Chapter 84

Hogwarts' magic courses are strange and varied.

There is Herbology, where young wizards must pit their wits against naughty Bouncing Bulbs,

there is History of Magic taught by a ghost, and there is Potions, where one will be heavily penalized for the slightest distraction.

But if one were to ask which course young wizards like the most—and which is the most difficult—it is undoubtedly Transfiguration.

In this class, young wizards can vent their magic to their heart's content to change the matchstick in front of them,

requiring almost no rigorous steps or complex gestures and incantations.

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige looks like someone not to be trifled with, but her magical Transfiguration deeply fascinates the young wizards.

No one dislikes turning a teapot into an elephant that sprays water from its trunk, and no one can refuse to make a quill stand up and dance.

Yet, contrary to the enthusiasm of the young wizards, few can achieve success quickly in Transfiguration.

Even Hermione, who progressed the fastest, only managed to make the matchstick grow a round needle head.

So when Sean turned a running mouse into a snuffbox and then made it run again,

the vast majority of the young wizards gathered around and let out a synchronized "Wow—"

【You practiced Intermediate Transfiguration once at the standard of an adept, proficiency +100】

Sean still underestimated his talent for Transfiguration; after only two weeks of practice, he could reach the 【Adept】 standard in Intermediate Transfiguration.

It wasn't just Sean who was surprised, but also Professor Marcus Marcus Maige.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out, and a gratified light flashed behind her square glasses.

"Very good, Mr. Green—an excellent transformation. I am awarding Ravenclaw five points!"

She walked quickly to Sean, ignoring the gasps of the young wizards around them,

her eyes only on Sean, who looked slightly shy from his focus.

"Come with me after class."

She said softly.

Sean was slightly stunned, then answered in a low voice that he would.

Transfiguration class ended quickly.

The young wizards left the classroom in a rush, leaving only Sean and Professor Marcus Marcus Maige.

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige watched Sean, the whispers of the young wizards still ringing in her ears:

—Rumors about a certain Ravenclaw who had earned the most house points, said to be even double the second place.

The usual sternness in her eyes slowly softened.

She had brought a seed out of a barren land,

and now, she was watching this seed sprout and grow.

"Follow me, Mr. Green."

She then walked quickly out of the Transfiguration classroom.

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige's office was not far away; pushing open the wooden door, Sean took a few seconds to look around.

This was a small study on the side of the second-floor corridor, with a roaring fireplace inside, and the Quidditch pitch could be seen outside the window.

Many young wizards were arriving there one after another, as the flying lesson for Gryffindor and Slytherin would be starting soon.

"Demonstrate the Transfiguration again."

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige's stern voice had softened imperceptibly.

Sean quickly realized this was private tutoring—private tutoring from Professor Marcus Marcus Maige.

When he left the professor's office, his Intermediate Transfiguration had improved significantly, and he had an extra Transfiguration notebook in his hand.

Professor Marcus Marcus Maige had answered many of his puzzles and pointed out the direction of Transfiguration: the wizard's will.

Like other magic, Transfiguration is also affected by a wizard's emotions.

Strong emotions, such as sadness or shock, can affect this ability; even Animagi and Metamorphmagi are no exception.

For example, after Sirius Black died, Tonks found it difficult to control her metamorphic abilities.

Her physical changes included her hair becoming grayish-brown and stringy, and her body becoming thinner.

In the corridor.

Sean was rushing to the dungeon; he didn't go to the Quidditch pitch to watch the flying lesson like the other Ravenclaws,

even though he was also very interested in it.

But he always knew what he needed to do, rather than what he wanted to do.

The Hogwarts corridors seemed to have been cast with some kind of Slowing Charm at dusk.

Torches danced on iron brackets, stretching swaying shadows long, and the portraits napping on the stone walls emitted rhythmic snoring.

As footsteps echoed through the arcade extending to the west, the sunlight disappeared completely behind the glass windows, and the air suddenly became damp and heavy.

A spiral stone staircase appeared in a recess hidden by a tapestry, and cold air climbed up the steps.

Sean stepped onto the stairs, familiar with the path, thinking silently to himself,

how he would explain himself if he ran into Professor Snape, so he could get out safely.

Fortunately, Sean saw nothing, and his emerald eyes brightened instantly.

He quickly walked to the cauldron, lit it, prepared the materials, and took out his notes in one fluid motion.

He had brewed at least ten pots of Boil-Cure Potion; in his simulations, this number would be multiplied by ten.

Therefore, he was extremely familiar with every step, and could even make slight improvements.

The liquid in the cauldron was making a gurgling sound that comforted Sean; bubbles on the thick, dark-green surface constantly swelled and burst.

Dried nettles and powdered snake fangs were ground into a fine, emerald-green powder.

Sean carefully poured them into the cauldron in batches; each addition caused the liquid's boiling to intensify suddenly.

At this moment, he had to stir three times to the right immediately—half a turn too many or too few could ruin everything.

Yet he didn't do that.

Regarding magic, he had always understood one truth:

It is a miracle of the mind, yet it can also be compatible with reason.

The study of spells told him that while a wizard's mental level is important, proper pronunciation and gestures can also make casting spells easier.

And young wizards, or even professors, did not deeply realize this.

If they had realized this, the text for the Levitation Charm in the textbook wouldn't just be "clear pronunciation, a flick and a swish."

But rather, what pronunciation is considered clear, and how exactly to flick—left or right, large or small amplitude?

Regrettably, the wizarding world follows a philosophy of survival of the fittest.

For those wizards with talent, they practice according to instinct until they succeed;

while those wizards without good talent can only repeat the practice until, Merlin bless them, this instinct appears.

During Transfiguration class, Sean noticed more than once that Michael was just waving his wand randomly; he would even wave it ten times with the same incorrect posture.

As for Sean, he not only recorded the errors and corrections in his posture and pronunciation during transformation,

but also deeply analyzed the differences; sometimes he would even conduct comparative experiments until he was exhausted.

Coupled with a certain ancient intuition, his progress in Transfiguration could be called rapid.

The same was true for Potions; this intuition didn't appear often, but whenever it did, Sean was never willing to let it slip away.

Just like now, Sean changed his stirring amplitude, turning instead to follow a certain intuition, and even slightly increased the heat.

The candlelight in the dungeon flickered, and in a place Sean didn't see, a pair of gloomy eyes emerged in the dark.