For William, his weakest subject was undoubtedly Transfiguration.
Well, it wasn't exactly a weakness, but compared to his skills in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and even Potions, it fell far behind. This left him appearing less talented in Transfiguration than in his other subjects.
Even so, among his peers, he was considered quite proficient—he just couldn't compete with the prodigies.
For a sharp student like him, however, putting in several times the usual effort could eventually yield significant improvement.
And it wasn't just wishful thinking.
Because he had a McGonagall-grade "cheat code."
Professor McGonagall was a master of Transfiguration with years of teaching experience, well-versed in helping students overcome their weaknesses.
With a professor like McGonagall offering guidance, any ordinary young witch or wizard could advance quickly, soon surpassing their peers—so long as they put in the work.
Ordinarily, no one would have the privilege of such dedicated tutoring. No one had the influence to get Professor McGonagall to personally instruct a single student for an entire month, two months, or even a whole year.
Unless they happened to be her own child!
But William had managed it, thanks to Dumbledore's request. Nearly every afternoon in the time loop, he spent in Professor McGonagall's office, engaged in private Transfiguration lessons.
One-on-one private tutoring, at that.
This was a rare opportunity, indeed.
With a whole class, Professor McGonagall had to take all students' progress into account, covering each topic with patience and depth.
But in private lessons, it was all tailored to William's pace.
He could try his Transfigurations over and over, with McGonagall by his side, patiently pointing out every error.
For a first-year student, Transfiguration lessons usually happened only twice a week, amounting to just over thirty classes per term.
But William had Transfiguration every afternoon, and if he progressed quickly, he could cover an entire term's material in less than a month.
When the time loop had first started, William had even thought about breaking out of it, frustrated by facing the same people saying the same things every day.
And, of course, with everyone in lockdown, Cedric and the others were confined to their common rooms, so William couldn't meet with them either.
But with time, well… he saw the advantages.
As long as he remained in the time loop, he could enjoy constant, uninterrupted one-on-one tutoring from Hogwarts' finest professors. Such an opportunity was simply priceless.
By now, William was thoroughly familiar with Professor McGonagall's office; he could navigate his way there in his sleep.
However, when he entered the office, Professor McGonagall didn't look particularly pleased.
She and William had always had a good relationship, but on a day when a student had died, she wasn't in the best mood to be teaching, especially not a private tutorial for a single student.
If that student had been in danger of failing, she might have understood, but William clearly wasn't; he was here for advanced, second-year material.
In McGonagall's view, offering private lessons like this was hardly fair, especially to other students. She could not understand why Professor Dumbledore would make such a request, but she followed his instructions without question.
After all, experience had shown her time and again that Dumbledore's choices always had hidden significance.
As they sat in the office, Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses, pulled out the second-year Transfiguration textbook, and opened to a specific page.
She had a fair grasp of William's study habits, as he'd asked her many questions during past lessons and she knew roughly how far he'd prepared.
But William turned the book to an even more advanced page.
McGonagall's eyebrows shot up as she closed the textbook, looking at him sternly. "William, I know you haven't learned this material yet. I believe it's important to keep your goals realistic.
"End-of-term exams are approaching, and they won't be easy. My advice is to review your first-year textbook thoroughly, and revisit the points I highlighted in our last lesson."
William had come by so many times that he'd learned to understand her hints—Professor McGonagall's suggestions were simply subtler than Professor Flitwick's.
"But Professor, I've mastered those already."
William rose, taking a small cage off the office window, which held a plump bamboo rat. He pulled out his wand, and with a few taps, transformed the rat into a snuff bottle—crafted in a crystal-like finish, etched with the image of Hogwarts Castle on its side.
It looked beautifully crafted and elegant.
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose, almost mirroring the shape of dragon's wings.
She was well aware of William's talent in Transfiguration—good, but far from prodigious. And being a diligent student herself, she knew what his true level of skill was.
Such fluid ease was well beyond him yesterday.
On Merlin's beard, had she misjudged him all along and overlooked a true Transfiguration prodigy? Or had William simply had a sudden breakthrough overnight, transforming into a Transfiguration genius?
It was almost unbelievable.
Professor McGonagall, at a rare loss for words, finally said, "This would undoubtedly be a perfect score on your practical exam. I think, yes… you're ready to tackle this level."
With that, she opened the textbook to the page William had requested and began teaching him the material in earnest.
But Professor McGonagall quickly realized that it was not her perception that was faulty but something more unusual altogether.
William's understanding was sharp, yet when it came to actual Transfiguration, his abilities hadn't changed much; he couldn't immediately perform the spell.
McGonagall's frown eased. This was more like it.
Still, no worries there—give it a few days, and she'd marvel at his talent all over again.
William preferred revisiting lessons repeatedly, practicing his Transfiguration until Professor McGonagall could pinpoint every flaw, and he found that his learning efficiency was highest this way.
Repetition made mastery, and over time, William became proficient in subjects that had once been challenging.
By then, Professor McGonagall would look on in awe, thinking him a Transfiguration savant, grasping new topics with frightening ease.
She'd even urged him to publish more papers—enough to secure the "Most Promising Newcomer" award.
Thankfully, Professor McGonagall didn't retain memories between loops. Otherwise, these wild shifts in his performance might have driven her mad.
Leaving Professor McGonagall's office, William wandered through the hallways.
The corridors were empty, as all students were confined to their common rooms, forbidden from roaming. By now, William was almost used to this silence.
He thought of heading down to the Black Lake. Dumbledore had forbidden him from leaving the school grounds, but half the lake's waters still fell within the school's boundaries.
There was something serene about strolling alone like this, letting his mind wander. For a brief moment, it felt as though the whole, quiet school belonged solely to him.
And that feeling was blissful.
But as William reached the ground floor, something caught his eye—Snape's Potions storeroom.
For all this time, he'd never been inside.
On impulse, William decided to go in.
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