HOGWARTS - HARRY

ShareDylan was in Professor McGonagall's office, asking numerous questions about the confusion he had faced since beginning his magical studies.

Professor McGonagall, patient as ever, provided him with answers, even explaining some aspects of magic beyond just Transfiguration.

[Message]: Your Transfiguration spell proficiency has increased! Current progress: 35%!

Dylan glanced at the panel.

His proficiency had risen by 0.5%, bringing it to 3.5/10—just on the verge of reaching level 4.

Through this, Dylan had gained considerable experience in performing Transfiguration on inanimate objects. He could now cast Transfiguration spells on non-living items with ease and realism. However, when it came to transforming living creatures or working with his Animagus form, things became trickier.

One thing was clear: successful transformation required understanding.

To transform something effectively, he had to comprehend its structure and principles. Magic wasn't omnipotent—it couldn't simply manifest objects from vague imagination. If he didn't understand how something worked, he could only produce a rough imitation.

For example, if he wanted to turn an apple into an alarm clock but didn't know an alarm clock's inner workings, he'd only create an object that looked like one but still contained an apple inside.

After leaving Professor McGonagall's office, Dylan headed straight for the Great Hall.

By now, most students were already seated, enjoying their lunch. There were still nearly two hours left before afternoon classes began—more than enough time to eat.

As he entered, he noticed two people waving at him—Harry and Ron.

Neville, too shy to raise his hand, simply stared at him eagerly.

Dylan walked over.

"Oh my God, Dylan! You were amazing in Transfiguration class! You earned ten whole points for Gryffindor!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.

He glanced at Hermione, who sat a little further away, eating.

"Unlike some people who go on about how great they are, yet only manage to earn five points," Ron muttered pointedly.

Hermione looked up at Ron briefly before turning her attention back to her food, ignoring the remark.

Ron scoffed, tilting his head back.

Dylan sighed.

"Ron, whether it's five points or ten points, they both help our house. That's better than earning zero or—worse—losing points."

Ron stiffened.

Hermione almost couldn't contain her laughter.

She shot a glance at Dylan before quickly refocusing on her meal.

Harry, sensing the tension, quickly changed the topic.

"Dylan, after class, did you go to see Professor McGonagall?"

Ron looked over as well.

Dylan nodded. "Yeah, I had a few questions about the Transfiguration spell. I wanted to confirm whether my understanding was correct."

Harry looked impressed. "You learn so fast, Dylan!"

Ron, however, muttered under his breath, "And you have a sharp tongue too."

Dylan smiled helplessly. "I'm just stating facts. No matter who earns points, it benefits Gryffindor. We're a team—there's no need to compare. What matters most isn't the score, but our growth and happiness."

Ron frowned. "How can scores not be important? They decide whether we win the House Cup at the end of the year!"

Dylan shook his head but didn't argue further.

It wasn't his job to explain why focusing on the big picture was more important than minor rivalries.

Ron was still young. He'd figure it out eventually.

With a sulky expression, Ron jabbed at his vegetables with a fork.

"It's just frustrating… I still can't get my matchstick to transform properly. Neville and Seamus could at least turn theirs into iron rods."

He sighed.

"And don't even get me started on Professor McGonagall! She's so strict."

Dylan knew instantly—Ron was still upset about being scolded in class that morning.

To Dylan, a grown man who had already lived two lives, McGonagall's strictness wasn't a big deal.

But to a first-year wizard with a fragile sense of self-esteem, it was everything.

Ron continued grumbling.

"We weren't even late on purpose! The stupid staircase moved and sent us to the fourth floor!"

"And then that crazy Filch chased us around like a lunatic."

"Oh my God, you have no idea how hard Harry and I ran just to make it to class on time!"

Dylan paused for a moment, swallowed a bite of beef, and then spoke.

"Ron, I get that you're upset about what McGonagall said. But honestly? Everything she said was for your own good."

Ron scoffed. "Yeah, right! She's just trying to scare us so we'll listen to her. That's how she builds her reputation as a strict teacher!"

Ron crossed his arms. "I bet she does this to students from other houses too."

Dylan sighed.

Children's self-esteem could be terrifyingly fragile.

Ron wasn't done. "And the worst part? That damn Malfoy had the nerve to laugh at us after class!"

Dylan blinked.

Ah. There's the real issue.

Since he'd gone straight to McGonagall's office after class, he hadn't heard about this.

Ron looked genuinely annoyed, so Dylan decided to shift the conversation.

"Ron, have you ever heard of the Acromantula?"

Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and even Hermione turned to look at him.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"A giant, carnivorous, magical spider," Dylan explained. "Acromantulas eat humans. It's in their nature."

Neville shuddered. "That's horrifying!"

Dylan nodded. "But that's not the scariest part."

"What is?" Ron asked cautiously.

"The truly terrifying thing is… imagine you became an Acromantula. But in doing so, you forgot that you were human. You resisted turning back. You lost yourself completely and turned into nothing more than a mindless, man-eating monster."

The young wizards all widened their eyes in shock.

"Of course," Dylan added, "this is just an example."

Ron let out a relieved breath. "Whew."

But before he could relax—

"You could also turn into a slimy Basilisk… or an ugly Grindylow… or a stinking Boggart…"

A collective shiver ran through the group.

Hiss!

End of Chapter

FOR MORE CHAPTERS

patreon.com/STEPHENHART427