"It's okay, Mom. I don't need any gifts. I just hope Santa can bring presents for you instead."
Dylan looked at his hesitant parents and reassured them with a smile.
After all, his golden finger had arrived, and getting into Hogwarts was practically guaranteed.
What he was really eager to confirm was whether the owl had taken his letter. He was also itching to make a trip to Diagon Alley.
"Oh my, my baby is just too sweet!" Maeve's eyes filled with emotion.
By Christmas, she was determined to save up and buy her son a proper gift!
Just as Hubert was about to say something to comfort his son, a sudden tapping sound came from the window.
The three of them turned their heads and saw an owl perched outside, tilting its head and staring intently at the letter on the table.
"An owl?" Maeve exclaimed. "Could it be here to collect the letter?"
*Tap, tap.*
When no one moved to open the window, the owl pecked at the glass again, the crisp sound making it seem almost like it was knocking.
"Hubert, hurry and open the window!" Maeve seemed even more anxious than Dylan.
The moment Hubert pulled the window open, the owl didn't fly away. Instead, it hopped inside and landed right on top of the envelope.
*Knock, knock.*
At that moment, a polite knocking came from the door.
The three exchanged glances before turning their eyes toward the entrance.
Hubert and Maeve felt a mix of excitement and apprehension.
Dylan, however, stood up without hesitation and strode to the door, taking a deep breath.
Which professor had come to visit?
With a soft *click*, the door swung open.
Dylan lifted his gaze and was immediately met with the sight of a deep green robe.
His eyes traveled upward to see a stern-looking middle-aged woman with square glasses resting on her nose.
"Nice to meet you. Sorry for the disturbance. I couldn't find a doorbell, so I had to knock."
Dylan: "..."
He forced a polite smile. "That's alright. May I ask who you are?"
"Hello, Mr. Hawkwood. I received your reply. I am Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall's expression softened slightly when she saw Dylan, though a flicker of curiosity passed through her eyes.
Was it just her imagination?
For some reason, she thought she sensed traces of a spell lingering around this young wizard.
"Professor McGonagall, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dylan Hawkwood. Please, come in."
Dylan had thought he could stay calm, but now that he was face-to-face with Professor McGonagall, his emotions surged like a tidal wave. It was hard to even speak—
Not only was he thrilled to meet such a familiar figure, but he also felt nervous. After all, he possessed the three Unforgivable Curses at full strength and was now standing before a true master of magic.
Fortunately, Professor McGonagall seemed used to such reactions. She didn't dwell on Dylan's nervousness and followed him inside, greeting Hubert and Maeve with a warm smile.
"Professor McGonagall? To be honest, we're still trying to wrap our heads around this whole magic thing..." Hubert admitted after inviting the distinguished-looking professor to take a seat.
"Of course, I completely understand. That's one of the reasons for my visit," McGonagall replied with a kind smile.
"In fact, if Mr. Hawkwood hadn't sent a reply, the school would have sent a professor to guide Muggle-born students and their families to Diagon Alley before the term starts."
As she spoke, she pulled out her wand and gave it a gentle wave.
In the blink of an eye, a notebook on the table transformed into an alarm clock, its hands ticking away.
*Ding! Ding! Ding!*
The alarm suddenly went off, making Dylan instinctively reach out to silence it.
Hubert and Maeve, witnessing this miraculous transformation, finally started to believe that magic was real.
Even Dylan found it fascinating. After turning off the alarm, he looked up. "Professor McGonagall, is this the kind of Transfiguration you'll be teaching me later?"
"That's right. You'll learn this after you start school," McGonagall confirmed.
"Can Transfiguration change living beings? And if so, do they become real living creatures, or is it more of an illusion?" Dylan asked curiously.
McGonagall studied him with a hint of surprise before answering, "Magic cannot fundamentally alter a living being's essence, but it can certainly attempt to."
"So, this alarm clock may look like an alarm clock, but at its core, it's still just a notebook?" Dylan asked, blinking.
"That's one way to put it," McGonagall nodded.
"But then, how is it able to ring?" Dylan continued.
"Because that's something an alarm clock is supposed to do," McGonagall replied.
"Something it's supposed to do?" Dylan was puzzled. "Could you explain in more detail?"
"Transfiguration is the result of both intent and magic working together. I wanted it to become an alarm clock that could remind me of the time, so it was able to produce sound—because that's a function an alarm clock should have."
McGonagall frowned slightly. "To be honest, this is something you should learn gradually after you start school."
"But since you're interested, I can give you a brief explanation."
"The essence of Transfiguration lies in having a thorough understanding of the object you wish to transform, whether it's living or inanimate. Otherwise, what you create will only be a hollow imitation."
"If you want to transfigure a living creature, you also have to consider its natural instincts and behaviors."
"Magic provides the foundation for transformation, but intent is the key to successfully completing it."
Intent and magic?
Having lived two lives, Dylan had seen a lot.
And now, armed with the three Unforgivable Curses at full power, he grasped McGonagall's explanation almost instantly.
Intent was like a musical score, and magic was the instruments.
Casting a spell was akin to performing a specific piece of music.
The wand and incantation acted as the conductor.
If the sheet music was wrong, the performance would fail.
If the instruments were damaged, the performance would be flawed.
Just like how McGonagall had turned a notebook into an alarm clock.
The "change" itself was the musical score.
The real challenge of Transfiguration was ensuring that, when the instruments were in perfect condition, the piece was performed correctly.
In practical terms, the more vividly one envisioned the alarm clock, the more complete its functions would be, allowing it to ring as expected.
But if one only imagined the clock's appearance, then it would be nothing more than an empty shell, incapable of functioning properly.
*(End of Chapter)*