"Not necessarily," Alex replied. "Raw magical power alone doesn't determine strength. The truth is, most wizards will never even use up all the magic they have in their lifetime. Having a high magic reserve helps, but skill matters more. Some wizards are born with great magical potential, but if they're mentally weak, lazy, or lack proper training, they won't amount to much. On the other hand, some wizards have lower reserves but excel because of their discipline and talent with spells. Take Professor Flitwick, for example. Due to his goblin heritage, his raw magical power isn't particularly high compared to most adult wizards. But his skill in charms and dueling made him a world champion."
Alex turned his gaze toward Charlie, his expression serious. "Charlie, your natural talent and physique are impressive. You owe a lot of that to your mum's careful care. But if you let yourself get complacent and don't train properly, all that potential won't mean anything."
Charlie, who had been lounging casually, straightened up immediately under Alex's sharp gaze. "I understand, Alex!" he said earnestly, nodding in agreement.
Tonks, meanwhile, was starting to feel a little sheepish. She had been so convinced that Alex was some kind of scheming dark wizard, but everything he said made too much sense. And, judging by the respect he commanded from everyone around him, she had definitely misjudged him. Still, she wasn't about to admit that outright. Instead, she frowned and crossed her arms. "You said you wanted to study my Metamorphmagus ability, that's why you needed my blood. But what does shape-shifting magic have to do with magic reserves?"
Alex smiled, sensing that she was finally coming around. "That's exactly what I want to find out," he said. "If your transformation ability is an innate magical talent, then it must still require magic to function." He set down his tongs and met her gaze. "The more frequently you use magic, the more you exercise it. That, in turn, affects how much your reserves grow over time. Even if the difference isn't drastic, a wizard who consistently uses magic throughout their life should have a significantly larger reserve than one who doesn't."
Tonks narrowed her eyes. "So you think my ability might have an effect on my magic growth?"
'Because I trained this way too… A'lex thought to himself. From an early age, when his magical power had surged unpredictably, he had deliberately practiced controlling it. As a result, his magic power had grown far beyond that of his peers. However, he had no intention of explaining this to Tonks. Instead, he continued, "If your magic reserves are similar to those of an average wizard, then your Metamorphmagus ability is likely a natural mutation, an instinctive trait rather than something tied to magic power growth." He gestured as he spoke. "It would be like having naturally white hair or how a three-headed dog is simply born with three heads. In that case, your ability would be unique to you, something that can't be replicated or significantly improved through external means."
Tonks' eyes widened in realization. "So if my Metamorphmagus ability does enhance my magic reserves, then that means there's room for improvement?" She sounded excited at the prospect.
Alex nodded. "That's the theory. But first, we need to test it. Your transformations, besides changing your hair color, can you alter other features? The shape of your nose? Your mouth? What about the length of your hair?"
Tonks brightened at the chance to show off. "Yeah! I can change my nose and mouth shape, make my nose bigger or smaller, my lips thinner or fuller. But I can't change my hair length, just the color." As she spoke, she demonstrated, her features shifting fluidly as if sculpted from clay. Her nose alternated between being high and aquiline to short and round, while her lips thinned and widened before returning to normal.
Alex studied the changes carefully before nodding. "That confirms it, your Metamorphmagus ability still has potential to grow. You may be able to modify more parts of your body in the future." Then, with a smirk, he added, "By the way, you're always changing your appearance. Ever worry about forgetting your real face?"
Tonks snorted. "Nope." She shook her head. "It's hard to explain, but for me, shifting my features is like flipping a switch. The moment I stop focusing on a change, everything snaps back to normal. My hair color takes a bit longer to fade, though, kind of like how dye washes out gradually."
Alex's eyes gleamed with interest. "That's an important detail. If your transformations are tied to a 'switch,' then it suggests a controlled magical process rather than just instinct. That means there's a magical pattern, possibly even a specialized shapeshifting magic circuit or a form of mutated bloodline magic."
Tonks blinked. "Wait, really? I always just did it without thinking."
"That's why we need to test it." Alex motioned to Bill. "Let's measure her magic power and see what we're working with."
Bill quickly retrieved the magic-measuring instrument. After a brief moment, the results appeared on the glowing dial: 124 Lum. The number made everyone pause. "Bloody hell," Bill muttered, staring at the reading. "You're almost at my level, and I'm a second-year!"
Alex, however, simply smiled. "That confirms my theory. Your Metamorphmagus ability isn't just a random mutation, it's likely an awakened form of natural magic."
Tonks' face lit up. "Does that mean I can train it?"
"You can, but not by just shifting your features all day." Alex flipped one of the pork chops on the grill. "To make real progress, we need to locate the source of this ability, figure out whether it's a distinct magical pattern in your body. If it is, once you learn to control it properly, you'll be able to develop it much faster."
Tonks nodded eagerly. "How do we find the source?"
"The simplest way is through self-perception," Alex explained. "Since it's your magic, you should be the one most capable of sensing where it originates."
Tonks tilted her head. "I think I see where you're going with this, but there's a problem, I don't exactly have the best magical awareness. I barely even notice my magic at work."
"That's normal for a first-year," Alex replied. "Your magic sensitivity is still too low. Right now, you struggle to perceive external magic, so detecting the flow inside your own body is going to be even harder."
Tonks groaned. "Then what do we do?"
Alex smirked. "Two approaches. First, I'm developing an alchemical tool that will allow me to observe the movement of magic within a wizard's body. Once that's ready, I'll be able to track your magic flow from the outside and pinpoint where your ability originates."
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "And the second approach?"
"You," Alex said simply. "If your magic perception is too low, we'll train it. You'll receive direct training under me to improve your magic sensitivity. With your talent, progress should come quickly. Once you reach a certain level, you'll be able to sense the source of your transformations yourself."
Tonks narrowed her eyes. "So… you're saying you're gonna teach me how to control my ability?"