0479 Gathering

0479 Gathering

Standing at the door of his office was Headmaster Dumbledore, followed by Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and several other staff members. They had all arrived at his office door in unison—a scene Bryan had never witnessed before.

"What's going on? Has something major happened?" In that instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Bryan's mind, but none could explain what could be serious enough to bring so many professors to his door at once.

"Don't be alarmed, Bryan—" Dumbledore's silver-white beard swayed as he said with a smile, "Filius, Minerva, and the rest of us are here to—oh, why don't we go inside to talk? Some matters are best discussed over a nice cup of tea, don't you think?""

Bryan's keen gaze darted from one face to another, noting the urgency barely concealed in Professor McGonagall's stern face and the barely contained excitement in Professor Flitwick's eyes. Curiosity piqued, he raised an eyebrow, "Very well," he agreed, glancing at the clock on his wall. "It's mealtime now. We could have a private gathering—though I daresay my humble office might be a bit cramped for such an illustrious assembly."

With a welcoming gesture, Bryan escorted his colleagues into his office. The space, while not small by any means, was cluttered with an extensive range of magical instruments. Scattered across the floor were dozens of Omni-oculars in various states of disassembly.

Bryan with a casual flick of his wand sent the Omni-oculars and their numerous parts neatly arranging themselves into a magically expanded storage box. The lid snapped shut with a satisfying click, leaving the floor clear but the room still noticeably crowded with the unexpected influx of visitors.

As Bryan surveyed his office, still inadequate to accommodate such a gathering, he began to contemplate how to conjure enough seating for everyone.

Dumbledore who had been eyeing Bryan's collection of alchemical instruments with undisguised interest turned to Bryan with a gentle smile. "No need to trouble yourself, Bryan, we can manage—after all, what kind of wizards would we be if we couldn't conjure our own seating arrangements?"

Taking their cue from Dumbledore, each professor pulled out their wand with a flourish. The air in the office suddenly crackled with magical energy as, one by one, the professors demonstrated their prowess in conjuration and transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall transformed a nearby stack of parchments into a high-backed tartan armchair, complete with a footstool. Professor Flitwick, standing on his tiptoes to achieve the proper wand angle, caused a plush violet cushion to materialize beneath him, elevating him to eye level with his taller colleagues. Professor Sprout conjured a rustic wooden stool that seemed to sprout leaves and tiny flowers where it touched the stone floor.

As the professors settled into their newly conjured seats, a particularly flamboyant piece of furniture caught everyone's attention. A coffee table, its legs carved to resemble those of a dancing deer, had appeared in the center of the room. It moved with an almost lifelike grace, spinning between them before coming to rest in the perfect position to serve them all.

Bryan, amused by the sudden transformation of his office into an impromptu faculty lounge, began the task of hospitality. With a series of intricate wand movements, he summoned a gleaming silver tea service. The teapot began to steam, filling the air with the comforting aroma of perfectly brewed Earl Grey. Delicate cups and saucers floated through the air, arranging themselves neatly on the dancing coffee table.

As his colleagues helped themselves to tea and a plate of biscuits that had materialized alongside the tea service, Bryan turned his attention to the ambiance of the room. With another wave of his wand, the curtains drew themselves back, allowing the warm afternoon sunlight to flood the office. The windows swung open with a gentle breeze that carried with it the scent of the Hogwarts grounds.

With the scene set and his guests comfortably seated, Bryan felt it was finally time to address the Hippogriff in the room. Rather than taking a seat himself, he perched casually on the arm of a nearby sofa.

"So then," he began, his eyes sweeping across the assembled faces, noting the varying degrees of anticipation and excitement. "What exactly is this about? It's not often I find myself hosting an impromptu gathering of Hogwarts' finest professors in my humble office."

It was Professor Flitwick who could no longer contain his excitement.

"We heard from the young wizards, Bryan," He stood up on his conjured cushion and asked in his squeaky voice, "You've invented a new method to help the students learn spells, haven't you? Miss Patil told me all about it in Charms class today. Learning magic in your Spiritual world—it's absolutely fascinating! She reached a high level of proficiency in both the Stunning Spell and the Disarming Charm in just three hours! It's incredible, truly incredible. She said your method could pinpoint exactly where her problems were!"

Professor McGonagall, her eyes sharp behind her square spectacles, leaned forward in her tartan armchair.

