allendalepharm Chapter 329 Dumbledore's Master Class in Transfiguration 2
Chapter 329 Dumbledore's Master Class in Transfiguration 2
Chapter 329 Dumbledore's Master Class in Transfiguration 2
For modern wizards, Quidditch duels are extremely special; they are truly different from wizard duels and the Quidditch World Cup.
The former often becomes a turn-based performance due to issues such as etiquette and rules.
While the latter features intense competition, it always feels like something is missing.
Now, as everyone watches Quidditch duels, they finally understand.
Magic is missing!
The magic that wizards should possess!
This force of returning to the source is powerful. Even though only the first three rounds of matches have been held, it has already begun to draw nourishment from the long history of wizarding magic, and has immediately brought out the wizards' sense of emotion, wonder, and mystery regarding magic.
Everyone can feel it.
Everyone was eager to discuss this.
The Quidditch duel after the match quickly became the hottest topic in the Wizarding World, bar none!
Mrs. Pince, the school librarian, was surprised to find that the students' enthusiasm for reading had skyrocketed, with so many people coming to try and discover more interesting and effective magic.
So the clever little wizards started thinking of ways to create a special issue on this hot topic.
Cassius, the editor-in-chief of the Duelist Club newspaper, summoned members of the Duelist Club for help.
"We receive a huge number of submissions every day!"
He waved a newspaper, "We just finished the layout, and more interesting content has been sent over. We're adding, deleting, and revising it almost every day, and the publication date is still nowhere in sight!"
Aberforth Dumbledore, the owner of the Hog's Head, sipped a Butterbeer and leaned against the bar, watching the youngsters with a smile, thinking that they had been greedy and ambitious in the past.
Percy Weasley clearly shared this view: "Hey, man, let's solve the problem of whether it exists or not first, then we'll worry about whether the content is good or bad!"
"We have to get things done first!"
"That's because you don't know how good these manuscripts are!" Cassius pulled one out of a pile of manuscripts, "From Penelope Crivart of Ravenclaw—"
As he spoke, he gestured to Penelope, who was sitting in the corner.
This woman is also a member of the Duel Club, Percy's girlfriend, a former prefect of Ravenclaw, and after graduating this year, she was recommended by Professor Lockhart and is now an employee of the Office of Literary Patents under the Department of Magical Sports and Magical Games of the Ministry of Magic, UK.
Incidentally, Ginny once complained to her friend about Penelope's scheming in choosing this department, believing it was to please Percy's twin brothers so that she could marry into the family later.
"While she was working at the Ministry of Magic, she sorted through patents for whimsical items and discovered an interesting spell that we can hardly categorize as a curse, a transfiguration, or just a joke, but it really fits our Duel Club's fairytale adventure theme."
"Crazy Zoo!" Cassius shouted the name of the spell.
"It can release a large patch of green light, and any wizards touched by the green light will be transformed into the appearance of animals."
"Wow!" Many people exclaimed in unison.
"I'm so eager to try it!" George exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, that would be so much fun!" Fred's eyes sparkled.
Harry Potter, captain of the Hogwarts team, instantly recognized the value of the magic. "This is very useful!"
"Right?" Cassius turned the manuscript to face everyone. "I believe this idea will absolutely drive a lot of people crazy, but here—"
He patted the manuscripts on the table, "New ideas are being submitted every day!"
"I wish I could put all my ideas into our Duel Club Gazette!" Cassius exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed. "It would instantly stand out from all the other newspapers and magazines, full of the unbridled romantic ideas of our young wizards. That's our strength, and it's also the hallmark of our newspaper."
So here's the problem: the publication date can't be delayed indefinitely. If it's delayed until the end, even if there's a dazzling array of content, the atmosphere of enthusiastic discussion will have already passed.
"Perhaps we could try making an unpredictable newspaper?" Neville suddenly suggested from the side. Seeing everyone looking at him, he became a little embarrassed and blushed. He said, "I once went to the Ministry of Magic with my grandmother and saw a wall that was constantly updated with information. It was always announcing which places and who had broken the law by casting spells in front of Muggles."
"My grandmother said it's an indefinite information magic, that it can keep releasing new content."
Cassius exchanged surprised glances with his colleagues at the newspaper. They all knew they could seek help from Undersecretary of Magic Umbridge and perhaps add the magic to the newspaper!
