Phoenix From The Ashes

AN: Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not updating last week. I got really busy with the project and had barely any time to write. I took my time with this chapter as I wanted to start building the world and introducing some new concepts. It was hard to do this in a natural manner, so it turned into a bit of an info dump. Sadly, with the limited time I had to really refine it compared to my other chapters, this is the best I could do. Without further ado, let's jump back into the story!

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"Harry Potter" - Dialogue

'Harry Potter' - Thoughts

The next morning, he woke up early. After going through his morning routine, he warmed up with some stretches and started a simple exercise routine. It was a combination of push-ups, sit-ups, dips, squats, and jumping jacks. While the regimen not as intense as he was used to, he was limited by the amount of space he had in his dorm.

'I need to ask about curfew timings and where I can go exercise. Would they have a gym I could use? That would be convenient.'

While pondering on this, he woke up his roommates as he went to take a shower. The bathroom also had a decent sized walk-in closet. It was nice to be able to dress in private, something he hadn't expected being able to do with 3 other boys rooming with him.

Exiting the bathroom, he saw that Louis, Tony, and Javier were all inside their own bathrooms. He could hear rushing water, so he decided to wait for them. He picked up a random book on Charms and started reading.

A while later, his roommates were ready to leave, so they made their way to the Dining Hall for breakfast. It looked a lot less formal from last night, as they sat down and started stacking their plates with various breakfast foods.

They conversed about which subjects they were interested in and what they were most worried about. Archer chose to downplay his confidence a bit, not wanting to come off as arrogant. It didn't matter if he had every right to be, based on his extensive knowledge of magic.

While they were eating, a professor approached them with a few sheets of parchment in hand. "Good morning, students. I have your schedules with me. What are your names?"

They all replied with their names, and Desjardin nodded. He took out his wand and tapped a piece of parchment while saying Tony's name. Ink bloomed from the center of the page as it slowly spread and formed a schedule. Desjardins presented the now filled sheet of parchment to a slack jawed Tony.

"Here is your schedule for this year. Should you ever get lost, tap the back of the parchment with your wand and say 'directions' and your destination. It will form a map that will show your position and guide you to your classroom."

Archer smiled. That was a great idea. No one would be able to use getting lost as an excuse for being late to class.

He repeated the same procedure for each of them and left once they assured him that they understood the directions. Reviewing his schedule, Archer was surprised.

It was surprisingly well balanced, with all his core classes spaced out across the week. That meant he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the homework. The core classes for Beauxbatons were Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History, and Etiquette. Alongside the core classes, they also had Herbology, Astronomy, and Magical Theory.

From his research, this was the standard curriculum for all first and second years. When they reached their third year, Etiquette would be switched out for another core subject of their choosing. They could also choose to replace Herbology and Astronomy with two other electives. Magical Theory classes would last until their 3rd year, after which, they could replace it with another magical elective.

One thing he noticed was the abundance of minor electives. These were courses that were only a semester-long with a diverse catalog of subjects. The Arts program had a fantastic range of courses that students could enjoy.

They offered different styles of dance, Painting, Photography, and Theatre. However, the arts weren't the only field represented. There were courses in Economics, Accounting, Business, Law, Wandless Magic, Mind Magic, Elemental Magic, and many others.

Archer was genuinely excited by the offerings and couldn't wait to take a few of them. He was astounded that so many different courses were available for him to take. Hogwarts had never had the kind of variety Beauxbatons had. Although that was mainly his old world's Hogwarts. Who knew whether the same held true for the one in this world?

That could wait, seeing as they could only be taken once he started his third year. He examined his schedule before starting to compare it to that of his roommates. They were all identical, so they rejoiced in the fact that they would all be learning together in class.

Finishing their breakfast, they made their way to the first class of the day. Charms. Entering the room, they noticed that their teacher was Professor Desjardins. He smiled and gestured for them to take a seat.

"Hello, boys. The seating is open, so feel free to sit wherever."

They greeted him and sat down in the middle of the hall. They chatted while taking out their supplies to take notes. As they talked, groups of students started filtering into the room.

Within 10 minutes, all the seats in the classroom were occupied. The chatter continued until Professor Desjardin stepped up onto the podium at the front of the class and cleared his throat. That got everyone's attention as they stopped talking and gave him their undivided attention.

"Good morning, class! My name is Henri Desjardin, but you all will be calling me Professor Desjardin during your time at Beauxbatons. I was once a student of this institution and have sat in the very seats you occupy in this room.

After graduating, I apprenticed under Professor Fontaine, the world-renowned Head of our Charms Department. After 2 years of hard work, I presented my Mastery Thesis to the Charms Masters Guild panel at the ICW and was awarded my Charms Mastery.

Since then, I participated in the dueling circuit for 3 years and went on to win the World Championship once. After retiring as a duelist, Professor Fontaine was kind enough to offer me the position of Charms Professor for the 1st through 3rd years.

This will be my 4th year teaching, and I think that we will be having a lot of fun learning about the wonders of Charms together. Let me take attendance, and then our journey shall begin!"

He was upbeat and enthusiastic. He also had a certain magnetism that drew people in and kept them on the edge of their seats. Already Archer knew he was going to enjoy learning from Professor Desjardin. Regardless of how far ahead he was.

