“Give me your wand.”
“I don't have one. And when Tommie finds out, you won't either.”
Chapter One
Albus Dumbledore observed the first year students as they filed into the Transfiguration classroom. Most looked stunned, still getting over the shock of being in a school for wizards. Others simply looked delighted. One student looked dreamy and knowing, as if she had always known this was coming.
“Everyone please take your seats as I take the roll call.” Dumbledore instructed. One by one he flicked off the students' names on the parchment. He placed the list of names on his desk and turned to face the students.
“Welcome to Transfiguration. I think you'll find this class to be challenging, but not too hard, I hope. Transfiguration is the turning of one object into another. Today we'll be trying to turn matches into needles. Camber, if you would please pass out the matches on my desk.”
A young brown haired boy stood up and began passing out the matches. A few students looked mischievously pleased at this development. “I think you'll find them rather hard to set on fire, and I would advise you all not to try.” Dumbledore gave Tom Riddle a look warning him not to try anything. The boy looked eager to learn, not at all rebellious. Dumbledore nodded to himself, pleased that the child had turned over a new leaf so nicely. “Everyone please take out your wands.”
There was a shuffle and scraping as everyone scrambled to grab their wands. Once it was still once more in the brightly lit classroom, Dumbledore advised everyone on the act of turning a match into a needle. Then he set them loose to practice.
Some immediately began to strike their matches against the desks. Those who did soon heard a sizzling and turned to find their quills had melted.
Some students' gazes flicked from their matches to their wands and back in confusion. One student just poked their match and started looking at what the other students were doing.
Very few actually managed to turn their matches into needles that Albus saw. This included Tom Riddle, he noticed.
At the end of the class, Dumbledore observed the results. Only two people managed to transfigure their needles. Tom Riddle and Liana Thompson, a tall, lanky girl with pale brown hair and light blue eyes.
Dumbledore rewarded the two with large squares of chocolate. The rest of the students seemed more eager to do their spells better after that.
As the students filed out of the classroom, Albus noticed that a wand had been left on the floor by Liana's desk.
“Liana,” he called, walking up to her, “You've forgotten your wand.” Dumbledore gestured to the fallen wand.
“Oh, that's not mine.” Liana informed Dumbledore, “I don't have a wand.”