Chapter 169: Intermediate Alchemy
"You should put that name on the order."
Snape spoke abruptly, breaking the silence.
"Severus. 'Sean Green' is enough. He is not an appendage to anyone, least of all me. He should not be Sean McGonagall."
Minerva McGonagall's voice held a hint of anger. They were walking down the fifth-floor corridor.
"Then perhaps that is for the best," Snape sneered, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Tomorrow, he shall be Sean Snape."
"Don't you even think about it," McGonagall snapped, glaring at him. Clutching a beautifully wrapped box of biscuits, she hurried away.
In the stairwell.
Sean felt his mastery of "Self" to "Animate" Transfiguration deepening. Since using the Animal Biscuits, his understanding of feline anatomy and the willpower required for transformation had improved drastically.
This made him even more eager for the upcoming Christmas weekend sessions on Animagus transformation with Professor Dumbledore.
If things went well, he could master the Animagus transformation in a few months, maybe even less.
However, he still couldn't quite grasp what the Headmaster meant by "a little bit of luck."
Sean transformed his cat paw back into a human hand. He could now perform partial self-transfiguration, but only into a cat.
[You have practiced an Advanced Transfiguration to the Adept standard. Proficiency +30]
Looking at the pitifully small gain in proficiency, he wondered how much the full Animagus transformation would yield.
Christmas Eve arrived in a flash.
The rumors were all false. No eight hundred barrels of mulled mead, no Weird Sisters concert. Just more food—an even more lavish feast than before.
This time, even Sean struggled to eat everything on his plate.
Leaving the Great Hall, Harry seemed on the verge of saying something, but Sean didn't notice. He was too focused on grinding the proficiency for his final Animal Biscuit.
At the same time, he attempted to make a Mrs. Norris Biscuit, aiming for the [Adept] standard on his first try.
Snow fell softly outside the Gothic windows of the corridor. The light rain had turned to gentle snow by nightfall.
The corridor was silent. The only figure present, Sean, could barely be called a wizard at that moment.
The [Adept] biscuit extended his transformation time to ten minutes. He could also use the insights gained during transformation to deepen his understanding. The more he understood, the higher his proficiency rose; the higher his proficiency, the deeper his understanding. It was a positive feedback loop.
Sean had a theory. Although he called it the "Mrs. Norris Biscuit," he really wanted to prefix it with "Magical Creature." The full name should be the Magical Creature Mrs. Norris Biscuit.
Mrs. Norris had Kneazle blood, but Sean had only replicated her physical appearance, not her powerful magical abilities.
Kneazles possessed an uncanny ability to detect unsavory or suspicious characters. If their owner was lost, they could guide them safely home.
Essentially: Sense Motive and Auto-Navigation. Either ability would be incredibly useful.
To achieve this, Sean needed to further improve his Alchemy and Transfiguration skills.
Specifically, he guessed he needed to reach [Expert] level. He was also certain that developing Magical Creature biscuits was the second essential path to improving quality.
Lost in thought, Sean arrived at the third-floor corridor. Suddenly, bright candles lit up, and he found himself surrounded by students.
The black cat curiously climbed onto a suit of armour to listen to their whispers.
"The Lucky Statue has been redone! I heard it's a special change to celebrate Christmas." Hannah Abbott whispered to her friend.
"Look, Hannah, that statue—it looks just like the cat on top of the armour!" Sally-Anne Perks whispered back.
Both girls looked up at the black cat perched on the helmet. It was small, sleek, and black as ink. Its bright green eyes were staring intently at the statue, which looked identical to itself.
Sean was bewildered. I haven't died yet! Why is there a statue of me?
He felt a sudden, irrational urge to scratch the statue but suppressed it and fled the scene.
"Did I imagine that, Sally-Anne?" Hannah murmured.
"No, Hannah! It means we're going to be lucky! A black cat crossed our path!" Sally-Anne squealed excitedly.
In the shadows of the corridor, before Sean could transform back, a pair of hands scooped him up.
"Sean?"
He found himself looking into a pair of curious, amused blue eyes.
Although he didn't know how Professor McGonagall had recognized him, Sean leaped from her arms and transformed back into a boy, keeping his head bowed.
"Pro... Professor. Good evening."
"Incredible Alchemy, a clever combination... And you retained your consciousness... Child, it seems you've discovered your Animagus form, haven't you?"
Professor McGonagall produced a package of exquisite biscuits. Her voice was calm, but she was trembling with excitement.
"So, would you like to learn?"
She tried to keep her voice steady and elegant.
"Professor, I apologize, but Headmaster Dumbledore has arranged for me to study with him this Christmas," Sean explained.
"Child—you needn't worry about that," Professor McGonagall said with a smile.
As she turned away, her expression became impassive.
She recalled the so-called "Lucky Black Cat Statue" and Albus's meaningful glances. Her pace quickened significantly as she headed towards the Headmaster's office.
The Dungeon.
The heat from the cauldron dispelled some of the bitter cold.
Snape stared at the Stag Biscuit in his hand. With a wave of his wand, the dungeon door sealed shut.
With a look of utter disdain, he ate one.
The moment he finished, the dungeon door burst open.
"Oh, Severus, I really must hide in here for a moment..."
The white-bearded old wizard pushed open the door. Only he could silently open a magically sealed door.
"What is this—"
A moment later, a roar echoed through the dungeon:
"I DO NOT RECALL OUR RELATIONSHIP REACHING THE POINT WHERE YOU MAY ENTER WITHOUT KNOCKING—DUMBLEDORE!"
Unaware of the havoc his Transfiguration Biscuits were causing, Sean was making a final push. He needed just six more proficiency points to unlock a new Alchemy title.
[You have practiced crafting a Cock's-comb Biscuit to the Novice standard. Proficiency +3]
[You have practiced crafting a Cock's-comb Biscuit to the Novice standard. Proficiency +3]
[Title: Adept Alchemist]
[Effect: Significantly increases perception of Alchemical magic. Slightly improves Alchemical talent.]
His perception had improved slightly. Sean felt the complex flow of magic within the biscuits become even clearer.
He eagerly checked the advancement conditions:
[Next Tier: Create three Adept-level Intermediate Alchemical items and six Novice-level Alchemical items to unlock the Expert Alchemy Title.]
Intermediate Alchemical items? What does that mean?
(End of Chapter)
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