Chapter 16

**"Then I should turn you into a map, so you won't be late next time. Return to your seats."**

The two students dejectedly hurried back to their seats and sat down.

"Albert Black, you are the first new student this year to recognize me. It seems you have excellent observational skills and prepared thoroughly for the lesson. Gryffindor earns ten points," Professor McGonagall said, looking at Albert before ascending to the platform.

The professor continued, "Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous subject in your Hogwarts curriculum. Anyone who causes trouble in my class will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to return. But I have warned you."

She then transformed her desk into a pig and back to its original form.

All the students were fascinated and eager to start learning immediately. However, they soon realized that transforming furniture into animals would take considerable time. After taking extensive notes, each student was given a matchstick and asked to transform it into a needle.

For Albert, this was as easy as drinking water. He had frequently used this spell during his imprisonment, turning stones into quills daily. Thus, he quickly transformed the matchstick into a needle in ten seconds.

Transfiguration can be both simple and challenging. For instance, a first-year student might manage to turn a ball into a needle. However, a skilled practitioner could make needles from various materials and patterns, with the transformation lasting for hundreds of years.

In addition to the differences in magical power, this gap also lies in understanding magic itself and mastering the properties of different materials. Particularly the latter requires much time and accumulated energy, and cannot be achieved through shortcuts.

But as we know, due to his exceptional talent, Albert had learned all his father's spells in just six years, spending the next three years gathering experience and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these spells.

Both Professor McGonagall and Hermione were surprised by Albert's speed in Transfiguration. Albert transformed the matchstick into a needle before Hermione was even ready.

Professor McGonagall approached Albert and said, "From what I've just seen, I believe you've practiced this spell extensively. Well done, Albert. Two points for Gryffindor." Albert's Gryffindor classmates applauded, knowing that these points could help Gryffindor win the House Cup by the end of the year.

Seeing Albert's talent and speed, Hermione was excited to improve and wanted to be faster than Albert. Eventually, she managed to transform the matchstick into a needle in one minute.

When the class ended, Professor McGonagall nodded to Hermione and awarded her a point as well. After all, for a beginner, being able to change objects in one minute was quite good. Of course, Albert Black's case was exceptional.

In addition to Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, Albert also gained a lot from other classes, whether it was Magic or Herbology.

In the Magic class, Professor Flitwick, a small wizard, nearly toppled from a stack of books in excitement when he read Harry Potter's name, which seemed somewhat exaggerated. However, he had a deep knowledge of magic and was happy to answer students' questions.

In Herbology class, Albert found himself quite adept at handling the plants and even earned extra points from Professor Sprout. Although he was nervous about knowing the basics of Herbology, most of it was similar to what he had learned in his previous life.

However, Astronomy and the History of Magic were less interesting. First-year Astronomy only covered some observational records and simple calculations of celestial cycles, which was extremely dull.

History of Magic was taught by Professor Binns, who spoke in a monotonous voice while students took notes. Despite the professor's dry delivery, Albert gained a lot of knowledge beyond what was in the textbooks, including many significant historical events that Professor Binns had witnessed personally. However, the professor's droning lecture made everyone feel drowsy. Therefore, after each class, Albert had to borrow Hermione's notes, the only student who didn't fall asleep, to copy them.