Chapter 5: Knowledge is Key
Lena woke up with a smile on her face, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. She opened her eyes and noticed the sun peeking through the window, casting a golden glow in the room. As she turned her head to the side, she saw Jasmin waking up next to her, her eyes slowly fluttering open.
She leaned over and brushed Jasmin's hair back, admiring the way the sunlight played on her hair. Jasmin stirred slightly, and Lena's heart skipped a beat as she saw the drowsy look in her eyes. "Good morning, beautiful," Lena whispered, their legs touching under the blanket.
She couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness and contentment, knowing that Jasmin was right there next to her.
Jasmin smiled sleepily at Lena. "Good morning, Sweetie" she said, her voice still husky with sleep. "What time is it?"
Lena glanced at the clock on her bedside table. "It's almost 8, we have Transfiguration with Professor Ludwig today," she said. "We should go now." she adds and gets out of bed, Jasmin following her.
Lena and Jasmin quickly got dressed and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast before their Transfiguration class. As they walked, Lena noticed how the sun was shining brighter than usual, casting a warm glow on the castle walls. She felt Jasmin's hand slip into hers and smiled.
After the two girls finished with breakfast, Lena and Jasmin arrived at the Transfiguration classroom just as Professor Ludwig was taking attendance. They took their seats and got out their textbooks, ready to start the lesson. Professor Ludwig began by explaining the theory behind the transformation of objects, and Lena listened intently, taking notes. Professor Ludwig is a renowned expert in Transfiguration and has been teaching at Castlehaven for more than two decades. Despite his small stature, he commands a presence in the classroom, known for his sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude. His long, flowing beard gives him a distinguished look, and he is often seen stroking it thoughtfully as he lectures.
Students are both intimidated and in awe of Professor Ludwig's vast knowledge and expertise in the field of Transfiguration. He is a stickler for details, and his attention to every aspect of the subject matter is unparalleled. Although he can be stern, he genuinely cares about his students' success and is always willing to help them improve their skills. He is an inspiring teacher who challenges his students to strive for excellence, and his passion for Transfiguration is infectious.
Today's lesson is focused on a new technique that requires a deep understanding of the magical principles involved, and Ludwig believes that self-study is the key to mastering it.
To emphasize the importance of independent learning, Ludwig intentionally keeps the lesson brief, providing only a concise introduction to the theory behind the technique. He encourages his students to dedicate their own time to practicing and refining their skills, which will ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the art of Transfiguration.
Eager to improve their grasp of the newly introduced concept, Lena suggests they take advantage of the extra time by heading to the library and gathering some additional resources on the subject. Jasmin agrees, and together, they make their way to the library.
As they enter the library, the girls are greeted by the sight of towering bookcases filled with countless volumes on every imaginable subject. Lena heads straight towards the section on transfiguration, while Jasmin wanders around looking for books on healing spells. After a while, Lena finds two books that catch her attention: one on transfiguration and the other on potion brewing. Meanwhile, Jasmin returns with a single book and a worried expression on her face.
"I can't find anything! Where are all the books about healing spells? I found one, and it only has one spell in it!" Jasmin complains to Lena.
"Did you ask the librarian for help yet?" Lena suggests. "I think my mother mentioned that healing spells could easily qualify for being in the restricted area of the library."
Jasmin nods and puts the first book about Episkey on the desk next to Lena before walking towards the librarian, Theodore Stonebridge. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find books about healing spells?" Jasmin politely asks the librarian.
"Indeed, healing spells, you say. I can bring you that. Anything else I can get you?" the librarian kindly responds.
"No, that's all I need," Jasmin says, who has completely forgotten about the Book Professor Ravenwood mentioned to them.
The librarian looks at her for a moment, but then he tells her to follow him into the restricted section of the library. Jasmin follows him, looking around at the books they pass. Suddenly, her eyes catch a strange blue glow emanating from a book on one of the shelves. She steps closer and reads the title of the book, "The Tome of Arcane Convergence."
