Chapter Twelve: Transfiguration Class

In the Transfiguration classroom, the green and yellow collars of the uniforms were clearly divided, with each color occupying the rear rows on opposite sides. This year's new students were already few in number, and the middle column of six desks was almost empty except for the last three rows. The Hufflepuff students mostly didn't care much for lessons; even those who did, out of their kind-hearted nature, preferred to sit in the back with friends. As for the Slytherins, most had heard from their families about the Gryffindor Head's close ties to the Dark Lord Grindelwald, and regarded Dumbledore with a mix of awe and apprehension, not daring to sit too near him.

Because Shiwen and his three companions arrived late, only the first three desks in the middle column and the first two on the right were still available; as for the two empty desks on the Hufflepuff side to the left, they simply ignored them. Shiwen found the Hogwarts teaching style novel and intriguing. Ignoring the attempts of Ab and Mobley to dissuade him, he went straight to a desk near the front and sat down.

Seeing Shiwen seated so close to the teacher’s desk, Aelxiona bit her lip, signaled for Abraxas and the others to take the third desk on the right—her usual spot—then, hugging her textbook, sat down beside Shiwen. She muttered through gritted teeth, “So you really are a Ravenclaw at heart, aren’t you?”

Shiwen was about to reply when the bell marking the start of class echoed throughout the castle. As the chimes faded, one of the chairs behind the teacher’s desk suddenly began to transform! The entire chair elongated and grew taller, its structure shifting and solidifying until it took the shape of a tall, thin middle-aged man—dressed in a deep gray coat, with brown hair and beard, a slightly crooked nose, and sharp, intelligent eyes. He now gazed with a wry smile at the cluster of young witches and wizards frozen in shock.

Shiwen and Aelxiona, being closest, saw everything most clearly—and were also the most startled. Aelxiona shot Shiwen a fierce glare, blaming him for putting her in the direct path of the scare, while Shiwen returned an innocent look, silently protesting he’d had no idea this would happen.

“All right, everyone!” Dumbledore clapped his hands for silence. “Class has begun. I’m pleased to see that no one has arrived late or missed the very first lesson. However, I must remind Messrs. Rosier, Malfoy, Volray, and Gris—next time, please arrive earlier and allow yourselves time to organize your books and materials.”

Hearing this, Shiwen glanced at his empty desk, then quietly retrieved his textbook, quill, and ink from his pocket watch’s hidden space, setting them down as softly as possible to avoid Dumbledore’s notice. His hopes were dashed: Dumbledore immediately caught his subtle movements and chuckled lightly. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Rosier. Now, could the other three gentlemen please do the same?”

In a scramble, Abraxas and his friends fumbled through their things, only to discover that Gomez had brought the “Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration,” Abraxas had mistakenly brought “A Brief History of the Magical World,” and Mobley had forgotten his book altogether!

“It seems you’re in a bit of a pickle!” Dumbledore’s tone was cheerful, showing no sign of annoyance. “Mr. Gris, don’t sit alone—bring your chair over and join your friends. I think they could use a little help.”

Ab and Mobley looked thoroughly dejected as Gomez squeezed in with them, forming a rather unique sight in the classroom.

Shiwen gave Dumbledore a surprised look. The Transfiguration professor could easily have used a simple duplication spell to provide each of them with a textbook, but instead, he arranged for Gomez—the only student without a tablemate—to join the other two, as if subtly encouraging him to be more sociable.

Could such a thoughtful person truly be the “untrustworthy dark wizard” his mother had warned him about? Or was he simply overthinking it?

His musings were cut short as Dumbledore began the lesson. Shiwen sat up straight, determined to listen carefully to how this great wizard—one regarded as an equal to the Dark Lord—would teach his students.

“Before we begin formal study of Transfiguration, I want you to understand that this is the most complex, difficult, and dangerous subject you will encounter at Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said sternly. “What I just demonstrated—human transformation—will only be possible once your skills have reached a significant level. I must emphasize: until you have thoroughly mastered the basics of Transfiguration, none of you should attempt to transform a human form under any circumstances...”

He then proceeded to vividly describe several cases of failed human Transfiguration—some resulting in death, some in permanent hospitalization, some in a lifetime trapped within a malformed body, and others still who had turned themselves into grotesque and dangerous magical creatures.

The young witches and wizards all paled, a deep sense of awe and fear for Transfiguration settling over them.

“Nevertheless,” Dumbledore shifted his tone, “Transfiguration remains a highly practical magic, both in everyday life and in combat. The basics, once mastered, are not particularly dangerous.”

As the students breathed a collective sigh of relief, Dumbledore assigned them a task: to memorize the Fundamental Laws of Gamp within twenty minutes.

“If everyone makes good progress, we’ll have time for practical exercises after the break!” Dumbledore winked at the class.

...

During the break, Dumbledore disappeared from the classroom. Shiwen, feeling rather bored, idly flipped through his Transfiguration textbook, overhearing Ab and Mobley talking behind him.

“I don’t think Dumbledore is as evil as my father says,” came Ab’s voice.

“You never know, you can’t judge a book by its cover,” Mobley replied.

Beside him, Aelxiona tapped Shiwen on the arm. “Did your family tell you things about Dumbledore too?”

“They did,” Shiwen answered. “It’s as if everyone knows about Dumbledore’s connection with Grindelwald.”

Aelxiona curled her lip disdainfully. “Only us pure-bloods get this kind of information. The Ministry is counting on Dumbledore to fight the Dark Lord—they’d never let such things leak to outsiders! My mother always thought Dumbledore was dodging a duel with Grindelwald, that maybe he’s not all he’s cracked up to be.”

Shiwen thought back to the chair transformation before class. Despite his powerful spirit—honed over two lifetimes, with years spent consuming rare ingredients and enduring cosmic pressures to resist the dissonance between soul and universe—he had sensed nothing amiss with Dumbledore’s magic.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. There must be more to the story.”

At that moment, the bell rang again, and Dumbledore reappeared on the platform, giving Shiwen a wink that made him nervous, wondering if he’d said something wrong.

But Dumbledore said nothing, launching directly into the lesson. “Let’s begin. First, can anyone recite the key points of Gamp’s Fundamental Laws of Transfiguration?”

A hush fell over the room; it seemed almost no one had bothered to memorize the textbook during the previous lesson.

When Dumbledore’s gaze fell on him, Shiwen hesitated, then silently raised his hand.

Dumbledore called on him. “Mr. Rosier.”

Under Aelxiona’s astonished gaze, Shiwen stood and recited the key points accurately.

“Excellent, quite precise!” Dumbledore nodded approvingly. “Five points to Slytherin.”

After Shiwen sat back down, Aelxiona shoved a slip of paper toward him, on which she’d written, “So you were passing notes with me last lesson because you’d already memorized everything?”

Shiwen wrote back innocently, “That’s right,” sending the note back and leaving her fuming.

...

Under the expectant gaze of the young witches and wizards, Dumbledore flicked his wand. Instantly, a matchstick appeared on every desk.

“Today’s task is to turn this matchstick into a needle,” he explained.

The announcement was met with groans of disappointment—many students muttered that anyone with hands could manage that.

“Quiet!” Dumbledore admonished. “Don’t be fooled by the size of the matchstick. You’ll soon discover, once you try it yourselves, just how challenging Transfiguration truly is.”

With a sweep of his arm, he declared, “Now, let’s begin the practical work!”

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