Boom! Thunder cracked as rain poured down and the wind howled. Lightning flashed past the window beside the stairs, making Will's fair face look paler still.
Will remembered that the top floor of Hogwarts' western Tower held a huge room that was partly open to the sky. Why had Professor McGonagall chosen it for this Transfiguration Club meeting?
Will pushed the door open. The room was not cold, and he felt no wind. Not a drop of rain blew onto the terrace; an invisible force kept the chill outside.
A fire roared in the fireplace, filling the room with warmth.
Professor McGonagall sat on the terrace with several students. A few chairs were still empty. At her signal, Will took one near her, and every student there gave him a curious look.
Professor McGonagall had said someone new would be joining them, but none of them had expected a student so young.
Over the next ten minutes, the rest of the students arrived.
The Transfiguration Club was small. Including Professor McGonagall and Will, there were only fifteen people.
Once everyone had arrived, Professor McGonagall briefly introduced Will to the students:
"This is Mr. Will Behrens, a second-year Slytherin student. Will has already reached a fifth-year level. He performed exceptionally well on his fourth-year Transfiguration exam, and from now on, he'll study with you in the Transfiguration Club."
Everyone welcomed Will with warm applause. No one who had made it into the Transfiguration Club was a fool. They understood what his talent meant: he had reached a fifth-year level in Transfiguration while still in his second year. On that strength alone, there was almost no limit to what he might achieve.
When the applause died down, Professor McGonagall continued. "Let's return to Animagi. Will, you can ask me afterward if there's