HP: Card System

At that moment, a flurry of wings filled the Great Hall as dozens of owls swooped in, delivering letters and packages to eager students.

The air was alive with flickering shadows and the occasional hoot, much to the annoyance of Anzu.

Ravens and owls often battled for territory in the wild, and Anzu clearly wasn't thrilled about their sudden invasion.

A snowy white owl gracefully descended, landing in front of Harley. It stretched out its foot expectantly, the letter attached swaying slightly.

"Thanks, Hedwig." Harley grinned as she untied the letter and ran her fingers over the familiar parchment.

Even in this world, her owl was still a snowy owl, still named Hedwig. Was fate that stubborn?

She skimmed the letter quickly, then shrugged. "It's from Sirius. He's worried I won't adjust to school. Honestly, does he think I'm that fragile? I'm already loving it here!"

Before anyone could comment, a student nearby let out a shocked exclamation. "No way! Someone tried to rob Gringotts! Are they insane?!"

"Wait, what?" Jerry leaned in, as did a few others. "What happened?"

The student, eyes glued to the Daily Prophet, read aloud. "A dark wizard broke into one of the vaults, but the goblins claim the thief got away with nothing. He barely escaped before they could catch him."

Gasps and murmurs filled the hall. The thought of someone even attempting to steal from Gringotts was absurd.

Ted's eyes narrowed as he processed the news.

'Is that about the Philosopher's Stone? So that part hasn't changed... but that's none of my business. Best to focus on my own magic and keep my head down.'

Then another thought crossed his mind.

'The goblins love to act like their security is foolproof. Yeah, right. If someone got in, then their "airtight vaults" are just a load of nonsense.'

Meanwhile, Neville's owl fluttered down, carrying a small package. He unwrapped it carefully, revealing a strange crystal ball.

"Oh, it's a Remembrall!" he explained, holding it up. "If it turns red, it means I've forgotten something important."

Almost instantly, the ball glowed bright red.

Neville's face twisted in confusion. "I—I just don't remember what I forgot!"

Jerry sighed. "This thing..."

"Yeah, kinda useless," Ron said bluntly, nodding in agreement.

Ted chuckled and patted Neville's shoulder. "You should carry a notebook. Write down important things. That way, next time the ball turns red, you can just check your notes."

Neville blinked as if Ted had just revealed the secrets of the universe. "Oh my God, Ted, that's brilliant!"

Ron snorted. "Yeah, and tie the notebook to yourself so you don't forget where you put it."

The group erupted into laughter, and the mood lightened. With breakfast wrapping up, they all gathered their things and headed off to their first Transfiguration class.

...

Finding the classroom wasn't too difficult. The six of them relied on directions from older students, enchanted portraits, and a fair bit of trial and error. Eventually, they arrived on the second floor, where the Transfiguration classroom awaited.

Being early, they were the first ones inside. The room was quiet, desks neatly arranged, and the podium at the front stood empty—except for a silver-tabby cat sitting primly on top.

Ted's eyes sparkled with mischief, but he played it cool.

Without hesitation, he strode forward and scooped up the cat before it could react.

The tabby tensed in shock. What the—?!

A strange scent hit its nose, sending an involuntary shiver down its spine. An unexpected, almost euphoric sensation followed.

Ted smirked inwardly.

'That's right. Catnip.'

His latest "mission" required him to pet Professor McGonagall in her Animagus form. A near-impossible feat—except for this one golden opportunity.

Normally, Professor McGonagall wouldn't roam around as a cat in front of students, except for the first class to make an impression. After that, everyone knew who she was, and any further attempts at cuddling her would result in certain doom. This was his only chance.

He made the most of it.

Pressing gently on her paw, he coaxed out her claws, marveling at the complete transformation.

'Amazing. The physiology is fully feline, not just a surface-level transfiguration.'

A chime echoed in his mind. Mission complete: [You do it again and again! Pet the Cat!]

Experience points gained. Transfiguration level up.

Satisfied, Ted finally released her.

The tabby cat snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of what had just happened. With a furious twist, she leaped from Ted's arms, shot out the door, and vanished in a blur.

Anzu, ever the instigator, flapped after her. "Caw! What's the rush?!"

Ted panicked. "Anzu! Get back here! If Professor McGonagall hexes you into a teapot, I can't help you!"

Just as more students filtered in, they caught a glimpse of the fleeing feline.

"Huh? Where'd that cat come from?" one of them asked. "Was that Professor McGonagall's?"