Desjardin took attendance quickly and started the lesson. It was all traditional first lesson material. A mix of safety and warnings to be careful with a hint of basic magical theory and how it related to Charms. While it would have typically been a yawn-inducing affair for him, Archer found that Desjardin's excitement and passion for Charms affected him as well.

All in all, the lesson had been a great start of the year. The next class was Transfiguration, and Archer was excited. This was his bread and butter. The field of magic that he excelled in, especially when it came to applying it in combat.

His disappointment at not being able to cast third-year spells had been gnawing at him for a while. He had never had an issue before, no matter how difficult some of the theory behind it was. He had always counted on his magic and imagination to pull him through whenever he needed to make something happen. They had never failed him until now.

There was something awry with the way Transfiguration worked in this world. It was fundamentally different, much like the method of spellcasting.

He had several theories, but nothing he could bounce off anyone until school started. He had done his due diligence during summer and researched his professor. It was one of the reasons for his eagerness.

Laura Thebault was a well-known prodigy of Transfiguration. She had graduated from the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the top of her class. Straight out of school, she had caught the attention of the famous Transfiguration Grandmaster Johan Blomqvist.

Apprenticing under him for a single year, she had presented a revolutionary thesis on the theoretical boundaries of elemental conjuration. The Transfiguration Masters panel had awarded her a Mastery almost immediately after her presentation. Beauxbatons had snapped her up as a professor shortly after the contents of her thesis had been revealed.

She specialized in Pure Transfiguration, meaning that most of her work was mainly rooted in theory and not practical applications. Therefore, she was the perfect person to consult regarding his problem. With her deep understanding of the fundamental nature of Transfiguration, the chances were good that she could help him figure out what was going wrong.

Entering the classroom, they found that the layout was nearly identical to the Charms classroom. Archer noticed that the teacher wasn't in the room, so he guided his friends to sit down near the front of the class. Transfiguration was his favorite subject, and it didn't hurt to show enthusiasm when he needed to ask her for help.

Students filtered in for the next 10 minutes before the doors automatically closed at the start of the lesson. The side door at the front of the room opened, and in walked Laura Thebault.

Her youthful looks were the first thing he noticed. If he hadn't researched her beforehand, he would have thought she was the teacher's assistant. She certainly wouldn't look out of place among the 7th years at Beauxbatons. The fact that she had accomplished so much at her age spoke of her talent in her field.

Setting her folder down, she walked to the center of the podium and scanned the room. "Hello, class. My name is Professor Laura Thebault, and I will be your Transfiguration professor for the next 3 years.

It seems that everyone is here on time. That's good because the doors will close automatically at the starting time. Anyone without an official note that excuses them will not be able to open them.

The reason for this arrangement is simple. By showing up on time for class, you communicate to me that you respect my time. In return, all of you shall have my undivided attention and guidance when learning about the art of Transfiguration.

At the beginning of every class, we will take attendance. After that, I will lecture about the topic we will be learning for the day. Following the lecture, we will proceed to the practical portion of the class. Any questions?"

Her direct and no-nonsense way of speaking had intimidated some of the students. He saw traces of anxiety and fear from the looks his friends were giving each other. Seeing no one raising their hands, he decided to be the courageous one.

Professor Thebault looked at him. "Yes, Mr...?"

Archer smiled. "Beaufort, Professor Thebault. Archer Beaufort. I had a question regarding the practical portion of the class. If we aren't successful in completing the in-class assignment, where can we practice completing it? I've heard Transfiguration can be a dangerous subject and was wondering if there was any special area meant for practice."

Thebault smiled. "Excellent question, Mr. Beaufort. As you correctly stated, Transfiguration is one of the most dangerous subjects taught to young witches and wizards. The possibility to harm yourselves accidentally is high if you carelessly attempt something beyond your understanding.

In Beauxbatons, there are designated areas in the library and your Common rooms that are meant for practicing your exercises. These areas are warded to protect other students and alert a teacher if any mishap occurs. While I would insist you always have some form of supervision, I understand that sometimes it's not possible. I ask that you be safe and utilize these resources."

Archer gave her a smile. "Thank you, Professor."

Thebault nodded. "Any other questions?"

Apparently, Archer's initiative to ask a question had given others the courage to follow. A couple of students asked about the curriculum and about homework policy and expectations. Thebault answered, and after seeing no one else raising their hands, she started taking attendance.

Finishing attendance quickly, she started lecturing them on classroom safety and the basic magical theory behind Transfiguration and what it entailed. Her lecture was somewhat dry but informative.

He could tell she had a passion for Transfiguration, but she wasn't able to inspire students the way Desjardin could.

Archer was sure that it was mainly due to a lack of experience teaching others. This was Thebault's first year as a professor, so he cut her some slack. Hopefully, she would improve as time went on.

Finishing the lecture, they moved on to the practical portion of the class, where Professor Thebault conjured a wooden matchstick in front of every student. Archer felt an oncoming sense of deja vu.

Thebault flicked her wand as several holders flew out of the cupboards at the front of the room. Another flick sent one holder to each student. "We will be starting with the traditional exercise that all initiates have to complete when they are introduced to the noble art of Transfiguration.

You must transfigure your matchsticks into needles. The spell's incantation is Acus, and the wand movement is a sharp, downward flick. However, remember that visualization is the key. You can cast the spell all you want, but if your intent and imagination are not supporting your magic, it will have no effect.

