Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration

"My cousin attends Ilvermorny," Jericho said, holding forth. "That magical school is located on Mount Greylock, and like Hogwarts, it also divides its students into four different houses.

The school's attitude towards Muggles is the complete opposite of Durmstrang, which may have something to do with the fact that the school's founder was a Muggle.

An interesting point is that when young wizards enter the school, they choose their wands, or rather, the wands choose them, instead of buying them..."

Professor McGonagall's stern gaze swept over him, and Jericho swallowed his words, flipping open 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'.

Ten minutes later, the little Gryffindor lions arrived in droves. Even the most energetic lions wouldn't dare to fool around in Professor McGonagall's class; they sat down obediently.

However, two Gryffindors were late. As the two little lions stumbled into the classroom, Keith and the others snickered. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and deducted ten points from Gryffindor.

"Professor McGonagall is really strict," Jericho said, clearly not expecting the Head of Gryffindor to deduct more points from Gryffindor than she awarded to Slytherin.

Yet, the effect was surprisingly good. The little snakes were intimidated and sat quietly, putting on a good student facade.

The little lions felt even more guilty. Percy leaned forward, seemingly ready to answer a few questions to earn back the lost house points.

Professor McGonagall walked to the center of the classroom, scanned the room with a stern gaze, and said, "Anyone who causes trouble in my class, I will expel them and never allow them to enter again. I have warned you."

After the classroom quieted down, McGonagall got down to business. "Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous spell in your Hogwarts curriculum, and I believe it is also the most interesting. It's like this."

With that, Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at a desk, turning it into a kitten.

The kitten let out a few mewls, making the little witches want to hug it, while the little wizards became excited. A few bold Gryffindors had already picked up their wands, eager to try.

But when they heard Professor McGonagall ask them to turn a matchstick into a needle, the young wizards fell silent.

Moriarty guessed that if Professor McGonagall hadn't been present, they would have let out a wail.

"This is really difficult," Jericho said, aiming his yew wand at the matchstick, as if trying to cast a spell on it, but the matchstick only became slightly thinner.

After the first failed attempt, Jericho shook his head. "There are no incantations for Transfiguration; it's too abstract."

"Oh, Merlin's beard! Mr. Moriarty, how did you do that?" Jericho blinked, as if he thought he was seeing an illusion.

On Moriarty's desk stood a pin.

The pin spun, turning into a fine silver needle. The silver needle then tumbled in the air before becoming a thick needle.

Professor McGonagall walked over. "You are the first student in five years to complete this transformation in your first class, Mr. Moriarty. For this, you have earned five points.

And the transformation between the three types of needles was a brilliant display of transfiguration switching, for which Slytherin earns another five points!"

The little snakes let out a sigh of admiration, but Moriarty shook his head. "Professor McGonagall, when I performed the transfiguration, I found that I was merely pouring a vast amount of magic into the matchstick, forcing it to change its shape, but I couldn't change its essence.

In fact, this is a problem most wizards face today. We simply force an object with magic. Perhaps this is why Transfiguration has reached a bottleneck in recent decades."

Professor McGonagall listened intently before raising a finger.

"That is a question worth exploring, Mr. Moriarty.

Since you can raise this question, I assume you know Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration?"

"Yes, Professor," Moriarty replied. "First, one cannot conjure food. Second, one cannot conjure objects of magical power. Third, one cannot change quantity, for example—"

Moriarty glanced at his desk. "I can turn a matchstick into a needle, but I cannot turn one matchstick into two.

Fourth, inanimate objects cannot be permanently transformed into living things, and fifth, one cannot create something from nothing."

"Perfect!" Professor McGonagall couldn't stop nodding. "Unfortunately, these are not part of the first-year curriculum, or I would gladly give you fifty more points.

So, since you know the five exceptions, why do you still have doubts?

Or rather, do you question Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration?"

Professor McGonagall's gaze was filled with seriousness, and the students stared at Moriarty with their mouths agape. The classroom was terrifyingly quiet.

Moriarty met Professor McGonagall's eyes directly and said, "I agree with the first four, but I harbor fantasies about creating something from nothing.

As I said earlier, by forcing an object to change its shape with magic to achieve an outward transformation, we cannot change its essence.

But if we can find a method for essential transformation, perhaps we can achieve creation from nothing by altering the essence."

