Hermione tried a few spells from the books she’d borrowed. Some of them worked – a little – most of them didn’t. The plant she’d cast spells on flourished, while the one she kept as a control grew at a more normal rate. She’d also managed, with a very great deal of effort, to make a candle flame extinguish just by wishing it. So she knew it was real. She’d proved it! It would just take research and practice to improve.