“Faster… we’re… we’re going to be late.”
Harry and Ron sprinted toward the Transfiguration classroom, gasping for breath.
“You two are really something.
You managed to get lost just going back to the dormitory,” Ethan said without looking back as he ran ahead to lead the way.
“If I hadn’t happened to go back for my textbook, you two would have wandered around the staircases all day.”
“Let’s… not talk about that right now.
Just… get to the classroom…”
“No choice, then.” Ethan slowed down and fell back between them, grabbed one boy in each hand, and lifted them both up before charging toward the Transfiguration classroom at full speed.
“Bang!”
The door to the Transfiguration classroom was violently flung open, and Ethan stormed in with Harry slung over his left shoulder and Ron tucked under his right arm.
Before everyone drawn by the sound of the door could turn around and see what had happened, Ethan tossed the two smaller boys into empty seats in the back row, then calmly walked over and sat down near the side.
“When did you two get here?” Hermione, who was sitting in front of them, turned back to look at them.
“We just got here with Ethan,” Harry said, straightening his clothes and putting his textbook on the desk.
“Good thing we made it in time.
Otherwise Professor McGonagall’s face would’ve been terrifying.
Where is she?
Don’t tell me she’s late?” Ron craned his neck and looked all around the classroom.
“Professor McGonagall has been here for ages.” Hermione pointed toward the lectern, where a tabby cat sat.
The tabby cat leapt down from the lectern and instantly transformed into Professor McGonagall.
She looked at the students in the classroom and said, “I am pleased that no one was late for the first lesson.
However, I hope you will arrive early for the next one.
At the very least, leave yourselves enough time to arrange your books.”
As Professor McGonagall said this, her gaze lingered briefly in Ethan’s direction.
“Now then, let us begin.” Professor McGonagall tapped the blackboard with her wand as though using it as a pointer, and white writing appeared on the board by itself.
“Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic you will study at Hogwarts.
I will warn you now.
If anyone dares to misbehave in my classroom, I will send them out, and they will never be allowed back in.”
As she spoke, Professor McGonagall tapped the lectern three times with her wand.
With a soft pop, the lectern turned into an oinking, creamy-white pig.
“Whoa, that’s bloody brilliant!” Ron exclaimed.
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr.
Weasley.” Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at the pig’s head and turned it back into a lectern.
It had to be said, that carrot-and-stick approach worked.
The students, who had just been properly intimidated, were immediately captivated by Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration.
They sat ramrod straight, eyes wide and focused, afraid of missing even the smallest detail.
“As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day.
Although you are not yet capable of performing complex transformations like turning a desk into a pig, as long as you listen carefully in every lesson and complete your assignments on time, every student in this classroom will one day be able to do it.”
After giving everyone a bit of encouragement, Professor McGonagall continued her lesson.
“Today, we will begin by learning how to turn a match into a needle.
Now turn to page seven of The Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration…”
After explaining a long stretch of obscure, difficult Transfiguration theory, Professor McGonagall handed everyone a red-tipped match and had them begin practicing.
“As I just taught you, clearly picture the shape of a needle in your mind, then wave your wand.
Also, the incantation must be pronounced very clearly, or you will end up with only a partial transformation.
In Transfiguration, only complete correctness counts as success.”
Professor McGonagall reminded them again as she paced around the classroom, checking on every student and stopping now and then to help those having trouble.
“Transformation.” Ethan pointed his wand at the match and successfully turned it into a silver sewing needle.
He waved his wand lightly back and forth, repeatedly turning the match into a needle and then back into a match.
After several rounds, he was already skilled enough to cast the spell without saying the incantation aloud.
At the same time, he lost all interest in continuing.
He put down his wand and flipped through the textbook listlessly, reading the Transfiguration material that came later.
[Hmm.
Looks like the principles of Transfiguration are all basically the same.
The only difference is the level of complexity.
In that case…]
Ethan picked up his wand and pointed it at the desk, half-testing as he cast a spell.
“Turn Into A Pig.”
Pfft.
The desk turned into a white pig, oinking and giving off wisps of blue smoke.
