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Wayne had little interest in Dumbledore's painstaking plan to raise a savior. But that didn't mean he wasn't interested in Voldemort. To be precise, what Wayne wanted to know were the Horcruxes and how to make them.
The creation of Horcruxes is a highly advanced form of dark magic. You can hide part of your soul in objects. As long as that part of your soul exists, you can be immortal. The inventor of this magic is also the most famous dark wizard in history, the despicable Herpo the Foul. This wizard, from ancient Greece, existed hundreds of years after the invincible Andros and is one of the oldest known dark wizards.
He created many destructive and evil spells, even hatched basilisks through experiments, and transformed various magical animals, forming an evil army that shocked everyone. At the same time, Herpo is also the earliest known Parselmouth, born with a seed of evil, destined for destruction and disaster. Most of the dark magic and curses that have survived to this day are related to him.
The only person who can be compared with Herpo is the dark wizard Enzo, who later created the Avada Kedavra curse. The more advanced the dark magic, the more evil the method of using it. To make a Horcrux, you not only have to endure the pain of having your soul torn apart, but you also have to kill a living person as a sacrifice in some evil ritual.
It sounds like it has many flaws, but it is a means of achieving immortality. When used properly, it is even more advanced than the Philosopher's Stone. It's somewhat similar to the legendary lich phylacteries but does not have the ability to regenerate. If you want to be reborn with the help of a Horcrux, you have to use other methods.
Wayne didn't start thinking about immortality at a young age; he just wanted to study the mysteries of the soul. In this world, the soul does exist. The legend of death has always been around the ears of wizards, and ghosts are beings caught between life and death. All these secrets seduced Wayne's curiosity.
When the bell rang, many young wizards woke up from their daydreams and walked out of the classroom while rubbing their sleepy eyes. Walking to the cafeteria with Hermione, Wayne asked softly, "You have Herbology class in the afternoon, right?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?" Hermione replied.
"Help me go to Hagrid's hut after class and ask him to collect some materials if possible."
George and Fred were just starting to learn, so they wasted a lot of materials, but Wayne didn't mind letting Hagrid walk around the Forbidden Forest a few times to gather more. As for what to trade with Hagrid, he could prepare some growth potion and insect repellent potion, which would be useful in Hagrid's vegetable garden.
Hermione agreed readily, and the two talked about what happened that morning. "Are you really going to ask Snape for tutoring?" Hermione asked.
"That's right," Wayne said. "Snape's level isn't reflected in class at all. It took me a lot of effort to get him to agree to give me extra lessons before Christmas."
"You have to pay for it?"
Hermione chuckled, "Aren't you afraid he'll take the opportunity to deduct points from Hufflepuff?"
Wayne looked at the little witch with caring eyes. "When have you ever seen Hufflepuff care about points?"
Hermione opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to respond. The general attitude of Hufflepuff is too laid-back. If points are added, that's fine. If points are deducted, that's also fine. As long as their homework is nearly complete, they are content to lie down if it's too late. Even the professors don't know what to do with this group of badgers who have entered early retirement.
At least he is better than the noisy little Gryffindor lions who not only keep themselves occupied all day long but also cause trouble for others. Hermione suddenly felt regretful. Would it have been better if she had been assigned to Hufflepuff? She didn't have a good relationship with the other roommates in her dormitory. But remembering that the Sorting Hat didn't even give her the option of Hufflepuff at that time, Hermione could only regard it as a fantasy.
After the Transfiguration class ended in the afternoon, Wayne planned to go to the library to borrow another book but was held back by Professor McGonagall. After all the students had left and only the two of them were left, Professor McGonagall said, "Lawrence, I know you have mastered all the content in class, but I have to take care of everyone's progress."
Wayne was stunned, feeling anxious that the quill Harry bought might have been exposed. But when he realized that wasn't the case, Wayne quickly shook his head and said, "Professor, just teach according to your plan; don't worry about me."
Professor McGonagall nodded slightly, with a smile on her serious face. "From the first time we met, I knew you were not a simple little wizard, and I didn't receive any letters from you during the summer vacation."
