My heart skipped a beat as the photo came to life. There we were, Jacob and I, jumping up and down and grinning at Mom. She must have thought it was because we were excited. Mischievous, giggling, and making silly faces at each other. Little did she...
— Sarah Jean Alexander, "Unfathomably Small Distance"
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He didn't even show up for Charms.
Absentmindedly, I waved my wand, stealing glances at the spot where Ben usually sat. An unoccupied space in the Gryffindor row remained untouched until Flitwick called it a day. After that, we conducted a thorough search, examining every nook and cranny along our way: armor niches, beneath tapestries, and even behind spiral staircases.
Rowan tugged at every latch and peered into the shadowy recesses of the armor, yet there was no sign of Ben. "Where on earth could he be? I didn't even spot him during the ceremony."
I shrugged and hastened my steps. My instincts led me to the Transfiguration classroom, straight to Professor McGonagall.
"No wonder we didn't find him in the Great Hall," I noted. "There were so many people that even a kneazle would have a hard time squeezing in!"
Rowan pondered for a moment, still keeping pace with me. "Depending on the kind of a kneazle. Theoretically..." and then she trailed off. "But never mind, let me guess: 'just an expression' again?"
I didn't have time to respond.
"Ah, Miss Khanna," Professor McGonagall's voice chimed in. "Muggles have their equivalent saying: 'there's no room to swing a cat'. However, the cat always manages to find a spot. Just like a kneazle."
We both turned around. Professor McGonagall, in her emerald robes, with a tight bun at the nape of her neck, observed us with a measure of suspicion. She must have seen us peeking around every corner, so now we had to come up with quite a good excuse.
"Professor, there is an important matter!"
"A matter of utmost importance, Professor!"
"There's no matter more important than ours."
McGonagall pushed open the door to her office, gesturing for us to enter. The strong smell of cats hit us as we stepped inside, accompanied by a symphony of soft meows. We noticed a cluster of tail-wagging cauldrons, likely failed transfiguration attempts.
Memories resurfaced of Billingsley's very first successful transfiguration — turning a cauldron into a cat, though with a coat fashioned from lead. Professor Snape caught that cat by the entrance to the Potions classroom and, seemingly, did not appreciate the experiment.
Rowan snapped me out of my reminiscence with a nudge in the ribs, as McGonagall waited for an explanation.
"Please pardon the intrusion, Miss Gelider," she spoke, her tone holding expectation. "However, when one mentions an 'important matter,' it's often a prelude to deducting house points. Fortunately for me, a notorious house is usually not Gryffindor."
