Reverse Transfiguration

Snape's private lessons had become more and more interesting.

Before he knew it, two pleasant hours had passed in silence.

"I heard you've made great progress in Transfiguration lately."

As he packed away the cauldron and potion bottles, Severus Snape spoke with a cold expression. His concern always had a distinctly personal touch.

"Not bad."

Klein neither denied it outright nor acted overly proud. He methodically packed away the ingredients, his expression unchanged.

"Set your mind to it and study hard. Don't let trivial things distract you.

In short, you still need to work harder before you'll earn my approval."

Seeing that his prized student didn't seem as complacent and self-satisfied as he'd imagined, Snape was extremely pleased. Still, he didn't soften his expression as he offered his stern advice.

"Yes, Headmaster. I will."

At that, Klein bowed his head, his manner utterly humble.

"All right, I'll take care of the rest. Go back, and don't forget your homework."

The corner of Snape's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He gave a cold snort and shooed Klein away, pretending to be impatient.

Although he didn't care about many things, he knew that staying up late could affect a child's development.

"All right, good night, Headmaster."

Klein nodded obediently and left the Potions Room.

But instead of returning to the Slytherin boys' dormitory as Snape had expected, he went straight up to the Seventh Floor and stopped outside the Headmaster's Office.

"Password."

"Butterscotch Mint."

After he gave the correct password, the stone beasts on either side of the entrance stopped giving Klein a hard time and opened the oak door for him themselves.

As he entered, Dumbledore looked up from the parchment he was writing on and smiled warmly.

"You're here."

"Good evening, Headmaster."

Klein was entirely at ease with Dumbledore. As he spoke, he hopped onto Dumbledore's desk, making the old man's eyelid twitch.

"Although I've said this many times, I still want to emphasize it, Mr. Klein: there's a sofa over there."

Dumbledore looked at Klein, who was sitting across from him, and shook his head with a wry smile.

The boy seemed to have a particular fondness for this desk. Every time he came in, he chose to sit on it instead of the sofa.

On the one hand, Dumbledore felt helpless; on the other, he was somewhat pleased.

It was a sign that Klein felt at ease with him, after all.

"That way, I'm closer to you, and we can talk more easily."

Klein smiled and winked at Dumbledore.

"Are you free right now? Let's go for a walk."

At that, Dumbledore's heart stirred.

This was unusual. Klein was actually inviting him to go for a walk?

Hmm, it probably wasn't as simple as it sounded.

"Heh, a little exercise would be nice."

Dumbledore nodded without giving anything away, then stood and put on a silver-lined cloak embroidered with stars. He spoke with a chuckle.

"It's gotten a little cold lately. This old man needs to take care of himself."

"Of course."

Klein jumped off the desk and held out a hand in invitation.

After a pause, he spoke with absolute certainty.

"I'm sure you'll be very surprised."

In a dark underground chamber, a ghastly green fire blazed.

Directly beneath the statue of Salazar Slytherin, the Basilisk stared blankly at the "little demon" approaching it once again.

"Hello. We meet again. Sorry for the trouble today, too."

The "little demon" smiled, his expression as gentle as the early spring sunshine.

Yet the Basilisk's body trembled involuntarily.

"Merlin above, what have you done?"

Looking at the giant snake sprawled on the ground like a limp noodle, Dumbledore's expression turned extremely strange.

When Klein had told him he'd discovered Salazar Slytherin's secret, the old man had immediately prepared for a great battle, spending ages on spells and protective charms.

Who could have imagined that, upon entering this so-called Chamber of Secrets, he'd find this scene instead?

The monster Salazar Slytherin had supposedly hidden away as a last resort, a terrifying creature with the power to kill and the ability to wipe out every non-pure-blood wizard—

That was it?

"This little one is very well-behaved. It's helped me a lot."

Klein crouched and gently stroked the Basilisk's bumpy head, his tone utterly sincere.

Without nearly a hundred dissections, his Transfiguration would never have improved so quickly~

"Heh."

Dumbledore gave a dry laugh and said nothing more.

He had no idea how he was supposed to feel.

A Basilisk.

A terrifying Basilisk bred through Dark Magic!

How had it become an innocent little rabbit in this boy's eyes?

Wait!

Dumbledore gently rubbed the Elder Wand and couldn't help sighing.

Compared to the giant snake sprawled on the ground as if its muscles had cramped, the more terrifying "monster" was probably right in front of him.

The thought of a being capable of threatening the entire Magical World attending his school gave the old man a stomachache.

The whole thing was—

far too thrilling!

"So, you wanted to show me your new pet?"

Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets had been opened, but before the danger could even emerge, a certain Grindelwald family descendant had snuffed it out in its cradle.

Dumbledore stroked his beard helplessly, his gaze tinged with confusion.

"I read in Hogwarts, A History that you were a Transfiguration professor when you were young, so I wanted to ask you to give me some guidance."

Klein rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and pointed his wand at the Basilisk.

"I can already reliably turn all sorts of things except people into snakes. Now it's time to practice reverse Transfiguration."

"You mean..."

Dumbledore's brows furrowed slightly.

"I want to turn this little one into something like a ring that I can carry around. Would you mind guiding me?"

With a Transfiguration master like Dumbledore right there, Klein had no reason to pass up the opportunity.

One-on-one private instruction like this was precious. He'd only dared ask because he'd gotten along rather well with the old man lately.

"Well..."

Dumbledore frowned, not answering at once.

After thinking for more than ten seconds, he gave a relieved smile.

"All right."

There was no doubt that a Basilisk was extremely dangerous, but compared with Klein, it seemed insignificant. Rather than worry about the harm it might cause if it left the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore might as well teach the boy well and strengthen their relationship.

"Then I'm much obliged."

At Dumbledore's affirmative reply, Klein was delighted.

He raised his Purple Sandalwood Wand, pictured the object he wanted to transform in his mind, and began casting.

"Sss!" "Sss!!" "Sss!!!"

From life to death, from death to life, half alive and half dead, half dead and half alive.

The intense pain coursing through its body made the Basilisk hiss feebly.

But neither Klein nor Dumbledore showed the slightest change in expression.

The two watched the giant snake twisting and writhing on the ground, their gazes like a pool in the depths of winter—

focused and cold.