Also, please place your matchsticks on the holders before attempting the exercise. It would be inconvenient if you changed the desk instead of the matchstick."

Hearing her instructions, all the students moved to properly secure their matchsticks in the holder's grasp. When everyone was ready, Professor Thebault gave them the go-ahead to start the exercise.

Archer looked pensively at the matchstick in front of him. He did not want to make it look like he already knew the material. That would raise all sorts of questions that Archer didn't want to answer. As of right now, he was just another non-magical born student like Louis.

On the other hand, if he wanted to ask Thebault about advanced topics in Transfiguration, he would have to show some competence in the basics. He was stuck in his musings when he noticed a shadow approaching in his peripheral vision. His right hand flinched slightly, attempting to draw his wand and defend himself from a possible hostile.

Suppressing his instinct, he turned his head and met the imperious gaze of Professor Thebault. "Mr. Beaufort, I noticed you have not moved since I told the class to begin. Is there a reason why you have not started the exercise yet?"

Deciding to take a cautious approach, he adopted a sheepish expression as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I apologize, Professor. You mentioned that visualization was key to the spell, so I got caught up trying to properly go through the change in my mind before casting the spell."

Thebault nodded. "Patience is a good thing to have when it comes to Transfiguration, Mr. Beaufort. However, you must also not be paralyzed by uncertainty and doubt. Only by casting the spell can you truly learn where you need to improve. Be confident and know what you want to happen. Keep the visualization in your mind when you cast, and your magic will listen to you."

Nodding at her advice. Archer reached into his robes and mimed retrieving his wand. There was no need to showcase the fact that he had a wrist holster, or how quickly he could draw his wand.

Wand in hand, he looked at the matchstick intently. He made a show of aiming at the match carefully before casting with a flick of his wand.

"Acus."

Within the blink of an eye, the match changed into a sharp, silver needle. Immediately upon his success, he widened his eyes in false wonder. "Wow! I can't believe that actually worked!"

He turned and noticed Thebault's expression. He saw her smiling brilliantly. She reached for the needle and picked it up, bringing it closer to her eyes. She rolled the needle between her fingers, as her eyes flickered left and right, scanning for any imperfections.

After what felt like several minutes, she placed it down onto the desk and addressed him. "That was an excellently cast spell, Mr. Beaufort. Is this your first time casting it?"

Archer nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Professor!" A blatant lie, but she didn't need to know that.

She beamed at him. "Well, it looks like you have a real talent for the art of Transfiguration. Try it again, and if you are successful a second time, you can help your friends."

She flicked her wand at the needle, reverting it back into a matchstick.

Archer nodded. "Of course, Professor Thebault. I'm sure I can do it again."

With confidence, he cast the spell again, not bothering with visualizing it a second time. He simply called to his magic, instructing it to change the matchstick into a needle. With just a jab of his wand, the match transformed into a needle for the second time.

He whipped his head around to celebrate the second success when he noticed something wrong. Professor Thebault's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Mr. Beaufort. That was an extremely impressive showing. Silently casting the spell on your second try. Even I was not capable of such a feat before my fourth year."

Archer bit his tongue as he cursed internally. 'Merlin damn it! I instinctually cast the bloody spell silently!'

Even when practicing the spells before school, he had never bothered to use the words. In fact, he had not remembered the incantation at all. After his intense training with Morgana, he had never needed them.

His magic had listened to his orders without question. Spoken words were unnecessary to accomplish his spells. Voldemort had been much the same in his level of control over his magic. The only difference being his skills in silent casting was geared towards the Dark Arts.

He needed to salvage the situation quickly if he wanted to avoid unnecessary attention.

"Really?! I don't even know what I did! I just thought about changing it really hard, and then it happened!"

It was the most convincing of an explanation he could muster given the circ.u.mstances: intense concentration on a spell along with a sudden burst of accidental magic. Believable enough, especially seeing as he had put on a show of really focusing on the visualization.

A flicker of something showed briefly on Professor Thebault's expression. Archer couldn't tell if it was doubt or not. Hopefully, his explanation would hold muster with her. If it didn't... well, he would cross that bridge when he got there.

She chose to smile while complimenting his performance. "Excellent work, Mr. Beaufort. It looks like you have a predisposition for the field of Transfiguration. I daresay one day you could become a Master of great skill."

Archer nodded while humbly deflecting her praise. "Thank you for your high praise, Professor Thebault. I still have a long journey ahead of me, and I hope to learn a lot from you in the coming years."

Thebault nodded. "Seeing as you have completed the exercise, you may choose to help your classmates, or pack up and leave. You will still have to complete the homework assignment: one sheet of parchment on the main factors that affect the final form of a transfigured material."

Saying her piece, she walked away to go help other students.

Louis, Antonio, and Javier immediately started bombarding him with compliments and requests for help once Professor Thebault left. He laughed at their antics and started helping them with the exercise. By the end of class, all three of them were able to complete the exercise flawlessly.

With their second class finished, they only had Etiquette left before they were done for the day. After a hearty lunch, they went to the classroom and studied the finer points of magical culture with Professor Julia Mercier. An older witch with a severe attitude.

She demanded nothing but excellence and spoke of Beauxbatons students and the elegance expected of them. Archer did what he was told but didn't put much effort into it.

