The other students whispered among themselves in low voices. Altair chose a seat near the front and sat down. Hermione, of course, immediately took the seat beside him, and after a moment's hesitation, Neville sat down on Altair's other side.
As the start of class drew closer, the room filled up more and more.
Soon, it was time for the lesson to begin.
Some of the students had already begun murmuring that Professor McGonagall was late.
Altair calmly read through the Transfiguration textbook, while Hermione was still studying how to turn a match into a needle.
About five minutes later, the classroom door was pushed open. The noisy room fell quiet, and everyone turned to look, only to discover that it was Ron and Harry coming in.
At once, the room became lively again.
"Thank goodness. Professor McGonagall is late too!"
Ron cried out happily and pulled Harry along, intending to find seats, but after only a few steps, he saw the cat on the desk leap down and transform into Professor McGonagall.
"Whoa!"
Ron gave a helpless smile and shook his head.
"That was really brilliant."
"Sorry."
Harry tried to apologize, but Professor McGonagall cut him off.
"Perhaps I ought to turn the two of you into pocket watches. At least then one of you might manage to arrive on time!"
"Sorry, we got lost. Those staircases..."
"Then perhaps I ought to turn you into a map! Now, go and take your seats!"
Professor McGonagall spoke sternly. She returned to the front of the room, nodded to Altair, Hermione, and Neville, and only then began the lesson.
To Hermione's surprise, today's lesson really was about turning a match into a needle. Professor McGonagall explained a great deal of theory and a number of important precautions before finally having the young witches and wizards begin trying it themselves.
"Was that really something you dreamed? Do you actually know Divination? Or did Professor McGonagall tell you in advance? And how did you know that was her?"
Hermione seized the chance to bombard Altair with questions.
"Of course. I told you I know Divination... When Professor McGonagall came to my house, she turned into a cat exactly like that one and gave my uncle quite a fright. Didn't she do something similar to convince your parents about magic?"
Hermione suddenly understood. Then she shook her head.
"Professor McGonagall turned my father's dental equipment into a piglet..."
"Ahem."
A cough came from nearby. Professor McGonagall looked at Altair and said, "Mr. Shelby, Miss Granger, judging by how much the two of you are enjoying yourselves, perhaps you have already mastered the Transfiguration?"
"Of course."
Altair nodded and lightly tapped the match with his wand.
The little match immediately began to change shape, and in the end it became a beautifully crafted hollow gold needle that looked delicate and expensive.
"Incredible!"
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, but in the end that was all she could say.
"Altair, perhaps your gift for Transfiguration is even greater. That gold needle is truly exquisite. In that case, ten points to Slytherin!"
The Slytherin students immediately burst into applause. Even Draco's face unconsciously showed a trace of a smile, though it vanished at once and turned instead into a look of helpless frustration.
"And Miss Granger, what about you?"
Hermione nodded nervously.
She had already spent more than half an hour studying it over breakfast, and Altair had explained a few key points to her, so she was still fairly confident. Under everyone's gaze, Hermione pointed her wand at the match.
"Match to needle!"
Her wand gave off a faint glow. The shape of the match began to change, and in the end it became a bright silver needle.
"Excellent! Hermione, you have earned five points for Gryffindor!"
Professor McGonagall looked at her approvingly. Hermione smiled brightly, then cast Altair a pleased little glance.
At that moment, Altair was inwardly considering how to make Harry and Ron lose those five points again.
That was how the Transfiguration class ended.
Other than Altair and Hermione, no one else succeeded in turning their match into a needle. Seamus Finnigan, the demolition expert, even blew up a desk, though Professor McGonagall did not deduct any points for it.
After the morning lessons ended, Hermione dragged Altair straight to the library.
She found a book that was several hundred pages long and began reading it with great interest, while Altair looked around the library and gradually formed an idea in his mind.
He had thought of a way to build up momentum for the figures from the world of the Ring.
Soon it was time for lunch, and Altair and Hermione headed to the Great Hall.
Quite a few people were already enjoying their midday meal. This time, Altair sat at the Gryffindor table. After all, Professor McGonagall had personally invited him, and it made no difference to him where he ate.
Harry and Ron greeted Altair warmly. Even though he was a little snake, anyone with eyes could tell that Professor McGonagall was very fond of him.
Altair's lunch consisted of fried pork cutlet, grilled sausages, a smoked meat pie, and spaghetti, while Hermione's was a slice of pumpkin pie, a vegetable salad, and a fruit sandwich.
In front of Ron and Harry was a huge plate of roasted chicken wings. Altair noticed that they were very happy to eat things like that.
While they were eating, a few hoots sounded from outside. Then a flock of owls came swooping in, carrying all sorts of parchment letters.
"The mail's here!"
Ron looked delighted, because he had spotted the owl from home.
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(There is no clearly stated incantation for Transfiguration. The spell used in the first-year final, turning a mouse into a snuffbox, is MicetoSnuffboxes, so I'm guessing that Transfiguration incantations are generally in the form of X to Y.)