Right this moment, Sol was inside the library surrounded by a bunch of books and parchment filled with notes. He was twirling a quill in his hand and had his eyes closed. He opened his eyes as if he had come to a realization and leaned back on the chair he was sitting on.
So, Parseltongue isn’t the same as Lamiaspeak. Rather, it’s an inferior version.
Sol recounted the experiments he did with Lamiaspeak. As soon as he started speaking the language, the snake he was using exploded in a marvelous fashion. Guts, blood, and grey matter went flying everywhere including Sol's body. It was not a pleasant experience. Especially that stickiness of snake blood on his skin. He had to wash a bit carefully to get it all of. Of course, he had done it multiple times. But after the first time, he finally had the idea to use the Impervious charm on himself. Back to the experiment, Sol noted that any snake would explode when hearing the first letter of any word he spoke in Lamiaspeak. Then he understood that it was the same case with other reptiles as well. Though, the explosion of the enlarged salamander dyed the entire room red. He felt thankful that he was in that room.
Sol was in the library now noting down the conclusion of various experiments.
Haah~ so it seems snakes and other animals of the reptile family can't handle Lamiaspeak. Shit, I need to get a magic beast. But there’s no Iron Scaled Snake nor is there a Hydra. The only snake thing this world has that I’m familiar with is a Basilisk. Now, where am I supposed to get a Basilisk from?
Sol flips the pages of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander.
A chicken egg hatched under a toad? What?! How? If you hatch a chicken egg under a toad it’ll still be a chicken egg because that’s how genetics work. Only a Basilisk births another Basilisk. But wait, isn’t getting a Basilisk really easy? I mean just hatch a chicken egg under a toad and bam! A newborn Basilisk emerges. Jesus, what the hell do you guys think Basilisks are? Chickens you get from the market? Let’s not think about this. Even if I were to hatch a Basilisk, it’s not like I could keep it a secret. I don’t think I could keep a 60-foot long snake inside the room or let it free. So, I can’t do anything with Lamiaspeak for the time being. Also, I’m just grateful that I don’t have to speak Jörmungandr's language. I don’t think my body can handle it.
Sol writes a ‘to be concluded' on the parchment of the Lamiaspeak notes. He stuffs those parchments as he shifts his attention to another bunch of parchment titled ‘How The Hell Does Transfiguration Work'.
Sol looks over the parchments and his forehead starts to crease. After reading through the entire thing, he had a full-blown frown with creases on his forehead. He leans back in his chair and lets out a sigh. He starts thinking whilst massaging his temples.
How? How in the name of the Creator does Transfiguration work? They never explain this fully. I understand object-to-object Transfiguration. In science terms, it’s just changing the elements and shape. Mana molds into electrons, protons, and neutrons as well as shells and orbitals to change the element. Then I would need to make sure the subatomic particles are safely shifted to somewhere else. Though I don't suppose that trying to break nuclear bonds won't have consequences. No wait, why am I trying to make sense of magic with muggle science? Right because everything I know doesn't apply here so I'm trying my best to make sense of this bizarre magic. Going so far as to use the knowledge of... beings who don't know... magic.
Fuck.
No, seriously, how does object-to-living being Transfiguration work? You can turn the objects into flesh, bones, organs, etc. However, it won’t be alive. It’ll just be a corpse. But as I can see in this world, the same corpses are moving around. Conversion Laws of Mana be damned.
Sol started to balance a quill on his nose as he kept thinking. Suddenly, his eyes became more lively as he came to a discovery.
Wait, if I presume that Transfiguration also uses mind magic then it may be possible. One part of mind magic is influencing one’s mind to do one’s bidding. Thinking about this logically, mind magic should create impulses or the electrical signals of the brain. Is that how they get the transfigured living beings to move? But thinking about it every action has countless electrical signals, won’t that require an absurd amount of mana? I don’t see McGonagall have symptoms of Mana Exhaustion every time she takes a class. That or she has an absurd amount of mana which I think is unlikely given that I’ve already analyzed her mana capacity. No wait, there’s a bigger problem. Not just any electrical signals would do it. It has to be a very precise signal at a very specific point of the brain. That would require concentration and focus which isn’t just possible in this world. That’s why if you want to create a life, a soul is needed. It controls everything. But no way in hell can you convert mana into a soul. There is no way. Absolutely none. Souls are an abstract existence. Their existence is above mana and magic. You can summon, steal, use, bind, seal, destroy or imbue souls but never create them. And I don’t believe this world's Transfiguration can do that either. Creating souls goes against the World Laws. It’s not like the ‘Laws of the Heavens' those damned martial artists go on and on about. Trying to create souls has actual consequences. Yep, trying. You won’t ever succeed, hell just trying will get you killed. Haah~ how does transfiguration work?
