"Professor, it was I who caused the trouble. Karl was only helping me. Could you please deduct house points from me alone?"
Nina felt a bit panicked; she didn't want to drag her good friend into being punished.
"I am certainly aware of that, but he does indeed deserve to lose points as well."
Professor McGonagall stared sternly at Karl. "Do you remember what I told you?"
"Of course I remember, Professor."
"Is that so? But looking at this incident, you have clearly forgotten!"
In the letter before school started, Professor McGonagall had warned Karl not to perform Animagus transformation casually, especially in public, as it was easy for too many people to find out.
This was not because Professor McGonagall was favoring Karl or trying to help him cover up the matter of being an illegal Animagus.
It was because Karl was too young right now, and it would be best for him to study Transfiguration for a few years before going to the Ministry of Magic to register.
Good talent combined with the guidance of Professor McGonagall, a master of Transfiguration, made achieving such a feat reasonable.
But if he were to register now... being labeled a genius or even a monster would not be a good thing for Karl.
After all, the process by which he learned the Animagus transformation was too astonishing, and completely different from being a natural Metamorphmagus.
Professor McGonagall had consulted Headmaster Dumbledore, but even the Headmaster expressed that he could not explain it either.
"Professor, I..."
"Say no more. It seems your homework is too little and too simple. Starting today, come to my office after dinner every day to study advanced Transfiguration with me."
Professor McGonagall decided to help the Kitten speed up his progress; after all, given his current level of Transfiguration, it was theoretically impossible for him to have learned the Animagus transformation.
Karl: ( ⊙ _ ⊙ )
He had thought he would have to write a detention essay, but it turned out to be extra tutoring. The Kitty Professor was just too kind!
"And you, Nina."
After lecturing Karl, Professor McGonagall looked at the young girl beside him. She hadn't expected that there would be such an expert among this year's Little wizards.
Since when was the Animagus transformation so easy to learn? In a few more years, would there be even more Little wizards doing it?
She had heard that Uagadou School of magic in the Mountains of the Moon, Uganda, Africa, was currently researching methods to simplify the Animagus transformation.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
"You will also come with Karl from now on. At the same time, I hope you can properly manage the magical creatures you brought to Hogwarts. I believe Mr. Scamander must have already told you about this, right?"
Nina nodded timidly. "Grandpa Newt warned me. This was my negligence, and it won't happen again."
Karl: w(ﾟДﾟ)w
Scamander? Grandpa Newt?
You aren't talking about my Hufflepuff's outstanding former student—Newt Artemis Fido Scamander, are you?
Karl suddenly thought of Nina's brown suitcase. Could that thing be...
Well, that thing really needed to be carried around, otherwise it would be easy for major trouble to occur.
He finally understood where the Qilin mane on Nina's wand and the Forbidden Forest map had come from.
But...
Karl was certain that Senior Newt and his wife Tina had a grandson named Rolf, who later married Luna from Ravenclaw House.
But what was the relationship between Nina and Senior Newt? Her surname wasn't Scamander!
Wait a minute! Tina? Tina Goldstein!
And Nina had once said on the Hogwarts Express that there was a master of Legilimency in her family...
Karl finally remembered. Tina's sister, Queenie Goldstein, was a natural master of Legilimency, and after graduating from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she worked in the wand Permit Office at the Magical Congress of the United States of America.
It matches! Everything matches!
Now Karl finally understood why Dumbledore knew about the situation with Nina's wand and had warned the Sorting Hat.
After all, Newt was Dumbledore's most favored student, to the point that even Grindelwald had to ask him: What makes Dumbledore like you so much?
Also... Mr. Scamander, do you think Dumbledore will mourn for you?
Professor McGonagall reached out and pointed to the Niffler in the cage. "Now you can take out this little fellow's spoils."
Hearing this, Nina quickly stepped forward and reached out to lift the Niffler out of the cage that had automatically opened.
The little fellow, which had been lying flat playing dead earlier, immediately began flapping its four paws, trying to escape.
"Daisy! If you act up again, I will send you to Rolf!"
The struggling Niffler immediately froze, and then let Nina hold it by its two hind legs and shake it.
"Clatter~ Clatter~"
Under Karl's dumbfounded gaze, a large amount of Galleons, Sickles, necklaces, bracelets... covered nearly half of the desk.
Good heavens! He was actually a little tempted!
"Squeak!"
At this moment, Fire Treasure, who was playing in the heart-fire, suddenly sent a warning to Karl.
There was a Dark Arts object in this pile of things, and its aura came from Elvis Heller.
Karl pretended to be curious and stepped forward to scan the pile, locking his gaze on a metal ring-shaped pendant in the shape of a serpent-like creature eating its own tail.
He immediately memorized the shape of this pendant, including the line of ancient characters engraved on it.
This seemed to be ancient Greek...
Headmaster Dumbledore had said that Elvis Heller had been living near Greece previously.
Could any useful information be obtained from this?
"Professor, shall Daisy and I go return these to the owners? Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be impossible to tell who lost what."
Nina tapped the Niffler's little head, and the whimpering Niffler began to wail loudly.
Large tears flowed continuously; it looked like it was truly very sad.
"Forget it. I see this little fellow needs some comfort. You don't need to worry; Professor Snape will return these items to their rightful owners accurately, as no Little wizard dares to deceive him."
Professor McGonagall reminded Nina, "Could there be... Daisy's own collection in here?"
The Niffler decisively stopped crying and nodded frantically at Professor McGonagall.
However, Nina stuffed it directly into her arms. "Maybe, if there's anything left after returning them to the owners."
Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "I will notify you when that time comes."
She drew a circle gently with her wand, and the large amount of valuables on the desk flew into the parcel that the cage had transformed into.
"Alright, I sincerely hope both of you can remember today's lesson. I do not want to punish you again for the same thing."
"It is still early, you may go watch the Quidditch match. Remember to come to my office later; I will be waiting for you."
After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she stood up and left the office with somewhat hurried steps, the parcel floating behind her.
She wondered if Gryffindor was in the lead. If it were a crushing defeat, she wouldn't want to run into Severus for a few weeks.
Perhaps he wouldn't gloat, but she...
Merlin's beard! When will Gryffindor be able to win the Quidditch championship again!
Once Charlie Weasley graduates, the hope of winning the championship seems even more remote.
Merlin above! Please grant Gryffindor a Quidditch genius next year!