The rest of the week went well, as they attended all their classes and learned from their new professors. Archer found himself really enjoying Potions than he previously did. That git Snape had well and truly ruined what had been an exciting prospect for him in his first year at Hogwarts.

He spent a lot of time in the Common Room with his roommates, but also made sure to get to know other people in their year. This was his second chance at getting a solid magical education at a top-ranking school. He was not going to waste it by moping about his circ.u.mstances and worrying about the future.

Regardless of Voldemort's existence, it never hurt creating connections with influential people. Hell, the Malfoy family's entire power base was rooted in that simple principle with the addition of monetary incentives. If anything, having friends in high places would make some of his plans easier to execute.

They began to recognize him as the smart kid, so a lot of them introduced themselves by approaching him for help. He gladly helped them to the best of his ability and ingratiated himself to most of their students in their year.

Some, like Florian and his ilk, found him insufferable and constantly tried to get others to not seek him out. Thankfully, his efforts were for naught, as by the time he started, Archer had already garnered a lot of support due to his intelligence.

It was euphoric seeing what he considered the French version of Draco Malfoy get snubbed by people who would usually support him. It was that line of thinking that spurred him on to approach others with an offer of help.

The rumor mill worked the same at Beauxbatons as it did at Hogwarts. Within a single week, he had cemented his reputation as an exceedingly intelligent and skilled first year who was friendly and approachable.

Things went the same for months, as the winter break approached. He had established a comfortable routine for his days. With the help of a prefect, he had discovered the old gym that Beauxbatons had abandoned. He had gotten weird looks from his roommates when he had asked.

It had made sense after he had gotten help from the prefect. Every magical in this world had a higher baseline of overall fitness than their non-magical counterparts. A lot of that had to do with the absorption of raw magic. The ability to enhance the body with magic made exercise unnecessary, as magical energy improved and staved off things that would affect non-magicals to a much larger degree.

It was something he had noticed the moment he had portkeyed into Beauxbatons. Magicals were significantly more attractive than non-magicals. The woman had lithe and curvaceous figures, and the men were statuesque with nary an imperfection on their faces.

Even he had to grudgingly admit that Florian, despite his bigoted attitude could be considered somewhat attractive to the female population. While such traits were not as common among non-magical born students, pure bloods could be distinctly identified by their model good looks.

It made him wonder whether blood gave people a genuine advantage in this reality. Or maybe, the pure blood families made their children undergo rituals that enhanced their features. With how vain Florian was, Archer was sure that theory held some merit.

He had cleaned and started using the various machines, incorporating them, and running into his daily routine. Nobody in his year had noticed him exercising as he woke up every day at 5 in the morning, when none of them were up.

There had even been a punching bag and fencing podium there when Beauxbatons used to teach sword fighting. He was happy to have the whole room to himself and made sure to practice his fighting forms and fencing.

He had spent a lot of time and effort into learning those skills, so making sure they didn't dull was a must. Especially when he was going to be fighting others sooner or later.

The effort he put into his classes had been noticed by all his professors. Desjardin and Thebault were both very appreciative of his skill and often took the time to give him a few extra assignments to challenge him. When asked why they did so, their responses could be summarized as "talented students need to face challenges to grow."

They clearly stated that Beauxbatons would not hold back students out of a misguided sense of pseudo-equality. The Academy was a merit-based institution, and talented students would be given special treatment. However, earning that special treatment could only be achieved through hard work. No matter how talented one was, if they had unlikable personalities and were averse to putting in time and effort, they wouldn't go far.

Archer had demonstrated through his actions that he was worthy of special treatment and had shown talent in their respective fields. Therefore, he was given extra assignments to help foster his talents.

He knew that this was a golden opportunity, so he started putting in more effort than usual, excelling in his practical assessments and homework assignments. His professors were ecstatic at his rate of progress and were happy to help him whenever he asked.

After months of ingratiating himself with her, Archer decided that today was the day he would have the conversation he needed to have with Thebault. He had asked her earlier this week and timed it so the winter break would be just a day away, allowing him to go back home and think about the conversation.

He had relayed his progress and successes back to them weekly, as he had promised. They were very happy with how well he was doing, but always made sure to tell him not to push himself too hard. He was looking forward to the break, as he missed them a lot.

Arriving at Professor Thebault's office, he gave his uniform a quick once over. Seeing nothing out of place, he knocked.

"Come in." He heard Professor Thebault call out.

He entered the room and saw the professor behind a large desk with several thick tomes and sheets of parchment haphazardly littering the surface. It fit with his professor's background as a researcher.

She gave him a warm smile as she greeted him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Beaufort. Please have a seat." She gestured at one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Nodding gratefully, he thanked her and sat down. "Thank you very much for agreeing to meet with me Professor."

"No problem at all. It was the least I could do for my best student."

That brought a smile to his face. "You flatter me, Professor. I'm sure there are many upper years more skilled than I am."

She shook her head. "Nonsense. While they may have experience on their side, there is no doubt that you have an extraordinary talent in the art of Transfiguration. Trust me on this, as I have an eye for these sorts of things."

Archer smiled. "I'll take your word for it then, Professor. I came here to discuss an issue that I've been facing. It's nothing to do with any assignments, but it's affecting my extracurricular efforts."

"A problem? Your classwork does not lead me to believe you would face any during your time in school. Please tell me about it."