As Sol is trying to rack his brain, a sudden voice sounds out, “Mr. Balor! Back in the library again?”
Sol turns around to see professor Flitwick looking at him with a jolly smile.
“Yes, professor. Just doing my transfiguration homework.”
“As expected of Ms. Azarinth’s son. No, it’s Mrs. Balor now, isn’t it?”, the professor laughs.
“You knew my mother, professor?”
“Of course, your mother was in Ravenclaw like me,” the professor started reminiscing. “Rather I was one year senior to her. A lively woman if I had ever seen one. Great Quidditch player to boot. She would be seen in the library often just like you.”
“Is that so, professor? Well, I just hope I’m half as smart as my mother.”
“Nonsense, boy! Your proficiency in Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration is something all of the professors know. And I doubt it’s just talent seeing as how you’re here in the library even at this time. Looking at you I can safely say that you would’ve been a fine Ravenclaw.”
Sol didn’t hear the rest but he felt as though he needed to fix something, “ P-Professor, it was just that one year. I'm doing worse this year, aren’t I?”
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Professor Flitwick looked at him before laughing, “Of course, my boy. It was just that year.” He then winked and took off.
As he watched the professor's fleeting figure, Sol buried his head in his arms.
Why is it so hard to stay low profile?
----------------------------------------
Katie was running around the castle in search of Sol. She had some great news. Harry Potter, a first-year had become Gryffindor's seeker. This was unprecedented. No first-year had ever been selected to play Quidditch before.
As she went outside the castle, she found Sol. He was there in his usual place, sleeping. He always likes to sleep here for some reason, on the grass, and under the sky. Why didn’t he use a bed? Actually, Katie had asked this question before. Sol just replied, “Nothing can beat sleeping under the vibrant sky and on top of soft, green grass. Why don’t you try it, Kate? You’ll fall asleep as soon as you start counting the clouds.”
As per his suggestion, she had laid down beside him. And like he said she fell asleep counting the clouds. Though, she didn’t do it ever again. The hard ground didn’t provide as much comfort as her fluffy bed and pillow. Also, she was super embarrassed, having fallen asleep next to him. Especially when she woke up only to see him grinning at her. But that’s not something she’ll tell him. That’s just asking to get teased.
She reached his sleeping spot and upon seeing his peaceful state, she hesitated. She just stared at him. He looked almost...
No, wait, what am I thinking?
Katie shook her head as she turned blushed, shaking all these embarrassing thoughts out of her head. Then she remembered what she was here for and her previous excitement resurfaced.
She shook Sol to wake him up, “Sol, Sol, wake up. You have to listen to this.”
Sol started to wave his hands in irritation, “Come on! Get off it. I’ll listen to it later,” and turned away from Katie.
“Get-“ Katie pinched his sides, “-UP!”
“YEOWCH!!”, Sol woke up with a start and rubbed his sides. “Jesus, Kate, what did you wake me up for?”
“Listen to this, Harry has become Gryffindor's new seeker!”
Sol's brows jumped before asking, “You mean first-year Harry Potter? Wow, that is surprising news.”
“Yeah! How awesome is that?!”, Katie was almost jumping around.
Sol threw her a puzzled look. Katie, not knowing why he was looking at her like that asked, “Aren’t you happy for him?”
“I am, but more importantly why are you so happy for him?”
Now it was Katie's turn to be confused, “Why wouldn’t I be? A friend got selected in the team.”
“Yeah well, no offense but a first-year got on the team before you, a second year,” Sol pointed out.
Katie is caught off guard as she has clearly never thought of it this way. So she becomes flustered and starts making excuses, “T-That's because he's got talent. Yeah, it’s because he’s got talent. I have to work hard, you know.”
“No, Kate, you've got talent as well. It’s just that Harry is far more talented than you.”
Hearing that must’ve been a severe blow for Katie as she was on the verge of tears. Whether or not Sol's relation with her had an effect on the severity of those words is something only she knows. With red eyes, she yells, “RIGHT!! Harry is so much better than me and I’m just garbage at EVERYTHING!! So just stay with Harry! What would you need useless me for?!” She then runs off.