Ethan jumped in fright.
Before anyone else noticed anything wrong, he quickly turned the pig back into a desk, then looked up at Professor McGonagall.
Thankfully, she was still lowering her head to guide the Ravenclaw students.
“What’s wrong, Ethan?” Seamus, sitting in front of Ethan, felt the back of his chair suddenly soften and turned around with a teasing grin.
“You didn’t actually turn the desk into a pig, did you?”
“Go on, go on.
Worry about your own progress first.”
Ethan felt rather guilty and no longer dared to cast spells carelessly with his wand.
He could only prop up his cheek and watch Professor McGonagall help the other students to pass the time.
“Bang!”
Something went wrong with Seamus.
Somehow, he made his match explode.
The smoke from the explosion blackened the right side of Harry’s face, glasses included.
Of course, Seamus himself was no better off.
His entire face was evenly coated in soot.
As for the poor match, it had already become a short piece of smoldering charcoal.
“Nicely done, Seamus.
You’re already applying what you’ve learned.
Teach me how to turn a match into charcoal sometime, will you?” Ethan poked Seamus in the back and teased.
“Get lost,” Seamus snapped, turning back around before raising his hand.
“Professor McGonagall, could I have another match, please?”
An explosion was only a minor incident in class.
By the time the lesson was nearly over, Hermione Granger had also managed to make some changes to her match.
Professor McGonagall invited Hermione up to the lectern and had her demonstrate to the whole class how to turn a match into a needle, then gave Hermione a rare smile.
“Mr.
Ethan, don’t forget to stay behind,” Professor McGonagall reminded Ethan as he packed up his things.
“Don’t worry, Professor.
I remember.”
Ethan quickly tidied up his textbooks and notes, then walked over to Professor McGonagall.
“Professor McGonagall, how are we doing the remedial lesson?”
“Remedial lesson?
I don’t think you need one.” Professor McGonagall took off her glasses and wiped them, looking at Ethan with a faint, knowing smile.
“Remarkable progress, Mr.
Ethan.
Completing such a large living-creature transformation in your very first class.”
“Professor, what are you talking about?
I don’t understand at all.” Ethan tried to bluff his way through with an innocent act.
“Don’t try that with me.
I saw it quite clearly.
Not bad, either.
A Nonverbal Spell, too.”
“Waaah, stop scolding me, please stop scolding me.
I won’t dare do it again, Professor.
Please spare me.” Ethan crouched down with his hands over his head and began acting pitiful.
“All right, all right, get up.
You don’t have a serious bone in your body,” Professor McGonagall said, scolding him with a laugh.
“I’m not blaming you.
Perform your Transfiguration Spell for me again.
I want to see whether you truly have mastered it.”
“Right away.” Ethan immediately perked up, stood, and cast another Transfiguration Spell at the lectern.
“Vera Verto.”
The lectern turned into a grunting black-and-white spotted pig.
“Mm, not bad.
A complete transformation.” Professor McGonagall examined the spotted pig with satisfaction, then pointed at the black markings on its body.
“Did you turn it into this deliberately, or was that accidental?”
“Deliberately.” Ethan puffed out his chest, looking very proud.
“I added a few changes.
Only that can prove I’ve fully mastered the Transfiguration Spell.”
“Very good.
Now change it back.
This time, without speaking the incantation.”
“Got it.” Ethan waved his wand again and turned the black-and-white spotted pig back into a lectern.
“Mm.
Good.
Very good.
You have already fully caught up with the fourth-year curriculum.
In fact, even some fifth-years don’t grasp it as well as you do.” Professor McGonagall nodded approvingly.
“Starting next week, you may attend classes directly with the fourth-years.
Remember to bring Intermediate Transfiguration.”
“Then the homework…” Ethan ventured.
“Oh, yes.
Homework.
You nearly made me forget.
First-year introductory work certainly no longer matches your level, so I’ll assign you something that better suits your actual ability.” Professor McGonagall smiled at him with boundless kindness.
“Professor, no!”
Ethan’s miserable cry echoed inside and outside the Transfiguration classroom, lingering for a long time.