Magical Theory

According to the string theory (or M-theory), there are 11 dimensions. Four of them, we can see or otherwise experience, namely the three dimensions of space and the dimension of time. The other seven dimensions would be 'curled up' or something, and are thus invisible.

In my theory, four of those seven dimensions would be a so-called 'magical layer': some sort of 'parallel universe' that is everywhere, but which we cannot see or otherwise measure. The other three dimensions are then the 'collective memory', from which you can 'download' spells or 'upload' new ones. I suppose this 'collective memory' could also be in the four-dimensional magical layer, but I decided to put it in a separate 'universe'.

You can think of those three layers as, for example, three cubes (of dimension 3) that are all at the same place, but you can see only one of them. The 'everyday life layer' (which I will call the 'physical layer' from now on) and the magical layer are both dynamic (they can change in time), but the collective memory is static.

You can think of the collective memory as the 'hard drive' of magic. Here all spell templates are stored, and witches and wizards draw from this layer when they use magic.

First, an example. Let's take a look at the Levicorpus spell. Apparently, it's not necessary to know what the spell does to make it work, as we see in The Half-Blood Prince. Harry has no idea what the spell does, he just points his wand and thinks the incantation.

To me, this says that the maker of the spell has very precisely defined the spell's effects in the collective memory, or otherwise the spell wouldn't have worked. Take for example a random C++ programme, my own VectorRacing game. In the first version, you had to type something like '1d2r' to go one downwards and two to the right. In this version, a lot of precision and input was required from the user. In the latest version, however, the same result was acquired with the simple command '-1 2'. (To the left and downwards being negative quantities, and to the right and upwards being positive quantities.) I imagine that magic works a lot like this.

Spells like Levicorpus and Sectumsempra require only an incantation and not even a specific wand movement to 'call' the desired function (or magic, in this case). Transfiguration, and spells like Accio, however, seem to require a lot of focus, and knowing what the caster is doing. Otherwise, anyone would easily be able to transform a hedgehog into a pincushion and wouldn't 'in between' forms be possible. The same goes for Accio. If the spell would be defined very precisely in the memory layer, Harry wouldn't have had so much difficulties getting it to work.

So, for some spells only an incantation (and wand movement) are enough to access the spell's parameters that are stored in the memory layer, but sometimes one also needs to focus on the result, to give the spell 'direction' or force it to take a certain shape.

Let's examine this function of my VectorRacing game, which checks if the user has chosen a legitimite move:

As you see, the header of the function requires quite a lot of parameters. But... only two of the parameters have to be inserted by the user, namely m_new and n_new (the number of places the user wants to go the the right and upwards). All other parameters are 'taken care of' by the broncode itself. The output of the function is determined by all seven parameters.

So, a (incantation only) spell like Levicorpus would look like this (inc: incantation; dir: direction; par1, par2, par3: random other parameters, which are defined in the memory layer; var: random type of parameter):

First, if the right incantation is said, the spell is 'called':

The first line checks if the incantation is right, and the second one calls the spell.

object = object(direction);

upsidedown(object, par1, par2, par3);

} // levicorpus

First, the object of the spell is derived from the direction the wand is pointed, by the function object. Then, all necessary parameters are sent to the function upsidedown, which calls upon the magical layer, and eventually manifests itself in the physical layer, by dangling the object upside down. (Of course I could've called upsidedown also by upsidedown(object(direction), par1, par2, par3), but I thought it was clearer if I used the additional parameter (variable) object.)

A spell like Accio would require much more user input; not only an incantation and a direction, but also an image of the to-be-Accioed object in the caster's mind, which is quite difficult, because it's hard to think of just that object, and not being distracted by random other stuff, which would give some 'noise' on the spell, or would altogether prevent it from working. Apart from those parameters, additional ones might be necessary, but those are stored in the memory layer, and don't need to be put in by the caster.

In short: you can see the memory layer as the broncode, or as a computer programme, while the magical layer displays the output:

In my theory, everytime someone casts a spell, a bit of the magical layer manifests itself in the normal world. Suppose, for example, that the magical layer is a 'parallel universe' which exists of nothing but energy (and doesn't contain matter). That's not really relevant for this essay, but still...

For example the Avada Kedavra spell, requires an incantation, a direction, and lots of hate. These three parameters call the function avada kedavra from the memory layer, which tells the magical layer to create a blast of energy that will kill the recipient. This energy manifests itself as a visible entity in the physical layer (namely a green jet) and kills the person it hits. The force of the spell is determined by the hate the caster feels, its object by the direction of the wand.

I think it's also a possibility that people exist in the two planes -- the physical layer and the magical one, and that by using Avada Kedavra the 'magical body' of a person is killed, which takes the physical body with it. This impression is reinforced by the information that victims of the Avada Kedavra curse are 'just dead' and don't bear signs of injuries, illnesses, etc.

My view on Apparition is based on a documentary I once saw about the string theory. In my theory, the magical layer 'contracts', but keeps contact with the begin and end points of the Apparition. As a result, the physical layer 'bends', and the begin and endpoint are -- literally -- only one step away. This point of view, I think, is not unlikely after the description of Apparition in HBP.

Portkeys are a lot like Apparition, except that they're much easier to use, since the Portkey itself contains all of the parameters necessary for the D-jump (dimension-jump). The destination is ingrained in the object, and determination and deliberation aren't necessary for the user, they only need to touch the Portkey.

This could be explained by the magical layer having its own dimension of time, which is independent of the time of the physical layer. The time of the magical layer can be influenced by the memory layer and thus by spells, which indirectly influences the physical layer. I suppose a time-turner has many ingrained parameters, or else such a complex effect wouldn't be attainable by someone who's just in her third year of Hogwarts (Hermione, in PoA). All other time-spells work in a comparable way.

Ah, my favourite physical phenomenon: gravity! Actually, I don't really know how to explain all spells that defy gravity. But here's a quite far-fetched one... Suppose that the magical layer is indeed a parallel universe that exists of nothing but energy, no matter. Energy has no mass, and wouldn't be affected by gravity (although according to E = mc² mass can be converted to energy, and in theory vice versa). So, it wouldn't go against the laws of physics if the magical body of someone or something was lifted up. And thus, the physical body would be also forced to move into the air or whatever.

Wandless/non-verbal magic

In non-verbal magic, the focus of the witch/wizard's mind replaces the incantation, which makes it more difficult. The same goes for wandless (but not non-verbal) magic, only there the direction and the wand movement are replaced. If a spell is cast both wandless and non-verbal, I think it's possible that the witch/wizard directly influences the magical layer, without using the memory layer.