Professor McGonagall wasn't stingy with praise, even when it came to Slytherin students. She had always treated everyone equally.
"I'm curious to see how far you've gotten."
After showing the other students what Ezio had managed to do with Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall came over to ask him.
"I've more or less mastered turning one inanimate object into another of a similar size, and I've learned how to reshape objects. But I haven't succeeded at transforming living things yet. Maybe I haven't figured out the method of suppressing a living creature that you mentioned."
"Excellent work." A rare smile appeared on Professor McGonagall's face. "But don't rush to learn these more difficult forms of Transfiguration. Understanding Transfiguration takes time and experience. It isn't a spell where casting it means you've completely mastered it."
"Let me give you a simple example."
Professor McGonagall gave the lectern a gentle wave, and two sheets of parchment flew over.
"Try turning this into a thin wooden stick."
Ezio nodded, then tapped one of the sheets of parchment. It successfully turned into a small wooden stick about as thick as a chopstick.
"Now, break it," Professor McGonagall said.
Ezio did as she asked, but just as he bent the stick and the wood was about to snap, it suddenly turned back into parchment in his hand.
"I couldn't break it, Professor. Just as I was about to snap it, the Transfiguration failed."
"Then try this one." Professor McGonagall gave her wand a light wave and turned the other sheet of parchment into a wooden stick.
Snap! Ezio easily broke the stick into two shorter pieces.
"The first step in Transfiguration is changing an object's form. But if a transformed object is damaged, the Transfiguration immediately breaks down, because you can't hold the magic in place. The object you transform has only changed in appearance."
Professor McGonagall explained carefully. She was very fond of a student who was both talented and clever.
"But if you have a deeper grasp of Transfiguration, you can leave magic inside the transformed object. Then it will remain in that form until your magic runs out—"
The broken stick turned into two torn sheets of parchment. "Until the magic you left in it is exhausted."
"The more severely an object is damaged, the faster the magic you left in it will be used up. Transfiguration can't make a transformation permanent. How long it lasts depends on the caster."
"That's also why Transfiguration can't turn something into food. Even if you change its appearance and make it look like food, it isn't real food. It will turn back into what it was while you're chewing it."
"What about the Philosopher's Stone? Nicolas Flamel made one that can create gold and turn one thing into another permanently, didn't he?" Ezio asked curiously.
"The Philosopher's Stone is indeed the only magical object in the world capable of permanent Transfiguration. I don't know exactly how it works." Professor McGonagall wasn't surprised by the question. After all, the ultimate form of Transfiguration was permanent transformation, something no one but the Philosopher's Stone could achieve.
"But it's not hard to guess that the Philosopher's Stone has some way of permanently fixing magic inside a transformed object. That's the only way to explain the miracles it can perform. As for whether it can turn something into food, you'd have to ask Nicolas Flamel himself."
Ezio nodded, satisfied, though his curiosity wasn't sated. He had accumulated too many questions over the holidays and wanted answers to them all.
"What about becoming an Animagus, Professor? I'm very interested in that magic, too. You're an accomplished Animagus, and I'd like to know more about it."
"Don't try it lightly." Professor McGonagall shook her head slightly. "Curiosity is a wonderful thing, but we also need to take things one step at a time. If you're interested, you can join my Transfiguration Club. Come to my office at three every Saturday afternoon."
The little wizards nearby had also heard Ezio's conversation with Professor McGonagall. But to students who couldn't yet turn a matchstick into a needle, what they were discussing was far too difficult to understand. All they knew was that Professor McGonagall had invited Ezio to join her Transfiguration Club during his very first lesson.
At Hogwarts, professors in every subject ran clubs for their classes, letting talented young wizards join. After all, gifted students were sure to make their mark after graduation, and professors understood the value of cultivating relationships. They didn't hesitate to invest in the future. Even Snape had a Potions Club with very strict requirements. When it came to Potions, Snape was a golden opportunity no one could afford to pass up. No one would dispute that.
Before long, the first Transfiguration lesson was over. The young wizards left in twos and threes. It wouldn't take long for word of what had happened in class to spread from mouth to mouth. Ezio knew that was inevitable. He understood perfectly well that he couldn't stay unnoticed at Hogwarts, so from the very beginning, he had given up on "stealth" and chosen "direct confrontation," which he was just as good at.
After all, either way, it was a perfect assassination that left no one the wiser. As long as the result was right, the process didn't matter to him. The same went for his studies at Hogwarts. If he couldn't keep a low profile, then he might as well make a splash from the start and reap the greatest benefits, helping him achieve what he had come to Hogwarts for.
There was no rule that said an assassin had to sneak around. Couldn't he take out his target openly and honorably?
As they walked toward the common room, Harry looked at Ezio with envy.
"If you join Professor McGonagall's club, you'll be able to learn all sorts of powerful Transfiguration, right, Ezio?"
"The Animagus thing you mentioned earlier—that's the magic Professor McGonagall used to turn into a cat, right?"
"Yeah. Becoming an Animagus is considered the most complicated form of Transfiguration, and few wizards can master it. But in reality, Animagi aren't rare. Not many are registered with the Ministry of Magic, but there are probably plenty who aren't."
"Why do you say that?" Harry asked, puzzled. "Is there some trouble if you register?"
"It's a perfect disguise, after all. Registering with the Ministry of Magic means people can find out about your disguise in advance. A Hogwarts teacher like Professor McGonagall can afford not to worry about that, but some people would definitely use the ability for other things. Of course they wouldn't want to reveal themselves."
"And as far as I know..." Ezio stopped at the entrance to the common room, waiting for the students ahead to go inside. "At Uagadou School of Magic in Africa, most of the wizards there can become Animagi. The youngest is only twelve, and most of them master the magic when they're fourteen or fifteen. That's one reason I want to learn it, too."
"Cool!" Harry's eyes lit up. "I wish I could learn it, too. I wonder what animal I'd turn into. Whatever it is, I bet it'd be cool."
"Then start by turning a matchstick into a needle. Practice and get a feel for it. I think you have the talent."
"For the Animagus!" Harry was instantly fired up. "Let's go!"
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