Chapter 58: The Path Ahead! A Sudden Realization!

A cat.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a human.

The scene sent waves of shock and astonishment through the classroom.

"A cat! The cat turned into a professor!"

"Merlin's beard! I was just thinking about taking it back to our dorm!"

"That's amazing! I want to turn into a turtle! The kind that lives for thousands of years!"

Seeing the excitement among the young wizards, Professor McGonagall's lips curled into a faint smile. Every professor at Hogwarts understood how to spark their students' interest in learning.

"If it weren't for the fact that I missed breakfast, I would usually not tolerate students doing other things during my class."

After offering a pointed remark toward Ian, Professor McGonagall gestured for him and his companions to find their seats.

The classroom was vast.

There was no shortage of desks and chairs.

Perhaps at some point in the castle's thousand-year history, this room had once been filled with students. But now, with just over thirty first-years, the seats barely filled half the room.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Minerva McGonagall, and for the next several years, I will be your Transfiguration professor."

After a brief introduction, she signaled for the students to quiet down.

"Transfiguration is a complex and remarkable branch of magic, one that is immensely useful in both daily life and combat."

As she spoke, she waved her wand.

In an instant, the podium beside her transformed into a fearsome leopard.

"ROAR!"

The leopard let out a deep growl, sending shrieks of alarm through the students. Michael and William's eyes widened in shock, while Ian's green eyes gleamed like gemstones.

Transfiguration.

His lifelong nemesis.

When would he ever reach such a level?

"ROAR! ROAR!"

The leopard prowled around the classroom, its movements startlingly lifelike. It wasn't until Professor McGonagall waved her wand again that the fierce beast reverted back into an ordinary podium.

"Wait a second," Michael suddenly whispered to Ian and William, his voice laced with suspicion.

"She just turned a desk into a leopard and then changed it back, right?"

"What else would she have done?"

Ian and William exchanged confused looks.

"Well... what if she actually turned a real leopard into a podium earlier, just so she could change it back to a leopard in front of us and then back again?"

Michael's perspective on things was... unique, to say the least.

"..."

Ian was left speechless.

Unaware that she had just been subjected to a conspiracy theory, Professor McGonagall turned to the eager students, who were all but bursting with enthusiasm to begin their studies.

"Turning furniture into animals is something you'll learn in later years." Her method of building anticipation was simple but undeniably effective.

A student eagerly raised their hand.

"Professor, if I master Transfiguration, can I turn my little brother into a rainbow-colored pony?"

The question came from a round-faced Hufflepuff girl with oversized glasses, whose innocent curiosity made Ian's head snap toward her in alarm.

Who trained this one?

And why isn't she in Slytherin?

"Transfiguration on fellow humans is strictly forbidden, Miss Laura. I strongly advise you to rid yourself of such dangerous thoughts," McGonagall warned, her voice taking on a stern edge.

"You may think what I just demonstrated was amusing, but in reality, Transfiguration is one of the most perilous branches of magic you will study at Hogwarts."

Her voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it carried clearly to every student.

"Transforming one thing into another is an inherently dangerous process. There are sixteen known magical creatures that were unintentionally created due to botched Transfiguration attempts—one of the most infamous being the harpies of Greece."

"A wizard, due to carelessness, not only ruined his own life but also condemned his descendants to suffering. And unfortunately, that is still one of the better outcomes."

Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze swept over the students.

Her words carried a weight of unspoken horrors, painting an ominous picture in their minds.

"So, remember this well—caution must always be your guiding principle when practicing Transfiguration. I have no desire to see any of you become cautionary tales in future textbooks."

The classroom was gripped by a heavy silence as her warning settled in.

"If I could turn into a Hungarian Horntail, I wouldn't even care if I couldn't change back," William muttered under his breath, earning a long stare from Ian.

Typical. This guy really did seem to have some egg-laying blood in him.

"Now that you understand the risks, let us begin exploring the wonders of Transfiguration. We shall start with a classic first-year exercise—turning a matchstick into a needle."

As expected, first-years always started with the matchstick.

As Professor McGonagall distributed the materials, Ian took his own matchstick and glanced at his personal progress. He sighed.

[Transfiguration (Level 0) 38/50]

Despite recent efforts, his progress in this field remained painfully slow. A single lesson wouldn't be enough to push him past this threshold.

"Remember, pronunciation must be precise," McGonagall instructed. "And, more importantly, you must vividly visualize the object you wish to create."

With that, she allowed the students to begin practicing.

"Vera Verto!"

Ian focused, recalling the textbook's instructions. He carefully constructed the image of a steel needle in his mind. However, as in all his previous attempts, the matchstick merely shuddered and twisted, failing to change.

Time passed.

Around him, students diligently practiced. Before long, William was the first to succeed, earning five points for Ravenclaw.

Perhaps driven by competition—or the temptation of house points—other Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students soon followed suit, successfully completing the transformation.

"Hiss…"

Seeing even Michael nearly succeed, Ian finally grew restless.

"Professor."

He raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Prince?"

Professor McGonagall had been keeping an eye on Ian's work. She had noticed his matchstick had barely changed, which seemed inconsistent with what Dumbledore had mentioned about his potential.

"I'm having some difficulties."

He had been meaning to ask for guidance for a while now.

"Go ahead."

McGonagall nodded.

"As we all know, wood is primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and lignin, while iron consists mostly of iron atoms."

Ian spoke with complete seriousness, oblivious to the confused looks from his peers as they whispered, "Since when was that 'common knowledge'?!"

"I've been trying to systematically convert the components of wood into iron atoms, but… it's incredibly difficult." He frowned. "How is everyone else succeeding so easily?"

"...?????"

Not just the students—even McGonagall momentarily froze.

"It seems you've already developed an interest in Alchemy…" she muttered, giving Ian an odd look as if reevaluating him entirely.

"But this approach will not help you with Transfiguration."

Her gaze turned thoughtful.

"Mr. Prince, tell me—how do you perceive wizarding magic?"

Her tone was unusually serious.

"Magic comes from within a wizard. It is the manifestation of belief—an answer to the desires of the heart."

Ian spoke after a brief pause, expressing his current understanding.

McGonagall studied him intently.

"Dumbledore was right about you…" she murmured. "Yes, magic is the echo of imagination made real. But your failure stems from your method."

"You are twisting matter. That is not Transfiguration."

Her words struck something deep within Ian.

"But… doesn't imagination still require a physical medium? Isn't that the same as altering matter?"

"There is a difference, child."

McGonagall's expression softened as she made a decision.

"Remember this: Wizards do not twist matter. Wizards impose new rules upon it."

Lifting her wand, she traced glowing runes in the air.

The characters shimmered, their meaning lost on the students—except Ian, whose breath caught as he understood them.

"A wizard is a god."

In that moment, the doors of possibility swung open.

And history's wheels began to turn.