Deep within Hogwarts Castle, sunlight streamed through ancient windows, filling the spacious Transfiguration classroom with a warm golden glow. It was here that the first-years witnessed their first true display of magical mastery under the guidance of the stern and formidable Professor Minerva McGonagall.
With a casual flick of her wand, the parchment in Professor McGonagall's hand twisted sharply and transformed into an eagle. Its broad wings spread wide as it launched into the air, soaring gracefully above the classroom. The young Slytherins watched with open mouths as it circled overhead.
But that was only the beginning.
Without warning, the eagle folded its wings and dove toward the floor.
Just before impact, its body stretched and darkened. Feathers vanished. Scales appeared.
In the blink of an eye, the eagle had become a long black serpent covered in gleaming scales.
The snake coiled itself around Professor McGonagall's feet and flicked its tongue toward the students.
Hiss.
"Class," Professor McGonagall said calmly, her voice carrying effortlessly through the room, "here you will learn how to transform objects from one form into another. It is one of the most fundamental and powerful branches of magic in the wizarding world."
As she spoke, she waved her wand again.
The serpent instantly dissolved into flames. The fire spiraled through the air and returned to her hand, where it reformed into the original parchment roll as though nothing unusual had happened.
The Slytherin students stared with shining eyes.
For the first time, they glimpsed the true wonder of Transfiguration.
"Leo, that was incredible," Draco whispered excitedly, staring at the parchment. For a moment, even the trauma of the catnip incident seemed forgotten.
"Yeah," Rose agreed softly. "This world really is amazing."
Leo remained sprawled lazily across his desk, but his eyes never left Professor McGonagall.
He had watched every movement carefully.
Transforming an inanimate object into a living creature was advanced Transfiguration. Even with his unusually powerful mind and the lessons he'd studied before Hogwarts, Leo had only practiced transforming one lifeless object into another.
Professor McGonagall would certainly explain the theory later, but understanding even a little beforehand provided a stronger foundation.
That was the value of studying ahead.
If knowledge was handed directly to you, you inherited someone else's understanding.
If you explored it first, then listened, you could compare, verify, correct, and expand your own framework.
The difference was enormous.
"I hope each of you will build a solid foundation as you begin studying Transfiguration," Professor McGonagall said as she surveyed the room.
For a brief moment, her expression softened.
These children represented the future of magical Britain. Even if they wore green and silver, she sincerely hoped none of them would stray down a dark path.
Then the lesson truly began.
For the next ten minutes, Professor McGonagall explained the fundamentals of Transfiguration. She covered the structure of spellcasting, the importance of concentration, proper wand movement, and the principles behind magical transformation.
Her teaching style was strict but exceptionally clear.
Even first-years could follow her explanations.
At last, she placed a matchstick before each student.
"Now it is your turn," she announced. "I want you to transform the match in front of you into a needle."
She paused, allowing the room to settle.
"Remember, Transfiguration is not merely reciting an incantation and waving a wand. Focus, imagination, and control are equally important."
The Slytherins exchanged nervous glances before raising their wands.
One by one, they stared at their matchsticks and concentrated.
The first attempts were disastrous.
Some matchsticks changed color but remained stubbornly wooden.
Others twisted into crooked, unusable shapes.
A few vanished completely, leaving their owners staring helplessly at empty desks.
Nobody succeeded immediately.
Still, the students continued trying.
Professor McGonagall walked calmly between the rows, correcting wand motions and offering brief advice. She reminded them repeatedly that Transfiguration demanded patience and understanding.
Every failure brought them one step closer to success.
Eventually, however, she noticed one student who appeared to be doing absolutely nothing.
Leo Nicholas was slumped over his desk.
"Mr. Nicholas, you—"
Professor McGonagall approached, intending to ask why he wasn't practicing.
Then she stopped.
A long silver needle rested neatly on the desk before him.
The transformation was flawless.
"Oh."
Professor McGonagall's tone changed immediately.
"Very beautiful. A perfect Transfiguration."
She gave a small nod.
"Three points to Slytherin."
Far away in the Entrance Hall, emerald gems dropped softly into the Slytherin hourglass.
Professor McGonagall's praise instantly ignited the competitive spirit of the entire classroom.
The young Slytherins lowered their heads and worked even harder.
If Leo could earn points, so could they.
"Professor," Leo said as he sat up slightly, "I wanted to ask about something I read. Self-awareness, food transfiguration, and the consciousness of living things..."
While speaking, he casually waved his wand.
The silver needle transformed into several different objects of similar size one after another.
A button.
A coin.
A tiny silver spoon.
Then a marble.
Professor McGonagall's eyes sharpened.
"Those topics come from considerably more advanced Transfiguration texts," she said. "It appears you possess significant talent in this subject."
As Deputy Headmistress, she knew perfectly well that Leo came from a Muggle family.
