What Made Voldemort & Dumbledore MORE Powerful than OTHER Wizards? - Harry Potter Theory

[@brocklytodd5317]

It's obviously their midichlorian count

[@ubergeek1968]

damn, you beat me to it!

[@RockyPixel]

I was gonna say that too.

[@DF-ep3kk]

I was too slow 😂

[@mikeschroeder7042]

Magical midi-chlorians. ...Magi-chlorians

[@fisherjohnson3440]

The Force in the Star Wars universe isn’t magic. Magic is used mainly by those dark sisters where Darth Maul comes from and then Sith Lords like Sidious and Dooku combined the Dark Side of the Force Powers with Magic in their Sith Rituals.

[@toxicink72]

To be fair, Barty Crouch Jr was so strong, he off-screened Mad Eye Moody and left him in a box, then proceeded to LARP as one of the strongest Aurors of all time and literally no one noticed lol

[@RedDeadTeddy]

Good fuckin point there😂

[@maidros85]

And he would've done it too, had it not been for those meddlesome griffindorians!

[@jeanbob1481]

Honestly it is weird writing at this point. This is like saying Peter Pettigrew is the strongest character in the entire novel due to his immense feats. It is technically correct but then you see his face and he looks and is nothing more then a coward. I mean Peter Pettigrew managed to fight off Sirius, make it looks like Sirius was a raging murderer, has hidden himself as a rat for what 15 + years? That's fucking insane. Snape was a double agent but he did not hid himself as a goddamn rat for 15 years. Imagine being undercover in the fucking school with Dumbledore being none the wiser. That's INSANE. Nobody could do this yet do people think of Pettigrew as a super double agent badass? Nah he's the dumb coward. Barty Crouch is similar the balls on this dude make Voldemort looks like a bitch in comparison, he did the same as Peter except he was in the limelight.

[@Mexican_Jedi]

And Grindellwald did the same with Graves some decades before.

[@badongo328]

​@@jeanbob1481 I'd say the takeaway with him is that he didn't do any of that out of skill and express intent to accomplish a goal other than survive. He was just that much of a coward, he hid that long to save his own skin. People are capable of remarkable feats when they're desperate

[@rufinator]

I always wondered if there was some objective measurement… like Harry can cast an expeliamus with 4.3 kilo-Merlin’s of magical force.

[@DhruveelDave]

Intent... maybe ...

[@krisbuhl950]

Kilo-Merlins 😂🤣

[@achimdemus-holzhaeuser1233]

should it not be more like 48 1/3 Zonkymerls ?

[@ElysiaWhitemoonOmega]

i want to keep that in, measurement for magical power, kilo-merlins

[@yungkp2834]

LMAOOO

[@Rievven]

Pretty sure it is like pro sports. I can play basketball, but a pro is going to stomp me on pure innate talent, physical prowess, and practice.

[@chrissaladino998]

That’s how I’ve thought about it. I wonder though to what scale though. If Dumbledore or Voldemort dueled Snape or Moody would it be like LeBron vs a lesser pro, college player, or someone even lesser? Would it be closer if it was a Triwizard type competition?

[@stefanpredl6849]

I think its more like playing violine

[@name-vi6fs]

Yeah, but what is the talent? Is it intellect or something only magic users have? Professional athletes have physical abilities that put them above non pros.

[@schizooffspring]

thats still physical and measurable.. not like magic and theres no measurable difference in magical power between users

[@michaelhuber7204]

@@chrissaladino998 The difference was gigantic. In the books Voldemort dueled in a 1 vs 3 against McGonnagall, Slughorn and Kingsley Shacklebolt (all three highly skilled) and Voldemort still looked superior and blasted them away in the end. Dumbledore eliminated three ministery wizards in the blink of an eye in the fifth book.

[@gotenks5633]

My gf and i just rewatched the films and honestly, i think its passion. Dumbledore CRAVED knowledge, he wanted to be the best, and he was a genius, and he had an open mind always willing to learn. Tom riddle was much the same. One thing you notice with most of the wizards in this world is they all seem so....disinterested by magic? Its just a background thing to them, a privilege they take for granted. This is why Luna was always my favorite character, like her mother, you could tell she genuinely was interested in magic outside of just a school subject. To me, its unfathomable that anyone could attend hogwarts and NOT be completely obsessed and intrigued by magical study...

[@Rawi888]

Okay, right back at you. We live in the world of science and technology, are you studying advanced sciences ? People can very easily grow disinterested in magic, we all do it.

[@ILoveBluePeople]

You'd assume the people who grew up in magical families might see it as background things but those that grew up without magic would be so obsessed when they found out

[@theespartanff3188]

​@@Rawi888 your example would work if OP was in some prestigious school for advanced science and technology. And you werent simply assuming they dont study these topics. I think the key is "students at hogwarts" and not simple someone with magically power

[@larilgeorge6550]

You are absolutely correct imo. And going by this line of thinking it fair to say the Hermione would have theoretically become the most powerful witch alive.

[@rebel8215]

@@theespartanff3188 I disagree. To my knowledge, if you have enough magic in you to perform it, then you are invited to Hogwarts (assuming you live in Great Britain) and I'd assume the vast majority of people accept the invitation. My point in saying this is that they aren't going out of their way to go to Hogwarts to further their abilities. They get invited because they have POTENTIAL, but to a 11 year old kid, Hogwarts is essentially a long sleep over with all of their friends and tons of food. For instance, if you were to take 1,000 11 year old kids who had potential to be great inventors and scientists and sent them to a school to learn about that, a lot of them would probably be disinterested as they're not passionate about it, despite their aptitude for it. However they would still enjoy the other aspects of going to a school like Hogwarts, for reasons mentioned above.

[@CiabanItReal]

I've always had the head canon that the reason why Tom Riddle looked so young and healthy in the 2nd book, is because the diary was the first horcrux. It was literally half of his soul. It's also why his body was so deformed by the time he applied for the job teaching at Hogwarts but he still looked like himself, but worse, and it's why he looked so bad at the end of his life. Because that was just 1/256th of his soul.

[@chrisblanc663]

I think the ring was the first horcrux, and the diary was the second, right after he confirmed with Slugghorn that a second + horcruxes can be made. But yeah, it was still very early on in his horcrux making career.

[@CiabanItReal]

@@chrisblanc663 No, the diary was the first, he made it while he was a student by killing myrtle.

