"What you need to do is protect yourselves and avoid places where you may encounter them, because you won't stand a chance against them."
"But—"
"Alright, Mr. Black, I think you and I both know those basic practical spells aren't a challenge for you. So, what is it you truly want to ask?"
Phineas was briefly stunned, then said,
"Okay, Professor. I wanted to ask—do you know the history of this office? I'm curious about this ancient castle."
Upon hearing this, Professor Jonathan studied Phineas intently before replying,
"Although I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for, I can tell you this: among the offices in Hogwarts Castle today, only the Headmaster's office, the staff lounge, and the caretaker's office have always been used for those purposes. The other offices were added over time. If you're seeking historic rooms, you should ask Professor Dumbledore. His office has been here since the school's founding."
Phineas was taken aback. He hadn't expected to uncover such a valuable clue simply by asking a professor. If what Jonathan said was true, then the original offices of Ravenclaw and the other Founders had likely been hidden away.
Of course, Phineas wasn't about to take Jonathan's words at face value. After all, every Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts seemed to have some sort of issue.
That said, there hadn't been any problems with Jonathan's teaching—if anything, it was said to be far better than that of previous professors, at least according to upper-year students from other Houses. Slytherin remained the House most hostile toward Phineas, and naturally, no one there chatted casually in front of him. Their first response upon seeing him was usually to walk away.
The best way not to believe something was to find the truth—evidence that could prove whether something was right or wrong.
Next came History of Magic. But Professor Binns, the ghost who taught that class, was obviously not the person to ask. Even if he might know the answer, no one could expect a ghost who had forgotten his own death to remember Hogwarts Castle's many legends and secrets.
That left Phineas with very few professors he could approach. Some hadn't even met him yet, and given his reputation in the wizarding world...
The most likely candidates were the Heads of House.
There was only one class on Tuesday: Transfiguration in the afternoon, taught by Professor McGonagall.
As the strictest professor at Hogwarts, her classes weren't necessarily rigid, but they were certainly the least lenient.
"No matter what kind of Transfiguration you attempt, or how advanced your skills may be, remember what we discussed in the last lesson—Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. It is a fundamental magical principle."
"We can change the form of objects or conjure some things, but remember the five principal exceptions to Gamp's Law. First, food cannot be created from nothing. Even if you Transfigure an object into food, it is not truly food."
"Second, we cannot conjure magical artifacts. Their magical essence cannot be replicated through Transfiguration."
"Third, magical creatures cannot be conjured. Like magical objects, they possess magical energy that cannot be imitated."
"Fourth, we cannot conjure things that do not exist, as we cannot visualize what we do not understand."
"And lastly, we cannot conjure living people. Doing so would violate the balance of the magical world."
Professor McGonagall paced the aisle as she explained the core principles of Transfiguration.
Perhaps still irritated by Gryffindor's recent loss to Slytherin in the Quidditch match, she was not in the best of moods.
"Of course, there are many types of Transfiguration. Right now, you need to focus on practicing the most basic Transfiguration spells. The more advanced branches—Summoning Transfiguration, Human Transfiguration, and Animagus Transformation—are far beyond what you need to concern yourselves with for now."
Naturally, there were even more branches beyond that. For example, the Disguise Charm was also considered part of Transfiguration.
"One thing you must keep in mind: the larger the object you're trying to Transfigure, the more magic it requires and the shorter the transformation lasts. Conversely, smaller objects require less magic and will remain transformed for longer."
Having finished her explanation, Professor McGonagall looked around and raised her voice,
"Now, please resume the assignment from last class: turning your matchsticks into needles. Remember, belief is key. The clearer the image of the target object in your mind, the easier it will be to perform the spell."
With a wave of her wand, a flurry of matchsticks rose from the podium and floated to the students' desks—except for Phineas, in front of whom nothing landed.
"As for Mr. Black," McGonagall said, "based on your performance in the last class, you've already mastered the basic Transfiguration spell. So today, I'd like you to attempt an upgraded form: the Transformation Spell."
The Transformation Spell was the foundation of advanced Transfiguration. While the basic spell changed the appearance of an object, the Transformation Spell required more precision—it altered form with much greater permanence and depth.
Unlike basic Transfiguration, which was almost like casting an illusion, a well-cast Transformation Spell could produce a creature or object with real properties—as demonstrated when Professor McGonagall once turned a desk into a living pig. While a basic spell might have created a lifeless sculpture, the Transformation Spell brought forth a living, breathing animal.
Although the Transformation Spell could not change the inherent nature of a substance, it could reshape its form—sometimes permanently, provided enough magical power was applied.
Hearing her instructions, Phineas gave a nod and opened A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, pretending to read about the Transformation Spell.
In truth, Phineas had already begun practicing it on his own. He didn't really need to study the theory anymore.
But maintaining the appearance of a genius in front of Professor McGonagall mattered. After all, while he truly was talented, there was a clear difference between being naturally gifted and appearing capable of mastering complex spells swiftly and precisely.
If Phineas wanted to improve his position in the school, the professors were his best chance. Being seen as a prodigy was far more useful than simply being strong.
Outside Hogwarts, he might resort to strength—but within the castle, he knew better. Brute force wasn't the answer here.