Chapter 20: Transfiguration Class (Part 1)
It was impossible to keep what happened in the common room a secret, but after the news reached Snape's ears, he had yet to take any action.
He was too preoccupied.
No matter how annoying or troublesome that detestable Ezio was, in Snape's mind, it was nothing compared to the fact that Harry had come to Slytherin.
Since Snape hadn't sought him out, Ezio couldn't be bothered to approach him either. Having finally started school, he had a laundry list of questions he needed to ask his professors.
The first class of the term was Transfiguration, shared with Hufflepuff. The first-year schedule was very relaxed, giving students plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the school. The nine o'clock start time for Transfiguration left the young wizards with more than enough time to find the classroom. The portraits hanging on the corridor walls of Hogwarts were very enthusiastic and happy to give directions. If all else failed, you could also ask the suits of armor standing guard everywhere. They couldn't speak, but they would point you in the right direction.
The little Slytherin snakes were a bit nervous, not only because they had heard rumors the previous night about a culling of "unqualified" members, but also because Professor McGonagall had left a sufficiently stern impression on them on the first day. This teacher with her constantly severe expression looked like someone not to be trifled with.
When the clock in the classroom pointed to nine, the room was extremely quiet, but there was still no sound of the teacher's footsteps at the door. Just as everyone was wondering, the tabby cat that had been perched on the teacher's desk—presumably some older student's pet—suddenly leaped up. In mid-air, the cat's body blurred and transformed. By the time it landed, Professor McGonagall, clad in her emerald-green wizarding robes, had appeared abruptly before their eyes.
Even though he had been prepared for it, Ezio was still captivated by the Animagus transformation. He had even used his Eagle Vision to enhance his observation, but before the transformation, he couldn't detect a single trace of disguise on Professor McGonagall's feline form. In terms of concealment, the Animagus transformation was incredibly effective.
But it wasn't without its flaws. For example, Professor McGonagall's square glasses became markings around the cat's eyes, a pattern not commonly seen on tabby cats. This unnatural detail was a small tell of the Animagus transformation.
Amid the gasps of the young wizards, Professor McGonagall began to speak with a serious expression, and the classroom immediately fell silent.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said, her gaze sweeping across the classroom, causing the young wizards to sit up even straighter. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."
With that, she drew her wand and gave it a casual flick. The lecturer's desk beside her turned into a fat, white pig. After a few grunts, the pig turned back into a desk.
In the wizarding world, pigs are one of the creatures least attuned to magic. Among magical creatures, the types related to pigs are the fewest, and their magical levels are also relatively low.
"Now, open your textbooks. Put your wands down. In our first lesson, we will begin by learning the fundamental elements of Transfiguration. There are actions that are strictly forbidden in this discipline, and I expect you all to remember them."
For the next period, Professor McGonagall led them through Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. This was a set of principles and rules for Transfiguration summarized by a very powerful Transfiguration master, which clarified the conservation of transformation and established the complexity levels of the discipline.
The young wizards diligently copied the words onto their parchment. The notes they were taking were things they would have to remember for all their future Transfiguration studies.
The first half of the two-hour class was somewhat dry, but it was unavoidable. Fortunately, every young wizard abided by Professor McGonagall's rules, and no one misbehaved.
Just as their fingers were getting sore from writing, Professor McGonagall paused her lecture.
"I expect every one of you to commit these most basic fundamentals to memory. I will be conducting a spot check in the next class, and I hope you will all spend time memorizing them when you go back."
"Now then, let's try the most basic, introductory transformation. Put your books aside and take up your wands."
The atmosphere in the classroom immediately livened up. Professor McGonagall took out a large box of matches and, with a wave of her wand, distributed one to each student.
"Now, can anyone tell me, what is the first thing you need to do if you want to perform a transfiguration?"
"Imagination, Professor," Ezio said quietly from the side, earning nods of agreement from many others.
"That's right. Imagination. Imagine the object you want to create, then use your magic to change the object you are transfiguring. The more you know and the more familiar you are with the object you are creating, the better the transformation will be."
"One point to Slytherin," Professor McGonagall said, nodding at Ezio.
"Try to turn the match in front of you into a needle. You have half an hour to practice."
The young wizards, who had been eager to try, began excitedly waving their wands or concentrating hard on visualizing a match turning into a needle. Professor McGonagall walked through the bustling classroom, observing each student.
"Transfiguration is so hard," Harry said, prodding his match clumsily with the tip of his wand, only managing to make it roll over. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
"That's because you haven't found the feeling yet." Ezio gently tapped the match with the tip of his wand, and a silver needle appeared before him. Transfiguration was the subject he had performed the worst in during his self-study, but he had still managed to master this type of inanimate transformation through effort.
"What feeling?" Harry asked curiously, seeing that Ezio had completed the transformation.
"You have to guide your magic, make it do what you want it to do. To describe it from my own experience, you have to learn to release your magic, to let it flow from the tip of your wand."
"A very apt description, Ezio," Professor McGonagall's gentle voice came from behind him. Her sharp eyes had noticed Ezio's success and she had walked over. "Besides imagination, the other fundamental step of Transfiguration is to release your magic, envelop the object you want to transfigure, and then change it."
"So, the difficulty in live transfiguration lies in how to envelop and capture a moving, living creature with your magic?" Ezio asked, turning and looking up at Professor McGonagall.
"You could understand it that way, but I believe there is one more step missing," Professor McGonagall said, not holding back her knowledge. After all, they would begin to attempt live transfiguration starting in the third year. "Any transfiguration performed on a living being requires the 'suppression' of the target. That is to say, you need to have the ability to prevent the target from resisting. This is the most difficult aspect of live transfiguration, and even more so for human transfiguration."
"It seems you did some excellent previewing and practice over the holiday."
After glancing down at the needle Ezio had created, Professor McGonagall nodded in satisfaction.
"A perfect transformation. The shape and luster are both excellent. Five points to Slytherin."
*****
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