[@chrisblanc663]

@@CiabanItReal oh, you are right. The ring was the second, either making it right before he graduated, or right after. I was thinking that Tom taking the ring was apart of his search for his family that eventually lead him to learn he is the heir of Slytherin. Also that would have been when he killed his father and grandparents and retrieved the ring from Marvolo. But I messed up the time line. Obviously I was wrong👍

[@sakarinieminen3205]

I think he looked cool

[@TheRobe-]

I’d like another Harry Potter film where there was an accidental horcrux made allowing Voldemort to come back, make this one rated R though. A lot of killing. Show the true power and evil that Voldemort is actually capable of. Because he never really did anything in the books or films. Then, make it like the original ‘Gone In 60 Seconds’ film (no, not the one with Nick Cage). It holds the record for the longest car chase scene in cinematic history. I want THAT, but a wizard duel. They can bring back the elder wand somehow. Maybe time manipulation on the part of Voldemort. Give me the epic duel that they deprived us of for so long. The closest they ever got was Dumbledore vs. Voldemort in the ministry but that was so short.

[@MonotJin]

Okay The HP community needs to stop all slander against Tom Riddle Sr, the man was drugged, raped and had years of his life stolen and ruined if not his entire life. It's not abandoning, I mean seriously people always treat Meropy(however you spell it) as the victim of the situation. A bad upbringing does not excuse that.

[@Enbionic_Titan]

What slander? Literally nobody talks Riddle Sr. at all, let alone derisively.

[@Rot-god]

@@Enbionic_Titan well, as someone who participated in a lot of groups regarding Harry potter I can say, they do. its not a hingt number of people, but enough for it to be noticeable.

[@Enbionic_Titan]

@Rot-god ah, well in srry to hear that

[@Ralph_Roberts]

Was the term "abandoned" used in the video or something? I'd personally use the word "fled" to describe someone getting away from their rapist/mind controller. I've always thought it was messed up love potions weren't highly illegal in the hp world. That one girl that tried a love potion on harry and got ron instead, should've been expelled at least.

[@Rykiz_Vidz]

​@@Ralph_RobertsRomilda Vain? Or however you spell her dumb name

[@lotuscharlie6935]

Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Tom Riddle were basically just exceptionally talented and experimental. Just like Albert Einstein, he was naturally talented in physics and math, but he also honed his talent. Dumbledore mastered and experimented with every form of magic that was taught to him. He wanted to be the best version of himself. He was the student that would skip a quidditch game just to experiment with hundreds of spells in the Room of Requirement. He was basically dedicated and passionate for the art of magic. He also made groundbreaking contributions to his studies. But Dumbledore was also a genius level wizard and emotionally intelligent. The truth is no wizard is born more powerful than others. It all depends on how curious you are. Hermione was gifted, but she will never become as dedicated and passionate for magic like the TOP THREE. I can’t call her a genius because she never invented or made groundbreaking contributions to magic. All she did was memorize everything from the book, which Snape always pointed out.

[@hunterzolomon1303]

Brother please. We all have genetic ceilings. Hardwork is what allows u to maximise your ability but eventually you will reach your cap.

[@lotuscharlie6935]

@@hunterzolomon1303 Its not just hardwork. There are wizards who are outstanding and talented. But the difference is the TOP Three were genius level wizards, and that special ability allowed them to create the most advanced spells, understand the most complex and difficult branches of magic, and use their skills with exceptional precision and creativity. For an example, Hermione is a hardworking and gifted witch, who can learn and cast very powerful spells. Dumbledore, however, will learn those very powerful spells and modify them too their max. He will create “better” extremely powerful spells and use them with precision and creativity.

[@ceu160193]

@@lotuscharlie6935 Hermione has intellect, but lacks in willpower. And willpower determines your degree of control over magical energy, as well as your ability to shape it into spells you want to cast. All 3 examples of most powerful wizards have one trait in common - obsession with something, dedication to level, that borders with insanity. Intellect makes one more flexible, but isn't what gives witch or wizard raw power.

[@lotuscharlie6935]

@ True, but she can develop a strong will. Harry has a very strong will, but he lacks the exceptional giftedness.

[@ceu160193]

@@lotuscharlie6935 Harry is simply being lazy, and despite that, his talent in some areas exceeds that of Hermione. Unsurprisingly, he beats Hermione in defense against dark arts, as it's his obsession, to some degree.

[@iBe2quick]

My theory has always been that it's the ability to create the magic in your head without spell words or incantations. For example when dumbledore fought Voldemort they both used magic to respond to each other's . The ability to shape magic to your own creativity makes you a more powerful witch or wizard.

[@Raii_Chu]

I just assumed that their midi-chlorian counts were naturally higher than others.

[@tylerlewis4351]

😂

[@mikehundeshagen5995]

50 points for Ravenclaw! 😂

[@tektrixter]

To me the biggest thing separating them from others of lesser power is dedication. Both are absolutely dedicated to the magical arts, unlike others who just use it as a tool and get along with their lives.

[@donperegrine922]

See, I don't really see this being true. Harry is not really dedicated to magic, about as much as Ronald is, and yet he is very very skilled. He commits to occlumency as much as he can and never gets a bit of skill in that. And he never was committed to broom flying before the first time he saw a broom, and flew it well!

[@NicholasKoeppel]

I think we have a bit of a Doctor Strange vs Thor argument; magic is kind of like learning a language, but that language is built upon a system… Thor knows the language and it’s always worked for him so why understand it further… Doctor Strange memorized the system, and learned the language from the ground up… But you power them up with their Book, Axe, or Stone and they become next level…

[@hunterzolomon1303]

Nope its a combination of talent, intelligence and dedication. Just like with athletes. Talent without inteligene or dedication(hardwork) can only take you so far. Talent= is magical potential, intelligence(self explanitory) and dedication is the willingness and effort to craft your talent. Ask yourself this question. Who would tom riddle be with just talent. Imagine if he never learnt magic. All he would be was a snake talking psychopath. In magic. Talent only matters when you are dedicated or intelligent.

[@CiabanItReal]

@@hunterzolomon1303 Yeah, all the dedication in the world won't let me dunk a basketball like prime Vince Carter. What separated MJ and Kobe from everyone else is the work ethic, what separated MJ from Kobe, was talent.

[@ccannon1]

@@donperegrine922Harry didn’t commit to occulmency. He literally told Dumbledore he didn’t really try to be good at it.

[@Reingnus]

I dont agree with the take of Hermione or Barty Jr being not notable mages. Barty not only beated Moody, but also managed to fool everyone, and Hermione carried hard both Harry and Ron during the last book to the point that without her, everything would had been lost.

[@SonofGallifrey911]

Just a thought, have you ever considered that possibly down the road, Dumbledore became as well regarded as Merlin? Knowing Harry like we do, there's 0 chance he would let the memory of Dumbledore stay tarnished. Not to mention his previous, more public accolades being astonishing, but Harry would for sure spill the beans later to give the Wizarding World in general a peak behind the curtains of what for sure happened. Not to mention finally clearing Sirius' name.

