Draco had already figured out the tabby cat's true form; it was none other than Professor McGonagall's Animagus form.
His gaze was fixed on the cat sitting upright on the podium, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
Unexpectedly, even after the professor transformed into a cat, his air of aloofness remained undiminished.
McGonagall Cat seemed to sense Draco's gaze, and her eyes swept precisely in his direction.
His gaze remained sharp.
Draco quickly looked away.
He thought to himself: Even if he turned into a cat, the professor's gaze would still be so penetrating.
McGonagall Cat's gaze lingered on Draco for a moment before calmly looking away, as if nothing had happened.
In the back row, Seamus leaned to the side and whispered in Dean's ear as he arrived, urging him:
"Hey, dare you go and pet that cat over there? I bet this is the first challenge of the class! Whoever pets it first might even get a bonus!"
Dean rolled his eyes and nudged Seamus's arm. "You're too cunning, trying to get me to clear a minefield for you? I'm not that stupid!"
" Fred and George both said that Hogwarts is full of surprises and traps, so who would dare to touch this thing carelessly?"
As soon as he finished speaking, McGonagall Cat on the podium, gave him a precise glance, Dean immediately shrank back, not daring to utter another sound.
Seamus shuddered, scratched his head, and muttered, "Now that you mention it, I think it's best not to act rashly."
Hearing their conversation, Draco's playful side emerged, and he urged Hermione, " Hermione, how about trying to pet it?"
No sooner had he said that than McGonagall Cat on the podium, glared at Draco.
The imposing look in his eyes was almost overflowing, but Draco pretended not to notice and continued to smile at Hermione.
Hermione frowned, raised her hand and pushed the open Transfiguration textbook toward Draco, saying seriously and earnestly:
"We should remain quiet and preview the first chapter of the textbook before the professor arrives. Moving around or teasing the animals are violations of classroom discipline."
Lavender, sitting behind, rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper, "Seriously? It's just petting a cat, how can that be considered violating classroom rules?"
"This is no ordinary cat." Hermione glanced at the podium, then looked at Lavender and Parvati, and said with certainty.
" Thomas is right. In the wizarding world, especially at Hogwarts, it is extremely dangerous to approach any animal of unknown origin."
"It might be the product of Transfiguration, or worse, perhaps a cat-like monster. Didn't you all read the chapter on castle defenses in ' Hogwarts: Hogwarts, A History '?"
Her words were reasonable and well-founded, Lavender and Parvati immediately deflated.
The two of them sat up straight, reluctantly opening their textbooks, muttering under their breath, "It's not that exaggerated."
Hermione's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing everyone's curiosity.
The students, who had been eager to try, all became serious and subconsciously glanced at the tabby cat on the podium. The more they looked, the more they felt something was off.
Hermione glanced at the students who looked enlightened, then at the podium, and suddenly lowered her voice, turning back to discuss the matter with Neville:
"Don't you find it strange? Its markings are too regular, and its posture is as dignified as a human's. Most importantly, its eyes... they don't have the liveliness of a cat at all; instead, they're like a teacher observing us."
These words silenced the surroundings even more, and even Seamus shrank back, no longer daring to mutter anything.
Draco, however, was not deterred in the slightest.
Petting Professor McGonagall, who has turned into a cat, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Besides, she put me in solitary confinement last time, so this is the perfect chance to get revenge.
Hermione, turning around, saw that Draco's playful spirit hadn't faded at all, and immediately reached out to grab his arm.
But before her hand could even touch Draco, Draco had already stood up and walked towards the podium.
" Draco! Stop fooling around!" Hermione whispered urgently.
The classroom fell silent instantly, all eyes turning to Draco.
Neville clutched his textbook, his eyes bulging with tension. Lavender and Parvati covered their mouths, barely daring to breathe. Olivia also raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with a hint of curious amusement.
Everyone was waiting to see this bold attempt.
Draco slowly walked to the lectern, looked at the seated tabby cat, and slowly reached out his hand, almost touching its soft fur.
The next second, the cat leaped away from his hand with incredible agility, landing on the other side of the lectern, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far from Draco.
The cat's eyes glanced at him coldly, its posture clearly maintaining a polite yet unapproachable boundary.
Draco's hand froze in mid-air, a smirk playing on his lips. "As expected of Professor McGonagall," he thought, "Even in cat form, she's still so alert."
He feigned regret, raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and turned to shrug at the astonished crowd below.
Hermione glared at Draco, both angry and helpless, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Hermione was genuinely worried, fearing that Draco might actually touch the tabby cat.
The students below erupted in discussion, with Seamus whispering to Dean, "I knew there was something wrong! This cat is too clever!"
Dean raised his eyebrows smugly and said, "See? I told you not to act rashly."
Meanwhile, the tabby cat on the other side of the lectern kept glancing at me with a hint of warning, as if it were keeping track of this.
At that moment, everyone was certain that this cat was no ordinary creature.
His gaze was cold and scrutinizing, unlike that of an animal; it sent chills down the spines of anyone with a modicum of sense.
Draco met Professor McGonagall's gaze and felt only regret, but he didn't dare to have that thought a second time.
No one at Hogwarts dares to risk offending this professor.
Just as Draco withdrew his hand and turned to return to his seat...
The tabby cat suddenly leaped away, its small body spinning in the air for a moment, the Transfiguration light and shadow moving so fast it caught everyone off guard.
The next second, Professor McGonagall, dressed in a dark green wizard's robe, landed solemnly on the podium, standing in front of Draco with her lips tightly pressed together.
Behind the black-rimmed glasses, a pair of eyes identical to the cat's from before were flashing a chilling, stern light.
The classroom fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the deathly silence was suffocating.
Everyone subconsciously held their breath, sat up straight, and dared not make the slightest sound.
Professor McGonagall's gaze fell on Draco, and she said, "Thank you for your demonstration, Mr. Malfoy."
Professor McGonagall's voice was cold and clear, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Draco immediately stopped his playful antics, pretending to be at a loss and lowering his head as he quickly returned to his seat. However, he caught a glimpse of Hermione's helpless yet slightly gloating gaze out of the corner of his eye.
Professor McGonagall glanced up and swept her gaze across the class; the students didn't even dare to lift their heads.