Magic: Ceasing to Be Fiction?

Throughout the years, it has been apparent that series based around magic have accumulated large fan bases (Also known as fandoms). One of the more infamous of these series is known as Harry Potter, which takes place in a world where wizards and mythical creatures such as dragons exist amongst regular human beings (Or muggles). For any of my older readers out there who have had children anywhere between 1990 and around 2010, you have probably encountered this series as your children have read the books, watched the movies, and/or asked you about buying them merchandise. 'Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry'— Or, rather, simply 'Hogwarts'— Is a school that surprisingly many kids have wanted to go to, despite it being completely fictional. You have also probably heard of people flaunting around wands and shouting out what sounds like complete nonsense; ranging from young children all the way to grown adults. It's impossible to stay away from these series, and for a good reason: They entice us. Think about it: How cool would it be for a human, who was destined to be naturally flightless, to be able to glide through the skies on a broom? Wouldn't it be awesome if you could wave a wave, say "Metamorphie Faciesse*!", and instantly transform into a rabbit? It's part of being a human to be curious, and an even bigger part to be imaginative; so, it's only natural to want magic to be real.

*A transformation spell from Little Witch Academia, this spell can turn you into any animal.

The Facts of The Fiction

So, let's get down to answering the question that we'd all like answered: Is it possible that magic seen in series such as Harry Potter will soon become real? Well, it's hard to say yes or no. While science and technology have both become terrifyingly advanced, the two are yet to be able to support a world where magical beings such as wizards exist; however, with the science and technology that we do have, it's possible to, rather, begin building such a world.

Let's start by tackling the issue that is floating objects. How would we be able to fly on brooms? What about floating off of the ground? Chemistry has an answer for that: Sulfur hexaflouride (Or SF6 for short). With the property of being several times heavier than air, this greenhouse gas is capable of making objects float as if they weight nothing at all. However, do we know if this could work on a broom? Do we even know if we would be able to control said broom? Not yet. Would using sulfur hexaflouride cause some nasty reaction in the atmosphere, if it comes into contact with other gasses? Who knows.

However, the thing that would be even more difficult to obtain is the ability to perform metamorphosis on an article of clothing, an animal, or even an object. For some animals, it is natural to change one's body; but this is a process that takes some time to complete. For metamorphosis to be possible in real life, we would need to be able to not only figure out how things that cannot naturally change their form can, well, change their form; but we would also need to figure out how we could do this quickly. It would also be tough trying to figure out how we could get this process to happen with the shout of a few words or the wave of a wand.

As for the magic itself, it's completely unknown how it would be produced along with how it would be issued out of a wand or staff. On the Harry Potter wikia, "magic" is described as "a supernatural force that can alter the fabric of reality at fundamental levels." We are yet to be able to create a substance that is able to do the things that are possible within series surrounding wizards and witches, but we do have our own forms of magic; including the magic that you see in a magician's show.

Magical creatures, such as unicorns, are totally out of the question. This is a sad truth, but it is hard in itself trying to create hybrid creatures. Alongside this, if these animals do exist, these mythical creatures are either highly elusive or cannot be seen by the naked eye. So, unless Jurassic Park or some insane robotics become a reality (which they both could), then we can dream less about finally getting to slay a dragon or getting to meet a troll... For now.

Despite this, fear not, for animal companions can still exist! It is quite obvious by now that we are able to own every kind of "magical" pet that you could own, including owls and snakes! It is also possible that— through thorough training— that owls or other kinds of birds can learn how to transport objects such as scrolls. The possibility of our pets secretly being humans in disguise will also probably be a possibility kept in the fiction books, so no need to worry about that (Phew!). Will we be seeing an owl delivering a heavy-duty broomstick any time soon? Probably not, but nobody's saying that we don't need to start using owls. Go forth, Hedwig!

Finally, let us determine how a wand would be created. Sure, we can simply pick up a stick and call it a day, but a wand it not simply a stick: That is the issue at hand. A wand, staff, or even a scroll or tome needs to be able to produce magic— Which cannot be possible if we do not even know how to produce said magic. This will surely be one of the greater problems with creating a society full of magical beings.

Conclusion

We've finally reached the end of this article. By now, it should be clear: Don't pack your bags for any magical school just yet!

It is very probable that we will never see a future in which magic (Such as transportation spells) is possible. Instead, we will see a future either sort of like it or we will see a future in which technology replaces any need for magic (Who else is excited for time travel?). It's very devastating to hear, but it is unlikely that any of us will ever be able to live the life that Harry Potter has lived.

Does that mean that we should "give up"? Of course not. Like I previously mentioned, humans are creatures capable of creativity, imagination, and curiosity alike. If you don't think that humans have invented things that have surpassed the impossible, then you've obviously never heard of the Wright brothers or Thomas Edison— did you know that these guys were once dreamers such as ourselves, too?

Time and time again, we prove to our past selves that the impossible is possible, whether our past selves would believe us or not. In fact, there have already been millions of efforts to replicate the things that we have seen in our fictional books, such as quidditch.

So, although a magical world is unlikely, you should never give up on your dreams. You want to be able to go to Hogwarts one day? Keep at it, and you may one-day have a magical school for every aspiring wizard and witch in the world.

About the Author

Shannon is a young writer who strives to answer the many questions that we as a society have about all things science and fiction; including the realms of anime, furries, and video games. She also enjoys writing about animal welfare and animal rights, which both mean a lot to her. Through her works, she would love to spark the interests of geeks, nerds, animal lovers, and science enthusiasts from all over the world. She would like to obtain a PhD in Biology to further progress this goal by becoming a scientist in today's ever-changing world.

Do you have any article suggestions? Feel free to tell me. I am open to anything, so long as I am interested in the subject.