“Merrick, how did you do that?
You succeeded on your first try.” Astoria, who was sitting beside John, had still not managed to complete her Transfiguration.
She looked at him in surprise as she asked the question.
“Uh, I just followed what Professor taught us?” “Maybe you could find a real silver needle, study it carefully, and then try again.” John answered uncertainly, because all he had done was construct the image of a silver needle in his mind, imagine the match as a silver needle, and then successfully cast the spell.
During the process, he felt the most important part was concentration and building a clear image of the transformed object in one’s mind.
As for the spell and wand movement, those only required practice.
“Mr.
Merrick is correct.” “When you cannot properly imagine the object you wish to transform, it is best to find a real example, study it thoroughly, and then attempt the Transfiguration.” “In your mind, slowly imagine the match before you becoming a needle.
With enough practice, you will eventually succeed.” Professor McGonagall, who had been standing nearby, nodded in approval after hearing John’s suggestion.
It truly was the most direct learning method.
After all, human imagination had its limits, and having a real object as a reference made learning far easier.
“The practice of Transfiguration is a process of accumulated knowledge leading to a sudden breakthrough.” “It is extremely difficult at the beginning, but once you gradually master the art of visualization and can construct the object you wish to transform anytime and anywhere in your mind, your foundation in Transfiguration can be considered complete.” “Of course, that is still only the most basic level of Transfiguration.” “Transfiguration is divided into three stages.
The first stage is transforming an inanimate object into another inanimate object.
The second stage is transforming a living creature into an inanimate object.
The third stage is transforming an inanimate object into a living creature.” “As long as you continue practicing diligently, all of you will eventually be able to accomplish it.” Even while explaining the theory, Professor McGonagall did not forget to encourage the students.
As she spoke, she elegantly waved her wand.
The textbooks on the lectern transformed into birds and flew into the air.
Then they transformed again into an entire set of musical instruments, which began playing together in harmony.
Finally, they turned into countless glowing feathers that drifted throughout the classroom.
The entire process flowed naturally and beautifully, fully demonstrating the wonder and power of Transfiguration to the students and instantly igniting their enthusiasm for the subject.
So this was the ability of a true Transfiguration master?
She did not even need to cast a spell aloud.
With a simple wave of her wand, she completed such large-scale group Transfigurations effortlessly.
At that moment, the appeal of Transfiguration deeply captivated John.
He imagined himself facing enemies and casually waving his hand to conjure countless machine guns that opened fire simultaneously.
However, that was only a fantasy.
The fundamental principle of Transfiguration was that one object could only be transformed into one other object.
For example, it was impossible to transform a single object into both a bow and an arrow at the same time.
So unless he prepared a large amount of ammunition in advance, or transformed thousands of stones into bullets simultaneously, the idea of endless machine-gun fire would remain impossible.
On top of that, he would also need a complete understanding of the structure of firearms and bullets, as well as the composition of gunpowder.
But if he reached that level already, what could he not transform?
Shaking his head, John stopped thinking about such unrealistic ideas.
It was better to build a solid foundation first before dreaming about impossible things.
Soon, Transfiguration class ended.
Just as John was preparing to leave with Ryan and Ethan, Professor McGonagall called him back.
Although curious, John did not ask questions and obediently walked over to her.
After everyone else had left the classroom, Professor McGonagall took out a red-covered book and handed it to him.
“Mr.
Merrick, this book is for you.
Temporarily, at least.” “You may study its contents carefully.
I believe it will help you greatly.” John accepted the book.
The cover did not appear especially luxurious, but from the worn and creased pages, it was obvious that the book had been read countless times.
He glanced at Professor McGonagall before curiously opening the first page.
Written there in elegant flowing handwriting were the words: Minerva’s Transfiguration Diary.
“!?” Seeing the signature, John immediately looked up at Professor McGonagall in shock.
Professor McGonagall only smiled faintly, patted him on the shoulder, and then turned to leave the classroom.
This diary recorded the learning experiences of her entire life, but she had never been stingy about sharing knowledge with her students.
She had previously lent this diary to Miss Granger, whose progress had been extremely satisfying.
Now she was lending it to John as well, hoping he might one day surpass that outstanding senior student.
“Thank you, Professor!
I’ll study hard!” John finally snapped out of his daze and shouted toward Professor McGonagall’s departing figure.
However, Professor McGonagall gave no response and quickly disappeared around the corner.
There was only one class in the morning, leaving them with plenty of free time.
Their only afternoon lesson was Flying class, which required no preparation, so John currently had nothing to do.
As he walked back, John casually flipped through the diary.
It recorded Professor McGonagall’s learning experiences.
Some of the handwriting looked very old, while other sections were much newer.
It was obvious that Professor McGonagall occasionally updated the diary to keep its contents from becoming outdated.
Compared to rigid textbooks, this diary focused more on Professor McGonagall’s own understanding and experiences, including learning methods she had discovered herself, along with examples of both successful and failed attempts.
To John, this book was practically a treasure mine waiting to be explored.
He absolutely had to protect it carefully.
Oh right, he should ask Professor Flitwick whether there were any spells that could prevent books from being damaged.
The moment the thought occurred to him, John immediately changed direction before lunch and hurried toward Professor Flitwick’s office.
Professor Flitwick’s office was near Ravenclaw Tower, on the same floor as the Charms classroom.
As John passed by, he noticed that the classroom was currently occupied, meaning Professor Flitwick was still teaching.
So John simply waited outside the Charms classroom.
While waiting, he did not remain idle.
Instead, he took out a book and began reading.
Rather than reading Professor McGonagall’s diary directly, he opened A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration and compared the textbook’s explanations with the notes in the diary.
He copied some of Professor McGonagall’s unique insights and techniques into his own textbook, gradually integrating the knowledge into his own understanding.
Time slowly passed, and John became so absorbed in reading that he did not even notice Charms class had ended.
Students of all years walked past him, curiously glancing at the first-year student sitting outside the classroom door.
“Hmm?
Merrick, what are you doing here?” Hearing his name, John finally snapped back to reality and realized the classroom door was already open.
Professor Flitwick stood at the doorway looking at him.
“Professor Flitwick.” John quickly closed his book and greeted him.
“I came to see you, Professor.
There’s a spell I wanted to ask about.” “Oh, of course.
I’m very happy you came to me.” After hearing that John wanted to learn a spell, Professor Flitwick chuckled warmly.
He raised a hand and invited John into the classroom.
The room was empty now, making it the perfect place for John to learn a spell.