Chapter 9: Needles and Lights
Aurelius awoke the following day when the alarm clock beside him let out a soft chime and released a billow of purple cloud with a faint scent of lavender, a pleasant way to start the day. Heading towards the exit of the common room, he looked at the pure silver egg in the center and made up his mind to get the first thirty points to get the egg to hatch on the first day of lessons.
One detail he didn't notice yesterday was that there were miniature doors at the height of his feet, perfect for Hermes and any future Nifflers or cats to wander through the castle.
After a hearty breakfast, his first lesson was in the Transfiguration classroom with Professor McGonagall, whom he found in her cat form watching the students enter the door. He nodded as he gave her a knowing smile and sat at an empty desk while he pulled out a book and waited for the performance to start.
His action caused the cat to look at him, intrigued, but she soon looked away and continued to watch the students coming through the door, silently judging their behavior.
'Who am I to spoil the surprise?' thought the boy in the know.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for him to hear Harry and Ron's shuffling and hurried footsteps. When Professor McGonagall revealed herself to be the cat. Some students looked embarrassed for trying to pet the cat or promise her some fish later.
"Mr. Galegold," Minerva said as she looked away from the troublesome duo and approached him, "I'm curious how you managed to recognize me, unlike the rest of your classmates.
"It's simple, Professor; I've never seen a cat before that had spectacle markings around its eyes, too similar to the ones you're wearing right now," Aurelius explained, pointing to himself and his eyes as if he were wearing some invisible glasses.
Minerva nodded in understanding. Paying attention to the most minor details was a necessary skill for transfiguration. After warning them that they must take her class seriously or never return, she explained the basic theory of the process and the laws of transfiguration while noting the main points on the blackboard behind her.
"Lastly, you will apply what you have learned and try to turn the matches in front of you into metal needles by the end of the class. Now, get out your wands and remember to focus."
The students took their wands out of their sleeves or pockets and began to wave them as per her instructions.
BOOM!
"Mr. Finnigan! Are you okay?" Minerva was startled when she heard an explosion and saw one of her students covered in wood splinters. "Be more patient and pay attention to the process cause all I see is you are throwing around just pure magical power without intent."
'Fortunately, he did not hurt his classmates.' thought the worried professor. "Go to the infirmary, and Mrs. Poppy will have you ready as soon as possible."
"Keep trying, Mr. Longbottom," she encouraged when she saw his face turning red due to tensing his body with concentration. "And remember to breathe."
"Excellent, Miss Granger! Please continue," she clapped as she saw the transformation was halfway done.
"Mr. Galegold, where is your wand?" She asked after examining most of the students and noticing that one of them had not followed her instructions.
"It's a bit complicated, Professor, but I don't have a wand." Said the Galegold
Although Aurelius's tone was normal, his statement caused everyone's concentration to break, and they turned to look in surprise.
"Don't you have a wand?" Minerva was puzzled. "How do you intend to follow the school curriculum without a wand?"
"This way, Professor," Aurelius said before snapping his fingers.
Under everyone's gaze, the match slimmed down as its surface began to glow. Once the spire assumed its most basic shape, carvings of an occamy appeared surrounding it, ending with its beak as the sharp part of the spire. The silver base, together with the tiny sapphires that acted as eyes and the colors of the fascinating creature, resulted in a wonderfully detailed work of art on a small surface while still appearing like a needle.
The students gaped at the change and subconsciously compared their poor work with Aurelius's, feeling that something was not right. Were they learning the same thing? Why was the difference so big?
"Well, color me impressed, Mr. Galegold." Minerva acknowledged the wandless casting magic and the excellent result. "Few have such a firm and delicate control of their magic at your age, Mr. Galegold."
'He seems like he has a talent for transfiguration.' thought the witch
"Fifteen points for Galegold!" she announced happily, "If you don't mind, I'd like to keep the needle; I have the habit of collecting the best transformations of my students for following classes since, naturally, it will return to their original state before long."
"Of course, Professor, it would be an honor." Aurelius generously handed over his work.
'Perhaps I should ask the professor later to see if she could teach him how to make the transfiguration last longer. According to her explanation, all transfigurations revert to their natural state as if the action hadn't occurred. But then, some failures have kept certain aspects of those failures regardless of time, so what's the deciding factor for permanence? I'll ask after class.'
