Chapter 42

The lesson had ended with only Katrina and Albert being able to turn a matchstick into a needle. As the class was being dismissed, Professor McGonagall told Albert to remain behind.

"If I remember correctly, you asked Flitwick how to change your wand into an umbrella." Professor McGonagall asked Albert. Albert's face trembled slightly, and he stared at the other person, and she said, "You'll learn it during your OWLs."

"I know; Professor Flitwick told me." Albert said. "But can I learn it before we get there?"

"Although we encourage students to push ahead with their studies, we don't allow them access to information above their current standard. It is especially true in Transfiguration, as either I or Dumbledore check on students who take books out of the library." Professor McGonagall said "Transfiguration can be dangerous for those who do not know what they are doing. If an advance Transfiguration spell goes wrong, may Merlin have mercy on your soul and pray you reach Poppy, ahem, excuse me, Madam Pomfrey, on time."

"Oh, okay." Albert thought for a while and asked, "Then, can you tell me what year we learn it in?"

"Fifth year," Professor McGonagall replied.

"Okay, thank you, Professor." Albert turned his head and prepared to leave. Since Professor McGonagall isn't willing to teach him until his fifth year, he decided to try to teach himself by borrowing a book from the library or buying a book from Flourish and Bolts.

Professor McGonagall felt a headache coming along, as she suspected Albert might try to learn advanced transfiguration or conjuration by himself. She would not allow a student's ambition to harm themselves under her watch.

"Mr. Anderson, wait a moment, please." Professor McGonagall called Albert back.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall?" Albert stopped, turning his head in confusion.

"Out of curiosity, how much of the textbook have you learned?" I heard during class something about you practising before Hogwarts started from a third-year Hufflepuff." Professor McGonagall beckoned to him and asked after Albert returned.

"How much?" Albert stretched out his hand and touched his chin, then secretly called for his panel, where he saw his newly upgraded Transfiguration skill. "Humm, I've learned... almost all the textbook."

"You said almost all of the first-year textbook?" Professor McGonagall couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"I practised every single spell in the first-year curriculum before I started Hogwarts," Albert muttered in a low voice. "As long as I have some tips and a guide, I could do most of the easy ones. The trickier ones took longer, but once I could do them, I could do them again. It also got much easier as I practised the same spell multiple times. Actually, most of them were easier than I expected."

"Not as hard as you thought, you say?" Professor McGonagall said. She believed he was talented, so she gave him a test to check his current abilities. She took a deep breath, calmed down quickly, and said to Albert, "Mr. Anderson, if you can transfigure this matchstick into a mouse, I will allow you to join my Transfiguration Club."

"Transfiguration Club?" Albert looked puzzled. He remembered the Slug Club from the Harry Potter books but had no recollection of the Transfiguration Club that Professor McGonagall ran. Then he remembered the cast of ghosts he passed on the second day that he did not recognise. It seems a lot of things went unexplored in the original story. He heard the familiar chime of the system. He could already guess what the mission entailed.

"It is a club I set up, and we meet twice a week. We discuss topics relating to transfiguration and share our findings so that the entire group can benefit." Professor McGonagall explained. "We also have cookies!"

Albert glanced at the match and then at Professor McGonagall. He nodded to show that he understood the task laid out in front of him. He raised his wand and concentrated on chanting the spell, {Mudança Muriem Rupogno}. The matchstick visibly changed into a mouse, but the transformation process was not complete. One of the mouse's hind legs was lame.

Although this was his first attempt at turning a non-living object into a living one, he believed it was a success. A disabled mouse is indeed a mouse.

Albert looked at the disabled mouse and shook his head helplessly. "I have never tried to turn an item into a living thing. This was quite challenging. Maybe if I try a few more times, I should be able to succeed."

"No need; you passed." Professor McGonagall drew out his wand, tapped the mouse, and returned it to its original appearance. She picked up the quill sitting on her desk and wrote on an empty piece of parchment.

"I passed." Albert was not surprised as he again heard the familiar chime of the system.

"I suggest you go to the library and borrow these books," Professor McGonagall said, as she handed him the parchment she wrote on. She did not want him to show up with nothing to contribute and didn't want him to try advanced transfiguration alone. She guffawed at her cunning, as she had managed to kill two birds with one stone.

"Okay, thank you, Professor," Albert said as he turned to leave the room. He remembered the quest the system issued him and hoped that the recommendation list had some that would help him complete it.

"What are you talking about with Professor McGonagall?" Fred couldn't help but ask Albert why he was asked to stay behind.

"She talked to me about turning my wand into an umbrella," Albert explained. "However, Professor McGonagall thinks it's way too early to learn. She also invited me to her Transfiguration Club, but I don't know when it is."

"Transfiguration Club?" George said this in surprise. "Since when was there a club for transformation, and what do you do?"

"Professor McGonagall established the club herself," Albert thought for a while, then handed them his recommendation list before saying, "We discuss what's currently happening in the Transfiguration field, and research articles have just been published. We also do some research and share our findings with the rest of the group. Most of them are older, and I'll get some private tutoring from them."

"Are you kidding?" The twins said it in unison. They were surprised at the treatment Albert was receiving. They were sure that if Albert wanted, he could be famous in the Transfiguration Circle in the future. The connections he could make with the members involved will make his rise to the academic circle easier.

"That's amazing. I almost envy you." Lee Jorden was a little jealous, but after seeing the list, his jealousy dissipated like nothing had happened.

"Ahem." George coughed slightly and changed the subject. "Will you two be willing to come to the Quidditch stadium with us later?"

"We can beg Charlie to let you train with us. Please say you'll come." Fred asked.

"Are you going to go, Albert?" Lee Jorden asked.

"Why not! I've always wanted to know how it feels to fly in the air." Albert agreed.

"I'll go as well," Lee Jorden said.

They agreed to meet at four by the Great Hall before heading to the stadium. In the meantime, Albert went to the library alone since they didn't want to go there.

"Now, what shall we do?" Lee Jorden asked, watching Albert head towards the library.

"Out for a stroll?" George pointed outside of the castle, and they both agreed.

When Albert entered the library, he found four Ravenclaw students there. He first found the first book on the list before finding a place to sit. Once he did, he opened the task panel and accepted the reward for joining the Transfiguration Club. He received 2000 experience points and then checked how many experience points he needed to level up a Level 1 skill. It left him astounded. It took 2000 experience points to go from level one to level two.

<<Note: | Mudança Muriem Rupogno | is not an actual spell. I have derived it from the Portuguese "Mudança" which means "change". and Latin "murem repugno", while means "object to mouse". If anyone knows the actual spell, leave it in a comment for me to change>>