Once Rhys and the other two entered, the entire office became as cramped as a tin of sardines.
Rhys could not see Rowena at all anymore and could only hear her voice coming from somewhere ahead.
"Alchemy, judging from its literal meaning, is the study of refining gold," Rowena spoke eloquently, seemingly unaffected by the crowded conditions inside the office.
She began directly from the origins of Alchemy.
"The ultimate goal of alchemists is to transform common metals — though some alchemists choose plants instead — into gold or silver, while also creating a so-called 'Elixir of Life' capable of curing all diseases and extending one's lifespan indefinitely.
This field of study existed long before the birth of magic itself. It originated from ancient humanity's desire for wealth and life. The birth of magic granted Alchemy mystical significance, turning it from merely a discipline about burning rocks into something greater.
That said, do not underestimate the art of burning rocks. It was the predecessor to what Muggles call 'chemistry.'"
Among the students, someone more knowledgeable about Alchemy could not help asking, "Professor Aries, are you referring to the Philosopher's Stone?"
"Exactly! Although before Nicolas Flamel successfully created the Philosopher's Stone, alchemists throughout history often claimed to have succeeded in creating the 'Stone of the Wise,' the products they made all possessed various flaws and shortcomings. Many of them were nothing more than crude tricks.
Some people did not even rely on Alchemical knowledge at all, instead borrowing power from gods. None of those were true Philosopher's Stones.
Only after Nicolas Flamel appeared did someone finally create the Philosopher's Stone that most closely matched the ideals of alchemists — the object you refer to as the Sorcerer's Stone."
At that point, the corner of Rowena's lips curled upward slightly.
She had to thank Salazar. It was he who had gifted her a small fragment of the Philosopher's Stone, allowing her to glimpse the ultimate peak of Alchemy. From it, she had gained tremendous inspiration and insight, causing her mastery of Alchemy to advance by leaps and bounds until it reached its current perfected state.
If she wished, she could completely reproduce a Philosopher's Stone with effects extremely similar to Nicolas Flamel's.
"I myself possess some minor understanding of Alchemy. Fortunately, my luck was good enough to push open the heavy gates of knowledge and glimpse the tip of the iceberg."
After answering the student's question, Rowena continued her lesson.
"My pursuit of Alchemy differs from that of ordinary alchemists. In my classroom, you will not learn how to transform common iron into gold, nor will you achieve immortality through Alchemy. I will only teach you how to create a few practical little items."
Professor Aries's words did not disappoint the students very much, because everyone knew that something like the Philosopher's Stone was not something ordinary people could create.
Across the entirety of magical history, had not only Nicolas Flamel ever truly succeeded?
So even if Professor Aries claimed she could teach them how to create a Philosopher's Stone and immediately pulled out a chest full of them on the spot, they still would not believe they could master such advanced techniques.
But "practical little items" were different.
Those were things they could genuinely learn and genuinely use.
As a result, the students instead became even more attentive, all pricking up their ears in fear of missing even a single word.
"Children, do you feel this place is somewhat crowded and unsuitable for class?" Rowena suddenly asked such a question.
"Yes!" Rhys's voice rang out especially loudly.
As the last ones to enter, he and the Greengrass sisters had been squeezed into a corner. Forget finding somewhere to sit, even standing comfortably was impossible.
Daphne had even innovatively begun using a flying spell to float roughly a foot above the ground, both to gain more space and to properly see the teacher's face.
"Then come over here. I'll take you somewhere more spacious for learning."
She gestured for the students to follow her to one side of the platform, where a small circular archway stood.
Rowena said to a senior Hufflepuff student standing beside her, "Go through it."
The older student: ???
"Professor… it seems a bit small…" he said weakly.
"Don't worry about that. You only need to walk through the archway." Rowena's tone left no room for refusal.
The senior student could only obey helplessly. But as he stood before the archway, he discovered that the archway was gradually becoming larger.
The doorway, originally only palm-sized, slowly expanded until it was half his height, then equal to his full height, and finally three times taller than him.
"Th-this…"
The senior student stared in complete shock.
Soon afterward, he realized it was not the archway growing larger, but rather that his own body had shrunk.
He had become a tiny person barely an inch tall!
When he turned around, Professor Aries towered behind him like a mountain peak, almost as tall as the "sun" hanging above the sky. Looking around further, his classmates had all transformed into giant-like figures as well, surrounding him like endless mountain ranges.
"A small application of space magic. Next one, everyone hurry along."
Seeing the astonishment written all over the students' faces, Rowena could not help revealing a genuinely delighted smile. At the same time, she urged the students to quickly enter the platform.
To be honest, even Rhys was amazed by Rowena's little trick.
He knew that during the past period, while bored in the dungeons, Rowena had constantly been experimenting with little clay figures. But he had never expected her to develop the spell to such an extent.
Shrinking people and stuffing them into a sandbox…
Only Rowena could think of something like that!
This meant that Rowena had achieved another breakthrough in space magic.
The students lined up and entered the platform one after another. Soon, it was Rhys's turn.
"So? What do you think of the spell?" Rowena looked at Rhys, unable to resist showing off a little.
"Truly remarkable," Rhys praised sincerely. "It seems this year's tournament is going to rely heavily on this spell?"
"Secret." Rowena guarded her words tightly, unwilling to reveal even the slightest hint.
But Rhys was certain that she would absolutely make use of this spell during this year's tournament.
Otherwise, she would not be Rowena.
After entering the platform like everyone else, Rhys began examining the miniature world Rowena had created.
Lush vegetation flourished everywhere, and one could even hear insects chirping and birds singing within the woods. Not far from the entrance stood a magnificent castle along with an accompanying garden.
Clearly, that was Rowena's residence.
Looking at everything before him, Rhys recalled one of Rowena's old masterpieces: the biological crystal sphere.
Back then, she had sealed an entire forest inside a crystal sphere, creating a self-contained world within it. Now she had applied that technology here. This platform was essentially just an open-air crystal sphere, yet the shock it produced was entirely different.
Rowena entered last, trailing behind the students.
With a wave of her hand, she signaled for everyone to follow her.
She led the students into the castle's garden and chose a fig tree, sitting cross-legged beneath its shade. The students followed her example and sat down on the grass as well.
"This too is one form of Alchemy. This is the Alchemy I pursue…"
"Creating life."
Rowena spoke those extraordinary words in an utterly calm tone.
Rhys: !!!
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12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI