Albus Dumbledore entered the room. The seventh-year Gryffindors were present already, all staring at him, with clear expectation in their eyes. All except one… the tall, dark-haired girl, the McGonagall girl, was sitting next to the Weasley one, at the back of the classroom, annoyedly twisting a strand of her long hair. With not a single spark of attention, she kept on twisting it and twisting it. Yet, Albus decided not to react, and laid his books with a hard bang on the desk, as he began
"Hello, I am Albus Dumbledore, your new Transfigurations teacher."
He smiled, and many of the pupils smiled back. He had made a good impression. Yet, she did not smile. She frowned, as if his words had hurt her.
"Because I don't know anything about your Transfiguration Qualities, I suggest that you, when I call your name, come before the class. I'll ask you to do something, and you will try to do it. Okay?"
The Gryffindors nodded, and Albus started reading their names.
"Abeel, Harriet" did a nice Transfiguration spell of a pillow into a quill, as did "Jameson, Fabius"- a book into a clock. A few other students did quite good spells, and Albus congratulated them each.
"A pretty talented class," he thought. "I wonder…"
And then it was her turn. Calmly, but with unwillingness in her eyes, she came to him.
"Miss McGonagall… Can you- well, change this parchment into a- a rock, for example?"
She sighed and with a nonchalant move of her wand did as he'd asked. He smiled approvingly. A very, very nice spell indeed. And very quick.
"Can I go back to my place, now?" she asked boldly.
He smiled again.
"Well, yes, you can, Miss McGonagall, unless you want to change my desk into a cow."
He had not meant it, but she muttered
"Okay."
Albus opened his mouth to… but it was too late. With the same, nonchalant, calm movement, she changed the desk into a cow and back again, as the class- and he!- watched her with big surprise. She sighed.
"Well, can I go back now or will I change into a cat and back, maybe that'll convince you…?"
She raised one eyebrow and stared at him, her green eyes cold as ice.
As he did not react, she did as she had said. The tall, pale girl began to transform slowly, until a little, grey tabby cat sat in front of the class, jauntily staring at her very surprised fellow students.
The teacher, Albus Dumbledore, was speechless. He too was impressed, of course, for he knew that Animagus training was very difficult, and this girl being only seventeen… Yet, he could not possibly accept her behavior, and he spoke, very calm but with anger in his voice
"Miss McGonagall, could you please change back immediately? We've all seen you show off now, but…"
The cat changed back as quick as possible, and a clearly angry Minerva McGonagall stood before her teacher- almost as tall as he was- with her hands on her hips. At the back of the classroom, Tammy held her breath. Minerva was losing her temper, she knew. She didn't lose it often, but when she lost it-
"I," Minerva began, speaking silently, hardly audible, but with a dangerous overtone in her voice.
"I was not showing off."
Albus Dumbledore chuckled, despite his anger.
"I am sorry, Miss McGonagall, but I am afraid you were. If-"
"I was not showing off."
Minerva's lips were very thin now, and everybody who knew her knew what that meant. Yet, Albus didn't. He just raised his eyebrows.
"Well, I don't know how you prefer to call it, Miss McGonagall, when a student starts to-"
Minerva interrupted him, as the whole class held its breath. They all wondered… who would win? They knew Minerva was almost unbeatable at discussions, but this person was a teacher… Minerva McGonagall was playing a dangerous game…
"I would not have "shown off", as you tend to call it," she sneered. "if you had stopped staring at me and told me to go to my place."
With one last furious glance, she turned her back to him and sat down again, next to a very shocked-looking Tammy Weasley
Albus swallowed, but managed to say
"I will not give you detention for this, Miss McGonagall, but I'd like you to see this as a warning. A very serious warning."
Minerva snorted softly, but the look in Tammy's eyes made her shut up.
"Minerva McGonagall," the other girl whispered. "you are insane!"
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"Hello, I am Albus Dumbledore, your new Transfigurations teacher."
He smiled, and many of the pupils smiled back. He had made a good impression. Yet, she did not smile. She frowned, as if his words had hurt her.
"Because I don't know anything about your Transfiguration Qualities, I suggest that you, when I call your name, come before the class. I'll ask you to do something, and you will try to do it. Okay?"
The Gryffindors nodded, and Albus started reading their names.
"Abeel, Harriet" did a nice Transfiguration spell of a pillow into a quill, as did "Jameson, Fabius"- a book into a clock. A few other students did quite good spells, and Albus congratulated them each.
"A pretty talented class," he thought. "I wonder…"
And then it was her turn. Calmly, but with unwillingness in her eyes, she came to him.
"Miss McGonagall… Can you- well, change this parchment into a- a rock, for example?"
She sighed and with a nonchalant move of her wand did as he'd asked. He smiled approvingly. A very, very nice spell indeed. And very quick.
"Can I go back to my place, now?" she asked boldly.
He smiled again.
"Well, yes, you can, Miss McGonagall, unless you want to change my desk into a cow."
He had not meant it, but she muttered
"Okay."
Albus opened his mouth to… but it was too late. With the same, nonchalant, calm movement, she changed the desk into a cow and back again, as the class- and he!- watched her with big surprise. She sighed.
"Well, can I go back now or will I change into a cat and back, maybe that'll convince you…?"
She raised one eyebrow and stared at him, her green eyes cold as ice.
As he did not react, she did as she had said. The tall, pale girl began to transform slowly, until a little, grey tabby cat sat in front of the class, jauntily staring at her very surprised fellow students.
The teacher, Albus Dumbledore, was speechless. He too was impressed, of course, for he knew that Animagus training was very difficult, and this girl being only seventeen… Yet, he could not possibly accept her behavior, and he spoke, very calm but with anger in his voice
"Miss McGonagall, could you please change back immediately? We've all seen you show off now, but…"
The cat changed back as quick as possible, and a clearly angry Minerva McGonagall stood before her teacher- almost as tall as he was- with her hands on her hips. At the back of the classroom, Tammy held her breath. Minerva was losing her temper, she knew. She didn't lose it often, but when she lost it-
"I," Minerva began, speaking silently, hardly audible, but with a dangerous overtone in her voice.
"I was not showing off."
Albus Dumbledore chuckled, despite his anger.
"I am sorry, Miss McGonagall, but I am afraid you were. If-"
"I was not showing off."
Minerva's lips were very thin now, and everybody who knew her knew what that meant. Yet, Albus didn't. He just raised his eyebrows.
"Well, I don't know how you prefer to call it, Miss McGonagall, when a student starts to-"
Minerva interrupted him, as the whole class held its breath. They all wondered… who would win? They knew Minerva was almost unbeatable at discussions, but this person was a teacher… Minerva McGonagall was playing a dangerous game…
"I would not have "shown off", as you tend to call it," she sneered. "if you had stopped staring at me and told me to go to my place."
With one last furious glance, she turned her back to him and sat down again, next to a very shocked-looking Tammy Weasley
Albus swallowed, but managed to say
"I will not give you detention for this, Miss McGonagall, but I'd like you to see this as a warning. A very serious warning."
Minerva snorted softly, but the look in Tammy's eyes made her shut up.
"Minerva McGonagall," the other girl whispered. "you are insane!"
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