Dangerous Transfiguration

Sean had already experienced plenty of magic's wonders, but what he looked forward to most—and held in the highest regard—was Transfiguration. If one thought about it carefully, one would realize that masters among wizards like Dumbledore and Voldemort preferred to use Transfiguration more often than not.

If the spells learned in Charms Class were everyday life, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and the spells learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts were combat and defense, like advanced mathematics, then Transfiguration was more like applied physics. It might seem useless much of the time, yet traces of it could be found everywhere in wizarding life. Once one's Transfiguration reached a certain level, it would almost undergo a qualitative transformation.

Of course, it was only an imprecise analogy. For Sean, this was as far as his imagination of magic went.

The greater appeal of Transfiguration would have to be explained to him by a pioneer like Professor McGonagall.

Clearly, Professor McGonagall's authority and intelligence had been etched into everyone's minds from the moment they met her. Before class had even begun, the young wizards of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had already taken their seats early.

However, since the lesson had not yet started, the first-years were all chatting excitedly.

Children from Wizarding Families like Harry kept telling the surrounding first-years about riding Flying Broomsticks as a child. In his stories, the ending usually involved narrowly avoiding Muggle helicopters. He was good-looking and generous, and he already vaguely possessed the air of the leader of the Gryffindor first-years, so the others readily believed his stories.

Sean secretly chuckled. He thought the normal ending should have been Harry getting hauled down by Sirius on a flying motorcycle.

Hermione, however, was not particularly interested in Harry's stories. "The wind near helicopters is very strong. A Flying Broomstick would get sucked toward them," she muttered.

When class began, Professor McGonagall still had not appeared in the classroom. Ron teased the cat on the podium and said to his friends beside him, "Professor McGonagall looks so strict, but she can be late too."

The moment he finished speaking, the tabby cat with markings around its eyes gave a shudder and transformed into a witch in emerald-green robes.

"You needn't worry about that, Mr. Weasley," she said sternly.

Ron and his friends were stunned.

The other students, including Sean, watched the scene in shock. The same thought rose in everyone's mind: So this is... Transfiguration?

Professor McGonagall swept her stern gaze across the room. Standing beside the podium with her hands clasped behind her back, she spoke in her most serious voice:

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous branch of magic you will study at Hogwarts. Anyone—" She glanced at the Gryffindors led by Harry and stressed her words. "Anyone who misbehaves in my classroom will be sent out and never allowed back in. I have warned you."

Everyone unconsciously sat up straight, scarcely daring to breathe.

Professor McGonagall walked to the blackboard and swiftly wrote several large words.

"Transfiguration is not permanent!"

"The effects of magic on an object are time-limited. Depending on the individual's ability, they may last from several dozen minutes to several hours. Once the magic wears off, the transfigured object will return to its original form! Everyone, remember this firmly. This is the fundamental reason Transfiguration is so complex and dangerous. I do not care how far you may progress in Transfiguration in the future, but if anyone forgets this..." She looked over everyone once more. Though she did not finish the sentence, everyone understood what she meant.

"Now then, Mr. Wallop." She glanced over the parchment and called Sean's name. "Suppose I transfigured this piece of parchment into a jelly sweet, and you ate it. What would happen several hours later?"

Sean stood and answered earnestly, "It would turn back into parchment, Professor."

"Correct. But what if the jelly sweet had been transfigured from a table? Or from steel?"

"They would return to their original forms as well." Sean paused. "Those wood chips and metal fragments would remain in your stomach. And if any of it had been absorbed... then wood splinters and steel filings would be present in your body's tissues."

"Very good. You have grasped the key point." Professor McGonagall motioned for Sean to sit down, her tone becoming even more serious. "By then, anyone who accidentally consumed a transfigured object would only have a chance of surviving if they happened to be right beside St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."

She leaned forward and said, word by word, "It is not only food. You must never transfigure anything into liquid or gas. Liquids evaporate, gases disperse, and if someone happens to inhale them, the consequences would be just as irreversible!"

"I warn every one of you: Transfiguration is not a trick for pranks. Whoever dares joke around with it, I will personally expel them."

Professor McGonagall already carried an imposing presence. After this even more stern and forceful speech, everyone unconsciously swallowed, but they also firmly remembered every word she had said.

"Now, can anyone tell me what Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration is?"

Sean raised his hand before Hermione could.

"Mr. Wallop."

"First, food cannot be created from nothing, nor can other things be turned into delicacies."

"Second, one cannot turn an object into a magical creation. That is something only alchemists can do."

"Third, one cannot transfigure objects into Magical Metal, such as gold. At most, you can create an iron block that gleams with the light of gold."

"Fourth, one cannot give life to an inanimate object. Transfiguration can temporarily turn an inanimate object into a living creature, but that creature merely has the organizational structure of life. Strictly speaking, it is not 'life.'"

"Lastly," Sean said, glancing at the satisfied Professor McGonagall, "Transfiguration cannot change the quantity of an object. One cannot become two. But I read that there are other methods, though I do not understand those, Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall nodded in satisfaction and motioned for him to sit. "Very good. Five points to Ravenclaw. As for your final question, Mr. Wallop, the laws you remembered are correct. One cannot become two, but two ones can be added together to become two. This advanced composite Transfiguration will be covered in the higher years."

Having received his answer, Sean nodded in realization, but he still raised his hand.

"Do you have another question, Mr. Wallop?"

"Professor, you just mentioned that liquids and gases cannot be transfigured, but I do not quite understand. After all, some wizards..." Sean voiced his confusion. Wizards could not all be honorable, virtuous people. What if someone turned a piece of steel into water and scattered it across the grounds at noon? If the water evaporated rapidly, would not everyone who inhaled it be doomed?

Professor McGonagall motioned for him to stop, then looked deeply at him with bright, authoritative eyes. "I understand your question. Stay after class."

Huh? Sean froze. I haven't even explained the specific question yet. And shouldn't the answer be told to all the students?