Hogwarts : I am Dark Lord

Dylan played with Luna in the owlery for a while, feeding her some strips of meat, before heading back to the Great Hall. 

A few scattered students were already there, having breakfast. 

Having already eaten, Dylan sat down and started reading a book. 

When it was almost time for class, he got up and prepared to head to the classroom. 

There was still half an hour before class started, but he wanted to arrive early to avoid getting lost in Hogwarts' ever-changing staircases. 

Sure enough, as he climbed the stairs, they kept shifting directions unexpectedly. 

Dylan tried twice. 

On his third attempt, just as he was about to reach the platform, the staircase trembled again, threatening to turn in another direction. 

Dylan narrowed his eyes and raised his wand. 

"*Petrificus Totalus*!" 

A surge of magic flowed out. 

Dylan wasn't entirely proficient with this spell, so the staircase only froze for a moment. 

But that moment was enough. Dylan leaped across and landed on the platform. 

The staircase stopped moving. 

Dylan glanced at it, then turned and entered the classroom. 

A few students were already seated, though most had chosen the middle or back rows. 

Dylan didn't feel like walking all the way back, so he took a seat in the front row near the door. 

Just as he finished arranging his books and supplies on the desk, a tabby cat walked in through the door. 

The cat moved gracefully, almost silently, with an air of elegance. 

As soon as she entered the classroom, her emerald-green eyes locked onto Dylan. 

Dylan glanced back at her. 

*Hmm, what if I pretend not to know Professor McGonagall's Animagus form and just pet her?* 

The thought flashed through his mind. 

Almost as if compelled, Dylan stood up. 

"Wow, what a cute little tabby cat! Is this someone's pet?" 

Since he was sitting near the door, it only took him a couple of steps to reach the cat. He crouched down. 

The tabby cat seemed momentarily stunned, not expecting this. 

Before she could react, Dylan scooped her up into his arms. 

At first, the cat seemed to enjoy the sensation of Dylan's hand running through her fur, even closing her eyes in contentment. 

But then she snapped back to reality, let out a sharp meow, and began squirming in his arms. 

With a swift motion, she broke free, leaping through the air in a graceful arc before landing neatly on the podium. 

She sat there, glaring at Dylan, her green eyes glinting with an unreadable expression. 

Dylan tilted his head, playing dumb. "Whose little tabby cat is this, anyway?" 

He muttered to himself as he returned to his seat. 

"If you don't want to be held, fine. Not so cute after all." 

"..." 

Professor McGonagall almost lost control of her Animagus form. 

In all her years of teaching, no student had ever been bold enough to do something like this! 

To think he'd actually dared to *pet* her! 

After being held by Dylan, she even considered stepping out of the classroom to transform back into her human form before re-entering. 

If Dylan wasn't embarrassed, *she* certainly was. 

After Professor McGonagall freed herself from his arms, Dylan returned to his seat and continued flipping through his copy of *Advanced Transfiguration Made Simple*. 

Professor McGonagall glanced at him. 

Seeing how studious he was, her irritation softened slightly. 

Her head tilted downward, then nodded gently, her furry ears twitching and her tail swaying slightly. 

Though Dylan wasn't looking directly at the cat, he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. 

*So...adorable!* 

He quickly composed himself, refocusing on the book in front of him. 

But another thought crept into his mind: 

*I need to hurry up and get that permit for Little Shadow.* 

When he had gone to Diagon Alley to buy his owl, he'd also inquired about the process for obtaining a magical creature permit. 

However, if he were to handle it himself, it would be quite complicated. It would be much easier if he could get an adult wizard to assist him. 

If an adult wizard—especially a magizoologist—could write him a letter of recommendation, the process would become significantly smoother. 

And Dylan already had someone in mind: Hagrid! 

As the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, Hagrid had an extensive knowledge of magical creatures. He was practically a magizoologist in his own right. 

*Harry's on good terms with Hagrid. I'll need to build a good relationship with Harry too.* 

That way, he could use Harry to connect with Hagrid. 

Given Hagrid's love for magical creatures, he probably wouldn't refuse to help once he found out Dylan had secretly been raising a Little Shadow. 

More students began filing into the classroom, but Harry and Ron were still nowhere to be seen. 

Just as the bell rang, the two of them rushed in, late. 

Professor McGonagall's cat eyes narrowed. 

With a graceful leap, her form twisted and transformed back into her human self in the blink of an eye. 

"What?!" 

The students around her gasped, their eyes wide with shock. 

Dylan also put on a suitably stunned expression. 

For now, all he had to do was play dumb. 

After all, he'd already petted her. 

Ignorance was his best defense! 

Professor McGonagall shot him a glance but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned her attention to Harry and Ron at the door. 

The two of them were equally stunned. They had thought they could slip in unnoticed since the professor hadn't arrived yet. 

But then a cat had suddenly transformed into their professor, leaving them both startled. 

"Tardiness is unacceptable. Perhaps I should turn one of you into a pocket watch so you'll always know what time it is." 

Harry stammered, "Sorry, Professor, we didn't mean to be late." 

Ron added, "The castle's so big, we got lost." 

Professor McGonagall replied coolly, "Then I'll turn you into a map so you'll never lose your way again." 

Harry: "..." 

Ron: "..." 

"I assume you don't need a map to find your seats, do you?" 

At her words, Harry quickly dragged Ron to the nearest seats, which happened to be next to Dylan. 

Professor McGonagall returned to the podium. 

"Time is precious. Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous branches of magic you will study at Hogwarts. It is not to be taken lightly." 

Her stern gaze swept across the room. 

"If anyone dares to cause trouble in my class, they will no longer be welcome here." 

With a wave of her wand, the podium in front of her transformed into a large, pink pig. 

"Whoa!" 

The entire class gasped in awe. 

(End of Chapter)