[@FuzzyFoot58]

Its part ambition, part intelligence and part genes. Genes obviously play a big part since squibs can be born in even pureblood families and muggleborns can be born in muggle families. So the genes for magic can determine how strong magic a person can have. Add to that the ambition for learning/exploring/power and the intelligence needed to master magic as well as the talent of quick learning and you get a powerful wizard/witch. But the genes are the most important piece of it; without strong magic in those genes, none of the other qualities make any difference. The genes determine how strong your magic can be on a scale.

[@KitsyX]

Genes might not be directly related at all… There are lineages of people who have had magic, I believe material outside of the books may have confirmed that muggle-borns can typically be traced back to a Wizard at some point… But this doesn’t mean magic is directly connected to genetics… Magic could be a separate energy that just happens to move onto children through some parallel or symbiotic method, rather than through genes… Or maybe both could be involved… I’m not aware of the exact nature being stated.

[@FuzzyFoot58]

@KitsyX If that were true, then all the wizards and witches that are obsessed with bloodpurity wouldnt exist. Their reasoning behind this is to preserve the strength and purity of the magic 'in the blood', which means it has to do with genetics and DNA. If magic really was as random as you suggest, then there wouldnt be so many families, like the Gaunts, Malfoys, Weasleys, Dumbledores and Potters, where the vast majority of their members were magically gifted and squibs so rare. The only logical explanation is that magic is indeed genetically passed in most cases, like these families, and a recessive gene may be activated randomly in mostly muggle families that then produces a muggleborn. The only thing that differs from one individual to another in a mostly magical family is the strength of the magic.

[@LordOfNothingreally]

I think the primary factor in a witch or wizards prowess is willpower. That overriding sense of self, self-assuredness, clarity of vision, and determination to see your will be done. In the real world, willpower is how regular or disadvantaged people overcome great adversity to achieve higher and faster than even privledged people can.

[@dreadrath]

I like to think there's a sort of middle tier between regular wizards and the true heavy weights like Voldi or Dumbles where generational talents rank but with the potential to someday with enough study maybe break into the lower end of that top tier. I guess Snape might be a good example, the dude may not have had the groundbreaking accomplishments of the truly great, but he was talented and had things gone differently in his life he might've become even greater. There's other characters that might also fall into such a middle tier too. Its just that the truly gifted are just brilliant and powerful from the very start.

[@Mackedo5]

Snape, Hermione, Bellatrix, McGonagall, possibly Molly Weasley, possibly Slughorn, possibly Wlitwick, possibly Shacklebolt. There's a lot of "mid weight". Heck, even above average covers a lot too, like Neville, Ginny, Lupin, Tonks, Pettigrew, Sirius, Harry etc. The issue is that when you throw them against the big 3 of that era, Dumbledore, Voldy, and Grindy, it's just hard to compare. The A tier people like Snape are GREAT but just lack that little extra of be S tier. And when you go into B tier, thats when you get people are are GREAT at 1 or 2 things, but don't stand out as well rounded for everything. Being a GOAT in everything is just as rare as it is in the muggle world.

[@umitencho]

A symbol of that was that Voldemort was able to duel to a halt multiple hogwarts professors like McGonagall & Slughorn at once with a wand that wasn't aligned to him while they enjoyed the protection of Harry's sacrifice. Had he unlocked the Elder Wand, he would have been unstoppable.

[@phillipstahl3957]

Dumbledore is like Michael Jordan, the greatest ever. Voldemort is like Dennis Rodman, the greatest rebound catcher ever 😂

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

Snape is genius at magic as he invented and improved on the whole potion curriculum single handedly. Snape was up with the big 3. Bellatrix was a warrior who could deflect Albus spells with ease when she was using her 1st wand.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

@@umitencho The dude could dual 3 teachers with the most powerful wand and not be its master that is being gifted at magic.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

It is do with the fact that Snape, Tom , Harry and Albus are all distant cousins meaning that are like 5-6 cousins removed from each other. I think that all 3 of them had new genes coming into their magical line from one of their parents as well. Snape's father a muggle, Tom's Dad also was a muggle who was lower noble, Albus's mother was a Native American and Harry's Mum was gifted & powerful muggleborn. I think this refreshed the magic genes and gave them all a super power boost.

[@kcnichols8968]

Wait Dumbledore's mom was a Native American? How tf did I miss out on that lore? Also given his age his dad plucked her fresh off the rez....

[@milesreynolds4943]

Kinda like how gohan is stronger than goku

[@anniebot_45-73]

my theory is that in britain a person who can utilise Ancient Magic is born every 50-ish years. this explains why dumbledor could match grindelwald while the latter was using the elder wand, and why voldemort could do the same against dumbledor. the elder wand is simply the most efficient conduit for magical power possible. it's not that it's the strongest wand, but it helps you access power that would otherwise take decades and extreme skill to unlock (like that of a muscle).

[@sirken2]

Well Harry's Mom used ancient magic of Love and in a way Molly Weasley kind did the same defending her children from Bellatrix. I think Ancient magic is there for anyone but it is HIGHLY based on emotional intent and can just happen

[@anniebot_45-73]

@@sirken2 it's canon (at least to hogwarts legacy) that a witch once was able to use magic to draw out the negative emotions from people, and where she stored them actually became a very potent source of ancient magic. it also feeds into the intent required to cast the unforgivable curses effectively

[@JesseS.]

so the concept of metamagic, casting spells on spells and modifying spells as well as creating new ones was only shown by three people, voldy snape, and dumbledore it required a deeper understanding. dumbledore could see magic he knew when harry was close when he was using a cloak that people used to hide from death. the fundamental understanding of how magic works gives them a massive boost such as silent casting wild spells in duels

[@ceu160193]

More like their insane willpower gives them higher degree of control over magic, so they can modify existing spells simply by thinking about it. All 3 had to overcome many tragedies and obstacles in their lives, which requires shear determination.

