Parts of this are word for word from the first book which I own a copy of but nothing more in case you thought I did. So I've decided to post chapters every other week now because the course I'm going on is very intense. The next chapter will be posted on the 18th of September.
And I come bearing some clues for the hidden object in the last chapter because no one's found it yet. The first is that it is hidden across words and the second is that those words are contained in Harry's session with Rowena. Good luck~
When Harry gets to transfiguration he is again sat at the back of the class. This time McGonagall gives him a piece of parchment with what she wants him to do written in surprisingly legible (for a Professor) handwriting. While he sets about reading the tasks everybody else takes notes from the Professor's lecture. It seems that most people have had even a limited amount of success in turning a matchstick into a needle.
The Professor hands out matchsticks to those who have yet to complete the transfiguration and to the remaining few including Hermione, a boy in Gryffindor who Harry can't quite remember the name of and a girl in Hufflepuff who Harry thinks for a second is too young to be at Hogwarts. She gives them theory work to do to consolidate their learning before writing the homework on the board to many people's muffled groans.
Finally she does her rounds of the tables and gives Harry his materials.
"If you could please attempt each Transfiguration on this list once so I can asses where your skills are. After this lesson if you could instead go to my office for each lesson so that I do not have to be distracted from others in this class." She then leaves him to his list and goes to check on several students who are struggling more than the others. Harry notices Ron that Neville and Ron are two of the first and resolves to bring up the issues of their wands with them later.
The Transfigurations start off easy. The first is matchstick into needle which barely takes any thought now, the second is feather into stone which takes less than a second of focus and the third is to transfigure a button into a spoon.
Harry spends significantly longer on the rest afterwards, managing to get about a third of the way through the list before the lesson ends. He is halfway through attempting to change a snail into teapot. Ron, Neville and Hermione wait for him, Ron muttering about having too much homework and Hermione berating him for dismissing its importance.
McGonagall looks over his attempts then nods.
"You may leave, Mr Potter. I will give feedback on your work in our next lesson. Your homework is to write a detailed report on each separate transfiguration you have completed this lesson." Harry nods, tucking the parchment into his bag and joining his friends.
"I don't know how you do it mate! I wish I was half as good as you are at this at anything!" Ron whines. Hermione frowns.
"It's because he works hard and is naturally very talented Ron. If you work as hard as you can maybe one day you can do all that too." She turns to Harry then with a slight smile, "It is really cool though- I'll have to work really hard to catch up with you!" Neville smiles when Harry looks to him but says nothing.
The four finally leave the room to grab some lunch. Hermione has a notebook next to her and is drafting out their essay on the basics of Transfiguration and how they apply to the matchstick to needle transfiguration they'd been practicing. She takes care to sit next to Neville instead of Ron and keep the book on her lap while she distractedly eats her own food.
"What's that?" Asks Neville, looking curiously at her pen and paper. The Muggle-born looks up in confusion, eyebrows furrowed.
"What do you mean?" Neville swallows another bite of his fish and points to the pen.
"What is it? I've never seen anything like that. The book too, its pages all look the same and they're a lot cleaner looking than parchment." Hermione's face clears as if she just realised something.
"Oh! These are a pen and a notebook. It's Muggle parchment and quills and a lot easier to carry around. The pen is like a quill but it comes with ink in it so you don't need an ink bottle and the notebook is more compact than parchment because the pages are thinner. I prefer it because I'm not used to writing with a quill." She passes them to Neville who inspects them curiously.
"My dad's really interested in Muggle things- even has a job in it- maybe he could talk to you at some point? He's got lots of Muggle things but he doesn't know how to use most of them." The girl blushes slightly.
"I'm sure if he's a professional he doesn't need my help but I wouldn't mind if he does." Ron grins, "Also you shouldn't speak with food in your mouth. It's very rude." The ginger rolls his eyes.
"Yes mum."
The rest of their day is free so Hermione retreats to the library to research the homework she hasn't yet completed and the boys decide to introduce Harry to the various indoor wizarding games which they feel he's been missing out on.
The next morning brings Potions and a letter from his family with the morning mail. He brings drafting a reply in his head on the way to Potions. He's got so much to tell them and he should send the sweets he'd bought for them too. Harry hopes Hedwig will be okay with carrying everything all that way- he should buy some owl treats for her.
"No- you can't employ him! He'll endanger your students! He's a-" A figure covered in a cloak walks beside the Headmaster and an oddly tall fellow. The tall one turns to face them as he passes in front of their corridor. His eyes are strangely coloured and he smiles calmly before turning away again, seemingly unbothered by the cloaked figure's rant.
"What was that about?" Wonders Ron as they turn off down another corridor.
"Beats me." Says Neville, shrugging as he pushes open the door, "But I know I'm going to be awful at this."
As it turns out over the next two hours Neville is awful at Potions.
That and he has Professor Snape's eternal hatred.
The room had been shocking enough with the chill of being down in the dungeons only emphasised by the pickled animals floating in glass jars on shelves around the room.
Snape had taken the register, pausing when he reached Harry's name and tilting his head up dangerously to observe him.
"Ah, yes," He said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new- celebrity." Some of the Slytherins had sniggered at that and the Professor had continued on with the register, looking up again only when he had finished.
His eyes were black- or at least Harry thinks they were but it could have just been the light. For some odd reason he draws Auntie Rowena to Harry's mind.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," The man had started, his voice only just loud enough to not be called a whisper. Nobody spoke, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…" Again the reminder of Rowena. Harry wonders whether he is going mad because Rowena's eyes were not black and she had never spoke of the potions either of them had made with such passion.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." The whole class is silent, everyone sitting back on their seats as if sensing the danger of their Professor and wanting to stay as far away as possible. All except the Slytherins, Harry and Hermione who seemed prepared to jump up and begin teaching the class herself.