Roger noticed this but didn't pay it much attention.
Because the confrontation between Harry and Draco in front of Professor McGonagall didn't happen as it originally should have, Roger was a little worried—could his small butterfly effect cause Voldemort to stir up some big event?
If such a shift really occurred, he would have to inform Dumbledore.
But now, there was no need.
Since Dumbledore had already noticed Quirrell's abnormality, there was no need for Roger to interfere.
A bodiless remnant soul, with both sides aware of each other, couldn't possibly cause chaos under Dumbledore's watch at Hogwarts.
He could now focus on eating well and studying in peace for the rest of the year.
With this thought settled, Roger followed the senior students toward the Gryffindor common room after the banquet.
There wasn't much to say about the journey—moving staircases that could make people lose their way, talking portraits, shared dormitories, and unfamiliar roommates.
With thoughts of whether portraits and ghosts were extensions of life or echoes of death, and with expectations for tomorrow's classes, Roger drifted into sleep.
---
Roger had always been puzzled about two things.
One: Wizard magic was almost like a wishing machine, so why hadn't wizards developed toward the path of immortals or deities?
Two: Why did wizards reject science?
---
In Potions Class
"Potter!" Snape suddenly called out. "If I add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood, what do I get?"
Powdered root of what into what infusion? Harry glanced at his friend Ron, but Ron, just as clueless, was frozen too.
"I don't know, sir," Harry admitted.
Snape curled his lips in disdain.
"Tsk, tsk… It seems fame isn't everything."
Ignoring Hermione, who was eagerly raising her hand as if she could touch the ceiling, and Roger, who was also quite well-known in wizarding circles, Snape continued his personal vendetta against Harry, questioning and mocking him relentlessly.
Now, the students were busy under Snape's supervision, preparing a simple healing potion from their textbooks.
Slicing ingredients with a knife, grinding them with a mortar and pestle, weighing them with a balance scale, pouring water into a cauldron for brewing—Roger performed each step with practiced ease.
But his earlier doubt resurfaced.
Many of these procedures could clearly be done more efficiently with Muggle technology, reducing errors significantly. Why didn't wizards incorporate them?
From the Hogwarts Express to the flying car, it was evident that wizarding civilization wasn't entirely opposed to adopting intriguing aspects from Muggle society.
Could combining magic and science be a path to breaking the upper limits of wizarding power?
However, after attending Hogwarts and witnessing firsthand how other wizards cast spells, Roger naturally arrived at an answer.
He had overlooked something crucial—
Magic is a miracle created by both the mind and magic itself.
To simplify wizard spellcasting:
1. I want to cast a spell.
2. I want it very, very much.
3. My will connects with my magic.
4. Magic perceives my intent and lets the universe handle the rest.
5. Something miraculous happens, and the spell succeeds.
Many spells, if not executed precisely, could lead to unpredictable results—even for the wizard casting them.
It almost seemed like "wizards just need to think really hard, while magic has to do all the heavy lifting."
But in reality, the success of a spell depends entirely on the wizard. Magic itself has no consciousness; any casting deviations stem from the wizard's own subconscious distractions.
And controlling one's subconscious is incredibly difficult. Try not thinking about anything for three minutes—out of the world's seven billion people, there might not even be seven who could do it.
Even when asleep, the mind never truly stops.
Since a wizard's willpower is critical in spellcasting, could their perception of the world also significantly influence their magic?
Yes.
By observing his classmates and professors, Roger came to a conclusion—
A wizard's understanding of fundamental natural laws directly limits the power of their spells.
The more clearly they understand reality, the less flexibility magic has to operate.
For example, with a spell that generates high-temperature flames:
A young wizard who has received Muggle education might subconsciously think, I know fire has temperature limits, but I don't know how to make it hotter than that. This self-doubt would restrict the spell's power—at best, they'd only achieve 30% of its full potential.
Meanwhile, a wizard completely ignorant of fire's principles might simply believe, My flames can burn and consume everything! Since there's no limiting knowledge, magic would have more room to work, possibly even adding a "devouring" curse effect to the fire.
Of course, if a person fully understood all the principles of fire, they wouldn't be restricted by this. In fact, because their intent would be extremely clear, they would consume less mental energy than other wizards when casting spells!
So, limiting magical power due to scientific understanding isn't a permanent problem—it can be overcome, and might even lead to greater strength.
But that wasn't the real reason wizards rejected science.
The real reason is something else entirely.
Science isn't just a collection of technologies—it's a way of thinking.
A method of understanding the universe step by step through hypotheses, experimentation, and deduction.
In a way, even cultivation in xianxia worlds could be considered a form of science:
Cultivation techniques are formulas and theorems refined over generations.
Artifact crafting is materials science.
Refining corpses or spirit flags is an application of biological sciences.
But applying this approach to wizardry doesn't work.
Magic itself is the problem.
Muggle scientists can ignore unresolved mysteries in physics and mathematics. Even if certain theories are incomplete, practical applications still work.
But in the wizarding world, if you attempt to study magic scientifically yet fail to explain what magic fundamentally is, a terrifying consequence occurs—
Wizards with obsessive tendencies, analytical minds, or weak mental resilience might start questioning magic itself.
And when a wizard begins doubting magic, magic begins to leave them.
Magic is a miracle that requires belief—if you stop believing in your own magic, you lose it.
If this mindset spread, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Roger finally understood.
This was why wizards rejected what seemed like a more advanced way of thinking.
Instead, they clung to their old traditions and sought breakthroughs through self-transformation, rituals, and external enhancements.
Because until a wizard was powerful enough to comprehend magic itself, trying to research it scientifically would only lead to disaster.
Magic has no thoughts, but a wizard's inner demons could destroy them.
A new theory paper on magic might not make a researcher's head explode—but it could temporarily strip them of their magical abilities.
---
So… do truth-seekers really have no path forward in the current wizarding system?
No!
Just like that book Ritual Magic Is More Than Blood Sacrifices hinted—long ago, some brilliant wizard ancestors had already paved the way to the future!
"Stop!"
Roger, deep in thought while handling his potion, suddenly sensed danger.
Reacting instinctively, he waved his hand—magic flared.
The porcupine quills in Neville's hand transformed into a pot lid right before they were dropped into the cauldron.
If they had gone in without removing the cauldron from the fire first, the potion to cure boils would have turned into a highly corrosive toxin that could burn through the cauldron—and cause painful boils all over anyone it touched!
The entire class might have been interrupted.
Other students were confused by Roger's sudden spellcasting.
Snape, shifting his focus from Harry, turned and looked at Roger.
After a brief glance, he snorted. "Sharp observation—Gryffindor, one point."
Then he turned to Neville.
"And you—such idiotic handling! Take the cauldron off the fire now! Gryffindor, minus one point!"
A net zero gain. If Roger had been a Slytherin, things would have gone differently.
As Neville scrambled to comply, Roger lifted the spell on the quills.
Yes. Transfiguration.
The true path for those who seek knowledge—the magic of the rational mind!
---
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