"Are we really going to the hospital wing like this?"
Once they exited the bathroom, Hermione realized something was wrong.
Being carried to the hospital wing by William would draw even more attention than being seen as a catgirl by other students.
This wasn't a probability issue, it was reality!
William gently set Hermione down and glanced at her legs. "Can you walk on your own?"
Hermione wobbled and managed half a step before collapsing back into William's arms.
Having taken a Polyjuice Potion mixed with cat fur, Hermione was stuck in a half-human, half-beast form, and it was normal for her to struggle with movement.
She couldn't walk, so William had no choice but to carry her to the hospital wing.
"Should I cast a Disillusionment Charm on you?" William offered. His Disillusionment Charm was advanced enough that even most professors couldn't detect it.
"But wouldn't it look strange if you're holding someone invisible? People might think you're crazy," Hermione countered.
William nodded, she had a point.
This gave him a new idea.
When he got back, he could use the Undetectable Extension Charm to expand the space inside his ring, making it big enough to hide a person, like Newt Scamander's suitcase.
Such a ring would definitely be a hit on the market, especially among married wizards... Perfect for hiding someone when their wives came looking for trouble.
William's mind had wandered somewhere strange again!
"What are you thinking about?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
With a woman's intuition, she sensed that his thoughts were far from appropriate.
"Nothing. How about I use transfiguration to turn you into a small cat? That way, no one will notice."
William often walked around carrying Boba Tea, his beloved pet, so carrying another cat wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
"That... works, I guess."
With a flick of his wand, an orange tabby kitten appeared in his arms. William and the cat continued toward the hospital wing.
Before long, they encountered their first group of students... Annie, Luna, and Ginny!
The three girls were playing hopscotch in the hallway.
It was Ginny's turn. She needed to toss her pebble onto the number "7," but her aim was off and it landed on "9."
"Tsk tsk, you're terrible at this. Throwing stones requires technique, your wrist should flick lightly, and the motion should be smooth. Even the type of stone you choose matters..."
William shook his head, took the pebble from Ginny, and prepared to show them what true skill looked like.
But just as he was about to throw—
"Ow!"
The orange tabby in his arms bit down hard on his wrist.
"..."
Oops. William had gotten caught up in childhood nostalgia and completely forgotten about Hermione.
"Sorry, you keep playing. I have to go," William handed the pebble back to Ginny and let the three girls resume their game.
"Brother, where are you going?" Annie asked as she approached, holding her favourite cup of oolong matcha latte.
"Wow! What a beautiful cat!"
Annie and Ginny gathered around the kitten, petting her enthusiastically. Only Luna stood a few steps back, observing the cat thoughtfully.
It was clear that Luna's curiosity had been piqued. She silently used Legilimency to probe the kitten's identity.
However, she didn't say anything. She simply maintained her usual dreamy demeanour, as if still contemplating the best way to throw the pebble.
Annie stroked the kitten for a while, then tilted her head in confusion.
"Brother, why are this cat's eyes so red?"
"She... might be eyeing your oolong matcha latte."
"Oh, okay. Here, let her have it." Annie handed her cup of oolong matcha latte to William.
"By the way, Annie, I might not be coming home for Christmas this year. You'll have to go back on your own," William said after hesitating for a moment.
"Why?!"
"Hermione's sick. She needs someone to take care of her."
Annie froze for a moment, staring blankly at the kitten in William's arms. Then, without a word, she turned and ran away.
The little girl ran a few steps away, then rushed back with tears streaming down her face. "Is Hermione in the hospital wing? Was she attacked too? I'm going to find Dumbledore to save her!"
Then, she turned and prepared to dash toward the headmaster's office.
William freed one hand and gently pressed down on her head, turning her around. "No, she wasn't attacked. She just caught a cold and needs to stay in the hospital wing for a while."
Annie glared at William, her small face scrunched up in disbelief. "You're lying to me!"
"I'm not lying. You can visit Hermione this afternoon and ask Madam Pomfrey yourself to see if she just has a cold."
"Alright..." Annie finally relented, her worry easing a little.
"Goodbye, then."
William continued toward the hospital wing, speaking softly as he walked. "Annie really cares about you."
The kitten in his arms let out two soft "meows" and then stuck out her small red tongue, licking William's bitten wrist.
...
Hogwarts Hospital Wing.
Madam Pomfrey performed a thorough examination on Hermione and sighed, looking rather displeased.
"William, I must reprimand you. You shouldn't be brewing Polyjuice Potion!"
"Sorry. I was just planning to sell it in Diagon Alley."
William covered for Hermione, taking the blame for brewing the potion. Since Polyjuice Potion was technically against school rules, he had no choice but to claim responsibility.
Madam Pomfrey knew how skilled William was at potion-making, he frequently brewed potions to sell at Diagon Alley, so she didn't doubt him too much.
However, she still wasn't about to let him off the hook. With her hands on her hips, she scolded him, "That's not what I meant!"
"It's normal for young people to be a little curious and adventurous, I was young once too, and I sought excitement as well, so I understand.
"But using Polyjuice Potion to turn Granger into a catgirl... you two really went too far!"
"Pu—!" William spat out the oolong matcha latte he'd been drinking.
What?! Where did her mind go?!
Wait... Madam Pomfrey had sought excitement when she was young?
William felt like he'd just uncovered a shocking revelation.
"Professor, it's not what you're thinking..."
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone, not even Dumbledore. I'm very discreet. But don't let this happen again!"
Madam Pomfrey gave him a knowing look, waved her wand, and cleaned up the spilled latte from the floor.
William quickly changed the subject. "So, how do we treat Hermione?"
"It's quite complicated, as you know. Polyjuice Potion is meant for human transfiguration, not animal transformations.
"While cases like this aren't unheard of, the standard treatment involves drinking a restorative potion and casting a revealing charm in tandem... The entire process takes about seven to eight weeks."
"Seven to eight weeks? That means she won't be back to normal until next term," William muttered with a frown.
Madam Pomfrey was a professional, if she said so, she wouldn't be wrong.
"What if we performed human transfiguration on Hermione daily? Would that speed up her recovery?" William asked thoughtfully.
"In theory, yes. But it would require exceptional transfiguration skills and a lot of effort."
Madam Pomfrey paused for a moment and then smiled. "I almost forgot, you've mastered Animagus transformation and are quite adept at transfiguration."
Transfiguration was a broad field, encompassing Animagus transformation, cross-species transfiguration, and human transfiguration.
Human transfiguration, in simple terms, involved altering the human body. The most advanced practitioners could even transform into an entirely different person.
William recalled a story Newt Scamander had once shared about the events in New York.
At that time, Grindelwald had transformed himself into Percival Graves and infiltrated MACUSA, the American Magical Congress.
Grindelwald wasn't a Metamorphmagus, nor had he used Polyjuice Potion. Instead, he had performed human transfiguration, reshaping his face and body bit by bit until he became someone else entirely.
Percival Graves had been an Auror and the head of magical security and law enforcement within MACUSA.
Grindelwald had assumed the identity of a high-ranking official and walked brazenly into the heart of the American Magical Congress, and no one had noticed a thing.
What an incredible feat of transfiguration!
Even now, William couldn't imagine reaching that level of mastery.
Honestly, calling Grindelwald "Grindelwald the Great" didn't seem like an exaggeration at all!