Transfiguration Lessons for Muggles

I know how all of us dream of receiving a letter delivered by The Owl Post, complete with the Hogwarts Coat of Arms. Who wouldn’t want to walk along the ancient corridors of the Castle, attend Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, lend a handshake to Professor Snape and rub shoulders with Dumbledore?

But fret not, dear! Upon one of my nightly adventures, I found one brave black cat that had its eyes glued on me. Bit fishy, I thought. Usually, the cats of my neighbourhood make a run for their life whenever they catch even the slightest sniff of a stinky human being. This one, however, seemed unperturbed.

And I must say, I was very surprised ( a tad bit smug as well) to have made the acquaintance of Professor McGonagall! She was a bit surprised too. After all, not many muggles can see through her cat disguise. Minus the uncanny courage and the still eyes.

She enquired about the sorry state of affairs of my life (not a word about Hogwarts though).

“You know what, I think I can help you out.” She said.

“You mean, you will swish my miseries away! That’s so wonderful, professor!” I almost had tears in my eyes.

“Don’t be absurd, girl. I’m performing no magic.”

“I thought the “no magic outside Hogwarts” rule applied to only students,” I said.

She looked at me with those straight unrevealing eyes. Zero Expression. Magic or no magic, you simply cannot find out what goes on in her mind. But one thing was sure. She was clearly disgusted with my impatience.

“If you continue this silly banter, I may change my mind about helping you.” I blushed and shut up immediately.

“As a poor muggle, you might think it is unfortunate to have not been blessed with the powers of magic. You think any wish is a swish away. But no, that’s not how it works. With power comes responsibility. Magic can be a comfort but if not used the right way, it can be a terror. I will not disclose the names, but there are some who wish they had been muggles.”

“But there is some magic which you can perform even if you’re a muggle. I’ll teach you some basic transfiguration techniques. A complete experiment is not possible, but your mind is all you need.”

So, here are the six incantations taught by the Professor.

“How to perform the magic:

Dear Muggles,

Remember, magic is nothing but a fantastic name for the power of the mind. The power to visualise. The power to create. The power to think. It all rests there, deep inside you. To a great extent, you influence what happens in your life. Not entirely, of course, but the power to change your life rests with you. A power, if channelised correctly, can lead to the creation of wonders. Nothing is beyond help. You are the magician you need. (You can read more about this on Paige’s amazing blog.)

So, perform the following spells using all the power in your mind and your heart. Remember, you can do magic too.

1. Carpe Diem et Carpe Noctum: “Seize the day and seize the night.” Bring to your mind what you feverishly desire. Eat it. Drink it. Breathe it. Place that in the very foreground of your mind. Work for it. Let no moment go waste. It won’t ever come back.

2. Cogito ergo sum: “I think, therefore I am.” Never underestimate the power of thought. You are what you think. If you think you are a writer, you are a writer. If you think you are a designer, you are a designer. If you think you are sad, you are sad. If you think you are happy, you are happy. It is very important to think positively.

3. Veni, Vidi, Vici: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” There is no problem that cannot be fought and no aspiration not worth fighting for. Life has tested you with this problem because nobody else can handle it better than you. Muster your killer instinct and conquer all that battles against you.

4. Mea Culpa: “My fault.” Humans err. We make mistakes and it is totally okay. If we don’t, then it means we don’t realise the mistakes we make, which leaves no scope for betterment. Accepting our mistakes is the first step to achieve what we desire.

5. E Pluribus Unum: “Out of many, One.” Out of the seven billion people who walk, talk and breathe on this planet, there is only one you. No one on this planet will ever be born the same as you. And there was never anyone the same as you. Never. You have been blessed with a unique permutation of skills, abilities, emotions and talents. Bring out the best. And you will certainly be the best. There is no one else to compete.

6. Sanctum Sanctorum: “Holy of Holies.” While I do not wish to give a religious meaning to it, I would like to say the truth. Your soul is pure. So pure, it is your Sanctum Sanctorum. Acknowledge the power of your mind and your soul. Acknowledge their sovereignty over your physical body. It works on the bidding of your thought. Protect this Sanctum. Protect this Monarch.

There will be no grading for these transfiguration lessons, for you are the only one who needs to evaluate. All the best!

Before I could thank her for the lessons, she just disappeared. Must have apparated!

Anyway, I’m going to go practise some magic. How about you?