Archer took a deep breath before starting. "You may or may not know this, but even with the extra assignment you're giving me each week, I've been studying ahead. I just find Transfiguration so fascinating, and the things a Master of the art can accomplish is astounding.

I was able to get through most of the curriculum for the rest of this year and second year before I discovered something. When it came to transfiguring inanimate object into something that is alive, despite my best efforts, I just cannot get it to work."

Professor Thebault looked very surprised. "Mr. Beaufort. Are you telling me that you successfully went through the entire curriculum for your first two years in three and half months?"

Archer nodded. "Yes, Professor. I can show you if you like?"

She immediately flicked her wand, banishing the parchments and books off her table. With a quick jab, she conjured a matchstick and holder. "Demonstrate the matchstick to sewing needle exercise and we will go through all the other exercises in order."

Archer complied and chose to do them all silently, demonstrating true mastery of the exercises. As he continued from one exercise to the next, he could Professor Thebault's eyebrows steadily climbing in disbelief at his prowess. Within 5 minutes, he had successfully shown that he had studied and understood everything.

She seemed to have been stunned into silence as she contemplated his stellar performance. She caught herself quickly as she cleared her throat. "Mr. Beaufort, I have to say that if anything, I underestimated your talent. What you have shown me today can easily allow me to make the case to push you ahead to third year Transfiguration. There is no need to waste your time in my first-year class."

"I disagree Professor, as this is where my problem becomes relevant. Third year is when most of the spells involving inanimate to animate transfiguration are learned. As I mentioned previously, I simply can't get any to work, meaning that I would struggle among the third years."

Professor Thebault observed him closely. "You are saying that it's not possibly for you? All the exercises you've demonstrated would indicate that you should have no problem with the third-year material."

"I am positive that this is the case. Seeing as you are the most knowledgeable person in this school regarding the theory behind Transfiguration, I was hoping that you would be able to shed light on what is preventing me from casting the spells properly."

Professor Thebault nodded. "Alright. The best way to know what is going wrong is to attempt the spell." She conjured a small stone statue onto her desk. "Please cast the Avifors spell, and I will observe and try to see what is affecting your casting."

Archer nodded and pointed his wand at the statue. Visualizing it changing into an owl, he confidently cast the spell. "Avifors."

The stone started bubbling as it slowly shifted into the shape Archer intended. It was looking successful for a second before it abruptly stopped and reverted into its original state. He immediately looked to the professor to see whether she had noticed anything.

Professor Thebault's brows were furrowed in concentration as she stared unblinkingly at the statue. Archer chose to not interrupt her and wait in silence.

After a couple of minutes, Professor Thebault finally spoke up. "Mr. Beaufort. I think I have an idea regarding the reason behind your inability to cast inanimate to animate transfiguration spells. However, before we begin dissecting the problem, would you care for some tea?"

Archer nodded. "That would be nice, Professor."

"Excellent." She clapped her hands, and a house elf appeared next to her. "Could you please fetch a fresh pot of chamomile tea and two cups please?"

The elf nodded and summoned the requested tea and cups with a snap of its fingers. "Would you be liking anything else, madame?"

Professor Thebault smiled. "No, thank you."

The elf promptly vanished and Professor Thebault poured the tea into the cups. Handing one to him, she took a sip and settled back into her chair. "Mr. Beaufort. May I call you Archer?"

Archer nodded. "Of course, Professor."

She smiled. "Well then Archer, you may call me Laura. I anticipate that our conversation will go into rather personal territory. I can guarantee that this conversation is necessary to address the problem you face. The traditional niceties observed between a professor and student will get in the way of that."

Archer sipped his tea, giving him a few seconds to consider what exactly she was saying. He needed to be careful and not give too much information. This would involve a delicate balancing act of compartmentalization and knowing what knowledge to offer her. He relaxed into the comfortable chair and set his cup down onto the table.

"Thank you for allowing me such a courtesy, Laura. What kind of reflection are you referring to?"

Laura gave him a knowing look. "I want you to tell me about yourself."

That question threw him off. 'Tell her about myself? What the hell does that have to do with Transfiguration? Is she fishing for something? Does she suspect anything off about me?' Several thoughts raced through his head as he considered what she was asking him to do.

"Well, my name is Archer Beaufort. My parents are Jean-Luc and Sofia Beaufort. They are both non-magicals and were introduced to our world after I had a large bout of accidental magic at the age of 7. Since then, we have been to the Place Cachee several times and my parents have also dabbled in reading some of the books on Charms and the like that I bought at the bookstore.

I love them with all my heart, even though they are not my biological parents. I was placed into an orphanage when I was a baby by my biological mother, who left after informing the matron of my first name. I spent the first five years of my life there before I was adopted by my parents."

Laura's eyes shined as she gave him a smile. "Well, I think I can say that we've located the root of the problem."

Upon hearing her declaration, Archer straightened up and gave her his undivided attention. "Please tell me, Laura."

Laura cleared her throat and started speaking. "First, I need to give you some context to your specific situation. I assume that you are aware that any student who is sent an acceptance letter must meet the entry requirements for Beauxbatons?"

Archer nodded.

"Excellent. What is not publicized is the main criteria for admission. An arithmantic principal was discovered in 1777 by a brilliant wizard named Joseph-Louis Lagrange. You may have heard of him if you have had any exposure to calculus and Newtonian mechanics."

