"The most important thing about Transfiguration is that your belief must be strong, and you must have a clear understanding of your target," Kyle said.
In the Room of Requirement, he transformed a table into a small, half-meter-tall stone statue, then controlled it to slice the apple in front of him cleanly in half. A short distance away, Hermione diligently took down his words, adding even more detailed notes.
In truth, Kyle had originally planned to check on the Venomous Tentacula in the greenhouse, but he couldn't very well admit that in front of Hermione. Instead, he had come up with the excuse of practicing Transfiguration. What he hadn't anticipated was that Hermione was nothing like Harry or Ron; as a bookworm with a boundless curiosity, she wasn't content with a passing remark.
She had already witnessed Kyle's Transfiguration abilities at the Duelling Club, which had given her a firsthand impression of just how advanced he was. Whether driven by curiosity or by her desire to keep the Polyjuice Potion project under wraps, Hermione insisted on tagging along to observe his practice. Her determination was impossible to dismiss.
Resigned to keep up appearances, Kyle had no choice but to spend over half an hour performing Transfiguration in an empty room.
"It's not as difficult as you think," Kyle said, picking up half of the apple from the floor. He took a bite and handed the other half to Hermione. "I suggest you try to perceive the structure of objects around you on a deeper level. Not just with your eyes, but with magic."
Hermione took a bite of the apple, pondering his advice. "Like the stone statues you conjured?"
"Start with something simpler—like an apple, a table, or a pair of slippers," Kyle said, shaking his head. "Those statues are complex magical constructs and even include elements of ancient alchemy. It's difficult to understand their structure with magic alone... at least, I can't do it yet. Actually, I didn't transform a stone statue, but rather enchanted armor that resembles one."
After his explanation, Hermione took a closer look and noticed that the "stone statue" did indeed have subtle gaps, much like armor, though they were well-disguised and easily missed without careful inspection.
"Did you learn all this in the Transfiguration Club?" Hermione asked, intrigued. "I heard from Fred and George that you joined Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration Club. What's it like... is it similar to the Duelling Club?"
"It's much smaller and only for students in their third year and up," Kyle explained. "Professor McGonagall teaches us advanced techniques that aren't on the regular exam syllabus, so it's more like an advanced Transfiguration class. But I can't give away too much—it would spoil the surprise, and Professor McGonagall insists on secrecy."
Hermione looked a little disappointed but nodded in understanding.
"I'm heading back now," Kyle said as he began packing up his things. "Are you staying here?"
"No," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "Harry, Ron, and I agreed to meet in the library to work on our homework today."
They left the Room of Requirement together. Kyle had intended to wait until Hermione was safely out of sight before making a return trip, but before he even reached the stairs, he ran into Fred and George, who were each carrying armfuls of food. It was clear they'd just come from the kitchen.
"Kyle! What are you doing here?" Fred exclaimed, surprised. "We went looking for you outside the Hufflepuff common room."
"And ended up getting splashed with vinegar!" George grimaced, wrinkling his nose. "It reeks. Not exactly my idea of a Christmas gift."
The faint sour smell clung to them, though their clothes and hair were dry, meaning they'd likely cleaned themselves with a Charm.
"Good thing we found you here—come with us!"
"Christmas is way more fun when everyone's together!" they insisted, moving to Kyle's sides and ushering him forward without further ado.
The Gryffindor common room wasn't far from where they stood, and they quickly arrived at a large portrait. The painting showed a plump woman with a kindly face.
"Password?" she asked.
"Heavenly voice," George replied, and the Fat Lady swung open with a pleased smile.
"What did she say?" Kyle asked, confused.
"The Fat Lady loves singing," Fred explained. "Unfortunately, she's hopeless at it."
"So she made 'heavenly voice' the password," George chuckled. "We're basically complimenting her singing every time we come in."
"Forget about that, Kyle," Fred said, striding inside with a grin. Holding his arms wide, he announced, "Welcome to the Gryffindor common room!"
Ordinarily, students weren't allowed into other houses, but during the holidays, nobody seemed to care. George gave Kyle a gentle nudge, pushing him into the room.
It was a bright, circular space draped in red, with high ceilings and soft armchairs gathered around the fireplace.
"Well, what do you think?" Fred asked with a grin.
"It's nice," Kyle replied, "but a bit smaller than I expected."
"Is the Hufflepuff common room big?" Hermione asked, coming in last.
Kyle nodded. "A lot bigger than this one, though the ceiling is lower."
"That makes sense," George said, settling into an armchair. The Gryffindors knew that the Hufflepuff common room was close to the kitchens and was one of the few rooms in that area, so it had more space to itself.
Hermione surveyed the room, then asked, "Where are Harry and Ron?"
"No idea. Probably still asleep," Fred said with a shrug. "I bet they're planning to sleep until noon."
"Oh, that won't do at all! We've got plenty of homework to finish!" Hermione said, frowning as she marched off toward the boys' dormitory.
"I doubt Ron wants to do homework on the first day of break," George chuckled, handing Kyle a sandwich. "By the way, Kyle, we've been looking into that idea you mentioned."
"Oh?" Kyle said, surprised as he accepted the sandwich. "What idea?"
"You remember saying that the Heir of Slytherin would probably be acting differently than usual?" George asked, taking a bite of his own sandwich.
Kyle nodded. He vaguely remembered making that remark during a casual conversation, not expecting Fred and George to actually follow up on it.
"Did you find out who it is?" Kyle asked, intrigued.
"No... or rather, it's impossible to find out," Fred sighed.
"There've been three attacks now, and everyone's so spooked that almost everybody is acting weird... but it's not like they're all the Heir of Slytherin."
"Take Ron, for example..." George gestured toward the dormitory. "Normally, he never goes to the library unless it's for homework, but now he's been heading there right after every class and stays until just before curfew. I'm half convinced he's under the Imperius Curse."
"Shut up, George!" Ron's voice suddenly cut through the room.
He had just entered the common room, rubbing his eyes as he flopped down in an armchair. He looked disgruntled. "If everyone around you treated you like you were the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets, you'd be in the library too... at least there, no one's staring at me like I'm dangerous."