Soon, the train left the yew grove behind, and the compartment brightened again, lighting up Sean's green eyes like polished stone. Justin let out a breath after listening carefully.
"So my failure was because I paused, was it… I mean, I'm glad to meet you," he said. "You might not have heard my introduction earlier, so I'll say it again. I'm Justin, Justin Finch-Fletchley."
"Hermione Granger Granger."
There was still a hint of red on Hermione Granger's face, but her voice was firm and clear.
"Sean Green."
Sean felt that Hermione Granger was acting a little strange, but even though he was confused, he did not plan to dwell on it. There were more important things waiting for him.
Inside the compartment, Sean looked as though he was still turning the pages of the Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, but his attention had already shifted to the proficiency panel. Let me see what level of Transfiguration talent I really have.
His gaze moved downward, and he admitted that he was nervous, far more than when he used to draw cards in his past life. Back then it was just a game, but now it was real and tied to his future.
Title: Transfiguration Apprentice. A small increase in perception of Transfiguration, and a small boost to Transfiguration talent.
As expected, Sean held his breath and continued reading. His heart beat faster as the next line appeared before him.
Wizard Sean, Transfiguration talent: light purple, with the Transfiguration Apprentice title applied. Note: the average wizard is green. Evaluation: You are a true genius in the branch of Transfiguration. With proper instruction, you will become a master of Transfiguration.
Purple, epic?
So I really am a Transfiguration genius?
Sean felt as if someone were beating drums beside his ears and singing about good luck. After knowing what it was like to be stuck with nothing, it was impossible not to treasure something rare. With guidance, he could even become a master of Transfiguration.
He forced down his excitement and decided that for the next seven years, he would stay firmly rooted in Hogwarts. To reach that goal, he began to think carefully about something else.
The difference between Transfiguration talent and spell talent confirmed one thing. In the Wizarding World, magical talent was not a single standard, and different wizards had different strengths.
Some were average in most subjects but excelled at one, while others were strong in almost every branch yet weak in specific areas. If Sean wanted Outstanding results in all seven subjects, he would have to put in more effort where he was not naturally strong.
At Hogwarts, the difficulty of different subjects was not the same. That was partly due to the subjects themselves, but more importantly, to the professors who taught them.
Just like at a university, the material was there, but whether studying felt manageable often depended on the professor. Following that logic, the hardest core subject should be Potions.
It involved Professor Snape, fine and numerous details, and experiments that carried real risk. Each class required handing in a finished potion on the spot, and the essays were longer as well. Just thinking about Snape's gloomy face made Sean's mood sink, since earning Outstanding under him would not be easy.
All he could do was hope he had at least a little talent for potions. Just a little would be enough.
Second, in his view, came Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was dangerous, and the teachers varied widely. People with two heads were not exactly common.
Another difficult subject.
Sean rubbed his brow, his gaze sharpening. Nothing was going to stop him from studying, not even Voldemort.
With a rough plan forming in his mind, he continued sorting things out. Taking everything into account, the third tier of difficulty would be Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms, all of which required talent to some degree.
The final tier would be History of Magic and Astronomy, which relied on memorizing specific knowledge. Those subjects were not a problem for Sean.
"Transfiguration and Charms should be fine at my current level," he thought. "Astronomy and History of Magic are just about memorizing, so no special focus there. That means the real challenges are Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology."
With his goals set, he was just about to think through how to act when the noise outside the compartment became impossible to ignore. Every so often, he heard voices shouting "Harry," "Harry Potter," and "Merlin."
Then came a loud bang. Startled, Sean slowly looked up and once again met the eyes of Justin and Hermione Granger.
Justin quickly lowered his head and said as if nothing had happened, "Sean, look, it's the Levitation Charm. It's amazing!"
Following his gaze, Sean saw a feather floating in the air above Hermione Granger's Wand. The girl lifted her chin slightly.
"It's actually just a simple spell," she said. "I learned it from Standard Book of Spells, Grade One. It's not very hard, I picked it up after practicing a few times."
There was a trace of pride in her voice. Sean, who had practiced it five hundred times, thought otherwise.
"Justin, you should try it too," Hermione Granger said seriously as she looked at him. "It's a small spell. The book says it's often one of the first spells young wizards learn."
"You'll have to guide me," Justin replied without hesitation, swinging his Wand with anticipation.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather did not move.
"You need to flick your wrist," Hermione Granger corrected him.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather wobbled just a little.
"That's still wrong. You have to speak decisively. If you hesitate, it fails," Hermione Granger said more sternly, and Justin grew even more focused.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
This time, the feather rose steadily into the air. Justin looked thrilled.
"It worked! That's great, Hermione Granger. You're a really good teacher," he said sincerely. "You were right, it really doesn't seem that hard."
Sean, who was taking notes to the side, added quietly, "Actually, that's not quite right." He wrote down the key points with care, noting the wrist flick and the need to pronounce the spell clearly, especially not turning the f into an s. He reminded himself that Wingardium Leviosa needed the ga stretched long and clean.
Sean looked over his notes and, satisfied, set his quill down. If he put it away quickly enough, the ink would not dry out, which meant he could write longer later. He kept these small habits because they saved effort over time.
"I practiced a full fifteen times, Hermione Granger," Justin said, his voice edged with worry. "I'm not the dumbest little wizard, am I?" Facing a new field made even his usual optimism falter.
Sean, who was putting away his notes, replied, "Not really." Hermione Granger shook her head with a frown and said she could not judge with only one reference point. Then her eyes lit up as she turned toward Sean.
"Sean, you can use the Levitation Charm too, right?" she asked.
Called out so suddenly, Sean nodded and flicked his wrist. "Wingar-dium-Leviosa!" The feather wobbled and floated up again as the spell took hold.
"Cool!" Justin exclaimed. Compared to his own feather that only lifted for a second, Sean's Levitation Charm was clearly steadier. He looked impressed as he spoke again.
"You must have learned it very fast, right?" Justin said. "I mean, for a kid from a wizarding family." His words made Sean tilt his head in mild confusion.
Seeing that look, Justin widened his eyes in surprise. "Wait, you're not from a wizarding family? You're Muggle-born?" He paused, then continued, astonished. "That means you only started learning magic this summer, and in two months you already learned Transfiguration?"
Sean nodded calmly. Justin tried to recall a phrase, stumbling over it under his breath. Hermione Granger leaned in and whispered a reminder.
"Merlin," she said softly.
"Merlin," Justin repeated, his tone changing as he smiled warmly at Sean. He explained that both he and Hermione Granger were Muggle-born too, with parents who were not wizards. Realizing that all three of them shared the same background made him marvel at the coincidence.