[@ragnvald420]

Love the channel 😎🤘🏻 I don't believe that anyone can cast ancient magic, it just gets activated under the proper circumstances

[@RFDN0]

The answer is more than what was covered in the video. 1. Raw potential: we know raw power differs between people. A squib is an example. 2. Dedication: practice, experimentation and general drive allows for a person to further develop their power potentially surpassing those who initially had more raw potential as their growth let's them hit their potential limits while others being less determined decrease their ceiling by not pushing themselves when it can increase their development most. 3. Emotion/focus: the greatest feats we had seen on screen or told to us required the caster to push themselves to the edge out of need. This also would explain obsurals as those who were pushed too far and then are unable to properly keep themselves in check. 4. Knowledge: this is more so for the scope of what they can do rather than an absolute. Many of the greatest feats seen are just rare uses of magic for everyday people. They are usually edge case scenarios not normally needed, but because they are so unknown when pulled off, people can only imagine the difficulty. Remember the Patronus charm was an "unbelievable" piece of magic that had 2 arguably 3 uses until a bunch of teens pulled it off. The same is true of fiends fire which was used by Goyle. Most of the "great magic" is magic taught outside of the OWLs (high school equivalent) and NEWTs (college equivalent) system or thought to be lost arts.

[@hellalive8973]

Don’t forget the wand that chooses them. In book one Olivander comments on wands that are more suited to certain branches of magic and those that are very powerful. He says that Voldemort’s wand was a very powerful one to begin with. It’s akin to race cars imo. The driver can be the best in the world but put them in a Fiat 500 and they will lose regardless. If a powerful wand such as Harry’s chooses you then you have a boost from the start.

[@Gor85]

I agree with all. Intelligence,innate ability(like Crystal Children for example),focus and overcoming adversity. Great message at the end😊

[@connordarragh1068]

I’d imagine they both had remarkable natural talent but it’s also about applying yourself. They were both extremely gifted but also worked extremely hard to be the best

[@connordarragh1068]

Although I’m also of the opinion that if he wanted to, Dumbledore could easily beat Voldemort

[@josecuestas7246]

One of the reasons, be Half-blood, as the series showed that the Half-blood wizards generally have more potential than Pureblood wizards. Possibly as result of have a superior genetic, because the Pureblood wizards applies nasty and outdated practices like marrying between cousins and brothers, to "uphold the blood purity". A practice that its likely that weakened their magical potential with the time, while that the Half-blood have a more healthier genetic, allowing them a better magical capability.

[@StorySenseChannel]

Agree in Neville Longbottom

[@astroniun]

This is really good theory and ties into that idea of how biology being linked to magical power

[@biglawngnome]

Yeah true, Ron was smart in a practical way, and did do some pretty helpful magic, but nothing really special. Neville was the same way until the end, and all he really did was display courage enough to get the sword. Something Dumbledore said anyone can do. We never really saw Draco use much magic but it doesn't seem like he was anything special either🎉

[@LordTKII]

@@biglawngnome We don't see much of Draco's magical feets, but he was able to use Occlumency against Snape, and he singlehandedly repaired the vanishing cabinet.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

Draco is the 2nd smartest student in Harry Potter's year and he is a full pureblood. It is to do with how much hard work you put to get those grades as well as magical skill.

[@ichuck7]

Your third theory is my favorite. Excellent video.

[@LetsbeHonestOfficial]

Barty Crouch Jr was sent on a sole mission to not only defeat Mad-eye himself, but impersonate him. Then trick the chosen one under the radar of Dumbledore himself through all the triwizard trials. Voldemort wouldn't just choose anyone for such an impossible task.

[@JUMPstyle751]

That’s a good theory on raw power being related to childhood hardships, it also bears some similarities to the obscurous change where their magical powers are contained and then explode all at once, where Harry was a powerful wizard but was simply happy to just be around others who he cared for rather than studying due to his childhood of neglect and torment while Hermionie was raised by loving dentists who would have naturally been very studious and encourage her to do the same resulting in her being significantly more focused on studying and reading while sometimes struggling with emulating the power of natural talent characters like Harry

[@Goldengirl48]

You didn't address Harry Potter's overcoming adversity. His upbringing was nothing short of a disaster. His parents died when he was only a year old. He was brought up by an aunt and uncle who hated and resented his presence in their home. They barely fed and clothed him and would have sent him away if it had not been for his aunt's belief that he could protect her family if the deatheaters or Lord Voldemort came for them. Then there was his cousin along with his gang, who torture him and beat him up if he didn't get what he wanted. All of that help to toughened Harry up to face Lord Voldemort and all of the other adversity in school like the Tri-wizard tournament.

[@TrateMusic]

Expanding on both your thought and the one from the video-his first patronus was during the quidditch match while dementors descended onto the field and it was mentored that they affect Harry much more than others, so i think it supports the final theory

[@lenski8306]

yes but if we go to the tri wizard tournament, we have to compare him with the other champions and Diggory seemed to be considered quite good as a wizard (compared to others of the same age) and we have zero indication that he had to face too much adversitiy, on the countrary.

[@LordTKII]

@@TrateMusic His first corporeal patronus was cast at the quidditch match but there were no dementors present it was just Malfoy and his goons trying to interfere with the game. The second time he cast a corporeal patronus, he knew he could do it, because he has seen himself do it, and he was able to repell a hundred Dementors at once, he was mentally ready for it, and emotionally motivated.

[@CiabanItReal]

Plus Aberforth had the same upbringing as Dumbledore, and while he's skilled and powerful, he isn't on his brothers level.

[@ceu160193]

@@lenski8306 Wizard can be talented in some areas and average or even underperforming in other areas.

[@nassimassaf8450]

Spoiler: It’s about midichlorians… Voldemort was supposed to bring balance to the Wizarding world not destroy it! (Realizing now that the quote would probably better suit Grindelwald)

[@michaeldrake798]

My personal opinion on this: Effort. I think practice makes perfect and while other students were of playing wizards chess or riding brooms, Voldemort and Dumbledore were doubling down on horcrux and dragon blood studies, respectively. While other students went home to muggle families over holidays, dumbledore and riddle spent their time studying or wand practice. While other students went to watch quidditch games and went on trips to hogsmeade, these two were tunnel focused on self improvement. It’s a theme that goes unnoticed in the HP books. Neville, for example, wasn’t an innately powerful wizard, despite coming from a prestigious and powerful family. He was thought to be a squib by his grandma. Yet, after training with Dumbledores Army and taking the Voldemort threat seriously, he was among the top wizards to lead the resistance. It isn’t about genetics, innate power, chosen ones. It’s about effort and determination

[@didreams969]

Probably, as you say, a mixture… with dedication, continually curious and practice, practice and more practice… Dumbledore did learn and share knowledge with others which made the scope of his magic cover a far wider area than Voldemorts …. he also studied a far wider curriculum as he applied magic to help others… and he undoubtedly keeps reading and learning ….. whereas Voldemort appears to have a far narrower interest and understanding … as he appears to learn only what will help him be the most fearsome wizard ‘of all time’ … and although their childhoods were tragic , Voldemort‘s was most pitiful…. because Dumbledore had been loved by his father and mother..

