"Huff! Huff Huff Huff"
Loud panting and the sound of shoe heels hitting hard stone echoed as three students ran through a corridor, clutching their books close to their bodies.
"You know" Ron wheezed as they took a turn to the right. "We would've gotten to class a bit more early if someone hadn't fallen asleep right after breakfast" indirectly venting on Richard.
" sure you could've, IF you had at least unpacked last night " Richard was quick to shoot back. "Honestly, even if you did, you would've gotten lost by now right Harry?"
"Haaah, maybe " Harry replied in kind before looking at the parchment in his hand once more. "We just need to take a right turn and we should be in front of the transfiguration class."
Since Richard knew his inevitable fate, He had made sure to make a rough map of the classrooms in the castle, with a little help of the twins while they nagged him last night. And it was only thanks to that, the trio had managed to find their way in the castle in less than five minutes.
Thankfully, by the time they arrived to the class, professor McGonagall was nowhere to be found. Richard was about to release a sigh of relief when he noticed the abnormal silence in the classroom. His eyes quickly whipped back to the professor's desk only to see something he had missed when he first arrived. A cat.
'Oh no' Richard blanched mentally. But he had no time to act.
The cat leapt foreward, transforming in mid jump into professor McGonagall. And she did not look happy.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron tried his best to salvage the moment by trying to butter her up but to no avail.
"Why thank you Mr Weasly" She said. " maybe I should transform of you three into a pocket watch? That way some of you might be on time." Her eyes remained briefly on Richard, believing him to be the main reason. Which was a valid possibility, especially with his puffy face that screamed of sleepiness.
"Fifteen points from Griffindor" she stated before resuming her lecture.
Even though both the books and the movies only went through the process of magic at a shallow angle, magic was more than just waving wands, as Richard had found out.
The wand was used to keep magic circuits open as well as jump start spells while the wand's movement was suppose to guide the bursts of magic with a purpose. The use of spell names in different language was simply to make sure that magic won't be unleashed accidentally.
Of course the studies at school didn't dive that deep into that subject. Mostly because they themselves hadn't quite grasped the concept of magic circuits, which Richard had come to understand while reading his second hand text book. But still, the wizard kind had exchanged power of magic circuits to the versatility of wand magic.
They didn't immediately dive into magic either. Instead, professor McGonagall gave them long and complex notes to study before moving into practical applications of transfiguration.
"Now that you are familiar with the theory and the procedure, let's move onto the actual process " professor McGonagall stated as she placed a matchstick infront of each student.
"I want you to transfigure the matchstick infront of you into a needle. You have till the end of the class to finish, and the first to finsh will recieve five points."
And so, everyone present drew their wands and began waving their wands. Transfiguration is of course the most basic and the most natural and versatile technique for human wizards. Mainly because humans have great mental prowess, transforming surrounding to their will has always been their go to. Just like how muggles transformed forests into fields or trees into wood, wizards are more prone to change their surroundings with magic. And once they have a good grasp of the technique, it is easy to use. Just like how even malfoy at his third year, folded a paper into a bird that flapped its wings without even using his wand.
But that's just a small part of the basics. The difference between that to real transfiguration was like the difference between throwing a paper ball to a professional softball throw.
Pointing his own iron wood and dragon heartstring wand at the matchstick, Richard began imagining the small wooden stick turning to metal. Pointy and thin. Sharp. And having a metallic shine.
He focused his mind on that thought entirely, pulling the magic and releasing as he had done when he triggered his accidental magic. He felt the world move rapidly to his command, obeying his desires through the small part of his magic circuit connected to the wand.
But what unfolded was not what he had expected. Instead of the desired silver needle, in the place of the matchstick, a miniature sword made of iron rest. And to make things worse, professor McGonagall was happened to be passing by at the same moment.
"Mr Cloverfield, what is that?" She asked in a no nonsense tone that demanded answers, to which Richard could only mumble under his breath.
"A small sword?"
"What did I ask you to do ?"
"To transfigure the matchstick into a silver needle"
By now all eyes were on Richard. But he was not bothered by them. Instead he was ecstatic and a bit worried. Ecstatic because of how potent his talent in the concept of sword is, and worried about his current predicament.
"Mr Cloverfield, I specifically informed you that there will be no monkey business in my class, and yet you seemed to have not gotten the message "
"But I did exactly as you said professor" Richard stated as he looked right back at her in the eyes.
"Then I'm sure you can do it again, right?" She replied as she procured another matchstick and placed it infront of Richard. Sure enough, once again, as Richard waved his wand, the matchstick changed shape into a metal sword in a flash.
"You need to focus on the clear image of a needle Mr Cloverfield" McGonagall said after a moment's silence." Instead of a needle you seem to focus on the image of a sword, you need to fix that."
But unfortunately for both of them, Richard was the sword incarnate. No matter how many matches he used, every single one of them turned into a sword the moment his wand was pointed at them. And by the time the class ended, his table had a small pile of toothpick sized metal swords.