Chapter 30
Devero took a deep breath, adjusted his clothes, and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Professor McGonagall's voice came from behind the door.
Devero pushed the door open and stepped into Professor McGonagall's office.
The office was filled with the scent of books. Shelves were neatly lined with various Transfiguration-related texts. In the center of the room, a fireplace roared with flames, radiating warmth.
"As expected of the British, lighting a fireplace even in summer," Devero thought to himself.
In Britain, the highest summer temperatures barely reached the mid-twenties Celsius, with average summer temperatures often below twenty degrees. During his year living in Britain, he had grown accustomed to this cool climate, sometimes feeling as though the damp weather might give him rheumatism. So, seeing Professor McGonagall using the fireplace for warmth in early September was hardly surprising.
Professor McGonagall sat behind a large desk, engrossed in reading a document. She looked up, saw Devero, and smiled.
"Mr. Alexander, you're here. Do you have any questions for me?"
Devero nodded in thanks and got straight to the point, though he phrased his question tactfully.
"Professor, I encountered an issue in class," Devero said carefully. "Do you remember when I used wandless magic to turn a matchstick into a needle?"
Professor McGonagall nodded slightly. "That was an impressive achievement, even for an advanced student. What's the problem?"
"The issue is that I can only perform this transformation on that specific matchstick," Devero explained. "I can't apply the same method to other objects, not even another matchstick. The reason is that the Transfiguration technique I used isn't the standard one you teach in class. It's something I Deveroloped through my own observations."
Devero paused to catch his breath.
Professor McGonagall set down the document, her expression turning serious. With a wave of her wand, a teacup floated over and landed gently in front of Devero. She tapped the desk twice with her wand, and instantly, the teacup filled with steaming hot tea.
"Have some tea, Alexander," she said. "What do you mean by a Transfiguration technique you Deveroloped through observation?"
Devero picked up the tea, blew on it gently, and took a sip. It was perfectly warm.
"Professor, I can observe the microscopic structure of objects," he explained. "The Transfiguration technique I Deveroloped is based on observing an object's microscopic structure and combining it with a Transfiguration spell. Compared to the standard Transfiguration taught in class, this method is more efficient and doesn't require a wand, but it only works on objects whose microscopic structure I've already observed. Since each object's microscopic structure is unique, observing one doesn't allow me to transform similar objects."
Devero laid out his reasoning in one go, then took out the matchstick and demonstrated various transformations for Professor McGonagall—far beyond the skill level of a first-year student. He then took a large sip of the tea, which was quite sweet, almost like a sugary drink.
Professor McGonagall was stunned. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, followed by deep contemplation. She seemed to be mentally reviewing the history of Transfiguration, trying to connect Devero's discovery to the existing body of knowledge. Her gaze sharpened, as if probing his words for any inconsistencies. But Devero remained calm, casually sipping his tea.
"This approach… it actually seems feasible?" she murmured, her hands unconsciously gripping the edge of the desk. Her glasses slid down her nose, but she didn't immediately adjust them, her eyes fixed on Devero as if confirming the truth of his claims.
Finally, Professor McGonagall composed herself. With a slight tremble, she adjusted her glasses and looked at Devero again.
"Alexander, your discovery might truly represent a new field of Transfiguration," she said. "There have been hypotheses in the academic community about microscopic structure-based Transfiguration, but they've largely remained unexplored, with no concrete results. The biggest limitation has been…"
She narrowed her eyes. "Observing microscopic structures. So, Alexander, can you tell me how you're able to observe these structures?"
Devero was prepared for this question. "Professor, it's my gift," he said confidently, without a hint of hesitation. "I've had exceptional sensory abilities since I was young. As you may know, I'm Professor Snape's apprentice in Potions. Even as a child, I could identify various potions by their scent alone."
His words flowed smoothly, each one sounding convincing. "As I grew older, this ability strengthened. About a month ago, it underwent a qualitative leap, and I could distinctly feel it improve. During your Transfiguration lessons, following your guidance that Transfiguration changes structure but not essence, I sought to explore the fundamental structure of objects, which led to this discovery."
Devero's expression remained composed, as if everything he said was indisputable fact.
"A gift?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of such a claim.
But Devero had a plan—leverage a witness. "Professor, if you have any doubts, you can ask Professor Snape about my abilities. I'm confident he'll provide the answers you're looking for."
After all, Snape had seen him improve the Polyjuice Potion, so he'd likely back him up.
Professor McGonagall nodded, still somewhat skeptical but intrigued. She smiled. "If this is true, Alexander, we need to explore this further. Perhaps we can study this new Transfiguration technique together."
Devero smiled politely and nodded. "Thank you for your trust, Professor. I'd be honored to explore this with you."
Professor McGonagall thought for a moment. "The latest significant progress in microscopic structure research was published seven years ago. I'll dig up the relevant materials. With your gift, we might achieve a breakthrough in this field."
With a wave of her wand, the teacup on the desk vanished. "For now, go rest. We'll continue this discussion after class on Thursday."
Devero glanced at his watch. It was getting late—too much time wasted wandering through secret passages. He raised his hand, signaling one last question.
Professor McGonagall paused and nodded slightly.
"Professor, do you know anything about so-called 'indescribable existences'?"