Professor McGonagall didn't appear surprised by his question. She nodded thoughtfully, then touched her wand to a matchstick resting on her desk and transformed it into a small, perfectly formed loaf of bread.
"Mr. Page, please try tearing it apart."
Sterling caught the floating bread as it drifted toward him and gently tore it in half. The texture felt exactly like tearing real bread.
However, the moment it separated, the scattered crumbs in the air immediately transformed into swirling wood shavings that drifted to the floor.
"Precisely, class. Transfiguration is never permanent. As I explained earlier, when the magical energy dissipates, the object inevitably returns to its original form."
"When I transfigured this bread, I didn't invest it with substantial magical power. Therefore, when the overall structural integrity breaks, the remaining magic can only maintain the form of the larger pieces. These tiny fragments, now detached from the main body, cannot sustain their transfigured state."
McGonagall retrieved the two pieces of bread and restored them to a broken matchstick. She held up the wooden stick for all the young wizards to observe clearly.
"For all of you, if you ever consume transfigured food, you'll notice that as you chew, it begins reverting to its original form. That represents the safest and most fortunate possible outcome."
"Now imagine if you swallowed it whole, or if it transformed into liquid without being properly chewed... Mr. Page?"
"After the magical energy is exhausted... would it revert back inside someone's stomach?"
"Exactly correct. Suddenly, a matchstick, a stone, or something far worse might materialise internally. Transfigured 'food' cannot provide genuine nourishment and will send you directly to St. Mungo's Hospital for emergency treatment."
Professor McGonagall regarded her students with stern authority and spoke with absolute conviction.
"If I discover any of you performing dangerous pranks that could harm fellow students, regardless of who you are or your reasoning, I will personally expel you from Hogwarts. Consider this your only warning, and I mean every word."
Sterling settled back into his seat, unconsciously rubbing his stomach with growing concern.
He naturally understood that Vivian's transfiguration operated completely differently from this. She would never cause him harm. Still, he couldn't prevent himself from visualising the disturbing scenario McGonagall had just described.
To this point, exactly how much food created through Vivian's transfiguration magic had he consumed over the years?
If it all suddenly reverted to its original form, the consequences might have been catastrophically explosive for his digestive system.
Recalling Vivian's transfiguration techniques, she never required a wand. Simply by focusing her gaze on any object, she could transform a small dog into an enormous dragon rivalling Lady Maleficent's magnificent form!
McGonagall continued with other fundamental theories of Transfiguration. Since this was their inaugural class, she had no intention of dampening her students' enthusiasm with excessively difficult material.
If not for Sterling's insightful question, she wouldn't have elaborated so extensively on Gamp's Fundamental Law of Transfiguration, which represented quite an advanced theory for first-year students.
"Very well, I believe you now possess a preliminary understanding of Transfiguration principles. Let's begin with practical exercises."
McGonagall flicked her wand decisively, and the pile of matchsticks on her desk dispersed to each student, providing two per person.
"Remember everything I've emphasised. Transfiguration demands absolute seriousness and discipline. First, Mr. Thomas, never point your wand at another person. If I observe anyone attempting to use Transfiguration on a classmate..."
Though McGonagall left her sentence unfinished, her meaning was unmistakably clear.
Thomas reluctantly lowered his wand with obvious disappointment. Neville sighed heavily while eyeing the matchsticks before him with visible apprehension.
"Your task is to transform these matchsticks into silver needles. If you exhaust your supply, come to me for additional materials. However, if you approach this exercise with proper care and concentration before casting, two matchsticks should prove sufficient."
Before she had finished speaking, every student had eagerly withdrawn their wands. After witnessing McGonagall's dazzling demonstration, everyone desperately wanted to attempt the magic themselves.
Sterling casually traced a pattern with his wand, and the matchstick before him smoothly transformed into a gleaming silver needle with a finely etched rose decorating its tip.
"An exemplary demonstration, Mr. Page."
McGonagall, who had been observing Sterling closely since the freshman orientation due to his exceptional abilities, immediately approached after his successful transfiguration. She held the silver needle high to ensure all first-year students could examine it properly.
"A flawless transformation, without the slightest trace of the original matchstick remaining... Ravenclaw earns ten points."
She returned the needle to Sterling and moved on to inspect other students' efforts.
Hermione refused to look up from her work. She kept her eyes closed, repeatedly recalling the sensation of successful transfiguration from her practice the previous evening.
"Sterling! How did you manage that?"
Terry, Sterling's desk partner, immediately pressed closer after the professor departed. He held his matchstick in his palm and attempted to mimic Sterling's precise wand movements.
"Excellent work! Ravenclaw earns five additional points!"
Before Terry's hopeful smile could fully form, his matchstick remained completely unchanged in his palm, while McGonagall was praising Hermione's successful silver needle.
Hermione's needle displayed minor imperfections. For instance, the thickness didn't taper properly from back to tip, and the eye appeared slightly too small. However, McGonagall didn't seem concerned by these flaws.
Rather, this represented exactly what exceptional work should look like for a first Transfiguration class.
Sterling's transformation had exceeded the standard curriculum entirely. McGonagall was already considering awarding him an "Outstanding" grade for his final Transfiguration examination.
"Oh... Sterling... you absolutely must help me..."
Terry looked at Sterling with pitiful desperation, which immediately gave him a headache. Hermione had already declared that his learning methods were useless for others, and even Neville had agreed with her assessment.
"You should... just focus on visualising it becoming a silver needle, then wave your wand accordingly? Perhaps imagining the transformation more vividly would be helpful."
Terry nodded enthusiastically and closed his eyes, concentrating on Sterling's advice. A silver needle, becoming a silver needle. After mentally repeating this hundreds of times, he opened his eyes with newfound confidence and flicked his wand decisively.
SNAP!
"Well done, Longbottom. Although it hasn't achieved silver colouration yet, successfully transforming it into a needle shape is genuinely commendable. Gryffindor earns two points."
The sharp snapping sound and McGonagall's encouraging voice occurred simultaneously. She held up a wooden needle with an eye that appeared as merely a tiny dot.
For Neville Longbottom, this represented remarkable progress indeed.