The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

Professor McGonagall stepped onto the podium and said nothing unnecessary.

"Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous branches of magic."

She spoke softly, yet the entire classroom fell silent instantly, "It requires the caster to have precise control, strong willpower, and a deep understanding of the target object."

After a pause, Professor McGonagall scanned the classroom and continued, "Today, our goal is simple—to turn the match in front of you into a needle."

Then she waved her wand and said, "Forma Verto!" (a Latin word created by the author to mean "change of form").

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a match on the podium slowly transformed into a gleaming silver needle.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the classroom.

"Let's begin," Professor McGonagall commanded. "Give it a try, what are you waiting for!"

Strange sounds and gestures suddenly rang out around Julien.

"Ferula Vero!" Kayson waved his hand, and the match seemed to grow a little bigger, but its shape remained unchanged.

"Your pronunciation is wrong," Edgar corrected from the side, "It should be Forma, watch me!" He then demonstrated it, but the match didn't budge.

Julien had actually mastered the Transformation Technique completely, after repeatedly practicing it in the Magic Resonance Library after reading "Twenty-Three Transformations of a Matchstick into a Needle" given to him by Murphy.

At this point, Edgar raised his hand and asked, "Professor McGonagall, I think my pronunciation is fine, so why didn't I succeed? Is it a problem with my gestures, like waving my hand first and then shaking it?"

Clearly, this guy, like Hermione, had also studied Charms.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Mr. Finch's question is very good. As I said at the beginning, the core of Transfiguration is precise magical control, clear mental imagery, and a deep understanding of the principles of Transfiguration. These are more important than any fancy spell."

"Therefore, in transfiguration, the incantation is not the most important thing; your understanding and imagination of the object you want to transform is the most important. So a wizard cannot conjure something he knows nothing about."

"Professor McGonagall makes a good point," Kayson said quietly, moving closer to Julien. "So what should we do?"

Julien smiled and shook his head helplessly. "So you have to imagine the shape of a needle in your mind, the finer the better, before you start working on the matchstick in front of you."

"I understand everything, just watch." Kayson tried it again.

A faint light flashed at the tip of the wand, and the match trembled. One end became sharp, but the other end swelled into a small wooden ball, looking like a comical comma.

"Actually, it's not bad, Mr. Moretti," Professor McGonagall appeared behind him unnoticed. "You've grasped the concept of 'sharpness,' but you've overlooked the overall form. Focus your attention! Remember, transformation is not destruction, but reshaping!"

"Hey? Mr. Black, why aren't you doing anything yet?" Professor McGonagall glanced at Julien, who was propping his head up and grinning at his classmates.

"Oh, Professor McGonagall, I have another question," Julien quickly sat up straight and tried to explain.

"When you asked us to conjure needles, did you mean just a sewing needle like yours, a knitting needle, or a magnetic compass?"

Professor McGonagall was slightly taken aback. Before she could speak, Julien asked again, "As far as I know, there's another type of weapon called a needle, and also..."

"Enough! Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall sternly interrupted Julien, thinking that this student was probably here to cause trouble; he had been quite well-behaved during the home visit. This didn't seem like Evans, but rather like Black.

"Mr. Moretti's imagination is not focused enough, but yours is too scattered, Mr. Blake!"

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall had been teaching for many years and had seen all kinds of students. "From now on, you can conjure up any kind of needle you want, as long as you can. If you succeed, you can be exempt from homework."

After saying that, Professor McGonagall addressed the entire class, "This also applies to all students; anyone who succeeds will be exempt from homework!"

"Alright! Just you wait and see!" Julien said loudly, mimicking Kayson's tone of voice.

Julien closed his eyes and pondered something for a while.

Then clearly say, "Forma Verto!"

With a light touch of the silver linden tip, silver light wrapped around the withered wooden stump like silk threads. The wood color quickly faded, and the cold luster of metal bloomed from the tip, elongating into a sharp and smooth silver arc.

At the tail, a glimmer of light condenses and extends, eventually transforming into a delicate five-pointed star, which flows gently in stillness, as if capturing a piece of solidified starlight.

"WTF!" Ediga and Kayson, who were watching from the side, exclaimed.

"This is an Eastern hairpin-shaped needle, also called a hairpin-shaped dagger. It's a weapon used by women to tie their hair, for self-defense, or even for assassination. Here, take it."

Professor McGonagall silently cursed Merlin's underwear in her mind, then gently picked up the hairpin, examined it for a long time, and then put it away.

"Very well, Mr. Black, I accept your gift. This is already a masterpiece of Transfiguration; I will apply a reinforcement charm to it to ensure its longevity. I'll give Ravenclaw a 10 out of 10!"

"Oh, right, Mr. Blake, please stay after class. The rest of you, please continue."

……

The match in front of Liria did not turn into a needle. Instead, the match gradually lengthened, as if the wood was growing again, with one end sharp and the other end sprouting roots.

Liria's face was somewhat pale; she seemed dissatisfied with her transformation.

"Interesting." Professor McGonagall, who had strolled over, also noticed the scene, her gaze shifting back and forth between Liria and the growing matchstick.

"Miss Liria, your magic seems to have a strong regional character. But this isn't standard transfiguration; it's more like... the manifestation of nature magic."

Liria lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "I'm sorry, Professor. In my hometown, we're used to doing things this way, but I... I don't know how to use the method you taught me."

The classroom was silent. The Gryffindor students peered out curiously, while the Ravenclaw students wore thoughtful expressions.

Professor McGonagall was silent for a moment, then said, "Magic takes many forms, and there is no absolute right or wrong. But here at Hogwarts, what we need to learn is a universal, controllable system of magic. Miss Liria, I suggest you temporarily set aside your natural powers and focus on understanding the basic principles of Transfiguration."

"In practice," Professor McGonagall carefully chose her words, "it means not changing the shape of the object, but changing its properties."

She paused, then added, "However, your ability is very unique. It might come in very handy in the future in the class on protecting magical creatures."

"I understand." Liria looked up, a hint of gratitude flashing in her icy blue eyes, and then tried again. The final deformed object, while not quite a needle, was at least a piece of wire.

By the end of class, very few of the young wizards had succeeded completely. It was then that Julien realized how much the book in the Magic Resonance Library had helped him.

"Mr. Blake, would you like to join my Transfiguration Club?"