Herman really wanted to say, "I was just having an accident," but seeing Marlene's look of "looking at someone like me," the explanation swirled around in his mouth before he swallowed it back.
Further explanation would likely backfire; the other party had already decided he was a young wizard who had inadvertently embarked on a forbidden path, and quite admired this notion.
He decided to change the subject. "Professor, you know about this too?"
Marlene was taken aback for a moment.
His stunned expression lasted a little longer than before, probably as he was trying to figure out how to explain why he knew something that was explicitly forbidden by the Ministry of Magic.
She quickly replied, "Strictly speaking, magical modification is also a branch of Alchemy. Fantastic Beasts modification and magical organ transplantation are also forms of Alchemy, even a separate category: Human Alchemy."
Her tone was flat, as if she were introducing the content of an ordinary subject, "However, this school of thought was too crazy, creating many monsters and offending many wizards. Later, after the Ministry of Magic was established, it banned biological modification, and this school of thought gradually withered away, even dying out."
Sure enough, scientists are all crazy, regardless of the version they're from.
Herman nodded seriously, silently adding another circle to Professor Malin's academic field in his mind; the scope of this person's research was much broader than he had imagined.
Professor Malin continued, "However, I've occasionally obtained a few notebooks that mention some very obscure things. Of course, for you, these things are probably enough to study until you graduate from Hogwarts."
She paused here, her gaze falling on Herman's face as if observing his reaction. "So, are you interested?"
Herman was very tempted.
However, since this was illegal, and seeing Marlene's amused expression, he wasn't sure what the professor's attitude was, so he decided to play it safe and tentatively said, "Isn't that inappropriate? After all, this violates the Ministry of Magic's regulations."
Marlene said indifferently, "If it's not discovered, it's not considered a violation. Besides, when you're powerful enough, the Ministry of Magic won't bother with minor issues."
She tilted her head, looking at Herman, "Do you know how many wizards have undergone modifications? Like the Animagus, are there really only a few?"
Herman listened to Marlene's words, the hesitation in his heart began to loosen.
Indeed, just like Sirius, the few of them learned Animagus on their own without registering with the Ministry of Magic, which brought them a lot of convenience.
As a wanted criminal, Sirius's ability to transform into a large black dog and appear openly in Hogsmeade, even going so far as to shop in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, is all thanks to his Animagus, which is not registered with the Ministry of Magic.
It's better to learn more skills to have on your side.
Moreover, the magical transformation must be extremely powerful. He only modified one arm and used a Potions to gain an ability almost comparable to Wandless Magic.
It was much faster than the process of others taking out their wands, chanting spells, and waving them, even faster than his innate ability to manipulate objects Transfiguration. After all, object manipulation requires a portion of attention to control the object, while this flame shot directly from his own body.
And as Harry said before, minor modifications are fine, as long as you don't make too many changes.
Herman nodded, his tone more determined than before. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Professor. I'd like to learn."
Marlene gave him a satisfied look, her gaze carrying the pleasure of finding satisfactory material. "Not bad, I like ambitious young wizards. Wizards should be willing to try new powers. Starting magical transformations in your first year, I believe you are probably the first at Hogwarts."
Herman inwardly laughed, "I didn't do it on purpose! It's all Harry's fault for daring to concoct medicine after reading only half a book. Of course, I'm also to blame; I was out of my mind and actually dared to use it."
However, Herman only kept these thoughts to himself. Now it seemed that this character was to Marlene's liking, and she was planning to pass on some real skills to him.
Marlene continued, "It's getting late, and I need to organize some materials. So, from now on, come to my office on Friday evenings, and I'll teach you some things that are suitable for you."
Herman quickly expressed his gratitude and then took his leave.
He had just reached the door when Marlene suddenly called out to him as if she had remembered something, "Wait a minute."
Herman turned around and saw Marlene take out her wand and point it towards his arm, saying, "Although most wizards nowadays probably can't see the problem with your arm, I'm not sure if Dumbledore will notice. So, just to be safe, I'll help you hide it even better."
As she spoke, a puff of black smoke rose from the tip of Marlene's wand. The smoke condensed into the shape of a small, jet-black snake, which quickly flew to Herman's arm and then disappeared inside.
Herman felt as if something had bitten his arm. The sharp pain lasted only a moment, then something exploded under his skin, like a cool sensation spreading from the bite point outwards, quickly reaching his entire arm before disappearing just as quickly, as if it had seeped into the bone and could never be found again.
"Professor, what is this?" Herman asked curiously.
Marlene explained simply, "A little magic trick to make your arm fit better, less uncoordinated, and easier for others to notice."
Herman thanked her again and left Marlene's office.
After leaving the house, he stood in the hallway and waved his arm.
The movements were smooth and normal, and it felt no different from before.
He raised his palm, and with a thought, a flame rose from his palm. The dark red flame danced quietly between his fingertips, more obedient than ever before, as if it had finally transformed from a wild cat that could bite at any moment into a loyal old dog.
Herman extinguished the flames, clenched his fist, and felt as if an invisible shackle had been removed from his arm.
Herman was even more excited about his next visit, having never expected that Marlene's magic would lead to such significant progress.
Having decided to learn properly from Marlene, Herman began to make plans in his mind again on the way back.
Learning magical modifications is a given, after all, the convenience that the flame patterns bring him is undeniable. The response speed is the same as Wandless Magic, which can save the time of drawing a wand and chanting spells in critical moments, and that could be the difference between life and death.
But the original alchemy also needs to catch up quickly, so that Marlene doesn't think I'm only focused on fancy tricks.
Modification sounds exciting, but without a solid foundation, one cannot go far. An Alchemy of Marlene's caliber probably wouldn't like a student who only thinks about taking shortcuts.
Moreover, he frequently visited Professor Malin, so he always had to produce some results.
Every time I go, I ask questions, take notes, and look through books. After a while, if I'm asked what I'm doing one day, I can't just not have anything to say.