"That's a great idea!" Cedric was instantly filled with thoughts. "Like that magical 'Crazy Zoo' from before, I think many people would like to comment and discuss it. If the information in the newspaper could be updated in real time, it would definitely be very popular."
"A topical publication!" Draco added from the side, "We'll create topical publications for one or more topics, constantly updating them with discussions about those topics over a certain period! I think this will cause our newspaper sales to grow exponentially."
"Greedy Malfoy!" Ron muttered from the side, but he also felt that he might buy some of the featured issues and wait for someone to post an update discussing the parts he liked.
"Hey!"
Hermione suddenly exclaimed, "Muggles have such things!"
Seeing everyone looking at her, she excitedly exclaimed, "A forum, an internet forum, looks just like this!"
She had difficulty explaining to the wizards what the Internet and forums were; it was hard to grasp the concept through mere imagination.
In fact, even Muggles might not know this. At least her friends, Harry who grew up in Muggle society, and her father, a Muggle living in the Muggle world, were all completely unaware of it.
So, filled with excitement to share this new experience with her friends, she exclaimed, "Let's go check out the Muggle world! I need to turn on a computer so you can truly appreciate the magic and efficiency of this information dissemination!"
"No!" Percy rejected the suggestion, shouting, "You can't leave Hogsmeade Village. In fact, the fact that we're even here is already an extraordinary permission from the school. If Professor McGonagall knew that you'd all left here and gone to the Muggle world—"
Aberforth laughed maliciously from the side, "When Aberforth was young, he wasn't as pedantic as you. You're not going to the Muggle world to assassinate the king, guys. You're just going to see some new things."
The tavern owner looks remarkably like Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, giving the young wizards the feeling that the headmaster is right beside them.
But the two seem so different.
No one heeded Aberforth's instigation to cause trouble for Hogwarts, which was holding the Triwizard Tournament.
"I wish we had our own dueling club," Hermione muttered. "Even just having internet access would be great; I think everyone should get involved in that. It broadens everyone's horizons!"
Crabbe raised his hand. "We can go to Professor Lockhart. If he's not busy, he'd be happy to help us and take us to the Muggle world."
So the young wizards went to find Professor Lockhart with great excitement.
When they arrived, Lockhart was packing his things to leave.
"Kids, you've come at just the right time." Lockhart's smile was always perfect. "I'm planning to buy a building in the Muggle world, which will become the headquarters of our Duel Club."
"The Hibiscus Ravenclaw Alumni Association will also be holding a gathering there, as well as a book club for the Beauxbatons student community, so you'll have more opportunities to interact with other schools and alumni."
The young wizards were filled with anticipation for this.
Hermione shouted excitedly, "Professor, can we set up a computer room in the building? Everyone can go online there!"
"Great idea!" Lockhart nodded with a smile. "Why not?"
Then everyone followed the professor to Professor McGonagall's office to get permission and use her office fireplace to go to the British Ministry of Magic building.
Emerging from the fireplace at the Ministry of Magic, Minister Fudge and a Muggle nobleman were already waiting there.
"Giddon~" Fudge greeted him warmly, "Let me introduce you. This is the key figure who can help you acquire the Westminster Bank Tower, Sir Humphrey Appleby."
It must be said that Fudge was incredibly efficient; he quickly found out the information and brought in a Muggle bigwig who had influence in the matter.
"We know each other!" Sir Appleby greeted Lockhart with a familiar smile, bowing and greeting the young wizards, "Percy, Draco, Hermione, Ron—"
The castle grounds that Percy and his team found for the Quidditch dueling training base were purchased from Sir Appleby, and they received a lot of help from him afterward.
Hermione, in particular, clearly maintained a good relationship with Sir Appleby. She knew all too well how important it was to befriend such an important figure in the Muggle world, and her father was thrilled when he found out.
Everyone had a very pleasant conversation.
But soon they started to have a headache about how to get around.
Fudge had originally planned to ride in Sir Appleby's Muggle car with Lockhart, but Lockhart unexpectedly brought a group of young wizards with him.
The distance from the Ministry of Magic to Westminster Tower is not far, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers), but it is an awkward distance for travel.
"A minor issue."
Lockhart smiled and drew his wand. "Magic can solve all problems."
