Professor Janette Wolfe
May 15, 2010 11:27 AM
Advanced Transfiguration (6th and 7th years) by Professor Janette Wolfe
So her last two lessons may have been a bit boring compared to the one she had today, but she was confident that this lesson was going to be good. Janette sat behind her desk grading papers as she waited for her students to arrive, a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She was a lot calmer than she had been in her previous classes, which she supposed was a good thing. The door opened and her students filed in, and she couldn't help but grin when she saw them."Alright! Welcome back seventh and sixth years, it's a pleasure having you. My name is Janette Wolfe, you may call me whatever you like, Professor Jane, Professor Janette, Professor Wolfe- I don't particularly care. You have two options in today's lesson, you can either try to become an Animagus, or, you can change into another object. It's relatively difficult for even the most competent wizard or witch, but it is useful when you are in hiding.
"When becoming an Animagus, you must will it. It takes months to control your mind in such a way, to perfect it. However, since I know seventh years have also tried to do this last year, it may be easier for others. You must search inside your mind for that inner beast, feel it consume your very being. When that happens, you must imagine yourself as that animal. Slowly, if you can concentrate long enough, you may begin to feel yourself changing. If anything goes wrong, just let me know and I'll come as soon as I can.
"As for transforming yourself, it's the same as becoming an Animagus, only you're not becoming a live object. You could, I suppose, become one. An ex of mine had become a tree to hide from my parents," she told them with a laugh. "However, there is also a spell you need to cast to even become another object. Before I tell you, however, note that you have to imagine yourself as that object just as you have to imagine yourself as an animal to become an Animagus. The spell is Debes Eadem Mutatio. To change back, just say the spell within your mind and it will reverse the affects. If you can't, I'll make sure to keep an eye out for any strange furniture or plants, alright? Now, you may begin. Have any questions, just ask." With that, she dismissed the class to begin the assignment.
OOC: This assignment isn't an easy one, so be realistic about it. I don't expect anyone to transform easily. It takes time and patience. Normal posing rules apply, be creative, and have fun! Any questions, just ask.
Subthreads: No nasty rodents, so I'll count this as a good class. by Holly Greer
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Professor Janette Wolfe
Advanced Transfiguration (6th and 7th years)
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Professor Janette Wolfe
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Holly Greer
May 24, 2010 3:39 PM
No nasty rodents, so I'll count this as a good class. by Holly Greer
Of all the classes Holly had decided to continue with at the RATS level, the one she was most doubtful about was Transfiguration. Actually, the one she was most doubtful about was Care of Magical Creatures, but Transfiguration came in a close second. Both classes had the same problem. Her opinion of the class varied by the topic they were studying. Creatures could be wonderful or horrifying (or, on a few truly disturbing occasions, both adjectives at the same time).Transfiguration didn't have quite the same range of incredibly fabulous to distressingly terrifying, but there were some classes that she just simply did not like. Most of those involved nasty rodents or other unpleasant vermin, though other lessons were disagreeable for the simple fact that Holly could find no reason why she would ever want to do the transfiguration in question. Of course, Charms suffered the same problem, and she generally didn't hold that against the subject there.
In the end, Holly decided to keep the subject for the simple reason that in the five years leading up to her CATS exam, she had only needed to drink an anti-anxiety potion four times due to transfiguration-lesson related causes. That was less than one per year, which was less than every class save Divinations (which she'd only taken for one year anyway) and Charms (which had only caused her to utilize two potions in five years).
With a record like that, she thought it was probably safe to continue with it at the next level. Also, during the Flatt the Elder years, Transfiguration had been one of her two sanctuary classes and she would be forever grateful for that.
Of course, there was the small problem where she wasn't actually very good at Transfiguration, and the theories and concepts taught in class floated several dozen feet over her head, but she felt she could at least continue to pull an A, through staunch but doomed effort if not through actual talent.
Arriving in class, Holly noted first that they would neither be transfiguring rats or hamsters or cockroaches into anything else, nor would they be turning anything else into rats, hamsters, or cockroaches. That was always a good first step. Upon the discovery that the lack of rats, hamsters, and cockroaches was due to the fact that the original living creature they were transfiguring was going to be themselves, she became a little nervous, but a small sip from a vial labeled Placebo (which was a weaker anti-anxiety potion that Daniel had brewed up for her over the summer when she ran out, to tide her over until she could get her supply replenished; in lower stress situations, Danny's kind worked almost as well as the stronger professional potions she'd been taking) calmed that right down.
The idea of changing herself into an object just make her skin crawl, so she decided the animagus thing was the better option. Then she'd at least be able to move and breathe.
Hoping that she'd become a horse, she tried to imagine what it would be like to not just ride Wendy, but to become her. Her imagination failed when she tried to consider what it would be like to have four hooves instead of two hands and two feet. Shuddering a little, she thought that as much as she loved horses, she wasn't convinced that she wanted to be one.
So instead of picturing herself as a white mare, Holly closed her eyes and tried to will herself to change into a fairy. They at least looked human, were pretty enough to serve as decorations around Christmas time, and could fly. She assumed they were classified as an 'animal' since she learned about them in Care of Magical Creatures, and fairies weren't supposed to be very smart.
After what felt like forever, she opened her eyes and looked over herself. She didn't appear to have changed at all. Turning to the person seated next to her, she asked, "Do I look any shorter than I was before?" They didn't seem to be any larger, but maybe she just looked smaller but wasn't actually any tinier than she had been. She had thought Animagus transformations were more than mere illusions, but she'd been wrong about that kind of thing before.
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Holly Greer
No nasty rodents, so I'll count this as a good class.
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Holly Greer
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