Transfiguration Class

"Professor Snape, were you looking for me?"

Jerry knocked and entered Snape's office. Snape was brewing a potion. He didn't acknowledge Jerry's arrival, so Jerry stood to one side and watched him work.

Half an hour later, Snape finished the potion and turned toward Jerry, who had been craning his neck to get a look.

"Do you know what this potion is?" Snape asked in a raspy voice.

"Skele-Gro," Jerry answered. "It makes bones grow back."

"It seems Mr. Green has read ahead in his Potions textbook. Clever enough to pick up a few elementary facts."

Jerry listened, but it sounded more like Snape was mocking him.

Snape continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Jerry Green. A first-year student who has barely arrived, yet somehow three older students ended up badly injured. Even after they woke up, they didn't dare say you did it. Impressive."

"Professor, I don't know what you—"

"Quiet, Jerry." Snape cut him off. "Drop the innocent act. Do you think no one knows just because those three idiots won't talk? Stop trying to be clever."

"Professor Snape, you know I come from a Muggle family. I only arrived yesterday, and I was Sorted into Slytherin." Jerry said nothing more. Snape would understand.

"Don't you think you went too far? The bones in all three of their hands were crushed, their breastbones were broken, and even their teeth—"

"Stop, stop, stop, Professor Snape. I hope you understand that from the moment I entered this office until now, I have never said I did it. So I know nothing about any of that. You've got the wrong person."

This time, Jerry had interrupted Snape. He refused to admit anything about last night. Go on, then. Use Legilimency if you can.

"Jerry, you should know that when certain people are involved, evidence isn't necessary."

"Of course. But you're not that sort of person, Professor, are you?"

Snape: "..."

"I don't want this to happen again. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Professor. I'm not someone who likes violence. I can't speak for the other Slytherin students."

"Get out of my office. Now." Snape had never lost his composure over a student before. Jerry was the first.

"Hope you have a pleasant day, Professor."

Jerry had barely stepped out of Snape's office when he heard glass shatter inside. Snape was clearly in a foul mood. Hopefully no students would cross his path today!

Not long after Jerry left, Malfoy came running to Snape, reeking, to complain. "Godfather, someone—"

"Out!"

"Hey, Hermione, I'm back." After leaving Snape's office, Jerry had headed straight for the Transfiguration classroom. The morning's first lesson was Transfiguration, shared by Slytherin and Gryffindor.

It was still early, and Hermione was the only student there. A cat stood on the teacher's desk, though. That was probably Professor McGonagall.

"Jerry, what took so long? What did Professor Snape want?"

"Nothing. Professor Snape just wanted to know how I slept last night." After giving Hermione that explanation, Jerry walked up to the teacher's desk.

He looked at the cat and ventured, "Professor McGonagall, is that you?"

With a whoosh, the cat vanished from the desk, and McGonagall appeared before Jerry and Hermione. Hermione jumped in fright.

"Jerry, how did you recognize me?" McGonagall asked curiously.

"It was only a guess. I read in my Transfiguration book about an advanced form of Transfiguration called the Animagus transformation. It lets a witch or wizard turn into an animal."

"You're very clever, Jerry. In all these years, you're the first new student to recognize me on your own."

McGonagall admired Jerry's sharp mind. Whether he had a talent for Transfiguration remained to be seen.

"Professor McGonagall, what year do we have to be in before we can learn to become Animagi?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Miss Granger, becoming an Animagus involves very advanced Transfiguration. You would need to be in at least your fifth or sixth year, and not everyone can learn it."

"Professor McGonagall, if a student is especially talented at Transfiguration, could he learn it early?" Jerry couldn't wait that long. After all, the system had shown that his talent for Transfiguration was considerable.

McGonagall thought for a moment. She was also worried Jerry might try to learn it in private. "If your Transfiguration reaches my standards, Mr. Green, you may come to me. I'll teach you how to become an Animagus. The same goes for you, Miss Granger."

"Remember, do not attempt it on your own. It's dangerous. If something goes wrong, you could become a creature that's half human and half beast."

Jerry and Hermione nodded, took Professor McGonagall's warning to heart, and returned to their seats.

As time passed, students from both houses trickled into the classroom. They sat in two distinct groups, one for each house.

Jerry joined the Slytherin side and chose a seat near the front with no one around it.

Harry and Ron arrived just before class was due to start. They glanced at the front of the room and relaxed when they didn't see McGonagall.

"Good thing Professor McGonagall isn't here yet," Ron said with relief. Spotting the cat on the teacher's desk, he assumed it was someone's pet and reached out to stroke it.

In a flash, the cat became Professor McGonagall. Ron leaped back in fright.

"Mr. Weasley, are you here to perform tricks? And why have the two of you arrived only now? Look at the time. If this happens again, I'll turn one of you into a watch."

The Slytherin students around them burst out laughing. Seeing Gryffindor students in trouble—especially the famous Harry Potter—was exactly the sort of thing they enjoyed.

"Sorry, Professor. We got lost," Harry said, trying to explain.

"Then turn yourself into a map," McGonagall said sternly. "Now go to your seats. You won't need a map for that, will you?"

"Before we begin, I want to make one thing clear. Transfiguration is the most dangerous and most difficult of all your first-year subjects. There will be no fooling around in my classroom. If I catch you, I will personally remove you from the room, and you will never be allowed back in."

Professor McGonagall's warning had the desired effect. The classroom, noisy with chatter only moments before, fell silent. She was satisfied.

"Put your wands away. You'll have a chance to practise later. First, take out your textbooks on basic Transfiguration theory. We'll begin with the fundamentals."