"This is amazing!"
Edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Leo swung a metal grappling hook, flicking his arm as the claw grabbed onto a thick tree branch. Gears turned, the hook contracted, and his body launched quickly into mid-air.
In the air, he released the hook and swung toward another branch, shuttling back and forth between trees like some kind of forest acrobat.
Cosplaying Spider-Man in the Forbidden Forest.
Leo was as happy as a kid who'd received the perfect new toy.
Landing steadily on solid ground, Leo put away the grappling hook. A faint light flashed, and the device in his hand reverted to a brass-coloured pocket watch.
Click.
Opening the watch cover, Leo examined the dial. It was evenly divided into twelve sections with no traditional scales or numbers.
Different patterns were engraved on the sections—some showed a sword, one displayed a shield, another featured a grappling hook, while others remained blank...
Unlike ordinary pocket watches with hour, minute, and second hands, this watch had only a solitary pointer, currently resting between two sections at the top.
This was the Mechanical Transformation Pocket Watch.
Leo could inscribe Transfiguration spells on it—up to twelve different kinds. These transformations weren't permanent once inscribed; he could replace them anytime.
According to the description, these were semi-permanent solidified transformations. As long as Leo periodically supplemented them with magical power, the inscribed transformation effects would persist indefinitely.
Click.
Leo pressed the button on the watch's side, injecting magical power while visualising an object in a certain section.
Almost instantly, the watch transformed into a brass shield with rotating gears, large enough to protect his entire torso.
The transformation was incredibly fast, requiring only magical power injection and visualising the inscribed object.
Much more convenient than using a wand to cast Transfiguration manually.
Speaking of wands...
Leo gripped the shield with his left hand and drew his wand with his right, pointing it at a nearby stone.
"Confringo!"
The stone exploded immediately, fragments flying in all directions. The explosion's roar startled birds and other creatures in the Forbidden Forest into alarmed cries.
Perfect! Using the transformation watch didn't affect his ability to cast spells with his wand at all.
Items like shields could even provide cover and resist low-power spells or those requiring physical defence.
This was how wizards should fight! Why leave one hand empty and unused?
Come to think of it, wasn't this how Gryffindor had fought back in the day?
Leo recalled a book he'd read about the deeds of Hogwarts' four founders. When introducing Godric Gryffindor, it particularly emphasised that he was a legendary duelling master.
Not only was he extremely accomplished in magic, but his swordsmanship was also legendary.
Legend said Gryffindor's speciality was wielding a sword in one hand and a wand in the other, using magic to interfere with opponents before closing in to finish them with blade work.
That made perfect sense. Gryffindor's relic was a sword, and that thing couldn't just be decorative ceremonial equipment.
Harry had used it to stab the basilisk, and Neville had used it to behead Nagini.
Looking at it this way, Gryffindor producing master swordsmen was an ancestral tradition.
Leo transformed the shield back into a watch, then pressed the button again, changing it into a metal longsword gleaming with sharp cold light.
Each form change required reverting to the watch first—that was a minor drawback. But fortunately, the transformation speed was excellent; he just needed to time the switches well.
Casually performing a graceful sword flourish, the blade sliced through the air with precision.
Aunt Penelope had hired a tutor to teach Leo swordsmanship, so he wasn't unfamiliar with sword work.
Although the longsword felt smooth in his hands, Leo still frowned slightly. There were still limitations. Close combat wasn't common in wizard battles—it was better to maintain distance...
If pure-blood wizards considered this problem, they might think of crossbows.
But Leo was Muggle-born and had memories of another world, so...
Transforming the sword back into a watch and opening the cover, Leo pointed his wand at the device while visualising carefully:
Grip, firing pin, rifling, cylinder...
When the pattern in the section became complete and clear, Leo smiled and pressed the button.
The watch in his hand disappeared, replaced by a brass-coloured revolver with hard, flowing lines!
Leo waved his wand, transforming a small pebble into a bullet and loading it into the cylinder.
Aiming at a tree trunk...
"Bang!"
Looking at the blackened bullet hole in the bark, Leo was thoughtful. Normal pistol power, but still not enough.
In wizard combat, who didn't layer several armour charms and obstacle spells on themselves? Otherwise, they'd be embarrassed to call themselves competent.
So pure bullets had very limited lethality against magical opponents.
However, Leo felt he could try crafting special bullets, using alchemical knowledge to create ammunition with magical effects.
Of course, Leo understood that magic, with its infinite mysteries, still had the higher ceiling. He didn't expect to defeat Voldemort with a simple pistol, but as long as it could cause even a slight distraction in battle, the scales of victory could slowly tip.
Looking down at his hands, Leo felt extremely satisfied.
One hand waving a wand, one hand firing a gun!
A young person arrives in the duelling world indeed.
Putting away the watch, Leo returned to Hagrid's hut. After playing with Fang for a while, he picked up a small hoe and walked into the nearby vegetable garden.
Passing through Hagrid's own plantings of enormous pumpkins and juicy tomatoes, Leo came to a corner of the garden.
Two rows of emerald green shoots swayed slightly, as if welcoming his arrival.
Leo had planted a total of thirty Carnivorous Cabbage seeds. Although the loan only required ten, since this was his first time growing magical plants, he'd planted extras for safety.
Moreover, Leo wasn't short on potions—brewing magical fertilisers and pesticides was convenient, and counting the system's finished potion daily loans, the yield was impressively high.
Besides, excess Carnivorous Cabbages couldn't be eaten, but they could serve as camouflaged weapons.
Leo crouched down to observe these seedlings. The tips of the shoots already showed small openings like tiny mouths, but hadn't yet grown sharp teeth.
Leo reached out to gently tickle the shoots, and the little openings actually seemed to grin, as if laughing from being tickled.
After applying fertiliser and spraying herbicide and pesticide, Leo also wielded his hoe to till another patch of land nearby, preparing to plant other crops or magical plants.
Whether it was his farming instincts awakening or the "Diligent Little Gardener" title taking effect, he now genuinely loved cultivating things.
Looking up at the round, bright moon hanging overhead, Leo chuckled softly.
Another productive evening in his magical education.