Looking at her fleeting figure, Sol knew he had messed up, badly. So, what did he do? He did what anyone would do in this situation. He tried to calm her down.
He started running and quickly came in front of her. He raised his arms to try to stop her, “Kate! Listen to me-“ but before he could finish, he got tackled by her as they both fell to the ground.
What the hell? Were you so sad that you couldn’t see someone right in front of you?
As she was laying on top of him, he began explaining in haste, “K-Kate, why did you run off without hearing me completely?”
“What's there to hear? I heard you well,” she scoffed.
“Looking at you right now, it seems obvious you didn’t.” Sol then said in a tone as if he was a father ordering his child, “Now get off me and sit down.”
Hearing the authority in his voice, Katie felt somewhat obligated to do as he said. And so she did. Sol sat down in front of her on the grass and started explaining, “Do you think that you can do something with only talent?”
“N-No, you need to work hard as well.”
“T-Then why did you run off when I said Harry was more talented than you?”
“T-That's because...”, Katie kept her head down and started mumbling something.
Sol sighed and said, “I'm still right when I say Harry has more talent than you. But he-“
“Hmph!”, Katie turned her head around as she puffed her cheeks.
Sol sighed again but louder. Then he raised his hands, “Kate.”
Katie turned around only to get flicked on the forehead, “OW! What was that for?!”
“That's for not letting me finish? Now as I was saying, Harry does have more talent than you. Think about it. He’s a first-year. He never rode a broom before and now if I’m correct, it’s only been a few weeks so it was his first flight class. So, he became a seeker in his first flight class. If that isn’t talent then I don’t know what is.”
Katie dejectedly hung her head, “You’re right.”
“That's good if you acknowledge it. Now as you said, one needs to both work hard and have the talent to do something well. You’re talented and work hard, so in this way, you’re better than Harry.”
“Why is that?”
“Talent by itself amounts to very little. Only by applying hard work with your talent can you do something well. Let's say someone who has no talent for Quidditch but still practices and someone who never practiced Quidditch but has the talent to become the best Quidditch player in the world play a match. This is their first and each of them never played an official match before, only practiced with their teammates. So who do you think will win?”
Katie thought for a while, her head tilting at the question. Then she excitedly answers which sounded more like a question, “The one who practiced more?”
Sol beamed, “Bingo! With practice comes experience and that’s something that trumps talent. Since you practice for Quidditch, if you were to have a match against Harry now, there’s no doubt that you’d win. That question I just asked, if they were to play several matches, the one who practiced would win the 1st match 10 out of 10 times. However, his win rate would fall with subsequent matches. Do you know why?”
Katie felt happy at getting that answer right and Sol's beaming smile, “It’s because the one with the talent gains experience every time he plays, doesn’t he?”
Sol smiles revealing his teeth and fondles her head. Katie’s cheeks become rosy at that but Sol didn’t notice and continued, “Right you are! Yep, playing matches is also a kind of hard work. The more you play, the more experience you get and the better you become. So, the you right now is better than Harry but in the future, that may not be the case. Work hard and don’t let anyone outdo you.”
“Yes! Thanks!”, Katie was back to being herself and full of drive again.
“Now, since you’ve woken me up, I think I’ll go to the library again.”, Sol stood up and started walking.
Katie kept sitting there with her brows furrowed as if thinking something. Then she shouted to Sol, “You’re the best wizard I know! You can cast magic way ahead of your grade. Is that because of talent or hard work?”
Sol stopped, only to look back and smile at her, “Talent has nothing to do with this. This is all knowledge and hard work.”
Katie tilts her head with a puzzled look as she muttered in a small voice, “Where did knowledge come from?”
As she saw Sol's retreating figure, she opened her mouth several times bit closed them as she didn’t know what to ask.
As Sol kept walking off, he had only one thought in mind:
If this was before, I might not have bothered calming her down. I would’ve just walked off saying this was just a child throwing a tantrum. Haah~ this world really is changing me. Hope my logic isn't wrong. She looked like she understood most of it. Though I made up most of that speech, I have to admit, reading ’10 Ways To Raise Your Child's Self-Esteem' really helped out. Though I only did this because I cared for her. What a wondrous feeling!
Later that day in the common room, Sol was sitting around and sipping some tea. The whole common room was buzzing about Harry becoming a seeker. Ron was almost jumping up and down as he told everyone. The twins along with the rest of the Quidditch team gave Harry some advice. However, Katie just came up to him and said, “I'm not going to lose to you,” before stomping off. Sol almost choked on his tea when he heard her.