Chade bounced down the hall after breakfast on the way to his first class – Transfigurations with Minnie and the Ravenclaws. He stuck his head into the classroon, it was empty save for a tabby cat with squares around her eyes.
"Minnie!" The cat tried to run but he caught her up in his arms, after all he had years of experience catching goblins. He gently stroked the tense cat's ears and she melted, purring in pleasure. He walked up and sat on the desk. "Good kitty. Did Alby Bus steal Filly's breakfast? He'll have to get there sooner if he wants it. Should I get you some tuna or some unicorn milk?" Minnie purred louder and Chade grinned when a dropper of milk appeared in front of him. Holding her close to him and stroking her head with one arm he grasped the dropper with the other. "Open up Minnie!" He giggled as she complied and fed her the milk one drop at a time. Then he set her down and she began running around the room, so he chased her – not bothering to actually catch her. The other students arrived by ones and twos, but did not enter the classroom chosing instead to watch the two race around the room. He caught her just as the bell began to chime and stroked her ears. The other students raced in and sat down.
"What are you doing with that cat – Pets aren't allowed." Several of the Slytherins snickered, but Chade just tilted his head at Pavarti Patil with a confused expression as he continued to stroke the cat.
"Pet? Minnie's nobody's pet." The bell stopped ringing and he looked down at the cat. "Time's up Minnie – lets play again later!" He set her down on the desk and the next instant the stern visage of Minerva Mconagall appeared lips pursed.
"Sit Chade." Chade grinned at her unconcernedly and flopped into the first open seat which was in the front row on the Ravenclaw side of the classroom. The most of the class stared at her, some at him, with mouths hanging open. "I am Professor Mcgonagall, you are here to learn the fine art of transfiguration. I am an animagus that is I can transfigure myself into an animal at will. Can anyone tell me what transfiguration is? Miss Patil." The girl beside Chade imeadiately began speaking.
"Transfiguration is the art of turning one thing into another." Minerva nodded, but Chade snorted. Th girl turned and glared at him and Minerva turned her attentioned to him.
"Did you have something to add, Chade?" He shrugged, unconcerned by her tone of voice.
"Transfiguration is the art of changing something into something else." She nodded.
"And, Chade, how is that different from what Miss Patil said?"
"She said 'turning into' something else which is vague and could refer to Transfiguration or Transformation. The name 'Transfiguration' is rather misleading because it implies that you are transforming something, when in reality you are simple changing it. In Transfiguration it becomes something else in form, but it remembers and what it originally was and the transfiguration can be undone or reversed. Transformations are permanent, an item actually becomes something else entirely in body and spirit." Most of the class looked confused, but Minerva nodded.
"That is correct. In transfiguration we change something into another thing using our magic, binding it to our will. Changing it into what we want it to be for as long as our magic can bind it as such. Can anyone give me an example of a transfiguration being reversed or coming undone?" She nodded to one girl.
"Miss Ray." The small Ravenclaw swallowed.
"My Father gave my mother a bunch of flowers, but as soon as he gave them to her they became manure. He had bought them from a hag." The class giggled at the idea and Minerva nodded.
"You can put a time limit or other conditions on a transfiguration. Any other examples? Mr. Nott."
"Some families have to transfigure household items because they cannot afford to buy the real thing." The blond Slytherin sneered, Minerva nodded.
"That is true. Yes Miss Grey?" She called on a young muggleborn Ravenclaw.
"Why don't they just transform it, like Chade said?" Minerva smiled.
"Transformation is incredibly difficult because you have to know everything about what you are creating it also takes an incredible amount of power to do so. With transfiguration we convince something that it is something else and bind it to that form with our magic. The more we know the more realistic the transfiguration will be. Now for homework you will write one foot on what transfiguration is. Be sure to include examples of what it is used for. For the practical portion of today's lesson you will use the spell to turn this matchstick into a needle. Ten points will be given to the first to complete the transfiguration and five to everyone else who completes it." She waved her wand and sent a matchstick to each of them.
Chade twirled his wand idly in his hands while he examined his matchstick for a moment. Then he flicked the stick and said the incantation softly. He giggled when he saw the magic tie itself around the matchstick and reshape it while the matchstick's own magic protested weakly. Minerva turned to see what he was doing – Chade giggling was not usually a good thing. He grinned up at her.
"Done!" She lifted the shiny silver needle and arched an eyebrow at him then cast the reversal. It became a matchstick again, he giggled and she frowned at him.
"Very good, ten points to Slytherin." She cast the spell and he giggled again then she handed him the silver needle. "Cast the reversal." He rolled his eyes and did so, giggling as he watched it change. "Why are you giggling?' He grinned up at her.
"The matchstick doesn't like being a needle. It is upset, then relieved, upset, relieved! And it looks so silly pretending to be a matchstick." She did not repy simply shook her head and turned to another student, leaving him to his matchstick.
"Do your homework when you've finished." Chade rolled his eyes and watched the other students doing their work. He wrinkled his nose when Pavarti cast the spell wrong and her matchstick became a blob of goo. She stared at it in horror then looked at him.
"What?" he asked, hed tilted to the side, curious.
"Can you fix it?" He nodded, she waited then frowned. "Why aren't you fixing it?" he shrugged.
"You didn't ask me too."
"Will you fix it?" he considered this.
"Okay." she watched him but he didn't move. She gave him an exasperated look.
"Well?" he just turne to look across the isle and she glare down at - her matchstick. There it sat no longer a pile of goo, she gaped at him. "But, you didn't use a wand!" He glanced at her and shrugged. The bell chimed and he sprang to his feet and bounced out of the room after waving to Minnie.
