Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

It was the mistletoe pattern he had seen in his family's ancient books, with delicate lines that wrapped around the needle, adding a touch of elegance.

The students around him had already stopped practicing and were all focused on Puni's desk, whispering and exclaiming in surprise.

Marcos stood beside Puni, watching the silver needle gradually take shape, and couldn't help but admire, "My God, did you really have to make a match so exquisite, Puni? The transformation is so smooth."

As soon as Marcos finished speaking, Professor McGonagall, who was making her rounds in the classroom, came over. She leaned down to look at the silver needles on Puni's desk, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes. She nodded slightly and said to Marcos, "You're right. This was indeed an excellent spell, far beyond what a first-year student should be capable of."

Professor McGonagall knew very well that transfiguration magic was never a simple incantation; it required three things: sufficient caution, ample patience, and a rich imagination.

Puni's performance perfectly embodies these three points.

Unlike other freshmen who hurriedly recited incantations and rushed into action, he first closed his eyes to conceive and clarify his goal, which was a manifestation of his caution.

During the spellcasting process, he proceeded step by step steadily and surely, without rushing for quick results, refining the details little by little. Even when it was already in its initial stages, he did not do it perfunctorily, which is a manifestation of his patience.

At this moment, Puni still did not stop casting spells; he was perfecting the mistletoe pattern on the needle.

Professor McGonagall bent down again to examine the needle more closely.

When he saw that it was mistletoe pattern, his admiration deepened.

This seemingly inconspicuous pattern is the finishing touch to the entire transformation process, making this silver needle, which was originally just an everyday item, more ornamental and unique, and no longer monotonous.

"To generate such complex patterns on a deformed object through one's own will is the power of imagination and a unique advantage of wizards."

Professor McGonagall said softly, then straightened up, gently picked up the now-formed silver needle, and raised her voice to announce to the class: "Mr. Penny Lestrange has successfully transformed a match into a silver needle. The spellcasting process was standardized and the details were perfect. Ravenclaw Academy adds five points!"

The students all looked up, their eyes fixed on the silver needles in Professor McGonagall's hand.

Professor McGonagall ignored the students' chatter. She gripped the silver needles in her hand and whispered the incantation: "Grow bigger quickly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the tiny silver needle, under the influence of magic, quickly lengthened and thickened, transforming in the blink of an eye into a finely carved awl about the length of a palm, with the mistletoe pattern on the needle's body also enlarging.

She held up the awl, gesturing to the whole class, and affirmed, "Look, everyone, this is an extremely successful transformation magic! Puni not only successfully turned the match into a silver needle, but also carved exquisite patterns on the needle. Both its shape and details are impeccable and worthy of everyone's study."

Roger strode over to Puni, patted him hard on the shoulder, his face full of helplessness and admiration: "You're amazing! To achieve this on your first spellcasting attempt, you're practically leaving us no way out. I suddenly feel a lot of pressure!"

Professor McGonagall smiled and uttered "Stop the spell," and the awl instantly returned to its original shape as a tiny silver needle. She handed the needle back to Puni: "Very well done. Keep up this focus and caution, and you will achieve great things in Transfiguration."

“Thank you for your compliment.” Puni took the silver needle, then suddenly remembered a question and looked up at Professor McGonagall. “Professor McGonagall, I have a question for you. This needle looks like metal now, but is it essentially wood, or has it turned into metal?”

He had been curious about this for a long time.

Professor McGonagall smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, pleased with Puni's thought: "That's a very good question, very insightful. In fact, you've only changed the appearance of the match, not its essence, so it's still wood, just looking exactly like metal."

Puni nodded, then asked, "Then, if we use transformation magic, can we change its nature and turn it into a real silver needle made of metal?"

“Of course it can be done.” Professor McGonagall’s tone gradually became serious as she patiently explained to him, “but I don’t recommend that you try this operation lightly. The danger of shapeshifting magic comes precisely from the change in its essence.”

She paused, then continued, "For inanimate objects, changing their nature might simply make them more robust and practical, without posing much danger."

"But what if you use this magic on yourself, trying to change your own nature? Once you change your nature, can you still be considered your original self?"

