Aftermath

Taking advantage of a group of Ravenclaw witches walking into the Transfiguration Class classroom, Kyle hurried to follow them, moving toward the podium as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

By the time he reached the second row, there was only one small witch left in front of Kyle.

And from here, the podium was only a single step away.

Kyle's hand was clenched tightly around the bag of dried fish in his pocket; though he was incredibly nervous inside, he maintained a calm and indifferent expression on the surface.

But just as Kyle prepared to pull out the fish and unlock the achievement, he suddenly realized that the little Ravenclaw witch in front of him seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.

Because she was positioned further ahead, Kyle could even see a green object being pulled out of her pocket bit by bit.

That was... a cat teaser wand??

It's over, someone beat me to it!

Kyle's vision went dark, and his entire body went numb.

He didn't even need to think about it; once that little witch pulled out the teaser wand, Professor Meow-gonagall would surely transform back into Professor McGonagall.

The plan he had been thinking about for so long had completely fallen through at the final hurdle!

Damn it, why did you overthink it? You should have just gone for it from the start!

Kyle hammered his leg in frustration, wishing he could immediately use a Time-Turner to go back five minutes and slap his past self hard across the face.

But since things had reached this point, there was no use saying anything else. Kyle could only sigh, shift to the left, and sit down in a seat in the first row.

It looked as if he had intended to sit there all along.

At the same time, the little witch whom Kyle detested so much had already reached the podium, her hand fully extended from her pocket.

But just then, the tabby cat on the podium suddenly smiled. With a light tap of its hind legs on the desk, it transformed back into Professor McGonagall in the blink of an eye.

"Miss Leona, having a kind heart is a good thing, but as a witch, maintaining keen observation at all times is clearly more important."

Professor McGonagall appeared beside the new student named Leona, and as she spoke, she gave her shoulder a light pat, pressing her hand—still clutching the teaser wand—back into her pocket.

"Pro, Pro, Pro... Professor McGonagall." The little witch was clearly terrified, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"It is I. If you had observed carefully, you would have noticed that the markings around the cat's eyes are identical to the square glasses I wear," Professor McGonagall said calmly. "Now, could you please return to your seat? We are about to begin the lesson."

There was no point deduction, nor any harsh reprimand, because in Professor McGonagall's eyes, Leona's behavior was no different from a new student being late—nothing to be surprised about.

She had been at Hogwarts for half her life, and the tradition of demonstrating Animagus in the first lesson had continued for seven or eight years; during this time, she had seen too many new students like Leona.

Those who teased the cat, those who fed the cat, those who petted the cat... there was nothing they wouldn't do.

Of course, Professor McGonagall had never let them succeed.

Without real skill, how could such a tradition last so long? Did they really think her reputation as a contemporary master of Transfiguration was bought with money?

Not to mention that a cat's reaction speed was naturally much faster than a human's; if she could be caught by these new students, she would have no face left to stay at Hogwarts and might as well resign.

After Leona was helped back by her Ravenclaw classmates, Professor McGonagall skillfully waved her wand, using a simple healing spell to help her regain her composure.

"Calming Charm."

The spell was highly effective; Leona stopped shaking immediately, and her previously pale face regained some color.

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall, I didn't know it was you."

"Let this be the last time."

Professor McGonagall turned back to the podium, though as she passed the first row, she glanced at Kyle, whether intentionally or not.

She had originally suspected that Kyle might have had the same intentions as Leona, but she quickly noticed that when she had ended her Animagus transformation, Kyle hadn't shown a look of disbelief.

It seemed that Kyle had recognized her Animagus early on, and he had likely just wanted to sit in the first row for simple reasons.

As expected, she shouldn't have listened to the Weasleys; Kyle was indeed a smart and studious child.

After returning to the podium, Professor McGonagall looked at the young wizards below and said sternly, "Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts.

Anyone who dares to mess around in my class will be asked to leave and never allowed to return. I have warned you."

As soon as Professor McGonagall spoke, the room fell into absolute silence. At the same time, the heart that had been hanging in Kyle's chest finally settled.

Narrowly escaped, he thought. Thanks to Leona; if it weren't for her, the one suffering social death in front of everyone would have been me.

Kyle decided that after class, he would tell Qiu that regardless of whether Leona wanted to buy a map, he would pay to gift her one.

One shouldn't let a good person feel discouraged.

The joy of surviving a disaster made Kyle feel much lighter as he took notes, and the dry Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration sounded much more pleasant.

However, unlike him, Kanna, who was also sitting in the first row, was currently on pins and needles.

Kanna couldn't understand why she kept running into Kyle even after sitting in the first row; wasn't the new student who came with him sitting in the back row?

Could it be that they were just going the same way?

But that wasn't right; she clearly remembered that the two were roommates. If she hadn't known that, given her personality, she would never have sat in the first row even if it killed her.

So what was the situation now?

She was sitting in the first row, and Kyle was next to her... the worst and the even worse happening at the same time?

Kanna's mind was in turmoil, and she recorded Professor McGonagall's words mechanically, not even noticing that she had long since started writing on the wrong lines.

Up on the podium, Professor McGonagall continued to lecture on the precautions of Transfiguration, failing to notice that the two young wizards right under her nose were acting rather strangely.

"Alright, that is all for Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Everyone must keep it in mind; it is the foundation of Transfiguration."

On the podium, Professor McGonagall had finished covering all the necessary material. She looked out at the students and reminded them once more:

"Remember, Transfiguration is a rigorous discipline. You must concentrate your mind when waving your wand, just like this..."

Professor McGonagall flicked her wand, turning the podium into a pig.

It was indistinguishable from a real pig; it could run and jump, possessed every cut of meat from loin to belly, and upon realizing that everyone's gaze was fixed upon it, the pig even let out a frightened squeal.

This display left the first-years completely stunned.

Especially those who were encountering magic for the first time, they found it hard to imagine that such a lifelike animal was merely a transformed desk.

Everyone looked toward Professor McGonagall, eager to begin learning immediately.