"Perhaps turning you into pocket watches would be more effective; you might actually learn the meaning of being on time."
Harry felt a pang of shame but offered an explanation: "I’m sorry, Professor McGonagall, we got lost."
"Then I suppose I should have turned you into maps. Never mind, take your seats! I trust you don't need a map to find your own desks."
Harry and Ron slumped into their seats. As it happened, Harry’s desk was to the left of Lin Shu, who generously offered her notes for him to follow.
Harry was incredibly grateful. "Shu, thank goodness for you. Otherwise, I would have fallen behind everyone else in my very first Transfiguration lesson."
"It’s a small matter. The spell is quite simple; you’ll get it on the first try, don't worry."
Harry let out a breath, his nerves settling under Lin Shu’s comforting words. He began to attempt the Transfiguration Spell, waving his wand and reciting the incantation. The matchstick transformed halfway into a needle, but the other half remained unchanged.
Seeing this, Lin Shu encouraged him, "You’re almost there! Try again, I’m sure you can do it."
Harry felt the same, a growing sense of confidence building within him. He waved his wand again, but the matchstick on the desk remained unmoved. He tried a few more times, yet it always resulted in that same half-and-half state. He had no idea why.
He turned to Lin Shu for help, but she looked just as bewildered. From her perspective, Harry’s incantation and wand movements were flawless. Why wouldn't it transform?
"Harry, why don't I cast it once, and you watch closely? Perhaps that will help."
"Alright."
Lin Shu focused on Harry’s matchstick. Following the sensation she felt when she succeeded, she waved her wand. A dazzling halo of light erupted, and the matchstick instantly became a needle. Before she could share her experience with Harry, gasps erupted from all around the classroom.
It wasn't for nothing—that single motion of Lin Shu’s had turned every matchstick in the hands of everyone in the room into a needle.
While others were doing them one by one, she had done it by the batch, as if she were running a wholesale operation.
"Oh, crap! I messed up! I think I habitually channeled the spiritual power of my Dharma Veins."
She froze on the spot, not knowing how to handle the aftermath. She felt truly wronged; usually, when she drew talismans, she would infuse them with the power of her Dharma Veins—it had become muscle memory. She had completely forgotten that she didn't need that spiritual power to wave a wand.
However, Professor McGonagall and the other students were unaware of the truth. They looked toward her, their faces filled with astonishment and admiration that they could not hide.
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath. "Good heavens! What a magnificent Transfiguration Spell. In all my years of teaching, I have never seen anyone with more talent than you, Shu! I am awarding twenty points to Slytherin."
The young snakes cheered, bursting with pride.
"Did you see that? That was Shu! Shu is one of ours in Slytherin!"
Waves of praise flooded over Lin Shu, and they completely forgot that they had been ostracizing her just moments before.
That was Slytherin for you. They would always swear by raw power. They would always be captivated by magic pushed to its pinnacle.
By the end of the class, Harry had successfully learned the Transfiguration Spell, but compared to Lin Shu’s rising fame, it was nothing. Lin Shu felt like she had been put on a pedestal. Someone started a rumor that she was a genius girl from Slytherin, a presence that no other house could hope to match.
She felt miserable—could they stop spreading rumors? She didn't want to be associated with such provocative claims that would only invite jealousy.
*Go away, go away!*
However, were there benefits? Of course.
She used to be a lone wolf, and apart from Malfoy, no one in Slytherin had bothered to talk to her. But now, everything had changed. She had become a popular figure, and there were countless people wanting to befriend her or learn magic from her.
She received special treatment, even preferential care. People would often stuff snacks, magazines, and various interesting trinkets into her dormitory. It left her feeling panicked and at a loss.
Following Transfiguration was Potions, the class taught by their own Head of House. The young snakes took it extremely seriously, and many of them headed to the library to preview the course.
Lin Shu was among them, though she wasn't reading books on Potions, but rather everything she could find related to Transfiguration.
After Professor McGonagall’s lesson, she had experienced the charm of transformation, and she was determined to master this subject, no matter what.
In fact, the forbidden arts of the Dongxuan Dharma Sect contained ambiguous records of such things. "Evasion" was a technique of changing one's appearance, posture, or clothing to remain hidden and evade pursuit; more extreme versions could even alter one's physical form. Then there were the legendary tales of "scattering beans to create soldiers" or "turning grass into horses," which also originated from the Qimen arts.
But these arts had long been lost. People preferred to believe they were myths or feudal superstition rather than admit they had ever truly existed. After all, grabbing a handful of beans and turning them into an army, or cutting a handful of grass and turning it into horses—how could that possibly be true?
But Lin Shu believed in their existence a hundred percent. It was just that, over the long passage of time, the lineage had been broken. Perhaps the changes in the era had led to a thinning of spiritual energy in this world, and no truly gifted individuals had appeared who could comprehend such profound arts.
"Since this is an uncharted path, why can't I be the first to tread it?" Lin Shu lifted her gaze, her eyes sparking with an ambition inherent to a Slytherin.
She went to the deepest part of the library. The introductory guide to Transfiguration she had earlier was not enough—it wasn't nearly enough!
She looked up at the highest shelves, searching for what she needed. Soon, she spotted *Ultimate Transfiguration* and *Advanced Transfiguration Guide*, but they were placed too high for her to reach.
