Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 13 Gamp's Law of Transfiguration
"Read less and sleep more."

Cohen looked at the dark circles under Hermione's eyes and knew at a glance that the little girl had done enough homework to catch up with her first class.

"It's called magic, there's no need to be so serious about it..."

Cohen was telling the truth. In fact, he himself had not studied those theoretical models. There are two indescribable things in the world that will drive people crazy the more they study them - Cthulhu and mathematics.

"But Transfiguration has very standardized formulas and theories—" Hermione still insisted on her opinion.

"Miss Granger, we are studying magic."

Cohen also wanted to ask Professor McGonagall about the Transfiguration of "living creatures", and he really didn't have any tips to help Hermione - magic is mainly a power of idealism, and the first condition for the success of a spell is that the wizard must believe that the magic will succeed.

As for those complex theoretical parts - most wizards probably won't spend too much time on them until they reach adulthood and graduate. Only those who hope to create and improve magic will delve into the principles of magic.

So every exam week at Hogwarts, a bunch of young wizards would appear in various places in the castle, rushing to memorize their lessons.

"To successfully cast a spell, you must first believe that it can be cast successfully."

"But if it has never been successfully released, how can we believe that it can work?" Hermione still felt that Cohen's statement was an excuse.

"Cohen, get out of class is over. Let's go back to the lounge. I brought some wizard chess. The three of us can take turns playing." Ron saw that Cohen hadn't put away his textbooks yet and urged him, "You've explained enough—"

Ron's words were obviously directed at Hermione, because as soon as he finished speaking, Hermione's cheeks turned as red as two apples.

"You guys go back first. I have a question for Professor McGonagall." Cohen told Harry and Ron truthfully.

Seeing that Cohen had something to do, the two had to go back to the dormitory together.

There weren't many classes for first graders. After their Transfiguration class in the morning, they only had one Herbology class left before dinner.

Edward was right, Hogwarts was almost like learning while having fun - especially magic, which did not require much time investment if the young wizard's goal was only to pass the final exam.

"Do you really have a question for Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked suspiciously, "Or..."

Her cheeks turned even redder.

"You're going to make fun of me with your friends—"

"Why are you being teased?" Cohen raised his eyebrows. "Tease you for being ahead of 99% of the class in Transfiguration? That troll must be the proudest creature in the world, because they're so utterly inferior in knowledge."

"Puch-"

Hermione was amused by Coin, but she quickly controlled her appearance.

"So what question are you going to ask Professor McGonagall?"

"Regarding the question of whether the transformed target is considered dead or alive after transforming a dead object into a living one," Cohen stuffed the textbook into his backpack and stood up from his chair. "Aren't you curious?"

"Curious, I want to go too." Hermione said unwillingly.

Based on Cohen's current observations and predictions, normally, at this point, he and Hermione would have embarked on a long-running romantic love affair, a marathon of competition, secret affection, playful banter, and lingering affection that had been going on since first year. Unfortunately, he was a Dementor with only a limited sense of emotion, only kindness, and a stunted growth, and he had no feelings for either humans or little girls.

And Cohen was sure that when his identity was exposed in front of Hermione, the little girl would definitely hide far away - just like when she first discovered that Lupin was a werewolf.

In fact, Dementors are even more unpopular than werewolves. After all, werewolves only turn into wolves one night a month, while Dementors only turn into humans in fairy tales - or there may not be such fairy tales at all.

"Boom boom boom——"

Professor McGonagall's office was a small study located on the second-floor corridor. Coin and Hermione knocked on the wooden door of the study.

"Enter."

Professor McGonagall's voice was much softer than in class, but it still had a very official feel.

There was a roaring fireplace in the study, with sparks dancing and crackling on the wood.

From the window at the other end you can see the Quidditch pitch, which Professor McGonagall has always loved.

"Mr. Norton, Miss Granger."

Professor McGonagall was preparing the lesson plan for the next class. She looked up and saw the two students who had performed best in the class. She thought they had encountered some learning difficulties, and a smile appeared on her lips, which were usually pursed.

"Have you encountered any difficulties in your studies? I am happy to answer questions for the studious little wizard."

"Professor, in the class just now, I saw you turn the table into a living thing." Cohen simply changed his question, omitting the "soul" part - after all, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore had discussed Cohen's life experience, so he should not show his curiosity and desire for the "soul" so early.

"Turning dead objects into living things is something you will only learn in your third year, and it's limited to the transformation of small objects. Transfiguration is dangerous and complicated, and I don't want you to try it too early. It's very dangerous." Professor McGonagall thought Cohen wanted to learn how to transform the podium into a pig. She warned Cohen sternly, "Even if you succeed in your first Transfiguration experiment, don't be too ambitious, Mr. Norton."

"That's not my question, Professor McGonagall," Cohen corrected. "I don't actually have a strong desire to try the spells from the senior years. It's just that after seeing the podium transformed into a pig, a question came to my mind: can you give life to a dead object by transfiguring it? In other words, is the target of the transformation 'alive' during the transformation?"

Hermione, who was standing by, listened very hard to the conversation between Cohen and McGonagall. She even took out her parchment and quill, and leaned over the table to write down the questions and answers.

"It's a good thing to think for yourself without making any rash attempts." Professor McGonagall expressed her appreciation for Cohen's well-founded curiosity. "In fact, this question already has a very standard answer, but it's not in your 'Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'."

"Transfiguration can magically transform various substances, but it also follows a set of basic laws—Gamp's Basic Laws of Transfiguration. Mr. Cohen, your question happens to be one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Basic Laws of Transfiguration."

"Living and dead things cannot be permanently transformed by transfiguration."

Professor McGonagall found that the two students in front of her were listening very attentively, and continued to explain to them with some relief.

"For example, we can turn a button into a scarab beetle and a podium into a pig, but they can't move forever. Once the magic power attached to them dissipates, they will return to their original form."

"Even if those transformed 'creatures' have a breath of life, their essence is still dead. It is the wizard's magic that makes up their 'life'."

So... the [Soul Strength] that Cohen saw after the podium was transformed... was actually Mag's magic?
What if I absorb the "soul" composed of magic power...

Can it also increase soul integrity?
(End of this chapter)