HP: Pure-Blood Glory

By the end of the class, only a few students managed to complete their task. Most of the others would likely need at least two more sessions of instruction before they could successfully transform wood into a ceramic vase.

Having difficulty with this level of Transfiguration basically meant that integrating it into their combat repertoire would be nearly impossible for them.

Transfiguration was a subject that required even more innate talent than Potions.

Luke didn't receive any praise from Professor McGonagall either. Although he did manage to animate his wooden cat sculpture, only half of its body moved, and it remained animated for just a few seconds.

Then Luke felt a wave of intense mental exhaustion.

While this result was already commendable, Professor McGonagall merely studied Luke's work with a frown, as if puzzled by his approach.

When Luke asked her what she was thinking, she simply shook her head and said, "I'll need to think about it some more."

Judging by her expression, it seemed she had drawn some kind of inspiration, though Luke couldn't figure out how his work might have provided that.

However, feeling mentally drained, he didn't dwell on it.

During the afternoon Herbology class, Luke stayed close to Taylor and went through the session effortlessly.

Professor Sprout, ever so kind, didn't give Luke a hard time for slacking off. She even found two herbs in the greenhouse to help rejuvenate his spirits, having noticed his fatigue.

Luke skipped dinner, instead asking Malfoy to bring him something back from the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, Ron and Harry, curious about the mysterious "little tool" Luke mentioned, also decided to skip dinner and follow him.

"Do you think it's an Invisibility Cloak?"

Ron whispered to Harry as they trailed behind Luke, his face full of eager anticipation.

"No way, Luke can cast Disillusionment Charms"

Harry dismissed Ron's idea without hesitation. Luke, while wealthy, wasn't the type to buy something unnecessary.

But on second thought, Harry considered that it wasn't entirely impossible. Given Luke's personality, preparing an Invisibility Cloak for his friends to join him on his adventures wouldn't be out of character.

Though this theory had its flaws, wasn't growing up as a youngster all about learning the reality of the world through one wrong guess after another?

Even if Harry himself found the idea unlikely, he hadn't yet grasped that in the magical world, the improbable often became reality.

When Luke finally revealed the object, Ron looked utterly baffled. He held the map in his hands, flipping it over repeatedly.

"What's this?"

He asked curiously.

Luke yawned and replied, "The Marauder's Map—a fascinating magical item. I got it from George and Fred."

He then demonstrated how the map worked. Both Harry and Ron were astonished by its ingenious design.

"I can't believe they had something like this, and I never knew!"

Ron exclaimed, a mix of shock and mild indignation in his voice.

It seemed his brothers never truly included him in their fun, not even showing off their prized possessions in front of him.

This left Ron feeling a bit dejected.

Meanwhile, Harry was quietly reflecting on the four names that had appeared on the map.

"Prongs, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Moony... Who are they?"

Harry looked up at Luke, his eyes wide with curiosity. "This is amazing! They must've been brilliant to create such a magical map!"

Luke felt a complex mix of emotions at the question.

Technically, there was no harm in telling Harry who they were. But seeing the genuine smile on Harry's face, he decided to keep it to himself for now.

"I don't know either," Luke said with a shrug. "Probably some former Hogwarts students. The map is impressive, sure, but honestly, it's pretty haphazardly made. Not exactly something you could replicate easily."

Apart from the core human-tracking charm, the enchantments on the map were a chaotic mix, as if the creators added spells randomly whenever they came up with something new. Even the original makers likely couldn't list all the spells embedded in the map.

Luke had spent a lot of time studying the map to uncover its secrets, but he'd only scratched the surface.

"Luke, your name isn't on here!"

Ron exclaimed, sounding both amazed and confused.

Harry leaned over to check and confirmed it—unlike their names, Luke's wasn't displayed anywhere on the map.

If Harry allowed his imagination to run wild, he could almost see the makings of a horror story.

"I figured out part of the map's mechanics and found a loophole to remove my name from it"

Luke explained nonchalantly, though the process had been anything but easy. He'd nearly torn his hair out while figuring it out.

Only after ensuring his name wouldn't show on the map could Luke comfortably lend it out.

After all, he wasn't about to let something that could track his every move fall into someone else's hands.

This was also one reason he had no problem meeting the twins' demands when trading for the map.

It had been a timely encounter with Fred and George that allowed him to acquire the map at the right time.

Ron and Harry, unaware of the painstaking effort behind Luke's feat, were too awestruck to question it further.

Luke, however, remained calm under their admiring gazes. He didn't see it as a major achievement. After all, he could only remove his name, not make it reappear or disappear at will.

"Thank you, Luke!"

Harry said earnestly.

"With this map, our night adventures will be a lot easier!"

Ron also gave Luke a grateful look, and said excitedly.

"Yeah, thanks a lot! This is going to make everything so much more exciting."

Luke patted both of them on the shoulder.

"Good luck, guys. I'm too tired tonight, so I'm sitting this one out. Have fun, and don't get caught"

He said with a smirk before heading off.

"Origin"

Luke said as he approached the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The door opened silently, allowing him to step inside before closing behind him.

Ron watched Luke's retreating figure with undisguised admiration.

"Luke's such a great friend! He didn't hesitate to share something this valuable with us," Ron said, holding up the Marauder's Map.

Harry glanced at Ron, noting how his friend seemed to hold Luke in higher regard than even his own brothers.

After all, the Marauder's Map was something Fred and George had never let Ron so much as glimpse, yet Luke had handed it over without a second thought.

But Harry couldn't find anything to complain about. After all, Luke treated every one of them well.

