Dylan played with Luna in the owl shed for a while, fed her some meat sticks, and then returned to the Great Hall.
A few students were arriving for breakfast.
Dylan had already eaten, so he sat down to read.
When it was almost time, he stood up and prepared to head to the classroom.
Class still had half an hour left.
He'd arrived early because he was worried the Hogwarts stairs would be a hassle for the freshmen.
Sure enough, as he climbed the stairs, they would occasionally veer.
Dylan made two attempts.
As he neared the landing on his third attempt, the stairs trembled again, as if trying to turn in a different direction.
Dylan narrowed his eyes and raised his wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A stream of magic flowed out.
Dylan's control
of this spell wasn't very good. The magic only caused the stairs to freeze for a moment.
But Dylan took advantage of the moment and leaped onto the landing.
The stairs stopped moving.
Dylan glanced at it and turned to the classroom.
A scattering of students were already seated,
though most were in the middle and back rows.
Dylan didn't bother moving back and simply sat in the front row, near the door.
He had just put his things away, placing his textbooks on the table.
Suddenly, a tabby cat sauntered in from the doorway. Her steps were light and silent, yet she exuded an indescribable grace.
The moment she entered the classroom, her deep green eyes locked onto Dylan.
Dylan glanced back.
"Hmm, what if I pretended I didn't know about Professor McGonagall's Animagus form and petted her now?"
The thought flashed through his mind.
Dylan, for some reason, stood up.
"Wow, what a cute little tabby! Is this someone's pet?"
He had been sitting near the doorway, so he quickly reached the tabby and crouched down before it.
The tabby cat was stunned, unable to react.
Her entire body was lifted into the air, held in Dylan's arms.
Feeling the palms of her hands darting through her fur, the tabby cat initially narrowed her eyes in pleasure.
But the next moment, she came to her senses, meowed, and began to squirm restlessly. Then, she
suddenly broke free from Dylan's arms, tracing a yellow arc through the air, and leaped, landing steadily on the podium.
She crouched there, turned her head and glared at Dylan, her green eyes glittering with an unfathomable light.
Dylan tilted his head, pretending to be dumbfounded. "Whose little tabby is this?"
he muttered, returning to his seat.
"It's fine if you don't let me hold you, but it's so unlovable."
"..."
Professor McGonagall almost lost her Animagus form.
In all her teaching, she had never seen a young wizard so bold!
And dared to tease her!
When Professor McGonagall was hugged by Dylan, she couldn't help but start to consider whether she should go out first, and then come back after turning back into a human.
The little wizard was not embarrassed, but she was a little embarrassed.
After Dylan broke free from Professor McGonagall's arms, he continued to flip through the unfinished "Transfiguration Spell" in his seat.
Professor McGonagall glanced at him.
Seeing that Dylan was still so studious, her bad mood improved a little.
He tilted his head downward, and then nodded slightly up and down, his furry ears trembled slightly, and his tail shook from side to side.
Although Dylan didn't look directly at the tabby cat, he saw this scene with his peripheral vision.
"Really... cute!" He quickly gathered himself, refocusing his attention on the page before him.
However, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"We need to get Shadow's breeding license quickly."
The last time he bought the owl, he'd gone to Diagon Alley again and inquired about the detailed licensing process.
However, doing it alone would be quite cumbersome, so it would be best if he could entrust an adult wizard with the task.
If an adult wizard, especially a Magizoologist, could write a letter of explanation,
obtaining the license would be much easier.
And Dylan already had a choice for this adult wizard:
Hagrid!
Hagrid was the Warden of the Forbidden Forest.
And while he wasn't human, he knew nearly every kind of creature, making him a truly renowned Magizoologist.
"Harry and Hagrid are good friends. I guess I'll have to build a good relationship with Harry, too."
That way, he could use Harry to establish a connection with Hagrid.
Surely Hagrid, a fan of magical creatures, wouldn't refuse to help him after learning that he secretly kept a Raven.
More and more young wizards hurried into the classroom.
But Harry and Ron hadn't arrived yet. It wasn't
until the bell rang that
they finally arrived.
Professor McGonagall, perched on the podium, narrowed her cat-like eyes. With
a light leap
, her body twisted, and in the blink of an eye, she transformed into a human form.
"What?!"
The young wizards around were all stunned, their eyes wide with shock.
Dylan also put on a suitably dazed expression.
He didn't need to do anything right now; he could just
play dumb. He'd already petted it.
Ignorance is not a crime!
Professor McGonagall glanced at him, but didn't say anything. Instead, she cast her gaze on Harry and Ron at the door.
They were also stunned. They had originally thought they could sneak in before the professor arrived.
But a cat suddenly transformed into a professor, startling them all.
"You're all late, very good! Perhaps I should turn one of you into a pocket watch so you can tell what time it is."
Harry muttered, lowering his head. "Sorry, we didn't mean to, Professor."
Ron also lowered his head. "The college is so big, we accidentally got lost."
Professor McGonagall said expressionlessly, "Oh, then I'll turn it into a map, so you can find your way."
Harry: "..."
Ron: "..."
"I don't think you need a map to find your seats?"
Hearing Professor McGonagall's words, Harry quickly dragged Ron to the nearest seat and sat down
next to Dylan .
Professor McGonagall then returned to the podium.
"Time is precious. Transfiguration will be the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn in all your years. You must not take it lightly or slack off."
Professor McGonagall's eyes swept across the room with a stern look.
"Anyone who dares to disrupt my class will never be allowed to enter my classroom again!"
With a wave of her wand,
the podium in front of her instantly transformed into a large, fat pink pig.
"Hiss!"
Everyone in the audience gasped!
(End of this chapter)