Chapter 285: Lost Souls and Anchors
When the castle was nearly empty, even the wind seemed to slow its pace, moving with a gentle, lingering rhythm.
Behind an amber-tinted stained-glass window in the Ravenclaw Tower, Sean watched as Snowy flew further and further away, a letter clutched in her beak. The Void Rune hung against his chest like a pendant; he could feel a sense of resolve and pride radiating from it—the steady, focused enthusiasm of a messenger.
Sean felt a stir of realization. As he looked down, a spindly, twig-like creature crawled out of his pocket and scrambled toward a warm, sun-drenched nest perched on a nearby bookshelf.
Tila, his Bowtruckle, had long since found a comfortable home in the Ravenclaw dormitory. As the creature met Sean's gaze, the boy felt the bond between them deepen.
Saturday.
The Headmaster's Office.
"Yes, you've grasped it... some truths take a lifetime to understand, while others never grasp them at all. Only those with true character and courage dare to let themselves feel it. Such people are fortunate, and they are rare."
Professor Dumbledore spoke slowly, guiding Sean's thoughts toward the intended conclusion.
"For thousands of years, songs and legends have spoken of the wandering souls in the Lands Between. They are souls unwilling to become ghosts, for that would mean losing the warmth of their emotions; yet they are also unwilling to journey into the depths of death, for they believe they still have something to wait for...
"Waiting... for Love to redeem them. Can you imagine it, child?
"An infinite, boundless wait, all for a sliver of a possibility. This is the crux of why souls linger in the Lands Between. The soul of a wizard who carries love within them will always be more resilient, more steadfast..."
Sunlight spilled through the open window, refracting into rainbows that danced across the office. Even within the wonders of Hogwarts, Dumbledore's office was uniquely captivating.
If students weren't usually so terrified of being expelled when they visited, they would find it an enchanting place. It was a spacious, beautiful circular room filled with funny little noises. On spindly-legged tables sat numerous curious silver instruments that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses, all snoozing peacefully in their frames.
Amidst the soft sound of snoring, Dumbledore continued his lesson.
The Headmaster's meaning was clear. In the Lands Between, whether one was a shade of the dead or a living wizard brought there by a Soul Hallow, becoming "lost" was a common occurrence. The difference was that the dead would eventually pass on, while the living wizard would return to the physical world.
Love acted as the Anchor, a beacon that ensured the soul would never lose its way.
That night, Sean stayed in the Lands Between a little longer than usual. Having understood the principle of the Anchor, the hazy mists surrounding him seemed to thin out.
In the dream, the System notifications chimed repeatedly:
[Alert: You have practiced Soul Transfiguration at the standard of an Adept within the Master Realm. Master-level Proficiency +10]
[Alert: You have practiced Soul Transfiguration at the standard of an Adept within the Master Realm. Master-level Proficiency +10]
[Alert: You have practiced Soul Transfiguration at the standard of an Adept within the Master Realm. Master-level Proficiency +10]
It rang three times. Sean reasonably suspected that the persistent sound of the System was one of the reasons he was so slow to lose himself in the mist.
Morning.
The first light of dawn fell upon blue silk as the flowing curtains were drawn back. The light illuminated an open page of Dreamland Tales:
...He had many dreams. At first, he was a magnificent eagle, soaring to hunt hares on the plains; on the days he failed, he went hungry. Later, he became the hare, and he felt a deep sorrow for the terrified, struggling creature.
He trekked across plains, mountain streams, and deserts. In the end, he found the forest suited him best, for it teemed with life. He became their family, the eldest son of the forest. And so, he found he could remain there longer and longer.
In the beginning, his dreams would shatter within seconds. Later, he stayed for seven hours. By then, the sky had darkened and the stars filled the night. The priests told him the stars there were the brightest... and from them, he learned the art of divining the future...
Seven hours...
Sean memorized the number. Currently, his maximum stay in the Lands Between did not exceed two minutes.
As he descended from the Ravenclaw Tower, he checked his status.
[Transfiguration Categories]
Material Transfiguration: Novice (10/300)
Magical Transfiguration: Novice (30/300)
Soul Transfiguration: Novice (10/300)
[Evaluation: A wizard who has just entered the Master realm of Transfiguration. Your combat rating now surpasses five points among Masters.]
Progress in Soul Transfiguration was rapid, but it wasn't Sean's primary tool for his upcoming plan. In truth, for Master-level Transfiguration, he relied most on Magical Transfiguration—turning things into fire dragons or yetis. Or, of course, the Piertotum Locomotor charm.
However, against a thick-skinned Basilisk, Sean's magical constructs might not have enough raw power to overwhelm it. Magical creatures like Basilisks, dragons, and giants possessed significant magic resistance. To break through that resistance, one either had to apply overwhelming magical force or use a clever workaround.
The first method was common among dragon keepers. As The Monster Book of Monsters recorded: Every keeper will draw their wand at once and release the charm together: "Stupefy!" The resulting Stunning Spells would strike like a rocket, sparks raining off the dragon's thick scales until the beast finally collapsed.
By that standard, Sean estimated he would need the combined magical output of at least four adult wizards to pierce a Basilisk's hide with a spell.
Thus, he easily found the second solution: physical force.
The Monster Book of Monsters described another method wizards once used to capture dragons: They would dig a massive pit and fill it with delicious raw meat. The dragon would drop into the pit without hesitation. At that moment, the wizards would wave their wands, transmuting the surrounding earth into solid stone to seal the exit. After the dragon had starved for a few days and lost its strength, it was the perfect time to capture it.
This was the utility of Material Transfiguration.
To be safe, Sean decided to grind both categories of Transfiguration to the [Adept] level.
Currently, Sean was heading to the Transfiguration office to practice his Material Transfiguration.
A short while later, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
A vast expanse of green lawn became Sean's practice ground. Professor McGonagall stood nearby, watching as Sean flicked his wand. The ground began to ripple like waves on an ocean.
Suddenly, Sean and McGonagall heard a thunderous shout.
"Merlin's beard—it's an earthquake!"
Hagrid came sprinting out of the woods at top speed. He was clutching Fang under his left arm and a handful of Bowtruckles in his right hand—the little stick-creatures were currently attacking his knuckles, furious at being forcibly removed from their trees.
"Good to see yeh, Professor McGonagall! And yeh, Sean! But there's no time to explain—get back! There's a massive earthquake happenin'!" Hagrid panted, his eyes wide with alarm.
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