Lesson 1: Transfiguration basics.

First off students, 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.
You must know the basics before I can start teaching you spells of any kind.
Transfiguration is the art of changing the form and appearance of an object and the vanishing of objects. This magical art is governed by Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration which acknowledges the limits to the power of this branch of magic.
There are 5 exceptions to transfiguration according to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration: food, gold, information, love, and the soul (Although birds and flowers are created using transfiguration spells, they remain creations. It doesn’t mean they are really alive, as they depend on the spell duration).
Transfiguring can be done to most, if not all objects. Sometimes if it is done improperly the transfigured object can become half-transfigured or permanently stuck so be extremely cautious with pronunciation and proper wand technique.