User:Kizor/Harry Potter magic
I found this at "Evolution of the Wizarding World", mady by Voldemort. It appears to be about the background of the Harry Potter setting. Most likely it's only survived so far because of its obscurity; it was quite interesting, so I stored a copy here while I figure out why I did it..
There exist a field of energy that spans the universe, called "essence". It surrounds and penetrates all things. It is this elusive field of energy, this essence, that is the basis of magic. Essence is actually a scientifically explainable and quantifiable phenomenon. This energy field is made up of nadion "particles" - subatomic, high energy, fluctuations in the quantum state of the spacetime continuum. Nadion particles exist throughout the universe as "background" radiation. Even in the deepest void of space, one can find nadion particles. Due to the unique nature of nadion particles (fluctuations in the quantum state), they affect both matter and energy. Nadion particles are not true particles, but do possess mass. Nadions also exhibit the wave motion properties of electromagnetic radiation. Hence, they travel through most matter at light speed, while still interacting with matter on an atomic level.
All living creatures generate bioneural energy within their nervous systems. This energy is concentrated in nerve fibers throughout the body and the spinal column, but is especially strong in the synaptic neurons of the brain. The more highly developed the brain, the stronger the bioneural energy generated. Some simple life forms do not have true brains, only nerve clusters. These creatures generate very little bioneural energy. Humans, however, have very complex and highly evolved brains. They are capable of abstraction, imagination and language. Hence, they have the strongest bioneural energy.
In a similar fashion to the way mass distorts the spacetime continuum to bend the fabric of reality and produce gravity, the bioneural energy of living organisms distorts the universal nadion field. The presence of bioneural energy, that which is generated in the nervous system of a biological entity, causes a increase in density in the nadion field.
In prehistoric times, most humans were usually able to exert a certain amount of control over nadion particles. Not only did they have stronger bioneural energy, but as living creatures that use imagination and structured thought patterns they were able to affect the unified field. The process occured during the interaction between bioneural energy and nadion particles. In such interactions, the bioneural energy can alter the wavelength and frequency of nadion wave properties. Bioneural energy can also alter the density, quantum oscillation, phase and other properties of nadion particles. By influencing nadion particles, they can be directed, used to generate and manipulate energy, matter, gravity, spatial anomalies, universal states of nature and other phenomena. These are the fundamental building blocks of what is called magic.
The existence of the Neanderthals is the evolutionary pressure that caused the "magic gene" to become active in Homo sapiens. Humans won out and the Neanderthals died out when modern man appeared on the scene because humans had magic; while the Neanderthals did not.
With no spells or wand of usage the magic of these primitive ancestors manifested itself rather subtly, it appeared as frequent cases of good luck or happy accidents. However, some of these people acquired some rudimentary control over their power--enough to aid in the hunt, and perhaps in causing or curing various simple maladies. With this advantage; Homo sapiens was able to supercede the Neanderthal and flourish; driving the less fortunate primitives out.
It is because of social pressure that the magic gene, which is so vital to our past, receded to the small population we see today. An actively anti-thaumaturgical mindset spread across the world, into various cultures. People who manifested magical abilities were hunted down and eliminated--only people who had somehow learned to suppress their abilities would have survived (magic manifest itself around the age of puberty; if training is withheld during this critical period the ability can never thereafter be fully developed or controlled).
The development of the magic wand as a mental focus of sorts, allowed for the first time the controlled and reliable applications of magic. This was as much a disaster for the thaumaturgically inclined as the anti-magical religious faiths--now the magically inclined had a clear and decided advantage over the nonmagical or "Muggles" as they came to be known to the "Wizarding World", and these Muggles now had a powerful political and economic incentive to hunt down and eliminate the magical. Eventually the magic gene declined in strength. In other words; primitive human ancestors were of magical stock; and over time lost the ability in large part. The data for this can be found in our ancient texts; including the Bible, Qur'an, Talmud, Dead Sea Scrolls, Book of the Dead, etc.
Shortly after the discovery of the wand, magical persons exiled themselves from the Muggle world, forming small and isolated magical communities.
In the Middle Ages; with the rise of Christianity and other organized religion; magic was seen as 'heresy' and violently persecuted. Most common magicals were either hunted down and destroyed or suppressed their ability to hide their true nature. As a result; the trait atrophied. Only those that kept their magic active and stayed alive by secluding themselves kept the ability strong. Thus; over time the magicals formed a separate society; using their craft to hide their nature and locations from the increasingly large Muggle population.
So the evolution of magic in humanity underwent three distinct phases. 1. Prehistoric--magical abilities were selected for as they improved the luck of the individual. 2. Suppression--uncontrollable magical manifestations were selected against as they violated the mores of the societies. 3. Isolation--people with magical abilities formed their own societies; strong magical abilities again became desireable.
The trait of the magical ability is purely a genetic difference. The magical gene is dominant; but largely inactive. It is dormant but present in most Muggles; but once activated in a family line; it stays active. For Muggles; the production of a magical child is extremely unlikely; while for magicals the production of a Muggle child (a 'Squib') is equally unlikely.
There is a spectrum of magical abilities in humans, ranging from "no discernable magical ability, even with training", through "magical abilities only manfested with training", up to "spontaneous magical manfestations". There are a variety of genetic factors controlling these abilities. The majority of humanity falls into the middle category (although due to various selection processes the median of abilities in the Muggle societies is well to the left of the median of abilities in the magical societies). The offspring of magical folk who fall into either of the latter two categories are trained into magic-using people; those unfortunate enough to fall into the first, non-magic, category find themselves ill-equipped to live in their magic-using world, but entirely untrained for the mundane, "Muggle" societies. Those few children in the mundane society that fell into the third category can brought into the magic-using world far more readily, as their magical powers are well above the norm.