The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 219: Howling Letter and Transfiguration

The sorting ceremony ended with Ginny Weasley being sorted into Gryffindor. The little girl did not go to find Ada or her brothers, but sat with the friends she had just met.

Professor McGonagall left with the Sorting Hat and footstool, but she never returned to the faculty table.

Dumbledore stood up and began his speech for the new school year, and introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart greeted the students in a self-righteous and elegant manner, but he probably never realized how greasy he was.

There was sparse applause in the hall, but Lockhart still sat down contentedly. Lockhart never thought that this applause was not a welcome for him, but full of sympathy from the students. This was also the warmest applause he had ever received in his teaching career at Hogwarts.

After the New Year's Eve dinner began, Dumbledore also left the hall. About twenty minutes later, Dumbledore returned to the hall with Snape, while Professor McGonagall did not return until the end of the banquet.

The Gryffindor common room was bustling with activity. Harry and Ron were warmly welcomed. Their Gryffindor behavior did not bring any loss to the academy. The students were only envious of them. Who wouldn't want to fly in the sky?
However, Harry and Ron were not happy for long, because Percy and Hermione were watching them eagerly. And the howler letter the next morning made poor Ron's social death.

Everyone was enjoying breakfast in the auditorium at the time. Errol swooped into the auditorium like a bomber, and the Howling Letter was the heavy bomb carried by the owl.

Although the plane crashed and everyone on board died, Errol still dutifully delivered the Howler to Ron.

Fred and George, who were sitting next to Ada, lowered their heads quickly. Even though the red letter was not sent to them, the two brothers were still full of fear of the letter.

The two brothers kept silent, Percy lowered his head and pretended he didn't exist, and even Ginny pretended not to know Ron. When Ron trembled and opened the Howler, Mrs. Weasley's roar like thunder echoed in the hall, shaking the dust off the ceiling.

This sound, a hundred times louder than usual, rattled the plates and spoons on the table, and the echo from the four stone walls was deafening.

Ada felt as if the hall was really bombed, her ears were buzzing, and even though the howling letter had ended, Mrs. Weasley's roar still lingered in her ears.

The auditorium seemed to be washed by a tide. Everyone unconsciously raised their voices when speaking. If they didn't do so, the other party would not be able to hear what you were saying at all.

It was not until they left the Great Hall that Ada felt her hearing had returned to normal. She and the twins hurried to the Transfiguration classroom. Their first lesson of the new school year was Transfiguration taught by Professor McGonagall.

When the three of them arrived at the classroom, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students were almost there. Professor McGonagall, wearing a black robe, stood on the podium, looking at every student who entered the classroom.

When the bell rang, Professor McGonagall said, "I'm glad to see you sitting in the classroom again. I hope this hot summer vacation hasn't made you forget what you've learned."

Professor McGonagall walked down the platform slowly. She walked among the students and spoke. She said, "This school year, we will continue to learn more advanced Transfiguration, which will involve more complex changes in properties. At the same time, we will also study Animagus in depth."

Animagus refers to a wizard who can transform into an animal while retaining magic spells. However, Animagus cannot transform into any animal at will, and the animal it transforms into is related to the wizard's personality.

This is an extremely advanced and dangerous Transfiguration, so the Ministry of Magic strictly controls this Transfiguration and requires all Animagus animals and characteristics to be registered in the Ministry's Misuse of Magic Office. Professor McGonagall is one of the seven Animagus registrants, and she also let students see this exquisite magic in the first grade.

Although Ada was very good at Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall never allowed her to learn this magic privately, and she herself was not very interested in this kind of magic.

If Animagus could transform into a magical creature, Ida would be very interested in studying this magic, but it can't. This magic is limited to non-magical creatures.

After Professor McGonagall briefly introduced the teaching content of this semester, she just walked back to the podium, took out a teapot, and placed it on the podium.

"Today we are going to learn how to turn a teapot into a turtle." Professor McGonagall said, "You have already learned how to change the shape of objects, but today you have to give them 'life' while changing the shape of objects."

Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at the teapot and slowly chanted a transfiguration spell. Under the influence of magic, the teapot changed its form from a lifeless teapot to a living turtle.

The pattern on this turtle is very beautiful. It crawls slowly on the desk, exploring this new world for it.

Professor McGonagall finished the demonstration, emphasized the points that needed attention, and then let the students try it on their own.

There was an exquisite teapot on everyone's desk, and the classroom was filled with the sounds of chanting and waving wands.

Compared to Professor McGonagall who turned into a turtle in an instant, the students' performance was a bit horrible. Someone knocked the teapot away, and the teapot flew high in the air, drawing a beautiful arc, and then fell to the other side of the classroom. Another person turned the teapot directly into a pile of rubbish.

Not many people can change the shape of a teapot into a turtle, let alone make the turtle "walk fast".

George kept poking the vivid turtle in front of him with his wand, but he was wasting his energy. The turtle was only vivid, not a real turtle, and it was impossible for it to move.

He sighed helplessly and said to Ada beside him: "Come on, show me, let me know that this kind of magic is also something that students can do."

"Don't be discouraged, it's not bad, at least it's in the shape of a turtle." Ida said, and then cast a spell on the turtle that couldn't move. The turtle that was still motionless just now suddenly came to life, began to take steps, and crawled on the desk.

By the end of the get out of class, only two people had successfully turned the teapot into a turtle, one was Ada, and the other was Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff.

This is a sad result, but it is the norm in Transfiguration classes. Very few people can master Transfiguration in a short period of time, and more people rely on a lot of practice.

Transfiguration is a very difficult course that requires at least one of talent and perseverance.

(End of this chapter)