After Davies and the other two scrambled to their feet, they found everyone gathered around the dummy, whispering excitedly.
"Professor, is there any difference between the clothes on this and Transfiguration? Why does it feel a bit off?" Percy touched the wolf-grandmother's scarf.
"This is actually Transfiguration too." Drawing on his expertise in the subject, Tver immediately reached his conclusion. "Transfiguration can't be used directly on people. It's like you can't simply use an enemy's clothes for Transfiguration and strangle them.
"The reason it feels unlike Transfiguration..."
"...is because this is a Summoning Charm, a type of Transfiguration."
The students present quickly grasped the professor's meaning. Transfiguration combines three types of magic: Transfiguration Charms, Summoning Charms, and Vanishing Charms. This outfit was the result of a Summoning Charm. The difference from Transfiguration is that you cannot apply a Switching Spell to it.
"Does that mean we can use Summoning Charm on people? Like summoning a knife to stab someone in the heart?" Bulstrode immediately asked. This question startled everyone.
"Bulstrode, that's a terrifying thought!" Charles said disapprovingly.
"It's just a metaphor," Bulstrode shrugged indifferently. "It could be other things too—like shackles binding someone's hands."
Tver nodded approvingly, shifting his gaze from the dummy to the students. "Exactly. That's an excellent line of thinking. If truly achievable, this spell could even replace many other forms of magic." He paused before continuing, "But clearly, it's difficult."
"Especially when facing stronger wizards—the greater the interference the spell faces." Tver's eyes narrowed, reflecting his experience. "That's a common issue with all magic targeting wizards. The Boggart Banishing Spell is probably no exception."
"Then why don't you try it?"
"We haven't even fully mastered this spell yet. How could we try?" Crystal said coolly. Her words instantly dampened everyone's eagerness to experiment.
All eyes then turned to the grinning Davies.
"Spill it! What's the secret?" George clamped his hand around Davies's neck, demanding threateningly.
Davies pondered for a moment. "It's not much different from before. Besides sensing a feeling of dread, the key is to keep your eyes closed the entire time."
"You mean keep your eyes closed?" George guessed. But no one responded to him anymore. Those who'd grasped the trick were already scurrying back to the suitcase, lining up anew to experience the thrill of a successful spell firsthand. Including his twin brother.
"Hurry up, you idiot!" Fred yelled from the back of the line.
Tver watched their antics, already seeing the second and third students successfully cast the Riddikulus Spell on the dummy. Yet the look of contemplation deepened on his face. For there was one crucial detail he hadn't shared with his students.
The Boggart inside the suitcase was still fake! He had indeed obtained a new Boggart from Lupin, but that Boggart remained safely tucked away in his wallet, never having seen the light of day. The suitcase contained only a cloud of black mist he had placed there—utterly ineffective, merely a basic object for Transfiguration practice.
In other words, he had deceived the students once more! But this time, Tver truly sensed a shift in the willpower of Davies and the other students who had successfully cast the Riddikulus Charm! This change was so distinct that Tver felt an odd sensation—Their wills had transformed! Their wills had metamorphosed into another kind of will... Like one needle becoming another needle—utterly bizarre.
Yet the more he pondered, the more a bold notion surged within him—If will could be transformed into will, what about magical power, which shares similar properties with will? And further still, what about the soul?
Tver felt he had grasped the secret of the magic left behind by Salazar Slytherin. His previous conjecture—that the magic was the soul transformed into a compatible state to fuse with magical power—was wrong. Because that magic was purely the result of souls, or wills, being transformed through some unfathomable metamorphosis!
Truth be told, two years ago, he would have thought himself mad for entertaining such a wild notion. But after witnessing the magic of Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, he had grown accustomed to the extraordinary.
"Professor, why do I keep feeling that this Boggart is a bit strange?" Percy quietly approached Tver and whispered.
Before the club meeting, he had followed the professor's instructions, emphasizing once again that this Boggart had been gifted by Professor Lupin. Though he wasn't sure why, he had carried out the order resolutely.
But now, after several practice sessions where he successfully cast the Riddikulus Charm, he was starting to sense something peculiar about the Boggart. It felt...
"Your instincts are correct. This is a fake Boggart—my own Polyjuice Potion," Tver smiled at him.
Percy felt his worldview crumble once more.
He stared, dumbfounded, at his classmates reveling in the game, at the clowns and werewolves being repeatedly dressed up, and at the dummy standing over here. This was fake...
The Boggart Banishing Spell they'd cast initially hadn't even worked on the Boggart! In their minds, they had actually used a fake Boggart to replace a dummy, successfully casting two Riddikulus Charms!
Was anything in this world real?!
Seeing Percy's utterly shattered expression, Tver chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Don't dwell on it. You can think of it as replacing the fake Boggart with the real one. That might make it a bit easier to accept psychologically."
Percy pursed his lips. He desperately wanted to curse this deceitful professor out and walk away. But after a moment's thought, he decided on the latter option—just walking away.
"I'm going back to practice…" he muttered, avoiding the professor's gaze, terrified that his bold thoughts might be detected. He quickly trotted over to Penelope, and seeing her concerned smile, his mood lifted a little.
Meanwhile, Tver set aside his research on the Soul Transfiguration Spell and approached the students. Using the insight he had just gained, he began instructing them on the Riddikulus Charm.
By the end of the club session, everyone had grasped the basics of the Riddikulus Charm to varying degrees. But as the professor had pointed out, applying this magic to people proved extremely difficult.
Even George and Fred, the most skilled with the Riddikulus Charm, couldn't get Davies to wear a girl's skirt.
Still, Tver offered timely reassurance.
"Don't be discouraged. In a way, this is an entirely new spell."
"We've only grasped the basics. To truly master it, we need more practice."
"And we can start with easier things—like making Davies wear a weird hat or a pink shawl."
Tver suddenly spread his arms wide, his face beaming.
"But regardless, yes—we succeeded!"
"Revel in this triumph! This is a moment of joy for every member of our club!"
"Woo-hoo!" the Weasley twins cheered instantly.
The other students didn't find it jarring; instead, they grinned just as excitedly.
Truth be told, even Percy, who was the academic star among them, had always prioritized his studies and never before tried to create or innovate magic. This was undoubtedly a profoundly memorable experience for them all.
Tver was thoroughly satisfied with this activity, which had dissolved the barriers between their respective houses. At least within the club, they were no longer students of a particular house, but...
His partners!