Did Transfiguration Fall-Or Not?

The Transfiguration classroom that afternoon.

It was the second-years' first Transfiguration lesson.

Occasional sunlight slanted through the tall arched windows, casting a row of diamond-shaped patches across the stone floor.

Fine dust drifted through the beams—the ancient atmosphere unique to Hogwarts Castle.

The second-years entered in twos and threes and took their seats.

The Transfiguration classroom was much larger than an ordinary classroom. Portraits of past Transfiguration masters hung on the walls, their subjects murmuring to one another and occasionally glancing at the arriving students with approval or disdain.

Gavin sat in the third row by the window and set his bag beside the desk leg.

He opened A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration to the section on beetles and buttons, then skimmed the key points.

He had been a little puzzled before.

Why had their final exam involved turning a rat into a teapot—an actual mammal—only for second year to begin with turning beetles into buttons?

Now that he had read the book, he more or less understood.

The difference lay in the precision required. Not that it made much difference to Gavin.

"Finished reading?"

Ernie, sitting to his left, leaned over. He looked nervous. He hadn't needed a Resit Exam, but he hadn't touched Transfiguration all summer and felt rusty.

"Yeah. Want to review it?" Gavin nodded and pushed his open book toward Ernie, saving him the trouble of finding the page.

"I call this last-minute preparation." Ernie took it without a trace of shame and skimmed it at speed.

Beside Ernie, Justin stared up at the ceiling, lips parted and face blank—

He still hadn't recovered from the blow he'd suffered that morning.

Nothing interested him anymore. Not even Professor McGonagall or Transfiguration.

At the front of the classroom, a row of glass jars stood on a long