Since falling ill, Sean had been running on fumes. Potions could cure his cold and fever, but they couldn't refill his exhausted mind.
He grew sleepier by the day; sometimes a few quick steps made his head spin.
On the other hand, his Transfiguration had reached—
[Transfiguration: Adept (5900/9000)]
At Adept level he could flexibly turn "inanimate" into "animate." The panel called it "advanced intermediate transfiguration." Sean guessed that advanced Transfiguration would involve transforming a "living thing" into another "living thing."
Of course, Professor McGonagall had also introduced a spell of even higher tier: the Vanishing Spell (Evanesco). It's one of the toughest on the O.W.L.s; in Year Five McGonagall had them practice on snails first—being invertebrates, they're less challenging. With mammals, the difficulty goes way up.
The fire roared in the grate; McGonagall cupped a hot tea while, across from her, Sean scribbled at an extra essay she'd assigned—"Doppelgänger (Fylgja)".
The vastness of Transfiguration astonished him even though he'd braced for it. As a rule, turning "living" into "inanimate" is intermediate; turning "inanimate" into "animate" is advanced intermediate. But if you turn "the self" into "inanimate," the difficulty spikes.
For example, when Death Eater Yaxley came to Professor Slughorn's house under cover of night to drag him to Voldemort, Slughorn transfigured himself into a sofa and evaded him. That's advanced Transfiguration—because it touches a law, the very first clause of Adalbert Waffling's Magical Theory:
[Those who would tamper at will with the deepest secrets—life's source, the essence of self—must be ready to bear the most extreme and dangerous consequences.]
That is one essence of self: self-form. Before, Sean only linked the warning to Horcruxes; he hadn't expected it to loom over Transfiguration too.
Beyond that, advanced Transfiguration covers turning self into living (e.g., Krum giving himself a shark's head); turning magic into objects (e.g., Dumbledore's chain of fire becoming a serpent at Tom's will); and the reverse, objects into magic (e.g., Dumbledore turning lake-water into a prison).
All of that is the high country of Transfiguration. It led Sean to realize Transfiguration may be the strongest magic—because it can do nearly anything. Unlocking charms? If he transfigured a lock into a stick, does that count?
Small wonder truly powerful wizards master deep Transfiguration—when they need a spell they don't know, Transfiguration can achieve an equivalent effect. At Hogwarts, Transfiguration Professors are practically headmasters-in-waiting.
Sean steadied his frayed focus and wrote:
[Fylgja (second self) comes to us via Norse pagan concepts: each person has a second self—not only spiritual, but often bodily, which is the wonder in the Scandinavian gloss.
"The hamr (outer form) follows us; it is our hugr (mind-sense)."
Thus, there is not "one and only" second self, but at least two: a bodily second self, sometimes animal; and a spiritual second self, which may also appear as an animal.]
It sounded familiar—he naturally thought of Animagus forms and the Patronus Charm.
Books piled by his elbow—Intermediate Transfiguration, A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, The Magic of Transfiguration. "A deep grasp of a period of history is itself a component of the rite…" McGonagall sipped her tea, gaze settling heavy again. She sighed under her breath. Even for an essay, the boy gave one hundred percent—with no real rest for too long, running on grit alone.
"Mr. Green—over here."
Sean looked up, dazed; it was already six in the evening. After supper, Professor Flitwick would spare time to teach him the Knockback Jinx. He packed his bag, tidied the desk, slid his quill into the cat-shaped holder.
"Goodbye, Professor."
He bowed lightly—then warmth folded around him. A clean scent; her voice at the edge of sleep:
"Do not stop being steadfast, Mr. Green… but do sleep properly—go meet your Friday."
In the Transfiguration office, Sean slept deeply—yet time slid strangely back toward the start of the afternoon.
"You're helping him cheat, Minerva," said Albus with a smile, rewinding to noon.
"I was unaware Hogwarts had such a rule," McGonagall replied, voice even. "Albus, if there's nothing else, please leave my office."
"Oh—" Dumbledore's smile stayed kindly. "I simply hadn't guessed you'd request a Time-Turner for this… Very well, Minerva—at least let me look at my old office a moment longer?" He said he was looking at the room, but his wise gaze rested on Sean—and on the steaming turtle Sean had transfigured earlier. "It seems Mr. Green has learned his Transfiguration rather well?"
…
When he woke, Sean felt half his fatigue gone. There was a magic in McGonagall's office that loosened tight minds. Most importantly, he'd rested long and yet only a little time had passed. He understood—and stepped into the classroom with firmer resolve.
Professor Flitwick looked him over twice. "You're ready for the Knockback Jinx, then—kept your focus—good, Mr. Green. Looks like Fri—" He caught himself and pivoted. "Let's talk Dark magic… Mr. Green, what do you think is Dark magic?"
"Dark magic—magics that harm, control, or kill people or creatures. The Unforgivable Curses; brewing dark draughts; fostering dark creatures," Sean said.
"A comprehensive summary," Flitwick said, approving.