Just now, because the system had issued a new task after many days, Brian had been so focused that he almost forgot Sonia was also in the dining hall. At this moment, he was reflecting on the information he might have inadvertently revealed through his recent actions.
There didn't seem to be any major flaws, and his dazed behavior could be easily explained. Brian let out a long breath, stroked his chin, and after some thought, decided to reply gently:"Yes, Senior Sonia. Transfiguration spells are truly difficult. I've been studying for a long time and haven't learned a thing. I feel it would be embarrassing to make a fool of myself in the first class."
Sonia shook her head and comforted him,"I understand, but you don't need to worry too much. Transfiguration is a profound and complex branch of magic. As far as I know, very few students manage to cast spells successfully in their first class. However, if you're interested, I've done some research on it."
"Really? That would be wonderful."
"Take this textbook, for example."Sonia drew the wand from her waist and casually waved it. The Advanced Transfiguration Guide in front of her transformed into a silver coin, then changed back before Brian's astonished eyes."What do you think is most important when performing Transfiguration?"
After a brief pause, Brian replied slowly,"Maybe... we need to be familiar with the internal structure of both objects, and then use magic to alter the structure of one to match the other?"
Sonia looked slightly surprised.For an 11-year-old who had just entered Hogwarts and hadn't even attended a single class, Brian knew far too much. Still, she shook her head and explained:"That might help beginners, but in real practice, wizards don't have time to analyze every object's internal structure before casting a spell. Professor Flitwick—oh, he's your upcoming Charms professor—once said the key to magic lies in your will, in whether you believe you can cast it. For Transfiguration, I focus on visualizing the object I want to transform it into and firmly hold that image in my mind."
It took Brian a while to regain his composure. He finally understood what had been wrong with his self-study all along. He had assumed his failures were due to insufficient magical power. Only now did he realize the flaw had been in his method.
Taking a deep breath, Brian focused and visualized the shape of a pin. He waved the silver wand in his hand with a peculiar rhythm. On the table, the textbook—Advanced Transfiguration Guide—suddenly seemed to twist and distort as if some invisible force were reshaping it. The top half vanished, revealing a faintly glowing, sharp metal object.
But just as Brian thought he had succeeded, the object quivered and reverted to its original form.
"That's very good, Brian. You'll get it with a few more tries," Sonia said with a slight smile.
By now, more students had entered the dining hall, and the house-elves had prepared breakfast. That meant no more practicing Transfiguration, which Brian found a bit disappointing. Still, the morning had been fruitful. The information he'd gained from Sonia would help him navigate Hogwarts's many quirks—including those maddening moving staircases—not to mention the insight into Transfiguration magic.
He thanked Sonia again, and they parted ways to eat at their respective House tables.
The first class at Hogwarts was Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration. If Brian was late, he risked getting caught by the professor—who could transform into a tabby cat—and end up in the same situation as Harry and Ron. So, after finishing breakfast and saying goodbye to Sonia—ignoring the girl next to her repeatedly asking, "Sonia, who is he?"—he headed for the classroom early.
At that time, the Transfiguration classroom was still empty—not even a "cat" in sight.
Brian frowned, turned around, and walked out to wander for a bit.
It would be a joke to be seen this early by Professor McGonagall. If she arrived early and found him already waiting, she might classify him as a goody-two-shoes like Hermione—which would be a disaster for his plan to quietly idle through his Hogwarts days.
Ten minutes later, many first-year students had taken their seats. A tabby cat stood proudly on the podium. Though it looked like an ordinary cat, its red eyes stared unblinking at the door. And since it stood on the professor's platform, even the dullest student would sense something unusual—though, of course, only Harry and Ron would fail to notice.
Brian pretended not to see it. He chose a seat in the middle—not too far forward, not too far back—and rested his head on the desk, waiting for class to begin.
Half an hour passed before Harry and Ron rushed into the classroom just in time.
"We made it!" Ron panted. Without noticing the cat on the podium, he said to Harry,"Can you imagine how awful old McGonagall's face would look if she knew we were late? I can't even imagine—"
Before he could finish, the tabby cat leaped down from the podium. Its body twisted mid-air and transformed into a stern-faced middle-aged witch—the Head of Gryffindor House, the very same "old McGonagall" Ron had just mentioned.
Ron and Harry froze. Professor McGonagall gave them a thorough scolding, then placed them in the front row as punishment. She didn't seem to notice—or perhaps chose to ignore—their pale, embarrassed expressions. Once everyone was seated, she began the lesson.
"Before we begin, I must warn you: Transfiguration is among the most complex and dangerous branches of magic taught at Hogwarts. Anyone caught fooling around in my class will be asked to leave and not return. You've been warned."
With a wave of her wand, the desk in front of her turned into a pig—then reverted back just as swiftly.
The powerful display, coupled with her strict tone, silenced the classroom. All eyes turned to the blackboard, and every student paid close attention.
After explaining the fundamentals and techniques of Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall announced that their first task would be turning a match into a needle. She began distributing matches to the students one by one.
No one knew how she managed it, but she eventually arrived at Brian's desk. As he looked up at her with a convincingly eager expression, he noticed a faint smile in her usually stern eyes. That's when a sense of unease hit him.
"No more matches, I'm afraid, Brian," she said. "You may continue with the Transfiguration you were attempting this morning in the dining hall—turning your textbook into a pin!"