoop.
“See, Harry? Like that,” Mr. Weasley said with a grin, turning back. “Simple. I’d love to explain more, but this spell is, well…”
“I get it,” Harry nodded. “You either know it or you don’t.”
“Exactly,” Mr. Weasley said, relieved. “Now, you just need practice. That’s all the theory there is. Once you’re proficient, you’ll be able to do it as smoothly as I did.”
With that, Mr. Weasley cracked back to his starting position, waited two seconds, and cracked back into the hoop, moving fluidly.
Harry noticed something: in his final, polished demonstration, Mr. Weasley didn’t spin as noticeably as he had in the teaching example. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. Was that what mastery looked like—skipping or simplifying steps?
“Cool,” Harry said, genuinely impressed. “You can use Apparition that quickly in succession? That’d be insanely useful in a fight.”
Mr. Weasley had just Apparated four or five times in a row, each within three seconds of the last.
T/N: If you find any typos or incorrect names, please leave a comment. Thanks, and enjoy reading!