Seeing that he was about to cast a spell, Fudge quickly tried to stop him, as casting a spell in the Ministry of Magic's main hall would cause chaos and would soon alert the Auror's office and some busybodies.
Fudge certainly had the right to bring a Muggle, especially a Muggle knight who was closely associated with the Merlin Society, but arguing about this with certain people was just too much trouble.
Sometimes he couldn't help but feel the awkward situation of half-blood wizards. They didn't have the authority of pure-blood wizards, nor the political correctness of Muggle wizards. They were unloved and neglected. They were the ones who were harmed by pure-blood supremacy activities, and they were also the ones who were harmed by Muggle wizards seeking status.
Both of them can always be very flexible in their actions. They enjoy the political correctness that they naturally possess. Only the half-blood wizard can only talk about the rules. They still have to spend a lot of effort to explain the original rules to people. In many cases, they even have to pay some price to get everyone to follow the rules.
But Fudge quickly ran out of time to think about it.
He was surprised to find that the whole world was receding away. It was a strange feeling. They were standing right there, but it was as if they had hidden themselves in a house that no one could see into.
They weren't invisible; some officials passing by would still look at them curiously.
Fookie clearly saw a staff member from the minister's office look at him and try to come over, but in the end, for some reason, he didn't, as if some force was suppressing the other person's attempt to get closer.
"Let's go, Sir Appleby. Please give us directions when we leave."
As Lockhart spoke, he lightly tapped his wand on the ground.
Suddenly, the black, oily floor of the Ministry of Magic's hall began to ripple eerily, as if it had turned into a lake, with the clouds in the sky reflected on its surface.
Then, an enormous Pegasus pierced through the clouds and instantly arrived at their feet, easily supporting them.
Wings flapping.
In an instant, they left the Ministry of Magic building and arrived on the Muggle street.
They were standing still, but everything around them seemed to be moving rapidly behind them.
"That's the same amazing Transfiguration that Dumbledore talked about in his last lecture!" Harry exclaimed, quickly realizing what was happening.
"But I clearly felt the power of the Patronus Charm!" Neville retorted. "This isn't Transfiguration!"
"Complex spells, children," Lockhart explained to them, "When we truly embark on our own magical path, the knowledge and wisdom we absorb become nourishment for ourselves, allowing us to integrate the characteristics of many other spells while using our own magic as the foundation."
Because they had to wait for Sir Appleby to give them directions, the Pegasus slowed down, and they did not travel very fast.
Lockhart then went on to tell them about Grindelwald's magic: "Grindelwald once cast a fire spell at Père Lachaise Cemetery that, if left unchecked, could easily burn down the entire city of Paris."
"Many wizards who don't understand it will think it's a Fiendfyre spell because it does have many of the characteristics of a Fiendfyre spell."
"But actually, it's not. It's a defensive spell called Fire Shield."
"This spell is the most obvious example of a compound spell; it can distinguish friend from foe, it can defend and attack, and it can counter apparition—"
Even Sir Humphrey Upby, a Muggle, was captivated by it.
He could hardly imagine what kind of magic could so easily destroy a city. It sounded almost like a nuclear bomb, no, even more terrifying, because it could be manipulated!
Magic is so captivating, especially for someone like him who has no way of casting spells; it is so desirable yet unattainable.
He stared blankly at his surroundings as he moved forward. Sometimes they would even cross the middle of a road with fast-moving traffic. A group of people, despite occupying a large area, seemed to squeeze space out of the road as they passed between two cars.
He could even see a child licking a lollipop in a car next to him, and he even thought he could reach into the car window and snatch the candy from the child's hand, although he didn't do it.
Soon, they arrived at Westminster Abbey.
It has a total of 42 floors and soars into the clouds.
But the situation looked rather bad at the moment. There were construction sheds and scaffolding everywhere, the construction site was in a mess, and it seemed that only a few people were idly hauling some building materials.
"We desperately crave magic!" Sir Appleby said to Lockhart, who was looking up at him, with utmost respect. "If you can offer some assistance, we are willing to give you this £2.3 million building unconditionally."
"Hey, this is tough!" Fudge chimed in before Lockhart could speak. "Buddy, I think I've made it pretty clear to you that Muggles can't have spellcasting abilities, and wizarding potions, spellbooks, and magical items are strictly prohibited from being distributed to Muggles!"
