Transfiguration Class

Oren rolled over lazily in bed.

He communicated with the system in his mind. System! Sign in!

System: Congratulations, you have obtained a Luoyang shovel.

Oren...

He rubbed his eyes and casually picked up a hairpin, sticking it into his hair.

Oren had made this hairpin while experimenting with alchemy. It had no special functions, but its cost was very low—just one iron cup.

Hogwarts total assets: -20 copper Knuts.

"Wake up! Today is the first Transfiguration class of the term!"

Oren shook all three of his dormmates awake, but only Neville climbed out of bed and got ready for class.

"Come on, Neville, we're almost late! Forget Harry and Ron. Those two pigs are dead asleep."

"And stop looking for that lousy toad of yours. Some free-spirited toads just can't be kept!"

Neville...

The two of them ran all the way to the Transfiguration classroom without even having breakfast. They rushed to the door in a panic, and Oren nearly knocked Hermione flying.

Hermione said, "Why are you running so fast? And can't you watch where you're going? Aren't you afraid Filch will catch you? Do you know how many points get deducted if you're caught?"

Oren explained, "We almost overslept. You don't want Gryffindor to lose points because someone was late for the first Transfiguration class either, do you, little witch?"

Hermione...

"Just you and Neville? Where are Harry and Ron?"

"Don't even mention it. They were sleeping like they were dead. If they hadn't still been soft all over, I'd have called Madam Pomfrey."

"I'm telling you, if they aren't late today, I'll eat this desk right here!"

"How can they be like this? This is the first class taught by the Head of House!" The little witch anxiously started tugging at her hair.

"Okay, okay, get inside already. Otherwise, we'll be late too."

When they entered the classroom, the three looked around but did not spot Professor McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall isn't here yet?" The little witch pointed at the desk. "Is this Professor McGonagall's cat?"

A flash of helplessness passed through the big cat's eyes.

Neville's round face was practically pressed against the cat.

Something was off. Oren instinctively felt that there was something strange about the cat. Its eyes were far too human. Had it become some kind of spirit?

He pulled out the coin sword the system had given him from his pocket and lightly poked the cat. Oren muttered inwardly, wondering whether this thing would work against monsters.

Hermione asked, "What is that? Some kind of special wand?"

"It's a magical artifact. And don't touch it."

"Why? Is the sword not supposed to be touched?"

"You guessed right. This thing has excessive lead content. Touch it too much and you won't grow taller. Remember to wash your hands later."

Hermione...

Oren put away the coin sword and stared at the cat. The more he looked at its markings, the more familiar they seemed. All the books he had read flashed through his mind in rapid succession.

"Ah—Animagus!"

Hermione and Neville: Huh????

The cat sprang up and transformed into Professor McGonagall. She rubbed Oren's head and said, "For Mr. Black's observational skills, Gryffindor receives three points."

Professor McGonagall waved her wand, conjuring several balls of water to wash Oren and Hermione's hands, then transformed back into a cat and leaped onto the desk.

The three went to their seats. The little witch immediately dragged Neville, Oren's desk mate, away and sat down in his place herself.

Neville's mouth twitched. He could only sit with Seamus.

"Oren, what was that Animagus thing you mentioned just now?"

"Aren't you quite fond of reading, little witch?"

"I haven't seen it in any books!"

"It's in the upper-year textbooks. There are plenty of books explaining Animagi in the Restricted Section. Don't tell me—don't tell me there's really someone who can't get into the Restricted Section."

The little witch's face flushed red with anger. It was obvious her blood pressure had shot up by several points.

Hermione crossed her arms and snorted.

Harry and Ron hurried into the classroom.

Ron said, "We made it. Do you know how terrible Professor McGonagall's expression would be if we were late?"

Professor McGonagall transformed from a cat into a person right in front of them.

Ron praised, "That was so cool."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Weasley."

Hermione whispered, "This is the first Transfiguration class. I can't believe those two actually dared to be late."

"Shh, keep it down," Oren said. "I want to see whether McGonagall turns one of them into a map and the other into a pocket watch."

Hermione...

After Professor McGonagall scolded the two of them, she let them go.

"Thank goodness," Hermione said with a sigh of relief. "At least no points were deducted."

The two entered the classroom and prepared for class.

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic you will study at Hogwarts."

"Anyone who misbehaves in my class will be sent out and never permitted to return."

Professor McGonagall waved her wand and transformed the desk into a pig.

Looking at the lifelike pig rooting around on the floor, Oren asked in confusion.

"Professor McGonagall, that pig looks alive."

As soon as he finished speaking, the pig looked at Oren with clear, stupid eyes.

"Mr. Black's observational skills are excellent. However, a pig created through Transfiguration has no soul. That involves more advanced Transfiguration."

Oren had no time to listen to what the professor was saying. His mind was full of souls.

Right! If it has no soul, then just add one!

Alchemy could create the framework, Transfiguration could fill in the details, then add a soul. What Jerusalem, what Aunt Wang, what couldn't be made?

