Chapter Five: The Guardian Spirit Incantation

Watching the silver sprout swaying gently above his head, Gu Zhongyan felt a surge of surprise. The Patronus Charm, perhaps the most iconic psychic magic in the Harry Potter system, was known for its gentle power—an ideal force to pierce through the sea of the mind. Gu Zhongyan had considered that transforming the wizardry of a bloodline sorcerer into the magic of a psychic sorcerer might bring about unknown changes. He had expected possible failure, perhaps even injury, but what he had never imagined was that the transformation would affect his Patronus.

Throughout history, a wizard's Patronus had always been an animal, without exception. When he first crossed worlds, Gu Zhongyan had wondered what form his Patronus might take—would it be, like Dumbledore's, a magical beast of extraordinary grace, or even the dragon, a traditional totem of his homeland? In the end, his Patronus was nothing more than the most common of all—a Chinese rural dog.

Now, however, his Patronus had become a plant, and not just any plant, but a single, delicate, unremarkable sprout. Although a Patronus's strength bore no relation to its appearance, this peculiar change left Gu Zhongyan somewhat bewildered.

As he stood there, lost in thought, the Ancient One, having witnessed the scene, finally spoke: “A most unusual brand of magic. You’ve manifested the power of your mind, forming a shield against negative forces. Yet your mind’s manifestation... is a plant?”

“What kind of plant is this? Is it something from your world?”

Snapping back to himself, Gu Zhongyan shook his head instinctively. “No, I don't know. Perhaps the magic mutated.”

With his senses refocused, Gu Zhongyan examined the plant-like Patronus. Despite its altered appearance, its function remained intact. This Patronus, though plant in form, was unobstructed by the laws of nature and could move as freely as any animal. It also retained the essential abilities of protection and delivering messages; aside from its appearance, nothing seemed to have changed.

Realizing that the Patronus Charm still worked, Gu Zhongyan no longer dwelled on the peculiar transformation. The successful casting of the Patronus signified that he had succeeded in converting the power of his mind into magical energy. Moreover, the strength of his mind had greatly enhanced his physical constitution. Though he was hardly a match for the world’s mightiest superheroes, he was now far stronger than the average youth.

What’s more, as his psychic strength and magical power continued to grow, his physique would also be continually reinforced. In other words, even without magic, he could rely on his body alone to become a hero of the streets.

Feeling his body as if it had been relieved of dozens of pounds, a flash of delight crossed Gu Zhongyan’s eyes. He bowed deeply to the Ancient One. “Thank you, Master, for your aid. Without you, I might never have regained my magic.”

The Ancient One shook her head. “As I said, this was merely an exchange. You need not thank me—just remember to honor your promise. Regaining your magic may be a blessing, or a curse. In any case, everything happens as it should.”

“That’s enough for today. If there’s need in the future, we shall meet again.”

With those words, the mirror dimension began to dissolve. Though his magic had returned, Gu Zhongyan still could not fathom the mysteries of that spell.

When the mirror dimension vanished entirely, Gu Zhongyan discovered that, at some point, he had already left the New York Sanctum. Everything seemed just as it had at the beginning—an unfrequented Sanctum, doors tightly shut. If not for the power now coursing within him, he might have doubted whether any of it had truly happened at all.

Regaining his magic was certainly cause for celebration. Yet Gu Zhongyan could not afford to rest easy. The Marvel world was rife with endless supervillains and epic wars; his current power was not much beyond that of an ordinary person. Beyond magical energy, he still lacked one crucial thing needed to perform magic—a wand.

Anyone who has read the Harry Potter series knows the importance of a wand—especially one that suits its master—to a wizard. A wand, as a special magical instrument, helps channel and release a wizard's magical energy, enabling the casting of spells. In the wizarding world, a wand is nearly indispensable—even the strongest sorcerers cannot do without one that fits their hand.

In truth, wizards can perform magic without a wand. This shows that a wand is not absolutely necessary for a wizard.

The reason the wand is so important is because wizards are a kind of bloodline sorcerer—their power comes from their heritage. Such innate power, left untrained, can easily lead to disaster. Young witches and wizards, unable to control the magic within them, are especially prone to magical outbursts in moments of crisis. The wand’s main function is to channel this internal power, guiding them in their use of magic.

For this reason, Gu Zhongyan could cast advanced magic like the Patronus Charm even without a wand. Partly, this was because a wand is not strictly required; partly, it was because the Patronus is a form of psychic magic, relying more on the mind than on magical energy.

Still, the wand, though not essential, was by no means unimportant—especially when his own magical strength was still far from formidable. Moreover, the wand held the key to further increasing his magical power.

As mentioned earlier, the strength of the mind alone was not enough to provide Gu Zhongyan with the power he needed. Nor did he wish to follow the path of other Marvel magicians, who borrowed strength from powerful extradimensional entities. Having blended the magical systems of the Marvel Universe and the Harry Potter world, Gu Zhongyan had conceived a plan—to craft a special wand using some of Marvel’s supernatural forces.

In the Harry Potter world, wands are used to channel and unleash the innate magic within a wizard’s bloodline. But this special kind of wand would absorb power in reverse, drawing magical energy from other sources to strengthen Gu Zhongyan.

Most supernatural forces in the Marvel Universe are both powerful and fiercely guarded—far beyond what Gu Zhongyan could hope to contend with at present. Fortunately, with his deep knowledge of this universe, he knew of a few such sources that met his requirements and were within his reach.

Late at night, Gu Zhongyan stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the distant, restless calm of Hell’s Kitchen, and spoke softly:

“Expecto Patronum!”

Silvery-white light illuminated the silent night. Like woven threads, it coalesced into a single sprout, swaying in the wind as it drifted quietly into the darkness of Hell’s Kitchen.