A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

Draco's eyes widened instantly, his expression one of utter astonishment. "You know that? Then why are you still friends with this Mudblood?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down." Aaron hurriedly covered Draco's mouth, but it seemed to be too late, because several people in the classroom had heard it, including Hermione Granger.

The little girl seemed to have suffered a great injustice; her breathing became choked, and her eyes reddened, but she held back her tears.

Crabbe and Goyle just watched coldly, and even the only two Gryffindors in the classroom didn't know how to comfort her.

"Um... Hermione, don't be angry."

"I..." Aaron was at a loss. This was the first time in his life he'd ever faced a girl's tears, and he didn't know how to explain. Finally, he sighed, "Leave it to me! I'll bring Abe here with you first."

Aaron placed Abe directly on Hermione's desk, and sure enough, with an adorable "cat" by her side, Hermione's mood improved slightly.

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Draco who looked completely indifferent, and said calmly, "Apologize."

"Why? Did I say something wrong? She really doesn't deserve to be your friend," Draco said indignantly, seemingly dissatisfied with Aaron's defense of this Mudblood.

"Draco, your noble lineage is not a reason for you to look down on others."

"Besides, how I make friends and what kind of friends I make are none of your business," Aaron said patiently.

“But she…” Draco realized he was in the wrong. He certainly had no right to interfere in Aaron’s affairs, but to apologize to a Mudblood was something his pride wouldn’t allow, and his father would absolutely not allow it either.

"I can't apologize to a mud-blooded person."

“I knew you’d say that.” Aaron shook his head helplessly and said, “How about this? Let’s make a small bet.”

If your grades this semester are better than Hermione's, then you don't need to apologize, and on behalf of the Gaius family, I owe the Malfoy family a favor.

However, if your grades are worse than Hermione's, apologize to her and never mention the word "Mudblood" again.

how about it? "

Performance in Chapter 20 Transformation Class

Draco was stunned, and not only him, but everyone else in the classroom was stunned as well.

What no one noticed was that the cat on the podium also slightly contracted its pupils, as if someone had stepped on its tail.

None of them expected Aaron to go to such lengths for a Gryffindor girl; this was a favor done in the name of the family.

If this favor is used well, it can even play a significant role in the future. A favor from a reclusive magician family is not something to be taken lightly.

"So, do you agree to make this bet with me?" Aaron asked confidently, certain that Draco wouldn't refuse.

"Agree? How could I disagree?"

"But Aaron, are you serious?"

"I trust my judgment. Hermione may not be of noble birth, but she is definitely the most outstanding wizard I have ever seen."

However, before the end of this semester, I ask that you show some respect to Hermione. Surely you can manage that!

“Sure, no problem,” Draco said happily.

After dealing with Draco, Aaron approached Hermione and said, "Now you can calm down, right? I gave you a fair and square chance to prove yourself."

"Hmm!" Hermione nodded, then asked somewhat nervously, "What if I disappoint you, I mean, what if I lose..."

"You won't lose. You might only be a tiny bit weaker than me when it comes to studying."

“But what if?” Hermione said, for the first time in her life she doubted her own abilities.

"Don't worry about that. Even if you lose, Draco will be much more restrained. At least he won't casually use the word 'Mudblood' to insult people."

As for family ties, that's irrelevant. Malfoy understands the situation better than anyone else; they won't make any unreasonable demands.

"Thank you," Hermione said, blushing, and then returned Abe to Aaron.

"Draco isn't a bad person, but his father instilled too many ideas about bloodlines in him from a young age, so he might be a bit arrogant. He probably won't change it anytime soon, so I hope you don't mind."

After Aaron finished speaking, he walked up to another Gryffindor and asked, "Excuse me, what's your name?"

“Susan Bornes,” the girl said, her cheeks slightly flushed, a little embarrassed.

"Alright! I don't want anyone else to know about this bet. You should be able to keep it a secret, right?"

Susan nodded repeatedly, indicating that she would absolutely not tell anyone.

"Thanks."

Time passed by, and the students gradually arrived at the classroom and began studying. Strangely, even when class was about to start, Professor McGonagall did not appear.

Suddenly the classroom door opened, and Harry and Ron rushed in in a panic.

"We're finally here. If we had been any later, her face would have been terrifying," Ron said with some relief.

The moment the words left her lips, a cat on the podium jumped down and transformed into Professor McGonagall, who was wearing a green robe.

She walked straight up to the two students and looked at them with amusement.

"That was a brilliant move," Ron said, stunned. It was unclear whether he meant Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration or that she used Transfiguration to corner them.

"Thank you for your assessment, Mr. Weasley."

Perhaps I should turn Mr. Potter and you into a pocket watch, then at least one of you would be able to keep to the time.

“We’re lost,” Harry said.

“Then turn it into a map,” Professor McGonagall said bluntly. “You don’t need a map when you’re in your own seat!”

The two looked at each other and smiled wryly, then sat down at an empty table.

