10: Transfiguration and the Tabby Cat

There was a Transfiguration class on Monday.

*Lick!* *Lick!*

"Hmm..?"

When John woke up, he first saw Tom's affectionate tongue.

Still sleepy, he walked to the table and poured a big spoonful of dog food for Tom before going to brush his teeth and wash his face.

"Yawn~ Ah, what day it is?"

Looking at himself in the mirror, John felt that he seemed to have forgotten something.

"Oh no, today is Transfiguration class!"

Last night's adventure went a bit late, and after returning and doing some exercise, John fell straight to sleep.

He walked out in a hurry and saw the alarm clock that fell on the ground, covered with Tom's saliva.

No wonder he didn't hear the alarm, it turned out Tom had played with it like a chew toy.

Putting on his wizard robes, when John walked out of the dormitory, the Slytherin common room was already empty.

In the corridor, he started envying the Weasley twins.

Because they always found convenient shortcuts, it was good that John was quite fit.

When he arrived at the Great Hall, there was still time for breakfast.

Hermione had been looking around, and seeing John approach, she waved to greet him.

John sat next to Hermione and glanced at Hermione who was still in a cold war with Harry and Ron, but he didn't say anything about that.

"Where's Neville, did he oversleep or get lost again?"

From John's understanding, Neville often lost things or got lost himself.

"His toad is missing. He's looking for it in the Gryffindor common room." Hermione was eating buttered bread, with some crumbs on the corners of her mouth.

She deliberately slowed her pace to wait for John.

Otherwise, at her normal speed, she'd already be on her way to class.

John cut his fried egg and put it in his mouth. He helplessly said: "Well, I think I know what to give Neville for Christmas - he needs a cage to properly keep Trevor in."

Noticing the bread crumbs on Hermione's mouth, John pointed at his own mouth corners to indicate to her.

When Hermione reacted, her little face seemed to be painted with blush.

When John had almost finished eating, Neville finally came back from being lost.

This was the fourth time Neville got lost, John felt he should give him a map or something.

After sitting down, Neville took out his Remembrall, cluelessly looking at the red ball.

It would turn red when one forgets something.

But Neville never knew what he had forgotten.

John looked him over and said: "Neville, you may not get to eat breakfast this time."

"Why?" Neville was dispirited, having just made it to the Great Hall.

Looking rather sympathetically at Neville, John held up two fingers: "Two reasons. One is that class is about to start, and the other is that you need to go back to the dormitory."

"Because you forgot your robes." Hermione chimed.

Neville finally remembered what he had forgotten, and he didn't care about eating. He was anxious on the dazzling moving stairs.

...

John came to the Transfiguration classroom. He was put in detention for fighting in the last Transfiguration class and didn't participate in it. This made him feel quite regretful.

He was quite interested in Transfiguration, but couldn't remember the specifics clearly.

Entering the classroom, the Slytherin green and Gryffindor red were distinct - he and Hermione sat separately.

Whether in the magic world or outside, students forever shunned the front rows.

The remaining few spots were all in front - John walked over to sit.

Suddenly a Tabby Cat appeared in his vision.

The cat just sat there on the podium, its facial markings very unique, like a pair of square glasses.

As a plush lover, John admitted that he was tempted.

Although he vaguely remembered that there seemed to be a cat in some plot, his body was one step faster than thinking.

Taking out the cat treat meant for Mrs. Norris from his pocket, John approached the tiger-striped cat with a smile, directly reaching out.

Just this one action stunned not just the young witches and wizards of the two houses, but even the tabby cat.

"Here's a treat, want to try it?"

John couldn't believe himself - why did his tone sound like a shady uncle seducing a child?

It was only after his actions that he gained an eye of awe and admiration from various girls present.

Realizing things were getting out of hand, the tiger-striped cat broke free of his restraint, leaping down from the podium and transforming into an elderly female cat lady—*ehm*—Professor.

"Ehm, Mr. Wick, I think you should find a seat now instead of standing here like a log."

Professor McGonagall maintained her image, and John finally understood where the cat's square markings came from.

John awkwardly withdrew his hand, now recalling the plot about this cat.

Professor McGonagall's animagus form - a tabby cat with unique markings.

Sullenly returning to his seat, John felt he might develop a psychological shadow in his subconscious from this incident.

Silently swearing that in the future, he must check if it's an animagus before petting cats he sat down.

If the other party transformed into an oily uncle right after.... he'd be done for.

Hearing muffled laughter, John looked back - upon making eye contact, the Slytherins immediately went silent.

The young Gryffindor witches and wizards gazed at him with awe, the savior Harry's mouth slightly agape, seeming to see for the first time someone even more reckless than himself.

Hermione lowered her head, giggling, but her trembling brown curls betrayed her, shaking like a little lion.

After this episode, the young witches and wizards revised their impression of John.

So this boy had a lovable side too.

Transfiguration class taught altering objects.

Looking at the button box, John attempted changing it into a mouse.

Sadly, the transformation was hard to control.

After multiple tries, John finally conjured the spell.

Though only a first year, he succeeded before class ended.

Seeing the lifeless mouse before him, so different than Professor McGonagall's water goblet demonstration from before, John felt that he had underperformed—

"Five points to Slytherin!!"

As the first to finish, Professor McGonagall awarded John points.

What John thought was poor work was quite satisfactory to Professor McGonagall.

For a beginner who missed one class, this was already very good.

Due to transfiguration's difficulty, even the know-it-all Miss Hermione didn't accomplish it.

After class ended, John had just left when Hermione hurriedly caught up.

"How did you do it?"

Exerting her scholarly instincts persistently asking, Hermione was still sore about not finishing the transformation.

John couldn't admit to having outside help, only saying he saw Professor McGonagall's demonstration when she had visited his residence.

Luckily the know-it-all didn't question for long.

In the corridor, John stared at the armor statue.

"What are you looking at, John?" Hermione stopped to ask.

Behind John, an enchanted painting character also leaned over, equally curious.

John scratched his smooth chin, muttering to himself: "This thing seems a good weight material."

 Hearing his muttering, the oil painting lord opened his mouth wide - what kind of young wizard would think of weights?

John has always been a man who dares to take action. He set his eyes on the medieval armor, or more precisely, the sword in the armor's hand.

While the armor also made a good weight choice, its size was too big and unwieldy for movement.

Instead, the sword could be carried on his back and also used as exercise equipment when not running.

"I'll take the sword tonight."

A gleam of plotting appeared in his eyes, worrying the lifeless Mr. Armor.

Besides the Gryffindor common room, Hermione's most frequent destination was the library.

The bookworm had curiosity for all things, except Divination.

John was also dragged along, mainly to familiarize himself with the Restricted Section's location.

Picking up a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, he started pretending to read.

The library had strict rules.

If any noise disturbed the library, caretaker Irma Pince would let you know how powerful she is.

Just now, John saw Neville, who had eaten too many beans at noon, being chased and beaten by a broom.

John felt sympathy for the books which were now dirty by food particles.

The time came to the evening.

After cleaning the trophy display room, John quietly came to the armor in the corridor.

Poor lifeless armor sir, he awoke the next day to find his sword missing.

For a time this became a mystery around Hogwarts.

Only Filch insisted stubbornly that it was the Weasley twins' doing.

_____