Hogwarts : Max Level Unforgivable Curse

As time grew late, Professor McGonagall finally came to a slow stop.

She glanced at the clock, surprised at how quickly time had flown by. A hint of regret flashed in her eyes, but she smiled and said to Dylan, "Let's stop here for today. It's getting late, and you have classes tomorrow. You should head back and rest."

Dylan nodded, still eager for more. It was no wonder Professor McGonagall had authored *The Advanced Transfiguration Guide*. She had a knack for cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

**[Message]:** Your proficiency in the Transfiguration Charm has increased! Current progress: 50%!

Dylan checked his proficiency level in Transfiguration. It had jumped another level—straight to Level Five! "Nice," he thought.

All his hard work over the past few days had paid off. He had been visiting Professor McGonagall whenever he could, pulling the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts into private lessons that lasted for hours. He was practically begging the elderly professor to stay up all night teaching him.

"Even though I've mostly mastered inanimate transfiguration, there's still so much to learn about transfiguring living things," Dylan mused.

The Transfiguration Charm was an incredibly complex spell, and the higher the proficiency level, the harder it was to improve. However, if he could find the right breakthrough, he might be able to leap several levels at once.

"Thankfully, I've mastered so many other spells. Even though the incantations are different, magic has its commonalities. Understanding the principles of one spell can help me grasp others," he thought.

For example, he had recently studied the *Diffindo* and *Reducto* spells. He had learned them incredibly fast—faster than speeding through an online class. Although these spells weren't considered Dark Magic, their principles and mechanics shared similarities with some offensive Dark spells. After just a quick glance, he had mastered them and was able to cast them with ease. His proficiency in these spells had skyrocketed, almost reaching the level of an adult wizard.

"It's time to head back and sleep," Dylan decided.

After packing up his things, he bid Professor McGonagall goodbye and left her office, making his way back to the Gryffindor dormitory.

When he entered the Gryffindor common room and reached his dorm, he saw Harry and Ron sitting on one of the beds, whispering to each other. As he walked in, Ron greeted him, and Dylan nodded in response.

Just then, a dark shadow darted out from his bed. "Coal, good evening!" Dylan said with a gentle smile.

Since obtaining the permit to keep a Shadow Creature, Dylan had brought Coal to the dormitory during lunchtime, planning to keep him indoors. None of the other Gryffindor students knew he had such a magical creature. Harry and Neville had promised to keep it a secret, but Ron had been struggling to resist the urge to brag about Dylan's pet. Thankfully, Hermione and Harry had always stopped him in time.

After all, Shadow Creatures weren't typically allowed as pets at Hogwarts. They were known to be somewhat aggressive and highly capable in combat. Even though Coal was still young, he was more than capable of taking down a wizard who didn't know much magic. Dylan didn't want to draw too much attention to Coal, as it might lead to unnecessary trouble.

"Meow," Coal sauntered over gracefully but stopped just short of Dylan. The little creature tilted its head up, its tail swaying gently, and glanced at Dylan sideways, as if saying, "I'm not here to greet you!"

But when Dylan walked over to the table without reaching out to pick him up, Coal's eyes widened, and he quickly scurried over, circling Dylan's feet. Every now and then, he would nudge Dylan's leg with his head, pausing deliberately after each nudge.

After placing his bag by the table, Dylan chuckled and scooped Coal up into his arms. "Meow!" Coal let out a proud little cry, tilting his head away.

Dylan smiled and cast a quick *Scourgify* on himself. He was too tired to wash up properly tonight, so magic would have to do.

He took off his shoes, neatly placed them by the bed, changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed. As he pulled the covers over himself, he let out a long sigh, his face relaxing into a contented smile. "So comfortable," he murmured.

Dylan wiggled his legs and snuggled deeper into the blankets, wrapping himself up tightly. He could feel Coal shifting in his arms, trying to find the perfect spot. The little creature nuzzled here and there, occasionally pawing gently at him. Finally, Coal curled up into a ball, settling comfortably against Dylan's side.

Within moments, Dylan's breathing became slow and steady as he drifted off to sleep.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. "He's really asleep already?" Ron whispered.

"Looks like Dylan really isn't planning to join us in the duel against Slytherin," Harry replied.

"Should we ask him again?"

"Isn't it too late?"

"Just one more try."

The two of them whispered back and forth, quickly tidying up before climbing into bed without even changing their clothes.

Hours passed, and the castle fell into a deep silence. In the dead of night, the two boys quietly got up and prepared to leave. Just as they were about to head out, Ron tugged at Harry and led him over to Dylan's bed.

They stood there like two sentinels, hesitating and nudging each other, until finally, Harry gave in. He stepped forward, swallowed hard, and gently poked Dylan's cheek with his finger.

Dylan's eyes snapped open, locking onto the two intruders by his bed. Harry and Ron jumped back, startled. Harry quickly pulled his hand away.

"Uh..." Harry chuckled nervously, but no words came out.

Ron, however, blurted out in a hushed voice, "Hey, Dylan, we're heading out for the duel. Just wanted to check—are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

As soon as the words left Ron's mouth, both boys looked at Dylan with hopeful expressions. But when they saw the eerie green glow in Dylan's eyes, they froze, their faces tightening into awkward, forced smiles.

(End of Chapter)