Zhang Xiao laid the match in front of him. Following Professor McGonagall's instructions, he gave his wand a light flick, pointed it toward the match, and said:
"Vera Verto!"
The match trembled twice, but nothing happened. After two more attempts, Zhang Xiao set down his wand and frowned slightly.
No, trying blindly like this is far too inefficient. There must be something I haven't thought of or noticed. It's like those math olympiad problems in my previous life. Sometimes it isn't that you can't solve them-you just lack the right approach.
Zhang Xiao pulled over his parchment and began recalling the key points Professor McGonagall had explained earlier in class, writing down what he needed to pay attention to.
Professor McGonagall had said that he needed a precise idea when transfiguring an object. He absolutely could not let his mind wander during the transformation. He should not think of the object as being transformed, but as revealing its true form.
Zhang Xiao had found the explanation utterly baffling. It sounded very magical, at any rate. Given Professor McGonagall's limited contact with Muggle society, she did not know how to describe it in terms Muggles would understand.
Zhang Xiao took up his pen and wrote, "First, we can be certain that magic is governed by the mind. 'Having a precise idea' could mean knowing exactly what you want to turn something into."
Hmm, that seems quite likely. Suppose I want to turn a person into a monkey, but halfway through I decide a baboon would be nice too. What would I end up with?
Dipping his pen in the ink, Zhang Xiao continued writing:
"Then how exactly does Transfiguration work? The professor said to regard the object as having been that way all along. Does that mean it isn't a match, but a needle? Isn't that literally calling a deer a horse?"
At that thought, Zhang Xiao put down his pen and picked up his wand again, concentrating as hard as he could on the process of a match turning into a needle.
"Vera Verto!"
The match trembled more violently than before and seemed to take on a faint metallic sheen, but on closer inspection, it was still a match.
Failed again?
Am I thinking in the wrong position? Or not trying hard enough?
Zhang Xiao tried several different positions, then stared wide-eyed at the match. Yet he still failed, with results even worse than his first attempt.
Uh, no. Where exactly am I going wrong?
Although Transfiguration was difficult, by their fourth or fifth year, young wizards generally had no trouble transforming small objects.
In other words, there was nothing incomprehensible about Transfiguration. It was a broadly applicable spell that anyone could master.
Seeing Zhang Xiao so busy, Malfoy asked curiously:
"What are you doing?"
"Experimenting," Zhang Xiao said without looking up. "Trying to work out how to make Transfiguration succeed."
Work out how to make Transfiguration succeed? Malfoy could not quite follow Zhang Xiao's train of thought. After thinking for a moment, he slipped into his usual boastful tone:
"My father told me that everyone struggles with Transfiguration at first.
"But I've looked through lots of material and found that you just need to keep trying until you feel that it isn't a match, but a needle. Then you'll be close to succeeding. Once you've succeeded once, learning Transfiguration becomes much easier!"
As though a bolt of lightning had flashed through his mind, Zhang Xiao abruptly raised his head. Staring at the match on the table, he murmured:
"It isn't a match... it's a needle? What matters isn't the process of changing it, but the result?"
After taking several deep breaths, Zhang Xiao closed his eyes and sought the feeling of entering meditation during his usual morning practice. By the time he opened his eyes again, his mind was completely calm.
He stared at the match on the table, but in his mind, he strained to imagine it as a needle, constantly refining the details:
"This isn't a match... it's a needle. It has a bright metallic sheen, and one end is very sharp. If I accidentally prick my finger with it, it'll really hurt.
"There's a little oval hole at the other end for threading. The hole can't be too narrow, or even thread wetted with saliva won't fit through.
"This is a needle, an ordinary needle just like the ones I've seen countless times."
He took out his wand, gave it a gentle tap, and murmured:
"Vera Verto."
Under Malfoy's horrified gaze, the match on the table suddenly began twisting rapidly. In the blink of an eye, a needle exactly like the one Zhang Xiao had imagined lay quietly on the tabletop.
A faint smile appeared on Zhang Xiao's face. He felt as though he had vaguely grasped something, but when he tried to examine it closely, there was nothing there. Zhang Xiao knew this was what happened when he had gained an insight but lacked the accumulated knowledge to fully understand it.
"Incredible," a voice suddenly said in front of him. Zhang Xiao looked up to find Professor McGonagall standing before him, a rare smile on her stern face. She carefully picked up the needle and examined it.
"Incredible," she repeated. "Mr. Zhang, have you practiced Transfiguration before?"
Zhang Xiao shook his head. "No, Professor McGonagall."
"Absolutely perfect! Ten points to Slytherin for Mr. Zhang's outstanding performance!
"Even many talented children who have been taught by their parents struggle to produce a complete needle in their first lesson, let alone one this exquisite. I can't find a single remaining trace of the match!"
The young wizards immediately exclaimed in amazement. They had not even grasped the basics yet, and someone had already managed to turn his match into a complete needle!
Professor McGonagall set down the needle and looked at Zhang Xiao through her square spectacles, pursing her lips.
"Zhang, you undoubtedly possess an extraordinary talent for Transfiguration. I hope you keep it up and do not squander your gift."
With that, she lightly tapped Zhang Xiao's parchment with her wand. A long list of book titles immediately appeared on it. Zhang Xiao took one look and felt his scalp prickle:
"Transfiguration Today," "How Much Do You Know About the Transfiguration Spell?", "The Mysteries of Transfiguration," "Fascinating Transfiguration"...
"All these books are available in the library. I recommend keeping up with Transfiguration Today and working through the books I've listed according to a reading plan. They will be extremely helpful in establishing your basic understanding of Transfiguration."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Zhang Xiao answered weakly. Once she had left, Malfoy leaned closer and asked quietly, half admiring and half jealous:
"How did you do it? My father said..."
Zhang Xiao rolled up his parchment and put it in the Heaven and Earth Bag, cutting him off:
"Enough, Malfoy. Can't you do anything without your father? Your father isn't all-powerful, either. Otherwise, your statue would be in St. Mary's Cathedral, cradled in the Virgin Mary's arms!"
Looking at the anger on Malfoy's face, he said softly:
"You know, it wasn't Professor McGonagall who inspired me, or your father. It was the material you worked so hard to look up yourself, Draco! Rely on yourself. You might do even better."
Malfoy stood stunned for a moment, then silently resumed his attempts. This time, however, he was much more focused and no longer sneaked glances at what Zhang Xiao was doing.
Why did thinking it was a needle make the transformation succeed? Zhang Xiao rubbed his chin as he pondered the question.
Wait, isn't this just the power of "I reckon"???
I reckon it's a needle, so it turns into a needle?
No, that can't be right. If that were all there was to it, why would we need spells and wands? And there wouldn't be so many books studying Transfiguration, either. One sentence would be enough: hypnotize yourself.
What nonsense. Recalling Professor McGonagall's praise of his extraordinary talent, Zhang Xiao felt rather uneasy. For an academic high achiever like him, knowing that something worked without knowing why was the most unbearable thing of all.
What they wanted was not the result, but the reason. Without understanding why, they could never feel at ease.
Zhang Xiao silently decided that, when he had the chance, he would have a proper discussion about Transfiguration with another academic prodigy, Hermione Granger.
It was also worth mentioning that, toward the end of class, Malfoy successfully transformed part of his match into a needle.
Sorry, I know you may not particularly enjoy this sort of scene, but it serves an important purpose. Planting clues and laying groundwork both require scenes like this to bridge things together.
Before you continue