Nature's Shield

Lucretia took out her Transfiguration assignment from her bag.

The vase gleamed metallically in the sunlight, but the spreading plant-like veins across its surface made it look unlike any finished product from a standard textbook.

Dumbledore accepted the vase.

He was silent for a long time, his fingers slowly tracing those patterns as though he were reading a book written in another language.

"Very unusual. Can you feel it? This metal vase is still breathing."

Lucretia nodded a little nervously.

Dumbledore returned the vase to her. "That is because of your talent, Lucretia. You possess a natural respect and understanding of life, and that is reflected in your magic. Most wizards pursue control over magic, while you are more inclined to cooperate with it."

Little Barty seemed to want to say something, but ultimately remained silent, merely observing their exchange more intently.

"Next, I would like to show you some more advanced Transfiguration."

Dumbledore rose to his feet and walked to the center of the clearing.

"Watch carefully. You will not find this material in your textbooks during your seven years here."

He flicked his wand, and the crystal goblet on the table floated into the air.

With a complex gesture, the goblet turned into flowing water, spiraling through the air.

The water became flame at the wand's direction, the flame turned into a gentle breeze, and finally it condensed back into a crystal goblet, landing unharmed on the table.

Dumbledore explained, a hint of amusement glinting in his blue eyes behind his spectacles, "Elemental Transfiguration. One of the most profound branches of Transfiguration. It transforms matter into elemental forms while maintaining control throughout the process. Before attempting it, however, I suggest informing Hogwarts's fire brigade.

Several centuries ago, an overly confident Transfiguration master attempted to turn a small hill into a volcano to keep warm. He was then forced to explain why half a village had suddenly become toast. The history books are quite discreet about the matter, stating only that it was an unfortunate magical experiment."

He removed his glasses and wiped them with the corner of his robe, as though recalling something amusing.

"Of course, I made similar mistakes in my youth. Though mine involved only a pumpkin, a cat, and my brother's new hat."

After saying that, he sat before them and took a leaf from his pocket, placing it on his palm.

"But today, I want to discuss something more relevant to your abilities. The union of Transfiguration and nature."

The leaf transformed in his palm, becoming a silver shield-shaped badge, though its surface retained the pattern of leaf veins.

In the sunlight, those veins seemed to pulse faintly.

Dumbledore handed the badge to Lucretia, his voice carrying the pleasure of telling an ancient secret. "This is a replica of the work of an ancient Druidic Transfigurator. Legend says he could converse with forests and even persuade a tree to move aside.

Of course, that may have been partly due to his especially persuasive speaking skills. Trees of that era may have been easier to impress than modern ones. Modern trees have heard too many human promises and have become rather skeptical."

The corner of Little Barty's mouth twitched, and his posture relaxed slightly.

Lucretia carefully accepted the badge, her fingertips brushing the patterns on its surface.

A strange sensation flowed through her fingertips, as though some faint life was resonating with her.

"I can feel it," she said softly. "It still has vitality."

Dumbledore explained, "Not entirely. But it retains the imprint of its original life. This kind of Transfiguration is not merely a change of shape; it is a transformation and preservation of essence.

It is said that the amulets made by ancient Druids in this manner were far more powerful than ordinary ones, because they were not simply enchanted—they had become one with magic."

Little Barty had been listening quietly, but when Dumbledore mentioned that such amulets were far more powerful than ordinary ones, he straightened up.

"This kind of Transfiguration... can be used for defense?"

Dumbledore looked at him gently. "Indeed it can, Mr. Little Barty. I have heard that you have been teaching Lucretia basic defensive spells?"

Little Barty blinked, somewhat surprised, then quickly regained his composure.

"Basic Shield Charms and simple counter-jinxes, yes."

Dumbledore said, "Shield Charms can block spells, but they have limited duration. Through this special kind of Transfiguration, however, it is possible to create protection with greater vitality."

He gestured for Lucretia to pick up the small plant on the table.

"Try transforming it into a shield, but do not rush to erase its Life characteristics. Instead, try using the method Professor McGonagall and you mentioned to guide that life force and make it part of the Transfiguration."

Lucretia drew her wand.

Her fingers lingered on its shaft for a moment.

She looked at Little Barty.

He nodded.

Dumbledore patted her shoulder. "Focus on the plant's own qualities. Its resilience, its ability to grow, its response to sunlight. Then imagine how those qualities can be transformed into protection."

Lucretia took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She recalled the feeling of speaking with plants for the first time, and the secrets they had told her.

How roots searched for nourishment in darkness, how leaves stretched toward sunlight, and how they closed to protect themselves when danger approached.

Her palm felt the plant's pulse.

The resilience of life, the desire to grow, the instinct to protect.

The wand grew warm in her hand.

When the spell left her lips, it was soft, as though she were speaking to an old friend.

The plant changed in her hand. Its leaves began to spread, their edges becoming tougher.

Its form began to develop toward that of a shield, but the transformation stopped halfway.

The plant became a strange object somewhere between its original form and a shield.

Dumbledore encouraged her. "A very good first attempt. Complete defensive Transfiguration requires a great deal of practice."

He drew his wand and fired a gentle red spark at the unfinished shield.

The instant the spark touched the shield's surface, its green portions contracted.

Lucretia's eyes widened.

That did not seem to be a physical deformation caused by magical impact...

It was like how a plant instinctively protected itself when it sensed danger.

Though the spark passed through the shield, it was noticeably weakened.

Dumbledore pointed at the patterns, which were still trembling faintly. "Do you see? Even an incomplete transformation begins to show protective properties as long as it retains a living response."

Lucretia stared at the shield in amazement. "It reacted on its own!"

Dumbledore explained, "Because you preserved its instinct for life. Plants naturally react to threats. Your Transfiguration retained that ability and transformed it into a protective mechanism."

Little Barty rose and examined the shield's thickness from different angles, testing its weight distribution and inspecting the pattern of those green veins.

"Is it more effective than a shield created by an ordinary spell?"

As he asked the question, he happened to move to her right side—the blind spot most vulnerable to attack in an actual battle.

Dumbledore added meaningfully, "In some ways, yes. It can adaptively react to attacks rather than merely provide protection of fixed strength. And I believe it can... grow according to its user's needs."

Lucretia rotated the shield in her hand, feeling its weight and texture. "This is... defensive Transfiguration?"

Dumbledore nodded. "A very accurate description. Transfiguration is usually viewed as the art of change, but it can also be used to protect. Especially for someone with your talent, combining Transfiguration with Nature's Tongue can create exceptionally powerful protective magic."

Little Barty's expression softened somewhat, but his gaze continued to shift between the shield and Lucretia. "How long can this kind of Transfiguration last?"

Dumbledore looked at them both. "That depends on the quality of the Transfiguration and the user's connection to the object. But theoretically, if it is done properly, it can last quite a long time."