Harry Potter : This Progress Too Much

"Mr. Adrian, I am Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, the Head of Gryffindor House, and the Professor of Transfiguration."

Professor McGonagall introduced herself promptly, her tone formal yet composed.

As one of the most reliable professors at Hogwarts, she was responsible for guiding Muggle-born students into the wizarding world every summer.

Over the years, she had encountered all sorts of reactions from Muggle families. She had even been met with outright disbelief and accusations of pranks more times than she could count.

From experience, she had categorized Muggle families into three groups:

The Disbelievers – These families dismissed the Hogwarts letter as a hoax and ignored it entirely. With them, McGonagall often had to use magic—like turning a door into a lion—to prove she was serious.

The Skeptical But Open-Minded – These families, while confused, at least responded to the Hogwarts letter and agreed to a meeting. They needed proof but were willing to listen.

The Ones Who Already Knew Something Was Off – Some families, whether due to past encounters or unusual occurrences around their child, already suspected that something supernatural was at play.

Based on their prompt response, the Adrians seemed to fall into the second category.

"Welcome, Professor McGonagall. Please, come in and have a seat," Philemon Adrian said, standing respectfully as he gestured for her to enter.

Despite his calm demeanor, he was still struggling to fully grasp the reality of magic.

Once Professor McGonagall had settled, Nitia Adrian, David's mother, spoke up.

"Professor McGonagall, while we don't believe anyone would go to such lengths for a practical joke, could you provide some proof?"

Though she trusted the possibility of magic, she was still a mother—and that meant she needed answers.

"Of course," McGonagall nodded, her lips curling into a small smile. "That is one of the reasons I'm here today—to prove the existence of magic, confirm that young Mr. Adrian has been accepted into Hogwarts, and later, to accompany him in purchasing his school supplies."

With that, she drew her wand and flicked it toward the fruit bowl on the coffee table.

In an instant, the fruit bowl and the seven apples inside it transformed into cats—one large British Shorthair and seven tiny kittens.

The newly transformed felines immediately leaped off the table, landing on the floor with surprising agility.

Philemon and Nitia gasped in shock.

It was one thing to read about magic in books or see it in movies.

It was an entirely different experience to witness it firsthand.

A Fascination with Transfiguration

"Professor McGonagall, is this Transfiguration?" David asked, carefully picking up one of the cream-colored kittens.

He wanted to see if there was any difference between it and a real cat.

The fur felt soft and elastic under his fingers. The kitten's tiny muscles twitched as it squirmed uncomfortably, meowing in protest.

Everything about it—its behavior, its body temperature, even the way its whiskers twitched—was exactly like a real cat.

It wasn't just an illusion.

It was a genuine transformation.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, this is Transfiguration. If you find yourself particularly interested, you may consider joining my Transfiguration Club in the future."

David was impressed.

It was no wonder that Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration stated that food could not be created through Transfiguration.

If it were possible, there would be no way to distinguish real food from magically created food. The implications of such magic were staggering.

But something else puzzled him.

"Professor McGonagall, do these cats obey your control?"

McGonagall's eyebrows lifted slightly at the question.

"The one in my hand is wriggling, and the two over there are scratching the sofa—just like real cats would. Are they acting on their own instincts?"

The question surprised McGonagall.

In all her years of visiting new students, no one had ever asked this before.

She adjusted her glasses. "No, I am not controlling them at the moment. They are acting purely on their own instincts."

David's mind raced.

"So, you're saying that after Transfiguration, they become real cats with natural feline instincts? Until you reverse the spell, they are cats?"

"Exactly," McGonagall confirmed, pleased with his quick understanding.

David felt a thrill of excitement.

Transfiguration wasn't just about changing appearances—it altered reality itself.

No wonder it was one of the most complex and respected branches of magic.

"Professor McGonagall, when you transformed the apples into cats, did you program their behavior? Did you add their instincts into the spell?"

McGonagall shook her head. "No, I did not add anything. But Transfiguration works in such a way that for a spell to succeed, a wizard must have a clear mental image and a deep understanding of the transformation."

David fell silent, deep in thought.

Understanding Transfiguration

Meanwhile, McGonagall turned her attention back to Philemon and Nitia.

Performing magic was just the first step.

She now needed to answer their questions about Hogwarts—the curriculum, school rules, holidays, and communication methods for students and parents.

After all, no responsible parent would hand over their child to a magical school without knowing exactly what they were getting into.

For them, the existence of magic was now undeniable.

But they still needed reassurance that Hogwarts was safe.

David, however, had stopped listening.

He was too caught up in the implications of what McGonagall had just said.

Magic and Consciousness

Through his own experimentation with Dark Magic, David had realized that spells required different elements to work:

Dark Magic required negative emotions (anger, hatred, cruelty).

The Patronus Charm required positive emotions (happiness, hope, love).

Transfiguration, however, seemed to rely entirely on understanding and willpower.

From what McGonagall had said, it seemed that Transfiguration was limited only by a wizard's cognition and their ability to visualize the result.

In other words, if a wizard had enough magical power, deep enough knowledge, and a clear enough image, they could theoretically transfigure anything—even into creatures from mythology.

If someone imagined a dragon in perfect detail, could they transfigure something into a real dragon?

David's heart pounded.

If that were true, then the limits of Transfiguration were far beyond what most wizards imagined.

This wasn't just illusionary magic.

This was fundamental reality manipulation.

And David intended to master it.