Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall said, "this transformation is possible when the understanding of the inner rules of matter is deep enough, the magic is powerful enough, and the will is clear enough."

But as you said, it's far more difficult than ordinary transformations because it requires the caster not only to imagine the target form, but also to understand and reconstruct its inherent stable structure, transforming loose, layered connections into a robust three-dimensional structure.

Regulus then asked, "Professor, what about the Philosopher's Stone?"

She put away her wand and looked at Regulus: "As for the Philosopher's Stone... that is the highest achievement of alchemy, beyond the scope of ordinary transfiguration."

It touches upon the realm of creation and eternity.

Gold created by ordinary transmutation spells often carries a strong imprint of the caster's magic, is unstable, and will revert to its original state over time or with strong magical interference, or may possess some kind of false essence.

Gold imbued with the Philosopher's Stone is said to possess truly eternal material properties.

The difference may lie in whether or not the perfect inherent rules governing gold were truly created or established.

This discussion greatly benefited Regulus.

Professor McGonagall's perspective leans more towards an intuitive understanding of magic and will.

His perspective, however, incorporates modern scientific thinking.

The convergence of these two ideas gave him a sudden and clear understanding of Transfiguration.

"Your talent and depth of thought in Transfiguration are impressive, Mr. Blake."

Professor McGonagall's tone softened as she got up and walked to an old bookshelf, taking down a thick notebook that looked quite old.

Regulus noticed that the cover was made of dark blue dragon skin, which showed how much its owner cherished it.

"These are some of my insights, conjectures, and lessons learned from failures that I recorded when I was young, as I explored higher levels of Transfiguration." She handed the notebook to Regulus with a solemn expression.

"There are no specific spells or techniques in it. It is more about thinking about the essence of transfiguration and how to more clearly perceive and understand the object you want to transmigrate."

I think it might be helpful for your current exploration.

Regulus took the notebook with both hands, feeling the lingering warmth and magic of the cover, and the wisdom accumulated over decades by a meticulous scholar.

This gift is of immeasurable value.

"Thank you very much, Professor McGonagall," he said earnestly and sincerely.

"I hope it will guide you in the right direction." Professor McGonagall looked at him, her gaze deep. "Transfiguration is one of the most direct manifestations of magic changing reality."

A strong will can reshape matter, but it must be remembered that the will itself also needs to be guided by wisdom and morality.

Never forget that we learn magic to understand the world, not simply to control or distort it.

"Yes, Professor, I will not forget."

Regulus nodded in agreement, understanding Professor McGonagall's meaning. He thanked her again and left the office.

Professor McGonagall stood there, staring at the closed door with a complex expression.

The talent and way of thinking that this child has shown are extremely rare in all her years of teaching.

He is calm, perceptive, and creative, yet also knows how to restrain himself and show respect, at least outwardly.

But it is precisely because of this that she is even more worried that if such talent and temperament go astray, the harm they could cause will be enormous.

"I just hope he will choose the right path," she murmured to herself, sitting back at her desk, but unable to return to grading assignments for a long time.

Finally, Professor McGonagall stood up and walked toward the principal's office on the eighth floor of the castle.

As soon as she uttered the command, the stone beast leaped away, and she ascended the spiral staircase, knocking on the gleaming oak door.

"Come in, Minerva," came Dumbledore's gentle voice.

Professor McGonagall entered the round office, which, as always, was filled with the humming of all sorts of strange silverware. The portraits of past principals on the wall pretended to be dozing off, but in reality, they were all listening intently.

Fox preened his feathers on the perch.

"Albus, I need to talk to you about Regulus Black," Professor McGonagall said, getting straight to the point.

Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon spectacles, his blue eyes gleaming with interest: "Ah, young Mr. Black."

I guess he's brought up some Transfiguration question that even my vice-principal found tricky this time?

"It's not just a problem." Professor McGonagall sat down in her usual hard-backed chair, her expression serious.

"His talent... is extraordinary. His understanding of Transfiguration far exceeds his age and even touches on some aspects that I don't often think about in depth."

More importantly, his way of thinking is very unique, with a clear structure and a far-sighted perspective.

This is very unusual, I mean, this child, Albus.

She reiterated in detail the discussion that had just taken place regarding graphite and diamonds, as well as the inherent rules governing the structure of matter.

Dumbledore listened quietly, his hands crossed in front of him.

"Moreover," Professor McGonagall continued, her brow furrowed, "I noticed some of his behavior."

He stopped asking overly advanced questions in class and behaved like an excellent student focused on building a solid foundation.

But I had my house-elf keep an eye on him and discovered that he often practiced some rather exquisite magic by himself in secluded spots in the castle, including the Silent Charm and extremely precise Transfiguration.

That was far beyond what he should have mastered at his age, and some of his magic was even more powerful than that of an adult wizard.

He had academic exchanges with Lily Evans of Gryffindor in the library and even taught her Muggle essay writing methods.

He outwardly kept his distance from his classmates, but a boy named Avery Cuthbert seemed to begin following him, and he showed conditional acceptance and guidance, not simply exploitation.

Dumbledore nodded slightly: "Yes, Minerva, I've noticed that too."

Professor McGonagall looked at him: "You know? Of course, how could you not know?"

"This castle," Dumbledore said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the seemingly sleeping portraits around him, "is full of eyes and ears."

Moreover, I do have a particular interest in the young Mr. Blake.

From the day he enrolled, the Sorting Hat began to convey some interesting messages to me.

It says that his gaze towards the stars transcended worldly strife, yet he steadfastly chose the path of Slytherin.

He paused, his voice becoming calm and insightful: "He is different from his brother Sirius."

Sirius's rebellion is like fire—fiery, bright, and direct.

Regulus, on the surface, appears calm, but may harbor complex thoughts and unknown ideas within.

His thirst for knowledge was genuine, and his pursuit of power was clear, but he seemed to have his own standards of measurement and behavioral logic.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!" Professor McGonagall said. "He's talented, thoughtful, and knows how to hide and calculate. What if he gets drawn to those dark ideologies..."

"We cannot choose the path for our students, Minerva," Dumbledore said in a gentle yet firm voice. "We can only provide knowledge, set an example, and guide and correct as necessary."

So far, Regulus Black has not shown any behavior that crosses the line.

His interactions with Lily Evans were based on a friendship of mutual respect, and his approach to restraining Avery Cuthbert was more about guidance than indulgence.

His exploration of Transfiguration, though in-depth, did not tread upon dangerous forbidden zones.

He looked out the window at the darkening sky, his gaze distant: "Voldemort's shadow is approaching, and many ancient families are making choices. The Black family is destined to be involved."

Regulus was in the thick of it all, and every choice he made would affect himself and many others.

We cannot predict the future, but we can observe and prepare.

"Do you think he... will be different?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The starry sky seen by the Sorting Hat may be a metaphor."

It could represent ambition, or it could represent a broader vision and pursuit.

His view of magic differs from many others, which may be a danger, or it may be an opportunity.

Time will tell, Minerva.

Until then, let us continue to fulfill our duties as professors, instructing him, observing him, and, when necessary, ensuring that he does not harm others or himself.

The conversation ended, and Professor McGonagall's worries had not completely dissipated, but the principal's words reassured her somewhat.

At least, Dumbledore was keeping an eye on the child.