Archer was surprised. Lagrange was a wizard? Which other famous physicists or mathematicians was magical that he wasn't aware of? He needed to do some research in the library.

Laura continued. "Lagrange discovered that it was possible to calculate a child's capacity to channel wild magic at the age of 11. Generally, a child's core stabilizes at age 7, giving them the ability to subconsciously access their magic. Hence, most bouts of accidental magic occur between the ages of 7 and 10.

We use a measurement system called the Lagrangian Scale to calculate a quantifiable number that accurately indicates the potential of a magical child at age 11. If they meet a designated minimum threshold, they are sent a letter of admission.

This system is universal across the magical world, as all magical schools measure incoming students on the same scale. The only difference is the minimum number required for admission."

Archer spoke up. "So, you're saying that every person who meets the number gets an acceptance letter? That makes sense, but you never mentioned anything after the age of 11. Surely there would be some disparity that would happen across the numerous students. Some would be stronger or weaker than others, right?"

Laura beamed. "I'm glad you noticed that Archer. The Lagrangian Scale only measures to the age of 11 because after that, it is all on the child to constantly practice and stretch their core's channeling capacity. It works much like a muscle. If you steadily push yourself to your limits, you will find your core becoming more flexible and your spellcasting ability will increase accordingly.

The reason we admit based on the predicted result at 11, is that even if a student who is admitted does the b.a.r.e minimum to pass their classes with an Acceptable, they will still be able to cast all the spells that will be taught in their classes throughout their seven years of education.

This holds especially true for Transfiguration, which is highly intensive both magically and mentally. Some children just aren't born with the amount of power necessary to cast the spells.

They would still get letters of acceptance from other magical schools with less stringent requirements. They would eventually build up the power necessary to succeed. However, what would take them years of effort, would be possible for the average Beauxbatons first year."

Archer nodded along. Laura's explanation made a lot of sense, even though in his case, it wasn't as accurate due to the special circ.u.mstances regarding his core.

Laura passionately waved her hands around as she made her next point. "Despite what some people think, we are always taking in the magic around us, even when we are not utilizing it to do anything specific. Due to our cores constant absorption and filtration of wild magic, children are very susceptible to outbursts of accidental magic.

These outbursts of magic are measured by a system within the school, its inner workings only known to the Headmistress. Its readings are then used to calculate which children are qualified for Beauxbatons. However, there are some noticeable changes that occur due to us channeling wild magic. For example, have you noticed anything strange about the student population of Beauxbatons?"

Archer thought back. Utilizing his Occlumency to search through his memories, he started from the first time he arrived by portkey to the current moment. Laura let him think as she waited for his answer while sipping her tea.

Out of the blue, something came to mind. "Yes. I noticed that there were generally more girls than boys, for all of the years."

Laura smiled. "Precisely! Researchers have proposed many theories about why that is the case, and a select group of them found some ancient texts that shed some light on what was believed to be the cause for this phenomenon.

Apparently, most ancient magicals followed the belief of what is now called the Old Religion. Some Pureblood families stemming from those times still hold those views close to their core philosophy.

The tenets explain that magicals were all considered the children of Mother Magic. It is stated that Mother Magic was a life-giving deity that gave select humans the ability to absorb and use her essence to affect the world around them. By taking in her essence, it fundamentally changed the biological makeup of the humans who would go on to become witches and wizards.

This explained why we are known to be extraordinarily healthy, live significantly longer lives due to slower aging, and finally, females are more likely to give birth to girls rather than boys. If you take the ratio of male to female students of Beauxbatons across all the years, you will find that the average population of boys will be around 40%. This principle holds true to the magical world at large.

The Old Religion states that girls are the Vessels of Mother Magic, seeing as they carry the future generations of her children. More girls being born, mean more magical children. It is seen as the primary way Mother Magic ensures her gift lives on in her children.

Boys, on the other hand, have a slightly lower chance of being born. To make up for their lack of population, they are blessed with a higher potential for magic. While it may sound chauvinistic to say that on average wizards are magically stronger than witches, that doesn't mean the claim holds no merit.

A group of magibiologists researching the Old Religion in the early 1900's put that claim to the test. They took the top 10 Lagrangian Scale measurements of every magical child aged 11 in every school in the world for 7 years.

Regardless of the class or standing of the schools in question, they all reported the top 10 calculated Lagrangian scores for their incoming classes. Shockingly, out of nearly 271 magical education institutions in the world, boys dominated the lists on nearly all of them.

Out of 2710 reported scores, girls accounted for less than 3% of the entire sample. That was only for the first year though. As the next six years progressed, they found that while there was an uptick in the percentage of girls making the top ten lists, boys still dominated by a statistically significant margin."

Archer frowned. "While I'm certainly not opposed to learning more about this topic, what does that have to do with the issue I'm facing in Transfiguration?"

He felt a little impertinent asking the question, seeing as Laura had been so eager to explain the context to him. At the same time, she knew what was going wrong and was taking her own sweet time to get to the point. It was irritating to say the least.

Laura held up her hand. "Have patience, Archer. The reason I am mentioning this is to segue into my next point. I am aware of the, shall we say, less than pleasant relationship you share with Mr. Florian Royard. Boys like him, who come from a wealthy, established Pureblood family are raised to believe that purity of blood is sacrosanct.

