Dumbledore Was Stumped, and Home Again

Dumbledore hadn't felt this stumped in years, but Will's questions that evening had left the greatest wizard of the age at a complete loss.

"Professor, if Transfiguration is fundamentally about changing matter, can it change matter at the microscopic level?"

"If I turned water into bread and ate it, then kept it transformed until I'd digested and passed it, would I actually get the nutrients?"

The first questions weren't too difficult. The Wizarding World had always had its share of fanciful thinkers. But Will's next questions made Dumbledore wonder whether he'd grown so old that his hearing was failing.

"If I used Transfiguration to turn a lump of earth into uranium-235 and plutonium-239, would they be radioactive?"

"If they were radioactive and a wizard fell ill from the radiation, would the illness disappear when the Transfiguration ended?"

"If the Transfiguration ended after they underwent nuclear fission, would they still be radioactive?"

Heaven help him. The 110-year-old legendary wizard knew something about the Muggle world, but he had never looked into it this deeply. Will's questions really were a bit much to ask of an old man.

In the end, Will didn't get the answers he wanted. The earlier questions had taught him a few things, but the crucial ones remained unresolved.

He couldn't blame Dumbledore. This one was entirely on Will.

The next morning, Hogwarts Castle rang with the laughter of young wizards. The holidays had begun.

The students going home had packed their luggage and were beside themselves with excitement. Even those staying behind were delighted: a whole month without classes or homework, free to play as much as they liked.

At breakfast, Professor McGonagall had to keep pacing through the Great Hall to stop anyone from getting too carried away.

Sylvia was spreading Shakshuka and tomatoes over a slice of bread when a long spray of sparks erupted from the Gryffindor table. Will then heard George's and Fred's names. Another prank of theirs, apparently.

Just then, Will sat down beside Sylvia, bringing over a plate of Full English Breakfast.

"What took you so long? Breakfast is almost over." Sylvia handed him a glass of milk, looking puzzled.

"Just a little something. You'll find out later." Will began eating at an unhurried pace despite the time.

After breakfast, the students streamed out of the castle. This time, they had to carry their own luggage; the House-elves didn't know which carriage each student would take.

Will, Sylvia, Hermione, and Neville shared a compartment again.

Unlike the chilly atmosphere at the start of term, all four were now close friends, and the mood was much more relaxed.

Will still spent a good deal of time reading, but their conversation was warm and easy overall.

He even took several food containers out of his trunk.

The other three knew what was coming, but none of them had expected Will to prepare six dishes.

"I asked the House-elves in the kitchens to make all this this morning." Will handed out cutlery to each of them.

"So that's what you were doing this morning." It finally clicked for Sylvia.

Will could be distant much of the time, but he really did know how to look after people...

[Someone has developed a favorable impression of you. Charisma Experience +1]

[Someone has developed a favorable impression of you. Charisma Experience +1]

[Someone has developed a favorable impression of you. Charisma Experience +1]

Will's lips curved into a smile. Experience gained!

The train passed through one Muggle town after another. They ate food from the Hogwarts Kitchens, took off their wizard robes, and changed into winter coats.

It was winter, so dusk was already falling by the time the train pulled into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

"Everyone, line up! Go through one at a time! Don't draw the Muggles' attention!" A gaunt old guard stood by the ticket barrier.

The young wizards grumbled. It was getting late, and they were all eager to get home. Will had no choice but to pull another book from his book trunk, cast Lumos, and keep reading.

It took a long time for everyone to leave the platform. Will and Sylvia emerged through the solid wall together, then waited for Neville and Hermione.

Their families were waiting nearby.

"You must be young Berens." An elderly woman in a thick green coat approached Will.

"Will, this is my grandmother," Neville said, introducing her.

"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom." Will was unfailingly polite.

"What a well-mannered boy. Neville has told me quite a bit about you. He says he's learned lots of spells, thanks to you, young Berens." Neville's grandmother held his hand, but he shyly pulled it away.

He had spotted a girl from Gryffindor.

"You must be the friends Neville made at Hogwarts. What lovely children."

Sylvia and Hermione greeted Mrs. Longbottom too. Before long, their parents came over.

The adults even began chatting among themselves.

But they soon noticed that no one had come for Will.

"Will, where's your family?" Sylvia asked, taking his arm.

"Oh, they couldn't make it. I'll take a taxi home." Will didn't tell them much, not wanting them to worry too much.

"Would you like me to give you a lift, young Berens?" Mr. Granger was a refined-looking man. "Who would have thought? You and Hermione were classmates for six years, and now you've both gone to Hogwarts."

"No need. I'm used to it. Thank you, Mr. Granger." Will smiled as he politely declined. "Well, I'll see you all later. I'll write."

"Goodbye, Will," the three said together.

A little over thirty minutes later, a taxi stopped in front of a house where the snow hadn't been cleared. Will trudged through it into the silent house and switched on the light. A layer of dust had settled inside.

London's air quality left much to be desired.

Will snapped his fingers, and the dust vanished. He had used Scourgify.

He hadn't used his wand because of the Trace.

The Trace was meant to detect magic used by young wizards. As Will understood it, the Ministry of Magic linked the Department of Magical Transportation's Floo Network monitoring system with the Improper Use of Magic Office's records database, creating a nationwide detection network.

But the system had a technical flaw: it couldn't distinguish a young spellcaster from an adult wizard nearby. When Dobby used magic, the Ministry had mistakenly blamed Harry, while Mr. Weasley's magic in front of Harry had triggered no alert.

An even more important flaw was its poor ability to detect Nonverbal Spells and Wandless Magic.

Professor Flitwick had told him that, incidentally. He hoped Will would practice Wandless Magic and Nonverbal Spellcasting more outside school.

Will lit the fireplace, and warmth began to fill the room. He cast several household spells in quick succession, soon making the room as warm as spring. Then he magically locked every door and window in the house before settling down to rest.