The Magical Rabbit
Regulus looked up and saw Lily Evans.
She was carrying several books, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she had a vibrant smile on her face.
Regulus nodded slightly in greeting, then continued reading.
Lily seemed to have gotten used to his attitude. She sat down quietly, took out a quill and parchment from her bag, and began to write.
There was no conversation between the two; only the sound of pages turning and pens scratching across paper could be heard.
This quiet continued until lunchtime approached.
Regulus closed the book and prepared to go to the Great Hall, while Lily also packed her things.
She hesitated for a moment, then took a package from the small Handbag with the Untraceable Extension Charm that Regulus had given her.
The package was wrapped in simple kraft paper and tied with a dark green ribbon.
"Here you go." Lily pushed the package towards him, her voice soft and slightly embarrassed. "A belated Christmas present, please don't mind."
Regulus took the package and immediately recognized it as knitwear; it felt soft and thick, probably a scarf or gloves.
The packaging was simple, without the elaborate decorations found in stores, but the ribbon was tied neatly, and the edges were folded with meticulous care.
He could picture Lily sitting by the fireplace at their home in Town of Cokeworth, knitting the gift stitch by stitch.
She might also have to avoid Petunia's curious or jealous gaze, and avoid her parents' questioning stares, and slowly finish knitting it by lamplight at night after finishing her homework.
This item may not be precious; the material is ordinary wool, and the craftsmanship is basic knitting. You can buy a much nicer one at any store on the market.
But it contains heartfelt sentiments, time, and a girl's sincere wishes for her friend.
Regulus solemnly accepted the package, looked into Lily's eyes, and said, "Thank you."
A smile immediately spread across Lily's face; her nervousness and embarrassment vanished, replaced by pure joy.
"I'm glad you like it." She said cheerfully, "I had nothing to do at home during the holidays, and I couldn't practice Magic, so I thought I'd knit something..."
The two walked out of the Library together and headed towards the Great Hall, chatting about their holiday.
Regulus certainly wouldn't tell Lily about his real vacation, the Malfoy family dinner, the patrol of Knockturn Alley, or the battle with the Dark Wizard —these were not things he should talk about.
He only said that he practiced Magic at home and occasionally participated in some social activities; it was all very ordinary and mundane.
Lily listened with a hint of envy. "You can practice Magic at home, but I don't even dare to keep my wand with me at home, for fear of accidentally casting Magic."
Once, while helping my mom wash the dishes, I saw a stubborn stain on a plate. The thought of using Scouring Charm flashed through my mind, and I was so scared that I quickly locked my wand in the deepest part of the drawer.
"Trace can only locate young wizards who are not surrounded by adult wizards," Regulus said, following her lead.
"If you really need to practice during the holidays, you can find a close friend whose family has an adult wizard and stay at their house for a few days. Being around an adult wizard won't trigger the Trace."
"Really?" Lily's eyes lit up. "There's such a way?"
"The Ministry of Magic's surveillance system isn't that sophisticated," Regulus explained.
"Primarily aimed at young wizards from Muggle families, to prevent them from revealing their Magic to Muggle."
If there are adult wizards nearby, the system assumes that an adult wizard is using Magic and will not hold the junior wizard responsible.
Lily carefully noted down this information, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why did you give me such a precious gift?"
That Handbag... I've seen similar things in Diagon Alley, and they were ridiculously expensive.
Regulus was silent for a moment. He couldn't very well say, "You think it's expensive, but I think it's quite cheap."
"Value is relative. To me, that Handbag is just a useful and convenient tool."
The Untraceable Extension Charm used to create it isn't that advanced. Although the Ministry of Magic prohibits its private use, as long as you don't flaunt it or use it for illegal purposes, there's nothing wrong with using it discreetly.
He continued, "If you're interested, the Library has a book called ' Fundamentals and Applications of Space Magic,' which contains a detailed explanation and practice method for the Untraceable Extension Charm."
Theoretically, as long as the precision of Magic Power control is sufficient and the principle of spatial expansion is understood, one can create it oneself.
Lily's eyes widened. "You can do it yourself?"
"Of course," Regulus nodded firmly. "Magic is learned. As long as you're willing to spend time learning and practice diligently, many things that seem profound are actually not difficult."
In the original book, Hermione Granger was able to make her own beaded pouch with Untraceable Extension Charm in seventh grade to carry various items needed for her adventures.
If Hermione can do it, there's no reason why Lily can't; it's not necessarily a matter of who's smarter.
