Bobocha on the Attack
Of all his classes, Transfiguration was undoubtedly the one William looked forward to most.
Transfiguration was Cedric's best subject, and William had learned a great deal from him over the summer.
But although William was interested in Transfiguration, it wasn't quite as interested in him.
William had finally discovered a subject he wasn't particularly good at.
He was talented in both Charms and Potions, especially the former.
The first time he encountered magic, William had cast the Levitation Charm. He had also picked up the various Defence Against Dark Magic spells Professor Tywin taught him with ease, without the slightest hitch.
He could cast many of the spells in the first- and second-year Standard Book of Spells on his first attempt, and they were far more powerful than those cast by others his age.
That was talent!
Transfiguration was different. He had made slow progress studying it on his own over the summer.
William could clearly feel that the ease he enjoyed in Charms and Potions was gone. He had gone from an academic ace to an academic lightweight.
Given the same problem, some people only needed a glance or two to know how to approach it, while others could work through it many times and still not understand it.
William undoubtedly belonged to the latter group.
That wasn't to say William was truly bad. When it came to learning Transfiguration, he was simply average.
Could he be satisfied with that? After all, everything suffered by comparison!
With a single match, William had spent more than half a month before he could just about turn it into an ugly-looking needle.
When Cedric had first learned, on the other hand, he had needed only two days to do it perfectly.
Two days versus fifteen!
By now, Cedric had nearly finished teaching himself third-year Transfiguration and had begun preparing to become an Animagus.
Compared like that, Cedric's talent for Transfiguration utterly crushed William's.
The Transfiguration classroom was on the second floor, with sunlight streaming directly through the windows. It was noticeably warmer than Snape's Potions Classroom.
William, Cho, and Cedric parted ways at the junction, and the two of them entered the classroom.
Many people were already there, especially Gryffindor students.
They knew better than anyone how strict Professor McGonagall was, so they didn't dare be late.
But although Professor McGonagall was their own head of house, most of the Gryffindor students hoped William would continue his outstanding performance and send her to the Hospital Wing too.
They weren't asking for much. A day or two would do.
But they were bound to be disappointed.
William had given it careful thought at noon. The main culprit behind the two classroom accidents was Marietta.
And she herself was still in the hospital from the fright.
Without her, nothing could possibly go wrong in this class!
William was willing to bet one... Knut on it.
Money wasn't the issue, of course. The important thing was that he trusted Professor McGonagall's ability, unlike those two good-for-nothings still lying in hospital beds.
Bobocha waddled along behind William.
He had slept all morning and was full of energy now, so he had followed William out for a stroll to help digest his food.
Most importantly, this classroom didn't have the cold, gloomy smell or the specimens of his own kind that he hated.
Not only that, there was a special scent that was drawing him in for some unknown reason.
Hmm... how unusual! With his ears flattened to the sides, Bobocha sniffed constantly, searching for the source of the scent.
Fortunately, he was reasonably well behaved and didn't go around marking his territory with urine.
William chose a seat at random, and Cho sat down beside him.
Apart from a few young witches and wizards, most of the Gryffindor students sat far away, seemingly afraid William's blood would splatter all over them.
"Professor McGonagall doesn't seem to be here yet?" Cho asked in puzzlement, glancing around after taking out her textbook.
She had heard that Professor McGonagall was the strictest professor, and there were only two minutes left before class. Surely something hadn't really happened to her on the way?
Cho gave William an odd look.
She wasn't the only one. Everyone was looking at William like that.
William touched his face. Had he gotten even more handsome today?
That couldn't be right. He had already reached the pinnacle of human handsomeness, so surely there was no room for improvement?
Just then, Bobocha, who was on William's desk, suddenly stood up.
He had finally found the reason for his restlessness.
A cat was crouching on the teacher's desk at the front!
It was an exceptionally beautiful tabby, with a magnificent coat and a well-proportioned body. It definitely wasn't a dyed pig!
The most distinctive thing about this cat wasn't the unusual markings around its eyes, but its bearing.
Its gaze was icy, more like a person's than a cat's!
William suddenly remembered a cute pet from a novel he had read in his previous life: a silly cat named Heitan.
William stared at the tabby, and the tabby stared back at him.
Just as the two were matching wits and courage, probing each other with their gazes, Bobocha picked up his dried fish and sprang into action.
On his four short little legs, he seemed almost to fly, stepping across the fluffy heads of several young Gryffindors in front of him. Using the legendary Lingbo Weibu, he made his way toward the tabby.
William's face turned waxy yellow with fright, making him look like Snape in his hospital bed...
Remembering the Animagus discussion he'd had with Cedric, and considering how unusual this cat was, William knew who it was, no matter how slow he was to catch on!
Of course. How could McGonagall, a Transfiguration professor who could guide Cedric in becoming an Animagus... not be an Animagus herself?
This was the real cat master!
William finally understood why Cedric had hemmed and hawed when he asked about the seven registered Animagi.
And why Cedric had kept suggesting he bring Bobocha to class that afternoon.
He couldn't remember the names, Professor McGonagall liked cats, seeing Bobocha would make her award Ravenclaw points... Bullshit. Cedric looked so upright and honest, but he was rotten on the inside.
Wasn't this bullying an honest person?
Because William had strictly controlled his diet, Bobocha hadn't yet degenerated into a pig.
He was well proportioned and nimble. After knocking over three bottles of ink and snapping two quills underfoot, he used Cormac McLaggen's head as a springboard and leaped onto the teacher's desk like a soaring antelope.
The whole sequence flowed smoothly from start to finish, and the dried fish was still in his mouth.
The tabby was dumbfounded too. She had still been warning William with her eyes when a little orange cat suddenly darted over.
Bobocha put the dried fish on the desk and pushed it toward the tabby in a fawning gesture.
William's face grew even paler as he suddenly remembered something terrible: cats were strange animals. When they met an unfamiliar member of their own kind, they would sometimes sniff the other's backside and have a taste.
It was just like how people usually greeted an acquaintance by asking, "Have you eaten?"...
Quick!
He had to do something quickly to stop Bobocha from getting himself killed. William didn't want to be hospitalized, much less... die along with him!
Fortunately, Bobocha circled the tabby once, but under her icy gaze, he didn't dare go any further.
William let out a breath. His cat was still a good, shy boy who wouldn't be so crude and forward.
But the very next second, Bobocha suddenly lay down of his own accord and gave a "meow," indicating that the tabby could lick his fur now.
"..."
(P.S. Some people may think preparing to become an Animagus in the second year is an exaggeration, but the Marauders taught themselves to become Animagi in their fifth year, and James and the others spent three years preparing. In other words, they started preparing in their second year, and they were teaching themselves. So for a genius, it isn't an exaggeration at all.)