She moved to her desk and retrieved a small box. With a wave of her wand, matchsticks flew out and distributed themselves, one landing on each student's desk.
"Today, you will begin with something simple. You will transfigure a matchstick into a needle. A silver sewing needle, to be precise."
She demonstrated, her wand moving in a precise pattern. "Vera Verto."
Her matchstick shimmered, slimmed down and elongated and transformed into a gleaming silver needle with an eye to pass the thread through.
Then, with another flick, it returned to a matchstick.
"The wand movement is a clockwise circle, ending with a sharp tap. The incantation is Vera Verto. You must visualize the needle clearly in your mind. See the silver, the point, the eye. Concentrate on changing the wood into metal, the rough texture into smooth. Remember the cool feel of the needle between your fingers. Begin."
The classroom was filled with the sounds of students attempting the spell. Wands waved. Incantations were spoken with varying degrees of confidence. But no matter how much the students poked and prodded at the matchstick with their wands, the matchsticks remained stubbornly wooden.
James looked at his matchstick, held his wand steady, and visualized exactly what he wanted. He'd practiced transfiguration for months, had transformed objects far more complex than a simple matchstick.
"Vera Verto," he said clearly.
The matchstick shimmered and transformed instantly into a perfect silver needle. Pointed end, slim, smooth shaft, tiny eye at the other end. Flawless.
James set down his wand and pulled out his book on magical theory, figuring he'd read while waiting for Professor McGonagall to make her rounds.
McGonagall worked her way through the classroom, offering corrections and encouragement. Some of the students had actually managed to change the color of their matchsticks, but few had achieved any actual transformations. Hermione's matchstick was the most successful apart from his, and it had only become pointed at one end but was still clearly wood.
"Remember, Miss Granger, you must change the substance, not just the shape. Wood to metal. Focus on the material transformation."
"Yes, Professor."
McGonagall continued her circuit. She paused at Ron Weasley's desk, where his matchstick appeared to be smoldering slightly.
"Mr. Weasley, don't poke it with your wand, perform the wand moment I taught you." Professor McGonagall said as she summoned and passed another matchstick to Ron Weasley
"Yes, Professor," Ron mumbled, his face turning slightly red.
She moved on, and finally reached James's desk. Her eyebrows rose as she saw the perfect needle lying there.
"Mr. Acton," she said, picking up the needle and examining it. "Very good work. However, you cannot simply complete the assignment and stop. Now that you've achieved the forward transformation, try changing it back into a matchstick."
James set down his book, took up his wand, and reversed the spell. The needle became a matchstick again. Then, without being asked, he transformed it back into a needle.
McGonagall watched with an expression that might have been approval. "Class," she called out, her voice carrying over the various attempts and failures. "Your attention, please."
Everyone stopped and looked up.
"Mr. Acton has successfully completed both the forward and reverse transformation. Five points to Ravenclaw." She held up his needle for everyone to see. "This is what you're aiming for. Perfect visualization, precise wand work, and complete transformation of the material."
Several Ravenclaws looked pleased but eager to get their own transfigurations done.
While the Gryffindors looked envious at Ravenclaw earning points so quickly, it could be heard from their mumbling and whispers that they weren't very surprised, considering Ravenclaw was known as the house of bookworms, though Harry and Ron mostly looked confused about how one student had managed it so quickly.
Hermione, on the other hand, looked even more determined to get her matchstick turned into a needle.
McGonagall set the needle down on James's desk. "Good work. Continue practicing the transformation, Mr. Acton. Read ahead in your textbook if you wish. Chapter Two covers color-changing charms, which you might find interesting."
"Yes, Professor."
She walked away, and James returned to his book. Not his Transfiguration textbook, but the advanced magical theory text he'd been reading.
McGonagall either didn't notice or chose not to comment since he has already achieved more than what was expected for the first class or what any other student has so far managed.
His housemates seemed genuinely happy about the points, bending back to their work with renewed determination.
Anthony Goldstein managed to achieve a partial transformation, his matchstick becoming thin and metallic on one end. Mandy Brocklehurst succeeded in changing the color to silver but not the material or shape.
Then disaster struck. Stephen Cornfoot managed to transfigure his matchstick into something resembling a needle, but with a sharp flick, it shot off his desk and embedded itself in Su Li's arm.
Su shrieked. Blood welled around the improvised needle.
"Sit still," McGonagall commanded, already crossing to them. She examined the injury with practiced efficiency, then pulled the needle free with a gentle extraction charm. "Episkey."
The wound healed instantly, skin knitting back together without even a scar.
"Mr. Cornfoot, five points from Ravenclaw for carelessness. Miss Li, you'll go to the hospital wing for Madam Pomfrey to examine you, just to be certain. Mr. Cornfoot, you'll accompany her and explain what happened."
Both students left, Cornfoot looking mortified.
"This," McGonagall said to the rest of the class, "is why I emphasize caution. Magic is not a game. Wands are not toys. Treat them with respect; otherwise, you may hurt yourself or someone else with your carelessness."
Thankfully, the remainder of the lesson passed without any further incident.
By the time McGonagall dismissed them, several students had achieved partial transformations, and only Hermione had finally managed a complete change, her matchstick becoming a perfect silver metallic needle.
"For homework," McGonagall announced as students packed up, "you will each write a ten-inch essay on the principles of material transformation. Due next class."