Kyle barely made it to the classroom just as the lesson was about to start, and Professor McGonagall only gave him a glance without saying a word.
Transfiguration Class for third-years had already begun, and today's task was to turn a button into a beetle—the exact opposite of the exercise second-years were tackling. Although the goal involved the same objects, the level of difficulty was worlds apart.
By the end of class, Kyle was the only student who had managed to complete the assignment successfully. Professor McGonagall observed the beetle scurrying around on the table and promptly awarded Hufflepuff fifteen points.
As for the others... Kanna had managed to produce a beetle, but it was stiff and couldn't fly, moving only in an awkward, jerky manner—a half-finished transformation at best. Most students only succeeded in molding their buttons roughly into the shape of a beetle.
As the class ended, students began to file out of the room, but Professor McGonagall stopped Kyle before he could leave.
"Stay behind for a moment; I need to talk to you."
"Yes, Professor," Kyle replied, nodding as he remained where he was.
Once the room had emptied, Professor McGonagall smiled and asked, "Are you interested in joining my Transfiguration Club?"
"Transfiguration Club?"
"It's a club I run personally," Professor McGonagall explained. "Twice a week, I teach some advanced material beyond what's covered in class. This isn't exam-related; it's more of an enrichment class. What do you say? Are you interested?"
"Of course," Kyle answered without hesitation. "I'd be happy to join."
Professor McGonagall was one of the foremost masters of Transfiguration in the wizarding world. If she held a Transfiguration Club outside of Hogwarts, people would be lining up with Galleons in hand for a chance to attend, no matter the cost. Kyle had no reason to refuse.
"Very well. Meetings will be every Wednesday and Friday evening at 7:00," said Professor McGonagall.
Wednesday... Isn't that today?
Kyle quickly asked, "Where should I go? Is it in the Transfiguration classroom?"
"No," Professor McGonagall chuckled. "It's on the eighth floor of the castle, near the right corridor, behind a painting of two goats."
"I'll definitely be there on time," Kyle replied.
...
After saying goodbye to Professor McGonagall, Kyle walked out of the Transfiguration classroom, where Kanna was waiting for him by the door.
"What did Professor McGonagall want with you?" she asked.
"Nothing much," Kyle replied nonchalantly. "She just invited me to join her Transfiguration Club." As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly, ready to enjoy the look of surprise on her face.
"Oh... so it's a club," Kanna responded casually, not even turning her head. "I joined Professor Snape's Potions Club at the beginning of the semester. Why are you only joining one now?"
"Huh?" Kyle asked, a bit taken aback. "Professor Snape... has a club too?"
"Of course. Every professor can run their own club and invite students from third year onwards to join," Kanna explained. "By sixth year, members can go straight into the professor's advanced class. Didn't you know?"
Kyle shook his head. He really hadn't known.
"That's what Professor Snape told me," Kanna said, turning to look at him. "I thought you'd been invited to a club at the start of the semester too. I didn't expect yours to be so late."
"Haha... Maybe the professor was just busy," Kyle replied with a dry chuckle, then quickly changed the subject. "By the way, what's our next class?"
"Charms."
After Charms class ended, it seemed the professors really had coordinated, as Professor Flitwick also extended an invitation to Kyle to join his club.
"I'd love to..." Kyle said, then hesitated. "But I already promised to join Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration Club. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Professor Flitwick said with a smile. "In fact, many outstanding students do just that. Take Bill Weasley, for example… I believe you know him?"
"I know," Kyle nodded. "The eldest Weasley, working as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts."
"Yes, that's right. When he was at Hogwarts, he joined three clubs: Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions." Professor Flitwick gave him a little wink. "I think you can manage it too."
"I'm not so sure..." Kyle thought to himself. There was no way Snape would ever invite him to join his club. And even if he did, Kyle would be suspicious about what Snape might have planned.
After learning that he could join multiple clubs, Kyle accepted Professor Flitwick's invitation gladly. The Charms Club met in an empty classroom in the West Tower on Mondays and Saturdays.
Joining two clubs back-to-back would certainly keep him busy, but Kyle knew it was well worth it. Opportunities like these didn't come to everyone.
The day flew by, and soon it was 6:50 p.m. Kyle stood in the hallway on the eighth floor, scanning the portraits with some confusion. He'd already walked up and down the corridor once but hadn't seen any painting with two goats. There was one painting with a single goat, though…
Kyle approached the painting at the end of the corridor, studying the image of a goat grazing next to an old wizard.
As he got closer, the old wizard in the painting barked, "Hey, kid, don't stand so close! You're so fluffy, you'll dirty the frame!"
"Sorry..." Kyle stepped back, then asked, "Do you happen to have a second goat here?"
"Unless you plan on drawing me one yourself..." the old wizard replied with a dismissive glance. "But I do have a donkey, if you're interested."
He gestured toward a painting opposite, where a knight held a donkey, shouting provocations.
Kyle didn't particularly mind, but the old wizard grimaced and grumbled, "It's so noisy... can't you make him quiet down?"
Kyle had an idea. He transformed a multi-flavored bean into a thick velvet curtain and draped it over the knight's portrait, muting the sounds considerably.
"Not bad for a Transfiguration spell," the old wizard remarked, "but I only have one goat."
"Actually..." Kyle chuckled. "That goat keeps looking around as if it's searching for something. If I'm not mistaken, you must be an Animagus, Mr. Dick Angus."
"You know me?" The old wizard raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Just a guess," Kyle replied. "You're mentioned in The Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration—the renowned eighteenth-century Animagus who once turned a dragon into a goat and managed to keep it that way for an entire hour."
"Ah, that's ancient history... nothing worth mentioning," the old wizard said, waving it off. Then, he rose and left the frame, muttering, "Minerva always has me running around."
When he returned, he had transformed into the likeness of a goat. At the same time, the top and bottom edges of the frame expanded, growing larger and larger. The golden lines around it intertwined, slowly forming something that looked very much like a doorknob.