"Of course, I know about the Secrets Act, and we are staunch guardians of it," Sir Appleby quickly promised, then added cautiously, "But those Hakimi cats who become ordinary cats when they come to the Muggle world, I think the Ministry of Magic might relax some restrictions for that, right?"
Fudge glanced at Lockhart, and seeing that the bigwig still hadn't expressed his opinion, he said seriously, "Sir Appleby, do you know how difficult this is? Now that the Dark Lord has returned, he doesn't want Muggles to benefit from it at all. Your request will cause Lord Lockhart some trouble!"
Sir Appleby was overjoyed.
He knew all too well that if things didn't work out, there was nothing to talk about; only when there was something to talk about would he engage in so much conversation.
For these aristocratic bureaucrats, having to pay extra was commonplace.
Lockhart finally finished surveying the building, nodded with satisfaction, glanced at Fudge with amusement, and asked Sir Appleby, "How many of these loyal cat riders are needed?"
"Loyal cat knights?" Sir Appleby was quite impressed with the title, looking eager and longing. He hesitated and probed, "Do you think a thousand is acceptable? You know this building isn't cheap, and I need to give an explanation to everyone who paid for it."
"A thousand heads!" Fudge's voice rose considerably. "Are you insane?"
"Eight hundred and fifty-six!" Sir Appleby said somewhat nervously. "This is the minimum number. Every necessary person must have one, or I will certainly be held accountable."
Harry and the others were stunned.
They worked very hard to promote Hakimi Cat, but they didn't expect to get such a big order so easily.
They knew all too well how much effort Professor Lockhart had put into promoting Hakimi cats, and now someone was begging for his help.
The staggering price of £2.3 million is beyond the comprehension of young wizards.
But this is an amount that most people could never reach in their lifetime.
"I can give you a thousand heads, but I have two conditions!"
Lockhart gave Fudge a reassuring look; the old fox was frantically signaling to him with his eyes that there was room for negotiation, and that there were also many benefits to be gained from the Muggles' side.
"First, we don't have a thousand heads right now, so we need a breeding base. I've put Draco Malfoy, a member of the Duel Club, in charge, and you must provide the necessary assistance."
Lockhart originally tried to get Ron to do this, but Ron focused all his attention on studying Hakimi cat language and made no progress in this matter, nor did he show any talent for breeding magical creatures.
Whether Draco has talent or not is unknown, but the Malfoy family always manages to find the right people to help.
"Of course!" Sir Appleby agreed quickly. With a building worth over two hundred million pounds already donated, a breeding facility and necessary supplies would be a piece of cake. "We can arrange for zoologists to come and help."
He wanted to take the opportunity to plant some of his own people in this breeding base, and seeing that Lockhart didn't mind, he relaxed.
Fudge, however, was unhappy. "Buddy, remember the Secrecy Act!"
Sir Appleby said confidently, "Believe me, we have found people who are permitted to know about wizards and who already know."
With the proliferation of half-blood wizards and Muggle wizards, there are far too many Muggles who are aware of wizardry.
Moreover, being able to participate in this world-changing event, the zoologists should be able to ask the Queen for a knighthood. Given the prior communication between Muggle knights and the knights of Merlin's Order, they were naturally considered as people permitted to know.
"second!"
Lockhart, unconcerned about Sir Appleby's personal motives, continued to explain his requirements: "Strictly speaking, Hakimi cats are animalistic dark magic creatures. Even if they don't display magical characteristics in front of you and seem like ordinary, non-magical cats, they can still affect you. Therefore, there must be a certification for keeping them."
The real concern is that if evil people get the Hakimi cat, they will be guided to amplify their evil thoughts, then devour their souls and distort their personalities.
The corruption caused by dark magic is no joke.
Lockhart didn't want to create a large number of crazy and abnormal people, nor did he want to bring such a negative impact to the promotion of Hakimi Cat.
Sir Appleby clearly had some ideas about the so-called "entry requirements," asking pointedly, "Are there any specific criteria for evaluation?"
Yes, but it's easy to offend people if I say it.
Lockhart simply stated seriously, "Soul state!"
Ah, this—
Sir Appleby was speechless; this was clearly not a field that Muggles could understand.
But in any case, this matter has been roughly settled.
