Chapter 152: The Bloody Baron
"Here, take these Canary Creams, Little Green. Consider it payment," Leon said, pressing a box into Sean's hands. "Now, Pister and I are going to the hospital wing to check on that idiot Bruce. Hopefully, he's not dead."
With that, the two older Hufflepuffs departed, leaving the five first-years to make their way back to the castle, wrapped tightly in their thick cloaks.
"Merlin's beard, Sean! Your Transfiguration is incredible!" Ron enthused, miming the snowman's punch. He was clearly fantasizing about summoning his own snow monster to flatten Malfoy. A goofy grin spread across his face.
"Keep dreaming, Ron. You're not even at Apprentice level yet," Harry said, bursting his bubble.
"I'll get there, Harry! Just you wait!" Ron declared, his eyes shining with determination.
Beside them, Justin examined the Canary Cream in his hand with fascination, finding it hard to believe a simple biscuit could transform a person into a bird.
Sean was studying the biscuit too, sensing the magical circuits woven into its structure. It reminded him of his current goal: reaching 'Adept' proficiency in animate-to-animate Transfiguration.
Room of Hope.
Sean waved his wand. A beetle instantly transformed into a small owl, circled the room twice, and then reverted to a beetle.
Thick robes hung drying by the fire, filling the air with the scent of warm wool. The sweet aroma of roasting pumpkin drifted from the snack table.
Justin was regaling Hermione with tales of their greenhouse adventures, eliciting gasps of surprise from her, while Ron and Harry added their own excited commentary. It was noisy, but comfortably so.
Based on his recent experience with the giant snowman, Sean could now estimate his limits. At full power, he could maintain a snow construct several meters tall for about five minutes. If he sacrificed fine control for size and duration, he could create something even larger that would last longer.
The strength of the construct varied too; loose snow created a soft giant, while packed ice made it as hard as stone. Magic, as always, obeyed the wizard's will.
However, Transfiguration required precision and practice. In terms of Advanced Transfiguration, Sean currently only knew how to create snowmen and fire salamanders. It was time to expand his repertoire. Perhaps Piertotum Locomotor?
The fire's heat fluttered the pages of McGonagall's notebook on Sean's desk. He spotted the familiar incantation.
*Piertotum Locomotor (Animating Charm for Statues/Suits of Armour)
This spell falls under the category of Advanced Transfiguration. Its core function is to animate inorganic constructs (such as stone statues or metal armour) into combat units. Activated objects can perform physical attacks like slashing or charging and return to a static state once the enchantment ends or is broken. This spell requires a high degree of magical control and continuous guidance to maintain the animation.
McGonagall's detailed description highlighted the difficulty. The logic of object-to-magic Transfiguration was consistent: Larger objects were harder; complex objects were harder; complex commands were harder.
To achieve the level of Transfiguration seen in the Battle of Hogwarts, Sean had a long road ahead.
It was time to visit the Transfiguration office.
In the corridor, snow slid from the stained-glass windows with a soft shhh.
"Oh! Young Green!"
The Fat Lady called out from her portrait. She loved chatting with Sean about Professor McGonagall, often joined by Lady Violet, who would add interesting historical tidbits—like how McGonagall had transfigured a matchstick into a needle in her very first lesson, or a mouse into a snuffbox in her second…
As Sean listened, he noticed the two ladies staring at him intently.
"You know, Young Green," the Fat Lady mused, "if someone told me you were related to Minerva, I'd believe them in a heartbeat. Merlin's beard, it's almost…"
"Oh—hush now—you'll ruin the—" Lady Violet hissed a warning.
The Fat Lady clamped her hand over her mouth. "Ah, ah, nothing… nothing at all…" she stammered.
Sean looked at her quizzically.
"Ah, ah, the weather! Yes! Lovely weather today, isn't it? So sunny…"
"There is no sun today," Lady Violet pointed out helpfully.
"Oh! I mean… at least it's not raining…"
"It's sleeting!" Sir Cadogan yelled as he trotted past.
"Wretched knight!" The Fat Lady huffed, clearly relieved for the distraction, and the three portraits bustled away from Sean's frame.
Sean frowned. Professor McGonagall had been acting strange lately. She was constantly writing letters—writing, receiving, sending. It had become a daily ritual. Occasionally, Sean caught a glimpse of the signature: Roland.
The name felt familiar, like a faint scratch on an old memory, but he couldn't place it. The mystery deepened.
Afternoon. The corridor was bustling. Sean stepped onto the moving staircase, heading for the Transfiguration office.
Suddenly, a broad face with round, bright eyes popped out of the wall. Wearing bright, motley clothes and a bell-topped hat, Peeves the Poltergeist grinned mischievously as he grabbed the edge of the carpet on the stairs, ready to yank it out from under an unsuspecting student.
Just as Sean opened his mouth to shout a warning, a terrifying figure materialized through the wall next to Peeves. Gaunt, staring eyes, robes stained with silver blood—the Bloody Baron, the ghost of Slytherin House.
He looked at Sean once, then let out a rattling, hollow laugh.
Peeves shrieked in terror, nearly falling out of the air. He righted himself, hovering a foot above the stairs, and began to wheedle. "So sorry, Your Bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir! My fault, entirely my fault—didn't see you there—of course I didn't, you were invisible—forgive little Peevsie his little joke, sir?"
But his pleading fell on deaf ears. The Bloody Baron swooped towards him, and Peeves fled, wailing, "I'm dooooomed!"
The watching students burst into laughter. It was rare to see Peeves on the receiving end of such misfortune. Usually the tormentor, his panic was a welcome spectacle.
Sean watched silently. He had been about to shout the Baron's name to scare Peeves off, but the ghost had appeared on his own.
Just good timing, Sean thought.
(End of Chapter)
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