"Hmm?"
Hermione looked up at the cat.
...Cat?
No, Professor McGonagall!
After a moment of hesitation, Hermione immediately realized the true identity of the cat in front of her. It wasn't due to a vague impression from the original book but rather the sudden vibration of the magic book in her consciousness.
[Spell]
[Transfiguration: Animagus (Cat) (Learned)]
The sudden change made Hermione's expression shift slightly, with a hint of doubt and surprise flashing in her eyes before she returned to normal.
"Is Mr. Filch's cat lost?" Hermione muttered to herself, then shook her head and continued reading.
Hermione simply ignored the cat.
McGonagall wasn't surprised at all. In her eyes, Hermione wasn't someone who was particularly interested in furry little animals. It was completely normal for her not to pet it, and any surprise might be just due to the unexpected appearance of a cat in the classroom.
Little did she know that her disguise, which she took pride in, had already been seen through by the little wizard in front of her.
Professor McGonagall, in her Animagus form, seemed particularly interested in Hermione and tiptoed around her hand.
After a moment, she glanced down at the open book on the table, her eyes showing human-like curiosity.
...History of Hogwarts?
Why is this little one interested in that?
McGonagall was puzzled.
Although school history is something every freshman should know, and it's covered in History of Magic class, most new students are more interested in practical things like spells or potions on their first day. Few show interest in school history.
What an interesting little one... McGonagall mused.
Seeing Hermione engrossed in her reading, McGonagall decided not to disturb her further and leapt to the top of the podium, surveying the students below.
Not long after, the bell rang.
The classroom fell silent.
It truly is a wizarding school; everyone studies diligently... Hermione listened to the rustling sound of pages turning around her and sighed inwardly.
Even the three mischievous ones not far away were reading seriously.
You can call them troublemakers, but you can't say they're not dedicated.
If there was one exception...
Suddenly, there was a commotion behind her as the classroom door swung open.
Harry and Ron burst into the room, panting. They both sighed in relief when they didn't see Professor McGonagall.
"Lucky we made it in time. If we were late, Professor McGonagall's face would be terrifying!" Ron whispered to Harry.
Though his voice was low, it was still clearly audible in the quiet classroom.
The other freshmen: "..."
Even Malfoy rolled his eyes.
The next second, to the shock of the two boys, the cat on the podium jumped down, transforming mid-air into Professor McGonagall.
Ron and Harry were stunned.
The expressions of the surrounding freshmen mirrored theirs. They hadn't realized the cat was actually Professor McGonagall, and they were relieved they hadn't been late or done anything inappropriate, like petting the cat.
Only Hermione remained calm.
"That's incredible..." Ron finally praised, though the embarrassment on his face revealed his true feelings.
"Thank you for your comments, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said expressionlessly. "Perhaps I should turn you and Mr. Potter into pocket watches, so at least one of you can keep time."
Harry whispered, "We got lost..."
"Then perhaps a map would suit you better."
Seeing Professor McGonagall's stern expression, the two boys wisely fell silent.
"Take your seats."
Hearing McGonagall's instruction, they were relieved and quickly found seats next to Hermione.
Hermione didn't even glance up, and the two boys didn't mind at all, even craning their necks to peek at her book.
Although Hermione was reserved, so far, apart from each other, they felt they knew her best among the freshmen.
As for Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall didn't conduct any actual teaching but instead explained the basic principles and various branches of Transfiguration.
Animagus, summoning, appearance, cross-species transformation, human body transformation, and more.
She also showcased her skills, eliciting gasps of amazement from the young wizards.
The first class ended on a high note.
After class, the young wizards gathered around, chatting excitedly about the magical phenomena.
"Did you see that? A mouse turned into a glass!" Ron exclaimed to Harry.
Harry was equally amazed. For the first time, he truly felt that he had entered the real magical world.
Seeing Hermione's composed demeanor, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Hermione, don't you think Professor McGonagall's demonstration was incredible?"
He couldn't understand why the girl in front of him always wore a calm expression, no matter the situation. She was around their age, after all.
Thinking this, Harry had a sudden thought and asked, "Are you from a wizarding family like Ron?"
Hermione shook her head: "No, my parents are both Muggles."
Ron's face fell, feeling somewhat hurt.
He came from a traditional wizarding family but was still awestruck, while the girl in front of him, who had never been exposed to magic before, seemed more knowledgeable than him.
"Hmm..." Hermione paused, thinking, "It really is amazing, but once you learn it, you'll find it's quite simple."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
Ron retorted, "Sounds like you can do it too."
"Yes, I can," Hermione nodded.
The two were momentarily stunned, eyes wide as if they had heard something unbelievable.
Ron had merely been irked by Hermione's nonchalant attitude and had said it on a whim, never expecting her to admit it outright!
This left him at a loss for words.
Though Harry remained silent, his eyes were full of doubt.
Seeing the disbelief in their eyes, Hermione smiled and said, "What if I really can do it?"
Ron smirked, "If you can, I'll eat Harry's quill. Happy now?"
Harry: ???
Hey, you're betting, why are you using my things as stakes?
"Alright."
Hermione didn't say much, just nodded slightly, took out her wand, and pointed it at the quill in Harry's hand.
"Flavides!"
As she cast the spell, the wand tip glowed, and under their astonished eyes, the quill gradually transformed—growing a head, claws, and tail—finally becoming a mouse.
It no longer resembled a quill.
The mouse leapt from Harry's hand as if alive and scampered onto Ron in a few quick steps.
The two boys stared in disbelief, especially Ron, whose mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg. He was truly taken aback by the transformation.
Seeing their reactions, Hermione's lips curled into a slight smile, and she softly uttered two words:
"Eat it."