Loren: I Swear I'll Avenge This!

The white, long-haired lion cat finished its breakfast with a blank expression.

As noon approached, Hermione prepared a simple lunch: marinated beef chops from the supermarket, fried for a few minutes, and served with whole-wheat bread and some fruit from the refrigerator. Before eating, she turned her attention to the long-haired lion cat lying on the chair.

Loren lazily felt the Magic Power slowly draining from his body as he used his hind legs to push away Crookshanks, who was trying to get closer. Ever since he turned into a cat, Crookshanks had been obsessed with licking the fur on the back of his neck.

"Meow..." Crookshanks wasn't discouraged by being kicked away. It was a rare opportunity to lick its little master's fur, and it was determined to make the most of it.

As Loren watched the ginger-yellow persimmon face get closer and closer, he subconsciously increased the force of his kick, sending Crookshanks flying.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh out loud. She reached out and picked up Loren, ruffling his soft, fluffy fur. Hermione looked down at his heterochromatic eyes with bright, sparkling eyes. "Little kitty, little kitty, what do you want to eat?"

"..."

Loren shook himself off her arms and jumped out, ate a few strawberries, and walked away.

It turned out that food did not speed up his recovery. It was too embarrassing to eat in cat form, so he just filled his stomach with something simple.

Hermione sighed, somewhat disappointed. "What's there to be ashamed of? We know each other so well. Didn't I accidentally drink Polyjuice Potion with Cat Hair in it when I was in second grade?"

"Meow (You were so embarrassed you didn't dare show your face to anyone)!"

Hermione probably guessed what he meant, chuckled a few times, and happily sat down to eat lunch.

As the sun sets, a bright golden hue appears in the snow-covered world.

After wandering around outside for a day and a night, Hānhan flew into the bedroom with a gray-brown owl. The owl was the deliveryman from Diagon Alley. It put down the Daily Prophet it had collected this week, politely accepted the small bundle of snacks that Hānhan handed over, and flapped its wings and flew away.

The little gray-brown owl held its neck high, without turning its head.

Unlike these domesticated, lazy owls, these owls with proper jobs don't indulge in leisure activities and won't neglect their work even during the Christmas holidays.

After seeing the guests off, Hānhan dragged the newspaper to the lady of the house, then suddenly opened his eyes wide and stared at the unfamiliar white long-haired lion cat on the table. "Goo goo!"

"It looks familiar, doesn't it..." Hermione chuckled and nodded her Hānhan head. "It's a shame you weren't here last night, otherwise you would have seen him transform."

The clever little Spectacled Owl Hānhan already recognized its male owner from the familiar scent, tilting its head and looking at the cat with a puzzled expression.

Loren, expressionless, lazily turned his head, presenting his backside to the two men in protest.

He probably didn't know that the cat's tail could move on its own. When he turned around, the long, fluffy tail swayed restlessly, attracting a lot of attention.

Hermione had intended to focus on the latest news from the Wizarding World and see what Wizarding World thought about the Diagon Alley incident a few days ago, but her eyes unconsciously drifted to the white tail that was slowly swaying upright.

Its fluffy, white tail wags and wags...

This reminded Hermione of a cat tail she once had, which Loren loved to play with. For some reason, Hermione's heart started swaying along with the tail.

Instinctively, she reached out and pinched the tail, pressing her palm against the fluffy fur. Beneath the warm flesh were some taut bones, but overall it was not very strong, soft and slippery, with a surprisingly comfortable feel.

Loren turned his head and bared his teeth and hissed at her, trying to intimidate Hermione and make her let go.

Hermione gripped the tail a little tighter, pouting and complaining, "What's wrong with that? You played with my tail like this back in second grade too. What's wrong with letting me play with it a little?"

Loren: "..."

It's bizarre and undeniable.

A few minutes later, the white long-haired lion cat lay down on the girl's lap, its fair paws clenched into fists and wrapped around its tail. The long tail swayed and slipped smoothly out of her hands.

The soft, fluffy Cat Hair brushed against my palm, causing a slight itch, but also a strange sense of satisfaction, like an obsessive-compulsive disorder being fulfilled.

He grabbed the tail again...

They've slipped out again...

