by Lance V.
Summary: It is a snowy day at Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione are sitting around the Common Rooms fireplace finishing up on some Defense against the Dark Arts homework. Ron is having trouble with the assignment dealing with nonverbal spells. Hermione is there helping him understand how spells work verbally and nonverbally. She then helps him realize the importance of nonverbal spells.
“Do you think with all this homework that we’ll have time for Quidditch practice?” asked Ron.
“I don’t think it’s time we have to worry about, I just hope my fingers don’t freeze off.” Harry said with a smile.
Ron looked over at Hermione with desperation on his face. “How is it possible that these nonverbal spells work? Why are we learning them anyway? “
“How do spells normally work?” asked Hermione.
Ron said, “You say them out loud,” putting extra emphasis on out loud.
“Right, so why does it work when you say it out loud?”
“Well, my wand knows exactly what to do because it heard me.”
“Would your wand work the same if it was in somebody else’s hand?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to try that out to see if it worked.”
“Okay, well let’s try it then shall we?” said Hermione. “Give me your wand and stand over there and say Lumos.”
“Ok,” Ron said while walking over to Hermione to give his wand to her. He then walked over by the chair Harry was sitting in and said, “Lumos!” Nothing happened. “It didn’t work.”
“Why do you think that?”
“It’s because you’re holding it.”
“So, me holding it has an affect on its ability to listen to you.”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Ron
“Well does it listen to me or just listen to you or to anybody?”
“I don’t know. See if it listens to you since you’re holding it.”
“Alright then --- Lumos!” A bright light erupted from the tip of the wand. “So, what did we learn here?” said Hermione.
“It listens to whoever is holding it.”
“Well, if the person holding it has magic capabilities, yes. So it’s as much of a part of me as it’s a part of you while holding it then?”
“Yeah that seems like that would be true.”
“Same thing goes for anybody holding it then?”
“Yeah I suppose.”
“How would holding a wand make it a part of me?” asked Hermione.
“Well it’s touching your skin that’s the only way.” said Ron.
“Is that the only way? Could it be connected to me magically so that it is a part of me? Since wands can do magic, Ron, is it possible that the wand induces some kind of magical connection to a person while being held?”
“Yes I suppose that it could.”
“So could magical connection make it seem like it was actually connected to the mind through touch of the hand such as every other part of my body is connected to the mind in some way?”
“Yes.”
“So when you say a spell you have to think about what spell you’re going to do right?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you have to think about moving?”
“Yes.”
“So what can you deduce from this?”
“Well since the wand is connected magically to the person and that it is also connected to the mind so that it can hear you say the spell out loud.”
“Wands can actually hear? Can they hear while not being touched by anybody? I can hear you while you’re not touching me. Does the wand listen to anybody while it’s not being held?”
“Well let’s find out then, put the wand down and let’s see.” said Ron.
“Alright don’t get pushy,” Hermione put the wand down in the middle of them and walked back to where she had been. “Try saying a spell.”
“Lumos,” a bright light erupted from the tip of the wand. “HA! Look at that Harry,” said Ron excitedly.
“Yeah, great job Ron.” said Harry. “Lumos!” Another blast of bright light shot out of the tip of the wand.
“So since its not touching anybody, does it act on verbal spells?” asked Hermione.
“It appears so.”
“Well, how about nonverbal spells?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t tried.”
“Well let’s try now then. Try using Lumos without speaking.”
“Okay.” Ron started to stare with his eyes squinted in concentration. His face started getting red then exhaled heavily. “I can’t do it,” he said at last.
“So what does that prove?”
“That it doesn’t listen to nonverbal spells while not being held.”
“So now pick your wand up to see if it’ll work while holding it.”
“Okay,” Ron walked over and picked up his wand and looked at it with concentration. A few seconds later the tip exploded in a bright light. “Bloody hell! Wasn’t expecting that.” He was trying to block the light with his other hand.
“So what does that mean? That it worked without chanting the spell?”
“Well yeah! The wand is connected to me magically so it can cast a spell with just thinking the spell in my head like I would think about walking.”
“Yes!”
“Yeah but why are we learning how to do this?”
“Didn’t you just figure that out yourself?”
“Oh right, I suppose it would be a perfect surprise for the person that I was casting the spell against wouldn’t it?
“Yes, yes it would.”
The method that Hermione was using to help Ron with understanding the homework was called the Socratic Method. Where the teacher asks questions for the student to answer that leads to the answer that he/she is looking for. Ron finally understands the homework thanks to Hermione.