The standoff between the two young witches didn't break until Harry Potter burst in, followed by Ron Weasley's breathless relief.
"Thank goodness... huff... the professor isn't here yet... huff... Harry, looks like we're not late."
"Wait, Ron… don't you think something's off?"
Unlike Ron, who was cheerfully oblivious, Harry—having grown up in the kind of household he did—had a sharp sense for reading the room. He immediately picked up on the strange tension in the classroom.
Especially the way everyone was looking at them.
Harry adjusted his glasses uncomfortably. Their timing couldn't have been worse. It was like walking into the middle of a TV show, right as the most dramatic scene was playing out...
Ahem.
In any case, Harry and Ron's arrival finally snapped the two witches out of their face-off, making them realize just how much attention they'd drawn.
Now that the moment had passed, both Hermione and Pansy flushed slightly, each letting out a small huff. Their stubborn but bashful expressions...
Well, they were pretty adorable.
...
Harry's arrival also marked the full attendance of the class—right on time.
"Although you're not technically late, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, would you kindly find yourselves a seat?"
"..."
"..."
All the first-years were stunned.
They'd just witnessed the cat on the podium transform into Professor McGonagall.
No—more accurately, Professor McGonagall changed back from a cat into herself.
Some of the students who had earlier tried to tease the cat immediately ducked behind their desks, clearly hoping to avoid attention.
"So she's an Animagus?"
Draco, despite having already learned a number of spells and having access to a well-stocked magical library back at Malfoy Manor, had never seen such a transformation firsthand.
After all, he hadn't delved too deeply into this area.
Truthfully, there was still a vast amount of magical knowledge waiting for him to master. For now, Draco was focused on strengthening his fundamentals and learning practical spells.
Advanced Transfiguration like this—becoming an animal form—was impressive, but not particularly useful to him at the moment.
Still...
Professor McGonagall's "demonstration" had a clear and powerful effect. It was a brilliant introduction to the art of Transfiguration.
Even if Draco wasn't planning to explore Animagi just yet, the sparkle in his gray eyes betrayed his interest.
And he wasn't the only one.
Behind him, Hermione's gaze shimmered with admiration and barely contained excitement—it was practically tangible...
...
After Harry Potter found a seat and sat down, Professor McGonagall began their first Transfiguration class.
"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous of all the spells you will learn at Hogwarts."
"Anyone who misbehaves in my class will be expelled from Hogwarts immediately."
"I will ask them to leave and never come back."
"I have warned you!"
Her words were as stern as her expression. As she said the last sentence, it seemed—perhaps just imagination—that she cast a pointed glance toward Harry and Ron.
Incidentally, Draco was also in her line of sight... It looked like their earlier antics had been seen by the cat on the podium—Professor McGonagall herself.
If it had been Snape, he might've made a sarcastic remark on the spot, especially since it involved his own student. You have to understand—Snape had been itching to teach Draco a lesson for a long time...
But Professor McGonagall was fair and impartial. She treated all houses equally. She definitely wouldn't say anything out loud. At most, she might be a little curious.
After all, as Head of Gryffindor, she knew better than anyone how deep the rivalry ran between the two houses. Even if she didn't want to admit it, the truth was, those two houses really didn't get along...
...
At last, Professor McGonagall's curious gaze drifted away from Draco. And so began the young wizards' first Transfiguration class at Hogwarts.
Transfiguration was a required subject at Hogwarts. Setting aside how dangerous it was, it was definitely the most captivating class for the new students—especially after Professor McGonagall demonstrated a spell that turned the lectern into a pig.
The young wizards were thrilled and couldn't wait to learn something like that...
Unfortunately, it was also incredibly difficult. For students just beginning to learn magic, mastering such spells right away was impossible.
After taking notes and practicing the challenging parts, most of the students began to feel just how unforgiving Transfiguration really was...
"Ron, do you think my match changed a little?"
"No… Harry, I don't have time to worry about your match. Ugh… Damn it, my wand's not listening to me!"
That was the scene on Harry Potter's side. In fact, it was the same for most students. Even the simplest Transfiguration was beyond the reach of many.
However... Since we say "most," that implies someone succeeded.
And that person...
"Very good! Let's all take a look at how Miss Granger transformed a match into a needle!"
Hermione, blushing at Professor McGonagall's praise, quickly straightened up with pride. She looked over at Draco, who hadn't even taken out his wand. Her brown eyes practically said, 'How about that? I'm smarter than most.'
In response to the little witch's cute provocation, Draco simply raised an eyebrow. His lips moved silently. Then he gave a casual wave of his right hand, eyes on the matches on the table.
...
A second later, the smug look on Hermione's face froze.
The scene was all too familiar—he'd done the same thing on the Hogwarts Express.
It was... a spell without a wand!
No—
It wasn't just that.
Now, Hermione realized what Draco had done wasn't merely a wandless spell. Looking at the matches on his desk, now turned into needles, she subconsciously tightened her grip on her wand.
That was... a nonverbal spell...