Chapter 668: True Transfiguration of Living Beings and Barty Jr.'s Clue
Chapter 668: True Transfiguration of Living Beings and Barty Jr.'s Clue
Usually, transformed creatures are manifestations of a wizard's magic and will obey the caster's commands to some extent.
However, the Crumple-Horned Snorkack in front of Ivan was different. He found that he couldn't control its actions at all, and even with his current level of transfiguration, he couldn't spot any flaws.
It was as if the creature before him was real and not a product of transfiguration...
"Finite Incantatum!" Ivan pointed his wand at the Crumple-Horned Snorkack's head, trying to dispel the transfiguration magic he had cast.
But after a flash of white light, the Crumple-Horned Snorkack remained standing there, looking at him with a mix of innocence and fear.
Ivan's face was a mix of joy and astonishment. Could it be that he had truly completed a transfiguration of living beings, turning a block of wood into a Crumple-Horned Snorkack? Had he created a new species?
Ivan instinctively wanted to deny this possibility. The deeper he delved into his studies, the more he understood the difficulty involved.
Current examples of complete transfiguration in the magical world were mostly legendary, their authenticity unknown.
On the contrary, numerous textbooks on transfiguration explicitly stated that transfiguration magic could not truly change the essence of things.
For instance, food transfigured by magic could not be used to satisfy hunger, as it had no nutritional value. Once the magic cast by the wizard faded, it would revert to its original form, potentially causing severe accidents!
This was why the magical world had so many impoverished wizards. Otherwise, with a simple transfiguration, everyone could have access to any resource they desired.
"Could it be related to my magic reaching level seven?" Ivan considered another possibility, thinking that the enhancement of his transfiguration magic might have allowed him to break through a certain limitation.
With this idea in mind, Ivan immediately tried again, waving his wand at the cauldron that had fallen to the ground.
Under the influence of magic, the cauldron quickly melted and transformed into another Crumple-Horned Snorkack, about the size of a human head, looking strong and majestic. From the outside, it appeared flawless, but when compared to the first Crumple-Horned Snorkack, Ivan felt that something was missing...
"Finite Incantatum!" Ivan waved his wand again, this time targeting the newly transformed Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
Unlike the previous attempt, this time his transfiguration magic was dispelled, and the Crumple-Horned Snorkack reverted to a cauldron.
"How is this possible?" Ivan was thoroughly puzzled. It seemed he had been mistaken; even at level seven, transfiguration magic couldn't completely change the essence of things...
That left only one possibility—Protection Mode was more powerful than he had imagined, powerful enough to easily alter the essence of things, turning an ordinary piece of wood into a living Crumple-Horned Snorkack!
Of course, this was all just a guess. To be more certain, Ivan needed to observe the Crumple-Horned Snorkack for a few days to see if it would revert to its original form.
With this in mind, Ivan took a transparent jar from a drawer, poked a few holes in it, and cast an Extension Charm to expand its space. He planned to turn it into a new home for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, making it easier to observe over the coming days.
By the time he had finished putting the Crumple-Horned Snorkack into the jar, it was nearly dinner time.
Ivan didn’t linger in the Room of Requirement. He tucked the jar into his pocket and used Reparo to repair everything he had broken. Then, he left and headed downstairs.
As he walked to the third floor, Ivan unexpectedly ran into Crouch, who was on his way back to his office. On a whim, Ivan changed direction and followed him.
“Wait a moment, Mr. Crouch!”
“Is something wrong, Hals?” Crouch turned around, looking surprised at Ivan.
“Nothing much, just wanted to ask if you’ve found any news about Barty Jr.,” Ivan said.
These past few days, Ivan had been busy preparing for the second task and hadn’t had much time to investigate Barty Jr.’s whereabouts. He thought that Crouch, who had been idle, might have made some progress.
However, as Ivan spoke, Crouch’s expression became somewhat awkward. He hesitated for a moment before replying, “Lately, Mad-Eye Moody and I have been responsible for investigating suspicious individuals in the castle, but we haven’t found any leads yet…”
Ivan felt a bit disappointed. It had been more than half a term, and Barty Jr. was still nowhere to be found.
Could it really come down to guarding the Triwizard Tournament Cup, waiting for Barty Jr. to replace it with a Portkey before capturing him?
But anyone could see that Harry’s chances of winning were slim, and Barty Jr. might not use the same method as in the original timeline.
So, they had to catch Barty Jr. before the third task began.
“Mr. Crouch, does your son Barty Jr. have any distinct characteristics, preferences, or habits?” Ivan asked.
Crouch pondered for a moment, trying to recall everything about Barty Jr. It was then that he realized he knew very little about his son. He couldn’t even list Barty Jr.’s hobbies and habits off the top of his head.
A hint of guilt appeared on Crouch’s face. He regretted neglecting Barty Jr. due to his work. If he had noticed Barty Jr.’s close associations with Dark Wizards earlier, things might not have escalated to this point.
Although he could recall only a little, Crouch tried to provide as much information as possible to help Ivan.
“My son loves playing Quidditch and occasionally studies dangerous magic. He’s also a strong advocate of Pure-Blood Theory, which might be why he serves the Dark Lord…”
“Can you be more specific? Something like a habit he can’t break, something really obvious!” Ivan interrupted. These details alone wouldn’t be enough to identify Barty Jr. From his experience in the original timeline, Barty Jr. was a master of disguise.
Crouch hesitated for a long time, about to shake his head, when he remembered something. “Right, my son Barty Jr. has a sweet tooth. Ever since he returned from Azkaban, he’s been particularly fond of sweets.”
Ivan nodded, thinking this could be a useful clue. If someone is truly addicted to something, it’s not easy to quit, and such small habits might not even be noticeable to the person themselves.
“That’s about all I can remember. I’ll give you a photo of him, too!” Crouch sighed, rummaging through his wizard robes and handing a photo to Ivan.
Ivan took the photo and looked at it. It showed a pale young wizard with light blonde hair, his eyes sunken and his face gaunt.
(End of Chapter)
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