Introduction to Alchemy: First Lesson

The next morning, Lin An straightened his teaching robes and headed punctually to his first alchemy class. The schedule showed that he would be teaching third-year students that morning, with another class for a different year in the afternoon. The rest of the week's classes were scattered across various time slots.

When he pushed open the classroom door, he saw students sitting in neat rows. To his slight surprise, every student had arrived early, their curious eyes fixed intently on him.

"Good morning, students."

"Good morning, Professor," the students replied in unison, their excitement impossible to conceal.

Lin An drew his wand and gave it a light flick. The stack of heavy textbooks on the lectern rose into the air on its own and landed precisely in front of each student. The gold-stamped title on the covers stood out clearly:

Introduction to Alchemy, by Lin An Alvin Bones.

After every student had received a textbook, Lin An began his introduction:

"Alchemy is primarily divided into two fields. The first studies the four elements and their composition, explores the secrets of transmuting metals into gold, and seeks a universal medicine capable of curing all diseases. The second studies the creation of magical items. This course will focus on the latter, because only the finest alchemists can venture into the first field, not to mention the immense resources it requires."

"Professor, can you really turn metal into gold? After all, you're a master alchemist." A student suddenly asked without raising his hand.

Lin An looked toward the speaker and found two students who looked exactly alike.

"You must be the Weasley twins!"

"You've heard of us?" Fred and George asked in unison, proud grins on their faces.

"Of course." The corner of Lin An's lips lifted. "Professor McGonagall specifically warned me to watch out for the two of you and your little tricks. And I knew your brother Bill when I was in school. Though I was two years ahead of him, we often talked, and he mentioned your 'great achievements' at home."

"Fred, it seems our legendary deeds have spread far and wide," one twin said to the other in an exaggerated tone.

"That's right, George. Even the famous Lin An Bones has heard of us."

"But Professor, you still haven't answered the question." This time, it was a Ravenclaw student who spoke.

"I will answer it. But from now on, anyone who wishes to ask a question or speak must raise their hand first."

The classroom immediately fell silent, and every student waited with rapt attention. Lin An gathered his thoughts and continued:

"Yes, I have successfully transmuted various metals into gold. Unfortunately, such transformations have never lasted; at most, they could be maintained for six months. As far as I know, there is only one alchemist in the world today capable of permanently transmuting matter."

"Mr. Davies, do you have a question?"

"Is that alchemist Professor Dumbledore?" Roger Davies of Ravenclaw asked, raising his hand.

"No, it is not the Headmaster. If you are curious, you may search for the answer in the library. Now, let us return to the lesson."

"To make any magical item, you must first understand the properties of different materials, their magical conductivity, and their processing methods. However, that knowledge mostly relies on memorization. We will discuss specific processing techniques another day. Today, I will guide you in making your first alchemical item."

With a light flick of his wand, Lin An caused two items to appear before every student: a circular metal disc and a quill-shaped object.

"Please raise your hands if you know the Iron Armor Charm."

Only three people in the class raised their hands: the Weasley twins and Cedric Diggory.

"I had completely forgotten. Under Minister Fudge's administration, the quality of education at Hogwarts has indeed been less than satisfactory lately. Then surely you all know the Levitation Charm? If I remember correctly, that was the first spell you learned in your first year."

All the students nodded.

"Very good. Now pick up your enchanted pens and write the incantation for the Levitation Charm—'Wingardium Leviosa'—on the circular metal discs. Remember, as you write those words, constantly recall the feeling of casting the spell."

After saying that, Lin An demonstrated personally. He engraved the words [Wingardium Leviosa] onto a metal disc, and it immediately rose into the air.

The students became excited at once and eagerly began trying it themselves. However, they soon discovered that it was far more difficult than they had imagined.

First, the enchanted pens did not always write according to their wishes, and they needed intense concentration to control them properly. Second, if the supply of magic was interrupted while writing, everything they had written beforehand would disappear. Not to mention the metal discs' natural resistance to having magic infused into them.

Lin An paced around the classroom, occasionally stopping to offer guidance and point out the students' mistakes. Despite their repeated failures, the students remained enthusiastic, and the classroom was filled with the joy of trying and discovering.

By the end of the lesson, many students had finished their engravings and successfully made their metal discs float off the ground. Of course, most of the discs only rose a few centimeters, and even the best ones floated merely a few inches above the floor.

Before class ended, Lin An did not assign traditional parchment homework. Instead, he let the students take the metal discs and enchanted pens away to continue practicing. At the same time, he instructed everyone to study the Iron Armor Charm on their own, as it would be the practical content of the next lesson. Outside the classroom, the fading light of the setting sun shone through the stained-glass windows, casting brilliant colors over the metal discs that gleamed with magical light.