Transfiguration (class)

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

- Professor McGonagall introducing Transfiguration to a first year class

Transfiguration is a core class and subject taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It teaches the art of changing the form and appearance of an object. This type of magic is commonly referred to as "Transfiguration". There are limits to Transfiguration, which are governed by Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. There are also many branches, including Cross-Species Transfiguration and Human Transfiguration. This type of magic is regarded as "very hard work" and is "more scientific" than any other subject. One has to get it exactly right for the transfiguration to be successful.

The professor of this subject for many years was Albus Dumbledore and later Minerva McGonagall. It is unknown who took over this subject when Professor McGonagall became headmistress of Hogwarts.

Class information
"I do not accept students into N.E.W.T. classes unless they have achieved 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher at Ordinary Wizarding Level."

- Professor McGonagall on the increased difficulty in NEWT.



Transfiguration is a required subject for all first year to fifth year students, with the option of a N.E.W.T. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) course in sixth and seventh year. Minerva McGonagall was the Transfiguration Professor from 1956 until 1998, the year in which she became Headmistress of the school. Before her, Albus Dumbledore taught Transfiguration. It's unknown who became the Transfiguration professor after she became Headmistress of Hogwarts. McGonagall believes Transfiguration to be more elegant and superior to other types of magic.



Students practice actual transfigurations during classes. Accidents sometimes result in partial transfigurations and theoretical homework is sometimes assigned. The further into a student's education the more difficult the classwork and homework becomes.

In fifth year students take the Ordinary Wizarding Level examination, much of the year is spent learning Ordinary Wizarding Level material, as well as revisiting the past four years of lessons. As part of their Transfiguration O.W.L., students must sit a written exam, and then complete a practical exam, one of the questions on the written exam asks the definition of Switching spells and one aspect of the practical is Vanishment. In order to advance to N.E.W.T.-level for the final two years of education a student must achieve a high O.W.L. score of either 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations' on their exam.

Like charms work, Transfiguration is achieved through concentration, precise wand movements, and the proper pronunciation of an incantation. However it is generally more difficult than Charms and requires great effort.

Classrooms
Transfiguration classes are held in Class 1 on the first-floor, Class 34 on the third-floor, Class 99 in the South Tower and Classroom 1B on the ground-floor, around the Middle Courtyard. Classroom 1B is big, surrounded by high windows, has four rows of three desks, and still has enough room for several cages and bookshelves, two chalkboards, and a desk for the teacher. Several candlesticks stand lit behind the desk.

First Year
"Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuff box."

- First year exam in 1992




 * The alphabet
 * The transformation formula, which is that the intended transformation is directly influenced by bodyweight (a), viciousness (v), wand power (w), concentration (c), and a fifth unknown variable (Z).
 * Desk into Pig
 * Match to needle
 * Switching Spell
 * Mice to Snuffboxes
 * Avifors Spell
 * Small creature to matchbox

Second Year
"He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desk top avoiding his wand."

- A lesson on turning beetles into buttons


 * Beetle Buttons
 * Rabbit Slippers
 * Badgering
 * Bird into Goblet

Third Year
"[...] comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they been set, which included turning a teapot into tortoise."

- Third year exam in 1994


 * Lecture on Animagi
 * Teapot to Tortoise
 * Hedgehog to Pincushion
 * Lapifors Spell
 * Draconifors Spell

Fourth Year
"The guinea-fowl they had been changing into guinea-pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers)..."

- After a lesson transformation


 * Guinea Fowl to Guinea Pig
 * Cross-Species Switches

Fifth Year
"So... today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L."

- 1995 lesson on Vanishment


 * Dinner Plate to Mushroom
 * Doubling Charm
 * Inanimatus Conjurus Spell
 * Owl to Opera Glasses
 * Vanishing Spell

Sixth Year
"Harry barely understood half of what Professor McGonagall said to them these days; even Hermione had to ask her to repeat instructions once or twice."

- The increased difficulty during sixth year


 * Either this year or next they transfigure themselves to acquire extra powers.
 * Human Transfiguration
 * Bird-Conjuring Charm

Known professors

 * Unidentified (1998-?)

Required textbooks

 * A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, by Emeric Switch, (first year & second year)
 * Intermediate Transfiguration (third year, fourth year & fifth year)
 * A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration (sixth year & seventh year)

Branches of Transfiguration

 * Animagus
 * Cross-Species Transfiguration (also known as Trans-Species Transfiguration)
 * Conjuration
 * Human Transfiguration
 * Transfiguration
 * Untransfiguration

Behind the scenes

 * In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, one of the spells is a Transfiguration spell that turns victims into a toad or a rat.
 * Both Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall served as Transfiguration Professor before becoming Headmaster.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * Harry Potter Trading Card Game
 * Pottermore
 * Harry Potter: The Character Vault (mentioned only)

Notes and references
Verwandlung Métamorphose