Wayne said, "I didn't want to disturb your vacation, and I didn't encounter any problems."
"Then do you mind showing your true skills?" McGonagall said.
McGonagall wanted to see how far Wayne, who had been dawdling around, had mastered the art of transformation. At least this little guy succeeded in everything in class the first time, and even she couldn't find any faults. In order to prevent Wayne from hiding his skills, McGonagall also offered a reward. "If you can surprise me, I can exempt you from Transfiguration homework this semester."
Wayne's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Are you serious?"
"Of course," Professor McGonagall's lips curled up slightly. "But my standards are very high."
"I understand, Professor."
Wayne cheered up. This was an opportunity to avoid Transfiguration homework. Besides Snape's potions homework, Professor McGonagall assigned the most work, mostly papers. Even with the help of Hermione and the manuscript-cleaning quill, it was a bit of a burden.
Taking out his wand, Wayne lightly tapped the podium, transforming it into a large sow that made grunting sounds. It was a trick Professor McGonagall had shown in their first class. "Professor, is this okay?"
McGonagall's expression remained unchanged, even a little disappointed. "That's it? Transforming inanimate objects into living things is excellent but does not surprise me. Many third-years can do this."
There are at least two, McGonagall added to herself. She was actually very satisfied but pretended not to care. Wayne seemed too relaxed, and this level of difficulty didn't show his true skill. That's why she suppressed her desire to praise Wayne, wanting to see how far he could go.
Still not satisfied...
Wayne scratched his head, unaware that he had been tricked by Professor McGonagall. He waved his wand, and the large sow turned into an ox.
At this point, McGonagall finally showed some interest. "Multiple transformations?"
Transformation spells are divided from easy to difficult: transforming inanimate objects into inanimate objects, living things into inanimate objects, inanimate objects into living things, and living things into other living things. But this is only the most basic division. As the most challenging subject at Hogwarts, the mysteries of Transfiguration go far beyond that.
The multiple transformations Wayne just demonstrated are one of the more profound areas of study. Other research includes controlling transformed creatures, transforming multiple items at once, and extending the duration of transformations. Only true masters of Transfiguration can achieve outstanding results in these fields, like Professor McGonagall herself or Dumbledore. Multiple transformations involve transforming already-transformed items again, with each additional transformation increasing the difficulty exponentially.
From the podium to a sow and from a sow to an ox, Wayne used double transformation, which even most upperclassmen couldn't do. McGonagall did not comment but asked tentatively, "Can we continue?"
Wayne nodded and turned the ox into a python and then into a goshawk. Under McGonagall's increasingly numb eyes, the goshawk landed on the ground and turned into a lion. After roaring, it transformed into a honey badger.
"Professor, is it okay? This is the most I can do," Wayne said, struggling to maintain the transformation. The honey badger's appearance was a bit off. Its ears were uneven, and its eyes were squeezed together. It was not very successful. He looked like he was at his limit.
Without the blue card drawing that offered some transformation experience, this would have been Wayne's current limit. However, because of the help of those experiences, he could still undergo multiple transformations again.
"Lawrence," Professor McGonagall sighed. "I admit, you finally surprised me. In fact, you shocked me." It was unheard of for McGonagall that a first-year student could achieve such attainments in the art of transfiguration. Teaching such a young wizard was impressive. Perhaps Dumbledore could have done it back then.
Unfortunately, the time difference between their school entry was several decades, and McGonagall never saw Dumbledore's charm during his school days. "So, what you just promised me..." Wayne asked expectantly.
McGonagall glanced at him with a half-smile. "The last test is to turn all the tables and chairs in the classroom into different animals. If you succeed, I'll count you as passing."
Upon hearing this, Wayne waved his magic wand continuously without saying a word, turning the entire classroom into a zoo filled with all kinds of birds and animals.
"Okay, you don't need to write your homework for this semester," McGonagall said cheerfully, giving Wayne the privileges she had promised. Wayne burst into laughter. If he told Hermione this, she would be insanely jealous.
