The banquet began. With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, a variety of delicacies appeared on the long tables for the four houses.
After everyone had eaten for a while, Harry leaned over to speak to Percy, who was now one of his seniors.
"Percy, do you know who's sitting next to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked, recalling his first encounter with Quirrell at the Leaky Cauldron. He pointed toward the seat.
Kevin looked back and shrugged. "Oh, it's fine," he said casually.
Percy corrected him, "That's Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin. He teaches Potions, but he's fascinated by the Dark Arts and has wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for years."
Hearing this, Harry turned thoughtfully toward Snape. During the sorting ceremony, he had noticed Snape staring at him—and then felt a jolt of pain in his scar.
Kevin, noticing Harry's unease, asked, "Are you all right?"
Harry shook his head and smiled. "I'm fine," he said, not ready to voice his doubts yet.
Kevin curled his lips. This kid was always like that—holding everything in.
Soon, with the arrival of the ghosts, the banquet reached its peak. Once it ended, all the first-years followed their prefects to their dormitories.
As they passed the spiral staircase, Percy guided them to the common room and warned them not to get lost on the stairs. Kevin, however, was more interested in the moving paintings lining the corridor.
"They seem intelligent," Kevin thought. "But can they answer questions about Hogwarts? Ghosts must retain memories from before and after death. They can even respond to the school's calls and look for students."
"Kevin, hurry up!" Hermione called, noticing him lingering in front of a painting.
"I'm coming," Kevin replied.
The group soon arrived at the Gryffindor common room, greeted by the portrait of the Fat Lady. Percy spoke the password, "Dragon slag," and the painting swung open, revealing the passage inside.
"Boys on the left, girls on the right. Your luggage has been placed in your dorms—don't get lost," Percy instructed.
Kevin, Harry, Ron, and Neville were assigned to the same dormitory. They all knew each other, which made settling in easier.
Harry was so excited that he couldn't sleep that night. Everything was so new.
Kevin, on the other hand, had excellent habits and fell asleep immediately, already imagining how his daily routine might be disrupted by his three new roommates.
Early the next morning, Kevin awoke to a quiet room before sunrise. He got up, washed his face, and changed into comfortable clothes before wandering out of the common room.
Soon, he found a spacious lawn that seemed public. Kevin started his morning exercises, huffing and puffing.
He wasn't sure how long he could keep up the habit, but his "system" had begun assigning tasks—perhaps future tasks would offer rewards.
Professor Snape, who had spent the night brewing potions, walked past the corridor, pausing briefly as he noticed Kevin doing push-ups on the lawn.
I've worked at Hogwarts for so long, and this is the first time I've seen students exercising this early, he thought. Narrowing his eyes, Snape continued on his way.
As the sun slowly rose, Kevin checked his pocket watch. Exercise complete, he returned to the dormitory. Some students were already waking up. He pulled the covers off Harry and Ron.
"Harry, Ron, get up! You'll miss breakfast and be late for Transfiguration," Kevin said.
He helped them wash up, and the three headed to the Great Hall, where many early risers were already eating.
"Good morning, Hermione," Kevin greeted, spotting her at the Gryffindor table.
"Good morning, Kevin, Harry, Ron. I didn't expect to see you here," Hermione replied casually.
"If Kevin hadn't woken us, we probably wouldn't have come," Harry mumbled, still sleepy.
"Have you prepared for Transfiguration?" Kevin asked Hermione, noticing her serious expression.
"Of course," she replied. Hermione's interest immediately sparked when it came to studying. Kevin posed some challenging questions, which led to an intense discussion.
For the first time, Hermione faced someone whose reasoning challenged her—but she enjoyed it, learning from Kevin as much as debating with him.
Harry and Ron, unable to follow the conversation, focused on their breakfast.
After eating, the four friends went to the Transfiguration classroom together. Some students had already arrived, and both Hermione and Kevin noticed the tabby cat perched on the podium.
Hermione, a known cat lover, fawned over it. Kevin recognized it as Professor McGonagall's Animagus transformation and simply nodded. The cat seemed to smile.
Harry and Ron quickly found seats, abandoning the conversation, while Kevin eagerly joined Hermione. She enthusiastically discussed Transfiguration, demonstrating her extensive knowledge from reading countless books.
Kevin admired her focus and the effort she had invested, noting how even her roommates had sometimes dismissed her.
When class began, the tabby cat leapt from the podium and transformed into Professor McGonagall.
"Now that everyone is here, let's begin," she said, starting the first Transfiguration lesson.
Professor McGonagall tapped the blackboard, signaling the students to open their textbooks.
"Transfiguration is a dangerous subject. You must listen carefully and follow instructions. Never wave your wand without permission, or you will be barred from future lessons."
She waved her wand, conjuring a matchstick in front of each student.
"Your task for the next week is to transform this matchstick into a silver needle. Success will earn points for your house."
Kevin, determined to master his first spell, concentrated. He visualized the needle in his mind and felt the magic flow through him.
Change for me!
The match transformed into a silver needle—slightly thick, but perfect.
"Kevin, you did it!" Hermione exclaimed. Professor McGonagall inspected the needle and smiled.
"Excellent work. With practice, it will be flawless. Five points to Gryffindor!"
Kevin respectfully thanked her. Hermione, curious, asked how he succeeded.
"Focus on the spell and visualize the transformation," Kevin explained, though he struggled to articulate it perfectly. Hermione tried, and though her first attempt only trembled slightly, Kevin encouraged her.
"Magic is a subjective process. Believe in yourself."
Hermione's second attempt succeeded, earning five more points for Gryffindor.
By the end of class, Kevin had mastered the silver needle transformation, Hermione had perfected hers, and most others had yet to succeed.
Gryffindor's points grew, and Kevin and Hermione shared a quiet moment of pride. Both had achieved their first real success in Transfiguration, setting the stage for the adventures to come.