Performance in Transfiguration Class

Draco froze. Not just him—the other students in the classroom froze as well.

What no one noticed was that the cat on the podium had also narrowed its pupils slightly, as though someone had stepped on its tail.

None of them had expected Aaron to go this far for a Gryffindor girl. This was a favor offered in his family's name.

If used well, this favor could have a considerable impact in the future. A favor from a reclusive wizarding family was no trifling matter.

"So, will you agree to this bet?" Aaron asked confidently. He was certain Draco could not refuse.

"Agree? How could I not?

But, Aaron, are you serious?"

"I trust my judgment. Hermione may not be of noble birth, but she is undoubtedly the most outstanding witch I have ever met.

But before this term ends, I require you to show Hermione more respect. You can manage that much, can't you?"

"Sure, no problem," Draco said happily.

Only after settling things with Draco did Aaron walk over to Hermione. "You can calm down now, right? I've given you a perfectly fair chance to prove yourself."

"Mhm!" Hermione nodded, then asked uneasily, "What if I disappoint you? I mean, what if I lose...?"

"You won't lose. When it comes to studying, you're only a tiny bit worse than me."

"But what if?" Hermione asked. This was the first time in her life that she had doubted her own abilities.

"You don't need to worry about that either. Even if you lose, Draco will rein himself in a lot. At the very least, he won't casually insult people with the word 'Mudblood.'

"As for the favor from my family, it doesn't matter. The Malfoys understand the situation better than anyone else. They won't make any unreasonable demands."

"Thank you," Hermione said, blushing as she handed Abei back to Aaron.

"Draco isn't really a bad person. It's just that his father filled his head with too many ideas about bloodlines while he was growing up, so he can be rather arrogant. He probably won't change overnight. I hope you won't take it to heart."

After saying that, Aaron walked over to another Gryffindor. "What's your name?"

"Susan Bones," the girl said, her cheeks slightly red with embarrassment.

"All right. I don't want anyone else to know about this bet. You can keep a secret, right?"

Susan nodded repeatedly, indicating that she definitely would not tell anyone.

"Thanks."

Second by second, more students gradually entered the classroom and opened their books to study on their own. Strangely, even when Class Time arrived, Professor McGonagall had yet to appear.

Then the classroom door suddenly swung open, and Harry and Ron rushed in in a panic.

"We made it at last. If we'd been any later, her expression would've scared us to death," Ron said with relief.

The moment he finished speaking, the cat on the podium leaped down and transformed into Professor McGonagall, dressed in green robes.

She walked straight up to them and looked at the two late students with an amused expression.

"That was really brilliant," Ron said blankly, though it was unclear whether he meant Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration or her use of it to catch them.

"Thank you for your assessment, Mr. Weasley.

"Perhaps I should turn Mr. Potter and you into a pocket watch. Then at least one of you would be able to keep time."

"We got lost," Harry said.

"Then I'll turn you into a map," Professor McGonagall replied mercilessly. "Surely you don't need a map to find your own seats?"

The two exchanged wry smiles before sitting down at an empty desk.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin class.

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous form of magic you will study at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. Then she shot Ron and Harry a glare. "If anyone misbehaves in my class, I will ask them to leave—and they will never be allowed back in."

Aaron's expression was somewhat strange, as were Draco's, Hermione's, and the others'. Their bet itself was not an issue, but now that a professor knew about it, things were different. At the very least, both sides would feel more pressure.

"Professor, um..." Aaron hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

"I know nothing about what happened before class. Handle your own affairs among yourselves, understand?" Professor McGonagall said with a smile.

"Understood." Aaron nodded, greatly relieved.

Professor McGonagall began the lesson. Magic was not as simple as waving a Wand and reciting an incantation.

She spent a long time explaining the theory, then checked several students' notes. Only after confirming there were no problems did she begin the Transfiguration exercise.

Professor McGonagall gave her Wand a light wave. The matchbox on the teacher's desk opened, and the matches inside flew out, landing on every student's desk.

"Everyone, give it a try. See whether you can turn this match into a needle before class ends."

As soon as she finished speaking, every student drew their Wand, Eager to try.

But the results were nowhere near as good as they had imagined. Most people's matches did not react at all.

Hermione tried several times in a row, and her match gradually turned into a toothpick. It looked rather odd, but at least she had changed the match.

"Very good, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall praised.

Draco glanced at Hermione, a flash of stubbornness passing through his eyes, before waving his Wand even more vigorously.

The match soon began to change. Its end started to sharpen, but before he could celebrate, smoke rose from the tip. A small flame suddenly flared up, then quickly went out.

"Mr. Malfoy, your performance is not bad either. But it would be even better if you could control your emotions a little," Professor McGonagall said with a smile.

Draco said nothing. He merely stared at the match, nearly a quarter of which had burned away, and let out a deep sigh.

He had already done his best. At least he was better than most of the students, including Harry Potter. But he also understood that he would probably lose to Granger, that Mudblood, in Transfiguration. Still, there were other subjects. There were so many classes at school—he refused to believe he would be outdone by a little girl everywhere.

Just then, he noticed the other match on the desk and looked at Aaron, who was playing with the cat, with some surprise. "Aren't you going to try?"

"Sorry, I was too busy watching you work hard." Aaron lightly waved his Wand and tapped the match.

The next moment, the match's shape changed. Both ends rapidly sharpened, the middle quickly thinned, and a tiny eye appeared at the tail end.

It was still wooden, but it could at least be considered a Wooden Needle.

"You... this... that's amazing. You got it on the first try," Draco said incoherently.

Hearing the commotion, Professor McGonagall also walked over. When she saw the Wooden Needle on the desk, a pleased expression appeared on her face. "It seems Slytherin has received a very talented student this year.

"Aaron Gaius, is it? Five points to Slytherin."

Professor McGonagall's voice was clear enough for everyone in the classroom to hear, and they all looked at Aaron with envy.

"Thank you, Professor, but could you teach me how to turn it into iron?"

"I'm afraid not. I believe in your talent, but aiming too high is not something a first-year student should do," Professor McGonagall said with a smile. She then turned the Wooden Needle back into a match. "Before that, you need to thoroughly master the magic for changing an object's shape. Keep practicing!"

"All right." Aaron nodded somewhat regretfully. Then he waved his Wand again, turning the match into a wooden Chicken Leg and tossing it in front of his pet.

Abei immediately became excited and hurriedly jumped in front of the Chicken Leg, then sniffed it with its nose.

A moment later, Abei looked furious. A white dragon claw slammed straight down, smashing the Chicken Leg back into its original form and leaving a shallow claw mark on the desk.

"Wow!" Professor McGonagall stared at the scene in astonishment. "I think I may have to take back what I just said, Mr. Gaius. You've already grasped the basics of Transfiguration.

"But..."

Professor McGonagall pointed her Wand at Abei, who looked completely harmless and was even baring its teeth in pain from hitting the desk too hard. "Are you sure it's just an ordinary cat?"

"Uh..." Aaron immediately scooped Abei into his arms. "Of course. I'm absolutely sure."