Chapter 41: Transfiguration
Chapter 41: Transfiguration
(Afternoon) The Gryffindor first-years still had their Transfiguration class together with the Ravenclaws.
Before the first class began, Professor McGonagall gave them a stern warning with a straight face:
"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone who dares to misbehave in my class will be asked to leave and never return."
This intimidating statement, coupled with Professor McGonagall's severe expression, immediately silenced the roomful of eleven-year-olds.
In reality, Professor McGonagall's teaching style was not too different from that of Professor Flitwick. She transfigured her lectern into a pig and then changed it back.
This quickly captured everyone's attention, and they couldn't wait to start learning Transfiguration.
The Gryffindor students who had just attended Charms class knew that it would take a long time before they could turn furniture into animals.
As expected, after class began, Professor McGonagall started lecturing on transfiguration theory, and they scribbled down pages of complex notes.
Albert opened his skill list, and sure enough, transfiguration theory appeared. He spent 98 points to upgrade it to Level 1.
From the start of the class, he had been pretending to read the 'Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' while secretly reviewing the transfiguration theory knowledge that had popped into his head.
After the theoretical explanation, Professor McGonagall began distributing matchsticks to each student, instructing them to try and turn the matchsticks into needles.
"Mr. Anderson?" Professor McGonagall fixed her gaze on the boy who was daydreaming, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. She remembered this boy; after all, anyone would vividly recall someone tampering with their office door, and it hadn't been that long ago.
"Ah, Professor, is there something the matter?" Albert snapped out of his daze and looked at Professor McGonagall with a confused expression.
"Everyone else is practicing transfiguration. Why don't you give it a try?" Professor McGonagall's gaze shifted past Albert to Fred, "Mr. Weasley, if I were you, I'd focus before casting the spell."
Fred wore an innocent expression, but Professor McGonagall's proximity was making him nervous.
Albert glanced at Fred and then began to lie through his teeth, "I was just thinking that it's important to remember certain things before waving your wand."
However, Professor McGonagall didn't plan on leaving immediately. Instead, she retracted her gaze and continued to stare at Albert, waiting for him to cast his spell.
"Ahem!" Albert cleared his throat, raised his wand, and pointed it at the matchstick on the table. At the same time, he chanted, "Vera Verto."
The matchstick swiftly transformed into a slender silver needle.
"Very good, everyone look, Mr. Anderson has succeeded," Professor McGonagall directed the class's attention to the silver needle, and even offered Albert a rare smile. Before she left, she didn't forget to award five points to Gryffindor.
"I knew this wouldn't be difficult for you." Fred took the silver needle and examined it. "How did you do it? Is there a trick?"
Several nearby students perked up their ears, eager to learn Albert's secret to instant success.
Albert whispered, "Professor McGonagall asked us to take notes, and the trick is in there."
The group immediately started flipping through their books to find the notes they had just jotted down.
"Do you think I'll fall for that?" Fred glared at Albert with contempt, clearly not buying his story.
However, he didn't press the issue further, as Professor McGonagall had turned her attention back to them.
A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall announced again, "Look, Miss McDougall's matchstick has also transformed."
"Transfiguration is so difficult. How did you succeed on your first try?" Katrina blurted out. For some reason, she was sitting next to Albert again.
"Success on the first try? Ahem, I actually practiced beforehand, so that's why I succeeded." Albert coughed lightly, not wanting to be seen as a genius. "Failure is normal. I don't even remember how many times I failed before successfully turning the matchstick into a needle."
"But the points Professor McGonagall asked us to take note of are also keys to success," he added, directing his last sentence to the eavesdroppers nearby.
Katrina could guess as much; after all, no one could succeed on their first try. Her matchstick had changed because she had also practiced Transfiguration beforehand.
For the rest of the Transfiguration class, everyone practiced turning their matchsticks into needles. Professor McGonagall walked around the classroom, guiding the other students.
However, Albert, having already succeeded in turning his matchstick into a needle, found the remaining time boring. So, he decided to find something to do to avoid being caught slacking by Professor McGonagall.
"Restore!"
The silver needle reverted to its original form of a matchstick. Professor McGonagall had already taught them this spell, and it was also mentioned in the book. Incomplete transfigurations were challenging to correct, but chanting "Restore!" would return the object or being to its original state.
With his chin propped up by one hand and his wand in the other, Albert started transfiguring the matchstick on the table into various odd objects. The spell was always "Vera Verto," but the closer the transfigured object resembled the original, the easier the transfiguration was.
After transfiguring an object, he would restore it to gain more experience in the 'Restore' spell.
"How did you do that?" Fred, sitting next to him, was astonished.
This guy's transfiguration skills had left them all in the dust.
"How did I do it? Just like this!" Albert raised his wand and pointed it at a button, turning it into a toy mouse.
"Just like Professor McGonagall said, be quick and decisive when waving your wand. Before transfiguring, have a clear idea of what you want to turn it into, and chant the spell clearly and accurately."
The twins looked at each other, and although Albert had explained it, they still tried his method. However, by the end of class, they still hadn't succeeded in changing their matchsticks.
In fact, apart from Albert and Katrina, no one else's matchsticks had transformed.
To Albert, this was only natural.
After all, as someone who had been through this before, he was all too familiar with the difficulty of transfiguration. How could they expect to succeed without diligent practice for several days? Did they think their transfiguration talent was off the charts?
The first time you change an object is the most challenging, but once you succeed, subsequent practices become much easier.
The homework for Transfiguration was similar to that of Charms class: to practice turning matchsticks into needles.
However, it was uncertain how many students would patiently practice.
Based on the 'Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration,' first-year students only learned one type of transfiguration magic, with the only difference being the size and type of object to be transformed.
(End of Chapter)
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