Luminescent

Chapter 6

I am still a little unsure about this, like how can magic be real? But Mother wouldn't lie. She wouldn't lie about something as important as this was to her. I could see when she told me her life story, how painful it was to recall things. I could see the fear in her eyes when she entered the room with that woman. Plus, my father does not know how to joke. Much less participate in one. I had several days to process what happened. Despite all of this, I am still wondering what I am doing.

I am in front of my house waiting for the professor to arrive. We need to go buy the school supplies. Along with the letter that I had received there was a school supplies list, which my mother reminded me to bring otherwise I would have forgotten. I read the list silently while waiting. I read again, two times, three times, five times. How could this be right? A witch hat as a uniform? A wand? Broomsticks? Dragon hide? Do Dragons even exist?

I have so many questions. I anxiously wait for the professor to arrive so I can interrogate her. Just as I was about to lose my patience, I saw her. It blew my mind! How is that possible? Teleportation! This is highly unlikely to even exist.

I have so many questions. I anxiously wait for the professor to arrive so I can interrogate her. Just as I was about to lose my patience, I saw her. It blew my mind! How is that possible? Teleportation!

The idea of teleportation is highly unlikely to be possible in reality. While neutrinos can pass through rocks and planets, most particles cannot. It is even more difficult to arrange particles perfectly to preserve a person's identity without harm. In theory, we could analyse every atom in a person's body and transmit that data to reassemble them elsewhere. But the human body has about seven billion billion billion atoms, and we lack the processing power to handle that much data. Researchers have used quantum teleportation to transmit information between clouds of gas atoms, and even teleport logical operations, like in quantum gate teleportation. But these are still just transmitting information, not physical objects. Human teleportation should remain firmly in the realm of fiction yet this does not explain what I just saw.

I dash towards her, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. How did she do it? Was it teleportation or some advanced form of trickery? As I appear in front of her almost instantly, mirroring her sudden arrival, I bombard her with questions. "How did you do that? Was it teleportation? How can something that seems so impossible happen? Are you using some kind of technology or is this some hidden aspect of physics that no one knows about? I mean, we can't even transmit particles without massive errors, let alone a whole person! And what about the energy required? Data processing? How do you ensure that every atom ends up in the right place? This is just mind-boggling! I need to understand how and why any of this is possible."

I saw that she was stunned, her eyes widening in surprise as I bombarded her with questions. She seemed taken aback by my intensity and the sheer volume of my inquiries. For a moment, she was speechless, clearly not expecting such a barrage. The silence hung in the air as I waited anxiously for her to respond. Her reaction only fueled my curiosity further. How could someone who just performed what appeared to be teleportation not have all the answers ready? The more I thought about it, the more questions arose, swirling in my mind like a storm. I could see she was gathering her thoughts, preparing to explain the seemingly impossible phenomenon I had just witnessed, taking a deep breath before addressing the chaotic whirlwind of my interrogation.

"Good morning, Mr Stark. Calm yourself down. This is an advanced form of magic called Apparition. But let's not duel on this topic. We need to rush or we will be behind schedule. We have a lot of things to buy but fortunately, we can find everything in one place. The Diagon Alley. We have an exhausting trip to London ahead of us." McGonagall declared.

As my parents reached where we were standing. They place so much importance on good etiquette that they would've never been seen running outside. They greeted each other and then we were ready to go.

"Now, as we are four we will need to make two trips. First I will take both Ms Stark and Anthony. Then I will come back for you Mr Stark. Don't worry it will be quick. When travelling you must keep in mind that you cannot let go of your hold on me and this will feel slightly uncomfortable. " She instructed us. Then my mother and I held her. She waved her wand. "Apparition."

The next thing I knew everything went black; I was pressed very hard from all directions; I could not breathe, iron bands were tightening around my chest; my eyeballs were being forced back into my head; my eardrums were being pushed deeper into my skull, and then— I was not in America anymore.

The scenery around me changed from my mansion and gardens to a dark, shabby pub and inn with a sign written Leaky Cauldron. I had only one second to be amazed as I felt my stomach turn. I quickly vomit all my insides. When I calmed down I could see that my mother was equally affected yet she didn't vomit. I regained my posture, I needed to see this apparition in action to find out about its workings. The professor came back accompanied by my father. This time I had managed to take a good look and together with the experience of actually travelling I had a possible theory of how it works. I didn't even bother with my father who was as pale as a sheet. I need to confirm my theory.

Minnie, as I decided to call her, seemed tired from the journey. I didn't give her time to rest. I needed to know that now.

"So, Apparition works by the wizard's magical energy disassembling their body at the molecular level at the starting point and reassembling it at the destination, much like an advanced form of quantum teleportation that transfers physical and mental attributes instantaneously. While real-world science lacks the capability for such feats due to the enormous data processing and energy required, in this magical world, a wizard's innate power provides the necessary energy and control. By manipulating quantum entanglement, one can, at least, design experiments that simulate it. It's like needing a perfect quantum state transfer in quantum mechanics—any error can lead to incomplete or incorrect reassembly. If it works like that it means that there is a possibility of Splinching highlighting the precision required in Apparition." I quickly rambled. I look into Minnie's eyes, eager for confirmation. However, I was only met with confusion and amazement. While she seemed a little lost, probably in science, I could see that she was surprised. I wonder if my theory was proven to be correct.

Professor McGonagall's response was measured, her expression a mix of astonishment and contemplation. "Mr. Stark," she began slowly, "your theories are certainly fascinating, and your grasp of the Apparition concepts is impressive. However, the mechanics of Apparition are complex and not entirely understood even by the most seasoned wizards. Your comparison to quantum teleportation seems to have merit even though I am not informed about this subject. You were able to understand several aspects of Apparition theory at a glance, your understanding of its workings appears to surpass that of all sixth years at Hogwarts. Moreover, this is still an area that continues to intrigue and challenge even the most knowledgeable scholars. I must admit, your insights have given me much to ponder."

I could see my mother wearing a proud expression and for a second I thought that I saw my father's proud eyes. I seem to be hallucinating. I was proven to be imagining things as in the next second it disappeared.