[@MottBotMinecraft]

I've heard a lot of speculation about this in the past but this is the first I've heard someone reference overcoming adversity as a source for magical prowess. Very intriguing!

[@villianbehindglasses8969]

I always wondered, is it possible to become stronger by training? Similar to how Goku got stronger than everyone by simply training since at base power, he was lowe class warrior. And how do I get stronger as a wizard? Do I practice casting stupefy 100 times to get stronger at it? Or do I meditate/ study magic? Or do I simply do push ups ?

[@larryroberts3598]

Another great and well thought out video essay. Thank you!

[@Stackz401]

I think it is a combination, but I don't think genetics really plays a role at all. But also Ginny doesn't fit with the theory well. We know that she was quite powerful for her age. Please correct me if I am wrong in that. I think adversity plays the biggest role. We don't know how strong we are until its the only choice we have.

[@Ellenmd]

I'm glad I caught this an hour after it was released!

[@mRhea]

3:52 control what? what word did you say?

[@codyandrews4199]

Inferi :)

[@dragonxswords114]

Actually.....negative emotions specifically being tied to magic makes soooo much sense. Its also kind of hinted at too, like when harry got angry prior to getting a wand. Tom Riddle was also using magic by accident in the orphanage. He tells dumbledore about it in the memory. It also explains how molly weasly was able to beat bellatrix as soon as her kid was in danger. Tho the patronus charm specifically seems to reverse the concept with postive emotions...so thats interesting.

[@ray101892]

I think it's like differentiating a standard and michelin starred chefs. You can study under a great chef and there are recipe books you can follow but at best you could only recreate the dish. In a cooking pov, Hermione is quick to pick up the recipe and duplicate the dish but she doesn't have what it takes to make the dish unique. Dumbledore and Voldemort are known to create new spells on their own which are extremely dangerous if used in duels because the opponent wouldn't know if the shield spell or counterspell they know would work. Snape created sectumsempra which harry used unknowingly but the spell's true intent was still conveyed and seriously injured malfoy.

[@theartframe9596]

Yes....about to watch the video and this.. this is the question i always asked.. thank you

[@ohjonny95]

I fully support the second theory. They simply had a stronger connection to magic than the rest. Grindelwald did, too. It can clearly be seen when Dumbleodre visits young Tom in the orphanage, where Tom straight up tells Dumbledore he can cast magic with pure thought and make other people do what he wants. Wandless magic is a higher form of magic already. Plus, making others do what he wants is basically legilimency. He straight up told him he was capable of legilimency at an age where he wasn´t even yet allowed to go to hogwarts. This can´t be explained otherwise. Some of the wisest and most powerful wizards of that time weren´t even capable of doing what Tom did when he was a infant. Think of it as the midichlorian-count in Star Wars, which determines the strength of your connection to the force itself. Anakin had an higher count than even Yoda, as a young boy. Of course what sets Voldemort and Dumbledore apart is that not only did they inherit that kind of potential, but they also acted on it, honed their skills, mastered their abilities to perfection and thus became the powerful wizards we know

[@jkrause365]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying here; I understand the presentation as presenting a view that says "either this, or this, or this other" Such analyses leave me to wonder why must hypotheses and their conclusions be mutually exclusive? It's like asking if light is a wave or a particle when under certain conditions it's actually both at the same time.

[@ravinrabbit7932]

i always thought it to be a combination of intellect and willpower. as powerfull spells often work best when you can kinda imagine or feel the spell youre about to cast. so traumatised or unnatural ambitious wizards and witches are more powerfull due to their exposure to willpower or strong emotions. kinda like very successful muggles in our world. think of olympia athletes. Also: Childs often experience magic for the first time when exposed to strong emotions like fear or anger or even joy. Lilly could fly as a child, simply because she wanted to and enjoyed it very much. Rowling said in Theory every magic user could fly on its own. it just needs practice and dedication to learn so.

[@Cpre1111]

My theory is they both had the same fundamental understanding of power but they used magic (power) differently & for different aims. Young Dumbledore and young Riddle both pursued power but Dumbledore later understood and respected the natural balance and limitations of magic, whereas Voldemort only saw power and those too weak to push beyond the limits to become truly great. Dumbledore started with a natural passion/talent for magic. Then his pursuit of more power became exacerbated by his quest for the Deathly Hallows. He was, at one point, obsessed with power and garnering acclaim in the Wizarding world. But the tragic death of Arianna teaches him a great lesson about the greatest power-love. Losing her fundamentally changed him. Dumbledore still had great power & the acclaim but he used it as a means to an end, always mostly for the greater good! Whereas Voldemort never had the capacity to love. He placed no limitations on the depths to which he was willing to explore magic (i.e. unicorn blood, horcruxes) , all with goal to be the ultimate, immortal, all-powerful Wizard. Voldemort did not see good or evil, only power. His appetite for power was insatiable and proved to be his greatest weakness. It caused (more than once) his own self-destruction and his inability to love meant that he lacked the capability to recognize the power in other magics that were just as powerful, if not more so. Both men sought power, had a willingness to dominate others and impose their will on them...but Dumbledore respected all magic and understood its natural limitations, whereas Voldemort couldn't and would not ever stop acquiring power.

[@onecalledalex]

at its core? To quote Bellatrix Lestrange; " you have to mean it" Intent The strength of a wizard's spell especially in wizard duels, boila down to willpower and intent Prime examples of spells that showcase is Expecto Patronum

[@Onyx408]

I think what makes them different is their drive to learn more and create more magic and spells. They weren’t afraid of the consequences of failure and always pushed the set limits.

[@handanyldzhan9232]

It's a mix of intelligence, focus, willpower and insight/instinct. A wizard needs to be smart enough to learn and understand the theory, focused enough to actually perform the required wand movements and incantations, will themself into concentrating on making what they want happen (destination and deliberation), and have the instinct/reflexes/tactical sense to perform it at the right time to defeat their opponents. Some very intelligent magic users like Hermione are very competent, consistent and precise, but they lack the "oomph" because they struggle to muster up the pure intent to cast more "emotion-based" magic like the Patronus, and lack the reflexes/instincts to defeat skilled, focused opponents 1v1. Conversely, Crabbe had the pure focus and intent to cast the Fiendfrye, and definitely worked hard to be able to cast it at all, but lacked the knowledge to control it, or the foresight to feel the need to.

