"Homework."
The word hung heavy in the air as Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the Transfiguration classroom, just moments before the bell. "You will read Gamp's Basic Laws of Transfiguration and submit a comprehensive summary next Monday."
The classroom instantly buzzed with uneasy chatter. Earlier, the entire class had been practicing the delicate art of turning a match into a needle. Only a handful of students, including Albert, had achieved the transformation flawlessly. Most were still producing blunt, halfway-transfigured objects.
"You need to apply yourselves," Professor McGonagall continued, her expression firm. "Next Monday, we will advance to turning stones into teacups. If anyone has not completely mastered the match-to-needle transformation by then, they will face detention. Class time alone is simply not enough for mastery. I trust you will take this warning seriously."
As she swept out, a collective groan of despair filled the room. Transfiguration, everyone was rapidly discovering, demanded far more focused effort than any other subject. Hogwarts, they realized, wasn't light on classes, but it was heavy on homework, practice, and the relentless pressure of magical mastery. Many regretted not having put in the extra hours the previous week.
But as always, there was one glaring exception to the student body's collective misery.
Fred and George turned to look at their roommate, Albert, who was calmly and methodically packing his books. Albert was cruising through the academic year with effortless grace. All his mandatory homework was usually completed immediately, he had already mastered the required Transfiguration spells, and he had daily free time for photography or wandering the castle grounds. He had zero concerns about detention.
"What are we going to do?" Lee Jordan reached up and desperately scratched his short hair, his anxiety spiking.
"What exactly should we do?" Albert repeated, throwing his satchel over his shoulder as they all filed out of the classroom.
"The homework!" Fred wailed. The sheer quantity of it had just hit him.
"Alright, let's see what the actual work entails." Albert grinned, pulling a piece of folded parchment from his bag, pretending to be utterly burdened.
George snatched the parchment before Albert could read a line. He scanned the dense writing—a meticulous list of every single assignment due that week, including the often-forgotten Astronomy homework. He let out a theatrical gasp of horror. The sheer volume of tasks made him feel as if he was sinking into a quicksand of academic duties.
Fred and Lee Jordan peered over his shoulder, their faces dropping in unison. The list was extensive, neat, and terrifyingly comprehensive.
"Look, the homework isn't actually that bad," Albert offered, retrieving his parchment. "Let's head to the library. Once we're there, I'll recommend a few reference books..."
"Um..." Fred began awkwardly, shuffling his feet. "Could we just... borrow your finished work to copy?"
George quickly covered Fred's mouth. Lee Jordan smoothly stepped in, correcting his friend's poor phrasing. "For reference, of course."
"Yes, for reference," Fred quickly agreed, pulling George's hand away.
"Actually, the homework is very straightforward," Albert reassured them, putting the parchment away. "When we get to the library, I'll show you how to pull what you need from the reference books. You'll be able to solve the homework easily."
"Truly?" the three asked, their eyes lighting up with sudden, desperate hope.
"Of course it's... not true," Albert deadpanned, holding back a laugh at their crestfallen faces. "I'm going to have afternoon tea with Hagrid later. You guys are welcome to join, but the homework won't get done."
"Don't change the subject!" they shouted in unison.
"Just lend us your homework for reference," Fred pleaded, throwing an arm over Albert's shoulder dramatically. "Besides, how can you have the heart to abandon your roommates and go eat rock cakes with a half-giant?"
"Come on, Albert, you have to come with us to the library," George chimed in, securing the other side of Albert's shoulder. "You have your own studying to do anyway."
"Here, let me carry your backpack," Lee Jordan said, snatching Albert's satchel and moving to the front of the group.
The three roommates successfully herded Albert toward the library. They knew that if Albert was present, they could instantly ask for help when they got stuck, dramatically boosting their efficiency.
The Library was already bustling with students under the stern, watchful gaze of Madam Pince. They found a table and immediately laid out their materials.
Albert tackled his Transfiguration assignment first. He picked up Gamp's Basic Laws of Transfiguration, quickly scanned the relevant chapters, and began writing. The assignment, a summary of the laws, required identifying key principles, extracting the main content, and rephrasing the concepts in his own words. It took him less than half an hour.
"Is... is this actually finished?" The three roommates stared at his parchment, dumbfounded.
"That can't be right! You were just copying things!" Lee Jordan complained.
"I was extracting the essential information," Albert corrected, placing his quill down. "Professor McGonagall asked for a summary of Gamp's Laws. That means finding the core points, extracting the main content, and giving it a professional polish. It's more about structure than original thought."
The three roommates immediately absorbed this insight. They quickly resolved to mimic Albert's technique, focusing on identifying the source material's key passages rather than laboring over original composition.
They moved on to Charms, where they had to write a three-foot-long essay on the practical uses of the Luminous Charm and the Extinguishing Charm. Thanks to Albert's efficiency, they had already mastered both spells—a requirement set by Professor Flitwick for the following week.
With Albert's guidance, they spent far less time wandering the stacks. Albert simply pointed them toward books like The Achievement of Spells and Selected Eighteenth-Century Spells. The three quickly settled into a routine of carefully transcribing suitable quotes and information. Filling three feet of parchment became a tedious task of pure quantity, but it was certainly manageable.
While they worked, Albert used his time to review the dense and dry History of Magic timeline. He hated the subject; committing dates, figures, and historical events to memory was profoundly boring. But he had an excellent instant memory, and after several focused run-throughs, the entire chronological narrative clicked into place. He checked off the subject with a satisfied mental tick.
"You guys should try to include a little bit of your own writing," Albert suggested, looking over their sprawling, copied essays.
"Our own writing?" Fred looked up, baffled.
"Yes. Talk about what you found challenging when first learning the spell, or common problems that a new student might encounter and how you overcame them," Albert clarified. "These are things you've experienced personally, so you don't need to look up facts—just describe your own practical journey."
This advice spurred them on. They raced to fill the remaining parchment with their personal anecdotes.
Before the three managed to finish their Charms essay, Albert decided it was time for a break. He retrieved his completed Transfiguration summary and offered it to them. "I'm off to see Hagrid. Here, take this if you absolutely must compare."
"Please, Albert, have mercy!" Fred groaned, looking at the pristine, logically organized summary Albert had written. He quickly abandoned any notion of going back and revising his own chaotic notes. It was simply not worth the effort.
They reasoned that since this was their very first essay, Professor Flitwick would likely be lenient about the occasional messy structure or slightly repetitive content. The most important thing was turning in the required three feet of parchment. They were almost there, and thanks to Albert's enforced study session, they would make it before bedtime.