Love? Or Hate? The untold story of James Potter and Lily Evans

Transifiguration

Lily's POV:
I can't wait for Transfiguration! I've been looking forward to it ever since I read 'A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration' , which told me about a "unique subject in which one goes far beyond the limits of biology and what's supposedly 'possible' by muggle standards".I learnt a great deal of things about the magic world from reading my school books, one of the many being that Transfiguration is an art which enables a witch or wizard to make an object transform into something else, or even change their own form, and become what witches and wizards call an 'Animagus'. I don't know much about it, but I do know that I want to be able to do that - imagine how it would feel, to fly through the air as a magpie; to race through the woods as a sly fox; to prowl through the wilderness as a powerful lioness or to explore the deep expanses of the ocean as a dolphin... there are just so much possibilities!

My friends are laughing at me though, saying that only I could get so excited at the prospect of learning things. But they don't understand at all! Don't they know what it's like, to spend your whole life a muggle, in which you are told that there are certain things that you will never in a million years be able to do or see, as much as you yearn for it? And for then, in one life changing moment, for you to be told that you have magic coursing through your veins and then, suddenly, these things don't seem so impossible? Of course they don't, though... they grew up knowing what they would be able to do someday, but it's not like I can fault them for that.

I can't help but notice that Professor McGonagal is a strange woman. A stern woman, most would say. I fair, open-minded woman, is what I would. She is not affected by any of the prejudices that some in the wizarding world are; she would never be unfair to a student based on their Hogwarts house, or underestimate one because of the blood that runs through them - be it muggle, or wizard. Not only this, but she has the rare ability of being able to be feared, but not hated, liked, but never taken advantage of, and respected but not sucked-up to. I know that some (okay, MOST)  people in my class are scared of her, but I am not. She seems like a fair lady who would never punish anyone undeservingly. I can respect someone like that. Plus, her being Gryffindor's head of house can't exactly hurt - though I've got to admit: she is pretty intimidating, with her pale, thin skin, dark, long hair, which is pulled back into an impecable bun at all times, and thin, tall figure, she looks a bit like a vampire. She has a air about her which commands respect and a no-nonsense attitude. As soon as we came in, she quickly assigned our seats, ignoring any moaning about the seating arrangements. Once everybody finally sat down, the class began to realise that the severe-looking woman was no longer there. Black, being the moron that he is, let out a loud whoop.

"Looks like the teacher is gone already - must of scared her away! And she must've left her cat too, in her haste. You know, Jamesie, my boy, I think we should, as a favour to our Professor, take over the lesson for her. You know, teach the newbies how it's done!" He grins.
"Well I can only imagine how challenging that would be for you and poor old 'Jamesie boy'... I say, before being interrupted.
"For your information, we would be excellent teachers! Well, I would - James would have to just follow my lead of cou-"
"Seeing as you and Potter are also newbies - and rather dim-witted ones at that," I interrupt. He was about to reply when a little girl's scream echoed through the classroom, as the Professor McGonagal's cat promptly morphed into... Professor McGonagal. If I had been paying more attention, I bet I would've noticed as soon as Sirius pointed out the cat. Maybe idiocy really is contagious... or maybe not, seeing as I still managed to answer all the questions she asked the class during the course of the lesson. By the end, I managed to receive one of her what-I-am-guessing-to-be-rare smiles. I smiled widely back and was still feeling ecstatic as I walked out of the classroom and towards my next destination: The Great Hall.