Chapter 156 "Professor McGonagall's Class"

Now that determination has been set into motion, action follows suit.

In the second day's spells class, Professor Flitwick elucidated and demonstrated a practical spell—the repair spell—the incantation, a simple "Reparo," aimed at restoring an item.

For Wentworth, a spell of this caliber posed no difficulty. As Professor Flitwick concluded his explanation, students were given the green light to practice when they were tasked with repairing a small damaged item.

Wentworth, with his wand in hand, targeted a small broken mirror.

"Reparo!" Uttering the incantation, he waved his wand gracefully, and the mirror transformed instantly, appearing as good as new.

His adept performance caught Professor Flitwick's keen eye, who, without hesitation, commended, "Perfect! Impeccable from wand technique to spell utilization and magic control! Hufflepuff, twenty points!"

The Hufflepuff students erupted in cheers, celebrating their house's gained points. Simultaneously, from the Slytherin side, the enchanting voice of Cassandra echoed: "Reparo!"

All eyes turned towards Cassandra, wielding her wand over a mechanical clock that stood silently beneath her incantation, emitting a rhythmic "tick-tock."

Professor Flitwick, impressed, applauded, and remarked, "Very well, Miss Cassandra—a tad slower but a flawless example of how Reparo works! Slytherin, additional 5 points!"

In the midst of applause from Slytherin students, Cassandra was seated within the crowd. She maintained an expressionless demeanor, seemingly unfazed by the recognition.

Some Slytherin peers, perceiving Cassandra as lagging behind Wentworth, attempted to console her.

"It's okay, Cassandra. Next time, you can surely be faster than Wentworth!" one student behind her offered reassurance.

Unmoved by the comfort of her classmates, Cassandra shot a contemptuous glance and retorted, "If you have time to talk, might as well use it to practice this repairing spell! As a Slytherin, can't you handle a simple spell like this in one go?"

Her response left the other student with a flushed face, and she promptly withdrew from the exchange.

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall distributed steel pins to each student.

Professor McGonagall returned to the front before placing a steel needle on the podium as the Hufflepuff and Slytherin students puzzled over the purpose.

She thought that she needed to demonstrate how to perform a simple Transfiguration to captivate the students.

With a wave of her wand, the steel needle transformed into a furry little mouse, twitching its nose and darting toward the door.

Just before it took a few steps, another wave of Professor McGonagall's wand turned the mouse back into a steel needle, leaving the class in awe.

Professor McGonagall took her position at the podium and addressed the class:

"Students, we have been delving into Transfiguration for some days. Today, we'll put your mastery to the test."

"The steel needles in everyone's hands are the materials for today's class. I'm not expecting you to turn inanimate objects into living creatures on your first attempt. Feel free to experiment!"

"Before the end of the class, whoever can conjure something using a steel needle the fastest and most elegantly will earn extra points for their house! Let the experiment begin!"

As Professor McGonagall initiated the exercise, a sudden "Bang!" sound echoed through the classroom, startling the students.

All eyes turned to a Hufflepuff student with a blackened face, staring in bewilderment at a smoking coal on the table.

Apparently, one of Wentworth's classmates had failed to cast the Transfiguration Spell, resulting in a minor combustion almost burning his face to a crisp.

Unfazed, Professor McGonagall calmly approached the scene. Accustomed to such incidents, the Hogwarts Headmistress looked at the coal, sighed, and inquired of the student:

"I'm curious. What was going on in your head just now?"

The dazed student replied without hesitation, "I was kind of missing the barbecue over the holidays, Professor McGonagall."

Hearing his reply made the class laugh for a while before Professor McGonagall asked them to be quiet. "Calm, please! Instead of laughing at him, all of you should learn from it. This is a prime example of how Transfiguration is a dangerous spell to be used if you have a blank mind." She explained.

After kindly replacing the needle for the student, Professor McGonagall deducted five points from Hufflepuff. "Minus five points to Hufflepuff."

Knowing the gap between them had almost widened once again, thanks to this particular student, the other Hufflepuffs stared at him in disdain.

Even though Hufflepuff is known for their generous heart, but they seems like they can't let this one simply pass by.

The student in question could only smile awkwardly while waving at the other students who were staring at him.

"I forgot to mention earlier that Transfiguration is a very intricate magic. When practicing it, attention is crucial, or various accidents can easily occur," remarked Professor McGonagall, casting a glance at the student. "However, firsthand experience tends to leave a lasting impression. That's my teaching wisdom from many years of experience."

Following Professor McGonagall's words, the rest of the class proceeded without mishaps. The atmosphere was focused, with everyone diligently practicing Transfiguration on their steel needles.

Midway through the class, Wentworth examined the object in his hand while nodding with contentment before raising his hand. "Professor, I think I managed to do it!"

Approaching him, Professor McGonagall inspected Wentworth's creation and expressed her satisfaction, "Excellent work! A very beautiful brooch. What's the pattern on it?"

Responding to the inquiry, Wentworth first smiled modestly before explaining, "It's the Ginkgo biloba leaf, Professor. It symbolizes tenacity and composure."

Upon hearing Wentworth's response, Professor McGonagall nodded with a smile and commended, "Well done, Hufflepuff, plus ten points!"

As the class progressed, students continued to raise their hands to signify completion.

Professor McGonagall attentively inspected each student's work. However, most were simple items, such as knives and forks, lacking intricate patterns.

When Professor McGonagall reached Cassandra, she let out a surprised "huh" and spoke with meaning, "Miss Cassandra, cuff pins are typically worn by gentlemen on their sleeves. It's unusual for witches to use Transfiguration to create cuff pins. Can you enlighten me on your thought process?"

Blushing, Cassandra was about to respond, but before she could, Professor McGonagall's expression changed abruptly. She rolled up Cassandra's sleeves, took the transformed object, and examined it closely.

"The symbol... Cassandra! Where did you come across this symbol? It seems you understand its significance! Right?! I hope you know what you're doing!"

The symbol where the cuff pins take inspiration of is a symbol that Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore know all too well...

Upon seeing it, one could feel the dreading terror accompanied by the mere presence of it. The symbol that once instilled fear in the people that saw it, the symbol that made people's hearts filled with anxiety if they have learned of it...

After addressing Cassandra, Professor McGonagall turned to Wentworth, leaving him somewhat puzzled.

However, she soon declared, "Class dismissed!"

Wentworth could only question the reason behind her action, "Why did the class suddenly get dismissed? Did Cassandra transfigure something dangerous?" He thought to himself.

Soon, Wentworth will know how dangerous the

presence of a naive girl for the Alliance's sake.