Second Class. Years 3&4

[Orynn Novim]

Orynn stood at the head of the class, awaiting his students to arrive. He was dressed in a formal sea-green colored button-up shirt. With navy blue trousers, and his rings which he was commonly found to be wearing.

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus walked into class wearing his normal school robes, sneakers, a scarf, and a new decoration, a necklace of purple thread with a large slice of amethyst hanging from it. He took his seat and pulled out his wand and book.

[Orynn Novim]

[OOC: Due to the fact that there are no 4th years in the course, I can't be bothered to pretend to teach students that only consist of NPCs. If a 4th year does register, well then that will change everything of course]

Orynn snatched his cane from behind the podium, and leaned on it slightly as he approached the now full classroom.

"For the third years, in case it wasn't already made clear what you will be learning this year is how Transfiguration works at it's most basic and fundamental levels. In learning that, you'll also obtain knowledge on the limitations of the magical art."

"Last class, I demonstrated one of many ways Transfiguration can be detected. We saw that with the two tea cups. Can anyone think of another scenario that would indicate, if not at least hint, that a Transfiguration spell took place?"

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus frowned.
Let's see ... how else could you tell a transfiguration has taken place? Maybe if it was unnatural in some way? Not quite right in places? Hmm ....

Everyone else in his class was either thinking, like Arcturus, or staring blindly off into space. Finally Arcturus raised his hand.

"If the object had some sort of quality it shouldn't have, then you could tell. Like, if one side of it was completely blank, or if it was the consistency of Jello, or something like that."

[Orynn Novim]

"You are in a way, Mister MacDougal, already describing what we've already learned. If I attempt to transfigure a copy of an object, without knowing every detail of the original, than anyone closely examining both objects will soon discover that magic has taken place. These details can be color, or pattern, height or even weight. A truly gifted wizard or witch can only ever hope to make an undetectable copy of an object by means of Transfiguration. As for your other example, I believe that just to be bad spell casting, plainly."[/color]

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus nodded. That made sense. He had already had an inkling of that, but it was nice to get it spelled out plainly.

[Orynn Novim]

Orynn stood still, staring at his students. None had ventured to give a response yet. For an answer that appeared so difficult, it was ridiculously simple once found.

"Think."[/color] Orynn said. "Sometimes the answer is much easier to grasp than you make it out to be. It's really not all that difficult."[/color]

A Gryffindor boy raised his hand. "With magic, Sir? Can you detect Transfiguration with a spell?"

"You are nearly there Mr. Potter. Think more specifically."[/color]

The classroom grew quiet.

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus thought. He tried to think . . . simple.

Let's see . . . maybe if you saw it happen? Um . . .

No one else seemed to be answering, so Arcturus put his hand up tentatively.

"Maybe if the thing was something that was obviously magical. Like a living statue. That has to be done by Transfiguration."

[Orynn Novim]

Orynn smiled, now within the heat of the lesson. This was where his passion laid. He raised his cane and jabbed it in Mister MacDougal's direction, though there was no threat of actually harming the student.

"Closer still Mister MacDougal, but I fear you're not quite there yet. It is-- yes Miss Bay?"[/color] The Professor called upon a Hufflepuff.

"I think I know what you're getting at Sir. Are you saying Transfiguration can be detect... by Transfiguration?"

"Yes!"[/color] Orynn could almost be described as elated. "There is indeed a foolproof way of finding out whether some thing's been transfigured, by attempting to transfigure it yourself."[/color]

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus was being drawn in to the lesson because of how into it the Professor seemed to be. He raised his hand excitedly.

"How exactly can you detect it by Transfiguring it? Are objects that have been Transfigured unable to be Transfigured again? Or will it just feel different?"

[Orynn Novim]

"You're on the right track Mister MacDougal."[/color] Orynn was almost beaming at his students.

"As we discovered last class, Transfiguration is not a linear process. This is very important to understand. Object A can be transfigured into Object B, but to then perform another transfigurations spell requires taking a half-step back, if you will. Object B, must revert back to Object A before it can become Object C, even though it may not be visually interpreted that way."[/color]

Orynn stabbed his cane into the ground before him, and it remained there after he took his hand off the hilt. He pointed his wand at it, as some of the students in the back row stood up or leaned sideways to see better.

"Res Rei Verto."[/color] The cane twisted quickly and shrunk dramatically. It's bottom widened and was semi circular. In no time, the cane had transformed into an unlit candle with a base and holder.

"Knowing what I've just tried to explain to you. If I want to transfigure this candle into a clear glass vase, and not back into a cane, what would be different between this specific spell and the one I had just cast? Or any initial transfiguration?"[/color]

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus was following along with rapt attention. He raised his hand.

"The spell would have to, at least in some way, turn it into a cane first then on to a vase. The spell would have to be more complicated, because the object has to pass through another phase first. But, since you said it might not be seen that way visually, then . . . would it change to a cane, then a vase, really fast? Or would it just sort of change in essence?"

[Orynn Novim]

Leaning on his good leg noticeable, Orynn looked at the Ravenclaw student, jabbing his wand towards the candle.

"This is, indeed, a candle. It feels like a candle, it looks like a candle, and functions as one should as well. For all intent and purposes, there's no reason to think it not a candle, except for that we, as in all of us in this room, know that it isn't. It's really my cane. If I believe it not to be a candle, and truly a cane, then to transfigure it into a vase I need not imagine the candle at all. Because, my intent it to change true appearance, and not it's disguise."[/color]

Orynn looked out the window, and saw the placement of the sun and the length of the shadows.

"Class is dismissed, please read up on Gamp's Law for homework."[/color]

[Arcturus MacDougal]

Arcturus gathered his books and left, digesting the lesson as he did. There was a lot of interesting stuff in it. It definitely changed his views of Transfiguration, but in a way that made them more consistent, he thought.