Professor McGonagall thought very carefully.
Should she directly request a distribution of those rock sugar-bitten cabbages? After all, although the greenhouse was managed by Pomona, it was still Hogwarts property.
But Pomona did put a lot of thought and care into maintaining the greenhouse—perhaps she should offer more candy in exchange?
She considered several possibilities in succession. Only when the lingering sweetness in her mouth had completely faded, and her greedy thoughts subsided, did Professor McGonagall snap out of it. She let out a soft, angry laugh at herself.
She had seriously contemplated negotiating for candy. That Allen was truly a bad influence—he'd even made her lose her usual composure.
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Sighing, Professor McGonagall turned to Allen.
"Go to your seat. You can read a book before class starts…"
As she spoke, she suddenly recalled the transformation spell Allen had displayed during the Sorting Ceremony the night before. Her tone shifted.
"Although your Transfiguration is excellent, don't neglect the basics because of that. Understand? Good habits will help you go much farther on the path of magic."
Then her expression turned unusually stern.
"If you truly intend to challenge Headmaster Dumbledore one day, then don't overlook any details. I can see that you're a genius—but Dumbledore is also a genius, and he is the greatest talent Hogwarts has ever produced."
Professor McGonagall's sudden mention of challenging Dumbledore left many students nearby stunned. And her high evaluation of Allen was even more shocking.
Professor McGonagall actually called Allen Cecil a genius!
"Thank you for the compliment and the advice, Professor. I'll keep it in mind," Allen responded politely.
Learning was indeed necessary. While Allen could improve magic spells directly using reinforcement points, [Basic Magic Mastery] allowed for indirect improvement by learning and practicing. This method was much more cost-effective.
With [Basic Magic Mastery], Allen's learning ability in magic improved by leaps and bounds—it was far more efficient than simply spending points.
At the table beside him, Hermione leaned over and whispered, "How did you recognize that the cat just now was Professor McGonagall?"
Hermione had arrived early. When she first saw the cat, she assumed it was a teaching aid used by Professor McGonagall. She hadn't expected it to be the professor herself.
Professor McGonagall hadn't shown her Animagus transformation when introducing magic to Hermione at her home. At this point, Hermione lacked enough magical knowledge to be aware of Animagi.
"Logical deduction. Have you read Sherlock Holmes?" Allen replied casually. "I'm that kind of person." He gave her a playful wink.
Hermione's cheeks flushed easily, unlike Penelope's. Clearly, the two girls were very different—one seemed infatuated already, while the other remained blissfully unaware of any attraction.
But that wouldn't do. How could a beautiful girl not be infatuated with him? Wasn't his face handsome enough?
Allen touched his cheek thoughtfully. Perhaps it was just a matter of time. He would need to correct Penelope's misunderstanding eventually.
Just as he was mulling this over, Harry and Ronald arrived late.
Because Allen had warned them beforehand, they were met with a serious-faced Professor McGonagall instead of the fluffy, adorable cat. The two immediately looked guilty and lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.
"If you're late again, I might just turn your heads into alarm clocks to help you with time management," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Now, to your seats—get ready for class!"
As Harry and Ronald rushed to their seats, the first Transfiguration lesson officially began.
Professor McGonagall began by teaching the class the basic incantation and wand movement for Transfiguration and listed several important precautions.
Allen didn't pay close attention at first, assuming he already knew everything. But when Professor McGonagall mentioned a subtle detail he hadn't noticed before, Allen was surprised to feel a distinct improvement in his Transfiguration proficiency.
His Transfiguration spell had just reached Level D. All spells at this level could now take effect on Allen. Meanwhile, his system's [D- to magic] resistance meant that spells at D-level were no longer completely ineffective against him.
The realization that even passive listening could increase his spell level instantly grabbed Allen's full attention.
Professor McGonagall had been right—attention to detail on the path of magic was crucial.
Allen became fully focused. Even though his spell level didn't increase further during the rest of the class, he was confident that if his system measured experience points, he'd have gained over 50% progress from this single lesson.
At the end of class, Professor McGonagall introduced an in-class exercise: turning a matchstick into a needle.
This was a classic Transfiguration exercise for beginners. Since both items were long and narrow, but differed in material and structure, it was an ideal first test of precision and control.
Successfully completing the transformation would mean the student had fully grasped the lesson content.
The transformation skill level required to accomplish this task was around E- level.
Naturally, something like this was no trouble for Allen. He not only completed the transformation in one go but also added flair—the resulting needle had a clean, polished finish with a simple relief pattern etched onto it.
Professor McGonagall inspected the students' results. When she reached Allen, she nodded with satisfaction. His performance wasn't just perfect—it was artful.
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Hermione's transformation was also quite successful. She managed to complete it in two or three tries, which was excellent progress.
Most of the other students, however, produced mediocre results. Ronald's needle had an uneven texture—half metal and half wood. Harry did slightly better; his needle resembled more of a metallic matchstick than an actual needle.
After observing everyone's attempts, Professor McGonagall had a clear understanding of each student's current level.
She addressed the class.
"I will inspect your transformations before class on Thursday. If anyone still hasn't successfully turned a matchstick into a needle by then… don't blame me if I have to intervene. Class dismissed!"
At Hogwarts, most subjects were taught twice per week. The next Transfiguration class would be Thursday.
Such requirements didn't concern Allen. As soon as Professor McGonagall dismissed the class, he stood up, ready to leave.
The morning classes were done, but there was still a magical practice session and a Herbology class in the afternoon.
During the break, Allen planned to visit the head of Hufflepuff—Professor Sprout.
"Allen," Hermione called softly, "would you like to go to the library together?"
"Sorry, Hermione. I've got something I need to take care of."
Just as Allen responded, Harry and Ronald approached.
"Allen, why didn't you wake us up this morning?" Harry complained.
"I can start waking you up from now on if you want," Allen replied. "How does 5:30 sound?"
"Five-thirty?" Harry and Ronald exchanged horrified glances. "Forget it—that's way too early."
"Then maybe you can train your pets to wake you up," Allen joked, placing his textbook into Harry's hands. "Help me take this back to the dorm. And bring it to the afternoon classes too, please. I keep my books under the bed—just make sure you pull out the black ones first. Otherwise, they might bite you."
Harry, already accustomed to Allen's odd requests, took the book without hesitation. "Where are you going?"
Hermione, still pretending not to eavesdrop, subtly turned an ear toward them.
"The greenhouse," Allen answered calmly.
He was looking for a stable supply of biting cabbage larvae.
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