Fudge will be responsible for negotiating the specific details with the other party. He is clearly better at securing benefits than Lockhart and knows how to think from Lockhart's perspective.
For example, to seek a noble status for Lockhart's Muggle family members.
I'm so smart!
Fudge was amazed by his own idea and believed that Lord Lockhart would be satisfied with the results of his negotiations.
It was already late at night when Lockhart brought the young wizard back.
Hermione took the young wizards to an internet cafe to learn what forums were, and Lockhart also took the opportunity to reminisce about the internet.
Well, it's hard to reminisce. The internet of this era is practically ancient; for him, there was nothing he needed.
It was still two years before the earliest instant messaging software was developed and launched; several months before the first internet navigation website was born; and the first commercial browser had only been launched a few months earlier, which shows how barren the internet was at that time.
The next day, Lockhart did not immediately begin his long-planned time adventure.
Because Dumbledore has started teaching again.
At the beginning of class, at the request of the young wizards, he commented on some of the spells used in this Quidditch duel and highly praised the Durmstrang students for their ingenuity in using the spell "Sky Hangs Low".
He began the lesson by citing a wide range of sources.
"When we come into contact with magic, we inevitably pursue greater power."
"Learning a fire spell is like imagining using it to dry up an entire lake."
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Yes, I had such unrealistic fantasies when I was young."
Lockhart, sitting in the corner of the lower seats, had a strange expression on his face. He really wanted to say that Dumbledore had indeed achieved his goal: Dumbledore's Vulcan paved the way, and Gertrude's gas stove was a different kind of pursuit of the ultimate power of flame.
In comparison, the "thunderstorm and wildfire" that I devised myself is actually a form of restraint.
"Later, I delved deeper into Transfiguration."
Dumbledore's lecture continued: "The path of Transfiguration is the complete opposite; it requires not perfection, but control."
"Countless wizards who have achieved success in Transfiguration can attest that the power you can control is your greatest power, while the power you cannot control will only backfire on you."
He made a downward pressing motion.
"Try to weaken the power of the magic, keep weakening it, until you find that you can easily control it. Try to get closer to the effects of this magical power, and soon you will find that magic becomes different in your hands."
"Even if you can only use the transformation spell on a quill pen."
As he spoke, Dumbledore pulled a pink quill from the podium, waved it in his hand, and instantly transformed it into a pink pointed wizard's hat, which he then casually put on his head.
"Look, its deformation effect is more natural and vivid, as if it was meant to be this way."
"Continue exploring this magical path, and a brand new discipline will appear before you—Realism."
Dumbledore's expression became mysterious as he spoke slowly, as if imbued with magic, "The spells in your hands seem to have come to life, and Transfiguration no longer comes from your strong will."
"From the perspective of transfiguration."
"You will find that everything in the world that you can control becomes a tool. It doesn't need to be arranged; it will automatically and naturally transform according to your will."
His pointed wizard hat flew off.
No, that's not a wizard's hat, it's a pure white dove.
No one noticed when the hat turned into a pigeon, as if it had always been perched on Dumbledore's head.
The pigeons flew around Dumbledore, sometimes turning into a glove in his hand, sometimes into a cane, and sometimes automatically landing in his collar pocket as a quill pen.
The strange thing is that—
It is difficult for most people to feel the wondrous transformations of Transfiguration.
Only when people pay close attention will they notice that Dumbledore has an extra glove, a cane, or a quill pen in his hand.
It's as if it was always meant to be this way!
"From our will, to mastering magic, to the world being a projection of the mind, to thought being existence, existence being reality —"
Dumbledore drew his quill again. "Transfiguration has smoothed the chasm between the soul and reality, connecting everything. Reality and illusion alternate; what is real can be false, and what is false can be real."
"This leads us to ask the question—is this world real?"
He held the feather in his hand and pointed it at the ceiling of the classroom.
As everyone looked up, gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd.
There seemed to be a mirror there, reflecting everything below, as if there were two worlds.
Just then, everyone felt a strong sense of flipping, as if they had fallen into the mirrored world above, and many people visibly swayed.
"So, I want you to know that reality is reality, and we have to break through this illusion."
Dumbledore smiled at everyone. "Welcome to the real world!"
Double entendre.
The most amazing thing is that everyone was pulled into the mirror world created by Dumbledore's Transfiguration spell without realizing it at all.
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