In Harry's mind, Luke as a brother was leagues ahead of Dudley.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Harry shook his head vigorously.

How could he even think of comparing Luke to Dudley? That was an insult to Luke.

Their internal musings didn't last long. After carefully tucking the Marauder's Map into their robes, they nonchalantly made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.

Though their "nothing happened" act was painfully unconvincing...

Meanwhile, Luke wasn't exaggerating—he was genuinely exhausted.

Who would have thought practicing Transfiguration could be so mentally draining? Why didn't anyone else seem to have this problem?

Rubbing his temples, Luke collapsed onto his bed. The fatigue felt eerily similar to the time he pushed himself to the limit learning the Fire-Making Charm—his mental reserves were completely depleted.

But sleep wasn't an option just yet. The Basilisk egg's hatching time was fast approaching, and he couldn't afford to be unprepared. Unlike Hagrid, Luke couldn't handle high-risk magical creatures with casual ease.

At the very least, he needed to ensure he could neutralize any potential threats immediately if things went south.

He had already scouted a location for tonight's operation.

Shaking off his fatigue, Luke dragged himself to his desk and pulled out a vial of potion from the drawer, downing it in one gulp.

Instantly, his expression lightened, though he could still feel the deep-rooted exhaustion in his mental core.

This potion was crafted by Taylor, using a recipe from Snape, offered temporary relief but didn't address the fundamental issue.

Snape, though as cold as ever toward Luke, clearly held Taylor in high regard. Her exceptional talent in Potions had earned her open support from the usually aloof professor.

Unlike McGonagall's discreet tutoring of Luke, Snape's extra lessons for Taylor were well-known.

It was no secret that the normally stern Potions Master could actually smile—genuinely—when teaching Taylor.

For first-years, it was surprising; for upperclassmen, it was downright laughable.

Yet, Snape's favoritism was so blatant that it eventually became an accepted fact.

For many students, this was proof that Snape's ideal pupil truly existed.

Maybe, just maybe, they thought, the problem was with them, not him.

After finishing the potion, Luke settled into his chair, scribbling down notes and diagrams.

A knock at the door interrupted his work. Luke shuffled over, opening it to find Malfoy standing there.

"Your bread, Luke," Malfoy said, handing over a bundle. He glanced at Luke's tired face with concern. "You really should get some rest tonight. You look exhausted."

Luke took the bread and nodded in agreement.

"I definitely need to rest," he said, stretching his stiff body. "Thanks, Draco. You should get some sleep too."

Malfoy, pleasantly surprised that Luke was taking his advice, gave a serious nod. It wasn't like Luke to so readily agree, but this time, it was for the best.

After Malfoy left, Luke tossed the bread onto his bed, cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, and slipped out of the room.

The school corridors were still dotted with students moving about in small groups. Luke navigated through them like a fish in a pond, weaving between them without disturbing a single leaf.

Before long, he arrived on the eighth floor, standing opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls. Taking a deep breath, he paced back and forth along the corridor.

"I need a room with enough obstacles."

"I need a room with enough obstacles."

"I need a room with enough obstacles."

After walking past the tapestry three times, Luke stopped in front of the wall.

Unlike the hidden passageway on the sixth floor, a smooth door appeared here.

Without hesitation, Luke pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Once inside, he closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of magic within the room.

It was structured, intricate, and filled with a sense of logical beauty.

Yet, Luke couldn't fully grasp its complexity, lacking the necessary knowledge.

Opening his eyes, he observed the room, filled with low dirt walls, and felt its true wonder.

Given his understanding, a place as magical as this was likely the work of one of the Four Founders.

Much like the Chamber of Secrets.

But which Founder was responsible for this room, and what was its purpose?

Luke figured he would get his answers soon enough.

Scanning the room, he found a spot and sat down cross-legged, pulling up his system interface to check his quest log.

Everything else remained unchanged. The system, as always, presented numerous tasks, though only a few had been triggered.

The last time the system spoke was after he completed the achievement [First Encounter with Evil]—earned after his battle with Voldemort.

It had rewarded him with one achievement point, though the use of achievement points wouldn't unlock until he obtained five points.

Luke couldn't help but feel helpless, as he knew there was no point in complaining. The system wouldn't respond, let alone change anything.

Over time, he had come to accept its quirks.

Sure enough, within the quest log, under the [Secrets of Hogwarts] side quest series, a new quest had appeared.

[Side Quest: Ravenclaw's Reflection]

[Description: The Four Founders are said to have left behind unique legacies within Hogwarts. You have obtained certain qualifications/clues. Begin your pursuit.]

[Quest Reward: Unknown]

[Hint: Principle, logic, method, conclusion, execution—Rowena Ravenclaw.]

Luke nodded thoughtfully. It seemed the Room of Requirement was a legacy left by Ravenclaw. However, the exact method to fully unlock its potential remained a mystery.

Just as Luke was about to close the quest log and focus on his current task—preparing for the Basilisk egg hatching—he noticed something on his character interface.

He froze for a moment.

"Transfiguration? When did that become a system skill?"

---

[Skills]:

- Parseltongue: MAX

- Cruciatus Curse: Level 2 (5/100)

- Killing Curse: Level 1 (2/10)

- Imperius Curse: Level 0 (0/1)

- Summoning Charm: Level 3 (5/1000)

- Obliviate: Level 3 (1/1000)

- Occlumency: Level 1 (8/10)

-Incendio: Level 3 (37/1000)

- Aguamenti: Level 3 (26/1000)

- Transfiguration: Level 1 (0/10)

*****

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ReduxMagister