Professor McGonagall's Embarrassing Past, All Things Manifest

Just as Professor McGonagall was left dazed and utterly bewitched by the methods of the Primordial Beast Taming Sect, Rhine swept the Tabby Cat off the podium amid the students' cries of surprise and scratched under its chin.

The Tabby Cat cooperatively lifted its head, its throat beginning to rumble with contented purrs.

The young Witches in the room had stars in their eyes.

"Such a cute kitty!"

Even Hermione's eyes were sparkling.

"Rhine, can I pet it?"

A smile curled at Rhine's lips.

"Of course. Look, class is about to start, yet this cat is still standing on the podium. It must really love being watched. It's just a kitty begging to be petted."

"Maybe Hogwarts arranged it to ease our nerves on our first day of class."

"Are you all nervous about starting class? If you are, come pet it."

With that, Rhine stroked the Tabby Cat's head and gestured for Hermione to come over.

Hermione cautiously reached out and began petting it too, letting out a sigh of admiration.

"Her fur is so smooth."

Then the other young Witches could no longer hold back. Even some of the boys eagerly stretched out their hands.

In an instant, the Tabby Cat Professor McGonagall had become the class pet.

Even as she basked in the sensation of Rhine's hands, Professor McGonagall was overwhelmed with shame and indignation. Her pupils trembled, accompanied by intense regret.

Why did I turn into a cat in the first place?

I'm never showing off my Animagus ability in the first lesson again!

And all cat-teasing items are forbidden from Hogwarts!

All Professor McGonagall could do was pray silently.

Please, don't let any passing colleagues see what was happening here.

Otherwise, this would become the ultimate stain on her past.

All she could do now was wait for the bell to ring. Once class started, these young wizards would surely show some restraint and return to their seats, giving her a chance to leave the classroom.

Just then, a scene that shocked Professor McGonagall unfolded.

Rhine waved his wand. The next second, a box of matches stretched longer and longer under his spell, transforming into a bundle of cat teaser wands.

The young wizards around him cried out in astonishment.

"Merlin's beard!"

"Rhine, how did you do that?"

Some of the young wizards from wizarding families were utterly stunned.

Before enrollment, their parents had told them more than once that among all spells, Transfiguration was the most profound and inscrutable, and exceptionally difficult.

Wizards who achieved anything in Transfiguration were almost always among the very best.

Hogwarts even had an unwritten rule: generally speaking, the Transfiguration professor was the most likely candidate to become Headmaster, which showed just how important the subject was.

Yet now, before class had even begun, Rhine had displayed such skill in Transfiguration.

We're all starting school together, so why are you so outstanding?

But that was not the only thing that surprised them.

"Hermione, help me decorate these."

Rhine, who lacked an eye for aesthetics, looked at the bundle of cat teaser wands in his hands and felt they were still too plain. He turned to Hermione.

Hermione pursed her lips in a smile.

Compared to when she had first entered school in the original story, her magical ability had undoubtedly improved enormously under Rhine's guidance.

In the original story's first lesson, Hermione could only barely turn a match into a silver needle.

But in this life, Hermione had already been able to do such a thing with ease before enrolling.

A moment later, Hermione waved her wand, and glittering decorations immediately appeared on the cat teaser wands, making them far prettier.

The young wizards were completely numb.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances.

Wait, the two friends we met on the train were both this incredible?

Could it be that only the two of us were pathetic nobodies?

At the same time, Rhine waved his wand again and transformed a desk before him into a tall cat tree.

Regret flickered in his eyes.

This was the limit of what his current magical strength could achieve.

And Transfiguration truly had countless intricate details. After all, it was a required subject for the top wizards of the HP world.

Even with the Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart, Rhine could learn only so much from the limited Transfiguration knowledge available in textbooks.

Yet this transformation was already enough to make the young wizards around him erupt in another wave of cries and commotion.

Even Professor McGonagall, who was being petted like a cat, had intense admiration and shock in her eyes.

Hermione and Rhine's mastery of Transfiguration was far too outrageous for young wizards, wasn't it?

More importantly, both of them came from Muggle families. In other words, they had purely taught themselves by reading textbooks before attending school.

Such talent was astonishing. In Hermione, Professor McGonagall saw a reflection of her younger self.

As for Rhine, he was simply a monster.

"Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Professor McGonagall blurted out.

But to the young wizards around her, it sounded like an adorable little cat meowing.

"Listen, the kitty's happy!"

"Yeah, the kitty likes the teaser wands and cat tree too."

"Let's use them to play with it!"

A smile appeared on Rhine's lips as he handed the cat teaser wands to the young wizards in the classroom.

And so, Professor McGonagall was lured into darting around the cat tree by the teaser wands, occasionally scrambling up and down it.

The shock and delight in her eyes froze instantly.

What was I happy about just now?

Their Transfiguration is good, but damn it, they're using it all to mess with me!

Professor McGonagall was filled with grief and fury, yet she could not stop herself from following the teaser wands up and down the cat tree until she was panting.

"Rhine, I'll remember this!"

"Just you wait!"

Wave after wave of meows rang out, but Rhine's lips curled into a smile.

The reason was simple. No matter how he established a relationship with Professor McGonagall, she could not possibly develop an Enemy Relationship with a young wizard.

Thus, the information on the system screen had refreshed.

You displayed exceptional talent in the Way of Transformation while Daoist Cihang was expounding the Dao, causing Daoist Cihang to view you in a new light and remember your name.

Your relationship with Daoist Cihang has reached Casual Acquaintance.

You have received the reward—All Things Manifest talent.

Claim reward now?

As those lines appeared, Rhine also released his Transfiguration.

Reaching Casual Acquaintance in the very first lesson was already enough to satisfy Rhine.

Becoming close friends with Professor McGonagall would not happen overnight. He should stop while he was ahead. What if he really pushed Professor McGonagall over the edge?

Just then, the class bell rang, and a gap opened among the gathered young wizards.

Professor McGonagall finally seized the opportunity, snapped out of it, and hurriedly fled the classroom.

The young wizards waiting for class were all confused.

The bell had already rung, so why had Professor McGonagall not arrived?

She was known for her rigor. Surely she would not be late for her very first lesson?

But soon, an Owl flew into the classroom carrying a note and delivered a message.

"Professor McGonagall has been overworked after days of continuous labor and is feeling unwell. Regretfully, the first lesson has been changed to self-study."

"Please read the first section of the Transfiguration textbook on your own and submit a three-inch essay at the next lesson."

"Additionally, Mr. Rhine Snow is awarded ten points for Gryffindor, and Miss Hermione Granger is awarded five points for Gryffindor, in recognition of their splendid Transfiguration demonstrations."

"Since Mr. Rhine Snow possesses such profound skill in Transfiguration, it is only reasonable that his essay length be tripled. Please submit a nine-inch essay at the next lesson!"