The buzz of the morning's revelations still lingered as Ruby, Harry, and their friends made their way to the first class of the day: Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. The classroom was bright and filled with various strange and fascinating objects, each a testament to the complex magic they were about to learn.

Stern and imposing in her emerald green robes, Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the room. As the students filed in, she eyed them critically over her square spectacles. "Good morning, class," she said, her voice crisp and authoritative. "Today, we will be practicing the transformation of matches into needles. Transfiguration is a precise and complex branch of magic, so I expect your utmost concentration."

Harry and Ruby sat near the front, with Draco, Blaise, and Theodore beside them. Neville, Susan, Daphne, Hermione, and Hannah sat just behind. Cormac and Ron sat further away with their housemates, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.

Professor McGonagall flicked her wand, and a box of matches appeared on each student's desk. "Now, remember the incantation: 'Transfigurae.' Focus on the match and visualize it changing into a needle."

Harry picked up his match, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. He glanced at Ruby, who gave him an encouraging smile. Taking a deep breath, he pointed his wand at the match and muttered, "Transfigurae."

The match trembled slightly but remained a match. Harry frowned, concentrating harder. Ruby closed her eyes for a moment beside him, then pointed her wand and whispered the incantation. Her match glowed briefly before transforming into a silver needle.

"I did it!" Ruby whispered excitedly.

Harry grinned. "Nice one, Ruby!"

Professor McGonagall walked around the room, observing their progress. She stopped by Ruby's desk, nodding approvingly. "Excellent work, Miss Potter-Rose. Ten points to Hufflepuff."

Harry tried again, this time with more focus. "Transfigurae," he said firmly. The match shimmered and morphed into a somewhat wonky needle. It could have been better, but it was progress.

"Well done, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, her tone slightly warmer. "Keep practicing."

Draco, not to be outdone, pointed his wand with a flourish. "Transfigurae." His match turned into a needle, sharp and precise. He smirked, satisfied with his work.

"Good job, Draco," Blaise said, his match halfway transformed.

Neville struggled, his match stubbornly refusing to change. Hermione leaned to the side to give him a reassuring smile. "You'll get it, Neville. Just keep trying."

As the class continued, the room filled with chants and the occasional cheer or groan of frustration. Professor McGonagall moved among the students, offering tips and corrections.

By the end of the lesson, most students had managed to transform their matches into needles, some more successfully than others. Professor McGonagall called for their attention. "Remember, practice is key in Transfiguration. I expect you all to continue working on this spell. Class dismissed."

As they gathered their things and headed out, Harry and Ruby fell into step together. "That was harder than I thought," Harry admitted.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, but we did pretty well on our first try. And Professor McGonagall didn't seem too disappointed."

Draco caught up to them. "I saw your progress, Harry. Not bad for a beginner. With alot of practice, you can transfigure a match to a needle in no time." He smiled.

Harry amusingly rolled his eyes but smiled. "Thanks, Draco. Let's see how the rest of the day goes."

With the mystery of the Gringotts break-in still on their minds and the success of their Transfiguration lesson giving them a boost, they made their way to their next class.

The Charms classroom was filled with excitement and anticipation as the students settled into their seats for another lesson on the Levitation Charm. Standing atop his stack of books, Professor Flitwick greeted them with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning, class! Today, we will continue practicing the Levitation Charm, Wingardium Leviosa. Remember, it's all in the swish and flick, and proper pronunciation is crucial!"

Ron, sitting next to Hermione, looked determined. He had been practicing diligently after their study session the previous day, where Hermione had emphasized the importance of pronouncing the spell correctly.

"All right, everyone," Professor Flitwick said, "let's begin. Swish and flick, and don't forget: Wingardium Leviosa!"

Harry, Ruby, Draco, and Hermione quickly got to work. Harry concentrated on his feather, remembering the smooth motion and the precise pronunciation. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said confidently, and the feather floated up towards the ceiling, joining Ruby's, Draco's, and Hermione's feathers.

Ruby grinned at Harry. "We did it again, Harry!"

Draco grinned, his feather hovering perfectly. "Seems like we have some natural talent here."

Hermione beamed with pride. "Excellent job, everyone. The pronunciation does make a difference."

Meanwhile, Ron was focused on his feather, his face scrunched in concentration. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said slowly and clearly. The feather lifted off the desk to his delight and hovered in the air.

