This is an essay I wrote for a scholastic contest. The prompt: "In 300 words or less, write an essay answering, 'If you could have one special power taught at Hogwarts, what would it be and why?' The prize: free trip to London to see J.K. Rowling speak at Royal Albert Hall. There were ten winners. I wasn't one of them L
Phoenix Dreams
Night descends on the Dark Forest. A girl, before seemingly innocuous, diminishes in golden smoke and scarlet fire. As the haze clears, an enchanting melody shakes the atmosphere, and a regal bird emerges, vanishing quickly, headed for mountains of the East. Rare among animagi, wizards with the power to change into animals, are those who transform into magical creatures. That bird, whose rumpled feathers parallel the girl's appearance, is her animagus form, the phoenix. I would be that girl, if I could; of everything taught at Hogwarts, I desire most to master the ancient power of Transfiguration.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall points out (SS 134)*. This magic, the ability to alter one object into another, is an art requiring effort and skill. Here, simply uttering a spell suffices not; careful study and practice must also be employed. Only after six years of Hogwarts study is human Transfiguration taught, for it entails maximum understanding of magic. Transfiguration, more than any other Hogwarts power, disproves the stereotype of magic as merely wand-waving and incantation. A power like this teaches the true limitations of magic and distinguishes wizards from non-magic Muggles.
With this power, everything I Transfigure into will let me see the world through different eyes. Imagine: as a wall, I listen silently, standing motionless while I hear stories told and lives recounted. As a pen, I learn the details of someone's secret life through a journal. Lastly, as a phoenix, I glide along the current with intense speed, allowing clouds to envelop me as I seek the perfect mountain peak for nesting. I would be but a flicker of scarlet and gold for those who look to the skies, with the ultimate freedom in my grasp.
A/N: well, that was that. I have a whole long rant on my xanga () about how Scholastic was too politically correct in selecting winners. Be forewarned, though, should you decide to read: I was angry and jealous. When it comes to HP, I don't think rationally.