Chapter 37: Surviving the Calamity
As a group of Ravenclaw witches entered the shape-shifting classroom, Kyle hurried after them, blending in naturally as they made their way to the front. By the time they reached the second row, only a small witch stood between Kyle and the front of the room, just a step away from his goal.
Kyle's hand, hidden in his pocket, was clenched tightly around a bag of dried fish. He was nervous, but on the outside, he managed to appear carefree. However, just as he was about to pull out the fish to unlock his plan, he noticed something unsettling: the Ravenclaw witch in front of him seemed to have the same idea. Because she was ahead of him, Kyle could clearly see a green object slowly emerging from her pocket.
A cat toy?
"Oh no, someone else beat me to it!" Kyle's thoughts went dark, and his body went numb. He didn't even need to think it over—once the little witch revealed the cat toy, Professor McGonagall would instantly transform back into her human form. All of Kyle's careful planning had been for nothing.
"Damn it! Why did I overthink everything? Why didn't I just act sooner?" Kyle angrily stamped his foot, wishing he could use a time-turner to go back five minutes and give himself a good slap. But it was too late for regrets. With a sigh, Kyle moved to the left and took a seat in the front row, as if that had been his intention all along.
Meanwhile, the witch who had unwittingly foiled Kyle's plan reached the front of the class, her hand fully out of her pocket. But just as she was about to pull out the toy, the tabby cat perched on the lectern smiled. With a light tap of her hind legs on the table, the cat transformed back into Professor McGonagall in the blink of an eye.
"Miss Lianna, it's kind of you to want to play with animals, but as a witch, it's more important to maintain sharp insight," Professor McGonagall said, suddenly appearing beside the student. With a gentle pat on Lianna's shoulder, she pushed the hand holding the cat toy back into the girl's pocket.
"Pr-Professor McGonagall," the young witch stammered, clearly shaken.
"It's me. If you look closely, you'll notice the lines around the cat's eyes match the square frames of my glasses," Professor McGonagall said dryly. "Now, please return to your seat. The lesson is about to begin."