Just as she began to form a hand seal, intending to use a spell to retrieve the books, a tall figure blocked her view. A large hand reached out and accurately plucked the textbook from the shelf. A low voice spoke:
"Is this the one you need?"
Lin Shu nodded obediently, recognizing him instantly—Cedric Diggory, a popular figure in Hufflepuff.
At the Sorting Ceremony banquet, she had caught a glimpse of this senior’s handsome face. She had also heard rumors about him—that he was helpful, warm, and kind, and that he was the man of many girls' dreams! Seeing him up close today, the rumors were clearly true. With that face and his approachable temperament, she might have developed a crush on him herself if she were a bit older.
She quickly replied, "Thank you, Senior. Could I also trouble you to get the *Advanced Transfiguration Guide* for me? I’m truly very grateful."
The boy looked surprised. No matter how he looked at her, Lin Shu didn't seem like the type to be studying advanced magic at her age.
His amber eyes studied Lin Shu, but his gaze was friendly and didn't make her feel uncomfortable. His smile was like the midday sun, seeming to possess the power to dispel darkness and gloom. He thought that, as a senior, it was necessary to offer a word of advice to this first-year student.
He pulled the book from the shelf, handed it to her, and said with a smile, "You’re still too young; intermediate and advanced Transfiguration spells aren't so easily mastered. I think you should wait for a professor's guidance before attempting these."
"I understand, Senior. I was just curious and wanted a peek."
"You really are a very special little snake."
"Huh?"
"I mean, I’ve never heard a Slytherin call me 'Senior' or say 'thank you' before. You’re the first. I remember you—you were quite the star at the Sorting Ceremony."
Lin Shu felt awkward and at a loss. Could they just let the Sorting Hat incident go? It was like a ticking time bomb—anyone, at any moment, might bring it up to tease her.
"Sigh, I really can't wash this stain off even if I jumped into the Yellow River. If I say the Sorting Hat thing was just an accident, will anyone even believe me?"
"Don't worry, being a star isn't a bad thing. On the contrary, everyone is full of curiosity and goodwill toward you. Just live your life at ease."
Lin Shu was immensely cheered by his words. As their eyes met, she felt that her decision to come to a foreign land was absolutely correct. If she had stayed in her sect, it would have been stable and comfortable, yes, but it would have been a life where she could see the end at a single glance, lacking the desire for exploration.
Coming to a new place meant everything was fresh, and so were the people. Moreover, everyone here was relatively kind to her, and she had received a lot of goodwill.
Perhaps this was the path she was meant to take. Fate was such that even if she stumbled along the way, everything was already destined.
A second later, Cedric prepared to turn and leave. Lin Shu intended to watch him walk away, but suddenly, a wisp of black mist leaked from Cedric’s neck, brushed past his face, and vanished.
Lin Shu frowned tightly. She recognized it instantly: it was the aura of death.
When a person’s end is near, the aura of death is at its strongest. There was only a faint wisp around Cedric, and if they hadn't been talking for a moment, Lin Shu would have overlooked it. But how could Cedric have an aura of death on him? If someone as moonlit and pure as he was truly short-lived, wouldn't that be a massive tragedy?
Lin Shu grabbed Cedric’s wrist, causing him to stop in his tracks. Taking advantage of the moment, she quickly performed a divination, her fingers dancing as she calculated. In no time, she had her conclusion.
Because she lacked his specific birth date and time, she could only calculate a general result. According to the divination, the omens were mixed—fortune and misfortune were entangled, and his life or death remained uncertain. It seemed a variable had appeared that made the outcome indecisive.
It was the first time she had ever calculated such a strange and unclear result. Ever since she started divining at the age of four, there had never been a secret of heaven she couldn't see through. Now, she had finally run into one.
Thinking of this, she rummaged through her small bag until she successfully found a Peace Talisman.
No matter what, she didn't want a senior as brilliant as the moon to meet an untimely end. She only hoped that her Peace Talisman could be of some use.
"Senior Cedric, wait a moment. Thank you for helping me find the books just now. Please take this Peace Talisman and keep it with you. It’s very effective in the East; it can ward off bad luck and protect your heart at critical moments."
Cedric took the yellow talisman paper, which was folded into a triangle, nodded, and tucked it into his pocket.
Lin Shu watched his back as he walked away, letting out another long, heavy sigh.
*I hope it works.*
*I hope this unintentional action of mine can change his fate of dying young.*
...........
The next day, their Head of House’s class arrived—late, but it arrived.
Two periods of Potions didn't sound like much, but the students all acted as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Lin Shu, having nothing better to do, caught a bit of the gossip.
She learned that their Head of House was an austere, stern professor who rarely smiled. Aside from Slytherin, he would deduct points from almost anyone he saw; sometimes, to justify a deduction, he would even invent rules on the spot. To facilitate his point-deducting, he remembered every student’s name, house, and appearance. Even if they weren't wearing their house robes, he wouldn't mistake them!
Lin Shu was impressed by this memory.
Just as the students were whispering, the classroom doors opened. A gust of wind swept through, and Lin Shu squeezed her eyes shut. By the time she opened them again, Professor Snape was already standing at the podium.