Marlene walked up to him, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment, then she drew her wand from her sleeve and gently tapped the bronze door.
The door lock made a soft click, and the door slid open inwards.
"Come in."
Herman followed her into the office. The layout was similar to when he last came: bookshelves filled with books, instrument parts neatly arranged on the control panel, and small metal objects floating and rotating in the corner.
Several magic lamps shone from the ceiling, their cool, steady light illuminating the entire room clearly.
Marlene walked behind the desk and sat down, placing her wand on the table, then looked up at Herman.
"Is there a problem with alchemy?"
Herman opened his mouth, but before he could say, "I actually wanted to ask about magical transformations," he was silenced by this question.
"It's not an alchemical problem," he said.
Marlene tilted her head slightly, as if gathering her thoughts. "Have you done any work lately?"
Herman shook his head. "Not yet, the materials haven't arrived."
Marlene's brow twitched slightly, a very small movement, but Herman saw it clearly.
Her tone was a little cooler than before, carrying a hint of disappointment. "So what did you come to ask me?"
"About magical modifications," Herman said, "The kind you mentioned last time."
Marlene's expression barely changed, but she remained silent for two seconds.
Then she spoke, her tone much more serious than before. "This is just a side path, a shortcut. Modifying a wizard's body is not something you should be doing at your age. Without a solid foundation in alchemy, you'll only be digging your own grave."
She paused, as if carefully choosing her words, "What you need to do now is focus on the right path. Craft magical items, starting with small ones and gradually becoming proficient, laying a solid foundation in material processing, magic infusion, and form stabilization. With this foundation, you won't do too badly in anything you do in the future. But if you skip this step and go straight to modification, even if you succeed, it's just luck, and luck won't last forever."
Hearing this, Herman silently thought to himself, "You've done just as much as I have."
Who was it that sent me to learn about "transformation magic" on Friday night? And who helped me hide my arm even more well? It's amazing that Dumbledore didn't notice anything amiss.
Now you're telling me to focus on the right path? Are all women this fickle?
But he didn't say a word more, only repeatedly agreeing, "The professor is right. I'll focus on building a solid foundation first. Once the materials arrive, I'll start with the simpler things and not rush into any modifications."
Marlene nodded, her expression softening somewhat, probably thinking the student was fairly obedient.
Herman didn't dare to stay any longer. His visit today was already somewhat presumptuous, and Marlene didn't seem to be in the same mood as last time. If he stayed any longer, he might be treated coldly again.
He said goodbye, "Then I'll head back now, Professor."
He turned and walked towards the door, his hand just touching the doorknob when he heard Marlene's voice behind him.
First came a very soft sigh.
The sigh was exceptionally clear in the quiet office, as if it had risen from some deep place, carrying an indescribable meaning.
Then Herman heard something being placed on the table with a crisp clinking sound, like metal or stone hitting the wooden tabletop. It was probably Marlene taking something out of her robe and placing it on the table.
"Wait a minute, Horace." Herman turned around quickly upon hearing this.
Marlene stood with her back to him in front of a long table, looking down at something.
Her figure blocked most of the view on the table, but through the reflection in the window glass, Herman could vaguely see something in her hand or on the table reflecting the candlelight.
The spot of light danced on the windowpane, long and thin, dark in color, like a gemstone or some kind of polished metal.
Marlene didn't turn around, her voice lower than before. "You came to ask about modification magic, right? Regarding your arm, I remembered a notebook I read years ago; some of the information there relates to your situation. You can take a look; it will help you and make your arm stronger."
Herman quickly asked, "Professor, where is the book?"
Marlene bent down slightly, as if picking something up from the table.
Her movements were blocked by her body, Herman couldn't see what it was, only a faint outline in the reflection of the window glass.
The gem-like object flashed in her palm, then disappeared into her sleeve or somewhere unseen.
She straightened up, her tone returning to its usual calm. "I just saw it in the library recently. Turn left after you enter, it's on shelf number 97. I left some notes there, you'll see when you go look."
Herman didn't think much of it and quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Professor, I'll go right away."
After he finished speaking, he turned around, opened the door, and walked out. The bronze door slowly closed behind him.
At this moment, Marlene's voice rang out again. "Since Dumbledore hasn't found anything, then this week, next Friday, after you've looked at the notes, come to my place tonight, and I'll see what you've learned from the book."
Hmph, women are so fickle.
However, perhaps my absence on Fridays disrupted Professor Malin's plans, which is why she was a bit cold? Herman considered this possibility; perhaps Professor Malin was a very organized person and didn't like others disrupting her plans.
The candlelight in the corridor was dimmer than when he arrived. Herman estimated the time and figured that if he rushed to the library now, he should be able to borrow a book before Madam Pince closed.
He quickened his pace, descending the spiral staircase, his boots making a series of rapid sounds as they pounded on the stone steps.
The library entrance is on the other side of the castle, accessible from the tower by traversing several corridors and two staircases.
As Herman walked, he kept recalling what Marlene had just said.
Turn left after entering; this is bookshelf number 97.
Does the library have that many rows of bookshelves? And aren't they all divided into sections? The Transfiguration section, the Fantastic Beasts section, and so on? Shelf number 97, that way of locating them sounds a bit strange.
But Marlene said she left notes there, so it must be that spot.
He stepped out of the tower and turned into the corridor leading to the library, his pace quickening slightly.
When Herman arrived at the library entrance, he paused for a moment.
The door was ajar, and the light coming from inside was dim and quiet. The hallway was very quiet, and it was clear that everyone was behaving themselves under Madam Pince's supervision.
Of course, it's more likely that at this time, mischievous people like George Fred wouldn't be at the library either.