The cat in question had bolted straight to her office, locked the door, and took several deep breaths. She waved her wand, using a cleaning spell on herself, trying to rid the odd scent clinging to her fur.

'That boy... did he do that on purpose?! No evidence, but... he has a track record!'

Shaking off her indignation, she composed herself and made her way back to the classroom.

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes landed on Ted. He grinned apologetically.

Without missing a beat, she announced, "Five points from Ravenclaw—for improper classroom conduct."

Many students looked around in confusion, murmuring, "What just happened?"

Neville, who was already on edge, looked even more panicked. "Did I miss something? What's going on?"

Even the Ravenclaws, usually the most composed, exchanged puzzled glances. Professor McGonagall wasn't one to deduct points without reason. Something about this felt... off. Then, realization dawned on them.

"It has to be Snape!" someone whispered.

______________________________

Ding!

Task triggered: [A Student Life Without Point Deductions is Incomplete (Blue)]

After years, teachers may forget the students with perfect grades, but they always remember the mischievous ones. Is your school career going to be that boring? No way!

Goal: Have 100 points deducted from Ravenclaw in your first year!

Progress: 5/100.

Reward: 300 XP, Random Card.

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Ted froze. Five points. For smiling.

And now there was a quest for this?!

What kind of messed-up system was this? It was practically asking him to be a menace!

Harley, Hermione, and the others shot Ted bewildered looks.

"Did... did she just deduct points because you laughed?" Hermione whispered.

Ron scratched his head. "Mate, I think you just insulted her cat without knowing it."

Ted groaned internally. 'Brilliant.'

Professor McGonagall, determined to regain control of the class, waved her wand. The desk in front of her suddenly morphed into a wild boar and charged around the room. Students shrieked, jumping onto their seats as the beast snorted and skidded across the stone floor. Just as suddenly, the wild boar stopped, then transformed right back into a desk, as if nothing had happened.

"Transfiguration is one of the most complex and dangerous subjects you will study," she said sternly, her gaze sweeping across the room. "I will not tolerate disruptions. If anyone cannot take this seriously, they will be sent out and placed in detention until graduation."

Her eyes landed on Ted with a level of intensity that made him want to shrink into his robes.

Harley, Ron, Hermione, and Jerry all turned to Ted with an unspoken message: 'You're doomed.'

Neville, on the other hand, still looked worried—completely unaware of the real tension in the room.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and gestured to a glass case on her desk. Inside was a teacup... with a mouse's tail twitching from its side.

"This," she said, "is the result of a second-year student's mistake twenty years ago. Despite countless attempts, the tail remains. This serves as a permanent reminder of the dangers of improper Transfiguration."

The class collectively shivered. Nobody wanted to walk around Hogwarts with extra body parts.

Except Jerry, who just shrugged. "Eh, it's just a tail. I've already got one."

Ignoring the remark, Professor McGonagall clapped her hands together. "Now, turn to page one of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Let's begin."

______________________________

Ding!

Task triggered: [Transfiguration Apprentice (White)]

Transfiguration is a crucial magical discipline. Now that you have an esteemed teacher, it's time to learn and practice it seriously.

Goal: Successfully perform Transfiguration during this lesson.

Reward: 150 XP.

Blink your eyes, and a hen becomes a duck!

______________________________

Ted sat up straight. A white-level quest? This was serious.

He might've gained +1 Transfiguration earlier, but that didn't mean he actually knew what he was doing. He had to get this right.

Adjusting his mindset, he grabbed his notebook and began furiously taking notes as Professor McGonagall spoke.

Most students used quills, but Ted found them too slow. He much preferred a proper pen.

'I need to figure out a way to enchant a pen to write on its own, he mused. Maybe even a floating keyboard? But how do I do it without violating the Ministry's rules on unauthorized magical objects?'

'Honestly, a self-typing keyboard would be perfect.'

______________________________

Ding!

You have carefully listened to Professor McGonagall's lecture and deepened your understanding of Transfiguration. +35 XP.

______________________________

Ted nearly dropped his pen. Wait. He could earn XP just by paying attention in class?!

This was a game-changer.

Between learning spells, brewing potions, tending magical creatures, reading, and now this—he had so many ways to level up. This was fantastic!

After half an hour of theory, Professor McGonagall moved on. "Now, we will begin practical application."

With a flick of her wand, she conjured a stack of matches onto each student's desk.

"Your task: Turn this match into a needle."

Ted took a deep breath. Alright. Time to make some magic happen.

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Word count: 1624