"Professor, I recall you saying it's not allowed in class," Luke responded to Professor McGonagall's inquiry as he held the frog that had leaped onto the ground.
"But clearly, it's after class now," he continued, shrugging.
"If it were during class, I'd definitely award you extra points for your excellent transfiguration skills," Professor McGonagall replied with a hint of amusement.
"But as it's outside of class, Slytherin gains 10 points," she added, her lips curving slightly upward.
"Excellent transfiguration skills; perhaps you'll have the opportunity to learn Animagus transformation in the future," Professor McGonagall said, leaving behind this praise before exiting the classroom.
Hermione, sitting nearby, appeared astounded. Did the professor just compliment Luke?
"How did you do it earlier? That wand movement!" Hermione inquired, picking up her wand and gently waving it at a nearby button, but nothing happened—no magic, no transformation.
Luke honestly answered, "I just imitated Professor McGonagall's wand movements and incantation. Then the button turned into a frog."
It was a simple explanation, but Hermione found it somewhat lacking. Even with pages of detailed notes, she struggled to understand Transfiguration principles, let alone apply them.
Sensing her skepticism, Luke proposed, "Maybe the two of us can delve into this subject further?"
Eager to learn, Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Two heads are better than one!"
"But you have much more knowledge than I do," Luke remarked, glancing at her extensive notes that he couldn't decipher.
With few students in the classroom at this time, Luke and Hermione decided to have lunch in the Great Hall. After a brief lunch break, they would attend Potions class in the afternoon, followed by Flying class in the evening—another joint class between Slytherin and Gryffindor.
Luke couldn't help but feel that they had too many shared classes with Gryffindor. Compared to Slytherin's limited interactions with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, it seemed disproportionate.
After lunch, Luke planned to visit the library during the lunch break. Hermione's eyes sparkled with excitement upon hearing his plan.
"I need to go to the library too!" she declared.
Hermione's thirst for knowledge was unquenchable.
Hogwarts Library was vast and impressive, but Luke soon realized that much of it was off-limits to lower-level students like themselves. The library at Hogwarts contained an envy-inducing collection of books, spanning from novels and magazines to spell analyses and papers authored by several professors.
As the afternoon approached, Luke decided to prepare for his upcoming potions class by reviewing a book on the basics of potions. Potions held significant importance in this magical world, as they not only required expensive ingredients but were also highly profitable.
The book he selected was titled "Material Analysis on Refining Potions," a thick tome that Luke estimated would take him several days to finish. However, Hermione, being the diligent student she was, had not one but three equally substantial books on her table, covering Transfiguration, Potions, and Magical Spells. Her dedication to her studies was impressive.
Once they left the library, it was already 1:30 in the afternoon. Harry and Ron, who had classes earlier in the day, had already arrived in the classroom. Harry spotted Luke and waved at him enthusiastically.
Luke returned the greeting with a polite smile and joined Harry and Ron. Since the front row was occupied, they had to settle for a spot closer to the corner, a location that was less likely to draw the teacher's attention.
Soon, Professor Snape, dressed in his customary black robe, entered the classroom. He was known for his stern demeanor and sharp tongue. Snape wasted no time in setting the rules, emphasizing that there would be no wand-waving or spell-chanting in his class.
He also noted that he didn't expect most of the students to comprehend the intricacies of potion-making but emphasized that he would be paying special attention to a select few, including Luke. Snape's cryptic statement about disturbing the mind, confusing the senses, gaining fame, cooking glory, and preventing death drew a bemused response from Luke, who politely nodded in acknowledgment.
Snape then turned his scrutiny to Harry Potter, who appeared disinterested and was not paying attention. Snape attempted to regain Harry's focus but found the young wizard's mind elsewhere. This led to Snape's classic reprimand and the prospect of losing points for Gryffindor.
Luke observed Harry's blank expression with curiosity, while Hermione eagerly raised her hand to answer Snape's question about adding narcissus root powder to a wormwood infusion. It seemed that Gryffindor's points were in jeopardy for the day.
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