HOGWARTS - HARRY

ShareDylan played with Luna in the owl shed for a while, feeding her some meat sticks before returning to the Great Hall.

At this moment, a few other students were also arriving for breakfast.

Since Dylan had already eaten, he simply sat down and began reading a book.

When the time was almost up, he stood and prepared to head to class.

Although there were still thirty minutes before the lesson began, he decided to leave early, knowing that Hogwarts' shifting staircases could be troublesome for first-years.

Sure enough, as he climbed the stairs, they shifted unexpectedly.

Dylan had to ascend twice before reaching the correct platform. But on his third attempt, the stairs trembled again, ready to turn in another direction.

Narrowing his eyes, he raised his wand.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

A stream of magic flowed from his wand.

Though his control over the Full Body-Bind Curse wasn't strong, it managed to momentarily stiffen the staircase. Seizing the opportunity, Dylan took a quick step forward and leaped onto the platform.

The stairs stopped moving.

Glancing back at them, he smirked before continuing toward the classroom.

By the time he arrived, a few students had already taken their seats, mostly in the middle and back rows.

Too lazy to walk further inside, Dylan simply sat in the front row near the door.

After placing his belongings on the desk and setting out his textbooks, a tabby cat gracefully entered the room.

Its movements were light and silent, yet exuded an indescribable elegance.

The moment the cat stepped inside, its green eyes locked onto Dylan.

He glanced at it as well.

"What if I pretend I don't know Professor McGonagall's Animagus form and pet her right now?"

The thought flickered through his mind.

As if possessed by some mischievous spirit, Dylan stood up.

"Wow~ What a cute little tabby cat. Is this someone's pet?"

Since he was seated by the door, it only took a few steps to reach the cat. Squatting down, he gently scooped her up into his arms.

The tabby cat was momentarily stunned, not reacting right away.

At first, as Dylan stroked her fur, she instinctively squinted her eyes in enjoyment.

However, the next moment, she came to her senses—her eyes widened in realization.

With a sharp yowl, she twisted and struggled violently.

In a swift motion, she broke free, leaping gracefully through the air and landing on the podium in a single fluid movement.

Now seated regally, she turned to glare at Dylan, her green eyes flashing with an unfathomable expression.

Dylan tilted his head, feigning confusion.

"Whose tabby cat is this?" he muttered, sitting back down.

"Not letting me pet you? Hmph, not cute at all."

…

Professor McGonagall struggled to maintain her Animagus form.

In all her years of teaching, she had never encountered a student so bold!

He dared to pick her up and cuddle her!

For a fleeting moment, when Dylan had embraced her, she even considered slipping out of the classroom and returning in her human form.

Yet, the boy showed no embarrassment whatsoever.

On the contrary—she was the one who felt awkward!

After breaking free from Dylan's grasp, he simply sat back down and continued reading The Essential Transfiguration Spell, as if nothing had happened.

Professor McGonagall eyed him.

Seeing his studious nature, her irritation lessened slightly.

Her furry ears twitched, her head subtly nodding up and down, and her tail swayed lazily from side to side.

Dylan, though keeping his gaze on his book, caught the adorable display from the corner of his eye.

"So… cute!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the page in front of him.

However, another thought popped into his head.

"I need to get a breeding license for Little Wuying as soon as possible."

When he last visited Diagon Alley, he inquired about the licensing process for magical creatures.

However, if he handled it alone, it would be quite troublesome.

It would be much easier if an adult wizard assisted him—especially one with expertise in magical creatures.

Luckily, he had the perfect candidate in mind.

Hagrid.

As the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, Hagrid was highly knowledgeable about magical beasts.

Despite being a half-giant, he was undeniably a magizoologist.

"Harry has a good relationship with Hagrid… I should try to befriend Harry, too."

If he got closer to Harry, he could use that connection to seek Hagrid's help.

Knowing Hagrid's love for magical creatures, he would definitely assist in acquiring the license once he learned that Dylan was secretly raising a shadow creature.

More and more students poured into the classroom.

Yet, Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen.

Finally, as the bell rang, the two of them rushed in—late.

From the podium, the tabby cat's green eyes narrowed.

In an instant, she leaped gracefully into the air.

As she landed, her body twisted and—transformed into Professor McGonagall!

"What?!"

Gasps erupted throughout the classroom.

Every student wore an expression of shock.

Dylan quickly adopted a dumbfounded look as well.

He didn't need to do anything now—just play dumb.

After all…

Ignorance was not a crime!

Professor McGonagall briefly glanced at Dylan but didn't comment.

Instead, her gaze fell upon Harry and Ron, who were still frozen at the door.

The two boys had initially thought they could sneak in quietly since the professor wasn't present.

However, they hadn't expected the cat at the podium to suddenly morph into Professor McGonagall!

It scared them both senseless.

"You're late," McGonagall said, voice crisp and sharp. "Perhaps I should turn one of you into a pocket watch, so you'll finally learn to tell time."

Harry stammered, lowering his head.

"S-Sorry, Professor. We didn't mean to be late."

Ron hunched his shoulders. "Hogwarts is too big… we got lost."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then perhaps I should turn you into a map instead. That way, you'll always find your way."

Harry: "…"

Ron: "…"

"I assume you don't need a map to find your seats?"

Realizing that standing there any longer would only make things worse, Harry grabbed Ron's sleeve and dragged him toward the nearest empty seats.

Coincidentally, they ended up sitting beside Dylan.

Professor McGonagall turned back toward the podium.

"Time is precious," she said sternly.

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous subject you will study. You must never take it lightly."

Her sharp gaze scanned the room.

"If anyone dares disrupt my class—you will never be allowed to enter again."

As soon as she finished speaking, she flicked her wand.

In an instant, the podium transformed into a plump, pink pig!

"Hiss—!"

Gasps echoed across the classroom.

Students gawked at the sight, eyes wide with disbelief.

(End of Chapter)

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