Some individuals take it to extreme lengths, going so far as to say that non-magical born and half-bloods are inferior or unworthy of the blessing of magic. Over the decades, it has become a hotly contested issue within our society, going so far as causing a civil war in Britain.

Magibiologists have gone back and forth on the issue of blood purity. While I would never support the movement or what it stands for, it would be intellectually dishonest of me to not acknowledge some of the findings over the last two centuries worth of studies.

Simply put, those of magical blood do have an inherent advantage over those without. That has been proven to be the case through multiple methods of magical aptitude testing of children. Ancient families have centuries of knowledge that shape their magic to be better at certain things than others.

Children born to certain houses with specialties have an innate magical predisposition for those fields. For example, Mr. Royard's family is known to specialize in Transfiguration. Despite not having put in anywhere near as much effort as you have, he is still ranked right behind you in your year.

Putting him aside, the next three people in the top 5 of your year all come from well-established Pureblood magical families. While your friend and roommate Mr. Dreyfus puts forth his best effort, he simply lacks the magical power to surpass his peers as of this moment.

It could be said that Mother Magic blesses those who work hard to understand her gift, as that could change should Mr. Dreyfus work hard to improve his control and work on surpassing his limits.

By the end of his seven years of Beauxbatons, he could potentially be just under Mr. Royard in power and casting ability. With skill and experience, there is a possibility that Mr. Dreyfus could match him. However, if Mr. Royard puts in the same effort, it would be much less likely for Mr. Dreyfus to ever match him in his lifetime.

In the future though, should Mr. Dreyfus marry and have a child with a witch, regardless of her blood status, his child will be born with an advantage for learning magic he did not have as a first-generation wizard.

This theory has been tested multiple times and shown to be true. While his child's advantage would not be as pronounced as a child from the Royard family, given time, Mr. Dreyfus' descendants could be on par with those of Mr. Royard's. This would especially be the case if all his children put in similar effort in their magical studies and sired children with other magicals exclusively.

Given what we know to be true, all of this tells me something important. You undoubtedly come from a magical family and are the child of two magical parents. Most likely, your biological family specialized in Transfiguration or Charms. Another possibility is that you could be the child of magicals from two different families who historically specialized in those subjects.

Now, we approach the crux of the matter. You are something of an enigma, Archer. Certain oaths prevent me from giving any specific details regarding the Lagrangian scores for a student. They do give me enough leeway to give you a general idea though. Your score had the entire faculty in an uproar. It would be safe to say that you are the most powerful young wizard to attend this institution for the past 200 years.

Your magical power along with your talent and diligent study allowed you to bypass a lot of material that would have stumped many others of your background. To give you an idea, Beauxbatons accepts roughly 150 to 200 students per year on average. Out of those students, the number of orphans who have been accepted in the past 50 years can be counted on two hands.

All of them were children orphaned by the Global Wizarding War started by the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald. The war devastated the European Continent, and many magical children were separated from their families. These children grew up knowing nothing about their history and magic, much like a typical non-magical born student.

As they were reintroduced to the magical world and went through their education, my predecessor observed an interesting trend. Would you care to guess what he saw?"

Archer gulped before taking a large sip of his tea to settle himself. Whatever conversation he was expecting, this was not it. To think that blood purity had a basis in fact and wasn't the delusion of Purebloods who thought they were better than others because of their wealth and family history. He took a moment to calm himself before he was confronted with the answer to his problem.

Looking straight at Laura, he spoke. "I'm guessing they had similar problems in Transfiguration. At least from our conversation, that's what I think you were hinting at."

Laura had a wide grin on her face. "Right on the money, Archer. Every single one of them faced issues when it came to inanimate to animate Transfiguration. To explain why would require a solid understanding of the fundamental nature of Transfiguration and how it affects us.

I won't bore you with the specifics and I'll simplify the theory to its essence. When you cast a Transfiguration spell, you are absorbing the wild magic in the air around you, filtering it through your core and sending the energy through your wand in the form of a spell. During this process, you are visualizing the changes that you intend to make and expressing your will through your magic.

One of the drawbacks of Transfiguration, is that you must have a clear sense of self when you command your magic to change the world around you. This is usually not a problem, as most children develop their identities throughout their childhood and rarely face any problems during their years here.

Wild magic is a volatile force, and every witch and wizard must take care to not let it overwhelm them. This goes doubly so, for Transfiguration. If a magical cast a spell beyond their ability without a clear sense of self-identity, they will be broken apart. Their minds will be destroyed by the wild magic and their will stripped away.

Therefore, there is a well-defined curriculum that steadily progresses towards the magics that could permanently harm a student. There is a reason why inanimate to animate spells are not touched upon until third year. A student must be well-versed in the fundamentals before continuing onwards.

For orphans, this is a roadblock they all eventually face. I understand that you love your parents, Archer. They adopted you and no doubt showered you with love and affection. I can tell due to how highly you regard them.

Unfortunately, due to your background, your sense of self was not established properly. No matter how much you identify as part of the Beaufort family, that is not your true magical name. You must understand that in our society, names have power. There are potentially two powerful family magics sleeping in your blood that are waiting to be awakened.

My predecessor mentioned that the way previous orphans solved their issues was by taking a magical inheritance test at Gringotts bank. The blood ritual identified the various family magics that dwelled in their blood and gave them an identity that is magically significant.

