Everyone in the Dorm Was Nice

Mary rolled over and stared at Lily without blinking. "Oh, I can hardly believe it! I live right next to Beaconsfield County. You're the one who opened Blossom Stories Department Store?"

Dorcas felt much the same. Leaning against the wall, she said sincerely, "I never imagined you'd have such a good eye for business at your age."

Lily sat up straight and smiled faintly. "I didn't get the idea until I was ten. At first, I just wanted to make things a little easier for my family. I never expected to open so many branches."

Marlene tossed and turned on her bed, her face full of envy. "I'm so jealous that you all lived in the Muggle world. Why am I the only one who grew up in the wizarding world?"

"Then come visit my house over the summer! My sister's a Gryffindor too, and she'll definitely welcome you. My mum and dad will welcome you too!" Lily invited her warmly.

Marlene's shoulders slumped, and she sank back onto her bedding in defeat. "Thanks, Lily. I was just complaining. As long as my grandpa's around, he'd never let me go wandering off whenever I pleased."

Dorcas and Mary exchanged helpless looks, then both leaned against the wall and sighed.

"What a shame. There are so many novel, fun things in the Muggle world." Alice climbed over to Marlene's bed and gently patted her back, offering soft words of comfort.

Seeing this, Lily quickly changed the subject. "Oh, right, I brought lots of Muggle snacks. Want to share them?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she rummaged through her luggage and spread a pile of spicy strips and large spicy sheets across the round table. Their strong, distinctive aroma instantly filled the entire dormitory.

"Merlin above, what is this?" Marlene scrambled out of bed and picked up a packet of Weilong spicy strips. She hesitated at the sight of the glossy, oily packaging. "It looks really spicy."

Alice picked up a packet of spicy sheets, but hesitated and didn't dare open it.

"These Weilong ones aren't spicy at all. They taste sweet." Lily pretended to search through her luggage, but secretly used Pindaodao to take out Dove chocolate and White Rabbit milk candy, setting them on the table as well. "There's chocolate and milk candy too."

The round table was piled high with all sorts of snacks. Anyone passing by who didn't know better might have mistaken it for a Hufflepuff dormitory.

Marlene was the first to tear open a packet and take a bite. After chewing slowly, her eyes lit up. "The taste is incredible. The more I eat, the more addictive it gets."

Alice also picked up a strip and sampled it slowly. "It smells so good."

The girls stayed up late chatting and sharing snacks, and nearly overslept on the first day of classes. Fortunately, Lily had come prepared with two alarm clocks and managed to drag them all out of their dreams.

With fifteen minutes left before Transfiguration started, Lily pulled Mary along as they hurried into the classroom.

English mornings were already chilly, and the castle was colder still, with a damp chill that cut to the bone. A tabby cat lay beside the lectern. It was Professor McGonagall in her Animagus form. Seeing her lying alone on the stone platform without even a blanket for cover, Lily couldn't help worrying that she might catch a chill.

She raised her hand and drew her wand. "Avifors."

The broad leaves of a potted plant nearby transformed in an instant into a soft, thick blanket that settled gently over the tabby cat.

Once she was done, Lily pulled Mary over to seats in the back, completely missing the sudden gleam of delight in the eyes of the cat beneath the blanket.

Professor McGonagall: I've discovered a self-taught Transfiguration genius!

The bell rang on time, and Lily glanced around. Sure enough, the famous James Potter and Sirius Black, who had caused a sensation throughout the school with his exploits at the Sorting Ceremony, were nowhere to be seen. A few minutes passed before the two of them pushed open the classroom door and swaggered in without a care.

Lily silently glanced at the tabby cat curled up under the blanket beside the lectern. What a pair of geniuses.

James was completely oblivious to the danger. Looking thoroughly pleased with himself, he turned to chat with Sirius. "We made it at last. Just imagine how sour Professor McGonagall's face would be if we were late."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the tabby cat emerged from the soft blanket and leaped down from the platform. Light and shadow flickered, and she transformed into a stern-faced Professor McGonagall, her gaze behind her glasses icy enough to pierce the bone.

James blurted out instinctively, "That was brilliant!"

Lily was speechless, but truly impressed.

Professor McGonagall spoke without a trace of expression. "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Potter. Perhaps I could transfigure you and Mr. Black into pocket watches. That way, at least one of you might arrive in class on time."

James quickly dropped his carefree manner and explained meekly, "Professor, we just got lost on the way."

"Then perhaps I should turn you into maps instead. I imagine you won't need a map to find your own seats."

The two of them slunk dejectedly to seats in the back. Professor McGonagall didn't take any House Points on the spot and went straight into the day's lesson. Yet the moment they sat down, the two who had just been looking so downcast began making faces at each other, having taken none of the lesson to heart.

As expected, the introductory material for first-year Transfiguration was the classic exercise of turning a match into a needle. Professor McGonagall raised her hand and gave a wave. The solid wooden desk before her suddenly transformed into a plump, round pig, then returned to its original form after a couple of waddling steps. Having given them a clear demonstration of the power of advanced Transfiguration, she told everyone to pick up the matches on their desks and practice.

Lily stared at the tiny match in her hand. "Lapifors." With a gentle wave of her wand, the match turned into a delicate embroidery needle covered in fine patterns.

"Cool!" James had been watching Lily the whole time and saw her result immediately.

"Mr. Potter, don't disturb the other students while they practice." Professor McGonagall came over at the sound. Her gaze fell on Lily's embroidery needle, with its flawless patterns, and she raised her voice to award Gryffindor ten points. "The Transfiguration is impeccable. Well done, Miss Evans."

Professor McGonagall turned to check on the other students, and Mary immediately leaned over to Lily. "Lily, how did you do it so quickly? Will you teach me?"

Lily waved her hand, and the embroidery needle instantly blossomed into a lovely rose. She handed it to Mary. "Let your heart follow your thoughts. Whatever form you believe it has in your heart, that's what it can become. This is for you, beautiful lady."

"Thank you." Mary's cheeks flushed as she carefully accepted the rose.

Professor McGonagall saw the whole scene from the other side of the classroom and nodded to herself, full of approval.

Meanwhile, James and Sirius had also succeeded in turning their matches into silver needles and were waiting quietly for the professor to check them. But James's gaze kept returning to Lily, and he had heard her compliment Mary's beauty loud and clear.

He was certain Lily was the prettiest girl in the classroom. How could she be complimenting the girl beside her, whose curly hair looked like a poodle's? It was completely backwards.

"Stop staring. The professor's watching you," Sirius warned, playing with the silver needle in his hand.

James reluctantly looked away and prodded the needle on his desk with his wand, still thoroughly unconvinced.

In the entire classroom, only three people managed to turn their matches into needles in a single lesson: Lily, James, and Sirius.

When the bell rang, the two boys left the classroom with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and joking. Lily watched them go. As expected of people who would go on to become Animagi, their talent for Transfiguration was extraordinary. Turning a match into a needle looked simple, but more than half the students would have to practice hard for nearly half a term to manage it.

They had an essay to write after Transfiguration. Lily didn't like putting things off, so she planned to finish it in the library before heading to the Great Hall for a meal.

On the way, she happened to run into Snape, walking alone after Herbology. Lily hurried over and spoke to him. "Severus, want to go to the library and do our homework together? I just had Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall assigned us an essay. I want to get it done while I have the chance."

Lily's gentle, chattering voice temporarily soothed Snape's frustration at being shunned and treated coldly in Slytherin. He nodded silently and walked beside Lily to the library.