Chapter 176: Wizard's Chess
For several days, Dumbledore hoped to encounter the young wizard in front of the Mirror of Erised.
But alas, as Sean had said, the past was merely a weightless ghost.
That evening, Dumbledore stood beside the mirror, watching a reluctant Harry.
"The mirror will be moved to a new location tomorrow, Harry. I must ask you not to go looking for it. If you ever should come across it again, you will be prepared. It does no good to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Remember that. Now, why don't you slip back to bed in that wonderfully invisible cloak?"
Harry stood up.
"Sir—Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you one question?"
"You just did, but you may ask me one more." Dumbledore smiled.
"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"
"I? I see myself holding a thick pair of wool socks."
Harry's eyes widened.
"One can never have enough socks," Dumbledore said. "Christmas comes and goes, and I receive several pairs—for which I am grateful. But people always insist on giving me books."
Harry felt something was odd but returned to bed without asking.
Five days of the Christmas holidays had passed.
Sean found Professor Terra, who was extremely interested in his Transfiguration projects. They worked through many solutions and conducted several experiments, but the results were consistently disappointing. Professor Terra showed no sign of frustration, accompanying Sean through multiple failures with keen interest.
"You have put much effort into profound domains, just like the alchemists of the past. Now you know those paths offer no immediate breakthroughs. I require you to look at this with a different perspective."
Professor Terra spoke meaningfully. The floor of the Alchemy office undulated like waves, swiftly depositing Sean outside the door.
The wavy floor felt strangely like a stepless conveyor belt.
A different perspective... what could that be?
Sean was perplexed but not worried.
The problems of runes and materials were easily solved by Professor Terra's deep knowledge. But if the foundational issues were so simple for a Master, the persistent problems must be deeply entrenched. These were the very difficulties that prevented deeper exploration into magical creature transformation. Without resolving the magical conflict, creating Magical Creature Biscuits was impossible.
Room of Hope.
The biting wind that usually pulled at his scarf had finally stopped. Sean's scarf was damp with melted snow, and drops of water clung to his face.
A large head popped out of the hearth. It was Justin, greeting Sean cheerfully.
"Did you get my letter? Sean, you promised to write back!"
As he spoke, Sean heard him gasp—the return letter must have arrived.
Handwritten letters carried a unique quality. The feel of the parchment beneath one's fingers always gave a sense of stepping through time.
Books with gold embossing slid out from the left bookshelf. Sean swapped his damp scarf for a new one and began contemplating the five books Professor Terra had given him, particularly A Deep Analysis of Alchemical Rituals, which he had only read once.
The return letter lay on the corner of his desk, the words visible as the breeze lifted the parchment:
To Sean:
The Christmas feast was fun. My mother wants you to know—there is a seat for Green at the Finch-Fletchley table.
She says:
This world has all sorts of people.
The fact that we became friends
is not coincidence;
it is because we were always meant to be friends.
Winter is cold; please be warmer.
—Yours faithfully, Justin.
The magical lantern glowed, signaling night had fallen in the Room of Hope.
Sean realized that the Magical Creature Biscuits were simply too difficult right now. Even Professor Terra explicitly admitted there was no immediate solution.
So, he decided to try making Wizard's Chess.
The Transfiguration Biscuits were pure Advanced Transfiguration: "Animate to Animate."
Wizard's Chess was also Advanced Transfiguration: "Object to Magic." But it added complexity: each piece had its own rudimentary will and could communicate with the wizard.
This undoubtedly increased the alchemical difficulty.
After spending a leisurely amount of time, Sean brought a chessboard into the Alchemy office.
"Look at you! Heretic! I'll burn you alive!" a white piece, shaped like a bishop, shrieked.
Its shouting instantly irritated an upper-year wizard who had just been chewed out by Snape. He turned, then quickly backed down. Sean was already apologizing profusely.
"You cursed evil wizard, taste my blade!" A knight piece threw its sword. Fortunately, Sean's non-verbal Levitation Charm stopped it mid-flight.
To prevent the unruly pieces from causing more trouble, Sean quickly slipped into the Alchemy office.
"Oh, child, you're here. How did the Wizard's Chess turn out?" Professor Terra asked without looking up, busy with her own writing.
"What a beautiful lady, please do attend my castle banquet..." The king piece in Sean's hand spoke passionately. Immediately after, the Queen piece snatched a sword from the Knight and furiously stabbed the King, killing it.
Sean sighed. The pieces seemed to have too much personality. If students played with this set, games would end before they started, with the King collapsing first.
"Fascinating pieces, aren't they?" Professor Terra looked up, marveling. "They are so illogical. Your will must be incredibly strong, child. When you create alchemical objects, your magic is infused into them. And magic is the very embodiment of the wizard's will. A wizard with such potent willpower, coveted by alchemists, is destined to stir up a storm.
"But we must proceed step by step, child."
Professor Terra took the board. With a subtle gesture, she cast a charm that froze the pieces in place, silencing them instantly.
Sean knew what the Professor was implying, and the Panel confirmed it:
[Mrs. Norris Biscuit: Novice (700/900)]
[Owl Biscuit: Novice (10/900)]
[Stag Biscuit: Novice (10/900)]
[Cock's-comb Biscuit: Novice (10/900)]
[Intermediate Wizard's Chess: Apprentice (10/300)]
[Unlock Adept Alchemist Title: Requires three Adept-level Intermediate Alchemical items and six Novice-level Alchemical items.]
He couldn't create the Magical Creature Biscuits because they were simply too difficult, not because he lacked the method or talent.
(End of Chapter)
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