Got Punished

Harry saw what was happening and quietly scooted away from Ron, putting a little distance between them as if he wanted nothing to do with him.

Tom sat up front, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold in his laughter. As expected, people who can't keep their mouths shut always find a way to get themselves into trouble.

"Transfiguration is advanced and dangerous magic, and you'll have plenty of use for it in the future." Professor McGonagall stood at the lectern, her face stiff as a board. There wasn't a hint of humor in her voice. "Stay alert and take this seriously. If anyone dares to mess around in my class, I don't care whether you're in Slytherin or Gryffindor—you'll be out the door."

The warning hit home. The young witches and wizards sat up straight at once, barely daring to breathe.

Only then did Professor McGonagall's expression soften a little. She lightly tapped her wand against the lectern. With a swish, the solid wooden desk turned into a plump white pig. Its round body wiggled, and its little legs kicked, drawing quiet gasps from the students.

But that wasn't all. The pig had barely wobbled twice before it became a lion, whose roar rattled the classroom windows. The next second, it transformed again into a giant python. Its scales gleamed with a sinister light, and its forked tongue flicked in and out. Several students in the front row went pale with fright and scrambled backward.

Even the Slytherin students struggled to keep their cool. Sure, their House mascot was a snake, but nobody could stand their ground against a giant python that could swallow them whole.

Tom glanced at Professor McGonagall out of the corner of his eye and clearly saw a hint of mischief in hers. He immediately grumbled inwardly. Well, look at that. The stern old professor is a sneaky one, too. Scaring children with a giant python—how wicked.

With a sharp bang, the python vanished, returning to a smooth wooden lectern. Only then did the commotion in the classroom gradually die down.

"This is the magic of Transfiguration. You can use it to change everything around you." Professor McGonagall resumed her usual tone. "But transforming large animals is for more advanced students. For now, we'll start with the basics."

She handed each student a toothpick and announced their task without ceremony: turn it into a silver needle. "When you cast the spell, you must picture the silver needle clearly in your mind. Clear your thoughts and believe that the thing in your hand is a silver needle. Make your thoughts and reality one."

After explaining the key points, Professor McGonagall let them practice on their own.

The classroom filled with a steady chorus of incantations, but no matter how hard the students tried, their toothpicks remained completely unchanged. They looked exactly as they had before—not even a bend in sight.

Only Tom sat there daydreaming, as the system's notifications kept ringing in his head: [Gained insight into the professor's Transfiguration lessons. Credits +5] [Gained insight into the professor's Transfiguration lessons. Credits +5].

He'd earned ten credits in just ten minutes. Tom's eyes lit up. He'd finally figured out a new way to earn them: apparently, just listening to a professor's lesson could get him credits. What a bargain.

Turning a toothpick into a silver needle was child's play. He'd practiced it until he had it down pat over the summer. He hadn't expected Professor McGonagall's explanation to give him new insights—and an extra bonus on top.

He was still quietly celebrating when an even bigger surprise came.

Professor McGonagall paced around the classroom, checking everyone's progress.

Most of the students' toothpicks hadn't changed at all, but she wasn't angry. She knew perfectly well that turning a toothpick into a silver needle was hardly basic magic. They had to change not only its shape but also transform wood into metal. For first-years who had only just encountered magic, it was far beyond their level.

She had chosen the task, to put it simply, to find promising students.

A challenge that was difficult but not completely impossible was the best way to tell who had potential, so she could focus on nurturing them later.

Professor McGonagall shook her head as she made her way halfway around the classroom. Not a single student had impressed her—until she reached the spot behind Tom.

Tom casually picked up his wand, drew a circle in the air, and gently tapped the toothpick. A flash of silver, and it instantly became a gleaming silver needle.

What delighted Professor McGonagall even more was that fine patterns had been engraved along the needle. It was so exquisitely made that it could have been displayed as an ornament.

"Excellent work!" Professor McGonagall raised her voice, making sure the whole classroom could hear. "Mr. Riddle succeeded perfectly on his first try, and even engraved it with a decorative pattern. Five points to Slytherin!"

The Gryffindor students didn't react much. They had only just started school and didn't yet understand the longstanding rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

But the Slytherin side fell so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Malfoy frowned and glared at Tom with disgust. He was a Pure-blood aristocrat and still hadn't managed it—what right did a Muggle-born wizard have to steal the spotlight?

Tom hadn't cared in the slightest about House Points, but the system notification rang out, and he perked right up: [Host has earned the approval of a professor. Credits +5, Achievement Points +1]

[Long-term mission unlocked—"Hogwarts' Best Student in History." House Points will be converted to credits at a one-to-one ratio, and can be exchanged for Achievement Points at a five-to-one ratio. Additional rewards will be given for leading your House to victory in the House Cup.]

House Points didn't matter much, but credits and Achievement Points were valuable.

Tom instantly regretted his choice, slapping his thigh. If only I'd joined Gryffindor. Wouldn't I have had the House Cup in the bag for the next few years?

Now, if he wanted to win the House Cup, he'd probably have to go head-to-head with Dumbledore!

He knew full well that the House Cup had practically been decided in advance for the next few years.

On the one hand, it was to boost Harry's reputation. On the other, it was basically psychological manipulation.

Dumbledore wanted to raise Harry into the kind of person who charged into danger, so that one day he'd have the courage to fight Voldemort and face that Prophecy.

Tom had never been interested in Dumbledore's Chosen One plan. As far as he was concerned, Voldemort had only two ways to die: either things would go as they had in the original story, with Harry defeating him, or Tom could wait until he was strong enough and crush him himself.

But now that he wanted the House Cup and the credits, he had to step up—and if he did, he was bound to offend the old fox, Dumbledore.

Tom rubbed his chin and grinned slyly. Dumbledore, you can't blame me for this. You'll understand, right?

Professor McGonagall had no idea that the smug-looking first-year in front of her was already plotting how to snatch her House's cup.

She praised Tom a couple more times, reminded him not to get conceited, and went to check on the other students.

Truthfully, she felt a little conflicted. Reason told her that the Tom in front of her was only a namesake of the Tom from years ago. But emotionally, the more impressive this boy became, the more she was reminded of the Tom she had known back then.

It was uncanny. Could Merlin really favor everyone with that name?

As soon as Professor McGonagall had walked away, Hermione hurried over. Her voice was edged with envious frustration. "How did you do that?"

Her toothpick was still unchanged. Back when she and Tom competed, even when she lost, they were usually close—both nearly perfect scores. But in the magical world, the gap between them had become enormous. She was still stuck at the starting line, while Tom was almost at the next station.