Chapter 36: Transfiguration Lesson (Edited)

After receiving a severe reprimand from Professor McGonagall, Harry and Ron hurried to find two seats together, and the Transfiguration class officially began.

Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the classroom with a serious expression, not saying a word, but her mere presence silenced the students who were still murmuring.

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous subject you will study at Hogwarts," warned Professor McGonagall solemnly. "So, if any of you dare to misbehave in my class, I will expel you, and you will not be allowed to return. Remember my words today."

With a wave of her wand, she transformed her desk into a pig, and then, with another movement, restored it to its original form. Professor McGonagall's experience and skill were evident as she not only impressed the students but also ignited their enthusiasm for learning Transfiguration.

The lesson officially began, and Professor McGonagall asked the students to open their textbooks. Bell, at that moment, uncomfortably realized that he didn't have his copy of "Transfiguration for Beginners." Had he forgotten it in his suitcase because he had been in a trance this morning? After all, he had stopped reading that book many years ago.

Fortunately, Bell was sitting in a corner of the classroom, and unless Professor McGonagall specifically went to look at his desk, she wouldn't notice which book he had. So he randomly picked a book of similar size and placed it on his desk, pretending to pay attention.

Although for Bell, the content of the first year was extremely basic, as he had mastered these skills years ago, he engaged in the lesson attentively. He remembered the saying: "the stone on which it is built is the stone on which it is built." Although he wasn't sure if there was a similar saying in the British magical world, he understood the importance of reviewing the basics.

So Bell continued to pay attention to Professor McGonagall's explanation, reviewing his own understanding and recalling related knowledge while trying to find a new perspective.

In summary, up to that point, he hadn't learned anything new. However, Bell didn't mind this "wasted" time; he considered it a moment of relaxation, as if he were playing with his sister at home. He knew that staying tense all the time was not healthy, and it was important to learn to relax properly.

To the surprise of the other students, the class time they so detested became a relaxation moment for Bell. No one knew that he was taking advantage of the opportunity to unwind amid the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts. If others were to discover his perspective, they might consider throwing him into the depths of the Black Lake.

Soon, Professor McGonagall finished explaining the key points. In reality, in the early stages, many magical concepts were not inherently complicated, but they required constant practice to master and achieve successful performance.

"Now, I will give each of you a matchstick, and your task for the time that follows will be to turn it into a needle," announced Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall walked around the classroom, handing a matchstick to each of the students.

Bell looked at the matchstick in front of him and felt a bit concerned. For him, this task was so easy that he didn't even need his wand. However, he didn't want to draw attention or waste time staring at a matchstick as if he were puzzled. That would be too foolish.

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry for long, as Professor McGonagall's voice filled the classroom again.

"All right, Miss Granger, ten points for Gryffindor," announced Professor McGonagall, showing the needle that Hermione had transformed to the other wizards.

It could be seen that Hermione's transfiguration wasn't entirely successful; the needle was still quite thick and wouldn't be suitable for sewing. However, for a first-year student, achieving any transfiguration in the first Transfiguration class was a noteworthy accomplishment.

With the first position already awarded, no one paid much attention to the others. So Bell confidently took out his wand, waved it theatrically, and transformed the matchstick in front of him into a needle. Then, he returned to his book "The Ultimate Transfiguration Manual" and, by the way, changed the appearance of the book cover to make it look like "The Transfiguration Guide for Beginners."

"Why didn't I think of that before?" Bell lamented a bit. He should have thought of that from the beginning. But what mattered was that it had worked. He decided that he would use this strategy in future Transfiguration classes. Professor McGonagall should award him 100 points for his creativity.

Soon, Professor McGonagall reached where Bell was. She silently examined the calm student who was reading a book and then looked at the needle on the table.

"Mr. Minethil, have you succeeded in turning the matchstick into a needle?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Yes, professor."

"Good, could you demonstrate it again?" Professor McGonagall requested, handing him another matchstick.

As a veteran teacher with decades of experience challenging young students, she knew one thing for certain: there was nothing these young ones couldn't do if they set their minds to it. Though it irked her a little, she still wanted Bell to demonstrate that the needle was the result of his own transformation and not something he already had prepared in his pocket. After all, the needle Bell had created was even better than what Hermione had achieved.

"Of course, professor."

Bell once again waved his wand theatrically, deliberately controlling the speed of the transfiguration.

"Excellent transformation, aside from being a bit slow, everything else was perfect. Five points for Ravenclaw," announced Professor McGonagall with a smile on her face.

McGonagall seemed quite pleased with Bell's performance.

"When you come back, remember to practice more. Once you become more skilled, the speed will improve," the professor added.

Upon hearing McGonagall's praise, the other students turned their gazes toward Bell, most of them looking at him with envy. Only Hermione, who was sitting at the front, looked at Bell with a somewhat unhappy expression for some unknown reason.

After that, Bell sat quietly in his place, packing his things.

Shortly after, the bell marking the end of the class rang. Professor McGonagall assigned homework and announced that the lesson was over. Students began to leave the classroom, and Bell, after reading the last part of his book, stood up to leave.

However, at that moment, Bell noticed Hermione approaching him aggressively.

"Bell, I have some questions I want to ask you," Hermione said to Bell in a whisper that was the opposite of aggressive.

"What's going on?" Bell asked, confused. He reflected on what he had done today and realized it was almost noon. Besides wasting time staring at a matchstick for a while, he hadn't done anything else, and he definitely hadn't done anything to bother Hermione.

"Your skill in Transfiguration is obviously impressive. Transforming a matchstick into a needle shouldn't have been a challenge for you. So why did it take you longer than me to complete the transfiguration?"

Hermione felt insulted. In her opinion, Bell should have been the first to succeed in the transfiguration task, deserving an additional 10 points for his house, while she should have only gotten 5 points. Although gaining an extra 5 points made her happy, she didn't want charity. She was determined to earn points for Gryffindor through her own efforts.

Therefore, Hermione was unhappy, very unhappy. If Bell couldn't give her a reasonable explanation, this situation wasn't going to end well.