Advanced Transfiguration Branch

The afternoon sun slanted through the high windows of Professor McGonagall's office.

Lucretia stood outside the door, knocking lightly on the half-open door, awaiting a response.

"Come in, Miss Crouch."

Professor McGonagall's clear voice carried from within.

Lucretia pushed the door open, holding the book Professor McGonagall had given her last time, Detailed Explanation of Magical Power Control.

Professor McGonagall was seated behind her desk, holding a piece of parchment.

"Good afternoon, Professor."

Lucretia tried to keep her voice steady, but couldn't hide the weariness in her eyes.

Last night, she had been studying in the Ravenclaw Common Room until late, researching the dosage of silverleaf and the substitution of unicorn tears, followed by the fright of encountering Lupin in the corridor...

Even after returning to bed, she couldn't help but overthink things, dozing off lightly for a short while, only to dream about her mother, which woke her up again.

Professor McGonagall looked up, her gaze behind her glasses falling on Lucretia.

That gaze was different from the usual sternness in class; it held the gentle concern Lucretia had felt before the semester began, and a warmth spread through her chest.

Professor McGonagall gestured for her to sit in the chair opposite the desk, putting down the parchment in her hand. "Sit down. You look quite exhausted, Miss Crouch. Did last night's Astronomy class run very late?"

Lucretia shifted in her seat and replied vaguely, "Yes, Professor. After class, I... reviewed for a while."

Professor McGonagall's tone was gentler than usual as she took off her glasses and wiped them. "It's easy to overexert yourself when you first arrive at Hogwarts. But remember, magic relies not only on effort, but also on a clear mind and sufficient rest."

Lucretia nodded, surprised that Professor McGonagall didn't press further.

"Now, let's see your progress in Transfiguration this week. I assume you've tried the basic exercises in the book?"

Lucretia hesitated slightly. "Yes, Professor, I have, but I'm still encountering some... difficulties. I remember the method you taught me with the daisy, the concept of guiding rather than forcing. I practiced in the dormitory, but I still find it a bit challenging when dealing with more complex objects."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Progress takes time, Miss Crouch. Last time we only used simple petals; today we can try more complex transformations. Did you bring any practice materials?"

Lucretia took a piece of wood from her robe pocket and placed it gently on the desk.

"I brought this. I tried using the guiding method from last time to turn it into a silver goblet, but the result..."

She took out her wand, pointed it at the wood block, and cast the spell.

Under the effect of the magic, the wood block began to twist, its shape flowing and reshaping.

Before them lay a smooth, wooden vase.

Exquisite patterns emerged on the surface of the vase. Those patterns, in the afternoon sunlight, seemed to come alive, flowing slightly with the changing angles of the light, like the sap slowly coursing through a tree.

Professor McGonagall put down the parchment and carefully observed the unexpected creation.

"Significant progress, Miss Crouch. Compared to the needle tip last time, you can now maintain overall control of the object. Look at these vibrant patterns; your Natural Magic is merging with Transfiguration, not opposing it."

Lucretia said frankly, "But I'm still not sure how to guide it in the direction I want, Professor. I can feel the vitality within the wood, but when I try to turn it into metal, it always seems to retain some... primitive characteristics."

"This is precisely what we will delve into today."

Professor McGonagall stood up and took several items from a cabinet behind her, placing them on the desk.

A stone, a leaf, and a feather.

"Last time, we used a similar transformation, plant to plant. Today, we will attempt cross-category transformations while maintaining your natural guiding ability."

Lucretia raised her wand, her gaze meeting Professor McGonagall's for a moment. She took a steady breath, recalling the techniques learned during their last tutoring session.

This time, she focused her attention entirely on the oak leaf.

Closing her eyes, she felt the faint but tenacious life energy within the leaf.

Like the power of the first tender shoots breaking through the soil in spring.

Using the same method as before, she now perceived the direction of her magic flow more clearly.

The edges of the leaf changed first; the green gradually faded, and the texture became hard and smooth.

But it retained the leaf's outline, as if nature's design was too perfect, and even magic hesitated to alter it completely.

A moment later, an exquisite ceramic dish appeared on the table.

The edge of the dish retained the leaf's original serrated shape, and delicate vein patterns emerged on its surface.

Those patterns shifted in color with the sunlight, as if breathing.

This time, Professor McGonagall showed no surprise as she had with the vase, but rather the satisfaction of a teacher witnessing a student's growth.

"Much better than last time, Miss Crouch. You've begun to grasp how to guide your Natural Magic to work in conjunction with Transfiguration. This ability is highly valuable in Advanced Transfiguration."

"Advanced Transfiguration?"

Professor McGonagall walked over to the bookshelf, her fingers brushing across the spines of the books.

She pulled out a thick theoretical tome. "Miss Crouch, traditional Transfiguration has a fatal limitation: its transience. Ordinary transformations revert on their own over time, and the more complex the transformation, the faster it fails."

She returned to the desk and opened the book, showing it to Lucretia.

"This is why the Ministry of Magic strictly regulates transformed items. Imagine a transformed bridge reverting to its original state while pedestrians are crossing, or transformed coins turning back into stones after a transaction... What chaos that would cause."

Lucretia listened intently.

"And your ability allows you to create living transfigurations. These transfigurations are more stable and long-lasting because they retain the object's original essence. Just like this ceramic plate, which is extremely valuable when making long-lasting magical items. Another important branch of Advanced Transfiguration is biological transfiguration, which includes animal and human transfiguration, like an Animagus. The most dangerous risk with this type of transfiguration is incomplete transformation."

Seeing the girl seemed interested, Professor McGonagall didn't rush her to try again, but instead began to explain.

"My Animagus form is a cat. When I transform, I can still retain my human thoughts, but if there's a risk of incomplete transformation, I might revert to human form while my mind remains animalistic.

Of course, the most profound transfiguration includes elemental transfiguration, turning objects into elemental forms like fire, water, or wind. This type of transfiguration is almost impossible for most wizards to control stably because elements themselves lack a fixed form.

Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster, is very accomplished in this area, and I believe he would be very happy to answer these questions for you."

Lucretia leaned forward slightly. "So, that means... as long as I find the right method, I can also learn this Advanced Transfiguration?"

Professor McGonagall gently tapped the parchment on the table, her tone mild but serious. "Actually, in the N.E.W.T. Transfiguration exam, a key scoring criterion is the understanding and respect of the material's essence. In other words, wizards who can make objects retain certain original properties after transfiguration are considered to have grasped the true meaning of Transfiguration.

Miss Crouch, your talent has great potential. As long as we can find a reasonable method, I believe you will improve very quickly. But more importantly, magic requires a clear mind, and you, my dear, look like you could fall asleep at any moment."

Lucretia lowered her head shyly. "I will, Professor. It's just... some things have been bothering me lately."

Professor McGonagall nodded and added gently, "If there are no other issues, you can try taking these three items back to the common room to practice. We'll continue next week at the same time. Remember to practice using the method you learned today, but don't forget to rest. If you encounter any difficulties, whether it's with Transfiguration or any other subject, my office is always open to you. Just like I said last year."

Lucretia looked at Professor McGonagall gratefully. "I will remember, Professor. Thank you."