Chapter 41

It was now the afternoon and the Gryffindor first years had another lesson with the first year Ravenclaw. They had professor McGonagall for Transfiguration. when the four boys arrived to the lesson, they promptly found a seat and sat down. Luckily, it was moments before the bell rang. The tabby cat at the front of the class, which most girls in the room called cute, transformed into the stern Professor McGonagall.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. I have warned you," Professor McGonagall said as she got the class's attention.

She then turned the desk in front of her into a pig and let in roam around the class until she transfigured it back into the desk. She just like Flitwick started a lecture, and the students made notes on what she said. Then came the practical part. She encouraged everyone to put their books down and take part in turning a matchstick into a needle.

Albert, during the lesson, pretended to read his textbook and take notes. He spent some of his pooled up Experience points on Transfiguration theory. He could now understand some concepts he wasn't able to do before.

"Mr Anderson?" Professor McGonagall stared at the boy, who was in a daze, frowning slightly. She still remembered the boy from her visited his house and his impressive display when he and his friend broke into the storeroom.

"Yes, Professor, what is the matter?" Albert immediately recovered and asked Professor McGonagall, with a confused look.

"Everybody else is practicing turning a matchstick into a needle. Why don't you try?" Professor McGonagall looked over at Albert and looked at Fred on the next seat over. "Mr Weasley, concentrate and imagine the matchstick slowly turning into a needle. Now try again."

Fred looked innocent, and Professor McGonagall was standing next to him. It brought him a lot of pressure, which caused him to fumble. She turned to gaze at what the others in the classroom were doing and did not intend to leave until all the students had at least tried the spell. It was a good way to gauge the average talent of the first years.

"Ahem!" Albert gave a light cough, raised his wand and pointed it at the match on the table while chanting | Mutare Metallium |. The match quickly changed and became a slender silver needle.

<<Note: | Mutare Metallium | is not an actual spell. I have derived it from the Latin "Mutare Metallum" which means "change to metal". If anyone knows the actual spell, leave it in a comment for me to change>>

"Well done, Mr Anderson. Five points to Gryffindor for being able to do it on your first try." Professor McGonagall said as she turned and left Albert to help those who need help.

"I knew you could do it easily." Fred took the silver needle and looked at it and asked, "How did you do it? Do you have any tips and tricks to do it?"

Several students next to Fred all pricked their ears to eavesdrop, seeming to want to know the secret of Albert's immediate success.

Albert said to Fred, "Remember the notes Professor McGonagall told us to write? The trick is in there somewhere."

The group of people immediately started flipping through their notes, trying to find something that they had missed.

"I don't believe you," Fred stared at Albert contemptuously, obviously not believing the nonsense that came out of his mouth. However, he didn't show any signs of anger because Professor McGonagall was looking over at him.

A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall announced, "Five points to Ravenclaw as Miss McDougall has successfully changed a matchstick into a needle."

Katrina then made her way to the empty seat next to Albert and sat down. "Transfiguration is so hard. How did you do it on your first try? Before I succeeded, I went through about twenty matchsticks. "

"I've tried that multiple times before I came to Hogwarts and did it at home. I would be disappointed if I couldn't do it for the first time here," Albert said. "Fourteen times I failed before I managed to do it and now I'm in Hogwarts with professional in their field teaching us. I could've done it on one of my first tries if I had the Professor's trick."

Katrina guessed Albert had practiced before and she had as well. She was sure if she had someone as qualified as McGonagall at home tutoring her, she could do it on her first try. Comparing McGonagall to her tutor was a disrespect to her Professor as she was miles better than that lazy slouch. For the rest of the Transfiguration class, everyone practiced turning a matchstick into a needle. Professor McGonagall walked back and forth in the classroom to helping other students.

For people like Katrina and Albert, the rest of the lesson was boring, so they had a competition between them. Whoever between them two managed to turn the needle back into a matchstick first won.

"| Mutare Statum Peviuso |"

<<Note: | Mutare Statum Peviuso | is not an actual spell. I have derived it from the Latin "Mutare Statum Pevoius" which means "change to previous state". If anyone knows the actual spell, leave it in a comment for me to change>>

The silver needle changed back to a match. Professor McGonagall had already explained this spell in the lesson and was also stated in the textbook. Incomplete Transfiguration is difficult to undo. Casting | Mutare Statum Peviuso | will four out of five times undo the Transfiguration. Albert supported his chin in one hand. With his wand in the other, he transfigured the matches on the table into various designs of a needle.

"How did you do that?" Fred next to him was stunned. This guy could transfigure a matchstick into a beautiful hair pin while he could only turn half of it into metal.

"| Mutare Metallium |," Albert raised his wand a little, and matchstick became another beautiful hair pin. "As Professor McGonagall said, you just can't swing you wand and say the spell. You have to concentrate and have a picture of the desired outcome in your head. Clear your mind from all distractions and focus on what you want the needle to look like. Then pronounce the incantation correctly alongside the wand movement And they you should be able to succeed just like Katrina and I."