“You can already do magic!?” Now it was my turn to look shocked, my thoughts raced.
“She knows about magic, I had just assumed she was a muggle, she never uses a wand, never does any magic for anything.
We live in what is clearly a muggle neighbourhood and she has no magic books I’ve seen.” I pulled myself together adapting to what seemed to be the only answer, “she was either a witch or a squib.” “Yes mom, I could do that before I could talk, it was hard at first but got easier with time.” She stared at me with a focused gaze processing what I said.
“You can control your magic on purpose, without a wand at 7 months old?” She was no longer talking to me like I was a child at all.
All my information-bombs seemed to have fried part of her brain.
“Yes mom, want me to show you?!
Can you do magic as well?!” I yelled out excitedly trying to project the image of a child full of glee.
That worked and she seemed to realise that she was talking to a child not a grownup, her very young son.
“Yes please show mom again little Will, and to your question yes I can do magic, but only with my wand” I tried to look surprised and asked.
“A wand, like that fairy in the story we read a few nights ago?
Why do you need a wand?
I don’t I just think of what i want really really hard it often happens!” She looked surprised again for a second before she put her hands on each of my cheeks carefully pulling myself close to hers.
“That is because you are a very special boy my William, very few people can do what you described.
I need my wand to cast magic, they are called spells and you can do much with them.
I have my wand tucked away in a drawer because I don’t..” she trailed off seeming to realise she was giving a bit too much information to a child “I don’t need it right now”.
I was taken aback, “she was a witch that did not keep her wand with her at all times, how dumb could you be?
There was a fucking war going on right now and she was without her access to magic?!” I decided to give her something to think about.
“Mom, that is silly, even if you don’t need your magic right now, it does not mean you might not need it or want to use it later.
What if something happens and you don’t have it?
What if you threw a ball into a tree and it got stuck?” The ending made her strong gaze on me settle a bit.
She seemed to consider it.
“Okay, you are right my dear, we can’t have a ball get stuck when I could do something about it.
I will start having my wand with me, but now show me again what you can do little Will!” I breathed out in relief having convinced her.
“At least she could defend herself until I was strong enough to be her shield.” I was not sure what made her not have her wand with her.
Trauma seemed most likely, unless all magic in this world could be tracked even by adults.
But that would still mean it is better to have and not use unless absolutely needed, either way a win and I would take it.
” Okay mom!
look at Miko!” (my stuffed raccoon) I said and then I focused.
I pretended to take a few seconds and then made Miko float up in the air about 30 cm over our bed for maybe 10 seconds before I let him drop.
I turned to my mom who wore that shocked look again.
“I was beginning to think surprise had become her default expression around me.” She eventually looked down on me instead and mumbled quietly.
“No incantation, no words at all, not even a movement of hands, just a few seconds to focus and then held it steady in the air without even a tremble…” She was looking at me without seeing me for maybe half a minute before she realized I was waiting for her reaction.
She threw on a smile that was happy but so marred with confusion and lingering shock that it looked more like a grimace.
I started laughing loudly.
She looked confused again but then gave a real smile and a small chuckle.
“I’m sorry dear, I was just so shocked, what you did should not be possible for a child your age, or frankly any age before Hogwarts.
Nevertheless, it was very impressive William”.
Her using my full name which she rarely did said much more than the words before.
It was clear how big a deal this was for her son to do this.
“Thanks mom!
I have practiced a lot, I started with moving my blanket!
What is Hogwarts?” “Hogwarts is a school where children who are special like you go.
People who have magic are called wizards for boys and men, and witches for girls and women.
Now this part is very important William.
Magic is secret, you can not tell anyone who does not have magic of what you can do, or that magic exist at all!
Do you understand?” She was now talking calmly but maintaining eye contact with me with calm certainly to express how important this was.
“I understand mom, I wont say anything, or do magic where others can watch except you!” She kept eye contact for a few seconds making sure I truly understood before she gazed back on Miko the raccoon.
She then got up and went to open a drawer at the desk in the corner of our bedroom.
Where she usually sat to pay bills and other boring stuff.
When she turned back to me she was holding a wand.
About 10 inches of a red/brown color.
“This is a wand little Will, this is used to channel magic or in other words casting spells.
Almost all grown wizards and witches use this to channel their magic.
Young wizards and witches get their own when they turn 11 and go to Hogwarts to learn to control their magic.” She kept talking for a bit about the wizarding world while keeping eye contact to see if I understood the information she was providing.
Eventually she flicked her wand at a wood-colored lamp next to the door and it transformed into a cat.
that let out a “Meow” before it changed back with another flick.
I did not need to fake my face of astonishment, after all it was the first transfiguration I’ve ever seen in real life and it made my hunger grow.