[@ceu160193]

Probably has something to do with willpower - stronger your willpower is, more magic you can control and stronger your spells will be. For wizard with strong willpower, magical energy is like clay they can shape into various spells, modifying existing ones or creating entirely new ones. Crazy dedication both Dumbledore and Voldemort had would require immense willpower to go towards their goals, despite many obstacles and tragedies in their way. Emotions can amplify one's magical ability, but have to be channelled, otherwise they would actually reduce one's control over their magic. Intellect expands range of available spells, allowing to combine and modify them at wizard's will. In summary, only requirement for being powerful wizard or witch is insane willpower, but other qualities help to make more use out of it.

[@pandaking9276]

Davis Goggins as a wizard would be scary. He would attempt to accio something from the bottom of the ocean while climbing a mountain backwards.

[@jingjong3684]

​@@pandaking9276😂 imagine David with a wizard hat

[@pandaking9276]

@@jingjong3684 😂 it would be a sight.

[@biglawngnome]

It has probably been covered before, but how is it that Crabbe (or was it Goyle) cast that insane fire dragon spell that ended up killing him in the Room of Requirement in the last book? Was it because the wand was already loaded and ready to go with that spell? I would have thought it would still take someone casting the spell so a Muggle couldn't use it by accident?

[@mr_yoru5834]

Lots of talent, but also intelligence and drive. Harry could be on their level, but you really get the feeling that he's not naturally motivated to learn. He learns a lot of advanced spells for his age out of necessity or by being encouraged by the people around him.

[@lnsflare1]

In retrospect, I'm disappointed that none of the main three never created any spells of their own during the books. Not even necessarily something that is useful, but something to show that at least one of them is actually in the level of the Half-blood Prince or the Marauders. Hermione especially should be looking into the origins of speels, creating new or modified spells to practice the spelltheory she's learning in class, developing rituals and potions just for the sake of seeing what magic can do, etc...

[@biglawngnome]

Someone pointed out before that Ron's mucking up of spells early on was kind of like making new ones, like the vomiting slug curse was unintentional yet repeatable. Pretty sure they made that a Wizarding Wheezes product later on. Don't know if you would consider unintentional effects as making a new spell or not, but seems close enough if you can repeat it. And I know Neville isn't one of the 3, but wasn't he developing new spells with Sprout to help with Herbology?

[@Volucrum]

If anyone it would be someone like Ron or Neville that created new spells. They grew up with creativity and surrounded by magic. They live by trusting their feelings more than being booksmart. It wouldn't fit Hermione s character to ignore the books and create something not understood and undocumented.

[@AnnaBellaChannel]

Tom Riddle literally created a new potion to put his soul in a new 2nd body in the GOF.

[@lnsflare1]

@@biglawngnome I some think it counts for my purposes of it was completely involuntary, rather than actually researching, studying, and indicating in magic during their school years like other genius wizards, both fullblooded and muggle born. Like, girl saw the Marauders Map and didn't even try to work out the charms that fellow students used to make such an insanely impressive artifact, even after prime kept sneaking into Hogwarts to murder her and her best friends. Wait, I just remembered that she did make that curse that branded traitors to Dumbledore's Army, but that's pretty low level to the stuff that other genius students were doing, especially since she was also one of the ringleaders of an underground military training camp.

[@biglawngnome]

@lnsflare1 wasn't the boils curse Hermione placed on the DA traitor "a particularly nasty and tricky piece of magic" or something or another?

[@shanethornton9067]

I'm gonna vote for option three, and use Harry Potter as the modern evidence. Considering the theory of a character needing to overcome trials and grow through their emotions, all of the most powerful characters exhibit how these trials have impacted them. Dumbledore, Tom Riddle, and Harry Potter all deal with issues beyond their years and somehow overcome them. In the case of Harry Potter this is reflected in each book as he advances in his magical power much quicker than his peers. Even Ron and Hermione, who also have their own bright spots as they share in his trials. By the end of the series we are led to believe the trio are known as some of the most gifted individuals of their age after all. We can even toss Snape into this mix as he is feared by both sides as being an unnaturally powerful wizard. Following with the same theory, his trials of an abusive upbringing and school bullying could be the foundation for his power.

[@VangelisSavvidis]

I think it is the raw magical force and the ability to connect with it, similar to Starwars. Even if you have much force, how much can you connect that to produce results. Then, how much you studied, your technique, your passion etc. It is important to recognise that Harry Potter in the first episode showed that "raw force" when magic obeyed him more than his classmates, even though he had no experience, no magical parent to teach him some basics. The broom responded faster to him. Similarly to spells that required raw power. In the battle between Albus and Voldemort we can see that raw power also, not only the spells. Additionally some students had huge untamed raw power without their wands, so much that ccould go out of control. There are many indications of that raw magic, also ancient magic that is closer to that raw power that I mentioned. Now to produce the highest difficulty spells you might need both raw magical cabability plus the knowledge and intelligence. So if for example you don't have 1000 mana that is required for that spell, you can't cast it and therefore progress you magic intelligence to comprehent that higher level. Gaining that higher tier gives you XP to unlock spells that other could not even imagine they exist. Apart from the 1000 mana that I mentioned, you need the connection to this mana force to manage to transform it and produce results. That is also a talent and the mental stability and confidence to consistently transform that force. Intelligence might be crucial in the highest tier that migh need multitasking and to combine knowledge and practices from different practices, or combine magical elements to produce stronger results.

[@nathanlynch9634]

I can’t get enough of your videos.

[@nathantaylor1618]

I'd like to know 2 things about voldemort. 1. how did he learn of the room of requirements. 2. what prompted his fear of death so much, from orphan to best wizard in school he should have been happy

[@paulblase3955]

As an engineer: Working magic would have two parts. First is the ability to imagine, in detail, the way that you want things to be. The more details that you can hold in your mind at once, the more complex the change that you can control. The second is the ability to channel whatever “magic” is in order to change reality to match your imaginary template.

[@NightBane345]

Obviously they had more potential and stronger connection to magic than others, but I think one of the reasons they became so powerful, was they didn't really shun away from knowledge, they more embraced learning things, even if they never used things, the knowledge itself was extremely useful. Knowledge is power when it comes to magic indeed

[@heartofeden67]

When Harry explains to Hermione that he knew he could cast the spell becsuse he had "already done it," it demonstrates magical ability is influenced by ones own self-confidence. The stronger your self-confidence the stronger you are as a wizard, plain and simple

[@sarahproud261]

I’m confused about dates, when speaking about Voldemort you said orphanages came into prominence during the 19th century (so 1800s), then talked about the First World War, which was the 20th century (1900s) which could be over 100 years apart - that is a long time, did conditions remain similar all this time?

