The weekend quickly passed, and before I knew it, classes had already begun. The very first was Transfiguration. Heading off to class with Pansy, we were flocked by all the Slytherin girls, vying for more of our beauty potions. During the weekend, after they had seen Pansy, demand grew so much that I had to start selling some of my supplies just to keep them off our backs. Until the girls could make the potions themselves, I was already gaining a surplus of Galleons—many of which I would need to use to have Nalby purchase more ingredients.
'Is this how a business starts?' I thought, taking my seat, the loose change clinking in my pockets.
All the boys in the class quickly became enamored by the girls' enhanced beauty and flawless skin. Even the Gryffindor boys were affected, staring absentmindedly at the Slytherin girls. This, of course, caused the Gryffindor girls to glare at their male counterparts in annoyance.
Taking my seat, my attention shifted to the board, where the lesson plan for the day was written. Sitting beside it was a cat, its posture proud and watchful as it eyed each of us. Its gaze eventually met mine, and we stared at each other, both silently assessing the other.
Pansy opened her book and stole my attention by asking a question about the material.
"How do you change a matchstick into a needle?" she asked.
I glanced at her, then back at the board. The final task listed was indeed transfiguring a matchstick into a needle. With a shrug, I opened my own book, skimming chapter one as best I could. There were a few concepts I didn't fully understand, but the gist was clear: use magic to alter the properties of an object.
That was when I realized something odd—there was no teacher present. It seemed this was either a self-study class or the professor was too lazy to show up. I glanced at the cat sitting idly on the desk, just as it looked back at me. I tilted my head in curiosity. To my surprise, the cat mirrored the gesture.
There was an undeniable intelligence behind its vertical eyes—something far beyond that of a typical housecat. Magical creatures often had superior intellect, some even rivaling or surpassing humans in certain areas. 'This is no mere housecat.'
Curious, I rose from my seat and approached the desk.
"Can you grab me a matchstick as well?" Pansy asked, pulling out her wand after finishing the chapter.
I nodded and continued forward, grabbing two matchsticks from the front desk. My gaze returned to the cat, which now stared at me with sharp distrust, its muscles subtly tensed, ready to dart away if I got too close.
'This is why I learned to cook,' I smirked inwardly.
Reaching into my robe, I retrieved my food bottle. The cat's eyes narrowed at the movement, but when I slyly popped the bottle open, its nose twitched at the scent. Intrigued, it cautiously took a step closer. There weren't many pieces left, but I decided to spare one for her.
"Can I have one?" Val whined softly from inside my sleeve.
The sudden hissing startled the cat. It recoiled slightly, its eyes narrowing in suspicion as it glared at me. 'Damn it, Val…'
Scoffing lightly, I placed a small piece of food down for the cat and discreetly slipped another piece into my sleeve for Val. The cat's sharp gaze lingered on my sleeve, clearly aware that something was hiding there. Ignoring the tension, I stuffed the food bottle back into my robe and returned to my seat, handing Pansy her matchstick.
Just as I sat down, the door to the classroom burst open, drawing everyone's attention. We all turned to see Potter and Weasley stumbling in, hurriedly rushing to their seats before the teacher arrived.
I rolled my eyes at their lack of subtlety and slouched in my chair.
The cat, still perched on the desk, suddenly leapt up and, to my astonishment, transformed into the professor who had read the Sorting Hat names—Professor McGonagall. My stomach dropped.
'She was an Animagus?! I thought those were just old wives' tales!'
She swiftly reprimanded Potter and Weasley for their tardiness before turning her attention to me.
"And Peterson, if you could see me after class."
I stiffened, my fingers gripping my robes slightly. I nodded with a feigned look of nonchalance, but my heart sank. Only Pansy, sitting beside me, seemed to notice the dread that flickered across my face.
"She heard, didn't she?" Pansy asked quietly, already deducing the situation from my expression.
I gave her a small nod, my lips pressed into a thin line, unsure how I would deal with my parents if the school forced me to get rid of Val.
The rest of the lesson dragged on at an excruciatingly slow pace. My mind spiraled deeper into despair, while Val whimpered softly from inside my sleeve, coiling tightly around my arm.
"I'm sorry… Please don't abandon me…" he hissed weakly, his voice trembling with fear.
I clenched my fists, unable to take it any longer. My chair scraped loudly against the stone floor as I stood, drawing the professor's attention.
I noticed a small room beside her desk, which I assumed was her office.
"Professor, I just remembered I have another assignment after this class. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, may I speak with you in your office now?"
McGonagall arched an eyebrow at me, her stern eyes narrowing slightly. She was already aware of my condition—nearly all the staff was—but the hissing she had heard earlier made her wary. The rumors of the Chamber of Secrets stirred in her mind. I was a Slytherin, after all.
Dumbledore had vouched for me, but McGonagall knew all too well of his tendency to overlook certain things.
"Very well," she finally said, flicking her wand to open the door to her office.
I strode toward the room with measured calm, my head held high, but my hands trembling slightly at my sides. She followed behind, pausing only to give the students a sharp look.
"I want to see quills on parchment when I return."
At her pointed glare, the students immediately dropped their curious glances and buried their faces back into their books.
Once inside her office, I glanced around briefly, taking in the shelves of books and various magical trinkets before turning to face her.
Her sharp eyes studied me intently, piercing through me like Dumbledore's once had.
I took a slow breath and began.
"I'm sure I have some explaining to do, but first, I ask that you remain calm."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded.
With another quiet sigh, I slowly lifted my sleeve, revealing Val. The small black snake coiled tightly around my arm, trembling slightly. His head lowered, ducking beneath my sleeve in fear, timidly avoiding her gaze.
His hissing was faint, broken by soft, whimpering sounds that almost resembled crying.
"Ah, c'mon…" I muttered softly, gently stroking Val's head in an effort to soothe him.
McGonagall's eyes narrowed further, but she remained silent, recalling Dumbledore's mention of my affinity for magical creatures.
"His name is Val," I finally said.
Her expression hardened. She was clearly preparing to admonish me for breaking school rules.
"You brought a pet into my class—one that isn't even sanctioned by the school. You will serve a week's detention while you arrange to send it home."
I frowned, my eyes lowering slightly. She clearly expected me to fight back, perhaps even threaten to use my family's influence. But I didn't.
"I can't send him home…"
McGonagall's eyes narrowed with suspicion as I continued.
"My parents are… against creatures. They don't know he exists."
I tapped my foot anxiously, my gaze avoiding hers. She silently considered my words. It made sense—most noble families despised magical creatures. Yet, I—a boy of only eleven—was already defying my parents.
"He's smart and doesn't bite!" I blurted out desperately, my voice cracking with emotion.
McGonagall's lips thinned.
"It's still a venomous creature, Mr. Peterson. We cannot simply take your word for it."
Without a word, I pulled out a small bottle of ink and pointed at an empty parchment on her desk.
"If you let me borrow that parchment, I can prove he's more than you think."
After a moment's hesitation, her curiosity got the better of her. She flicked her wand, and the parchment floated toward me.
I gently placed Val on her desk, watching as he slowly slithered from my sleeve.