The Ravenclaw students were the first to applaud Hermione, their clear applause filled with genuine appreciation.
The stunned Gryffindor lion cubs quickly recovered and burst into applause that filled the entire classroom.
After the applause subsided, Professor McGonagall continued, "Everyone should aim for Miss Granger's needles. Achieving this level would be a significant advancement in Transfiguration."
"Okay, let's continue practicing."
One sentence instantly ignited the enthusiasm of all the students. Everyone gripped their wands tightly and buried themselves in casting spells, hoping to conjure up a decent needle in exchange for Professor McGonagall's approval.
Professor McGonagall gently put down Hermione's needle and her gaze fell on the half-wooden, half-metal unfinished object on Draco's desk.
This was intentional on Draco's part, showing that he had practiced diligently without being too flashy.
I imagine the professor will only offer casual corrections and won't offer much judgment.
Unfortunately, Draco was the last student in the area to be mentored.
Professor McGonagall said nothing, simply picked up the "half-finished product," and calmly ran her fingers over the joint between the metal and the wood.
"Tell me, Mr. Malfoy, when you cast the spell, did you envision a complete needle or 'half a needle'?"
Her voice sounded very calm, but Draco's heart skipped a beat.
He hurriedly replied, " Professor McGonagall, perhaps I haven't been able to visualize the complete picture of the needle."
"That's right." Professor McGonagall nodded, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. "It seems your notes weren't just random scribbles; you've grasped the core principles of Transfiguration. Now, try again."
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her cane and waved it lightly, and the half-finished match instantly turned back into a brand new match.
Draco could no longer feign ignorance and had to seriously raise his hand to cast a spell, deliberately controlling his magical power to conjure a needle that looked slightly flawed.
She thought the professor would turn and leave, but her gaze was instantly drawn to the needle. She picked it up and fell silent for a second.
That one second made Draco feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
I wondered if there would be any problems again.
Professor McGonagall bent down, stroking the needle with utmost concentration, her fingers tracing the eye of the needle and then lightly touching the dulled tip.
The students in the classroom couldn't help but steal glances, Ravenclaw secretly speculated that the needle was either extremely good or extremely bad.
Ron behind him gripped his wand tightly, thinking to himself: Draco's doomed, he's definitely going to get a bunch of faults from the professor.
Unbeknownst to anyone, beneath Professor McGonagall's serious-looking glasses, her pupils were already slightly dilated, her heart filled with shock.
The wear on the needle eye isn't random scratching; it's the beveled mark left by pulling and threading the needle.
The blunting of the needle tip is just right, making it look like it's actually piercing the fabric multiple times.
The needle even had a tiny fabric fiber stuck to it, along with a barely perceptible pale red mark.
This isn't just a flawed needle; it's clearly a needle with a history of use!
Professor McGonagall looked up, her gaze fixed intently on Draco.
The probing look in her eyes made him uneasy, and he cried out in his heart, "Professor, say something! Don't look at me like that!"
Three seconds of staring felt like an eternity.
Professor McGonagall then spoke slowly, asking Draco with great seriousness, "Have you become merely a worn-out needle, or a needle with a true 'history'?"
Upon hearing this, Draco froze on the spot, and the students in the classroom also looked bewildered, with question marks popping out on their foreheads.
Draco paused for a few seconds before suddenly realizing what the professor meant.
But the details of this needlework came with the knowledge he had acquired through the system, so he couldn't explain the reason clearly. He could only bite the bullet and say:
" Professor McGonagall, I can't quite explain it either. I've only seen needles used at home, and I roughly copied them."
"Ah, is that so?" Professor McGonagall responded softly, as if she understood.
She then looked up again and spoke to Draco in a more serious and louder voice than when she had praised Hermione:
" Mr. Malfoy, your Transfiguration is superb, exceptionally good, even reaching a high level. This is a level I've never seen in a first-year student before!"
These words were like a thunderbolt, and a collective gasp of astonishment erupted in the classroom.
All eyes were fixed on the needle in Draco's and the professor's hands.
Draco was completely stunned, with only one thought in his mind.
I just wanted to make the needle a little worse, so you're saying that for excellent people, even being perfunctory is considered excellent?
Professor McGonagall held the needle aloft, turned to the class, and said in a clear and firm voice:
"Everyone, watch closely. What Mr. Malfoy has conjured is a needle that perfectly mimics the physical traces of use."
"Next, I will pass the needle to each table. You only have one chance, so observe carefully."
As she spoke, she pointed to the eye of the needle. "Notice the wear and tear on this eye, which conforms to the mechanical principles of threading, and the dulling of the needle tip—these are natural marks from repeated piercings of the fabric."
"This is no longer a simple Transfiguration of an object, but a creation that incorporates a profound understanding of the lifespan of objects and the laws of physics!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked at Draco again and announced loudly, "Twenty points for Gryffindor!"
Twenty points!
The whole class erupted in excitement once again, with gasps of astonishment rising and falling.
Neville excitedly grabbed his shoulders and whispered, " Draco, you're amazing! Twenty points!"
Hermione also turned to look at Draco. Although she was slightly surprised, she knew that this guy was hiding his strength, but she didn't expect him to be this powerful.
Draco sat in his seat, still lost in thought, staring at the needle in the professor's hand that everyone was looking at.
I felt that this sudden twenty points came more unexpectedly than any other bonus points.
The Gryffindor students erupted in cheers, shattering the silence of the classroom.
At this moment, they had long since put aside any preconceived notions about their social status.
With the dean himself praising him to this extent and even adding twenty points, who cares who Draco is?
They all felt they had gotten the credit.
The Ravenclaw eaglets, however, remained calm, merely huddling together and whispering their praises.
"That's an ingenious idea."
"They even managed to incorporate the laws of physics."
Professor McGonagall then picked up the needle and passed it from Hermione to the next, instructing, "Pay close attention to the details, don't break it."
Hermione was already immune to Draco's concealment of his strength, and after taking the needle, she lowered her head and focused on rubbing it.
Her fingers traced the beveled edge of the needle's eye, carefully examining its lifelike appearance, completely undisturbed by the surrounding noise.
Harry and Ron behind her leaned forward excitedly, their eyes fixed on the needle, eagerly hoping it would be passed to them.
The students were passing the needle around when Professor McGonagall turned to Draco and said approvingly, "No wonder Sprout values you so highly."
Draco immediately replied humbly, " Professor McGonagall, your Transfiguration is truly masterful; I've only just learned how to turn a match into a needle."
He was internally ranting and raving.
Why is every professor bringing this up?