Chapter 8 - The Sneeze in Transfiguration Class

When the time for Transfiguration to start arrived. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room. The tabby cat that sat on the Professor Desk suddenly moved and leaped into the air. Where under the eyes of everyone it transformed into an older woman who not yet reached the age to be considered elderly.

"Welcome to Transfiguration. You will find Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall lightly paused. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she tapped her wand on her desk and it morphed into a dog. Which made some of the Ravenclaws and a few muggle-born wizards a small gasp in surprise. Then it was soon undone and turned back into her desk.

Professor McGonagall's eyes soon shifted over the class as they all awaited her next words. Then Felix felt and saw her narrowed eyes land on him. Which made him want to cry a bit since he really began to feel her dislike for him.

"Mr. Grindelwald, would you care to guess whether this is a desk which I Transfigured into a dog, or if it began as a dog and I briefly removed the Transfiguration?" She said in a stern but not hateful way.

'Oh, so she doesn't seem to hate me, just either high hopes for my talent or keeping an eye on me.' Felix thought.

"It's originally a desk you transfigured into a dog and back, ma'am." Felix replied formally and respectfully.

Even if he didn't feel her hostility like before, it didn't mean Felix wasn't still afraid of her a bit. Not to mention, she was sort of half a gateway to becoming a Transfiguration Professor in the future. On top of that, even if she scares him a bit, he sort of wants her help to publish articles in Transfiguration Today. Since he hopes to earn money from that as one of his ways to pay for his schooling. The other one is to get her support for publishing books on magic, granted he won't do advance type, but with her support it should do much better than without.

"Correct." Professor McGonagall said before moving on with class.

Soon after going over a bunch of do and don't as well the formula for Transfiguration. The Professor went over a few tips and advice to help with casting before handing out a match stick to everyone. In which swapped the theoretical portion of class to the practical part.

Tapping his wand on the match stick for the third time, he watched as his matchstick morphed into a needle shape with a wooden grain metal form. Which means he was just one step away from succeeding in casting the spell. So after undoing it, on his fourth, a nice and perfect needle appeared before him silently.

"Nicely done, Mr. Grindelwald." Professor McGonagall said from behind him. "Three points for Gryffindor for being the first to succeed."

After her words, Professor McGonagall continued her stroll through the classroom. Then Felix felt a poke on his side and turned to see John pleading eyes for help. In which Felix tried his best, but besides morphing the match into the needle shape, John still had a bit of practice to do.

So leaving John who seemed to get the hang of it and only needed to rely on himself to finish the spell. Felix began to morph his needle into other small objects. From a small dog figure to a half thumbsize dragon. He was just filling time until the end of class.

Then when he was about to make a woman in a wedding dress appear riding a tiger next. Felix accidentally sneezed in the casting. So while the match stick transformed into a tiger, Gilderoy Lockhart who sat in front of him had a small accident. For his school robe suddenly transformed into a wedding dress and truth be told, Felix didn't know why or how.

Due to the sneeze a few curious eyes looked over and burst out laughing. Which alerted Professor McGonagall who had her back turn helping Angel with the spell. Thus Gilderoy soon had the entire class looking at him and giving him attention that he craved but not like this.

With a quick swish of her wand, Professor McGonagall dismissed the accidental transfiguration on Lockhart. Thus returning him to his school robe and not a wedding dress he wore a moment prior. Then her stern eyes swept the classroom silenting everyone.

"Can someone tell me what happened?"

"Professor, it was Felix, for he sneezed while casting magic and accidently hit Lockhart. It wasn't on purpose or from my view it wasn't." John being the honest boy replied.

"Really?" Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, I was transfigurating the match into a small statue of various things and upon sneezing somehow split my spell between my target and Gilderoy clothes." Felix nodded.

Professor McGonagall just lightly hummed as her eyes shifted and a few around Felix nodded in agreement. So she chose to believe them for the moment.

"Very well, I will believe you this time." Professor McGonagall said. "Now go back to practicing with still time left in class."

While a few snickers were heard, the class resumed with most attempting to cast the spell. On the other hand, Felix found his match stick was taken away by Professor McGonagall. In its place was a special homework assignment just for him and a note attached to it.

'Due to your gift and talent as I believe you to be one of the most gifted to grace these halls. I had tasked your professors to give you special homework for I believe the normal one will be too easy. - Signed A.P.W.B.D.' Felix read the note in his head.

While grumbling about the Headmaster, Felix began to look over the large packet of papers given to him. Where he began to dread the amount of work needed was far more than writing a book on Transfiguration. The more he flipped the more he felt a bit of despair since the further he went back the more advanced the topics became and he wasn't even sure seventh years would know it.

'Very well, I will do it, but as revenge I will write a book and make you read it and doubt life.' Felix lightly began to plot against McGonagall.

The magic he had in mind was magic circles since how could one be considered a proper wizard if he didn't know one or two magic circles to throw spells around? Well joking aside, he just wanted to see her reaction upon seeing such a profound and interesting way of casting magic such as a magic circle that belongs to the transfiguration branch. Since as far as Felix knows, the only magic circles the wizarding world is familiar with belong to dark arts, rituals and alchemy.

Then, Felix had to pause as he was about to pen the first answer. In the Headmaster letter, he said professors, so that would mean he might have packets like this for all his classes. So, Felix decided to add the Headmaster to his list and write an entire book of love magic for him to read as revenge. He tended to sprout about love during the series so he must be made aware of the danger of such magic.

Much like Dark Arts, Holy and Blessing magic, Love can be very dangerous magic to use at times. Since the pain and suffering they are able to inflict won't lose out at the higher level of magic one can cast with them.

After deciding on this course of revenge, Felix also began to plan out how to prepare and sell the gadgets he thought of. Such as the light pen, glasses to increase reading speed and the clothes color dial. Then after reviewing his ideas, Felix felt listless since he just realized how packed his schedule was but knew they were necessary.

Then once class ended, Felix in his listless state was picked up by John and carried off much to the amusement of others. Upon realizing how busy he would be to realize his goals this year the energy he regained in class was wiped out.

--

"You know, I've been wondering. How aren't you tired after carrying him so far." Angel walked next to John and Felix.

"He's pretty light actually." John replied. "You could carry him, if you want."

Before Angel could reject, Felix found himself being princess carried by her. Next to them, John laughed before Felix was thrown like a rag doll. Due to casting weight reduction on his clothes, Felix just lightly bounced down the hallway as if he was on the moon.

"Oops!" Both Angel and John chased after him in a panic.