Chapter 106: Transfiguration and Spell
Chapter 106: Transfiguration and Spell
"Roar~"
Lion let out a roar, and the young witch in front of him felt her hair fly backward.
Luna blinked, and the young wizards beside her took a couple of startled steps back.
In the next second, Lion began to sprint around the platform, transforming into a sleek leopard, a unicorn rhinoceros, a wild boar, and a large python at different moments.
The young wizards stared dumbfounded at Professor Mcgonagall. Wasn’t your class usually different?
Throughout the demonstration, Professor Mcgonagall only waved her wand a few times without uttering a single spell.
Dean Thomas couldn’t help but ask, “Is this one spell or multiple spells? I can’t tell at all.”
If the young wizards were to describe Professor Mcgonagall’s performance, they would say it was too smooth.
The transformations occurred naturally as she ran.
Professor Mcgonagall’s ‘show’ lasted about two to three minutes. When a giant eagle circled above the Great Hall, the students craned their necks to watch.
Finally, the eagle landed on the platform, rolled over, and transformed back into a black cat.
"Technically, sixth and seventh-year young wizards can achieve this", Professor Mcgonagall said to the audience below.
"Wood, I’m talking to you", Fred said to his house’s Quidditch team captain.
"Cough, cough..." Wood covered his face, looking a bit embarrassed.
Not far away, Percy, who was responsible for maintaining order, walked over to a Ravenclaw girl. "I think I can do it, Penelope. Maybe not as smoothly as Professor Mcgonagall, but..."
"I can’t. My Transfiguration isn’t very good", the girl said, a prefect badge hanging from her chest.
"I can help you", Percy offered.
"Really?" The girl gave him a skeptical look.
On the platform, Professor Mcgonagall placed the black cat in front of her.
"I need an assistant. Albert Bark, you’ve been working hard to become an Auror. Let’s give it a try", Professor Mcgonagall chose a student from her house.
Albert Bark nervously stepped forward. During the last Dueling Class, he had gained a new understanding of the professors' abilities.
The young wizards in the audience watched intently. It was clear that Professor Mcgonagall did not intend to use any other spells, focusing solely on Transfiguration, which made the duel particularly interesting.
The two stood about eight to nine meters apart.
Felix acted as the referee. "Bow to each other... one, two, duel begins."
Balk nimbly jumped to the side and cast a Disarming Charm.
The black cat in front of Professor Mcgonagall leaped up, blocking the Disarming Charm.
In mid-air, the cat’s form wavered, one of its legs turning into a chair leg, but in the next second, it rolled and transformed into a sleek leopard.
Balk cast another spell, which was deflected even more easily this time.
"Balk, you need to speed up your casting."
Professor Mcgonagall said, and in the meantime, she waved her wand, causing two more chairs to fly over and transform into leopards.
Now, three black-spotted leopards stood before Professor Mcgonagall, guarding her.
Balk gritted his teeth, no longer holding back, and began casting spell after spell.
If it were just a duel, he would rank among the best students at Hogwarts, thanks to the low-intensity training he received from his uncle, an Auror in the Ministry of Magic.
But Professor Mcgonagall deflected his spells with ease. "One characteristic of Transfiguration is that it can counter single spells quite effectively, of course, you need to have exceptional eyesight to do so."
The three leopards worked together, handling the spells with ease.
"Incendio!" Balk’s spell hit one of the leopards, and its body suddenly burst into flames.
In the flames, the Transfiguration lost its effect, and it transformed back into a burning chair.
Professor Mcgonagall said, "Transfiguration can also be applied to water and fire, so you just need to make a slight adjustment to your spell—"
The burning chair leaped up and transformed into a fiery lion, its mane flickering with bright flames.
Balk couldn't help but take two steps back, but fortunately, Professor Mcgonagall had no intention of attacking.
Balk quickly came up with a good idea. "Diffindo!" A red light flashed, and the spell hit the other leopard, shattering it into a dozen pieces mid-air.
But the situation worsened. Each fragment turned into a palm-sized kitten, which agilely circled behind Balk, keeping a close but not too close distance as they stared at him.
"In close range, or within the control range of Transfiguration, it can be more troublesome than you imagine, Balk", Professor Mcgonagall said, her mood much more pleasant, no longer the stern expression she usually wore.
Hearing Professor Mcgonagall's explanation, Balk panicked. He suddenly realized that the more he attacked, the more he was putting himself at a disadvantage.
After a few seconds of stalemate, a kitten ran to his feet. Balk couldn't help but kick it away, but the kitten transformed into a vine that tightly wrapped around his legs.
Fortunately, Professor Mcgonagall didn't just give him a little leeway; she gave him an ocean of it. The vine didn't continue to grow, leaving Balk's arms free.
In a panic, he cast a spell at the nearest kitten. "Diffindo! Reducio! Reducio!"
The kitten didn't dodge. In Balk's eyes, its body disintegrated instantly, and the fragments rose into the air, transforming into finger-sized birds with long, sharp beaks.
They hovered in mid-air, forming a wall, their sharp beaks all aimed at Balk, as if ready to pounce at any second.
To the young wizards, Balk was completely surrounded. Above him was an array of flying birds, behind him was a group of palm-sized black kittens, and in the distance, the fiery lion and the leopard were watching intently.
Balk's scalp tingled. He quickly shouted, "I surrender, Professor Mcgonagall, I surrender."
Professor Mcgonagall reluctantly stopped, regretting that she hadn't shown everything she had planned.
She transformed the creatures back into chairs and repaired them with Reparo. She looked at the young wizards and said, "For most wizards, they don't expect Transfiguration in a duel. If you can master a few, it can be a great way to catch your opponent off guard."
Felix couldn't help but clap in approval. This was exactly the strategy he had used to defeat Lockhart.
The second person to step up was Professor Flitwick, who demonstrated a dueling concept involving the combination of spells.
Professor Flitwick was very short, but he easily captured the attention of the young wizards, just as he did in his classes.
"If you master many spells, you might wonder, can I really use all of them?"
"Perhaps, it's better to specialize in one?"
"These are two different approaches. Today, I want to show you how different spells can work together."
"All very simple spells, let me think—" Professor Flitwick shouted, "Flock of Birds!"
His wand made a loud bang, like a gunshot, and a flock of red-feathered birds fluttered out of it.
A Hufflepuff student muttered, "That spell isn't simple; it's part of the Newts curriculum."
"Shut up", his friend said.
Flitwick looked at the birds. "Of course, you can use it to attack, and it works well. But if you add a Duplicating Charm—" He waved his wand, and the birds quickly split into more.
"Then add an Engorgement Charm—"
The palm-sized birds rapidly grew larger.
Flitwick looked up, surveying the hundreds of owl-like birds circling the gilded platform, almost completely obscuring his figure.
In front of the diminutive Professor Flitwick, many young wizards couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
(End of Chapter)
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