First Years, Lesson One

First Years, Lesson One: Types of Transfiguration
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The door to the Transfiguration classroom was wide open and leaning casually against the wall outside was Edward Pirrip. He had decided against waiting inside like every other professor. First years deserved a moment to calm any nerves they might have. They were first years, after all. This was another new room, new subject, and new professor to get used to. A whole lot of things to get used to. He ran a quick headcount as the students trickled in, he greeted each one with a nod and warm smile, while making mental notes of who looked confident and who might need a little extra encouragement. Once satisfied that everyone was present, Edward stepped inside himself and closed the door behind him.

"Welcome to Transfiguration," he began as he strode to the front of the room, his limp barely slowing him down. With a flick of his wand, a piece of chalk sprang to life, scratching out the word Transfiguration on the chalkboard. Edward smiled, trying not to grimace as the chalk made a terrible sound underlining the word. "My name is Professor Edward Pirrip, but if you’d rather keep it short, Professor P...irrip works just fine." He remembered how his son had begged him not to go by Professor P, "I will be your Transfiguration teacher for the next few years, guiding you through one of the most complex and powerful branches of magic." He introduced, "You will learn everything from manipulating, conjuring and even vanishing the very matter that makes up our physical world. It is a discipline that demands precision, creativity, and focus. Sound difficult? Good. It should. But trust me, once you get the hang of it, you’ll never look at a spoon, or a rock, or your roommate’s pet in quite same way again.” Edward explained while the chalk wrote out the types of transfigurations behind him.

Types of Transfiguration Inanimate to Inanimate Inanimate to Animate Animate to Inanimate Animate to Animate Switching Conjuring Vanishing​

"Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘What on earth does all that mean?’ Don’t worry, we’re starting simple. We'll start with vocabulary. I promise to make this as painless as possible, you just need to pay attention and take notes along the way. You'll thank me later." Edward told his students, while picking up a quill from his desk and holding it up "Inanimate refers to something that isn't mobile nor living, like this quill." He waved his wand, and the quill transformed into a silver spoon. "Or this spoon, both inanimate and an example of inanimate to inanimate transfiguration. Animate is the exact opposite. Anything living, moving. Like you or I," he pointed his wand at the spoon again, turning it into a white butterfly that fluttered out of his hand, "Or this butterfly, this is an example of inanimate to animate transfiguration. Don't get too attached though, while the creature looks alive it lacks a soul and isn't truly living. True life is something we cannot give." He explained, turning the butterfly back into a quill and catching it in his palm as it drifted back down towards the floor, "It does look cool though."

"If I had turned that butterfly into a different type of animal instead of using untransfiguration, that would've been an example of animate to animate transfiguration. When using a true animal for transfiguration, it's important to note that you don't kill a creature when you turn it into something inanimate, it's more like pressing pause on their life for a short time." Edward told them, placing the quill back into the inkpot. Glancing at the clock, Edward realised the time was slipping away. “Right, that’s enough for today. I know theory can feel bit tough, but it’s the foundation for everything else we’ll do in this class. And trust me when I say the fun stuff is coming. You’ve all survived your first lesson, so pat yourselves on the back. Oh but before you go please complete this questionnaire." He said, using his wand to hand out a questionnaire and giving all the students enough time to complete it before finishing the lesson, "Class dismissed!"

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Homework: RP attendance! Tag @Professor Edward Pirrip if you would like me to interact with your character! For extra credit, complete the Getting to Know You questionnaire below.

Spoiler: Getting to Know You Questionnaire

Name:
House:
Briefly tell me about your background, did you grow up in a magical household or aware of magic before your letter arrived?:
If you could turn your quill into any animal, what animal would it be, and why?:

 

[Miles Flynn]

Transfiguration was a lesson which sounded actually interesting, it was something which seemed as though it was going to include learning a lot of spells. So, of course, Miles was interested in it, settling into an empty seat near the front of the class. Not right at the front, he wasn't some kind of nerd or anything, but close enough that he could see everything going on without having to crane his neck or look over the top of anyone else. While he had been quietly hoping that maybe they might just jump right into learning some cool new magic, he was disappointed to learn that it was just another introduction lesson, huffing softly as he moved to rest his chin in his palm as he listened to the Professor. All in all, it was a pretty boring lesson and Miles was hopeful that they would move onto actually getting in some practice in the near future. For now, he just filled out the questionnaire they were given before leaving the classroom with everyone else.

Name: Miles Flynn
House: Gryffindor
Briefly tell me about your background, did you grow up in a magical household or aware of magic before your letter arrived?: Both my parents are magical so I knew about it before
If you could turn your quill into any animal, what animal would it be, and why?: I don't know if I would want to turn my quill into an animal. Sounds pretty inconvenient, you know what I mean? What if I need my quill?