Dana walked up to the tabby cat, gave a slight bow, and then casually found a seat where no one was around.
His behavior immediately drew ridicule from some of the little wizards who disliked him.
Draco Malfoy laughed. "Look, the convict is bowing to a cat!"
Pansy Parkinson sneered. "I heard that most people who come out of Azkaban have something wrong with their brains. Why hasn't the school expelled him yet? Letting such scum into the school is a crime!"
Dana's gaze swept over them. Even though he felt his expression was calm, in Draco Malfoy's eyes, it was a direct threat from a criminal.
"Professor! Where's the professor? That convict wants to kill me!" Malfoy cried out dramatically.
"Quiet, Malfoy," Dana said across half the classroom. "Class is about to start. If you want to make noise, please leave and don't disturb everyone else."
Malfoy hesitated. He felt embarrassed for being frightened, which made him even angrier. "Emrys! What right do you have to tell me to leave? You threatened me just now! I'm going to tell my father!"
Dana shrugged, silently inviting him to do so. Everything that had happened had been under Professor McGonagall's watchful eyes, and he hadn't done anything wrong. Moreover, he doubted Professor McGonagall would allow Malfoy to act out in her classroom.
Sure enough, the tabby cat leaped gracefully into the air and transformed into Professor McGonagall.
"Mr. Malfoy spoke rudely in class," she said calmly. "Five points will be deducted from Slytherin."
Malfoy's face turned red. "You're favoring Gryffindor! I don't accept this!" He stood up abruptly and stormed out of the classroom, nearly bumping into Harry and Ron, who had just rushed in.
Harry and Ron looked bewildered as they watched Malfoy flee, but Professor McGonagall was already making her next announcement.
"Draco Malfoy is skipping class. Ten points will be deducted from Slytherin."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances and quickly found their seats. Just as they were about to sit down, Professor McGonagall's sharp voice called out, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, you are one minute late. Perhaps I should turn you into a pocket watch so you can be more punctual."
Ron muttered, "The castle is too complicated. We got lost..."
"Then I should turn you into a map—hurry up and find a seat, we're about to start class."
At that moment, Draco Malfoy returned, his face still flushed. He had realized his impulsiveness and swallowed his pride. "Professor McGonagall, I'm sorry."
The ability to admit mistakes when necessary was ingrained in the Malfoy family. Even at eleven, Draco understood this.
Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Malfoy knows how to correct his mistakes, which is commendable. Therefore, I am willing to return two points to Slytherin."
Professor McGonagall's teaching skills were impeccable. She could explain the basics of Transfiguration in a way that made even the most complex concepts easy to understand. Compared to what Sirius Black had taught Dana in Azkaban—where instructions had been sporadic, and he'd had to figure things out mostly on his own—this was a refreshing experience. After listening for just half a lesson, some vague ideas in Dana's mind instantly became clear.
"Alright, let's start trying it ourselves now!" Professor McGonagall announced, beginning to distribute matchsticks to the students. "I need you to turn the matchstick into a needle."
Dana raised his wand. He decided to follow Professor McGonagall's precise instructions rather than his usual improvisational methods.
Sure enough, the difference was remarkable. His Transfiguration was at least 0.2 seconds faster than before, and the overall quality had improved dramatically. Not only did the matchstick transform into a silver needle, but he also managed to engrave intricate relief patterns on it, mimicking the walls of the Transfiguration classroom. He even formed an eyelet at the top, threading it with a fine strand of red fiber from the matchstick.
Among the sea of struggling students, Dana sat quietly, finished with his task. Naturally, he caught Professor McGonagall's attention.
She walked over and examined the needle, lifting it to the light. "Excellent Transfiguration," she praised. "The material, the shape, the details—everything is perfect!" She turned to the class and announced, "Dana Emrys has earned five points for Gryffindor!"
Then, lowering her voice, she asked, "Can you transform something else?"
Dana hesitated. "I can, but it's something I figured out on my own. It's… a bit unorthodox."
"It doesn't matter. Give it a try."
Dana nodded and pointed his wand at the needle. It elongated, thickened, and gradually reshaped itself into a ceramic teacup.
Professor McGonagall nodded in approval. "Change in volume and weight."
Dana continued. The ceramic teacup sprouted legs, then a tail, then fur. In moments, it had transformed into a small squirrel.
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. "The change from an inanimate object to a living thing…"
The squirrel twitched its whiskers, looked around curiously, then scurried up Dana's arm and perched on his shoulder.
"The simulation of biological dynamics and the bestowal of consciousness," she murmured in amazement.
It was then that she realized something: Dana was a Transfiguration prodigy. His methods were… irregular. Clearly, he had learned a great deal in Azkaban, albeit through unstructured means. But if given the right guidance, he could surpass all the students at Hogwarts—he was already beyond most seventh-years.
Suppressing the urge to award more points, Professor McGonagall instead extended an offer. "Very good, Mr. Emrys. Your Transfiguration talent is the highest I have ever seen," she said. "Would you be willing to accept extra lessons with me after class?"
Dana didn't hesitate. "Of course, Professor!"
"Then it's settled. Saturday morning at nine o'clock, come to my office."
The entire class had been watching. Harry nudged Ron. "Did you see that? Dana is amazing!"
Ron pouted. "What's so great about that? Fred and George could do that when they were five."
Hermione, on the other hand, was speechless. For the first time in her life, she felt completely outmatched. Dana seemed unattainable—like the moon in the sky, always just out of reach. It had been the same in Charms class, and now again in Transfiguration.
She had always prided herself on her intelligence and academic prowess. But this boy…
He was in a league of his own.
End of the Chapter.
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