Draco stared at the small green ball Leo had handed him, turning it over carefully between his fingers. It was roughly the size of a strawberry and appeared to be woven from dried herbs. Other than a faint, pleasant scent, there seemed to be nothing particularly special about it.
"What is this thing?" Draco asked suspiciously after sniffing it again. "It's just a grass ball. Cats don't even eat things like this."
Leo rested his chin on one hand and lowered his voice mysteriously, as though revealing a priceless secret.
"This," he whispered solemnly, "is Miracle Leaf. It's said to repel insects and is adored by cats."
"Oh."
Draco looked down at the tabby cat perched calmly atop the podium, then back at the green ball in his hand.
"But... isn't that probably Professor McGonagall's cat?"
Despite his words, the curiosity in his expression made it obvious he was already tempted.
Leo nodded confidently.
"That's exactly why you should give it to the cat. If Professor McGonagall's pet likes you, maybe Professor McGonagall will like you more too."
The tabby cat, which had been calmly licking one paw, suddenly turned its gaze toward the two boys.
Leo naturally pretended not to notice anything unusual.
"Look," he whispered urgently, pointing toward the podium. "It's already staring at us. It definitely smelled the Miracle Leaf."
Draco glanced uncertainly between Leo and the cat.
"Fine," he muttered at last. "I'll do it."
And so began one of the most important scientific experiments in Leo Nicholas's personal research history: determining whether Animagi retained the instincts of their animal forms while transformed.
Leo watched with absolute concentration as Draco slowly approached the podium carrying the catnip ball. His expression became extraordinarily serious, as though he were witnessing a groundbreaking magical discovery.
It definitely wasn't because he wanted to see something hilarious happen.
Absolutely not.
To ensure timing wouldn't become a problem, Leo even checked his pocket watch. There were still nearly ten minutes before class officially began.
Draco approached carefully.
One hand reached toward the cat while the other held the green ball.
Then, just before making contact, he froze.
A horrifying memory surfaced.
Yesterday.
Lunch.
Ron.
Hermione.
Professor McGonagall transforming into a cat.
The cat on the podium.
Professor McGonagall.
The cat on the podium was Professor McGonagall.
Draco's face immediately turned deathly pale.
His horrified gaze slowly shifted toward Leo.
Leo, meanwhile, simply clenched his fist encouragingly and silently mouthed:
You can do it.
Draco nearly exploded on the spot.
You absolute monster.
However, Draco Malfoy possessed excellent survival instincts.
If disaster was unavoidable...
Then somebody else could suffer with him.
Immediately abandoning his original plan, Draco leaned closer to the tabby cat and whispered respectfully,
"Professor McGonagall, Leo asked me to give this to you. He said it's called Miracle Leaf."
With incredible caution, he gently placed the catnip ball directly in front of her.
Back at his seat, Leo suddenly felt a terrible premonition.
The next moment, Professor McGonagall lowered her head and sniffed the little green ball.
Her pupils instantly expanded into perfect circles.
Both front paws began scratching rapidly at the podium.
Leo's eyes lit up.
Success.
It worked.
Animagi absolutely retained animal instincts while transformed.
This discovery was monumental.
Draco, however, reacted in the exact opposite manner.
The instant he saw Professor McGonagall's reaction, he sprinted back to his seat at a speed that likely surpassed every athletic achievement of his life. Sitting bolt upright, he placed as much distance between himself and Leo as physically possible.
Although he'd successfully redirected the blame, he was still technically the person who had delivered the catnip.
Originally, several Slytherins had been considering approaching the cat themselves. Most assumed it was either Professor McGonagall's pet or a student's wandering cat.
After seeing Draco return looking utterly traumatized, however, nobody dared go anywhere near the podium.
Leo watched Professor McGonagall continue scratching at the catnip ball for several seconds before her expression gradually returned to normal. Her eyes narrowed once more as her human mind regained control.
Still, one unavoidable problem remained.
"Leo," Rose whispered from beside him. "Why does Draco look like he's about to be executed?"
She had only just entered the classroom and immediately noticed Draco sitting stiffly beside them, staring straight ahead as though awaiting judgment.
Her gaze shifted curiously between Draco and the cat on the podium.
Then realization slowly spread across her face.
"You didn't..."
Rose turned toward Leo in disbelief.
Leo shrugged lazily.
"Well..."
He quietly explained everything.
As Rose listened, her eyes widened further and further. By the time he finished, she was staring at him with pure admiration.
Without saying a word, she slowly raised a thumbs-up.
Unlike Draco, who had grown up entirely in the wizarding world, Rose had spent much more time around Muggles. Naturally, she knew exactly what catnip was.
Which somehow made the entire situation infinitely funnier.
She barely managed to suppress her laughter before class officially began.
The tabby cat atop the podium slowly surveyed the classroom.
Its gaze lingered briefly on Leo, who remained sprawled lazily across his desk. Recalling Dumbledore's explanation regarding Leo's magical outburst, Professor McGonagall concluded that the boy was probably still experiencing lingering side effects.
At least, that was what she chose to focus on rather than the catnip incident.
The cat leapt gracefully from the podium.
In midair, it transformed.
By the time it landed, Professor McGonagall stood before the class in dark green robes and a pointed witch's hat.
The classroom erupted instantly.
Gasps echoed from every direction.
Many first-years stared in complete shock. They had just witnessed a cat transform into a human being before their eyes.
Excitement spread rapidly throughout the room.
The Slytherins suddenly found themselves overflowing with enthusiasm for Transfiguration. At the same time, many silently thanked Merlin they hadn't attempted to pet the cat earlier.
And somewhere deep inside their hearts, several students offered silent gratitude to Draco Malfoy for bravely sacrificing himself first.
"Good afternoon," Professor McGonagall said crisply as she surveyed the room. "For the next several years, I will be teaching you Transfiguration here at Hogwarts."
She picked up a roll of parchment from her desk and unfurled it neatly.
"Before we begin, I will take attendance."
"Blaise Zabini."
"Here."
"Daphne Greengrass."
"Present."
The roll call continued smoothly until—
"Draco Malfoy."
"Here!"
Draco answered so loudly that he startled himself.
He had spent the entire time expecting Professor McGonagall to publicly execute his academic career. Yet nothing happened.
Slowly, he released a breath of relief.
"Leo Nicholas."
"I'm here."
Professor McGonagall paused briefly after hearing his voice.
Her eyes rested on him for a moment, and the corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
"And thank you for the gift, Mr. Nicholas," she said calmly, though there was something unusual hidden beneath her tone. "You appear rather tired today. Is Madam Pomfrey's potion still not fully effective?"
For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, Leo felt genuinely guilty.
Even so, he immediately adopted the expression of an innocent, obedient student.
"Thank you for your concern, Professor McGonagall. Madam Pomfrey's potion worked very well. I'm probably just a little tired."
Professor McGonagall studied him for another second before giving a slight nod and continuing the attendance.
Aside from looking sleepy and lazy, he didn't seem particularly unwell.
"Now then," Professor McGonagall said once the roll call was finished, "before we begin studying Transfiguration, there is something all of you must understand clearly."
Her sharp eyes swept across the classroom.
"Transfiguration is among the most complex and dangerous branches of magic you will study at Hogwarts. Anyone caught fooling around in my class will leave and never return."
Her voice grew noticeably colder.
"I am warning you."
With those words, Professor McGonagall raised her elegant cedar wand and flicked it sharply.
"Vera Verto."
The roll of parchment in her hand immediately began twisting and reshaping itself beneath the force of the spell.
....
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