Meanwhile, the librarian is using his wand to levitate the healing book down to him. Jasmin quickly grabs The Tome of Arcane Convergence and puts it inside her cloak, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. She then turns around and walks closer to the librarian.
"Here it is, The Compendium of Magical Healing," he starts to hand it over to Jasmin but doesn't release it from his tight grip.
"This is not normal lecture, young girl. Use it wisely," he says while looking into her blue eyes before letting go of the book.
"I will, thank you," Jasmin replies and takes the book under her arm. She manages to sneak The Tome of Arcane Convergence all the way out of the restricted section and back to Lena, who is still reading her transfiguration book.
"I got another one," Jasmin says proudly and puts The Compendium of Magical Healing on the desk. "And I also stole a weird blue glowing book from the restricted section," she adds, whispering as she shows Lena the Tome of Arcane Convergence under her cloak.
"I wonder what it is about," Lena mumbles while looking around. "We better not get seen with the book if you stole it," she says, and Jasmin nods in agreement.
"Let me try something," Lena suggests, asking Jasmin to put the book on the bench next to her. Jasmin places the book down, and Lena takes out her wand, pointing it at the book. With a flick of her wand, she transfigures it into a blue glowing chess piece of a pawn.
"Here, that should be less obvious," Lena says, handing Jasmin the blue glowing pawn.
"Did you just learn that in the time I was getting the books?" Jasmin asks, amazed, as she takes the pawn without breaking eye contact with Lena.
"Yes, but I did practice it on the pillows there before, and it was surprisingly easy. I can teach it to you really easily. Just imagine the object in its new shape, and that's it," Lena explains. Jasmin eagerly takes out her wand and aims it.
Lena smiled as she watched Jasmin wield her wand with determination, the big red pillow in front of her beginning to transform before their very eyes. The once soft and plush surface began to shift and change, taking on a completely new form until it resembled a perfectly shaped red dice. Jasmin's eyes widened in surprise as she picked up the newly transfigured object, marvelling at the ease with which she had just performed the spell.
"I told you it was easy," Lena giggled, clearly pleased with her friend's success. "Now, let's head to the common room and get some reading done."
Jasmin nodded eagerly, already excited to put her newfound knowledge to use. The two girls made their way out of the library and towards the common room, the warm glow of the fire casting shadows across the room as they settled in with their new books.
As Lena and Jasmin delved deeper into The Compendium of Magical Healing, they stumbled upon a particularly intriguing section on the healing spells. Among them was a spell called Vulnera Sanentur, a unique spell that was categorized as a curse, despite its healing properties.
Excited to learn more about this spell, Jasmin eagerly read through the instructions while Lena provided additional insights. The spell was cast by imagining the wound healing and then uttering the incantation, but with the added requirement of precise wand movements.
As they dry-practiced the spell, Jasmin couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the powerful magic they were learning. Despite its classification as a curse, the spell was a testament to the incredible healing abilities of magic, and she couldn't wait to use it in the future.
For the rest of the evening, they poured over the details of the spell, honing their technique until they believed, they know how to cast it flawlessly. As the night wore on and their energy began to wane, they retired to their dormitory, eager to continue their studies in the morning.
For Jasmin, it was a night filled with revelations and wonder. The more she learned about the nature of healing spells, the more she was convinced that magic truly held the power to change lives, and she was determined to master it with all her heart and soul.
As the night grew late and exhaustion began to set in, Lena and Jasmin made their way to the dormitories, walking both towards Jasmin's bed.
As the girls prepared for bed, they carefully placed their books on the shelf next to the bed, taking care not to damage the fragile pages. Jasmin stretched her tired limbs and yawned, feeling the weight of the long day finally catching up to her. Lena smiled sympathetically and offered to help her friend get ready for bed.
With a gentle hand, Lena brushed Jasmin's hair out of her face and tucked her into bed, making sure she was comfortable before settling down beside her. They exchanged a tired smile before snuggling up together under the warm blankets, feeling the comforting presence of each other's company.
In the dim light of the dormitory, they drifted off to sleep, the words of the healing spells still echoing in their minds as they embraced the restful embrace of slumber.