"I presume it has a similar effect on Transfiguration, doesn't it, Bryan?" She asked in her Scottish accent tinged with unmistakable interest. "Transfiguration is, after all, a complex branch of spellwork. If this method of yours can be used to accelerate the learning of charms, surely it would be equally effective for Transfiguration. Would you mind demonstrating your brilliant idea to us, Bryan? I'm sure we're all eager to see it in action."

Bryan's eyebrows rose even higher. "Oh, so that's what this is about?" he said, a hint of relief coloring his voice. He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "I must admit, when I saw you all at my door, I thought the Ministry of Magic was planning to disband Hogwarts!"

"Don't joke, Headmaster Dumbledore—" Bryan said with a dark face. "I don't have the ability to accommodate your Spiritual power!"

"Perhaps another time, then," Dumbledore said lightly, settling back in his chair.

With that matter settled, Bryan took a deep breath and began to prepare himself mentally for the task ahead. He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself, before addressing his colleagues once more.

"Very well," he said, opening his eyes and surveying the eager faces before him. "I'll guide you through the experience. Please remember, what you're about to encounter is a space of my own magical consciousness. It may feel disorienting at first, but I assure you, it's perfectly safe."

About Fifteen minutes later, the atmosphere in the office suddenly became lively. The staff members, one by one emerging from Bryan's Spiritual world, wore expressions of wonder and eagerly discussed their experiences.

Professor Flitwick was particularly energetic.

"A brilliant method, Bryan, truly brilliant!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with unbridled enthusiasm. "The precision of the evaluations, the objectivity of the feedback – it's remarkable! And the way it provides corrections and guidance to the young wizards... oh, it's simply extraordinary!"

Flitwick paused for breath, his mind clearly racing with possibilities. "Oh, if we could bring this method into the classroom," he continued, wigwagging wildly, "let them use this for training after regular lectures, I bet the teaching quality at Hogwarts would improve tremendously. The Wizarding Examinations Authority would be astounded by Hogwarts' teaching standards. Just imagine – we could revolutionize magical education! The entire wizarding world would benefit from it!"

Professor McGonagall nodded thoughtfully. "For Transfiguration, the evaluations provided by this method are not yet comprehensive enough."

She paused, adjusting her square spectacles before continuing.

"However, as Filius said, if we could implement it widely, refining it for each subject... well, the potential is enormous. We could pass on our experiences more effectively, providing students with insights that typically take weeks to months of practice to develop. Many people would benefit from it – not just our current students, but future generations of witches and wizards!"

Bryan shrugged, "But that's where the key problem lies. There are significant challenges we need to consider before we can even think about implementing this on a larger scale."

He stood up, pacing the room as he outlined the issues. "First, these magical constructs are invisible in the real world. They exist only in the Spiritual space I've created. We'd need to find a way to manifest them physically, or create a means for students to access this space easily and safely."

Bryan paused by the window, gazing out over the Hogwarts grounds as he continued. "Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, those experiences and evaluations all come from me. If I don't imbue those constructs with my thoughts, my experiences and understanding of magic, they won't have any effect. They'd be empty shells, devoid of the knowledge and guidance that makes them valuable."

He turned back to face his colleagues, his expression serious. "The mental energy required to accommodate many young wizards simultaneously is enormous. To maintain these constructs, to guide multiple students at once through complex magical theories and practices... the cost is simply too high for one person to bear indefinitely."

A somber silence fell over the room as the professors contemplated the challenges before them. The excitement of moments ago was tempered by the reality of the obstacles they faced.

It was Dumbledore who broke the silence. He had remained quiet throughout the demonstrations and subsequent discussions, observing with keen interest. Now, he leaned forward in his chair, his blue eyes twinkling with that familiar mix of wisdom and mischief.

"That's not necessarily the case, Bryan," Dumbledore said softly, his voice carrying easily across the quiet room. The teacup in front of him remained full; he hadn't touched the bitter drink at all. Although he hadn't experienced the Spiritual world firsthand, he had listened attentively to everyone's discussions and seemed to have grasped the essence of Bryan's accomplishment.

"The difficulties you mentioned are not without solutions," Dumbledore continued, his gaze fixed on Bryan, whose eyelids were slightly lowered. His long fingers traced the air, pointing towards the box where Bryan had earlier stored the Surveillance mirrors. "In fact, the solution might be closer than you think. We may be able to solve those difficulties through the field of alchemy."

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