Professor McGonagall frowned. "Your idea is quite bold, but you are somewhat mistaken in your wording. How can you describe transfiguration as 'forcing'?

Many powerful wizards have said: Magic is the miracle that arises from nature when one's own will changes it.

Magic is a miracle, and transfiguration is the change and alteration before a miracle is born."

"Regarding this point, I think we can draw a parallel with Animagus and Metamorphmagus," Moriarty insisted on his view. "We all know that Animagi transform into magical creatures voluntarily, and Metamorphmagi transform into other faces voluntarily.

But inanimate objects like matchsticks, although they have no thoughts and cannot speak, would they voluntarily turn into a needle?

I think the first problem lies here. If we can find a way to establish a connection with an object, allowing it or them to change willingly, and then combine it with our outward transfiguration, perhaps we will find a method for essential transformation."

"And the second problem, I think, arises from the space between existence and non-existence," Moriarty paused and looked at Professor McGonagall. "There were only seven registered Animagi in the 20th century, Professor, and you are one of them. When you transformed into a tabby cat, a cat that had never existed before appeared in this world!

Admittedly, the species of cat exists, and you, Professor, also exist, but that specific tabby cat did not. This proves that the gap between existence and non-existence can be bridged through transfiguration.

If we can solve these two problems I've mentioned, undoubtedly, we can achieve a certain degree of creation from nothing, or even true creation from nothing."

"Mr. Moriarty, you are truly... oh..." Professor McGonagall's face held an unutterable expression. She pondered for a long time before saying, "Bold conjecture, brilliant analysis. Unfortunately, I cannot enlighten you. I suggest you submit an article to 'Transfiguration Today.' There are many Transfiguration masters there with whom you can discuss in depth."

Moriarty showed a look of disappointment but still nodded slightly. In fact, as he self-studied Transfiguration, he had already begun to question Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration.

The conjecture he had just presented was actually to solve a fundamental problem: elemental transfiguration.

Moriarty raised his Snow Fir Wood wand, and water elemental magic gathered at the tip, forming a water ball the size of a fist.

A chill emanated from Moriarty, once again firmly capturing the attention of the students and Professor McGonagall.

They watched as the water sphere transformed into a ball of ice.

Moriarty's left hand, holding his wand, suddenly trembled. He stared at the ice ball with a gaze as sharp as a sword's edge, but the ice ball remained unresponsive.

After a while, Moriarty seemed to give up. He put away his wand, and the ice ball vanished.

The students were bewildered, but Professor McGonagall had grasped something. She walked over to Moriarty. "You wanted to turn the ice ball into air?"

"Gas, to be precise," Moriarty stated plainly, not hiding anything. "Water is liquid, ice is solid. I can easily turn liquid into solid, but I can't turn solid into gas.

I believe that by changing the three states of macroscopic physics, I can find the essence of transformation."

Professor McGonagall didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth weakly, and just then, class ended. She tossed out, "Five points to Gryffindor for your curiosity and erudition, Mr. Moriarty."

Then she hurried away. Moriarty guessed she must be going to report to Dumbledore, but it didn't matter. Moriarty wasn't afraid of attracting Dumbledore's attention.

This was because Lockhart had established his persona as a genius. If he acted like a mediocre talent, that would truly make Dumbledore wary.

As it was now, Professor McGonagall surely thought he was a genius full of whimsical ideas, and Moriarty hadn't revealed his true objective.

When he found he couldn't quickly unlock Fire Elemental Magic, Moriarty thought of Transfiguration—elemental transformation.

Or rather, switching between elements.

It was impossible for Water Elemental Magic to become Fire Elemental Magic due to their fundamental conflict, but could Water Elemental Magic become Earth Elemental Magic?

Then again, perhaps there was no Earth Elemental Magic at all?

Moriarty didn't know if these ideas could be realized, but he would explore in this direction.

"Perhaps submitting an article to 'Transfiguration Today' and exchanging ideas with those old guys wouldn't be bad?"

On the way back to the dormitory, Moriarty thought to himself. Wizards disliked the White Lord and even more so the Dark Lord, but a scholar researching magic wouldn't attract too much attention.

Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration didn't have precise official settings. The only known exception is the inability to conjure food; the remaining four are my own hypotheses. Do any of you have other ideas?