Chapter 35: George the Point Machine

Chapter 35: George the Point Machine

After History of Magic ended, George was no longer alone. He was surrounded by a crowd of young wizards.

"Did you really memorize all those magical history books?"

"Yes, my memory is quite good."

"I heard you're going to win the House Cup for Slytherin?"

"Of course."

On the way back, George handled the questions from his fellow Slytherin first-years with ease, always exuding confidence without arrogance. He quickly became one of them.

Even his three roommates, whom he had beaten up earlier, now looked at him with a hint of admiration.

That was how Slytherin worked. As long as you were a Slytherin, as long as you were exceptional and could bring honor and benefits to the house, they would naturally gravitate toward you.

As a first-year, George had already earned an astonishing fifty points for Slytherin in his very first class. This was a source of pride for all the first-years.

Of course, if George wanted to truly become a leader in Slytherin, this achievement alone was far from enough.

But it was a good start.

News of George earning fifty points for Slytherin in Professor Binns's class spread quickly, thanks to the students' chatter. Soon, most of the school's teachers and students knew about it.

Normally, such news wouldn't spread so fast, but Professor Binns was famously stingy with points. Combined with the buzz from George's bold declaration that morning, the story took off.

The upside was that when George sat in the Slytherin common room that evening to read, older Slytherins began approaching him to introduce themselves.

Even when Malfoy tried to cause trouble, the prefects stepped in to stop him.

The next morning, there were two Transfiguration classes, shared with the Hufflepuff first-years.

As soon as George entered the classroom, the Hufflepuff students gave him curious looks. Clearly, they had also heard about George earning fifty points for Slytherin the day before.

However, they didn't provoke him. Most Hufflepuffs were good-natured and simply curious.

"Meow!"

Just as Transfiguration class was about to begin, a tabby cat walked through the door. Amid the students' gasps, it transformed into Professor McGonagall, dressed in her deep green robes.

"Animagus transformation."

Seeing McGonagall transform from a cat into a human, George's eyes lit up.

This was an advanced form of Transfiguration, allowing the caster to permanently take on the form of a specific animal (though not a magical creature). Despite its limitations, George found it incredibly useful.

After all, any animal, as long as it wasn't too conspicuous, could serve as an excellent disguise.

Such a disguise would be invaluable for gathering intelligence, escaping, or tracking targets.

Imagine being chased by a swarm of agents, monitored by satellites, and surrounded by snipers with no way out.

But if you mastered Animagus transformation, you could simply slip into a building, transform into an ordinary creature, and escape unnoticed.

If you chose something like a fly, mosquito, or ladybug, you'd be virtually unstoppable.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back.

You have been warned!"

Professor McGonagall stepped onto the podium, delivering a stern warning before waving her wand and effortlessly transforming the desk into a pig, then back again.

The students were captivated, eager to start learning this incredible magic.

However, after a lecture on the theory behind Transfiguration, they realized how difficult it was to transform something as large as a desk into a pig.

"Having a master teacher really makes a difference."

After the first theory lesson, George couldn't help but marvel.

Transfiguration was separated from other spells as its own subject, indicating its complexity compared to other forms of magic.

Though George had studied it on his own and even memorized the entire textbook (with some help from his computer for History of Magic), there were still many concepts he didn't fully grasp.

Even after consulting Tonks a few times, he still found it challenging.

It was like trying to learn advanced mathematics—memorizing the textbook didn't guarantee a high score.

But Professor McGonagall, a master of Transfiguration with years of teaching experience, made the subject much clearer for George.

"Five points to Slytherin!"

At the end of the first lesson, there was a Q&A session, and George naturally earned five points.

With his enhanced memory and the help of his computer notes, he not only remembered every key point but even recalled Professor McGonagall's scolding remarks word for word.

Unlike Professor Snape, McGonagall was fair and treated all students equally. She wouldn't withhold points just because George was a Slytherin.

In fact, seeing George's perfect answers and his unique insights into Transfiguration, she allowed herself a rare smile.

The second lesson was practical.

Professor McGonagall handed out matches and instructed the students to use a basic Transfiguration spell to turn them into needles.

This proved challenging for most. Despite repeatedly chanting the spell and waving their wands, the matches remained matches. Only a few talented students managed to make slight changes, but they were far from creating a proper needle.

"Don't give up. Practice more. Remember what I taught you last class: the speed and rhythm of the incantation, the angle of your wand movement, and most importantly, your belief. You must firmly believe you can turn it into a needle..."

Professor McGonagall walked around the classroom, correcting the students' mistakes.

When she reached George's desk, her eyes lit up:

"Five more points to Slytherin!"

On George's desk lay a perfect needle—sharp at the tip and with a flawless eye for threading.

Hearing McGonagall award points, the students turned to look at George, their faces filled with envy and admiration.

George, however, simply smiled and didn't make any bold declarations.

After the first lesson, he had grasped a key principle of Transfiguration—or perhaps of most spells.

It was the power of the mind, the power of belief.

When learning a new spell, the incantation and wand were merely tools. Otherwise, there wouldn't be witches and wizards capable of silent, wandless magic.

The most important factor was the mind—the strength of one's mental power. This was the foundation of successful magic.

The magic of the Harry Potter world was often described as "mental" or "spiritual," and for good reason.

George had a significant advantage in this area, as he not only had magical abilities but also the mental powers of a Level 2 mutant.

So, after learning the theory from Professor McGonagall, it didn't take him long to successfully transform the match into a needle.

In fact, he believed his mental strength might allow him to do more.

While he might not be able to turn a desk into a pig yet, he could probably transfigure something the size of a fist right now.

(End of Chapter)