When it was completely dark outside, Hermione finally came to her senses, looked at the streetlights gradually lighting up outside the window, and let out a satisfied sigh.

It's really fun!

Satisfied, Hermione began to read the newspaper.

Loren, his expression blank, remained motionless like a statue. Hermione turned the page for what seemed like the umpteenth time before his heterochromatic eyes finally showed a flicker of emotion. Hermione watched as the white cat's body swayed slightly, then he staggered onto the bed. In the blink of an eye, his limbs began to swell and lengthen, and his fluffy white fur clung to his body, transforming into thick pajamas. The cat had become a boy.

Loren rolled out of bed, staring at Hermione with a gloomy expression, and uttered a voice as emotionless as Black Lake: "Hermione —Jane— Granger."

He paused for each syllable, and even pronounced the middle name.

"I am here."

Hermione blinked and looked at him innocently.

"You're having a lot of fun, aren't you?" Loren reached out and grabbed the back of her neck, giving it a light squeeze as a threat.

It didn't hurt at all, but the hand that had just turned back into human form was ice cold. Hermione quickly shrank her neck and exclaimed in a laughing voice, "Ah, so cold!"

She didn't give in; instead, she protested, "You did the same thing to my tail when I was in second grade, and more than once!"

"Then go find Loren Morgan, who's in the second year. What does that have to do with me?"

The hand on the back of her neck gradually warmed up from her body heat, and Hermione simply stretched her neck out and looked at him with a straight face. "I don't want to listen to your nonsense. Anyway, you still owe me several times, and you have to turn into a cat for me to play with in the future."

Thinking back on this absurd and powerless day, Loren felt his cheeks burning. He wished he could cast a Memory Charm on Hermione. Enraged, he used both hands to grab Hermione's neck and shook her head rapidly, attempting to physically erase the day's memories.

"Don't mention it again, forget it all, forget everything!"

"No, turn into a cat!" Hermione protested, feeling dizzy.

The two pushed and shoved each other, but in the end they couldn't determine a winner, and they lay down on the quilt, panting.

Loren hadn't eaten much all day, and the strenuous exercise left him breathless and exhausted. "Hermione Granger, just you wait. Once you learn Animagus, I'll make you pay."

Hermione tried to appear less smug, her lips twitching, but the smile on her lips wouldn't go away, "Oh, Mr. Morgan, I must remind you, Animagus can control their form at any time, and I can turn back into human form at any time."

Loren: "..."

Feeling even angrier, Loren remained silent for a while before saying in a low voice, "Then I won't wait for Animagus. I'll study Human Transfiguration diligently and try to turn you into a cat so I can teach you a lesson."

Hermione's smile froze instantly. She felt that with Loren's magical talent, this might soon become a reality.

"Loren, using Human Transfiguration to turn others into animals is immoral. The professors at Hogwarts have never used this method to punish students..." Hermione calmly advised, rationally trying to divert Loren's attention, "Let's talk about your Transfiguration talent instead..."

Hermione's mind raced, and she quickly came up with several key questions. "Will I be able to Transfiguration freely through practice? Will I be able to transform into other animals?"

Loren gave a cold laugh that made Hermione's heart pound. Fortunately, he didn't continue the topic of Human Transfiguration: "It should be controllable. As for turning into other animals, I don't have a definite answer right now."

"I think you could give it a try..."

Hermione was like a kind person who wholeheartedly cared about Loren, helping him analyze various possibilities and offering various suggestions.

In the Library of Fantasy Book.

Loren Morgan, a white long-haired lion cat, attempted to walk upright on its two legs, but fell down on the wooden floor after only a few steps.

"..."

Flamel wore an amused expression, put down the opera book in his hand, and his ethereal body floated over, smiling as he approached the lion cat. "Is this Morgan's Transfiguration talent?"

Loren, who had failed to walk upright, lay sprawled on the floor, his eyes lifeless.

I'm completely lost... I have no idea what the point of turning into a cat is, my combat power is weakened across the board, and I can't use magic.

He roughly understood why many wizards overlooked the Animagus spell. In terms of combat power, animals without Magic Power were basically useless in duels; if there was a need for animal combat, Transfiguration was more suitable. In terms of concealment, it was inferior to the Disillusionment Charm; Animagus was only useful in very rare special circumstances where one had lost their wand.

