Gems and crystals are often shown in fanon (I am almost positive they have never shown up in the books for anything other than decoration) as magic storing or focus devises.

I want to know what you all think on this idea being used in fanon. The Scorpion Sorcerer by Vorlon666 is probably the best example of a fic using gems to focus store and channel magic, I believe the author has some degree in science thus knows about this sort of thing so uses it extensively. He uses them as focus tips for wands to increase the effectiveness of wands (his theory being forcing magic through a normal wand the spell loses some of its power) and makes some statement about why it hasn’t been done before (had to do with not being able to fully charge the crystals).

He also used gems to store and channel magic so that objects could be magically charged and changed (He used it to create the oh so familiar trunk/manor but at least he went about it a unique way which explains why everyone doesn’t have a manor in their pocket)

I use this fic as an example because he puts relatively sound scientific and magic reasons why they work and why it hasn’t been done before which is always a big issue.

There is also one other use that really annoys me and that’s ward stones. Not Gems that are stationary being used to center wards around a place i.e. Hogwarts ect. But people (usually Harry or DE’s) carrying ward stones that they fling out during battle which instantly puts up wards or anti apperation fields or in the worst cases stopping the unforgivable. This really annoys me because I always believe wards and such to being very complicated time involving things to erect, and while gems may be used in them they would most likely be stationary and hidden so as not to be tampered with, not just thrown out there raising this uber powerful ward which allows a bunch of 6th years to take on inner circle DE’s.

Now there is always the possibility that gems are widely used in the magical world portrayed in the books but we just never see them (hell after 4 years in the magical world Harry hadn’t even heard that giants are bad and they played a big part in the war that killed his parents)

So what do you think gems are a viable focus/storage/amplifier of magic or a pathetic excuse that fanon authors use to power Harry and his friends up?

EDIT:- Sorry i'm not sure if this should be in here or the canon book and movie section. If so can you move it and sorry.

 

I have to say that it's a pathetic excuse from fanon. There's NO canonical evidence whatsoever to show that it's possible to use a crystal as a magical "battery". If I recall correctly. The closest thing I can think of is the Fidelius charm, which is actually storing a secret, not energy, inside a living being.

 

Yes this ties into the cliché thing about Harry getting a bunch of powerful items that no one else have even thou there are other people with the same resources i.e. Malfoy Voldemort and Dumbledore.

The way it is some times justified is Harry working out how to use the gems when no one else ever has which I find completely ridiculous because Harry is a moron and even if he did go out and read a bunch of books how does reading a book give you information no one else bloody has! If they use the excuse that it was forgotten knowledge I say BS nothing that useful gets forgotten maybe a few spells but nothing like that. It’s like everyone suddenly forgetting about wands for god’s sake.

Another thing I forgot to mention that I have seen is incorporating muggle ideas to get the gems to work. This isn’t possible in real life gems don’t store energy, in labs they can only be charged with tiny amounts. Some people may get confused because some scientific equipment uses gems to regulate frequency and such. Generally the idea is impossible for gems to store energy but it is very plausible that they focus energy.

 

I agree with Syaoran. I can see gems being used as anchors for wards, but adding them to a wand to make it more powerful is a load of shit. It's mentioned over and over again in canon that the wand chooses the wizard. If you took your wand and add crystal or some other gem into it's core than it wouldn't work as well, right? I see nothing wrong with putting the gems on the outside of you wand to make it look cool, but other than that...meh.

 

Yeah I can see that too... Then he gets bitch-slapped for ruining his wand.

Gems can, at least in my point of view, be used as a focus and anchor for the wards. That idea is sound but instant gem wards are too much, unless you get them to explode behind the enemy.

I can see the gems strengthening wards if they are correctly incorporated. I mean think about it. Wards have to get their energy from somewhere though JKR doesn't cover it in canon. But realistically speaking a ward cannot just exist unless its fueled by something or renewed constantly. That would be where the gem comes in. Instead of have to cast the wards over and over the gems would provide a constant source of magical energy thus powering the ward indefinitely.

However that would require that they be a conduit for magic to flow though them so the ward maker has to have knowledge on the properties of the gems, their magical affinities and possibly magical lay-lines and runes. In other words its not a simple thing of just waving your wand and hey presto ward with gems in it. It would take time and effort to do properly.

 

Now there is a cool mental image "Harrys Technicolor beam of death"

 

That could make an interesting parody musical.

 

That would be funny.

"You killed my parents! I'll kill you! Avada Kedavra!"

Harry felt the hatred, fueled curse course through his body and into his wand, gathering for just a moment in the newly installed crystal at the tip, and watched in growing horror as the crystal glowed in a dazzling display of light and suddenly released the flow of vivid green death in every direction.

By the time the flash of light receeded only Harry and Voldemort were left standing, he with abstract horror on his face and the dark lord with a mild look of amusement and a great amount of surprise.

"My, my Harry. That is by far the most amazing killing curse I've ever seen. Hope you don't mind if I borrow it."

 

Though it does raise an interesting idea. What if you could store energy in crystals for a VERY short period of time? Say, 5 seconds or so. Or it releases the energy on impact. Kinda like a magical grenade. They'd be incredibly dangerous to handle, but it'd be so effective.

Or replace the solutions inside batteries with saline or blood or something. You'd charge it with magic, and voila. Literal magic battery. Of course, it'd only be enough magic for like 2 or 3 curses at most, but when you have a lot of them hidden in various pockets, they really add up.

 

While we're on this topic, doncha think that using crystals instead of gems are a little more cost effective? They have the same basic molecular structure (roughly) and they would be a hell of a lot cheaper. For some strange reason I can't see Harry (canon or fanon) investing in a bunch of pretty pricey rocks, just to use them as grenades. Good idea though.

 

I would imagine that after the first time they were used when the enemy wouldn’t know what they were they would be rather ineffective. A simple banishing charm would throw them right back at the caster.

 

Unless of course if it was magicked with notice-me-not charms
Anyways, gems are more kewler then crystals, not to mention they come in different colors. Spells can be color coded for different spells like red for explosion spells, green for AK's and blue for healing spells.
... A healing gernade? o_o

 

Not a bad idea actually, magical grenades. What annoys me about it though is that the authors always get Fred and george to make them. I mean, for FSM's sake, they dropped out of school! They are good at pranks, not making weapons of war!

Otherwise its a great idea. A 5 second timer is what normal armed forces use so it wouldn't be too hard to drop the idea in a fic. Just give him a book on military weapons. I don't think Avada Kedavra would work in it though - it tends to destroy any inanimate object. Though using it as a focus could be seen as just bouncing it around inside til it reaches critical mass.

Hope it helped,
Aekiel.

P.S. Thanks for the rep! I feel so happy!