Even if Lily is young, it doesn't matter; Regulus can provide crucial guidance.
The two entered the Great Hall and each went to their respective college table.
As Regulus sat down, Avery leaned over and whispered, "Are you close to that Evans?"
"Academic exchange," Regulus replied simply.
Avery pursed his lips and said nothing more.
In the eyes of a young wizard from a Pureblood families like him, getting too close to Muggle-borns was not a good thing.
He dared not interfere too much in Regulus's affairs, and merely offering a reminder was considered fulfilling his duty as a companion.
Regulus didn't care; most Pure-bloods wizards couldn't compare to Lily.
Transfiguration class on Wednesday afternoon.
Professor McGonagall stood at the podium, her expression as serious as ever.
Today she wore a dark green robe with the Gryffindor and Hogwarts crests pinned to the collar, and her silver hair was neatly combed.
"Today's lesson is 'The Handkerchief to Rabbit,'" Professor McGonagall said, her voice clear and strong.
"This is a key topic for this semester, and it will be on the final exam. The requirement is simple: keep the Transfiguration rabbit in its original shape for ten minutes without it reverting to its original form."
She picked up a white handkerchief and tapped it lightly with her wand.
The handkerchief began to twist, expand, and stretch, revealing a velvety texture on its surface, with ear-shaped growths along its edges.
A few seconds later, a lifelike white rabbit appeared on the podium, its pink nose twitching, its long ears standing up, and its hind legs gently stomping on the table.
"Transfiguration relies not only on Magic Power, but also on focus," Professor McGonagall emphasized.
"You must clearly imagine every detail of the target's form, the texture of the hair, the distribution of muscles, the structure of the bones, and even the color and luster of the eyes."
The clearer the image, the more stable the Transfiguration, and the longer it lasts.
She tapped her wand again, and the rabbit turned back into a handkerchief.
"Now, let's begin practicing."
Regulus picked up the handkerchief in front of him. It was made of cotton, with the Hogwarts coat of arms embroidered along the edges, and it felt soft and thick to the touch.
He closed his eyes and visualized the rabbit in his mind.
They quickly constructed a detailed, complete structure of the rabbit, inside and out.
The skeletal system, including the shape and connection of the skull, spine, ribs, and limb bones.
The muscular system: which muscles are responsible for jumping, which for chewing, and which for ear movement?
Internal organ system, location of the heart, size of the lung lobes, length of the intestines.
External features, hair length and density, eye transparency and reflectivity, blood vessel distribution in the ears, and beard sensitivity.
These tasks were effortless and easy for Regulus, but not for the other young wizards, who might not even know whether a rabbit has a tail.
Having finished imagining, Regulus raised his wand and tapped it gently.
"Vera Verto."
The handkerchief began to change.
However, unlike the smooth and natural transformation demonstrated by Professor McGonagall, Regulus's Transfiguration is more precise and layered.
It starts with the internal structure: cotton fibers rearrange to form the basic skeleton, and then muscle tissue is generated to wrap around the skeleton.
Next, the internal organs appear, finding their correct positions in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Finally, the external skin and fur appear, with white downy hairs growing from the skin's surface and covering the entire body.
The whole process took about five seconds.
A white rabbit stood on the table, almost identical to the one Professor McGonagall had conjured.
But upon closer inspection, the differences become apparent: this rabbit's eyes are brighter, its gaze more expressive, its chest rises and falls more naturally with its breathing, and a subtle creaking sound can be heard when its ears are turned.
Regulus pondered for a moment, then tapped his wand again, aiming it at the rabbit, and continued to Transfiguration.
The skin on the rabbit's back begins to bulge, subcutaneous tissue reorganizes, bones extend, and muscles attach.
A pair of wings grow from the shoulder blades, and are membranous wings like those of a bat.
The wings have slender bones, flexible joints, thin but tough skin, and a dense network of blood vessels on the surface.
At the same time, the thoracic cavity structure changes, and the ribs expand outward, making room for newly formed flight muscles.
The heart position is slightly adjusted, pumping efficiency is improved, lung lobes are enlarged, gas exchange capacity is enhanced, and hind limb muscles are adjusted to be more suitable for takeoff and landing.
It still looks like a rabbit—white fur, pink eyes, and long ears—but its inner self is completely different.
The surrounding students gasped in surprise.
"Black has conjured Magical Creature!" shouted a Hufflepuff boy.
"Is that a rabbit? Rabbits have wings?"
"It must be Magical Creature; only Magical Creature look like that!"