"For example, if you want to have a body of steel, you must also turn your essence into steel. At that time, your original self-awareness will be gradually lost, and you will eventually lose your true self."

Puni listened attentively, glancing down at the silver needle in his hand.

The surrounding students also quieted down and listened attentively to Professor McGonagall's explanation.

"Can one lose their essence?" Puni frowned slightly.

He looked down at the silver needle in his hand, which appeared to be metal but was actually still made of wood.

Will the holy light protect me from being lost?

Professor McGonagall took in the expression on Puni's face and assumed he was still shaken. She nodded slowly and patiently explained, "That's right. Once the essence is changed, one can easily lose one's way if one is not careful."

Chapter 40 The Teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts

"In my view, the essence of a wizard is never his body, but his mind and his will."

"Ultimately, it's his soul."

"The soul is the core of a person's existence, the fundamental thing that distinguishes them from everything else."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over each student present, and slowly began to speak, guiding everyone to think: "Imagine if your body became incredibly powerful, possessing unimaginable strength, but your soul was replaced by someone else's, could you still be considered the same person you were before?"

"If not, then who is currently occupying this body?"

"These questions may seem distant, but they are questions that every wizard who studies transformation magic and wants to explore the deep mysteries of magic must seriously consider."

"The soul itself is an extremely wondrous and profound topic, containing infinite secrets."

"To truly explore the mysteries of magic, and to go further on the path of magic, delving into the essence of the soul is an essential step."

"If you take this step correctly, you can break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level. But if you go astray, you can easily fall into a wrong path."

At this point, her expression darkened slightly: "Historically, many wizards have gone astray and become dark wizards because they were too obsessed with changing nature and exploring the power of the soul."

"They took pleasure in toying with souls, recklessly trampling on the boundaries of magic, ultimately destroying not only themselves but also bringing endless disaster to others..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Professor McGonagall shook her head slightly: "I'm sorry, I seem to have said too much. This content is indeed a bit beyond the curriculum for you first-year students."

She looked at Puni again, her eyes reminding her: "You only need to remember one thing: if you want to go far and steady on the path of shapeshifting magic, the first thing you need to do is to recognize your own nature, hold fast to your own soul, and never try magic that changes your own nature."

"If you are interested in this, you can go to the library after class to find information about 'Animagus', and you may find more inspiration from it."

Professor McGonagall's advanced lecture did not bore the students; in fact, Puni benefited greatly from it.

The magical world was indeed like a vast treasure trove full of secrets, with unknown surprises and mysteries hidden everywhere, waiting for him to explore and discover them.

The more he learned, the more he longed to study further and uncover more of the truth behind magic.

Isn't this hilarious?

With that in mind, Puni picked up the parchment and quill pen on the table, and his fingertips flew across the paper as he carefully and meticulously recorded every word and every key point that Professor McGonagall had just said.

At this time, the transformation class still had a long time to go before it ended, and many classmates had already quietly gathered around Puni.

Ravenclaw's roommates and Hufflepuff's students surrounded Penny, asking him for advice on casting Transfiguration magic.

Puni shared his knowledge without reservation, patiently answering everyone's questions and imparting all his spellcasting insights.

In his view, answering other people's questions not only helps his classmates, but also allows him to review what he has learned, consolidate his memory, and fill in any gaps in his knowledge, which is a win-win situation.

At this moment, he noticed a classmate next to him who was getting anxious because he couldn't succeed for a long time, and comforted him, saying, "You don't need to be too hard on yourself, and you don't need to rush. Just try to make one end of the match sharper, or change its color. Take it one step at a time, slowly hone your skills, and you will eventually succeed."

"Look, your matchsticks have become lighter in color, that's a great start."

"It's not necessary to change the form first. Try changing the color first and slowly find the rhythm of manipulating magic. That's also a good option."

Not far away, Professor McGonagall watched as Puni was surrounded by his students, patiently answering their questions. She sighed softly, but her eyes were full of approval.

Honestly, how could such a talented, calm, and humble student choose Ravenclaw?

If I could come to Gryffindor, I would surely become the pride of the house.

