Chapter 116: Magical Transfiguration
October was ending in howling wind and pouring rain. November was nearly here. Hogwarts castle was cold as frozen iron. Every morning brought a thick layer of frost. The icy wind cut at hands and cheeks.
The sky and the Great Hall ceiling turned a pale blue‑grey. The mountains around Hogwarts were capped with snow. The temperature in the castle had dropped so much that during breaks many students wore thick dragonhide gloves in the corridors.
Shawn stood outside the corridor. His breath turned to white mist. He knocked gently on the door.
"Mr Green, I have told you many times. No need to knock. Come in, my boy," a gentle voice said from behind the door.
Shawn pushed the door open. Though the professor had said it many times, he had no intention of changing.
Private space was sensitive and inviolable. The professor had given him a key, but that did not mean he could just barge in whenever he pleased.
Inside the room, the fireplace always burned cheerfully.
The professor had been very busy lately. She sat in a tall chair, ceaselessly marking homework or dealing with student mistakes.
It looked as though she were preparing for something.
"As for the transformation from 'self' to 'living creature,' Mr Green, that requires even greater care.
"So today we will study the transformation of objects into 'magic,'" Professor McGonagall said.
She stopped marking and waved her wand. In an instant, the flames in the fireplace surged outward. Tongues of fire nearly licked Shawn's cheek.
The professor waved her wand again. The flames took the shape of a lizard and scurried back into the hearth.
"This advanced Transfiguration requires stronger will and a higher level of magical power. Most importantly, when you infuse magic into the object you have chosen… you must believe it already possesses magic," McGonagall said.
What the professor said had long been recorded in the notes she had given Shawn. But hearing it spoken aloud deepened his understanding further.
"Today, you will learn to infuse this 'magic' into the flames in the fireplace," Professor McGonagall said, her eyes softening.
After all, the student before her had taken only three weeks to memorise the two notebooks she had given him and finish three Transfiguration textbooks.
In the corridors, she had never once seen Green empty‑handed.
If it were sixth‑years, finishing even one book in three weeks would be impressive.
Shawn leaned curiously toward the fireplace. Suddenly the flames flared fiercely. Shawn quickly drew back.
He held a notebook in his hands. The writing on it turned faintly yellow by the firelight:
Clear and specific intent, firm belief, sufficient willpower.
This was the content of Professor McGonagall's notes. It was also the eternal essence of Transfiguration.
Shawn waved his wand. In fact, at Expert‑level Transfiguration, there was no need to speak the incantation aloud.
This level corresponded to adult wizards. Of course, some older students might also reach it, but that was very rare.
The flames leapt more noticeably when Shawn waved his wand. He tried to imagine them dancing, and following the guidance in the professor's notes, he drew the flames out.
This step was completed easily.
[You practised advanced Transfiguration once at Apprentice standard, Proficiency +30]
[You practised advanced Transfiguration once at Apprentice standard, Proficiency +30]
…
Before long, Shawn could make the flames dance to his wand. Though it was only a small thread of flame, Professor McGonagall was already very pleased.
"Very good, Mr Green. Next, you must try to control more of the flames," Professor McGonagall said with satisfaction.
When Shawn left the Transfiguration office, he knew he had one foot through the door of advanced Transfiguration.
Though he was far from the professor's level of conjuring fire salamanders, it was still a good start.
After all, according to Professor McGonagall:
"The vast majority of wizards cannot make the flames respond at all on their first attempt. They must practise without interruption for over a month before they can manage it."
Shawn suspected this had to do with the talent his title provided:
[Title: Transfiguration Master]
[Greatly enhances unique perception in the transformation from non‑magical to magical in the field of Transfiguration.]
That perception always helped Shawn find the trick to making the flames "obey."
After Shawn left, the Transfiguration classroom remained full of firelight.
The professor waved her wand. A drawer turned into a piglet. It elegantly handed Professor McGonagall an envelope containing thick sheets of letter paper.
Seeing the letters, the professor's eyes grew even softer.
In the corridor,
Shawn wore thick gloves. He pulled his scarf up a little higher. Now he could see the notebook in his hands clearly.
A pure black cover. The first page was filled with warnings. This was Professor Flitwick's notes on the Dark Arts.
Though the Dark Arts were likely to make Headmaster Dumbledore… uneasy,
that did not mean Shawn would give up studying them entirely. Professor Flitwick had said:
"The Dark Arts are like a blade. The malicious have vile uses for it. But ultimately, it is tied to the purpose of the user."
One reason was that Dark Arts proficiency grew very quickly – after all, you could never have too many trump cards. The more spells a wizard learned, the stronger they became.
Another reason was that Professor Flitwick had personally taken charge of teaching Shawn the Dark Arts.
"Very good! Oh, what astonishing talent…"
In the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick paced back and forth.
He muttered things like, "It must be me," "I must watch this boy carefully," "Fortunately it is young Green…" as his wand restored the books Shawn had blasted away.
Recently, every one of Shawn's practice sessions had taken place under Professor Flitwick's watchful eye. The professor kept watch.
[You practised the Knockback Jinx once at Expert standard, Proficiency +50]
[You practised the Knockback Jinx once at Master standard, Proficiency +300]
…
"Goodbye, Professor."
The sun set and shadows slanted. Shawn left the Charms classroom. In the corridor, he quietly opened his panel.
[You are a historically rare genius in the Dark Arts. The Dark Arts will embrace you of their own accord. You are the natural King of the Dark Arts.]
Shawn quickly skipped over that nonsense line.
[Knockback Jinx: Expert (10/30000)]
An Expert‑level Knockback Jinx was instant and silent.
Combined with the Levitation Charm's various uses, Shawn's combat ability had even surprised Professor Flitwick. If someone underestimated him, he could make even an adult wizard take a serious fall.
"Filius, unsettling talent, is it not?" an aged voice said in the classroom.
"But a reassuring wizard nonetheless," Professor Flitwick said. His beard bristled as he mentioned it.
The old wizard beside him did not deny it. He only nodded faintly.