The Hairpin

Professor McGonagall walked up to the lectern without wasting any words.

"Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous branches of magic."

She began, her voice not loud, yet the entire classroom fell silent at once. "It requires precise control, a strong will, and a deep understanding of the target object."

After a pause, Professor McGonagall swept her gaze around the room and continued, "Today, our goal is simple—to turn the match in front of you into a needle."

Then she flicked her wand and said, "Forma Verto!" (The author made this up based on Latin; it means to change shape.)

Before everyone's eyes, the match on the lectern slowly transformed into a gleaming silver needle.

Gasps of astonishment rose throughout the classroom.

"Get started," Professor McGonagall ordered. "Give it a try. What are you waiting for?"

Strange sounds and gestures immediately filled the area around Yulian.

"Ferula Vero!" Kayson swung his arm broadly. The match seemed to grow a little larger, but its shape did not change.

"Your pronunciation is wrong," Edgar corrected him. "It should be Forma. Watch me!" He tried it himself, but the match didn't move at all.

Yulian had already mastered this Transfiguration spell completely, of course, after repeatedly practicing in the Magic Resonance Library with Murphy's book, Twenty-Three Ways to Turn a Match into a Needle.

Just then, Edgar raised his hand. "Professor McGonagall, I don't think my pronunciation was wrong. Why didn't it work? Could it be the wand movement? Maybe you have to flick it first, then give it a twitch?"

Clearly, this fellow had studied ahead in Charms, just like Hermione.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "That's an excellent question, Mr. Finch. As I said at the beginning, the key to Transfiguration is precise magical control, a clear mental image, and a deep understanding of the principles of transformation. These matter more than any fancy incantation."

"So in Transfiguration, the incantation isn't the most important thing. Your understanding and imagination of the object you want to transform matter most. That's why a wizard can't conjure something they know nothing about."

"Professor McGonagall makes a lot of sense," Kayson whispered as he edged closer to Yulian. "So what are we supposed to do?"

Yulian smiled and shook his head helplessly. "You need to picture a needle in your mind, in as much detail as possible, and then work on the match in front of you."

"I've got it. Just watch!" Kayson tried again.

A faint glimmer flashed at the tip of his wand. The match trembled, one end sharpening to a point, while the other swelled into a little wooden ball. It looked like a ridiculous comma.

"That's not bad, Mr. Moretti," Professor McGonagall said. Somehow, she had come up behind him. "You've grasped the idea of 'sharp,' but you've neglected the overall shape. Focus! Remember, Transfiguration isn't destruction; it's reshaping!"

"Mr. Black, why haven't you started yet?" Professor McGonagall glanced at Yulian, who was resting his chin in his hand and grinning as he watched his classmates.

"Oh, well, Professor McGonagall, I have another question," Yulian hurriedly sat up straight and made an excuse.

"You asked us to make a needle. Did you mean a sewing needle like yours, a knitting needle, or a magnetic compass needle?"

Professor McGonagall blinked in surprise. Before she could respond, Yulian continued, "As far as I know, there's also a hidden weapon called a needle, and—"

"Enough, Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall cut him off sternly. She wondered if this student had come to cause trouble. He'd seemed quite well-behaved during the home visit. Now, he seemed less like Evans and more like Black.

"Mr. Moretti's imagination isn't focused enough, but yours is far too scattered, Mr. Black!"

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall had been teaching for many years and had seen every kind of student. "From now on, you can turn it into any kind of needle you like, as long as you can manage it. If you succeed, you can skip the homework."

Then Professor McGonagall addressed the entire class. "That goes for everyone. Anyone who succeeds can skip the homework!"

"Right! Just watch!" Yulian said loudly, imitating Kayson's tone.

Yulian first closed his eyes and spent some time picturing something.

Then he clearly said, "Forma Verto!"

The tip of his silver lime wand tapped lightly. Silver light wound around the dry wooden stalk like a thread. The wood's color swiftly faded, and the cold gleam of metal blossomed from its tip, stretching into a sleek, sharp silver arc.

At the end, a tiny glimmer gathered and extended, finally becoming a delicate five-pointed star. It shimmered faintly in place, as if it had trapped a fragment of starlight.

"WTF!" Edgar and Kayson both exclaimed as they watched.

"This is an Eastern hairpin, also called a hairpin dagger. Women use it to put up their hair, or as a weapon for self-defense—or even assassination. It's for you."

Professor McGonagall silently exclaimed, "Merlin's pants!" Then she gently picked up the hairpin and examined it for a long time before putting it away.

"All right, Mr. Black. I accept your gift. This can certainly be called a masterpiece of Transfiguration. I'll cast a reinforcement charm on it so it can be preserved for a long time. I award Ravenclaw ten points!"

"By the way, Mr. Black, stay after class. Everyone else, carry on."

The match in front of Lyria didn't turn into a needle. It gradually lengthened, as though the wood were growing again. One end sharpened, while the other sprouted roots.

Lyria looked a little pale. She seemed unhappy with her Transfiguration.

"Interesting." Professor McGonagall had noticed as she walked over. Her gaze moved between Lyria and the lengthened match.

"Miss Lyria, your magic seems to have a strong regional quality. But this isn't standard Transfiguration. It's more like... a manifestation of nature magic."

Lyria lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's. "I'm sorry, Professor. Back home, we're used to doing all sorts of things this way, but I... I don't know how to use the method you've taught us."

The classroom fell silent. The Gryffindor students watched with curiosity, while the Ravenclaw students looked thoughtful.

Professor McGonagall was quiet for a moment, then said, "Magic takes many forms, and there's no absolute right or wrong. But here, at Hogwarts, we need to learn a universal, controllable system of magic. Miss Lyria, I suggest you set aside your natural power for now and focus on understanding the basic principles of Transfiguration."

"To put it in practical terms," Professor McGonagall said carefully, "don't change the shape of the object; change its properties."

She paused, then added, "Still, your ability is very unique. Perhaps it will be quite useful in Care of Magical Creatures someday."

"I understand." Lyria lifted her head. A glimmer of gratitude shone in her icy blue eyes, and she tried again. The final result couldn't exactly be called a needle, but it was at least an iron wire.

By the end of class, only a handful of young wizards had fully succeeded. Only then did Yulian realize how much the book in the Magic Resonance Library had helped him.

"Mr. Black, would you like to join my Transfiguration Club?"