After scanning the entire class, Professor McGonagall said in a deep voice:
This leads to my first point today: at Hogwarts, appearances are always deceptive.
As she spoke, Professor McGonagall's gaze fell on Draco again, and she said very seriously,
"I hope you realize that at Hogwarts, touching creatures you don't understand is extremely unwise, even dangerous. Miss Granger has already made the pros and cons very clear, yet you still insist on going your own way."
After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, the air in the classroom seemed to freeze.
Draco didn't dare look at the professor. He had expected this, but he still had to pretend to be a little uneasy.
"However, considering that you did it unintentionally and were simply unaware of it, I'll deduct five points from your score, Mr. Malfoy. I hope this will help you remember your first lesson of the day."
Professor McGonagall's voice softened slightly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Draco immediately stood up and replied, "Yes, Professor."
But a secret smile bloomed on my heart.
Five stars is enough for a chance to McGonagall Cat and watch a fantastic live Transfiguration. It's worth it.
"As for Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall changed the subject, her gaze falling on Hermione.
Her gaze held clear approval, and her tone softened, "Excellent analysis, Gryffindor, five points added."
Hermione immediately sat up straight, her eyes filled with joy, and she secretly glanced at Draco.
His eyes clearly showed a smug expression that said, "I already told you."
Professor McGonagall then glanced at Seamus and said, her tone becoming more serious, " Mr. Finnigan, for your wild ideas, Gryffindor loses five points."
Seamus's face flushed instantly, his head was lowered, he shrank back and didn't dare to make a sound, his fingers nervously digging into the edge of his textbook.
Finally, Professor McGonagall's gaze settled firmly on Dean.
Dean immediately straightened his back, his eyes darting around, his face full of guilt.
His hand unconsciously tightened around his wand, completely unaware of what fate awaited him, and he even held his breath.
Professor McGonagall's gaze lingered on Dean for a few seconds, as if she were carefully weighing her options, and the air in the classroom tensed up once again.
After a moment, she slowly spoke, " Mr. Thomas... although your source of information is questionable, being vigilant about potential 'prank traps' is a good thing. You've prevented the House from suffering even greater losses, Gryffindor, five points."
Dean was completely stunned by these words.
He looked on incredulously, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
It took her several seconds to react, and then her lips involuntarily curled into a smile, her eyes filled with surprise.
This was the first time he had earned Gryffindor points since enrolling in school.
Draco sat in his seat, pondering to himself.
Professor McGonagall was always fair, and with this calculation, the Gryffindor points added or deducted exactly canceled out, showing absolutely no favoritism.
Professor McGonagall glanced at the students below, each with their own distinct expression, a fleeting hint of satisfaction crossing her eyes.
This process of adding and subtracting points, along with the resulting intimidation, clearly and completely subdued these freshmen who were attending their first Transfiguration class.
The earlier noise and curiosity completely subsided, and everyone sat up straight, their eyes fixed intently on the podium. No one dared to make any further moves.
The opening of this Transfiguration lesson undoubtedly achieved the effect she wanted.
Just then, the school bell rang. Professor McGonagall glanced at her pocket watch, her gaze sweeping over the entire class, and her brow furrowed.
"It seems that two students still don't fully grasp the meaning of 'punctuality' at Hogwarts."
She had barely finished speaking when a series of hurried footsteps, accompanied by suppressed breathing, came from the back door of the classroom.
Harry and Ron burst in one after the other; Ron's hair was a mess, clearly from running all the way.
Just as the two were about to crouch down and sneak to the back row, Professor McGonagall's gaze locked onto them precisely.
" Mr Potter, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall's voice was not loud but extremely authoritative, "Entering the classroom after the bell rings. Gryffindor, five points deducted from each."
Ron's face fell instantly, and Harry scratched his head awkwardly. Neither of them dared to argue, and they quickly walked to the empty seats in the back row with their heads down.
As soon as I sat down, I heard Seamus mutter to himself beside me, "It's over, what was supposed to be a cancellation has now..."
As soon as Ron sat down, he subconsciously glanced at Draco, who had previously made veiled remarks about his lateness.
Now we're really late, which definitely confirms what they said.
Not only that, but the professor caught him red-handed. He really wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, but luckily Malfoy wasn't looking over.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and said in a deep voice, "Let's begin the formal lesson."
After saying that, he picked up the attendance book on the podium and called out names one by one by tracing the pages.
When she read Harry Potter, her voice paused slightly, she glanced at Harry briefly, and then quickly looked away without giving any further indication.
When she read out " Draco Malfoy," she looked up and gave him a deep look, the warning and reminder in her eyes clearly visible.
Draco nodded slightly in response.
After roll call, Professor McGonagall closed her booklet, her gaze sweeping across the room, and prefaced her statement:
" Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous spell in your Hogwarts classes. Anyone who misbehaves in my class will be asked to leave and never be allowed to return."
Her gaze lingered briefly on Draco, clearly indicating that the warning in her words was mostly directed at him.
As soon as she finished speaking, Professor McGonagall raised her hand and lightly waved her wand towards the podium, whispering a spell.
The sturdy wooden podium instantly transformed into a plump Pigwidgeon, grunting and wiggling its ears.
The next second, a flash of pale golden light appeared, and it steadily returned to the shape of a podium, without the slightest deviation.
The Gryffindor students in the classroom clenched their fists, wanting to exclaim in surprise, but Professor McGonagall, as their Head of House, exuded such a serious aura that no one dared to even breathe.
The atmosphere here was completely different from the relaxed and lively atmosphere in Professor Flitwick's classes.
There was only one exception: Hermione, who immediately raised her little hand after Professor McGonagall finished speaking.
"Please speak, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall gestured.
"Professor, turning the podium into a pig is an application of intermediate Transfiguration, isn't it?" Hermione asked.
"That's right." Professor McGonagall nodded, then added to the class, "This won't be taught until you're in third grade. Don't try to learn too much at once; don't dream of getting it all in one step."
After some advice, Professor McGonagall finally got to the point.
After confirming that today's practical objective was to transform a match into a needle, the students were then asked to open their textbooks, and the theoretical points of controlling magical power and coordinating the body were explained.
During the ten-minute explanation, filled with small but crucial details, the Gryffindor lion cubs couldn't hide their boredom.
But they sat ramrod straight, their quills never stopping, their heads bowed as they scribbled down dense notes.
Draco held the quill, secretly wishing he could just pull out an automatic writing quill for convenience.
He didn't need to write these theories down word for word.
But he dared not slack off; Professor McGonagall hated students who disrespected knowledge.
If I dare to leave my laptop empty, I'm afraid I'll get points deducted again.