14 Second day of class Pt. 2
The second period is about to start.
After finishing our launch, Silvanus and I made our way to the Transfiguration class located in the third-floor in the west side of the castle.
The room, like any other room is big surrounded by high windows, there's four rows of desks with enough room for bookshelves and cages. There's two chalkboards and a desk for the teacher.
Our Charms professor is the young Minerva McGonagall. She is an attractive woman with a very particular taste on dress.
[AN: Guy's if the theory of Mcgonagall used time-turner to teach at Hogwarts before she was even born is very implausible. I mean the rules that the time-turner must not meet his/her other self. Then would she (old) teach herself when the she (young) goes to Hogwarts? I would also consider the situation where she hides, but she left a name at school which would confuse the young her.]
"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. Consider it as a warning." She said firmly.
After warning us, she began her lecture, "Transfiguration is the branch of magic that alters the form and appearance of an object or a person."
And thus, her long lecture begun. At the same time, writings in the chalkboards started to appear. It explains the basic, the benefit, the rules, the limitations and the don'ts of transfiguration magic.
Tom and I began copying what was written in the chalkboard. Soon, the other students followed.
The core of her lecture is that almost anything can be transformed. So long as available materials are present. Things that cannot be transformed were known as 'The Principal Exception' which is governed by Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration and it means that nothing can be created out of nothing.
There are several branches of Transfiguration and Cross-Species Transfiguration and Human Transfiguration is one of them which are more advance and dangerous at the same time. [AN: hpwiki is really convenient.]
She ended it all by saying, "It is an arduous process which requires a great deal of effort and hard work."
All of us snapped back from her long lecture when the chalk stopped writing in the chalkboard.
"Now, for your first try, we will transform this match into a needle. First, concentrate firmly into the object and chant the spell."
This class is even more difficult than Charms class. Charms mainly requires magic that endows magical effect to an object which is much easier than changing its property.
"Al, do you know how to do it?" Silvanus asked.
He now considers me as "someone to ask when lesson is difficult" and that he would always sit beside me.
"I still haven't tried it yet. So give me some time."
"This one is hard."
"I know. I am concentrating right now."
I tried my best and I can prove that it is extremely difficult. Only after several failures that I managed to accomplished it.
I have in my hand a short-silver needle but less pointy.
"Congratulations Al! You did it."
"I barely made it."
We were celebrating when professor McGonagall announced, "Well done Mr. Riddle, you've done an excellent job. Your work is excellent and the needle is silver and extra pointy, well done. 5 points to Slytherin!"
Soon he noticed my work, "You too Mr. Stanford, you achieved it with passable result. Still, you need to practice a little bit more to achieve perfection. 5 points to Slytherin!"
Soon, the class came to an end.
And except us three – Tom, Silvanus and I, everyone failed and because of this many failures, professor McGonagall had given us lots of homework's about Transfiguration theories.
---
Silvanus and I went outside the castle.
We were heading towards the nearest bank of the lake to introduce me to a bunch of small insect-like creatures known as [Bowtruckles] which resides in the tree.
"There are other colony of [Bowtruckles] around here and Vis came from this colony." He explained.
"I see, then if I need some [Bowtruckles] for my potions, I will come here. Surely, you saved me from a lot of troubles." I said in jest.
"Hey! I thought I could trust you, so I brought you here. You should not touch Vis home and his relatives or we won't be friends anymore!"
"Haha… I am kidding."
"That's not a good joke."
"Hey Sil, how can I send a letter outside Hogwarts?"
"Well, you need a specially trained owl to do just that. You own an owl right? You can use it."
"I do, but he's far from being useful."
"Far from being useful? Haha. Most owls were naturally born intelligent creatures. So why would your owl be useless? Unless, you bought a cheap one."
"Yeah, it's a cheap owl. Do you have an owl that I can barrow?"
"I don't have an owl. I can't afford one."
"Then what are the other means of sending letters?"
"Well, you can go to Hogsmeade."
"But we aren't allowed to go there, yet."
"Then you have to wait for the mail day. Which is three days from now."
It's no good. Maybe I should ask Dumbledore for this little favor.
"Hey Sil. [Trepspetor]." I chanted causing him to trip.
[Trepspetor] is a trip-jinx spell. I simply wanted to try it to the unsuspecting Silvanus.
[AN: Trip-jinx incantation is unknown, so I made one.]
It is one of the 7 other spell I learned last night.
After reading enough theory, I started in learning spells mainly charms and Jinxes, and I have yet to learn hexes.
These spells were very simple but in the right circumstances they're very helpful.
"Ouch! Ouch, why did you do that?"
"I just want to try it on someone."
"And you think of me?"
"Why not? We're friends."
"That's not how you treat your friend."
"Come on. I can teach you."
"Really? Then I forgive you."
"[Flipendo]" I casted and it knocked Silvanus a few feet away.
"AhhhH!" Silvanus screamed, "Ouch, ouch!"
---
We returned back to the castle just about time for dinner. After that, I spend some few times with Silvanus before returning to the common room.
Just as I entered, I saw the seniors making fun of Tom and I was about to become their next victim.
We were made fun by them by throwing jinxes on us.
It was Tom who made an attempt to stop one of the jinxes that targeted him and because of that, he attracted more attention and more jinxes came at him.
I was then left alone.
Later that night, I wrote a letter to my parents before visiting professor Dumbledore's office.
I knocked twice on his door and was gladly greeted by him, "Ah, what brings you to my office, Alfred?"
"Professor, can I ask you a small favor."
"What is it?"
"Can you help me send this letter to my parents?"
"Is that it?"
"Yes. I just want to let them know that I am doing great."
"I see."
"Then give it to me and I'll send it this instance."
I gave the letter to him and when he received it, he simply snapped his fingers with the letter and the letter vanished.
He then said, "It's done and your mother picked it up."
"Thank you, professor."
"You're welcome."
"Professor…"
"Yes? Is there more."
"…"
"What is it?"
"I, ah… uhm… I am having a hard time in my transfiguration. I can't seem to focus that my concentration is getting disrupted. There's something in me that's doing it."
"Is that so? Come, tell me more." He said while inviting me to sit.
I told everything to Dumbledore. I know that he can help me solve this problem.
"I see." He sighed, "I shouldn't keep this to you any longer. Keeping you out in dark will only make it more fatal for you. So I will tell you what was within you, something dangerous. The thing that was inside you and hinders your concentration is called an obscurus."