[@medllensaimon1015]

Everybody knows it's midclorians

[@hoytrichardson3448]

I lean towards a combination of all three, with the first two being the most important. Genetics defines your maximum potential. Intelligence is needed to to utilize that potential. While not essential, emotional growth can help provide the willpower to break through barriers to growth that may arise. Emotions and emotional state may impact the effectiveness or even the possibility of some spells.

[@anderssanggaard6215]

I’ve always thought what sets them apart is a very strong magical intuition. Everything magic comes easy to them, allowing them to learn a lot very quickly. But in the story we see this intuition displayed many times. I.e when Dumbledore senses, that the cave needs a sacrifice, the boat, Harry under the cloak in Hagrids hut etc. Perhaps the best case is when Dumbledore shoots a powerful, unnamed spell at Voldemort, and he immediately senses that it is magically unblockable, forcing him to conjure a shield instead. And no, this ofcourse couldn’t be done with legillimency since Dumbledore had mastered occlumency. I think a such intuition would also explain why they are each capeable of fighting off multiple opponents at once, since they would be able to sense what needed to be done, when to dodge, block, attack etc. I mean Dumbledore litterally felt confident he could take on the entire auror-department after his duel with Voldemort.

[@kunis2299]

How is transfiguration different from alchemy? I'm so used to full metal version of alchemy I remember dumbledore turning glass to sand in his fight against voldemort. Its something Ed from FMA would have done. Changing the proptery of something into something similar. Isnt alchemy similar to chemisty or the understanding the composition of matter? What is alchemy in the Harry potter universe?

[@creasy1988]

You forgot something very likely.... Ambition. Not only Dumbledore and Voldemort where strong Grindlewald is also exceptional. Or the Founder of Hogwarts, they all had the ambition of changing the World. The Founders wanted to make a World where Wizards and Witches can learn how to control their Power. Before the School the Obscurus cases must have been insane and if they Practice among Muggle there was always the fear of Witch hunts & burnings . Voldemort wanted well all kinds of things Immortality, be the strongest, kill all Muggle. Grindlewald wanted to be a Political Leader and change the Laws as Dictator, thats why he wasn`t as good but exeptional nonetheless. Dumbledore took the loss in his early years and took it upon himself that no other has to go through that again, hence the Orden of the Phoenix. You could even argue Molly only defeated Bellatrix because of her Ambition to protect her Children, and we know from Lily thats the strongest Magic why else would the Housewife beat a Professional killer.

[@rustysm8080]

Power: Intelligence, Imagination, Will. The STRUGGLES you are referring to create a strong willed person. So, it's correlated, but its really WILL that indicates how strong a spell is. Other factors include the wand/user bond, conviction of the user for the spell, and confidence.

[@brat6228]

you forgot to mention that voldemort is the result of a love potion, this is very important because he has not just lived a difficult childhood but he is also born from a loveless relationship… he is born without love

[@SarcaztiFox]

I’ve always thought it was simple. First is knowledge do you know a spell that does what you want? Second practice. Then third mastery of a spell the more you use it the more comfortable it becomes. Let’s take year 3 harry for example 1 learning patronus it would drain him make him faint also he had to really find a memory. By the end of the movie he had a really good memory to work on and was well practiced for his stag. Book four it shows him learning the summoning spell he practiced and you needed a strong focus of what you summon. Sure hermione knew a lot of spells and she could cast them but never mastered any. Nevill was awful at first but got quite good. The thing is most people don’t use a lot of magic after school and there skill drops. Harry was constantly being pushed to extremes. Voldemort went off to study dark magic for years. Dumbledore was a teacher most teachers are quite good at magic. Even Lockhart was good at something he mastered. I mean a simple finite solved a leak in the ministry and the guy didn’t do it. And barely anyone even attempted to make spells. Last point is occlumency something nobody learns that in normal class magics beyond school. I think other schools out side of Hogwarts taught introductory for it. But it’s something snape, voldemort, and dumbledore learned. That’s all Mischief Managed.

[@Zac_Frost]

After watching this, I think it's a mix of all 3 of your ideas. They were both just built different than other Witches and Wizards, being naturally more intelligent, powerful, and talented. The hard childhood they both faced could have really driven them to dive into their studies and practices, focusing and fine tuning their natural talents to get the absolute most out of their powers.

[@issachyar]

The Marauders : Respected students for their achivements and their grades, excellent students & wizards. Became Animagus by the age of 15, created the Marauders Map even Snape adult can't crack, got all their BUSE without studying, bullied students and excellent duelists Harry : Got the power of love from his mother & the talent of his father at Quiddicht

[@jaimeduncan6167]

I like the idea that is both the first and the last, and I will add a 4th: Environment. Basically, something like Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic pushing each other to become the best. Not as important in my conception as the two I peeked from the video but also helping.

[@christianbrewerton710]

My guess was it’s kinda like Old School RuneScape - the higher your magic level, the more magic defense you have. The more “powerful” a wizard/witch, the greater their ability to counter/be less affected by magic, especially from less skilled witches and wizards

[@bryan_sosuke]

I think is a combination of all of the ones mentioned. I think innate power cannot be fully realized if you do not practice or learn, you have to be really smart to pick up on not just the theory but also the intricacies of magic, as with everything human emotions give you varying degrees of success to your craft. Also having an innate talent makes all of the above easier because you feel good about yourself and have a sense of belonging when you are good at something and you also like it.

[@davidkennedy8929]

I don’t think it was adversity as you would not know how many other witches and wizards had a hard upbringing as well! More likely that like in the muggle world some are more gifted than others.

[@haikiri2011]

Usually exceptional things result from multiple factors in harmony.. A fortune without action equals nothing. They probably have multiple factors combined and the motivation to hone them.

[@victorgaray3012]

I know emotions play a huge role bc of that fight between Mrs. Weasley and Beletrix. I’m pretty sure she casted a lame spell but was overwhelmed with love and protection of Ginny that the spell was amplified more

[@ryanwalker8843]

If we take the 3 most powerful wizards we know I definitely think its 3 fold. 1. Natural magical affinity far above most. 2. All three worked extremely hard to be the best taking their study of magic very seriously. 3. Extremely high intelligence allowing them to understand the most complicated aspects of magic theory as well as high creative intelligence. All three could be called geniuses. In fact i think a lot of people underestimate Voldemorts intelligence because many of his failures seem to be because of stupid decisions on his part. Yes thats true but I think we should view that more as how much of a liability his ego was. A fairly classic failing for villains and often the cause of their demise. I feel like Voldemort is one of those characters where people feel like they are so overated that they over correct and end up understimating him and arguing that Voldemort isn't even that impressive.

