If Vaughn had to choose a subject he was most interested in, without considering the pursuit of power, he would definitely pick Transfiguration!
Its vastness, complexity, and versatility touched nearly every aspect of the magical world. If there were one subject that truly represented magic, Transfiguration would surely be it!
Especially its advanced content—Animagus!
After casually sending Neville away, Vaughn and Hermione sat in the front row and stared intently at the tabby cat.
Hermione found his behavior odd. "Vaughn, what's with the cat?"
"Nothing." Vaughn didn't dare expose Professor McGonagall's trick.
Truthfully, if he hadn't read the original book and known about McGonagall's signature move, with his current abilities, he wouldn't have been able to recognize the Animagus transformation at a glance.
It was too seamless. From the color patterns, hair distribution, and even its growth condition, it all looked completely natural.
Only by observing carefully could one notice that this tabby cat lacked typical animal behavior, but even that was likely Professor McGonagall's deliberate choice.
She wasn't spying—just giving her students a surprise to start the year.
Hermione didn't dwell on it, but Professor McGonagall, still on the podium, was surprised. Over her years of teaching, she had met students who liked cats and stared at her for that reason.
But Vaughn was different—his gaze wasn't one of affection, but curiosity and amazement. This Weasley had clearly seen through her disguise!
Perhaps... another promising candidate for Transfiguration—Slytherin or not. McGonagall couldn't help nodding at Vaughn, who returned the greeting with a polite bow.
Their silent exchange startled Hermione.
"Vaughn, it—no, she…"
"Shh—it's the professor's surprise."
Hermione quickly covered her mouth, eyes full of curiosity, as she turned toward McGonagall.
As class time neared, students began arriving one after another. A few noticed the tabby cat on the podium, but none looked twice.
When the famous Harry Potter and his roommate Ron Weasley finally entered, McGonagall leapt down from the podium, transformed mid-air, and returned to her human form.
The classroom erupted in exclamations.
The dramatic entrance had clearly worked—the students were dazzled.
But McGonagall was visibly displeased. Two students had been late to the first class.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. We... Mr. Ron Weasley, perhaps I should transfigure you both into pocket watches so you'd remember the time?"
"We got lost, Professor," Harry replied awkwardly.
"Then maybe I should turn you into maps?" Her expression grew more severe. "Why don't you find a seat and sit down? Or do you need a map for that too? Also, for being late, Gryffindor will lose five points. I hope you'll remember this lesson!"
The two hurried to the only empty seats—next to Vaughn and Hermione—silent and ashamed.
It seemed that, no matter where you were, the seat closest to the teacher was always unpopular.
"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous form of magic you'll learn at Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall waved her wand and transformed her desk into a pig.
Gasps echoed through the classroom.
"Anyone who dares misbehave in my class will be punished. Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Harry and Ron turned pale.
"The professor is just trying to scare you," Hermione whispered. "Transfiguration hasn't been allowed as punishment for years. I read it in Hogwarts: A History."
But before the boys could feel relieved, Vaughn added, "But no one supervises professors. If she secretly turns you into pigs, who would even know?"
Ron shot Vaughn a dark look but didn't respond. Harry, still holding a favorable impression of Vaughn, wasn't bothered by the joke.
Though everyone kept warning him about Slytherins, he didn't fully understand the fuss.
Then Professor McGonagall continued, "Before we begin, I must praise Mr. Vaughn Weasley. He was the only one to recognize my Animagus transformation. For that, Slytherin earns five points."
Harry and Hermione clapped enthusiastically.
Ron muttered under his breath, "Traitor." But no one paid him any mind.
Professor McGonagall moved on to the lesson.
Vaughn opened A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Hermione noticed his copy was filled with dense notes.
"You've practiced?" she exclaimed.
Vaughn nodded. "Just object transfigurations. Still a lot of questions."
Seeing Hermione's admiring gaze, he reminded her, "I don't recommend trying on your own, Hermione. If you have questions, ask me or the professor."
Based on Vaughn's own experience, McGonagall's warning earlier wasn't exaggerated. Transfiguration truly was the most dangerous and complex subject.
Simple object-shape changes were manageable, like when Vaughn had transformed a dried fish into a mouse the night before.
But that was still classified as object transfiguration. It hadn't reached the level of living transfiguration. That 'mouse' hadn't been alive.
Living transfiguration meant turning a living thing into another state, whether object or animal. Such transformations involved altering existence itself, even if briefly.
And that brought unpredictable dangers.
Imagine turning a rabbit into a teacup—then undoing the spell, only to have it return not as a rabbit, but a pile of twisted, rotting flesh. Worse yet, it's still alive—writhing and shrieking. That kind of trauma...
After just one such failure, Vaughn couldn't eat for days. Luckily, he was mentally mature, cautious, and self-restrained.
If a young wizard recklessly tried human transfiguration, the result could be disastrous...
Class officially began with Professor McGonagall's explanation.
To students with no foundation, her lecture was complex and difficult. Most could only scramble to note down key points.
But for Vaughn, it was a perfect chance to validate his prior understanding.
He took notes intently, comparing McGonagall's teachings with his own annotations, highlighting where they aligned and where they diverged.
At the end of class, McGonagall handed each student a matchstick and asked them to transfigure it into a needle.
She taught a spell to assist the process.
Everyone learned it, but the spell was just support—it wasn't the key to success. So by the time class ended, only Vaughn had fully succeeded.
Hermione had managed to sharpen one end of her matchstick.
"Excellent, excellent! Mr. Vaughn Weasley and Miss Granger," McGonagall announced, holding up their results for the class to see.
"As you can see, Mr. Vaughn Weasley's transformation is flawless. Though Miss Granger hasn't fully succeeded, she has met my standards. Give her ten more minutes, and I believe she'll manage a complete transformation."
"Slytherin and Gryffindor each receive ten points. Now then, the homework is…" After assigning the homework and ending the class, McGonagall turned to Vaughn:
"Mr. Vaughn Weasley, please stay behind. I have something to discuss with you."