Template:A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration - Match to Needle

As I am no believer in jogging, nevermind running, before we walk, we shall start with perhaps the simplest of Transfigurations, and yet one with all the hallmarks of its more extravagant later brethren.

The incantation, for a full and entirely effective version, not just the truncated concept, is a little tongue-twisty, but I'm afraid that you'll have to get used to that, and it's kind of what I meant when I called the spell representative. The Latin phrase is "acus virga ignis", and requires the caster to concentrate, almost simultaneously, on the two images, of the match that is, and the needle that should be - again, excellent training for later endeavours in the field. As a beginner, holding on to the match image is particularly vital, since the Romans didn't have matches, and the phrase could be construed as - a little imprecise. Whatever else you do, please do NOT "hit" the word "ignis", as my eyebrows have still not fully recovered from certain students' earlier, overzealous attempts to cast this spell.