"Huh?"
"Why's it Hermione?"
"Talk about a coincidence!"
On the train, Sean's voice mingled with the whooshing sound of the wind.
Outside the window, the vast fields had slipped away unnoticed, and the sunlight filtering through had turned patchy. The train had entered a yew forest.
Hermione's ears slowly turned a faint pink. She opened her mouth to say sothing, but her mind went blank.
This only made Sean more curious.
"Oh! She just said you can do Transfiguration—how incredible is that!"
A voice piped up. It was Justin, quickly stepping in to answer for Hermione. He pointed at the silver needle on the table, drawing both Sean and Hermione's attention to it.
"How'd you do it? Hermione says it's a really tough spell."
Justin sounded a bit nervous as he spoke, silently hoping the young wizard across from him hadn't heard anything offensive.
"The incantation is Transfiguration, with a break between Trans and figura. The stress is on fi… but more importantly, you've got to flick your wand quickly from left to right without pausing."
Sean recalled his practice, pinpointing the key details—a thod he always used when learning.
"Oh, and you need to clearly picture what you want the object to turn into. It says so on page five of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration."
As he spoke, the train erged from the yew forest, and the compartnt filled with light again, making Sean's erald-green eyes sparkle like gems.
"So my mistake was pausing?" Justin said, then quickly added, "I an, nice to et you! You might not have heard my introduction earlier, but I'm happy to say it again. I'm Justin, Justin Finch-Fletchley."
Relieved by Sean's explanation, Justin let out a breath.
"Hermione Granger," Hermione said, her cheeks still slightly flushed but her voice full of confidence.
"Sean Green," Sean replied. He found Hermione's behavior a bit odd, but though puzzled, he decided not to dwell on it.
There were more important things to focus on.
In the compartnt, Sean appeared to be flipping through A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, but his eyes were actually fixed on his proficiency panel.
Let's see what kind of Transfiguration genius I am.
His gaze drifted downward, and he admitted to himself he was nervous—way more nervous than he'd ever been pulling cards in his past life. A hundred tis more!
In a ga, power was just an illusion. But this? This was real, a talent that could shape his future.
[Title: Transfiguration Apprentice]
[Slightly increases sensitivity to Transfiguration and slightly boosts Transfiguration talent]
As expected, Sean held his breath and kept reading.
[Wizard Sean, Transfiguration Talent: Light Purple (Enhanced by Transfiguration Apprentice Title). Note: Average wizards have Green]
[Evaluation: You are a true genius in the field of Transfiguration. With proper guidance, you will beco a master of great importance in this magical art.]
Purple? Epic?!
Am I really a Transfiguration genius?!
Sean felt like soone was banging gongs and drums in his ears, maybe even singing a tune about good fortune.
For soone who'd experienced the disappointnt of "white" trash-tier results, a purple epic was sothing to treasure.
With guidance, I could beco a Transfiguration master…
Suppressing his excitent, Sean resolved to stick it out at Hogwarts for the next seven years.
To achieve that goal, he started thinking carefully.
The difference between Transfiguration talent and Charms talent proved one thing: in the Harry Potter world, magical talent wasn't a one-size-fits-all deal. Different wizards had different strengths.
Take Neville—average in most subjects but a star in Herbology. Or Hermione, brilliant in nearly every branch of magic, but her Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't as strong as Harry's, and her Divination was an absolute disaster.
If Sean wanted to excel in all seven subjects, he'd need to work harder on the ones he wasn't naturally gifted in.
At Hogwarts, the difficulty of subjects varied. It wasn't just about the subject itself but also the professors—they played a huge role.
It was like university: the material was there, but whether you enjoyed learning or passed the course often depended on the professor.
By that logic, the toughest core subject was probably Potions. Not only was Professor Snape teaching it, but the subject was packed with intricate details and dangerous practical components. Every class ended with submitting a potion you'd made that day, and the essays were longer than a Firebolt's tail.
The thought of Snape's sour face made Sean's heart sink. Getting an Outstanding in Potions under Snape's watch was no small feat.
Here's hoping I've got at least a bit of talent for Potions, he thought. Even just a little would help.
Next up, Sean figured, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. High risk, with a revolving door of teachers—so weirder than others.
Double-headed professors aren't exactly common.
Another tough course…
Sean rubbed his temples, his gaze sharpening.
Nothing would stop him from learning—not even Voldemort himself!
With a rough plan forming, Sean kept thinking.
Considering all factors, the third tier of difficulty likely included Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms. These subjects demanded talent.
The easiest tier, he figured, was History of Magic and Astronomy. They required morizing specific facts, which wasn't too tricky for Sean.
"Transfiguration and Charms… my current level should be enough. Astronomy and History of Magic? Just morize and score high—no need to stress."
"So, the real challenges are Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology."
With his goals set, Sean was about to start planning his approach when the noise outside the compartnt grew louder.
Every now and then, he caught snippets like "Harry," "Harry Potter," and "rlin's beard!"
Then ca a loud bang.
Startled, Sean looked up, his eyes eting Justin's and Hermione's.
Justin quickly ducked his head, acting innocent. "Sean, look! A Levitation Charm—pretty cool, right?"
Sean followed his gaze. Above Hermione's wand, a feather was floating in the air.
The girl raised her chin proudly. "It's just a simple spell. I learned it from Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1. It's not that hard—I got it after a few tries."
Sean, who'd practiced it five hundred tis, thought: Not quite.
"Justin, give it a go! It's just a small spell. Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 says it's one of the first ones young wizards learn," Hermione said encouragingly to an eager Justin.
"You'll have to guide ," Justin replied, waving his wand with a mix of excitent and nerves.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather didn't budge.
"You need to flick your wrist," Hermione corrected.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather wobbled slightly.
"You're doing it wrong again! You have to say it firmly—hesitation ans failure!" Hermione said, a bit sternly.
Justin focused harder. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
…
"It worked! Hermione, you're an amazing teacher!" Justin exclaid, thrilled with his success. "You're right—it's not that hard!"
He bead, genuinely grateful.
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