Chapter 5 - 5: 05: Such Talent!

"Loki fir wood?"

Lucien and Professor McGonagall asked in unison.

Professor McGonagall, being an experienced witch, had heard rumors of this tree before, but never expected to see such an extinct material with her own eyes.

Lucien, however, felt a little uneasy because he suddenly realized:

This is the world of magic. Could the gods and mythical creatures from legends across different lands have truly existed?

Perhaps they were powerful wizards, or perhaps a unique species of magical creature...

It's entirely possible that ancient humans, witnessing wizards performing magic, regarded them as gods.

Ollivander explained, as if reminiscing:

"Loki fir, also known as Wicked wood, Deceptive Branch, or Illusion Tree."

"Legend has it that it was born when Loki was bound in the rift; his blood and curses dripped into a fir tree, transforming it into a magical tree with the power of Transfiguration. A wand made from it symbolizes infinite change."

Professor McGonagall frowned and asked:

"But I heard that this tree has long been extinct, and its very existence is almost a myth."

What she meant was to ask if this wand was really made from Loki fir, or if Ollivander was just old and confused.

Ollivander gave a wry smile:

"Not only is Loki fir extremely rare, but even magical creatures like the Sphinx are on the verge of extinction worldwide."

"The Sphinx, originating from Egyptian mythology, is the embodiment of wisdom, an unceasing pursuit of knowledge. The maker of this wand was my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather…"

Seeing Lucien and Professor McGonagall's expressions grow increasingly strange, Ollivander cleared his throat and stopped reciting the family tree.

"Anyway, it's been many generations—over a thousand years. This wand has existed for over a thousand years."

"Of course, the quality of the wand is genuine. An Ollivander would never lie about a wand!"

Ollivander couldn't help but puff out his chest; this was the pride of his family.

Glancing at the floating silver-black wand, Lucien thought of the Loki's Mask he had merged with.

And Loki fir, even if it was only a legend, had origins tied to Loki.

It was natural that he, now possessing Loki's magical talent, would be drawn to a wand made from this wood.

As for the Sphinx's spinal feather? The pursuit of knowledge?

Well, gaining more knowledge wasn't a bad thing.

Over a thousand years old, this wand was also an antique.

"It's been so long, and it hasn't sold…"

"Uh, it hasn't found its suitable owner?"

Facing Lucien's question, Ollivander looked at him with burning eyes, as if he had found a rare treasure.

"Perhaps it has found one. Child—oh no, Mr. Grafton, please try this wand."

Perhaps it had waited too long; the silver-black wand trembled slightly, the ethereal runes becoming more active, and a faint chuckle grew more distinct.

He extended his right hand and grasped the wand handle.

In that instant, Lucien felt an unprecedented harmony.

The magic within him surged toward the wand in his hand, yet it wasn't wild; the entire process was gentle and steady.

Lucien felt the wand cheering—joyful.

At the same time, he felt a new surge of magic erupt within him.

That magic didn't crash wildly but instead gathered toward the wand in his hand.

As magic accumulated, Lucien instinctively pointed the wand at a candle on the counter.

A dark green light shot out.

The candle trembled slightly, instantly transforming into a hammer.

The hammer remained still for less than a second before bone armor surged forth from its surface, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a black turtle.

The black turtle stretched out its head, its small, bean-sized green eyes about to look at Lucien.

Those eyes suddenly grew larger, and its pupils became horizontal.

The turtle shell softened and turned slippery, and the black turtle had already become a frog.

"Croak!"

A loud croak echoed, and the frog hopped a few times on the counter.

Its round body quickly elongated, its smooth skin sprouting scales, transforming into the slender body of a snake.

Feathered wings appeared on both sides of its body, and its head took the shape of a heron.

At the same time, as if to adapt to the space around it, the peculiar creature's body continuously expanded, growing five or six times larger in an instant.

Bang!

The still-expanding creature suddenly exploded, bursting into a cloud of smoke, and reverted to its previous candle form.

Watching this transformation that lasted less than a minute, Ollivander exclaimed in admiration: "Transfiguration! I have never seen such Transfiguration talent!"

"I can already see that a Transfiguration Master will emerge in the future magical world. Minerva, congratulations on finding a genius student."

