Norman couldn’t help but wonder if there was a bit of house pride behind Miss Jenovick’s answer. Regardless, it was a good one to start the discussion. “Excellent, Miss Jenovick,” he said, nodding in approval. “Speed and strength are essential in a fight, but it’s also important to consider size too. Too large a creature could give away one’s position prematurely; too small could be easily overpowered.”



Norman was unsure whether to be amused or unnerved by this answer. There was no way he could hear the word “dragon” and not think of that Merlin-forsaken field trip, but it was a valid choice. It was the question at the end that tipped the scales in favor of amusement, and a faint smile appeared on his face. “No, I don’t think anyone would try that. Good point, MIss Cambridge,” he replied.

As for her question, he shook his head. “Not today, though there is a spell to turn small objects into dragons, Draconifors. I-” He started to offer to teach it to her outside class, but he remembered he couldn’t. He doubted the Neo-Alliance would allow students out of The Room for a spell demonstration. His smile instantly vanished. “I’ll keep that in mind for a future lesson.”



Here was an answer Norman didn’t expect to hear! He nodded approvingly. “Good thinking, Miss Blaze,” he said. He’d already touched on speed earlier, and there was no sense in repeating the same thing over and over - one of many reasons why he kept the anti-muggle sentiments in his lessons to a minimum - so he chose to address the other part of her answer. “A good distraction can turn the tide of a fight.” He had seen it happen before.



Well, McCarthy’s answer took a dark turn! Norman wasn’t bothered by it though; he was more concerned by the robotic voice and the fact that the Gryffindor hadn’t raised his hand before speaking. “Next time, raise your hand and wait to be called on, Mr. McCarthy,” he said. Please! He didn’t need the hooded horrors hexing any students today, especially for something so simple! “But that’s a valid point. There’s something to be said for efficiency in battle.”



Norman gave the younger James girl a scrutinizing look. She seemed a bit… distracted, which was completely understandable but mildly concerning given the current climate of the school. Just when he thought he would have to reprimand her for not paying attention, she gave an answer that was completely unexpected. “Okay, yes,” he replied. “If a battle took place in or near water, a shark could be a useful ally.”



This answer got a faint hint of a smile from Norman. If he were a vain man, he might’ve considered his patronus and animagus form, both of which took the form of a dog, and whether the words Miss Blackthorne used to describe dogs also applied to his own personality, but that was not the case. He didn’t feel very powerful or protective, not that he would ever let the students know that! Instead he approached the answer from a more tactical standpoint. “Hiding in plain sight,” he replied, nodding in approval. “All excellent points, Miss Blackthorne.”



Acromantula… another large and dangerous magical creature. At first, Norman thought Miss Summers’s answer was going in the same direction as the dragon and basilisk ones, but he was pleasantly surprised. Her answer also got an approving nod. “Yes, there’s strength in numbers,” he replied. “Very good, Miss Summers.”



Another magical creature answer. Norman was sensing a pattern here… not that there was anything wrong with that. It was a completely valid answer. “Yes, most muggles would be scared,” he said. “Sound reasoning, Miss Turov.”



Norman considered the elder James girl’s point for a brief moment. He hadn’t specified whether the hypothetical situation was an offensive or defensive one to give the students a wider range of options… that and he’d found that offense and defense were not mutually exclusive. The best defense is a good offense, as the old saying goes. “It could, yes,” he replied, nodding. “Good choices in both cases, Miss James.”



Something about this answer made Norman smile a little, Maybe it was the way Miss Abbott-Daniau raised her hand, or maybe it was the hint of house pride in the answer itself. “Cuteness can be usefully deceptive,” he said. “Very good, Miss Abbott-Daniau.”



Now they had three of the four Hogwarts house mascots mentioned. Norman had been wondering when this answer was going to come up. He was mildly surprised that it was a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor, to do so, but it was still valid, no matter who said it. “Indeed there is, Very good, Miss Grimm,” he replied.



Norman half-expected the animal mentioned to be “eagle” and complete the list of house mascots, but Miss Donovan’s answer went in a completely different and unexpected direction. “A creative and efficient approach,” he said, nodding in approval. “Excellent, Miss Donovan.”



Norman immediately picked up on Miss Sinclair’s mood but pretended not to notice. Acknowledging his students’ emotions would mean acknowledging his own. Instead, he focused on the answer itself. “Good points, Miss Sinclair,” he said, nodding.



Here was another answer Norman hadn’t expected! “Good thinking, Mr. O’Neill,” he replied with the faintest hint of a smile.

Right off the bat, Miss Sinclair brought up an important point. “Well said, Miss Sinclair,” Norman replied, nodding. Really, he didn’t think he could have worded that better himself! “The more complex the structure, the harder it is to conjure.”



Norman knew it was only a matter of time before the subject of hybrids came up. Miss Summers’s answer also earned an approving nod. “Exactly, Miss Summers!” he said. “Which is why it’s important to take conjuration seriously, know your spell and know your intentions.”



Norman’s lips curled into a slight smile. What was it with the kids and sharks today? Was it International Shark Appreciation Day or something? He must’ve missed the memo. Never mind. “That’s true, Miss Blaze,” he said. “By the same logic, you could also conjure a larger creature than intended - say you wanted to conjure a rat but wound up with a giant rodent monster - which is why it’s important to have a clear picture in mind before conjuring.”



Speaking of visualization, Miss Donovan’s answer earned an emphatic nod. “Yes!” Norman replied. “As with all branches of transfiguration, visualization is key. The more difficult the branch, the more important it becomes.”

[

Believe it or not, Norman found it actually helpful to know his students’ interests. Students were more likely to stay engaged when they cared about the subject. He returned Miss Cambridge’s smile with a slight one of his own… a smile that came dangerously close to becoming a laugh at the thought of a chair with eyes. But there would be no breaking into giggles in front of the students today (or ever)! Some children were more sensitive than others and could interpret it the wrong way, and more importantly, laughter could draw attention from Rosier’s minions. “True on all counts, Miss Cambridge,” he said. “One would have to be very distracted to conjure a chair with eyes!”



Speaking of distractions, Norman noticed the younger Miss James looking around the area, Usually he wouldn’t think much of it. If the students didn’t want to pay attention, that was their choice, one which their grades would reflect. As long as they weren’t disturbing others, he wouldn’t waste time and energy scolding them. He was a firm believer in picking one’s battles, but he also knew that a distracted student was vulnerable to intervention from the hooded horrors. “Eyes to the front please, Miss James,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

Again with the sharks? Okay, he was definitely going to have to do a shark-related lesson sometime! “Not today,” he replied. “But I will consider that for another lesson.”



What was that choked back noise? Norman couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be a laugh or a sob. Whatever it was, it got a confused eyebrow raise from him, but he would overlook it as long as it didn’t happen again. Instead, he focused on Miss James’s answer to the question. “You imagine correctly, Miss James,” he replied, nodding. “When conjuring animals, it’s important to maintain concentration even after casting the spell not only to keep the creature intact, but to make it do what you want.”



Norman was unsurprised to hear Miss Connolly offer yet another example of a large, aggressive magical creature as her answer to the first question. That answer earned the girl an approving nod and words of praise, just like the other students received, Her answer to the second question started out along the same lines as Miss Sinclair and Miss Summers’s, but just when he thought her answer would stay along those lines, she said something new. “Correct on all counts, Miss Connolly,” he replied. “Snakes are one of the simplest creatures to conjure.” But he’d come back to that in a minute.