Chapter 14: Transfiguration Is So Difficult

On her way to the Great Hall for lunch, Lys spotted a curly-haired young wizard waving at her near the giant hourglasses.

After a moment's thought, Lys recognized the silver quill - it was El Elbow.

"Hey, remember me?" El Elbow proudly displayed his robe with the quill still tucked in it.

"I heard you nearly sent an entire classroom to the hospital wing. Guess I dodged a bullet, huh?" he joked.

Lys thought awkwardly, "Yeah, thank your lucky stars."

"Oh, today's main course is pork and bean stew. Ugh, I'll pass. I'm planning to sneak into the kitchen after mealtime for some grub," El Elbow interrupted his own casual chat.

Glancing at the Slytherin standing beside him, El Elbow hesitated, "Want to join? We could hit the library first, then the kitchen. Bit of a detour, I know, but if you're not keen on pork and beans either..."

Lys agreed, not out of pickiness, but because she'd been itching to explore the library and kitchen for ages.

Students often flocked to the library with their homework to research, but Lys had never ventured there, fearing she'd get hopelessly lost in the massive castle and miss meals. She'd given up on finding the library solo.

Lys opened her robe to reveal the History of Magic assignment she happened to be carrying.

"Brilliant! Let's get going then!" El Elbow exclaimed enthusiastically.

As they navigated the castle's ever-shifting staircases and deceptive fake doors, Lys listened to El Elbow's grumbling and chatter. He explained:

The ancient castle, thousands of years old, was brimming with secrets. Over a hundred staircases like these moved at will, vanishing steps or trapping unsuspecting young witches and wizards.

Those tricky fake doors, if you fell for their ruse, would douse you with water or worse before slamming shut.

Lys's eyes widened in amazement. "I had no idea the castle was such a riot! I thought only the chatty suits of armor were interesting."

"What?! Which suit of armor talks? I've never met one. Black, you've got to show me after we eat!"

A delightful day that began with a friendly Hufflepuff concluded with arms full of midnight snacks, enthusiastically bestowed by the house-elves as they left the kitchen.

Lys sprawled on her bed, munching buttered bread while poring over the newspaper with her literacy book, occasionally sipping water from Madam Pomfrey's flask.

The cozy atmosphere evaporated the moment her roommate stomped into the dormitory.

Greengrass hailed from a pure-blood family, albeit not one of great heritage. Nevertheless, given Lys's inferior background, Greengrass perpetually maintained a haughty and disdainful attitude towards her.

"Country bumpkin... uncouth tomboy... not a proper lady at all... should move out..."

Lys overheard snippets of her roommate's complaints to a friend waiting outside the carelessly left-open door. She didn't let it bother her, though the lack of door-closing etiquette was truly annoying.

As weeks flew by, two months into the school year, Lys found herself grappling with spellcasting.

Professor McGonagall had progressed to teaching button transfiguration, yet Lys hadn't even submitted her match-to-needle assignment.

McGonagall warned that if this continued until term's end, she'd fail. Diligent practice was crucial.

Professor Flitwick, too, had introduced new spells and tasked everyone with researching common charms in the library and detailing their applications.

Lys had nearly worn out her literacy book and resorted to copying El Elbow's assignment just to scrape by. Oh, and now she always invited El Elbow to the library whenever their paths crossed.

"Your library enthusiasm is pure Ravenclaw! But these assignments? Pure Gryffindor! This word isn't even close to correct!"

Though spells and homework still induced headaches, life seemed less daunting now that she had a friend.

In Transfiguration class, "You must be bold and try, child. It's my duty to keep you safe until you master the lessons," Professor McGonagall said sternly, frowning as she stood before Lys's desk.

This Black was severely behind; she hadn't witnessed a single successful transfiguration from her yet.

"Transform what? Into a blinding flash to dazzle the class? Ha!" a voice called out mockingly.

"Silence, Potter. Focus on your own work!"

Potter and Sirius exchanged knowing glances, raised their wands in unison, and uttered the incantation. The wooden blocks before them morphed into smooth, elegant buttons.

They then turned their attention to Starlys Black. Professor McGonagall didn't bother to reprimand them further.

The professor placed a match before Lys, signaling her to begin.

Feeling the weight of their stares, Lys recalled the incantation and wand movement she'd mentally rehearsed countless times.

Cautiously, she first recited the spell. Seeing no correction from the professor, she waved her wand. The professor remained impassive. The result was passable; the match transformed into a small metal rod, similar to her previous success under Lily Evans' guidance.

Just as she internally sighed with relief at avoiding a fiery mishap, Lys noticed Professor McGonagall's highly arched eyebrow and felt her unease return. With a light tap of her wand, McGonagall split the small metal rod in half.

"The cross-section remains wooden," the professor stated matter-of-factly.

McGonagall glanced at the Gryffindor cubs, who were practically falling over themselves to watch the spectacle.

She turned back to Lys, "Child, after-class tutoring, 8 to 9 PM in my office. Do not be late."