Even Griselda Marchbanks had never seen Transfiguration like this.
It was as though a long-dormant passion had been rekindled within her. At last unable to contain herself, she praised him, "Lovegood, this is truly an extraordinary piece of Transfiguration!"
As Griselda Marchbanks spoke, an unfamiliar man in a suit reached out, intending to touch the phoenix's feathers.
The next moment, he felt the phoenix's unusual heat. He sucked in a sharp breath and jerked his hand back.
He quickly realized his lapse in composure and hurriedly cleared his throat. "My apologies, Mr. Lovegood... I hope you can forgive my rashness."
"For a creature that exists only in stories and legends..." His gaze remained fixed on the phoenix. "I simply couldn't help being curious!"
"You have a book called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I read about phoenixes in it. I never expected one to be this hot—hot enough to burn your hand, even."
"So you say it counts as a real phoenix... Does that mean it can sing? According to that book, its song can give people courage and even banish fear."
"Oh, right! I forgot to introduce myself..." As though suddenly remembering something, he said, "My name is David Morris. I'm a physicist."
Griselda Marchbanks watched Wizet's expression and saw not the slightest surprise or confusion in his features, so she offered no further explanation.
"Lovegood..." She brought the subject back to the examination itself. "To transfigure a phoenix like this, just the temperature of its feathers alone..."
She reached out and pressed a hand against the phoenix's wing as well. "This degree of heat, and such a delicate texture—these alone are enough to earn an 'O.'"
"But I'm equally curious... You said it could now be considered a real phoenix. In that case, it should be