He thought about it momentarily: if he bought a box of one hundred matches, transfigured them to change them permanently, and then sold the finished products for a few knuts.
They would turn a pretty good profit.
Just after everyone has left the classroom.
"Hey, professor"
"Yes, Mr. Galegold, do you have a question?"
"Yes, I wanted to know how transfiguration could be permanent. According to your explanation, they will return to their natural state with time, but many examples of "failures" have led to the item or person being trapped in that shape despite attempts to change them back or the passage of time. So, I wanted to know how to dictate permanence."
"That's an excellent question. And quite frankly, even for transfiguration masters, the opinions and results are mixed. Like your examples, there have been cases of animagus being trapped in their animal forms, which retain their animal brain when reverted back to human or trapped in their animal form indefinitely. While others can't maintain the form for more than a few minutes."
"Some think it's a matter of our rate to restore our magic at the same rate used to maintain the transformation. In contrast, others may think they have little desire to revert subconsciously. Or their wills are too weak to fight their inner beast to revert back."
"Others see it as a mix of the two, but that begs the question, how does this apply to inanimate objects that don't possess a will or don't have a constantly replenishing magic and can stay in their form indefinitely? It's something that will have to be observed and experimented with. But how?"
"Thank you, professor, for your insights as a master," I responded politely.
"You're welcome. It's nice to see talented people push their talent further rather than coasting along the easier stuff already known." Said the delighted professor
"I wouldn't be a Galegold if I didn't."
"I suppose not." She said with a smile
His next lesson was charms with Professor Flitwick, who needed to climb on a pile of stacked books as long as the students could see him clearly to hear the lesson.
'I should get him a ladder or something. I'm amazed that he hasn't fallen off even if he has sticking charms on all the books and his feet.'
"In today's lesson, we are going to learn two basic, very simple, yet useful charms," Flitwick declared. "The first is the light-producing charm, lumos." He says while going through the basic wand movements and pronunciation. "Make sure that your wand movement is correct and have clear pronunciation. Once that's done, use your intent to will it so. Now try it yourselves. Eventually, you'll be able to do this with fewer movements and silently."
Given the ease of the incantation and movements, most students got it right on the first try, and those who didn't, took no more than five tries.
"An excellent example, Miss Granger!" Five points for Gryffindor," Flitwick nodded happily as he continued to look at the rest, and suddenly, his eyes widened. Aurelius's finger lit up like ET. He then changed the light's color into a fluorescent blue, spread out to cover his palm, and began to float and split like tiny fireflies.
"Amazing! A perfectly executed variation of the Lumos spell and masterful control of the movement of fireflies. Fifteen points to Galegold!"
Aurelius felt an intense glare and saw Hermione staring a hole through his back. He couldn't help but chuckle and wink. He wasn't going to let her get points so easily. He was somewhat surprised that she didn't set him on fire without how strong her emotions seemed to be. Furthermore, applying the variation was not his idea; instead, he tried copying a move from a particular pirate with fire powers.
"Since you've all successfully cast lumos, let's move on to the next incantation, one of the most basic of charms that all wizards know, the levitation charm! Flitwick explained. "Now repeat after me, windgardium leviosa. And remember, swish and flick."
"Wingardium, leviosa... wingar...BOOM!
"Mr. Finnigan! Are you okay?" asked the vertically challenged professor
"I think we'll need another feather, Professor, and perhaps some burning salve," Harry commented, one side of his face covered in soot.
'Didn't he learn not to sit next to the boy who causes explosions in the previous lesson? This is the second time; the first could be seen as an accident, but two times should be enough of an indicator for the future.' I thought.
I had perfectly executed the spell due to my previous practice, resulting in getting an annoyed Hermione and a jealous Ronald. 'Man, I'm starting to get annoyed by the kid. I know he's attention-starved, but he's a real prat about it.'
As we left, there goes canon, as Ronald is still a git to Hermione. Man, how did they ever become functional enough friends? It's like watching an idiotic uncle trying to have fun with a nearly as idiotic nephew while the mom is trying to be chill but loathes the uncle. And they somehow end up together? Love potion and confundus. I literally can't see it being anything else. If I remember correctly, Molly used it on Arthur. Who's to say that she didn't twist her son enough to abuse the confundus jinx.'
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