A successful magic experiment—
a perfect validation of a hypothesis!
At that moment,Ian felt certain his ideas were right. Indeed, the essential nature of Transfiguration does differ somewhat from other branches of magic.
Professor McGonagall had not been mistaken.
Among the many forms of magic, Transfiguration stands out as special.
If the incantations for spells like Avada Kedavra, Incendio, and Flamma Daemonica are essentially roads each brilliant wizard discovered on their own—
then the incantations tied to Transfiguration belong to a domain collectively explored by ancient and modern wizards. That domain opened Ian's eyes to an even wider vista.
"The fog before my eyes has completely dispersed. From now on, the path ahead is clear—I just need to keep working until I reach the scene I've glimpsed."
Ian's personal panel now showed an additional six points in [Transfiguration]—no less impressive than some of his other unusual magical talents.
This gift was exceptional.
All along, it wasn't that Ian lacked talent for Transfiguration—he simply hadn't found the right approach.
To delve into the mysteries of Transfiguration, a learner must truly adopt a wizard's viewpoint: recognizing that a wizard is granting new rules to matter, not merely twisting it.
Many other young wizards might never grasp this fully, yet since they don't overthink it, they can still transform objects just by following the professor's instructions.
Of course, this style of Transfiguration is akin to rote memorization: they know that it works, but not why. That's why most wizards only master Transfiguration superficially.
"Turning an object into a living creature is the best measure of one's Transfiguration level…"
Ian recalled Professor McGonagall's so-called Transfiguration Club. He'd heard its requirement was transfiguring a convincingly lifelike creature.
That piqued his interest.
He raised his wand, ready to try.
All around the Owlery, the resident owls—fairly clever birds—saw Ian draw his "kindling stick" yet again and immediately flew off, scattering like spooked creatures.
Well, they were creatures.
"Vera Verto!"
Several strands of straw, driven by magic, frantically wove together, their color shifting. Once the rapid transfiguration was complete, Ian found himself looking at a lifelike mouse.
It appeared extremely realistic,
yet Ian sensed it lacked something—compared with the leopard Professor McGonagall created from the lectern it didn't exude the same living aura.
In other words,
it had not truly gained life. Ian's little mouse could move about in a dopey fashion, but its motion and manner were off—so much so that even the owls in the Owlery eyed it warily.
What on earth is that silly mouse?
A cluster of owls perched some distance away, all tilting their heads in bafflement.
"No surprise. Transforming it into a living creature is far trickier."
Ian felt no disappointment—this was only Level 3 [Transfiguration]. If he could reach Level 5 and unlock Extraordinary Traits, it might undergo a dramatic metamorphosis.
"It's getting late. If I don't hurry for lunch, I'll be starving all afternoon."
Noticing the tower's clock outside, Ian lifted the influence he'd cast on his creations.
Immediately, the silly mouse reverted to straw, and the spiky dead mouse—reminiscent of a monster from Diablo—regressed its barbs back into straw.
"You lot, eat while it's fresh,"
Ian suggested to the owls, then dashed out of the Owlery. He hadn't gone far down the spiral staircase when he encountered a wizard with a chilling air.
Ronny Ehrlich—this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor—the annual "sacrifice" of Hogwarts.
"Professor Ehrlich,"
Ian greeted, polite as ever.
No matter whether next year's Hogwarts still remembers him, at least this year, the man would show Ian the effect of Voldemort's curse firsthand.
Willingly stepping into the line of fire…
Surely that qualifies as a unique dedication to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?
"Mhm."
Ronny Ehrlich gave a small nod, curt and cool, and brushed past Ian without further remark. He seemed disinclined to speak. Ian surmised this professor might be the real victim of social anxiety.
With lunch on his mind, Ian continued down the stairs. He didn't notice that, moments after they crossed paths, Ronny Ehrlich came to a stop and stared after him for quite a while.
Not until Ian's footsteps vanished around the corner did Ronny Ehrlich turn and head into the Owlery. From his robes, he drew out a letter.
"Singer's Stationery in Austria."
He passed the letter to an owl. Its seal bore faintly eerie patterns, like a magical sigil forming some kind of restrictive enchantment. After telling the bird its destination, he produced fancy pet treats. The owl gobbled them eagerly, then soared through the window with the letter.
He watched until the owl, and the letter, were well clear of Hogwarts' grounds, dwindling to a tiny speck on the horizon before he looked away, ready to leave.
"Hmm?"
Before leaving the window, he noticed a dead mouse in the corner—still untouched by the owls—its body impaled with straw spikes. Curious, he crouched, heedless of filth, lifting the mouse to study it. The straw protruded from inside the mouse's frame.
How can such soft straw be so sharp?
"Transfiguration, I see."
He murmured to himself. Well-versed in the wizarding arts, he could reconstruct what had happened, deducing why the mouse died in such a gruesome fashion.
"Interesting."
Crouched by the Owlery window, Ronny Ehrlich peered toward the corridor Ian had come from, where they had just passed each other.
A mix of delight and fervor glimmered in his eyes, as though a sudden realization filled him with excitement.
****
Ian arrived among the last wave for lunch.
Having eaten his fill,
he did not return to the dorm for a nap like many others, nor did he follow his Ravenclaw housemates back to the common room to prepare for afternoon lessons.
Instead, he headed to the Hogwarts Library—a place he'd been itching to visit. Known for its vast trove of magical tomes, it stored centuries' worth of knowledge compiled by countless great minds.
Even though Dumbledore had moved a large share of the Restricted Section's books into his own office, the remaining volumes were still enough to occupy any wizard for a lifetime.
They lined thousands of shelves,
covering (but not limited to) magical history, theory, fantastic beasts, potions, spell craft, plus special areas like the Restricted Section and the Invisible Books section.
Narrow aisles crammed with shelves made the library immense. Many soared so high that Ian had to use a ladder to find what he wanted:
From Cat to Eagle: A Practical Guide to Transfiguration
Taboos and Perils in Transfiguration
Transfiguration and Telepathy
…
He amassed a stack of Transfiguration-related titles high enough to hide him when he sat. Initially, he hadn't planned on studying Transfiguration here, but Professor McGonagall's lesson had proved so enlightening, now he felt a burning curiosity.
Studying the various incantations and effects in Transfiguration, he uncovered a key fact: all Transfiguration knowledge focuses mainly on technique. It differs from other "methods" established by wizards. Transfiguration incantations serve to lessen a caster's difficulty.
The goal is to use minimal influence to produce greater changes in reality. Even the incantation "Vera Verto" hints that a technique-based spell can target all sorts of transformations.
It's not confined to any single outcome determined by previous wizards.
Indeed, Transfiguration aims at unbounded freedom—where thought becomes reality. In Ian's view, standing on the path pioneered by his predecessors, he caught sight of a grander prospect: a "Grand Wish Spell," the power held by a true Creator.
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