Headmaster's Office
Lucien sat across from Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.
"Ha, Lucien, we called you here to ask—have you run into any difficulties with Transfiguration lately?" Dumbledore said with a warm smile.
Lucien's mind immediately started racing. Transfiguration? If Dumbledore wanted to chat about that, they could've waited for their next afternoon tea. No need for Fawkes to personally fetch him.
But bringing up Transfiguration specifically…
Did Dumbledore know about last night? About how he used Transfiguration to take down a troll?
That had to be it. The castle was crawling with ghosts and portraits—Dumbledore's magical equivalent of security cameras. One of those ghosts must've spotted the whole thing and reported back.
It made sense. With all those spectral eyes around, nothing in Hogwarts escaped Dumbledore's notice. His claim that "Hogwarts is the safest place" wasn't just talk—it came from his ability to keep tabs on everything, backed by his unmatched magical prowess.
Well, except for the trials and challenges he let Harry face, of course.
Since Dumbledore was being upfront and had even brought McGonagall along, he probably wanted to gauge Lucien's Transfiguration skills and offer some guidance to keep him from getting too cocky or veering off course.
"Things are going well, Headmaster," Lucien replied. "I'm actually planning to start experimenting with living transfigurations soon."
McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. Earlier that morning, Dumbledore had filled her in on the troll incident and Lucien's role in it. A first-year wizard defeating a troll single-handedly? She'd normally scoff at the idea. But if it was Lucien? Well, that was believable.
In just two months since starting at Hogwarts, Lucien had already surprised her time and again. No, even before that—during her pre-term home visit, she'd seen how extraordinary this boy was.
"So, Lucien," McGonagall said, leaning forward, "are you saying you've already mastered inanimate-to-animate transfigurations?"
"Last night," Dumbledore chimed in, taking a sip of his lemon-honey water, "a certain ghost—Nearly Headless Nick, to be precise—told me what he saw…"
As Dumbledore recounted Nick's detailed description of the event, Lucien nodded inwardly. Yup, definitely the ghosts. Nothing got past Dumbledore in this castle.
"Headmaster, Professor," Lucien said, "what the ghost saw is more or less accurate. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
Dumbledore gave a slight nod, clearly fond of Lucien's sharp and mature demeanor. Conversations with him were always refreshingly straightforward.
McGonagall's eyes gleamed with anticipation. She'd only heard Dumbledore's account, and now she was eager to see it for herself.
Lucien drew his wand and cast a Transfiguration spell on his teacup. This time, the resulting chimera was smaller and less ferocious than the one from last night. After all, this was just a demonstration, not a fight.
Dumbledore stroked his beard, intrigued. He'd discussed this kind of transfiguration with Lucien before, but seeing such a complete transformation in person was a first.
McGonagall, however, was visibly stunned. "This… this isn't just surface-level fusion. The internal structure is transformed too, isn't it?"
As a Transfiguration expert who'd dedicated her life to the subject, she immediately picked up on the complexity.
Lucien nodded and waved his wand, casting a minor spell from the Chimera Codex that revealed the creature's internal structure, like a magical X-ray.
"Professor, I figured that merely altering the appearance wouldn't be very practical, so…" Lucien began explaining his process.
McGonagall listened, marveling at his dedication and ingenuity. She was impressed not only by his willingness to dive deep into the subject but also by his ability to turn creative ideas into reality through sheer talent and effort.
"Lucien, your progress in magic is remarkable—truly remarkable," she said. "In Transfiguration, you're easily the most gifted student I've ever taught. To reach this level in such a short time is… extraordinary." She trailed off with a wry smile, struggling to find the right words.
"It's thanks to the excellent teaching, Professor," Lucien replied humbly. "If I want to try living transfigurations, what should I keep in mind?"
McGonagall didn't hesitate. "Compared to inanimate transfigurations, the biggest challenge with living ones is suppressing the creature's consciousness. The difficulty increases with the subject: plants, animals, Muggles, and then wizards. Wizards are particularly tricky—not only because of their consciousness but also because their innate magic resists the transformation."
Lucien nodded, then asked curiously, "But Transfiguration doesn't work on magical creatures because their magical circuits differ from wizards', right?"
"Exactly," McGonagall confirmed. "That's also why wizards can't transform objects or themselves into magical creatures."
Magical circuits, huh? Lucien thought. If he wanted to innovate and create magical creatures through Transfiguration, perhaps he should start by experimenting with transforming magical creatures themselves. If he could crack that, it would open the door to further research.
"Thank you, Professor," he said. Then, with a spark of curiosity, he added, "What about becoming an Animagus? What preparations are needed for that?"
The question made McGonagall and Dumbledore exchange a glance. Becoming an Animagus was one of the highest achievements in Transfiguration. Every Animagus had to register with the Ministry of Magic, or risk being thrown into Azkaban if caught unregistered.
Truthfully, even highly gifted Transfiguration students typically didn't attempt it until their fourth or fifth year. Most wizards didn't bother, as the risks were immense.
If any other young wizard had asked this, Dumbledore and McGonagall would've shut it down, warning them not to aim too high too soon. But Lucien? They both silently agreed he might be ready to tackle it sooner than most.
"Lucien," McGonagall began cautiously, "becoming an Animagus carries significant risks…"
She went on to explain the biggest challenge. The early preparation stages were manageable, but the final step—actually transforming into an animal—was critical. You had to stay calm and retain your human sense of self. There was no turning back at that point. The outcomes were:
- Success, allowing you to switch freely between human and animal form.
- Partial failure, leaving you with permanent animal traits.
- Or, worst of all, complete failure, turning you into an animal forever, living out your days in a mindless haze.
For most students, it simply wasn't worth the gamble. They were at Hogwarts to learn, graduate, and find a decent job in the wizarding world—not to risk everything for a lofty goal.
Lucien couldn't help but think of Harry's father, James Potter, and his friends. They'd become Animagi to support their friend Remus Lupin during his werewolf transformations, joining him on full-moon adventures. That took not only talent but serious guts—attempting it as students without a teacher's guidance. They were lucky to pull it off.
"Of course," Dumbledore added gently, sensing Lucien's determination, "if you're truly set on becoming an Animagus and feel ready, you can come to me or Professor McGonagall. We'd be happy to guide and support you."
Dumbledore's tone was warm but carried a weight of experience. After the unforgettable example of Tom Riddle, he knew that gifted, confident students like Lucien would pursue their ambitions regardless of warnings. Better to guide him safely than let him take risks alone.
"Oh, and Lucien," Dumbledore said, shifting topics with a twinkle in his eye, "I heard you had a duel with a classmate, Draco Malfoy, just before coming here. How did it go?"