HP: Pure-Blood Glory

This Transfiguration lesson left many of the young wizards in awe.

Due to the high level of difficulty, even many of their parents weren't particularly proficient at using Transfiguration spells.

Naturally, they didn't fully understand this kind of magic, especially since it doesn't rely on many standard spells and how it might be used in combat. As a result, many students weren't initially very attentive in this class.

However, those who did know the power of Transfiguration were listening very carefully.

Still, no matter how attentively they followed Professor McGonagall's instructions and demonstrations, most of them were left baffled when it came to transforming the matchstick in front of them.

"How do you even start with this?"

Harry stared at the matchstick in confusion and turned to Ron. He found Ron absentmindedly waving his wand in a mechanical way, clearly lost in thought, with his matchstick showing no signs of transformation.

Seeing that Ron wasn't much help, Harry glanced over at Hermione, who was also vigorously waving her wand with a deep frown on her face. Finally, he looked at Luke, who hadn't even touched his wand yet and was just standing there.

Relieved that he wasn't the only one struggling, Harry went back to reviewing the notes he had taken during McGonagall's lecture, carefully following the steps to try again.

Just as he was about to wave his wand once more, he heard Professor McGonagall's voice.

"Very well done, Mr. Gaunt. A fine needle. Five points to Slytherin."

Harry turned in shock to look at Luke.

Professor McGonagall stood beside Luke, holding a thin silver needle in her hand. The needle looked so ordinary that, if Harry didn't know Luke better, he might have suspected Luke had simply pulled out an existing needle to use.

"Thank you for the compliment"

Luke said with a smile.

McGonagall smiled back and placed the needle on the table. "Now, try to make it more refined," she instructed.

Luke's smile froze.

"Do what you can, Luke"

McGonagall added with a pat on his shoulder before moving on to check on the other students.

"How did you do that?" Taylor, who was standing next to Luke, picked up the needle and examined it closely.

She had watched Luke work intently, waving his wand twice. 

The first time, the matchstick gained a metallic sheen.

The second time, it transformed into the needle now in her hand.

"Well... I just focused on channeling magic, waved my wand, and thought about turning the matchstick into a needle"

Luke explained after thinking for a moment.

Taylor blinked, unsure of what to say. Luke's process sounded even more exaggerated than what Professor McGonagall had just taught them.

"You should focus on making it more refined"

Taylor said, placing the needle back in front of Luke before furrowing her brow and starting to wave her wand again.

On the other side of the room, Hermione was furiously waving her wand with a determined look on her face, much to the alarm of Lavender, who was seated beside her.

However, by the end of the class, no one else had successfully completed the task.

Hermione managed to make her matchstick thinner and sharper, but the shape was still off, and it lacked the metallic sheen. It couldn't really be called a needle.

Nevertheless, McGonagall awarded Hermione three points, partly because she was the only other student, besides Luke, who had made noticeable progress, and also because her performance was well beyond what was expected for a first lesson.

"Overachiever" wouldn't be an exaggeration.

As for Luke, by the time he handed in his needle, it had been engraved with the Gaunt family crest—clearly visible and exquisitely detailed.

McGonagall simply nodded in approval, but Luke could see the glimmer of surprise in her eyes.

As the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson, Hermione immediately started walking toward Luke, clearly intending to ask him how he had managed to complete the transformation.

"Luke, stay for a moment. I have something to discuss with you"

McGonagall said before Hermione could reach him.

Professor McGonagall called out to Luke, and Hermione could only watch as Luke walked over to her.

Hermione felt a bit disappointed, but before she could dwell on it, Taylor came over and hooked her arm through Hermione's.

"Don't think too much about it," Taylor said with a smile. "That guy doesn't have any special trick—he's just naturally gifted."

"I saw him myself," Taylor continued. "He waved his wand twice and turned the matchstick into a needle. Then he closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and with another wave, added his family crest to the needle. You can tell it's not technique; it's all talent."

Hermione pursed her lips but soon relaxed a bit. She had already come to terms with the fact that there was a gap in natural talent between her and Luke.

"Don't be upset. We don't need to compare ourselves to the geniuses. You're doing great—you were the only other person to earn points besides Luke!" Taylor comforted Hermione.

"Come on, let's go grab something to eat while they talk."

Hermione looked at Taylor, who, despite her somewhat disheveled and shabby appearance, was actually quite beautiful. Hermione nodded silently.

Though it had only been a few days since school started, Hermione had already managed to alienate most of the other girls due to her serious attitude and intense personality.

Taylor was probably the only one who understood her and still wanted to be her friend.

"Let's go!"

Hermione smiled at Taylor as they headed off together.

---

In Professor McGonagall's office, she poured a cup of tea for Luke.

"A Lance family member will come tomorrow to deliver the compensation," she said.

"That soon?"

Luke asked, somewhat surprised. Transferring business assets took time, and passing on the hidden value of an industry—things like clients, branding, and key employees—was not an easy task. Not to mention the board seat, which was a complex position to transfer in itself.

"They're in more of a hurry than you are," McGonagall said after taking a sip of tea. "Besides, they didn't originally held that board seat. The Gaunt family had essentially forced the Lance family to buy it at a high price. Now it's just returning to its rightful owner."

Luke nodded indifferently. He wasn't particularly interested in what the other branch of the Gaunt family had left behind, whether it was good or bad.

McGonagall didn't elaborate further, knowing that Luke was already well aware of the situation. There was no need for her to explain more.

Then, she took a notebook out of her desk drawer.

"These are my notes on Transfiguration. Take them with you and review them carefully. If you don't understand something, come and ask me. Transfiguration can be dangerous, so don't take it lightly."

Luke looked at the notebook pushed toward him from across the desk. After a moment of silence, he solemnly picked it up, stood, and bowed to McGonagall. "Thank you, Professor."

McGonagall waved her hand dismissively. "No need to be so formal."

She then took a deep breath and added, "Luke, have you really thought this through? We know about what you're doing in the school. You realize that your actions bear a striking resemblance to those of two certain individuals."

Her emphasis on "we" made it clear that the entire faculty was aware, and the comparison she was making didn't need to be spelled out.

"I trust the professors will make their judgments. If you find my actions inappropriate, you can always stop me," Luke responded.

McGonagall could hear that the word "stop" in Luke's reply was far from gentle in its intent.

"More importantly, Professor," Luke's eyes gleamed with conviction, "I trust myself. I won't follow the path those two walked."

"I'll walk my own path."

*****

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