It was a being that resembled a ghost, yet was quite different—Peeves.
Compared to the ghosts' uniform pearl-white, Peeves was much more flamboyant, wearing bright clothes like a clown costume, along with a tie and a round hat.
He appeared to be dressed formally, yet he was wearing open-toed slippers; his face was also quite comical, bearing a resemblance to the Catbus from "My Neighbor Totoro".
When Peeves saw Vizette and the others, he grinned and let out a strange cry, saying, "Woo woo woo! Who's come here..."
"Oh, it's our Professor McGonagall! Even on holiday, she won't leave her students alone. The little lions will cry... Ah... it's actually a little eagle..."
Professor McGonagall gently shook her head, waved her wand, and chanted, "Reparo!"
She first restored the messy classroom to its original state before paying attention to Peeves, saying, "Please leave here and give me a quiet space."
Upon hearing this, Peeves's mouth stretched even wider, almost touching his ears, giving him a rather evil and terrifying appearance.
He chuckled, put his hands on his hips, and waved them back and forth in front of Professor McGonagall. "Oh? Why should I listen to you?"
Clang, clang...
The clanging of chains echoed through the empty classroom.
A gaunt, withered ghost appeared, its tattered robes stained with silver blood that seemed to flow back and forth.
He stared wide-eyed at Peeves, shook his shackles violently, and roared, "Peeves! So you were here!"
That was the Bloody Baron, the house ghost of Slytherin.
Perhaps due to his fierce appearance and his taciturn nature, most students would avoid him.
"Oh! Bloody Baron! Mr. Barrow! Sir…" Peeves exclaimed in a panic, "How did you end up here…"
"Of course I'm here to settle scores with you!" The Bloody Baron continued shaking the shackles, slowly approaching Peeves.
Peeves looked even more flustered. After looking left and right, his figure slowly disappeared, leaving only his hat floating in the air.
The next moment, Peeves revealed a hand, grabbed the hat, and vanished from the classroom. His voice drifted further and further away, "Lord Bloody Baron! I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer!"
"Peeves is in awe of the Bloody Baron." Professor McGonagall waved her wand gently, and the Bloody Baron vanished. "You still have to catch the train later, so we need to hurry."
"Professor McGonagall, is there something you need?" Vizette asked curiously.
"The final practical exam on Transfiguration magic won't be difficult for you." Professor McGonagall gently pulled out her wand, and a box of chalk flew over.
"I know you've been studying 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration', so I imagine you've tried some more difficult transformation magic, right?"
Vizette asked, somewhat eagerly, "Professor McGonagall, would you like me to demonstrate?"
"Of course!" Professor McGonagall nodded. "The snuffbox for the final exam was brilliant, so I'd like to know how many more surprises you have in store for me."
Vizette picked up his wand and looked at the box of chalk, pondering how to demonstrate a more advanced form of transformation magic.
So far, thanks to his understanding of Devil's Snare, his specialty had been transforming vine-like plants.
However, he had already demonstrated this type of transformation magic before, so he needed to think of some other transformation projects.
The book "A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration" showcased various animal anatomy diagrams, which could be used to further develop this concept...
Having made up his mind, he exhaled softly and tapped his wand lightly on the chalk box. "Vera Verto!"
The image of the deer appeared in his mind, and as Vizette cast his transformation magic, the chalk box floated into the air.
All the chalk inside flew up, and the white chalk connected with each other, gradually forming a simple skeleton.
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened slightly, and she subconsciously adjusted her glasses, pressing her lips even tighter.
Everything was under Vizette's control; the chalk floating in mid-air trembled slightly.
The red chalk crumbled into pieces, adhering to the white chalk skeleton, just like real bones and flesh...
About five minutes later, a sika deer appeared in front of the two.
Vizette waved his wand again, and the fawn immediately raised its head, sniffed, and curiously looked around with its big eyes.
"Professor McGonagall, these are some insights I gained after reading 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'..."
He smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm still not very skilled at it, and it takes too long... Besides, its behavior requires me to be distracted and control it."
Professor McGonagall, after hearing Vizette's words, added, "But its essence is still a box of chalk."
"You haven't forgotten what I taught you, and you've always kept in mind not to change the essence of things, which is excellent!"
She bent down, reached out and stroked the fawn's back, feeling its softness. "Even the fur imitation is spot on... This is actually at the level of a seventh-year..."
The most crucial point was that Vizette had imbued the fawn with life, which showed that he had indeed touched the soul level.
"It's hard to believe!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, then recalled her own past and tried to compare it with her first-year self, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Let's get back to the main point!" She straightened up. "Professor Sprout has submitted an application regarding the cultivation of mandrakes within Hogwarts."
"Mandrake?" Upon hearing the name, Vizette immediately thought of the descriptions of mandrake in "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi".
After a school year, he had memorized "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" without having to search for related textual descriptions in his mind.
This was an extremely dangerous magical plant that could emit a deadly cry, but it had a wide range of uses. Both its roots and leaves could be added to a crucible to brew potions.
Professor McGonagall smiled slightly. "Seeing your expression, I know you are familiar with this herb."
"Fresh mandrake is not common. Besides its use in potions, it is also an important material for training Animagi."
Vizette's eyes lit up. "Animagus?"
The library contained a lot of information about Animagi, but it was all theoretical knowledge and didn't provide specific descriptions of how to master this magic.
Professor McGonagall said, "The materials related to Animagi are all kept in the restricted area, and it is not an easy thing for ordinary students to see them."
"Just like you said at the beginning, shapeshifting magic is the most complex and dangerous kind of magic. Especially advanced shapeshifting magic like Animagus, which is prone to accidents."
"When Headmaster Dumbledore asked me for this, I did have some concerns. But after seeing your demonstration of Transfiguration magic, those concerns have disappeared."
"Starting next school year, I will choose some free time to teach you how to get started with Animagus, which will also serve as an additional means of protection for you…"