CHAPTER 32 - Speculations on Transfiguration

The headmaster's office was circular in structure, filled with an assortment of intriguing objects. 

As Robert turned around, his eyes landed on a tall, gilded perch standing behind the door. Atop it sat an unusual bird—swan-sized, covered in brilliant red feathers, with a golden tail, beak, and talons. The magnificent creature was observing the young wizard who had just entered. 

Recognizing what it was, Robert quickly greeted the bird. A phoenix! Though it lacked the kind of regal presence he had imagined, it exuded a quiet elegance. 

"That's Fawkes," came a voice from behind him. 

Robert turned to meet the deep blue gaze of Professor Dumbledore. 

"Isn't he beautiful?" the headmaster asked with a gentle smile. 

"He truly is, Professor," Robert replied. 

Dumbledore chuckled lightly, then casually picked up an envelope from his desk and gave it a small wave before speaking again. 

"Mr. Leslie, your guardians have already given me a brief account of the situation. I see no reason to stand in the way of someone seeking out their last remaining relatives." 

"So… you approve my leave of absence, Professor?" Robert asked, eyes lighting up with excitement. 

"Yes, Mr. Leslie. But remember—be sure to return before the end of September," Dumbledore said warmly. "You'll need to catch up on your studies, or else your Head of House, Professor Sprout, will be quite displeased." 

Robert nodded eagerly. "Understood, Professor! I promise to return on time and keep up with my coursework." 

Leaving the headmaster's office, Robert let out a breath of relief. Without Dumbledore's approval, traveling to the wizarding world of Flower Country would have been no easy task. The Ministry of Magic was strongly against wizards venturing there—so much so that the country didn't even have a recognized Ministry of Magic. Robert would have no choice but to travel the Muggle way. 

Descending the spiral staircase, he glanced back at the grotesque stone gargoyle that had returned to its original position. Giving it a small wave, he turned and ran down the steps. 

Before long, he spotted two identical red-haired figures waiting for him. 

"Hey, Robert! Did you get the leave approved?" Fred called, waving him over. 

Robert jogged up to them, slightly out of breath, before nodding. "Yeah, it's all set. By the way, can I stay at The Burrow for a while after term ends? Elsa already agreed to let me visit a friend's home before heading to Flower Country." 

'Merlin's beard, Cliff! Where have you dragged my dear Aunt Elsa off to this time?' Robert gritted his teeth at the thought of his ever-unreliable guardian, who somehow managed to bring Elsa along on his work trips and flaunt their relationship at the same time. 

Fred and George whooped in celebration, high-fiving each other. 

"That's brilliant!" 

"Well then," Robert grinned, "shall we get started on tonight's little adventure?" 

"Three times back and forth, got it!" George waved a hand dismissively. "We already remember." 

"No! I'm talking about the safety precautions. They're important!" Robert said sternly. "That room is filled with all sorts of things people have hidden away over the years. If you don't follow the rules and something happens, I won't be able to face Mrs. Weasley. And neither of you will be able to explain yourselves to Elsa either, will you?" 

The twins exchanged a look before sighing in surrender. 

"Fine, Robert, you win. So, what's the real mission tonight? Not just exploring?" 

Robert smirked. "We'll explore first. Then I'll teach you a spell—Protego. From now on, whoever can hold their Shield Charm the longest gets to stay inside the room the longest." 

With a flick of his wand, he cast protective spells over each of them. Noticing the twins' lack of concern, he raised an eyebrow and added temptingly, 

"Oh, and by the way—if you use Protego while taking on those Slytherins, you'd be able to completely ignore their attacks. Think about it, gentlemen. That means you'd get a few extra kicks in before the fight's over. Wouldn't that be satisfying?" 

Although he spoke casually, Robert silently apologized to the Slytherin students. He had the sinking feeling that he'd just handed them yet another perfectly wrapped black pot of trouble. 

Laughing and chatting, the three of them stepped into the Room of Requirement, which, as always, was packed with a chaotic assortment of objects. 

"My spell will only last for an hour, so, gentlemen—see you in an hour!" Robert called out before dashing toward the shelves stacked with books. 

The twins each picked a direction, eagerly searching for interesting trinkets. 

Robert, meanwhile, pulled a notebook from the shelf, reading the title in surprise. 

'Transfiguration Notes?' 

Flipping through the pages, he quickly realized that the owner of this book was likely a struggling student with a rather creative imagination. The notes were filled with bizarre questions, though some were genuinely intriguing. 

For instance—why could a Vanishing Spell turn food into air, but a Transfiguration Spell couldn't turn air into food? 

Robert scoffed. "Maybe because your magical power isn't strong enough!" 

Most people accepted that food couldn't be conjured from thin air. That was true enough. But still—this was written by someone barely scraping by in Transfiguration class! 

After all, when Fred and George crashed the Whomping Willow with their flying car, Professor McGonagall had instantly conjured a whole platter of sandwiches and pumpkin juice right onto Snape's desk! 

Of course, some might argue that she had merely used a Summoning Charm rather than true conjuration. After all, when McGonagall had lectured on Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, she specifically mentioned the Five Principal Exceptions—food being one of them. 

The reason was obvious. Transfigurations were temporary. 

Take, for example, turning sulfuric acid into pumpkin juice. If you drank it while the magic was still in effect, you'd be fine. But once the spell wore off—well, your insides would not be thanking you. 

"But what if you used the Philosopher's Stone?"

The legendary stone, created by wizards, was renowned for granting immortality and turning metal into gold. But it had other uses, too—like permanently fixing magical transformations. 

If someone were to use the Philosopher's Stone to permanently transfigure sulfuric acid into pumpkin juice, wouldn't that mean Gamp's Law had a loophole? 

And if that loophole existed, had wizards merely accepted it as a universal truth because it was established by a great wizard? Or… 

Was it because the magic required to break that rule was simply beyond the reach of most witches and wizards? 

On the other hand, stories from Flower Country often depicted Taoist priests conjuring food from nothing to aid starving villagers. Would that count as a form of Transfiguration? 

A sudden spark of excitement ran through Robert's mind. 

"Maybe I should hitch a ride with the Chosen One and his flying car in my fourth year." 

If McGonagall could truly conjure food from nothing, then he'd have proof of one thing— 

Gamp's Law existed. 

But if one's magical power was strong enough… 

It could be broken. 

(End of Chapter)