Wait, the little witch loves doing homework. If she couldn't do it, she would probably be unhappy. "Lawrence," McGonagall suddenly said, "I would like to invite you to join my Transfiguration Club."
"Oh, maybe you don't know what this is?" McGonagall remembered that Wayne was a first-year student and explained to him, "This is a private club I founded, and most students in it have good levels of transfiguration. We meet one night a week or half a day on the weekend to share some experiences."
"Professor, is this necessary?" Wayne laughed dryly. "With my level... how can I communicate with them?" Wayne had too many things to do every day, including developing new magic props, studying in the forbidden book section at night, teaching Hermione, and taking walks with Cho. As someone with a packed schedule, he simply didn't have the time. He hadn't even visited the Forbidden Forest, which he always wanted to explore.
Professor McGonagall sighed. It took her half a minute to sort out her emotions before she tiredly waved her hand and dismissed him. "Just pretend I didn't say anything, Lawrence. Honesty is good, but I hope you won't be so outspoken in the future."
"I'll keep that in mind, Professor," Wayne said, smiling sweetly. He bowed slightly and exited the classroom. Professor McGonagall waved her magic wand, changing everything back to its original state. She looked at the tables and chairs and muttered to herself, "Six transformations, transforming dozens of items at once. How could such talent be placed in Hufflepuff?"
Unfortunately, in Hogwarts history, some students were expelled, some were captured in Azkaban, and some even died, but Wayne was unique. Otherwise, McGonagall would have done something to get him from Hufflepuff.
After Wayne left the classroom and hesitated at the door for a moment, McGonagall walked towards Li Wei's office on the sixth floor. She felt uncomfortable and needed to find someone to share her thoughts with.
The next morning, when the little wizards were enjoying breakfast, the owls appeared on time and delivered their packages. An owl landed in front of Wayne with difficulty, put down a large package, and then looked at him sadly. Wayne understood and gave the owl some special pet food, letting it enjoy breakfast.
Hermione just went to find Hagrid yesterday, and he delivered the package today. This friend could teach. Then, a phoenix flew out of the flames. It was Feng Wang, and she also brought a package. The appearance of the Phoenix attracted everyone's attention. Even some people sighed repeatedly. They were impressed. Even Dumbledore didn't have the luxury to use a phoenix as a messenger, but a little wizard did.
"What did you buy again?" Cedric asked curiously. "Just a few books," Wayne replied. When he opened the package, there were only three books: "Detailed Explanation of Ancient Runes," "Ancient Runic Dictionary," and "How to Look Up a Dictionary."
"Runes?" A senior student said in surprise. "Wayne, elective courses cannot be taken until the third grade. It is too early for you to buy it now." Runes are magical characters. Before detailed guidelines for curses existed, many wizards used runes to perform magic. Some Muggles obtained information about runes to deceive others with magic tricks.
After their third year at Hogwarts, students could take electives, including ancient runes. However, few students took up this elective, and most gave up after passing the OWLs exam in fifth grade because it was difficult and rarely used.
"I'm a little interested in this aspect," Wayne replied simply. "I can read it during history of magic class, so at least I don't have to sleep." There was a burst of laughter around, and the senior said, "There's something wrong with the Sorting Hat. You should be in Ravenclaw."
"Rubbish!" Wayne pointed to three sandwiches on his plate. "No one is more qualified to be in Hufflepuff than me." The senior stopped talking and gave a thumbs up. "You are awesome!"
After Wayne put the book away, he felt someone watching him. He looked up and saw Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, and Quirrell all looking at him. When Wayne noticed, Quirrell quickly looked away and started eating breakfast, while the other two professors smiled at Wayne kindly.
Wayne felt puzzled. What happened to these two people?
After the Charms class, Wayne was left alone by Professor Flitwick. "Lawrence," Flitwick said kindly, "I heard from Minerva that you used six transformations yesterday. Today, I also want to see your level. The conditions are the same. As long as you satisfy me, you don't have to write the magic homework for this school year."