However, seeing Penny's calm demeanor and harmonious interactions with his classmates, Professor McGonagall finally understood why Headmaster Dumbledore admired this child so much.

In such a cruel dark wizarding family, it is truly remarkable that they could maintain such a pure heart and cultivate such a calm, humble, and sharing nature.

What Professor McGonagall was even more concerned was that Puni seemed to possess the potential for Occlumency.

Although he felt a lingering fear after hearing his own explanation of the soul and essence, he was able to quickly calm down, maintaining a composed expression without the slightest panic. This composure is precisely what is necessary for learning the Occupation Technique.

But what exactly are Headmaster Dumbledore's plans to develop this potential?

Who will be chosen to guide Puni?

Professor McGonagall pondered this in her mind, but had no clue.

......

Meanwhile, in the Hogshead pub in Hogsmeade Village, a dazzling light suddenly shone in a corner on the second floor. After the light faded, the figure of Headmaster Dumbledore slowly appeared.

He wore a dark blue robe, his hair and beard were still snow-white, and he had a gentle smile on his face. He slowly walked to the window and calmly looked at the view of Hogsmeade Village outside the window, as if he was waiting for something.

Not long after, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from downstairs. The footsteps grew louder and louder and soon reached the top of the stairs on the second floor.

Immediately afterwards, a tall, thin old man appeared before Dumbledore. He had white hair, a long, unruly beard, a face full of wrinkles, sharp and cold eyes, and wore a faded dark coat. He exuded an aloof and impatient aura.

The old man raised his head, his gaze falling on Dumbledore. His brows furrowed, and he curled his lips into a sneer. Without any politeness, he directly questioned, "Why are you here? You're not welcome here. If you have something to say, say it here and leave."

Ignoring the old man's harsh tone, Dumbledore maintained his gentle smile, slowly turned around, and looked at the old man in front of him: "Aberforth, I know you don't want to see me, but this time, I really want to ask you for a favor. I think only you can do this."

......

After the transformation class ended, Puni walked out of the classroom with his roommates. Along the way, he could hear his classmates discussing the same topic.

The teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Chapter 41 She's pregnant!

After listening carefully for a while, Puni realized that this seemed to be something that every senior student at Hogwarts cared about a lot, and it had even become an unwritten rule in the school.

During lunch break, Puni ran into several seventh-grade students at the library entrance. They were huddled together, talking quietly, and the topic was still about their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Puni stopped and quietly listened from the side, quickly figuring out the reason behind it.

A senior student with long brown hair sighed: "It's strange, but from our first year until now, every year our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has been different, and none of them have ever stayed in the position for two years."

The senior student next to him chimed in, his tone becoming somewhat eerie: "That's right! There's a saying circulating in the school that the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts is cursed, and whoever takes on this role will not escape the fate of 'serving for no more than two years.'"

“We asked previous graduates, and they said they had never seen anyone teach the same Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for two full years!”

Puni, intrigued, couldn't help but step forward and ask softly, "Senior, who is this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

Upon hearing Puni's question, the senior students exchanged glances. The senior with long brown hair spoke first: "This year's teacher is a witch in her thirties. I heard that she graduated from Gryffindor. She has a very fiery temper and is decisive in her words and actions, without any hesitation."

“She didn’t believe in the curse at all at first,” another senior added, with a sigh. “We’ve heard professors mention that for the past few years, she has been actively vying for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts, always saying that the rumors about the curse are nonsense, and that she will definitely break this so-called ‘curse’ and continue teaching in this position.”

But no one expected that less than a month after taking office, this witch teacher would discover something that would completely throw her into a panic.

She is pregnant!

This discovery made her immediately stop in Bengbu, and she even began to suspect that the curse circulating in the school might really exist.

She privately complained to professors she knew that she probably wouldn't even be able to teach for a full year before being forced to leave the position.

What devastated her even more was that she hadn't gotten married by the time she discovered she was pregnant!

When the senior students got to this point, they couldn't help but lower their voices, and their faces showed a complicated expression.

One of the senior students sighed softly: "If this gets out, it will probably cause a sensation throughout Hogwarts."