Ollivander smiled at Professor McGonagall, only to find her gaze constantly shifting between the candle and Lucien, seemingly not having heard his congratulations at all.

"The final transformation was an Occamy?!"

McGonagall had long anticipated Lucien's Transfiguration talent, and upon truly seeing him cast a spell with a wand, she became even more certain of her judgment.

Although it was just instinctive spellcasting—not stable enough, not sustainable—it further highlighted Lucien's potential.

Lucien now only needed to systematically learn and train, continuously absorbing knowledge of Transfiguration spells.

Whether it was the conversion between objects, objects transforming into creatures, the transformation between different species, or even the highest difficulty of Animagus... Professor McGonagall believed that Lucien would eventually master them all.

But why did it turn into an Occamy at the end?

If it was just its appearance, that would be one thing, but that characteristic of freely scaling its body according to the size of the space it was in was, without a doubt, an Occamy!

How could it be a magical creature? How could it be such a magical beast?

The Transfiguration performed by wizards can only transform into ordinary animals, not magical creatures.

Perhaps it's because the innate magical energy of these creatures has a fundamental conflict with the magic of wizards.

Having studied Transfiguration spells for decades, Professor McGonagall had never seen anyone transfigure something into a magical creature—not even partially!

"Is this an unknown direction for Transfiguration? But how can a child who has just started learning magic…"

"I should ask Dumbledore when I get back."

McGonagall murmured softly.

Dumbledore was one of the foremost Transfiguration masters of the age; perhaps he would know what this type of Transfiguration meant.

Calming herself, Professor McGonagall smiled at Lucien.

"Lucien, you are truly gifted. I look forward to your performance at Hogwarts."

Lucien put away his wand.

"I also look forward to your guidance."

He lowered his head and glanced at his panel.

White Magic: S

Dark Arts: SS+

Defense: S+

Transfiguration: SSS

Potions: A

Alchemy: A+

Magic Power: SS (Unlocked!!)

Magic is an important indicator of a wizard's strength.

Why do some pure-blood wizards discriminate against Muggle-borns?

Aside from accumulated family resources and generations of inherited magical knowledge, it's also because pure-blood wizards often possess more abundant magic.

(Note: we know from HP that some Half-Bloods have a higher chance of being born powerful, like Harry, Dumbledore, and Tom Riddle. But overall, Pure-Bloods are generally more powerful than other joes. An average Death Eater was more powerful than an average wizard, Gellert Grindelwald, the Weasleys- Bill and Ginny.)

(Note 2: Hermione was talented and smart; her magical power was average at best. 1st yr Hermione wasn't able to 'up' a broomstick.)

When the magical skill levels of both sides are similar, whoever can cast more spells and last longer naturally has the advantage.

But now that I have unlocked SS-level magic talent, I have broken free from those original constraints.

Whether in the speed of magical growth or the total amount of magic in the future, I will be far ahead, surpassing my contemporaries.

Bidding farewell to Ollivander, he headed to the next shop.

Watching Lucien's retreating figure, Ollivander sighed silently:

"A legendary wand must have a legendary owner. Handing the wand to that young man is another day worth remembering."

Buying a cauldron for Potions class, a telescope for Astronomy class, choosing wizard robes at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions...

Lucien arrived at the magical pet shop, Magical Menagerie.

Stepping into the shop, various noisy sounds assailed him.

Croak, croak, croak—

Meow—

"Are you looking to choose a magical pet?"

The shopkeeper, a woman wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, asked Lucien in a gentle tone.

Lucien nodded, observing the animals in the shop.

"This one is too ugly."

"This one smells really strong."

"Uh, is this a cat?"

A Persian cat with long ginger fur and a bushy tail squatted in a cage, lazily glancing at Lucien.

Its face was very flat, as if it had been squashed against a wall.

Lucien shook his head.

He wondered who would like this strangely-faced pet cat.

These pets were all quite ordinary, nothing special.

Note: This creature appears in the film series, specifically in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, where it's a central plot device. The Qilin is a magical creature that resembles a deer with golden, scaly skin.

Its most notable ability is that it can see into a person's soul to determine if they are pure of heart.

This power is used by the International Confederation of Wizards to help choose the next Supreme Mugwump!