Magic is a power that's almost like "wishing something into being," and Transfiguration is its most typical manifestation.
Many students seemed to think their transfiguration attempts failed because their incantations weren't clear or precise enough, or their wand movements weren't decisive, so they kept trying different variations. But when Professor McGonagall turned the desk into a pig just now, there were no special movements or incantations; she simply tapped it lightly with her wand, and the desk transformed.
Wade raised his wand and pointed it at the matchstick.
In his mind—a clear image;
Unwavering conviction;
And unshakable confidence.
If the concept of a "needle" in one's mind is vague, or if one thinks—"This is really hard," "Can magic even do this?" "I can't do it," "I'm definitely going to fail at first…"—with such thoughts, the spell will be very difficult to succeed.
A wand is like a conductor for a wizard's magic, making the magic more compliant and peaceful; while incantations, gestures, or magical rituals are more like means to strengthen conviction, a form of self-hypnosis for the wizard.
A skilled wizard needs no superfluous actions to make the world change according to their will.
"Excellent, Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall suddenly praised. "A very clear change, Gryffindor gets one point."
The surrounding students couldn't help but crane their necks to look, only to see that the matchstick in front of Hermione not only had a very sharp tip, but its color was also somewhat close to silvery-white, making it look a bit like a needle.
The brown-haired girl tried hard to suppress her excitement, her eyes sparkling.
Professor McGonagall said, "Miss Granger, perhaps you'd be willing to demonstrate the transfiguration process to everyone again? Given that…"
Professor McGonagall hadn't finished speaking when she heard a gasp of astonishment from the students on the other side.
Wade's matchstick suddenly became slender and sharp, with tiny holes at the end and a metallic sheen on its surface.
Professor McGonagall quickly walked over, levitated the needle with her wand, and examined it carefully. A look of pleased satisfaction appeared on her face. "A perfectly executed transfiguration, Ravenclaw gets three points!"
She restored the needle to its original form, then had the young wizards gather around to watch Wade demonstrate. Under everyone's gaze, Wade whispered the incantation, and with a light tap of his wand—
The matchstick quickly elongated and changed color. In an instant, a slender silver needle appeared on the desktop.
Everyone simultaneously let out a collective "Wow!" of surprise.
Wade raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Hermione's somewhat disgruntled face, then met a pair of emerald green eyes.
The black-haired boy with messy hair smiled kindly, his eyes filled with astonishment and admiration. Next to him, the red-haired boy with a freckled face wore a dazed expression.
"They always say Ravenclaw is the smartest," Wade heard Ron, the red-haired boy, tell Harry after class. "Now I'm starting to understand why."
...
After Transfiguration class, Charms class followed immediately, with only ten minutes to change classrooms. After Professor McGonagall assigned homework, the whole group bustled towards the Charms classroom—Charms class was still a joint session for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.
"Wade." Hermione disregarded the house divisions and sat directly next to Wade, asking, "Do you have any other plans after class?"
Wade said, "I'm heading to the practice room."
"Oh, good." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I was planning to go there too to continue practicing Transfiguration. How did you succeed so quickly? Is there a trick to it?"
"As for a trick, you have to firmly believe you can do it. That's the most important thing—"
Wade hadn't finished speaking when Professor Flitwick walked in.
Charms Professor Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House, was only three feet tall, about the size of a three- or four-year-old child, but he had long white hair and a fluffy white beard. To teach students who were taller than him even when sitting, Professor Flitwick had a thick stack of books on his podium, forming steps, and he climbed to the very top of them.
Some students couldn't help but let out light laughs.
"Alright, alright, children," Professor Flitwick said, holding a short wand in his tiny hand. "Perhaps some of you are wondering, why is this little fellow teaching us?"
Many students chuckled at the professor's self-deprecating words; it seemed the professor didn't mind being joked with.
"—Or rather, what can he teach me?"
Professor Flitwick said, waving his wand, and a flock of small birds flew from his wand tip, circling over the students' heads. He then tapped his wand again, and two books sprouted slender, bamboo-like arms and legs, levitating and dancing in the air.
The students applauded enthusiastically, completely won over. Though it was only two minutes, they had already grown fond of this short professor—he was neither timid like Quirrell, nor boring like Professor Binns, nor intimidatingly strict like Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape. The Ravenclaws couldn't help but think proudly—Our Head of House is definitely the best professor at Hogwarts!
"Thank you! Thank you all for your applause." Professor Flitwick said in his reedy voice, "I believe Charms is the most interesting subject; a wizard who can't cast charms can hardly be called a wizard. Of course, before we begin, I must take roll call and get to know my lovely students—"
Professor Flitwick called out names from the roster, and everything went smoothly until—
"Harry Potter!"
Before an answer could come, the professor let out a shriek and tumbled off the stack of books with a thud.
The students were instantly dumbfounded, looking at each other, and many turned to stare at the black-haired boy. Harry Potter awkwardly raised his right hand, hesitantly saying to the empty stack of books, "I'm here—Professor."
Another tiny shriek came from behind the stack of books. After a long moment, Professor Flitwick, his beard disheveled, crawled out from behind it, muttering, "Oh, of course—you're certainly in my classroom too—of course, I should have known—"
The elderly professor stroked his beard, gave himself a Scourgify, then looked excitedly at Harry Potter and said, "It's good to see you, my boy."
Harry nodded, smiling shyly.
Wade didn't know if Professor Flitwick saw someone's shadow in Harry Potter, but he remained silent for a moment before continuing roll call.
The first Charms class, naturally, also began with theory. The only spell taught was the simplest Lumos, a spell young wizards could learn by practicing a couple of times at home before school started. Thus, by the end of class, everyone had successfully mastered it, and Professor Flitwick generously awarded both houses roughly the same number of points. He didn't assign much homework either, only about three inches, which was roughly a review of the key points covered in class. If Wade were a bit lazy and handed in his class notes, it would probably be enough.
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