Who the hell would need house-elves then? Alchemy could use souls too. Equivalent exchange—souls were far more valuable than magic power.

The Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest must have pretty good souls. When I get the chance, I have to visit the spider neighbors in the Forbidden Forest and borrow some souls.

Thinking this, Oren slapped his thigh and muttered quietly, "Right, souls!"

Seeing Oren looking like a dark wizard who had just found inspiration for a forbidden magical experiment, Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand and tapped him on the head. The force was just enough to leave him dazed without hurting his brain.

Glancing at Oren clutching his head, Professor McGonagall said, "Today's task is to turn a match into a silver needle."

Oren held his head and stared blankly at the match. His thoughts had already drifted to how he could store souls.

Hermione, his desk mate, waved her wand and chanted the spell. After several tries, she transformed her match into a crude needle.

Professor McGonagall encouraged her, "Miss Granger is the first to produce a silver needle. Gryffindor receives three points."

With her chin raised twenty degrees higher, the little witch looked at Oren provocatively.

Oren raised an eyebrow, stopped clutching his head, and pulled out his wand. He waved it theatrically and began chanting.

With the first casting, he turned the match silver. With the second, he transformed it into a silver needle. With the third, he gave the silver needle golden patterns.

Professor McGonagall said, "Excellent casting. Gryffindor receives five points." Then she rubbed Oren's head again.

With his chin raised twenty-five degrees higher, Oren returned her provocative look.

"Hmph." The little witch waved her wand and fussed with it for ages before producing faint patterns on her silver needle.

"Miss Granger is the second to produce patterns. Gryffindor receives four points."

Oren pulled out his wand and fiddled around for a while, giving the silver needle four pig legs so that it could slowly crawl about.

"An interesting idea. Gryffindor receives one point."

The rivalry between the top students put so much pressure on the little lions and badgers around them that they all fidgeted constantly in their seats as though ants were crawling over them, like their chairs were burning their backsides.

Only Professor McGonagall's lips kept curving upward. She could not suppress it. She simply could not suppress it.

The bell rang, and Professor McGonagall left the classroom with a smile.

Both sides put away their needles, which were covered in extra features and looked somewhat indescribable.

After one class, Oren ultimately came out ahead, scoring three more points than Hermione.

Oren looked at Hermione, whose hair she had scratched into a mess, and began his verbal assault. "If you're bad, practice more! If you can't handle losing, don't play!"

"Hmph!" The little witch ran off with her messy hair.

Harry swallowed and said, "Oren, as a top student like you, your grades must be really good, right?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Ahem, well, could we copy your homework?" Ron chimed in from the side.

"Homework? What homework?"

Ron said anxiously, "The History of Magic homework and today's Transfiguration essay."

Oren!!! I'm dead!

"Ah!" Oren sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh no, I haven't written a single word."

Harry, Ron, Neville...

"Sigh." Oren sighed, thinking of what he had to do at noon. There really was quite a lot.

Leaving the three behind, Oren ran toward Hagrid's hut and rushed to its door.

"Quick, Hagrid, I need your help with something!" Oren pounded on the door. If Hagrid had not opened it in time, the door would probably have been smashed down.

"Dumbledore told me that the Black family seems pretty rich. Help me withdraw some money. A thousand Galleons will do." Oren slapped his vault key onto the table.

Hagrid was deeply moved by Oren's trust in him. Wiping away a tear, he patted his chest and said, "Don't worry. I'm experienced at helping people take things from vaults. I'll get it done for you by tomorrow morning!"

After saying goodbye to Hagrid, Oren ran all the way back to the Great Hall. It was dessert time by then, and he plopped down between the twins.

"I need you two to help me with something."

Fred nodded, indicating that he should continue.

"Homework. I need someone to do my homework for me."

George advised, "Little Oren, you're only in your first year. The homework is all very simple. Besides, if someone else writes it for you, what can you learn?"

Oren pulled out a handful of gold Galleons from his pocket, more than fifty in total. They were all coins that Headmaster Dumbledore had dropped over the past few days.

Fred patted his chest. "Young Master Black, don't worry. Leave it to us!"

Oren nodded and glanced at the desserts on the table. He clicked his tongue. Even if he starved to death, he would never take a bite of that stuff.

He casually grabbed a slice of watermelon and looked toward the staff table. Headmaster Dumbledore was not there, so Oren ran toward the Headmaster's office again.

Inside the Headmaster's office.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, the experiment..." Oren had not eaten a bite since morning and had been running all over the place. He was so tired that he could barely catch his breath.

The old man's heart skipped a beat. What experiment? Had Oren developed Avada Lightning Chain? Or some soul-specific Cruciatus Curse? Don't tell me it was a Horcrux that didn't split the soul?

"Headmaster, I found a new direction for my research. If I combine it with Transfiguration and add souls into it, could I make something new? And can souls be added during alchemy?"

Dumbledore wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Voldemort? Heh, little Tom. He would guarantee that even seventh-year Voldemort had never been pushed this hard by anyone like first-year Oren was pushing him now.