Tabby Cat

On the first floor of Hogwarts, Ethan walked into the Transfiguration classroom.

The first thing that caught his eye was the silver tabby cat lying on the podium. There was a distinct circle of patterns around its eyes, resembling the glasses worn by Professor McGonagall.

Ethan quickly averted his gaze and hurried into the classroom.

Several of his roommates were sitting and chatting. When they saw Ethan arrive, they greeted him eagerly.

"Ethan, we didn't see you after we woke up. Where have you been for so long?"

"Getting familiar with Hogwarts with a senior," Ethan said as he sat down next to Michael, not hiding anything.

"Senior Penelope?" Terry guessed instantly.

Based on yesterday's events, it was clear that Senior Penelope treated Ethan and the other first-year Ravenclaws differently.

"Yeah!" Ethan confirmed.

"You're so lucky!" Terry said, a bit envious.

It was almost time for class. All the Ravenclaws had arrived, and Ethan was the last.

Looking around, the classroom was nearly full. It seemed like a few students from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were still missing.

His eyes met Cassandra's for a moment before she turned away. Ethan noticed that Cassandra was sitting alone among the Slytherins, choosing not to sit with anyone else.

Meanwhile, Hermione was chatting with her deskmate, who seemed to be getting along with her. They appeared to be roommates.

As Ethan continued chatting with his friends, he noticed a student acting strangely.

This looks interesting!

Ethan immediately straightened up and focused his attention on the podium.

A little witch from Hufflepuff was cautiously approaching the podium, her hands in her pockets as if she were hiding something. Ethan remembered her name was Caitlin Pullman.

To avoid startling the tabby cat, Caitlin slowly pulled something from her pocket—dried fish.

Typical Hufflepuff, always carrying snacks!

With the dried fish in one hand, Caitlin moved closer to the cat, her other hand hovering in the air, ready to pet it once it started eating.

She had a Maine Coon at home, which she had raised since childhood. If Hogwarts allowed cats, she would have surely brought hers. But since only owls, mice, and toads were permitted, she had to leave her beloved pet behind.

She hadn't stroked a cat in two days, and her urge to do so had been growing stronger. Now, faced with this cool tabby cat, she couldn't resist.

If she could use her snacks to lure it back to Hufflepuff, maybe she could raise it openly. After all, it was a native Hogwarts cat, not one she had brought herself.

Just as the dried fish was about 20 centimeters from the cat's mouth, a group of Hufflepuff students entered the classroom.

One of the girls rushed forward, grabbing Caitlin's hand and pulling her back.

On the way to class, she had been telling her friends, "Professor McGonagall might transform into a cat to test us." Unfortunately, she arrived just in time to stop her new friend from falling into the trap.

When she was around nine years old, her sister, a Gryffindor student, had written her some fascinating stories about Hogwarts. One of them described a group of Hufflepuff witches who, before their first Transfiguration class, gathered around Professor McGonagall's cat, wanting to pet it—much to their horror when they realized the truth.

Ethan clearly saw the tabby cat glance at Caitlin. It was obvious the old cat lady had been baiting them, but the little witch had ruined Professor McGonagall's plans.

Soon, the class bell rang, yet Professor McGonagall still hadn't appeared.

Though no teacher was present, no one dared to misbehave. Professor McGonagall had left a serious and rigid impression on them from the day before. Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble in her class would certainly face the consequences.

After about ten minutes, Professor McGonagall still hadn't shown up. Some of the students began to fidget and whisper among themselves.

Everyone speculated on why Professor McGonagall was late. Ethan even overheard a few students suggesting she had forgotten about class because of a date.

Ethan was stunned by their boldness.

Just then, the classroom door suddenly swung open, and the room fell silent.

Ron and Harry made a dramatic entrance.

They nervously scanned the room, and when they saw that Professor McGonagall wasn't there, they visibly relaxed.

As long as they hadn't been caught, they technically weren't late.

"Imagine how furious old McGonagall would be if she knew we were late!" Ron whispered excitedly to Harry.

Ethan, overhearing, just wanted to say one thing: What a terrible idea!

No matter how old a woman gets, no one likes being called "old."

As expected, as soon as Ron finished his sentence, the tabby cat leapt off the podium. Mid-air, its body twisted and shifted, and by the time it landed, it had transformed into Professor McGonagall.

Ron's smile vanished instantly.

Though Professor McGonagall didn't look pleased, she had achieved her goal. Every year, during the first Transfiguration class for first-years, she used her Animagus form as a demonstration to emphasize the power of Transfiguration, spark interest, and leave the students in awe.

"That's amazing!" Ron said, attempting to compliment her in the hopes of avoiding punishment.

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall responded coolly. "Perhaps turning Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley into pocket watches would be more effective. That way, you'd better understand the importance of being on time."

It was clear that she still held a grudge over being called "old McGonagall."

"We got lost!" Harry quickly blurted out, worried about being late for his first class, especially one taught by his head of house.

"Then maybe I should turn you into a map!" Professor McGonagall said sternly, though she didn't press the matter further. "Now, find your seats. You don't need a map for that!"

--

T/n - Author has added some of his own ideas in the story so some of the events will play a little differently here. But don't worry, it won't be a large change like Voldemort having a normal nose.

Want to read more advanced chapters ? Check out my p**reon to read 45 advanced chapters for just 5$. Link is in the description.