Charlie had no idea. He'd just woken up; his performance just now was thanks to another special skill.
As long as he heard his name during class, he could wake up instantly and act as if he'd never been asleep.
Charlie blinked and thought quickly.
He heard spells sounding one after another around the classroom, along with his classmates waving their wands, and immediately understood what was happening.
"Matchstick to Silver Needle, Professor."
Charlie answered confidently.
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose slightly, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"If you know what the task is, why aren't you practicing, Mr. White?"
Charlie gave her a confident smile.
"Because I already know how, Professor."
At those words, not only did Professor McGonagall freeze, but the students around him also stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Charlie.
Ernie and Justin were even more dumbfounded. They'd seen Charlie sleep through the entire class with their own eyes!
This was bad. Not only had he slept in class, now he was lying to the teacher, too.
Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together, her expression turning stern.
She remembered Charlie well, since she'd personally welcomed him into the Wizarding World.
She'd liked Charlie from the start, but the last thing she wanted to see was a student lying in class.
"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall's voice cooled.
"Then please show everyone."
The classroom fell silent, and every eye turned to Charlie.
Ernie's palms were sweating. He was genuinely worried about his new roommate.
Charlie didn't reply. He simply picked up his wand and gave it a gentle wave.
"Matchstick to Silver Needle," he murmured.
The match on the desk trembled, then transformed into a gleaming silver needle before everyone's eyes.
The whole class gasped, and even Professor McGonagall's eyes widened.
She picked up the needle and examined it carefully, confirming that it was a perfect silver needle with no trace of the matchstick left.
"Impressive, Mr. White," Professor McGonagall said, her voice tinged with unmistakable surprise.
She hadn't expected Charlie to actually know Transfiguration. Even Pure-blood wizards, who grew up surrounded by magic, found it difficult to succeed at Transfiguration in their very first lesson. It was all the more challenging for a Muggle-born wizard.
It seemed Charlie had studied hard over the summer. At the thought, she gave him an approving look.
Professor McGonagall admired students who loved learning most of all.
"Five points to Hufflepuff for Mr. White's excellent Transfiguration," Professor McGonagall announced, then turned to the class.
"Do you see? This is what preparation and diligent practice can achieve."
Ernie and Justin stared at Charlie, their expressions as astonished as if they'd seen a flying pig.
Seriously, mate, you could earn points while sleeping?
The bell rang, and Charlie finally woke up completely.
Professor McGonagall put away her wand and surveyed the classroom.
"Your homework is to practice turning a matchstick into a silver needle and write an essay about the transformation. I'll check everyone's progress next lesson."
The students gathered their bags and got ready to leave.
Justin wailed about how difficult the assignment was. He'd never written an essay before.
The three of them left the classroom together, with Ernie still chattering away about Charlie's talent.
Back in the Hufflepuff Common Room, Charlie found a quiet corner and sat down to check what he'd won in last night's draw.
"Little System, what did I get last night?"
[In reply to Your Majesty, last night you obtained +20 proficiency in the Levitation Charm, +100 proficiency in Flock of Birds, +50 proficiency in Transfiguration, Animagus...]
The system rattled off a long list, leaving Charlie's head spinning.
"Hold on, hold on. Tell me more about that Animagus."
[An Animagus is a form of Advanced Transfiguration that allows a wizard to transform into a specific animal. It's an extremely rare ability. Fewer than seven registered Animagi exist in the entire British Wizarding World.]
Charlie's eyes lit up at once.
"Turn into an animal? Then I want to become an Eastern Divine Dragon!"
[Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the Animagus form provided by the system can be a Magical Creature, but it must be an animal that exists in this world.]
"Then what's the point?"
Charlie slapped his thigh in disappointment.
Justin winced and pulled Charlie's hand off his own leg.
"Could you slap your own leg?"
Charlie fobbed him off with an offhand answer.
"I'll let you copy my homework."
"Dad, give it another couple of slaps. Otherwise, I won't feel right copying it."
Justin changed his tune instantly. Charlie's skill at Transfiguration was plain to see, so his homework was bound to be good.
After fobbing Justin off, Charlie continued thinking.
He'd wanted to become a dragon from Eastern mythology, one that could fly through the sky and dive into the sea, with incredible fighting power.
But he could only transform into an animal that existed in this world.
[Your Majesty, there's no need to be disappointed. This world has many powerful Magical Creatures, such as Fire Dragons and Thunderbirds...]
He couldn't become a Divine Dragon, but a Fire Dragon didn't sound bad either.
Charlie rubbed his hands together. "Then I'll become a Fire Dragon!"
[Available Fire Dragon breeds include the Australian Opaleye, Hungarian Horntail, Chinese Fireball Dragon...]
"Say no more. I choose the Chinese Fireball Dragon."
The name made Charlie feel a particular fondness for it.
[Do you confirm the Chinese Fireball Dragon as your Animagus form? This choice cannot be changed once confirmed.]
"Confirmed!" Charlie replied without hesitation.
[Selection complete. Your Animagus form has been set as the Chinese Fireball Dragon. With the system's assistance, you can transform immediately without any training.]
Thinking of how he'd be able to fly after transforming, Charlie felt a thrill of excitement.
Who hadn't dreamed of flying as a child?
Charlie got up and headed over to Ernie and Justin. "I'm going out to get some fresh air. You two start on your homework."
"Want to come with us?" Ernie asked, looking up.
"No, I'm just going for a walk."
Charlie waved a hand and hurried out of the common room.
He walked along the corridor, heading straight for the Forbidden Forest.
It was sparsely visited, making it the perfect place to test out his new ability.
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