"Now that everyone is here, let's begin the lesson."

"Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous magic you'll learn at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said, then glared at Ron and Harry. "Anyone who misbehaves in my class will be asked to leave and never be allowed to come back."

Aaron's expression was somewhat strange, as were Draco, Hermione, and the others. After all, while there was nothing wrong with their bet, the presence of a professor made a difference, at least increasing the pressure on both sides.

"Professor, um..." Aaron stammered, seemingly wanting to say something but stopping himself.

“I don’t know what happened before class. Can you handle yourselves?” Professor McGonagall said with a smile.

"Understood." Aaron nodded, relieved.

Professor McGonagall began her lecture, explaining that magic isn't simply about waving a wand and chanting a spell.

She explained the theory for a long time and checked a few students' notes to make sure there were no problems before she began to experiment with the transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand gently, and the matchbox on the lectern opened, sending matches flying onto each student's desk.

"Everyone, try to turn this match into a needle before get out of class ends."

As soon as the words were spoken, every student drew their wand, eager to try.

However, the results were not as good as they had hoped; the matches of the vast majority of people did not light up at all.

Hermione tried several times, and the match gradually turned into a toothpick. Although it looked a bit odd, at least the match had changed.

“Very good, Miss Granger,” Professor McGonagall praised.

Draco glanced at Hermione, a stubborn glint in his eyes, then swung his wand even more vigorously.

The match quickly changed, the end becoming pointed, but before he could be happy, smoke rose from the tip, a small flame suddenly lit up, and then quickly went out.

“Mr. Malfoy, your performance was also good, but it would have been even better if you could have controlled your emotions a little better,” Professor McGonagall said with a smile.

Draco didn't speak, but stared at the match that was almost a quarter burned and sighed deeply.

He had done his best, and was at least better than most students, including Harry Potter. But he also knew that he probably couldn't beat Granger, the Mudblood, in Transfiguration. However, there were other things to consider. With so many courses at school, he didn't believe he would be outdone by a little girl in every aspect.

Then he noticed another match on the table and looked at Aaron, who was playing with the cat, with some surprise. "Why don't you give it a try?"

"Sorry, I was just watching you try your best." Aaron gently waved his wand and lightly touched the match.

The next moment, the shape of the match changed. The two sides began to taper rapidly, the middle also narrowed rapidly, and a small pinhole appeared at the end.

Although it's still made of wood, it's at least a wooden needle.

"You...you...you're amazing, you succeeded on the first try," Draco stammered.

Professor McGonagall heard the commotion and came over. When she saw the wooden needle on the table, she showed a hint of delight. "It seems that Slytherin has received a very talented student this year."

Aaron Gaius? Slytherin, five points.

Professor McGonagall's voice was clear enough for everyone in the classroom to hear, and they all looked at Aaron with envy.

"Thank you, Professor, but could you teach me how to make it into an iron one?"

“I’m afraid that won’t work. I believe in your talent, but aiming too high is not something a freshman should do,” Professor McGonagall chuckled, then turned the wooden needle back into a match. “Before that, you need to thoroughly master the magic of changing the shape of objects. Keep practicing!”

“Alright!” Aaron nodded with some regret, then waved his wand again, turning the matchstick into a wooden chicken leg, and tossed it in front of his pet.

Abe immediately got excited, jumped up to the chicken leg, and sniffed it.

Snapped!

A moment later, Abe revealed an angry expression, and a white dragon claw slammed down, smashing the chicken leg back to its original shape and leaving a shallow claw mark on the table.

"Wow!" Professor McGonagall stared in astonishment at the scene. "I think I should take back what I just said, Mr. Gaius. You've already mastered the basics of Transfiguration."

but..."

Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at Abbe, who looked harmless but was actually wincing in pain from slamming her hand on the table. "Are you sure it's just an ordinary cat?"

“Um…” Aaron immediately hugged Abe in his arms. “Of course, I’m very sure.”

Chapter 21 Snape's Special Question

In the underground classroom, the first-year students of Gryffindor and Slytherin were gathered.

Each student's desk had a crucible, which was constantly heated by an alcohol lamp. White smoke rose from the crucible, adding a slightly unpleasant odor to the somewhat dark classroom filled with various specimens.

Bang!

The classroom door was suddenly pushed open, and sunlight streamed in through the door frame.

Professor Snape, dressed in a black robe, strode towards the podium, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"You are not allowed to wave your wand around or chant spells randomly in my class," Professor Snape said in a high-pitched voice, which, combined with his serious face, was quite intimidating.

"Actually, I don't think many of you understand or appreciate the profound science and intricate craftsmanship of potion-making. However, for those few top students, and those who are truly interested..." Snape's gaze fell on Aaron and Draco, who were sitting in the front row, as if they were those few top students.

Draco gave a flattered smile, but Aaron was not so sure, because he knew very well that Snape had only glanced at him before looking under the table.