[@yaccs-o3l]

I like the genetic theory. In context with the HP universe, I've thought that magic was all around everyone and that some individuals were better able to tap into the power source and use it more effectively than others. Given that Elfs and Goblins (and a few humans) could do magic without wands, I've always thought that wands were some kind of prosthetic device. I wonder if in the HP universe future, if muggles could build an artificial wand to help them and squids wield magic as well.

[@LoneWolf-rc4go]

Honestly I think it's probably a combination of things. Innate talent, intelligence, wisdom, the will to use it, a drive to succeed and maybe a fundamental understanding of how magic works. When all of these combine you get the sum of the wizard.

[@samcotten2485]

I think it’s just one of those differential things that falls roughly in line with a bell curve. Intelligence, athletic ability, driving ability, etc.

[@m_sedziwoj]

I think combination of them all, and two more: willpower and exploration. Because bad experience in past give you a lot of emotions, but without willpower someone would only go down, it must be use to do something. Exploration, is simply will to explore unknown, which is not same as thirsty for knowledge, because is about discover something not know, not read something already discover.

[@griffin98]

Its easy to answer: Dumbledore had a lot of family fights and domestic violence since young, and Voldemort was an orphan (hard childhood) and was a psychopath so, they cursed energy was really high (jujutsu kaisen reference)

[@AnimeCultist15]

They're the two wizards who actually sought out power and knowledge without a limit on their ambitions towards discovering just that, yes they were innately powerful and magically inclined, Aberforth also stated that dumbledore spent much of his time reading tomes and books that contained information about some of the most profound names in the wizarding world, a desire for absolute power and knowledge dominated the forefront of the minds of characters like Grinderwald, Voldemort, and Albus, with. Everything else placed on the back burner, with Voldemort even willing to go to the darkest depths of magical understanding and practice, in order to attain power, other characters in the series didn't push their minds and practical abilities to the highest level like they did, they were obsessed with magic and their whole lives were revolved around it, and they were free to pursue it and hone it to the best of their ability, we see many of the other characters have families outside of Hogwarts with very little time dedicated to magic, and many other muffle borns and half bloods spending their time outside of school in muggle areas where magic isn't allowed , hindering their growth, dumbledore didn't live like this and neither did Voldemort

[@EthanR-wi7tm]

So I think that magic itself is not well understood and we have only a few key pieces of the metaphysics. But to this question, I would point to two main things. Wandlore - the wand chooses the wizard. So there is something innate, perhaps linked to intellect or experience, but something definitive inside the wizard that magic is able to identify through the wand to connect with. Special wands seem to choose special wizards. Whether it’s the Elder Wand, or Fawks’s wands, most of the wands used by these two characters are clearly tied to fate in some way. Also, Dumbledore is able to sense Riddle’s magic at the cave. Nobody else has ever shown similar abilities. We know there’s a charm to monitor for underage use of magic or at least magic that isn’t in normal places. And we know that Voldemort is eventually monitored. So it seems that the Ministry can, through combined efforts, do this. But we’ve never seen or heard of individuals able to do this. I think both of these point to it being at least somewhat innate.

[@TheFixer710]

I'm reasonably sure Voldemort is some form of obscurous. His mother repressed her magic after Tom Riddle left her and her unborn baby. "She didn't want to be a witch anymore" -dumbledore to Harry in the half blood prince

[@Fourthaboveall]

I think one's "will" is what makes a stronger wizard. Pushing past what most would think there limits are produces stronger magic.

[@Stormoak]

Can you show us.the source/quote in of Rowlings book which support your theory that in the Wizarding World the ability to use magic depends on genomic mutation?

[@lnsflare1]

8:30 This begs the questions, how smart was Crabbe, and how complex is an uncontrolled Fiendfyre?

[@captainbutcher1989]

one is skill (dumbeldore) and avada kedavra spamming (voldemort) (joking but kinda true)

[@bydlakbolszewik847]

Tom installed a mod to remove the cooldown on AK

[@AlexL.Briago]

1. Strong magical bloodlines 2.Hard work and dedication I think all that inbreeding weakened Marvolo's and Morfin's magical abilities. Tom got a fresh start with the good genes he got from his dad.

[@seanking6184]

Magical Power is inherent Magical Knowledge is learned Magical Ambition is circumstantial When you combine these you get the highest echelon of wizard (Dumbledore, Voldermort, Merlin, Grindelwald etc)… 2 or more can generate greatness But remember there’s always specialists: Voldermort and Grindelwald were both ignorant/ naive to things like Magizoology and Muggle Studies… Voldermort was also completely lacking in understanding Ancient Magical concepts such as Love etc. ^ so someone like Hagrid would very well be more knowledgable than Voldermort, but Voldermorts natural talents would make him more effective if he chose to pursue the same subject

[@nerdolaCE]

For the third theory, we can also add Snape as an example. Forced to deal with neglect, abuse and lack of love daily from an early age, deal with bullies for most of (if not all) his school years, witnessing the love of his life choosing the guy you hate the most and eventually be killed... as much a jerkass he is, the guy sure endured years of pain. No wonder he became so powerful as well.

[@abigailslade3824]

I think confidence plays a large part, look at the change in Neville once he gains some self belief.

[@Old-Thunder69]

Creativity mixed with knowledge and emotion can certainly explain why they are powerful. Grindelwald is still more powerful than the dark lord.

[@chidmania8485]

Harry had as much of a traumatizing childhood as Dumbledore and Voldemort. But he's not anywhere in their league in magic ability.

[@justsomeguywithabeardx]

My biggest problem with the magic system in the Harry Potter Universe is that there isn't an input to output conversion or skill level defined. Once you learn the proper incantation, wand movement and have intent, it'll happen? You can use a spell and levitate a tree with only as much effort as it takes to levitate a feather. And you can go on casting spells endlessly, without any energy expenditure. Spell casting apparently doesn't use energy input. It's actually one of the worst low magic systems I've read. I guess it's for children, but still, so much potential.

[@TinCupGamer1991]

To put it simply, some people are just built different. Childhood trauma either creates Medal of Honor winners or broken men, and unfortunately both sides of a conflict need hero’s too.

[@MelancholicGiuseppe]

I think there must be some kind of affinity to magic in the HP universe. Some wizards and witches simply get it better than others. This affinity just happens to be correlated to overall intelligence.

[@trolletuva]

I lost my footing in the world. You changed the intro. Otherwise a great video as usual.

[@HarryPotterTheory]

Just a one-off, don’t worry!

[@rustybrooks8916]

Even your third theory is perhaps tied to some factor that is simply outside of anyone's ability to control for. What is it that gives one person more strength of character to prevail in the face of horrors?