“Before we learn how to turn a match into a needle, I would like to see how many of you are still unclear on Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration and the most basic principles of Transfiguration?” Ron and Harry raised their hands honestly.
However, they were not the only ones; about a third of the class, across both houses, raised their hands.
Professor McGonagall’s brow twitched.
She had no choice but to start teaching from the very first page of the textbook.
Transfiguration was an incredibly precise and rigorous subject.
Thus, even for a simple match-to-needle spell, the theoretical explanation took up three-quarters of the class.
By the time Professor McGonagall finally finished lecturing, only half an hour was left of the period.
Next, without much hope, she handed a match to each student.
Ethan put down his quill.
Even though he had previewed the textbook and could recite it word-for-word, he still took pages of dense notes.
Much of what Professor McGonagall taught was not in the textbook, and her lectures included invaluable practical advice that would save him from taking many wrong turns.
Though Ethan tried his best to keep up, grasp Professor McGonagall’s line of thinking, and dissect the magic from that angle…
…his Intellect score of 8 still made it quite difficult, and this approach might not even be entirely correct.
After all, over so many years, Professor McGonagall’s thinking had surely been continuously summarized and optimized on a profound foundation of Transfiguration theory.
But since he was going to learn, he might as well learn from the best!
[Exchange Experience: +11] Having received his match, Ethan pointed his wand at it.
The key points Professor McGonagall had emphasized flashed through his mind.
With a sharp flick, he whispered, “Rapid Transfiguration!” The match rapidly elongated and thinned, gleaming with a silvery luster.
A slender silver needle soon lay on his desk.
Ethan could clearly feel the flow of his magic draining.
Gazing at the silver needle, a wave of excitement and joy welled up inside him.
After a moment, he waved his wand again, and the silver needle reverted to a match.
Having repeated this three times, Ethan’s emotions finally settled, and he was no longer as tense as he had been at the start.
This lesson required practicing not only the transfiguration spell but also the untransfiguration spell.
Ethan peeked around.
He found the young wizards staring intently at their matches; no one was paying attention to him in his corner.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he picked up his quill to record his impressions and the shortcomings of his execution in his notebook.
“My magic is still a bit low.” A Magic score of 5 could only support about twenty transformations.
If the object were even slightly larger, he probably wouldn’t be able to pull it off.
Just now, Professor McGonagall had casually turned her desk into a pig; even if Ethan could replicate her steps flawlessly, he absolutely lacked the power to do it.
“I need to raise my Magic.” “And my Spirit.” Ethan turned the match into a needle once more and began to silently time it.
This time, he wanted to see how long the Transfiguration would last.
Professor McGonagall had appeared before his desk without him noticing.
She clapped gently.
“Your transfiguration and untransfiguration spells are both excellent, Mr.
White.
It seems you have already mastered it.” Ethan jumped, completely unaware of when the professor had walked over.
“Thank you, Professor.
You flatter me.” Looking around the room, Professor McGonagall announced, “Since Mr.
White is not only the first to succeed, but has also demonstrated proficiency in both transfiguration and untransfiguration, two points to Gryffindor!” With that, she returned to the dais.
The surrounding young wizards, who were still wrestling with their textbooks, looked over in astonishment—be they Gryffindors or Slytherins.
Even Hermione was no exception; in fact, she looked utterly incredulous.
Right at the front, Malfoy was frowning deeply, seemingly racking his brain trying to figure out who the heck this guy was.
On the other side, Harry and Ron quietly gave him thumbs-up.
“Brilliant, White.” Ethan smiled shyly and went back to pondering the mysteries of Transfiguration.
The class finally came to an end.
Before the bell, Hermione had also succeeded in producing a silver needle.
When Professor McGonagall praised her, the young witch looked absolutely delighted.
As soon as Professor McGonagall left, Ethan dragged Harry and Ron to a corner of the corridor, looking at them with a very serious expression.
“I sincerely advise you both to apologize to Professor McGonagall and promise her you’ll never be late again.
That might convince her to drop the idea of having me wake you up.” Ron and Harry had been watching him nervously, but upon hearing this, they asked blankly, “You don’t want to, White?” “It’s not that I don’t want to.
It’s just that I wake up too early.
It’s a habit of many years.
If you suddenly start waking up at the same time as me, you’ll be exhausted all day.” Harry said confidently, “It’s fine.
What time do you wake up?
When I lived with Uncle Vernon, I had to be up by seven-thirty every morning!” “Exactly!” Ron said, a bit angrily.
“That family abused Harry!” “Six in the morning…” “What?
Six in the morning?
Good lord!” Harry and Ron took a few steps back, staring at him in disbelief.
Snapping out of it, they looked at Ethan with pitying eyes, as if looking at a pony that had been abused for years.
Harry said cautiously, “White, if your family abuses you too, I can invite you to stay at Uncle Vernon’s during the summer holidays.
I might sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, but at least I don’t have to wake up at six.” Ron nodded in agreement.
“White, Harry, maybe we should go to the professors and tell them!
Waking up at six in the morning…
you’re even more pitiful than Harry!” Harry Potter did not deny this.
His gaze toward Ethan was filled with understanding and sympathy.
Seeing how delicate they were being, it was as if they were holding a cracked piece of glass.
Ethan pursed his lips.
*These two absolute blockheads…* He said helplessly, “You’ve got it wrong.
My family is very good to me, and I’m not abused.
This is just a habit I formed myself.
Besides waking up early, I also like to go to bed early.
I don’t like staying up late, nor do I like noisy late-night parties.” With that, he shook his head and warned, “No, we’re off-topic.
If you two don’t want to wake up at six every morning, go apologize to Professor McGonagall right now and get her forgiveness.” This time, they didn’t hesitate for a second.
They bolted toward Professor McGonagall’s office.
Harry was particularly determined.
If he had to wake up even earlier at school than at Uncle Vernon’s, wouldn’t that make Uncle Vernon’s house look good by comparison?
No way!
Though, did White have some sort of masochistic streak?
Ethan watched them leave, then headed toward the library with his books.
Class was over, but Professor McGonagall had left quite a bit of homework, including an essay that had to be submitted before Thursday’s Transfiguration class.
Of course, before that, he also needed to find out where the Hogwarts ghosts usually slept.
He really needed them.