12 September 1946
Minerva rested her chin on the palm of her hand and tapped her cheek with her fingers as she looked at the mouse on her desk. It squeaked several times but did not try to run away. With a sigh, she picked up her wand and moved it sharply. The mouse instantly became a snuffbox. With another wand movement and the snuffbox became a mouse again. Vaguely Minerva wondered what it felt like for the mouse to be continuously transfigured and untransfigured by first years - not very nice, she supposed.
"Miss McGonagall."
Minerva dropped her hand quickly and looked up to see Professor Dumbledore looking at her over his spectacles. She felt a blush rise from her collar as she realised she had just been caught daydreaming. Thankfully for her, the rest of the class seemed more intent on their squeaking mice to pay much attention.
"Sorry, Professor," she said, tightening her grip around her wand and sitting up a little straighter.
"Is there a step you are finding difficult?" he asked. "I understand that reading the Transfiguration alphabet can be challenging at first."
Minerva shook her head. "No, Professor," she assured him. "I can understand the alphabet," she added. Then, determined to prove that she had been listening to the instructions and that she did, in fact, know how to read the Transfiguration alphabet, Minerva cleared her throat and made a complicated movement with her wand. The mouse easily morphed into a perfect looking snuffbox. With another wave of her wand and the snuffbox became a mouse again.
She looked up at Professor Dumbledore who beamed.
"Quite remarkable," he said, gently picking up the small mouse. "Where did you learn the reversal spell?" he added curiously.
"Erm—the transfiguration textbook," Minerva replied. He raised an eyebrow at her and Minerva folded her hands. "I read ahead," she added by way of explanation.
"Untransfiguration spells are described in the second year textbook," Dumbledore commented lightly. Minerva blushed, however, it did not seem as though Professor Dumbledore was expecting an answer. He smiled. "I am suitably impressed," he told her. "Third time in a row."
Augusta, who was sitting beside Minerva, turned her attention away from her own mouse to watch Minerva and Dumbledore.
"I would be interested to see if you could try the spells on pages 43 and 46," Dumbledore said, handing Minerva back her mouse.
Minerva nodded and Dumbledore then turned his attention to another student who had raised their hand.
Once he was gone, Augusta moved her chair closer to Minerva's. "How did you do that?" she whispered.
Minerva looked up from the pages of the textbook she was flicking through. She nodded at Augusta's snuffbox. "Just like you did," she replied.
"No but non-verbally like that," Augusta said.
Minerva frowned and opened her textbook at page 43. "I thought really hard?" she said.
Augusta laughed and Minerva smiled a bit too.
"That's not helpful," Augusta said finally. "How did you untransfigure it then? Show me. But with words," she added.
Minerva pulled her wand out and showed Augusta how.
"Again."
Minerva did it again.
"All right, I think I have it," Augusta said excitedly. She quickly transfigured her mouse into a snuffbox, then flourished her wand. Instead of turning back into a mouse, her snuffbox flew across the room. "Professor Dumbledore!" she cried, as, to the horror of both girls, the box went straight for the back of Dumbledore's head.
Fortunately for them, Dumbledore turned around and caught the box just seconds before it would have hit him. "Careful, Miss Fawley," he said, though he did not seem annoyed.
After he had returned the box to her, Augusta breathed out slowly. "Third week of school and I attacked a teacher."
Minerva patted her arm sympathetically. "Well, he can't very well fault you for practising," she said.
Augusta caught her eye and they both giggled.