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Chapter 10: First Encounter with Hogwarts - Part 1
Chapter 10: First Encounter with Hogwarts - Part 1
Studying at Hogwarts Castle, the first challenge you face is that most of the things inside the castle are alive. For example, the moving staircases, steps, suits of armor, paintings on the walls, and doors that require special methods to open or disguise.
Yes, when those descriptions from novels and scenes from movies appeared right before Liam's eyes, he felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.
But once that initial excitement wore off, the difficulties caused by the constantly moving furnishings inside the castle became all too apparent. The complex interior layout meant that Liam spent a lot of time trying to find his destinations. It's worth noting that life at Hogwarts moves at a slower pace, which is likely due to these mischievous features.
The worst incident happened on Tuesday afternoon when Liam and his classmates encountered Peeves on the way to class, nearly causing them to be late for Professor Mcgonagall's first lesson.
When they finally panted their way into the Transfiguration classroom, they found that class hadn't started yet, though some students were already seated and busy with their own tasks.
The classroom wasn't much different from a regular middle school classroom, except for the strange detail of a cat sitting on one of the desks.
Hermione, who entered with Liam, was clearly a cat lover. She tried to scratch the cat's chin on the desk, but the cat deftly dodged her. Liam stared at Hermione in astonishment; he had been focused on finding a seat and hadn't expected the usually composed Hermione to act so childishly.
Liam gently pulled Hermione back and bowed to the cat. Hermione looked at him with a puzzled expression, and once they were seated, she leaned across the aisle and asked, "Why did you bow to that cat?"
It seemed Hermione wasn't one to miss much. "That cat is Professor Mcgonagall, one of only seven registered Animagi this century. Notice how the markings around its eyes match Professor Mcgonagall's glasses?" Liam whispered.
Hermione looked up at the cat, and her face suddenly turned bright red. She buried her face in her arms and said in a very soft voice, "You knew this and didn't tell me earlier?"
Liam didn't know how to respond. He thought to himself, A cat standing on the desk isn't exactly normal. How could I guess you'd just reach out to pet it? This isn't the mature and composed Hermione I know. Has she been replaced by a different Hermione?
A few minutes later, the class was about to start, and the classroom door burst open. Harry and Ron rushed in.
"Great, Professor Mcgonagall isn't here yet", Ron said happily to Harry.
Before he could finish, the cat on the desk jumped down and transformed into human form.
"Professor—Professor Mcgonagall!" Ron's face turned ashen.
"I think I should turn you into alarm clocks so you won't be late again", Professor Mcgonagall said, slightly irritated.
"We just got lost, Professor."
"Then perhaps I should turn you into maps. No more tardiness next time. Now, go to your seats."
The two of them slunk to their seats.
"Liam Liang, you are the first new student this year to recognize me. It seems you have keen observational skills and did your pre-class reading. Therefore, Gryffindor will receive ten points", Professor Mcgonagall said, glancing at Liam before walking to the front of the classroom.
"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts", she said. "Anyone who misbehaves in my class will be asked to leave and will never be allowed to return. I have warned you."
Then, she transformed her desk into a pig and back again. The students were captivated, eager to start learning, but they soon realized that turning furniture into animals would take a long time. After taking extensive notes on the complex theories, she gave each student a matchstick and began instructing them on how to turn it into a needle.
As Liam had suspected, magic wasn't as simple as just reciting a spell and waving a wand. It was a rigorous discipline that involved a great deal of profound theory. To truly excel in magic, mere practice wasn't enough; one had to understand the underlying principles.
Transfiguration was a subject that could be both simple and complex. For example, first-year students could turn a matchstick into a needle. However, if a master performed the same transformation, the needle could be of various materials and designs, and the effect could last for centuries.
The difference lay not only in the amount of magical power but also in the understanding of the magic itself and the properties of different materials. The latter required a significant investment of time and effort and could not be achieved through shortcuts.
After spending some time combining his pre-class reading with the notes he had taken, Liam began to grasp the principles and started practicing. Converting theory into practice was not as easy as he had imagined. It wasn't until near the end of the class that he managed to turn his matchstick into a needle, though he was still three minutes slower than Hermione, and the needle lacked a hole.
Liam thought he had made a fool of himself, but a quick glance around the room showed that others were progressing even more slowly, and some had no noticeable changes to their matchsticks at all.
At the end of the class, Professor Mcgonagall nodded at Liam. For a beginner, being able to change an object was already a commendable achievement, though Hermione's performance was exceptional.
Besides Transfiguration with Professor Mcgonagall, Liam also found his other classes rewarding. Whether it was Charms or Herbology, he was learning a lot.
Professor Flitwick, a small wizard, got so excited when he read Harry Potter's name that he fell off his pile of books, which seemed a bit exaggerated. However, he was highly skilled in spells and eager to answer students' questions. After several inquiries, Liam felt his spellcasting skills improving rapidly.
In Herbology, Liam found handling plants to be quite intuitive, even earning extra points from Professor Sprout, possibly due to his Chinese heritage giving him a special advantage in gardening.
However, Astronomy and History of Magic were less engaging. First-year Astronomy involved simple observations and basic calculations of celestial movements, which were rather dull.
History of Magic was taught by a ghost, Professor Binns, who droned on in a monotonous voice while the students scribbled notes. Despite the professor's firsthand experience with many significant historical events, his unrelenting and dull teaching style made it hard to stay awake. As a result, Liam often had to copy Hermione's notes, the only student who managed to stay awake in class.
(End of Chapter)
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