Sean wrestled with the question of seven perfect grades as he hauled his trunk. He'd arrived early; the first few carriages were still mostly empty. Finding an open compartment in the second carriage, he tried to heave his trunk inside.
It crashed to the floor. Twice.
Sean stopped, then flicked his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
[You practiced the Levitation Charm to an introductory standard, Proficiency +3]
The brick-like trunk swiftly levitated as the spell and system notification chimed. 'Still so useful,' Sean thought, tucking his wand away. He pulled the trunk into the compartment, oblivious to the young witch curiously watching him.
Outside the window, thick smoke billowed from the steam engine, rising above the chattering crowd. Cats of every color wove through a forest of legs. Amidst the buzzing chatter and the clatter of heavy luggage, owls hooted softly.
Sean opened *Hogwarts: A History*, a tome almost as wide as the compartment table. A page listed Hogwarts' seven main subjects: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, and Astronomy. All compulsory.
'How could he achieve 'Outstanding' in all of them?'
He found his benchmark: Hermione, the top student. 'If I remember right, she scored nine Os and one E on her O.W.L.s,' he mused. Hermione's grades were consistently stellar. Comparing himself to her would show the level he needed.
'Difficult? Of course.' His magical talent was abysmal. Beyond history-based subjects like History of Magic, every other course demanded raw magical aptitude.
'But can I not do it?' He scoffed. 'If I give up before even starting, what's the point?'
'Just grind it out!' Sean decided, putting away his luggage. 'I'll start with Transfiguration.'
Sean settled onto the velvet-cushioned seat. He put *Hogwarts: A History* away and pulled out *Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*. The reddish-brown book, adorned with gold-edged patterns, detailed the rules and techniques of the art.
It was a textbook for first and second-year Hogwarts students. Its most classic example: turning a matchstick into a needle. If he could master that within a month, Sean figured an 'Outstanding' would be easy.
The *Beginner's Guide* read: "When performing Transfiguration, it is crucial to wave your wand firmly and decisively. Do not wave or twirl your wand unnecessarily, or the Transfiguration will certainly fail. Before casting a Transfiguration spell, clearly visualize the desired form of the object in your mind. Beginners should clearly enunciate the incantation, while advanced wizards do not need to say the spell aloud..."
Sean meticulously read every sentence in *Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*. He planned to memorize the entire two-hundred-plus-page book before even attempting a spell.
His reasoning was simple: Hermione had memorized all her books when she first started magic, achieving excellent grades. 'Memorizing books seems useful,' he thought. The path to success was laid out; why not imitate it?
Besides, his talent was already insufficient. He needed to work even harder.
Another crucial reason: these books had cost him a full eleven Galleons. The sting of that expense fueled Sean's furious absorption of knowledge, a vengeful mindset akin to someone at a buffet determined to get their money's worth.
Without realizing it, he'd already roughly memorized all the books he'd bought. He was over one hundred and eighty pages into the *Beginner's Guide*; he'd finish it today, then begin practical Transfiguration exercises.
Sean, an average student in his previous life, sighed with emotion. 'Poverty truly makes one capable of anything.'
Steam misted the train station. Sean was so engrossed he didn't notice a young witch enter his compartment.
"Excuse me, is anyone else coming here?" A young witch with bushy brown hair pushed the door open, chin raised, and asked Sean.
"No," Sean replied, not looking up from his book.
If his half-year in the orphanage had taught him anything, it was intense focus. 'For those 'grass seeds' whose lives aren't their own,' he'd learned, 'if you can't grow independently, you'll be swept away by the wind in an instant.'
After that simple reply, Sean said nothing more. The train rumbled to life, the compartment's occupants grew from two to three, yet Sean remained motionless.
The scenery outside the window unfolded like an oil painting: winding rivers stretched, wheat fields rippled in successive waves. Farmhouses, cattle, and sheep appeared, only to be swiftly swallowed by dark green hills.
Hermione glanced from her book to the focused young wizard opposite her. His fluffy hair was slightly raised on both sides, his long eyelashes fluttered. His entire demeanor exuded tranquility.
"He really looks like my cat," the black-haired boy whispered, then awkwardly scratched his head. "I know wizards can't be cats, of course, but he really does..."
Unexpectedly, his words met with immediate approval. Hermione nodded vigorously, exchanging a look with the boy—the excitement of being understood sparking between them.
"Justin," she breathed, "you've described it so... accurately!"
Justin's eyes lit up. The two immediately began to whisper and discuss, while Sean, engrossed in his book, remained completely unaware he was their subject.
The train swayed rhythmically. The windows became canvases, displaying beautiful, fantastical paintings. Inside the compartment, only the rustling of turning pages broke the whispers of Hermione and the black-haired boy, Justin.
Sean finally finished memorizing the last section. He let out a long breath, rubbing his tired eyes as he looked up.
'I lack nothing now!' His large eyes sparkled.
He put down the book and took a matchstick from his robes. The matchstick's shape, structure, and characteristics constantly appeared in his mind. His memories of Transfiguration from his previous life and his current knowledge confirmed each other.
"Trans—figura—tion!" Buoyed by this confidence, Sean quietly uttered the incantation in one breath.
The matchstick didn't change much, but Sean's lips curved into a smile.
[You practiced a low-level Transfiguration spell to an introductory standard, Proficiency +3]
"Did he just say something? And what is he doing?" Justin whispered to Hermione, a huge question mark practically hanging over his head.