Harry Potter's : Fantastic Beasts Guide

As David finished breakfast, Hermione leaned toward him eagerly. "David, do you want to go to the library with me?" she asked. She had already finished her meal and had been waiting for him to wrap up.

David checked his pocket watch. "But… we've got class soon," he replied. Their first lesson—History of Magic—was at nine o'clock, and he was hoping to explore the castle a little before then.

"There's still an hour left!" Hermione insisted. "We can use the time to review. It's our first class—we should be prepared."

David sighed, realizing there was no way out. "Fine," he relented.

"Great!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing her oversized satchel, which was so stuffed with books it wouldn't close properly. She led the way through the corridors with enthusiasm, her bag swaying as she walked.

---

As they walked, David suddenly heard a faint meowing sound coming from around the corner. He held up his hand to signal Hermione to stop and crept toward the sound.

Turning the corner, he spotted a scrawny, dark-gray cat patrolling the corridor. It was Mrs. Norris, the notoriously vigilant pet of Argus Filch, Hogwarts' caretaker.

Mrs. Norris froze when she saw David, her large, bulging eyes fixed on him. She let out a loud, warning meow.

"Hey there," David whispered, crouching down. From his bag, he pulled out a small pouch of dried fish. He poured a few pieces into his hand and offered them to the cat.

Mrs. Norris hesitated, sniffing the air cautiously, but the smell of the fish was too tempting. She edged closer, took a few cautious bites, and began eating.

Hermione watched silently, holding her breath to avoid startling the cat.

But the peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps and an angry shout. "What are you doing?!"

Filch stormed down the corridor, his face red with fury. He scooped Mrs. Norris into his arms and glared at David. "How dare you feed my cat! What were you thinking?"

David held up his hands defensively. "It's just dried fish. It's good for her," he explained.

"Shut up!" Filch snapped, throwing the remaining fish from David's hand onto the floor. His bulging eyes looked ready to pop out of his head.

Realizing the situation wasn't going to improve, David took a step back and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Filch. I didn't mean to upset you. It won't happen again."

Filch scowled but didn't say more. Muttering under his breath, he carried Mrs. Norris away, petting her as he went. "My precious, don't eat food from strangers. They're all bad people trying to harm you."

---

As Filch disappeared around the corner, Hermione turned to David, fuming. "How could he treat you like that? You were just being kind!"

"It's okay," David replied calmly. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have fed her without asking."

David thought back to a visit he'd made to Hogwarts with his grandfather, Newt Scamander. Newt had noticed Mrs. Norris looked malnourished and had tried to offer help, but Filch had been stubbornly mistrustful. Before coming to school, David had prepared some special dried fish to discreetly help the cat, but he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Filch.

"Let's just head to the library," David said, trying to change the subject. "We still need to prepare for class."

Hermione huffed but followed him, her footsteps brisk and determined.

---

After a quick stop at the library, David and Hermione rushed to their Transfiguration classroom, arriving with ten minutes to spare. The room was already filling with students chatting excitedly.

At the front of the classroom, a tabby cat sat perched on the teacher's desk. Recognizing it instantly, David walked up and bowed respectfully.

Hermione, confused, mimicked his gesture but whispered, "Why did you do that?"

"That's Professor McGonagall," David explained as they sat down.

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"

David nodded. "She's an Animagus. Look closely—the markings around the cat's eyes are the same as her glasses."

As David finished speaking, the classroom fell into a sudden silence. The students had overheard him, and everyone became tense, unsure what to do.

---

Minutes later, the classroom door burst open. Ron Weasley and Harry Potter hurried in, out of breath.

"Phew! Professor McGonagall isn't here yet," Ron said with relief. "It would've been awful to be late on the first day!"

"Really, Mr. Weasley?"

The tabby cat on the desk leapt gracefully to the floor and transformed into Professor McGonagall in an instant.

The classroom froze.

McGonagall's sharp eyes scanned the room. "Only Mr. Scamander and Miss Granger recognized me. Gryffindor earns two points for their observation."

Her gaze shifted to Ron and Harry. "As for you two…" Her voice turned icy. "Shall I transfigure one of you into a pocket watch or a map? That way, you might actually arrive on time!"

The class erupted into nervous laughter, relieved to see that McGonagall wasn't too angry. Ron, however, slouched low in his chair, muttering, "Brilliant start to the day…"