For him to master basic object-to-object transformation in less than two months was already astonishing.
Yet now he was clearly beginning to explore living transfiguration.
Since he had already grasped the lesson material, she decided to answer his question.
"Self-awareness means believing completely that you are capable of performing the transformation," Professor McGonagall explained. "You must also maintain absolute control over your magic."
Leo listened attentively.
"The key difference between inanimate and living transformation is actually quite simple," she continued. "Tell me, Mr. Nicholas. Why can living creatures move, react, and think?"
Leo fell silent.
From a scientific perspective, the answer involved muscles, nerves, blood, and the brain.
But this wasn't merely science.
This was magic.
"The soul," Leo answered after a moment. "The soul is the difference."
A flash of approval appeared in Professor McGonagall's eyes.
"Correct."
She nodded.
"One point to Slytherin."
Another emerald gem dropped into the Slytherin hourglass.
"However," she continued seriously, "magic involving the soul is not something ordinary students should study. A wizard must reach a certain level of skill and maturity before approaching such subjects."
Her expression hardened.
"Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic strictly regulates research involving the soul."
Leo nodded.
"So here is the question," Professor McGonagall said. "If the key to living transformation lies in the soul, can magic temporarily replace that soul and create the appearance of life?"
Leo's thoughts accelerated immediately.
His wand slowly rose.
The rhythm of his movements differed entirely from the other students.
His voice dropped lower.
"Vera Verto."
Draco had already stopped practicing.
He stared at Leo in complete confusion.
He had listened to the entire conversation, yet somehow understood less and less with every sentence.
Rose watched silently as well.
Professor McGonagall's attention locked onto the ink bottle sitting on Leo's desk.
The bottle twisted.
Its shape softened.
Then it stretched and reshaped itself.
A moment later, a small black mouse stood where the ink bottle had been.
The classroom fell silent.
Draco's eyes widened dramatically.
"Leo, you did it!"
He grabbed Leo's arm excitedly.
The little mouse shook its head and looked around in apparent confusion.
Then, just as Draco finished speaking, something went wrong.
The mouse suddenly began expanding.
Professor McGonagall reacted instantly.
With a sharp flick of her wand, she launched the mouse across the room.
Bang.
The creature exploded against the far wall in a spectacular splash of black ink.
The classroom stared.
Professor McGonagall calmly cast a Cleaning Charm.
"Mr. Nicholas," she said, as though exploding mice were a perfectly ordinary classroom occurrence, "your talent for Transfiguration is exceptionally high. Although the transformation lasted only ten seconds, it proves that you succeeded."
A rare smile appeared on her face.
"Continue practicing."
Then she turned slightly toward the rest of the class.
"Five points to Slytherin."
The classroom erupted.
Five points.
For an exploding mouse.
The Slytherins looked at Leo as though he were some kind of magical monster.
"I will, Professor," Leo replied.
Perhaps because he had finally succeeded in creating a living creature through legal means, some of his usual laziness disappeared.
His eyes looked noticeably brighter.
Professor McGonagall didn't linger.
After all, she still had an entire classroom to teach.
"Leo," Draco said after a while, pointing toward his desk, "I think I'm close. Look."
A thin silver object rested before him.
The matchstick had shrunk into the correct shape, but parts of it still retained a wooden texture.
"You're doing well," Leo said approvingly. "You've already grasped the essence of Transfiguration. You're turning imagination into reality through willpower and magic."
Draco's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then I'll try again."
Taking a deep breath, Draco raised his wand.
"Hey, I'm not bad either," Rose interrupted proudly. "Look. I succeeded after only a few attempts."
Leo glanced over.
A perfect silver needle rested on her desk.
He blinked in surprise.
Although Rose had seemed completely lost during his discussion with Professor McGonagall, her practical talent was surprisingly impressive.
"You're actually better than Draco," Leo admitted honestly.
"What?"
Rose's expression changed instantly.
"Is that even a question? Of course I'm better than that blond kid."
The satisfaction she had felt vanished immediately.
Originally, she had wanted Leo to turn her needle back into a matchstick so she could practice again.
Now she decided she would do it herself.
She was going to prove exactly how talented she was.
Watching her sudden burst of determination, Leo quietly gave her a thumbs-up.
While helping Draco, he also continued analyzing his own experiment.
Why had the mouse exploded?
What instability had caused the transformation to collapse?
How could he make the next living creature last longer?
At the very least, future creations should avoid detonating.
"Vera Verto!"
On the other side of the desk, Draco finally succeeded.
The partially wooden needle flashed and became a perfectly formed silver needle.
"Very good, Draco," Leo praised. "Now practice until you can reproduce it consistently."
Then he casually waved his wand.
The silver needle instantly transformed back into a matchstick.
Draco stared at the restored match in complete disbelief.
He had only just started enjoying his success.
Couldn't Leo let him be happy for at least a few more seconds?
....
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