Transfiguration Club

Transfiguration Club

"You want to learn how to use a wand to conjure an umbrella?" After hearing Albert out, Professor McGonagall's facial muscles twitched slightly. She stared at him seriously. "That is O.W.L. examination material."

"I know. Professor Flitwick told me." Albert nodded to show that he understood. "But I don't think that prevents me from learning to master it."

"Reaching beyond your grasp is not a good habit, especially in Transfiguration. It is more rigorous than other subjects." Professor McGonagall clearly had no intention of telling Albert about the Summoning Charm, especially after the incident with the demolished door. "You still have much to learn before you can truly delve into that area."

"Oh, all right." Albert thought for a moment and asked, "Then may I ask what year the Summoning Charm is taught in?"

"Fifth Year material," Professor McGonagall replied casually.

"All right, I understand, Professor." Albert nodded and turned to leave. Since Professor McGonagall would not teach him, he could simply borrow a book himself or buy one at Flourish and Blotts to study on his own.

What did he mean, he understood?

What exactly did he understand? Professor McGonagall felt a headache coming on. Her intuition told her that Albert might try to master the Summoning Charm himself, which would undoubtedly be a very bad thing.

"Mr. Anderson." Professor McGonagall hurriedly called after Albert.

"What is it, Professor McGonagall?" Albert stopped and turned back in confusion.

Of course, he did not think Professor McGonagall had changed her mind.

"Tell me honestly, how far have you gotten with your Transfiguration?" Professor McGonagall beckoned to him and asked after Albert returned.

"How far?" Albert rubbed his chin and secretly glanced at his Level 1 Transfiguration.

To be honest, he did not know what level he had reached.

"Probably... I've learned almost everything in this book."

"Almost everything?" Professor McGonagall's eyes widened, as though she could not believe what she had just heard. "I practiced Transfiguration and spells throughout the break before term started," Albert muttered quietly. "As long as you practice enough, magic really isn't as difficult as people imagine."

"Not as difficult as people imagine?" Professor McGonagall felt her entire body trembling. She took a deep breath and quickly calmed down before saying to Albert, "Mr. Anderson, if you can turn a match into a mouse, I will allow you to join my Transfiguration Club."

"Transfiguration Club?" Albert looked puzzled. He admitted that his memories of the book Harry Potter were rather hazy, but it seemed that... there really had never been a Transfiguration Club... Right, that club had never appeared. There had only been the Slug Club.

"That is a club I founded. We meet twice a week to discuss and study matters related to Transfiguration," Professor McGonagall explained.

Albert glanced at the match, then at Professor McGonagall, and nodded to show that he understood. He raised his wand and began concentrating as he recited the incantation. The match visibly grew larger and turned into a mouse, though the Transfiguration was incomplete because one of the mouse's legs was lame.

Well, it was a lame mouse, but it was indeed a mouse.

Albert examined the lame mouse and shook his head helplessly. "I've never tried turning an object into a living creature before. This is much harder than transforming one object into another. Maybe if you let me try a few more times, I'll succeed."

Although this was Albert's first attempt at transforming an object into a living creature, Transfiguration Theory provided him with theoretical support.

Succeeding on his first attempt was a little too difficult. Still, Albert was quite satisfied with the result. With a few more tries, his chances of complete success would increase.

In Transfiguration, only a complete transformation counted as success.

"That won't be necessary. You've passed!" Professor McGonagall drew her wand and tapped the lame mouse, restoring the poor little creature to its original form as a match.

"I've passed?" Albert was not actually surprised. This meant that he had joined Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration Club.

As for why he was so certain? Naturally, it was because of the Task Panel's prompt.

The task to join the Transfiguration Club, which had appeared just a minute ago, had already changed to completed.

"I suggest you read more books." Professor McGonagall rattled off several book recommendations for Albert. Clearly, she did not want him attempting Transfiguration recklessly, since Transfiguration was actually rather dangerous.

"All right, I understand." Albert nodded. He needed to read a hundred books anyway. He only hoped those books would not be too thin.

"What were you talking about with Professor McGonagall?" Fred could not help asking after Albert met up with his roommates.

"I asked about the Summoning Charm," Albert explained. "But Professor McGonagall thinks it's still too early to learn it. Oh, and she invited me to join her Transfiguration Club."

"Transfiguration Club?" the three said in unison. "What's that?"

"I heard it's a club Professor McGonagall founded herself." Albert thought for a moment before saying, "They discuss and study matters related to Transfiguration."

"You're joking?" After hearing Albert's words, the Twins were so astonished that they were speechless.

"You're amazing. I'm so jealous," Lee Jordan said, a little enviously. This was undoubtedly special attention from the Head of House.

"Ahem." George cleared his throat and changed the subject. "By the way, do you two want to go to the Quidditch Pitch with us later?"

"It would be nice to get a feel for flying before Flying Class," Fred added. "Charlie won't mind having two more people test it out."

"Want to go, Albert?" Lee Jordan asked.

"If we can try flying, that sounds good." Albert agreed.

Flying freely through the sky.

He was looking forward to it a little!

Though he had ridden a toy broom once, that thing had actually been rather boring.

They agreed to meet at four-thirty in the afternoon, and there was still a long while until four.

Albert planned to go to the library to read. After arranging a time to meet the three of them in the Great Hall, he headed to the library alone.

"What should we do now?" Lee Jordan asked as he watched Albert's departing back.

"Go wander around outside?" George pointed beyond the castle, and the other two agreed with the idea.

When Albert arrived at the library, he found that there were still only two or three people there. He found a seat and, under the guise of reading, opened the Task Panel. The task of joining the Transfiguration Club had given Albert 2,000 experience points.

"A Level 2 skill?" he murmured inwardly. Going from Level 1 to Level 2 required exactly 2,000 experience points, so Albert casually raised Transfiguration Theory to Level 2.

Level 2 Transfiguration Theory should be enough to last him until graduation. As for Level 3, that was already within a professor's realm.