Flamel circled the lion cat a few times, a soft silver light gleaming in his eyes. "Legend has it that many ancient wizards had the ability to transform into animals. Unlike the Animagus, they could transform into different kinds of animals... I used to think it was some kind of Ancient Magic Transfiguration, but now it seems to be a unique talent."

Loren struggled to stand up on his cat hind legs, stretched his neck, and focused on sensing the strange Magic Power within his body.

Although he had lost his Magic Sight and could not directly observe the Magic Power, he could vaguely sense that the Magic Power was different from his normal Magic Power, being weaker in intensity and different in nature.

He had noticed when he transformed in the Fantasy Book that the process was similar to casting a Transfiguration on himself. The Magic Power was used to maintain the Transfiguration, but he had no feeling for the incantations or rituals during the spellcasting process. It was as natural as swallowing water.

And currently, it can only transform into a long-haired lion cat.

He couldn't communicate with that Magic Power Magic Power the normal way, but it wasn't completely out of his control. During the day, he had fleeting moments when he had unintentionally connected with the Magic Power.

It feels like a skill that comes with practice...

Loren shook his head to clear his mind of the chaotic thoughts. The lion cat standing on two legs disappeared from its spot, and the next moment, Loren reappeared in human form.

"Having not mastered the Transfiguration technique, I refreshed my status by exiting and re-entering the Fantasy Book..."

Flamel looked at Loren's spirited expression with a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Are you planning to practice repeatedly to master it as soon as possible?"

"No, they intend to study Human Transfiguration!" Loren said viciously.

Flamel: "..."

In January 1994, a week before the end of the Hogwarts Christmas holidays, and a week after Loren turned into a cat.

After breakfast, at a villa in Hampstead Garden on the outskirts of the city.

"Loren, I'm going out to play! Watch the house, and remember to go play with Hermione!" Bates stood in front of the mirror in the dressing room, parting her gray hair into a side part with her right hand, and holding a hairspray in her left, pressing it with her index finger—

Sizzle—Sizzle—

An overpowering, suffocating aroma wafted through the air. Loren, standing by the door, quickly stepped back, wrinkling his nose in disgust and fanning himself with his hand in an attempt to dispel the smell.

"Hey, Grandpa Bates, how old are you? Why are you still getting your hair done?"

Bates chuckled a few times, "It's only when you get older that you have to pay more attention to your appearance. If I were as young as you... tch, why would I be telling you this?"

Loren's little face scrunched up—oh no, Grandpa Bates has been corrupted by outsiders.

Bates stepped out of the dressing room, casually ruffled Loren's hair a few times, and rubbed the spray from his hand onto his head. "I'm going out to play because I'm thinking of you, to give you and Hermione some space for your date."

"Hehe..." Loren chuckled lightly. If Grandpa Bates had been less sarcastic, he might have believed him.

"Oh, by the way, the projector in the study is installed. You can invite Hermione over to watch a movie..." Bates stood in the living room, putting on his pure wool suit jacket.

"I have a few movies that came out this year in my drawer. The bank manager told me they haven't been officially released yet. Hermione will definitely like them. Girls love these rare and exotic things!"

Loren's eyes twitched a few times. "It's snowing outside, aren't you cold wearing this?"

"I still have my coat in my car..." Bates sniffed and snorted a few times. "I'm talking to you, don't change the subject. You need to put more effort into pursuing girls..."

"Make plenty of delicious food for little Hermione. When you go to the movies, remember to choose lighthearted comedies, or even touching ones that will make you cry. Remember to thoughtfully offer her tissues, like a gentleman... Horror movies are also a great choice..."

"You should go now..." Loren couldn't listen to it anymore, so he put his hands on Grandpa Bates' back and pushed him several steps toward the garage.

"You brat..."

Grandpa Bates walked away, laughing and joking.

Actually, Loren didn't need to go next door to invite Hermione. As soon as he heard Grandpa Bates drive away, Hermione would take the initiative to knock on the door of the neighbor's house.

If it weren't for the cat incident a few days ago, Hermione wouldn't have even used the door; she would Apparition directly into someone's bedroom after breakfast.