From there, they would research their families and a sense of belonging that would automatically solve their problem. The main issue in your case, is that you are not old enough to undergo the ritual. You have to be of age to take the Heirship of a family, and that age is 13."

Archer struggled to process what he was hearing. It didn't matter to him if he was born a Pureblood or not. All he cared about was the loss of his skills. Transfiguration was a field of magic he loved more than anything. Learning that he was stuck and there was nothing he could do before the age of 13, hurt.

His disappointment must have shown on his expression as Laura immediately got up and walked over. She started comforting him with some pats on the back.

"It's okay, Archer. Even though you are limited right now in the applied aspect of Transfiguration, there is nothing preventing you from learning more about the underlying theory. In fact, I am in a similar situation to you."

This frank admission surprised him as he looked up at her.

"Yes. I am just like you with my love for the art of Transfiguration if you couldn't already tell. I put forth a groundbreaking theory for my Mastery project. I remember how desperately I wanted to apply what I had theorized. It is one thing to write your hypotheses down on paper, it is another to see it in front of your eyes.

It was a heartbreaking moment of realization for me when I found that I would never be able to truly prove my theory. I simply don't have the power to cast the spells. Even after I was awarded my Mastery, I couldn't help but think that I had ultimately failed and was undeserving of it. After all, fancy theories don't hold much stock if you can't prove them to others.

What you saw on my desk was my research into finding an external method that I could use to simulate the effects of elemental conjuration. That, or finding aids that would allow me to channel the necessary amount of magical energy to cast just one of the spells. I have been researching since the day I received my Mastery, and I am nowhere closer than I was before."

Archer didn't know what to say. This was the first time he had ever had such a heart to heart with a professor. Merlin knew how much he didn't like his experience at Hogwarts. Between all the attempts on his life and the sheer incompetence displayed by the staff, he had never bothered trying to get to know them on a personal level.

By the time the war had kicked into high gear, most of them had been killed by the Death Eaters. Flitwick had been the last one to go, taking down 24 Death Eaters all by himself when they attacked Hogwarts. That man had been the lone professor in the entire school he had truly respected.

The way his conversation with Laura had gone was now in foreign territory. It was unthinkable to him that a professor would be willing to share their frustrations so openly with a student. It could be because Laura was a young witch, so empathizing with her was easier for him. Nevertheless, despite his initial discomfort, he warmed at the genuine concern she showed for him.

"Thank you very much for taking the time to have this conversation with me, Laura. You've left me with a lot to think about. Regarding your issue, I have faith that you will one day be able to prove your theory. If you can't find a method that works, I promise that I will help you should I be able to in the future."

She smiled gently. "No need for thanks, Archer. All I ask is that you not let this get you down and affect your work. I have confidence in your ability to get over this obstacle in your path. Seeing as you will be unable to skip the practical curriculum, I will personally give you assignments in advanced theory.

When you are finally able to cast the spells, you will be highly knowledgeable in the theory behind them. This will allow you to cast them effectively and then we can truly start fostering your talent. I wish you a great winter break, and I will see you next year."

Recognizing the dismissal, he gave her a deep bow while thanking her again. He walked out of the office and proceeded towards his dorm. Entering his dorm, he went to his room and unceremoniously flung his shoes off and chucked his bookbag on the ground before collapsing into his bed.

He didn't know how much time he had spent staring at the ceiling when Louis came back from dinner and questioned him on his absence. He just mentioned not being hungry, and his reticence to answer any further questions led to Louis deciding to leave him to his devices.

Time ticked on as he replayed his conversation with Laura in his mind over and over. Sleep didn't come to him as he contemplated the revelations he had heard. Her assumptions of his parentage had affected him more than he thought possible.

He thought he was satisfied with his life as the son of Jean and Sofia. Now, the reality of his situation was hitting him hard. No matter how much he wished to ignore whatever circ.u.mstances he found himself in, he just couldn't. Was his birth mother still alive? If so, why had she abandoned him?

Sighing, he kept his gaze on the blank ceiling. For the first time in nearly 5 years in this reality, he was truly and utterly lost.

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Post Chapter AN:

Well, I bet y'all weren't expecting that! What can I say? I got tired of the "Hur dur all Purebloods are magically weak inbred cousinf.u.c.kers with inadequacy issues" trope. So I took that shit and flipped it on its head. Honestly speaking, this was something that I had already planned for the original iteration of the story. It just adds a different perspective that I wanted to explore in this story, especially with how it changes the inner workings magical society and affects Archer's place in it. I want to go in depth with both of those concepts as I build out the new reality.

As for how this affects Voldemort and the Death Eaters? You'll find out later.

To those of you questioning whether Archer will be the Heir to all the houses he used to be a part of in his previous reality, that question will be answered in a couple of chapters. You all mentioned in the reviews that I hadn't made clear what year Rose will be in comparison to Archer. That will be revealed either in the next chapter or the one after it, depending on how much time I have to write. If I can't update next week, I will combine the two chapters like I did with this one.

I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter. I feel that I've made a decision regarding whether to completely restart this iteration as a completely new story. In short, I will do it. However, that won't happen until I catch up to where I left off in the previous version. Once I get there, I will take these chapters and upload it into a new story that you guys can follow/favorite, and re-upload the old chapters back onto this one.

That won't happen for some time though, so fell free to follow this story if you like where its going.

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope to see you next week.