Professor Mcgonagall had given him a somewhat disapproving glance when he slipped onto the back row of desks a few moments after the lesson had started, but she hadn't said anything or deducted points. It was possible that she knew he had just come from potions.
A cage of rather innocent looking guinea fowl clucked from atop her desk. The birds didn't look anywhere near alarmed enough for whatever was about to happen to them.
'Today, we will be transfiguring guinea fowl into guinea pigs.' Their stern professor flicked her wand and the cages floated across to deposit themselves in front of each student. 'This type of transformation is as complex as any we will attempt this year.'
The level of clucking swiftly escalated as the class fell to a comical level of desperate wand waving. Harry eyed his bird curiously. He had on occasion wondered exactly where the creatures they transfigured in this class came from.
Probably the kitchens in this case, he decided.
His guinea fowl did look surprisingly plump, but, out of a desire to not eat whatever Neville created, he would be avoiding poultry for the next few meals.
'Very good, Miss Granger, take ten points,' Professor Mcgonagall's voice rang out.
Ten points seemed slightly generous since Hermione's guinea pig did still have the occasional feather and its feet seemed to have retained a slightly birdlike, taloned aspect to them. Hermione didn't seem to care though and glowed with pride.
Nobody else in the rest of the class had come anywhere close, though Seamus had somehow managed to change his fowls feathers green and Ron's had plucked itself. Ron was probably considering lunch from the look of things.
'Harry,' Hermione nudged him, 'aren't you even going to try? It's not that hard you know.'
Time to put my summer of study to use.
Slipping his wand from his sleeve Harry tapped the guinea fowl on the head, earning himself a sharp, annoyed cluck from the bird.
'That's not the proper wand action, Harry,' Hermione began exasperatedly, but whatever else she had been going to say was lost as his bird changed into a perfect guinea pig.
Harry shot her a beatific smile.
'But that was your first try,' Hermione stuttered. 'It took me almost five.'
'Five,' Harry pulled a shocked expression, 'it's not that hard you know.'
See how she likes it. You shouldn't rub your success in others' faces.
Hermione huffed and turned away to watch Ron whose guinea fowl was beginning to look more and more like it had been roasted. It was making Harry quite hungry, but he was sure it would restore Hermione's confidence in her abilities. Nobody else in the class had really improved.
'Well done, Mr Potter.' Harry jumped as Professor Mcgonagall appeared over his shoulder. 'Twenty points to Gryffindor for a perfect species-switch transfiguration. I daresay you might have inherited your father's talent for my subject as well as his tendency to overlook the rules.'
Hermione looked distinctly put out with his reward and he hid his smile. She couldn't be the best all the time.
'I can't believe you did that on your first try, Harry,' she congratulated him after a moment. 'That's really lucky. If only Ron was as fortunate as you.'
Lucky. Is she really incapable of accepting that someone might have done better than her? Harry decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. In three years he had never demonstrated any of his unfulfilled potential, so to suddenly exceed expectations might well come across as a stroke of luck.
A loud bang from the row behind drew the attention of most of the class. Neville's increasingly frustrated attempts had lead to him knocking his guinea fowl cage off the desk with his arm, spilling Seamus bottle of water.
'Mr Longbottom,' their transfiguration professor lamented, 'focus on the outcome you desire, don't just wave your wand like a baby's rattle.'
The spilt water was streaming towards Hermione's bag, which was no doubt full of books and notes.
A disaster in the making.
He vanished the encroaching liquid before it could ruin his friend's things and Hermione, who had been scrambling to retrieve anything from the water's path gave a loud sigh of relief.
'Thank you, professor,' she exclaimed loudly.
'Pardon me, Miss Granger,' Professor Mcgonagall responded from her desk, her wand rather unhelpfully placed out of reach for her to claim the credit for his timely intervention.
'Nothing, professor,' Hermione said confusedly, catching sight of her wand. 'Vanishing is an advanced fifth year spell,' she muttered to herself as she carefully rummaged through her bag to ensure nothing was damaged. 'I can't do a vanishing spell yet. If I could I would use it on Ron's stupid quidditch posters.'
Harry laughed and turned away, returning his wand to his sleeve again. What Hermione didn't know wouldn't vex her, or, more likely, drive her to the library for a week to research vanishing charms.
He spent the remainder of the class watching Neville, his face screwed up with concentration, trying to remove his guinea pigs remaining feathers and Ron, whose guinea fowl's appearance grew more and more food-like as lunch approached. Hermione meanwhile had taken to jabbing her wand frustratedly at small pieces of parchment and snapping the incantation for the vanishing spell under her breath. She had managed to make the edges of the torn fragment fade a little as they packed away to leave, but her lack of success reassured Harry that he was still well on his way to reaching the level he needed to be.
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