— — — — — —

"Transfiguration is a highly advanced and incredibly dangerous branch of magic. That said, it's also something you'll be using a lot in the future."

Professor McGonagall didn't waste time easing them in—she went straight for the intimidation play.

Her tone was sharp, and her gaze was enough to make the whole class sit up straight. Only after everyone looked properly disciplined did she finally give them something sweet.

She showed them the true charm of Transfiguration.

With a graceful flick of her wand, she tapped the desk in front of her. In an instant, the sturdy wooden desk transformed into a chubby white pig—adorably round and utterly ridiculous.

The class barely had time to react before the pig turned into a roaring lion, then morphed again into a massive serpent, its glittering eyes locking onto the students in front.

The ones in the front row couldn't help but stumble backward in fear, faces pale as ghosts.

Tom noticed a flicker of amusement in Professor McGonagall's eyes.

"So even you, Professor Serious, have a devious side," he thought to himself.

BANG—!

The massive snake vanished, and the desk was back in place. Only then did the classroom start to calm down.

"That's the wonder of Transfiguration," McGonagall continued. "With enough skill, you can use it to change the world around you. But don't get ahead of yourselves—transforming large animals is something only senior students will attempt. For now, we'll start with the basics…"

She handed out toothpicks to everyone.

Today's goal: turn the toothpick into a silver needle.

"When casting the spell," she instructed, "clearly visualize the silver needle in your mind. Focus—no distractions. Picture it in detail and believe, without a doubt, that the toothpick in front of you is a silver needle. You need to align your mental image with reality…"

With that, she stepped back and let them practice.

The room filled with whispers of spellcasting, but sadly, the toothpicks stayed stubbornly toothpick-shaped.

Tom, on the other hand, was zoning out.

[Gained Transfiguration Insight from Professor — Credits +5]

[Gained Transfiguration Insight from Professor — Credits +5]

The notification pinged twice in a row—ten credits, just like that.

More importantly, it gave Tom a brand new idea: a different way to earn credits.

He'd already mastered this basic spell during the summer, but somehow McGonagall's explanation helped him understand it on a deeper level. Was that why he got a bonus?

But the real surprise came a few minutes later.

McGonagall walked around the classroom, checking everyone's progress. Most students hadn't managed anything—every toothpick looked exactly the same. Still, she didn't seem angry.

Turning wood into metal wasn't easy. It wasn't just a small shape change; it involved a complete material transformation, which was no small feat for first-years.

Of course, McGonagall knew that. After years of teaching Transfiguration, she had her reasons for starting off with this spell. It wasn't about results—it was a subtle test. Tricky, but not impossible. Just enough to weed out the ones with real potential.

She sighed as she moved down the rows. Half the class done, and not a single spark of promise yet.

Then she reached Tom.

He calmly drew a circle with his wand, tapped the toothpick lightly—and with a shimmer of light, the toothpick transformed.

A perfectly smooth silver needle sat on his desk, catching the light with an elegant gleam.

But that wasn't what made McGonagall pause. This wasn't just any silver needle—it had delicate patterns etched along the shaft. It looked like something out of a craftsman's collection. Beautiful. Precise.

"Amazing!" she declared, loud enough for the whole class to hear. "Mr. Riddle has successfully cast the spell on his first try, and even added ornamental details. Five points to Slytherin!"

The Gryffindors didn't react much. They were still new to Hogwarts and didn't really care about house rivalries yet.

The Slytherins, though, fell into a strange silence. Malfoy shot Tom a dirty look, full of disbelief.

"He's just a Muggle-born—how the hell did he pull that off?" Malfoy thought bitterly. "Even I couldn't manage it..."

Tom himself hadn't cared about the house points—until the next notification from the system popped up.

[Received Recognition from a Professor — Credits +5, Achievement Point +1]

[System has unlocked Long-Term Quest: "Become the Best Student in Hogwarts History."]

[House points earned by host will convert to Credits at a 1:1 ratio, and to Achievement Points at a 5:1 ratio.]

[Note: Winning the House Cup will yield extra rewards.]

Tom sat up straighter.

He didn't give a damn about house points—but credits and achievement points? Now that was different.

For a moment, he even regretted not getting sorted into Gryffindor. With Harry Potter around, Gryffindor was practically guaranteed to win the House Cup every year. He could've raked in credits without even trying.

But now? If he wanted to win the House Cup as a Slytherin, it meant he'd have to get creative.

Maybe even… blow up Dumbledore's plans a little.

The House Cup had been pretty much rigged in recent years—to boost Harry's fame and subtly manipulate him. It was part of Dumbledore's long game: grooming Harry into a hero, someone who'd instinctively step up in a crisis, someone ready to face Voldemort when the time came.

Tom hadn't cared about Dumbledore's savior-training program. In his opinion, Voldemort had only two possible outcomes: either die like in the original timeline, or get crushed by him once he got strong enough.

But if chasing the House Cup meant racking up credits and leveling up…

Then sorry, Dumbledore.

He'd just have to offend the old man a little—for the sake of progress.

He'll understand, won't he?

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