Chapter 200: The Assembly Time

January passed amid endless rain and snow.

Wizard Sean’s days at Hogwarts had finally become regular.

He always tested his new rituals at Hagrid’s hut or practiced Transfiguration in the Forbidden Forest.

Thanks to his presence, Hagrid had recently gained much free time to drink at the Three Broomsticks or queue at Wei Wei Silai & Green Magical Pranks for the Animal Party Series.

The only pity was that no matter how early he arrived, he never got to the front.

Because Diagon Alley had recently been flooded with “proxy wizard” buyers.

Hagrid watched the same few wizards always standing at the front, so angry he nearly came to blows with them.

In the end, the shopkeeper with freckles gratefully gave him an entire set and told him to keep being angry.

This made Hagrid rather embarrassed.

“She hired you as a bodyguard with a whole set of cookies?”

Wizard Sean asked.

“How can you call it a bodyguard… Wizard Sean, I did it willingly…”

Hagrid said casually, then suddenly thought of something.

“Oh, I mean, Wizard Sean. If I agree to keep watching, will you pay me? Oh… just some cookies will do…”

Wizard Sean looked at Hagrid and suddenly realized that beneath his rough exterior, Hagrid was extremely thoughtful.

“Hmm.”

Wizard Sean nodded.

Hagrid happily made a huge pot of rock cakes, cast a Softening Charm, and Wizard Sean ate until he was full.

“I’m so glad you like it… most people can’t even taste its flavor…”

Hagrid wiped a corner of his eye.

Wizard Sean nodded, then raised his hand, where a small creature with limbs made of slender branches sat.

Tila, the tree-ghoul Wizard Sean had chosen, loved his pockets and arms.

Since yesterday, it had even followed Wizard Sean out of the Forbidden Forest.

In return, Wizard Sean had chosen the tree-ghoul for his next Magical Creature Cookie.

It possessed excellent camouflage properties and proved extremely useful in special circumstances.

For example, after casting a Smoke Screen Charm, a wizard could transform into a tree-ghoul and hide in corners—anyone unfamiliar with Transfiguration Cookies would never guess it.

But its ritual had become Wizard Sean’s challenge; he had discussed it repeatedly with Taila, yet still hadn’t settled on a solution.

Wizard Sean recalled the source of his last success: imitation and modification of the Polyjuice Potion. He now carried Advanced Potion-Making with him and soon found inspiration.

Hogwarts welcomed another Thursday.

The biting cold showed no sign of change. The Ravenclaw common room felt especially solemn.

Their match against Hufflepuff drew nearer, yet the entire Quidditch team’s morale remained low.

They could certainly defeat Hufflepuff—though Cedric was stubborn, Luo Jie was confident he could contain him.

But beyond Hufflepuff lay Gryffindor, and their first-year Seeker—Harry Potter.

He had demonstrated exceptional skill in the last match, catching the Golden Snitch within five minutes.

“Will he come?”

Luo Jie whispered to Prefect Penelope.

“He will.”

Prefect Penelope gazed at the soaring hawk outside the window, then at the official Quidditch schedule—next Wednesday.

Third-floor corridor.

Wizard Sean knocked on the door of the Transfiguration office, carrying a box of magical cookies.

“Come in, child.”

Professor McGonagall was reading a journal that looked like a newspaper.

Even as a master in Transfiguration, the professor never ceased her research. Influenced by her, Wizard Sean had read countless books on Transfiguration.

On Thursdays, she shared the latest draft of a journal with Wizard Sean.

That journal was Today’s Transfiguration, focused on the latest developments in the field, including scholarly papers and industry updates.

Both Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had once contributed to it.

Bathilda Bagshot, author of A History of Magic, had publicly praised Dumbledore’s student-era paper published there—a paper on interspecies transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall herself had once won the Most Promising Newcomer Award.

“Child, these are… some Spirit Cat Cookies?”

Professor McGonagall asked with a gentle smile.

Wizard Sean shook his head.

These were actually his latest creation: Cat-Whisper Cookies, with proficiency reaching 【Entry Level】.

They lasted a full minute.

“Then what are they?”

Professor McGonagall’s interest stirred—no matter what Wizard Sean did, she always encouraged him.

“Cat-Whisper.”

Wizard Sean whispered.

“Cat-Whisper? Hmm… Cat-Whisper—?”

Professor McGonagall’s voice trembled.

Ten minutes later.

“The Transfiguration field hasn’t seen such a monumental breakthrough in centuries…”

The transformed Professor McGonagall murmured to herself, staring at the bewildered Wizard Sean—he seemed utterly unaware of the magnitude of what he had accomplished.

Acquiring the magic of Magical Creatures was, even in the entire history of Transfiguration, worthy of grand record.

Wizards had coveted the power of Magical Creatures for millennia, yet their only success had been using their fur and blood to brew potions…

Was it that they didn’t want Magical Creature power?

No—it was simply that they couldn’t achieve it.

Magical Creatures had existed nearly as long as magic itself; some powerful ones could predict danger, command storms, or be reborn from fire…

Envious wizards had done countless things, yet never stolen their authority.

For example, Polyjuice Potion—why does it specify “can only transform into a wizard”? The reason is obvious: wizards originally intended to use it to transform into Magical Creatures, only to later discover it was utterly impossible.

“Don’t tell anyone, child.”

Professor McGonagall suddenly heard her own heartbeat; she spoke with grave seriousness.

Wizard Sean fell silent for a moment:

“Professor Taila… she knows…”

“She doesn’t know, foolish child.”

Professor McGonagall whispered, then walked out of the Transfiguration office without expression.

This Transfiguration Cookie alone proved the child’s astonishing talent in Transfiguration; she was certain he would surpass her—and perhaps even… Albus.

How could such talent be wasted on those superstitious Alchemists?!

In the Headmaster’s office, the great stone gargoyle stepped aside on its own.

“Albus—”

Professor McGonagall’s voice was urgent.

“Look at this—”

Wizard Sean stood alone at the door of the Transfiguration office; the professor’s reaction had been far greater than he’d imagined.

He suddenly felt heat in his palm and looked down—the invitation to the International Alchemy Assembly had somehow floated from his bag into his hand:

【On this land of magic, what awaits us…

The wind sweeps across snowfields and deserts,

Ancient banners of symbols flutter fiercely on mountain peaks,

Every curve of the Runic script hides an undiscovered legend.

Some wander lost in deep forests,

Others are reborn in fire,

And we—

Where shall we carve our inscription?

The International Alchemy Assembly, in three natural months,

Awaits—

The arrival of legend】