"I did it!" Ron exclaimed, his face lighting up with a broad smile. Hermione nodded approvingly.

"Well done, Ron! See? You just needed to say it correctly."

Across the room, Cormac was sitting with Seamus, who had a reputation for causing unexpected magical mishaps. Seamus swished and flicked his wand, saying the spell, but instead of lifting the feather, it exploded into a small puff of feathers and sparks.

Cormac coughed, waving away the remnants of the feather. "Blimey, Seamus! What did you do?"

Seamus looked sheepish. "I don't know. It just sort of... happened."

Professor Flitwick hurried over, his tiny face a mixture of concern and amusement. "Mr. Finnigan, you have a unique talent for explosive magic. Let's try to avoid that in the future. Mr. McLaggen, here's another feather for you."

Cormac took the new feather with a nod of thanks. "Appreciate it, Professor."

As the lesson continued, the students practiced diligently, the room filled with the sound of incantations and the sight of floating feathers. Harry and Ruby continued to excel, their feathers floating high above their heads.

By the end of the class, Professor Flitwick clapped his hands. "Excellent work, everyone! I'm very pleased with your progress. Keep practicing, and you'll be mastering Charms in no time."

As they packed up their things, Harry turned to Ron. "You did great today, Ron. That was some impressive levitating."

Ron grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "Thanks, Harry. Guess Hermione's tips paid off."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "We're all getting better. It's great to see everyone improving."

Draco, joining them as they left the classroom, added, "Just wait until we get to the more advanced spells. This is only the beginning."

During their break, Harry, Ruby, and their friends gathered in a quiet corner of the courtyard, away from the hustle and bustle of other students. The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over the castle grounds. They sat on a stone bench, their voices low as they resumed their earlier conversation about the Gringotts break-in.

"Okay, let's think this through," Harry said, leaning forward with a determined expression. "The break-in happened on my birthday, and it was vault 713 that was targeted."

Ruby nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. "And I remember Hagrid mentioned taking something out of that vault for Dumbledore when we had tea with him. It has to be something really important." She noticed Harry giving her a look. "You were getting tired, so you must have forgotten it."

Lounging against the stone wall, Draco added, "Gringotts is known for its security. Breaking into a vault isn't something that anyone can do. Whoever did it must have had serious skills or help from the inside."

Blaise looked thoughtful. "Or they were incredibly desperate. Either way, it's not good news for Harry. Like Ruby mentioned earlier, it could be the works of Lord Voldemort."

Neville, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "Do you think whatever was in that vault is related to why we have extra security measures at Hogwarts this year?"

Everyone looked at Neville with mixed emotions, recalling Headmaster Albus Dumbledore forbidding everyone from going to the third floor on the Welcoming Feast.

Harry hummed, looking curious.

"Could be." Ruby looked at her friends.

"Maybe it has something to do with dark magic," Theodore suggested. "There are a lot of powerful and dangerous artifacts out there."

Ruby shivered at the thought. "I hope not. But if it is something dangerous, shouldn't we try to find out more about it?"

Draco smirked. "Always the brave one, Ruby. But you're right. Information is power. We should try to gather as much as we can."

Hermione, who had joined them with her book, chimed in. "We could check the library. There might be records or books mentioning vault 713 or any significant items kept there."

Susan and Hannah, who had been listening intently, nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea," Susan said. "We should split up and look for anything that might give us a clue."

Ron and Cormac approached as they continued their discussion, having overheard part of the conversation. "Still talking about the break-in?" Ron asked, sitting down beside them.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. We think it might be connected to something important. Maybe even something dangerous."

Cormac, looking intrigued, said, "Count us in. If something's going on that could affect all of us, we should be prepared."

Ruby smiled at the growing group. "Thanks, Cormac. The more, the better."

The bell signaling the end of their break rang, and they gathered their things, preparing to head to their next class. As they walked, Harry turned to Ruby. "Let's meet in the library after classes. We can start our research then."

Ruby nodded. "Sounds like a plan. We'll figure this out together."

As the students dispersed to their next class, a small, inconspicuous rat scurried along the courtyard's edges, his beady eyes observing everything with keen interest. It was no ordinary rat, but Peter Pettigrew, in his Animagus form, hiding in plain sight among the students of Hogwarts.

Peter had been carefully eavesdropping on Harry, Ruby, and their friends' conversation about the Gringotts break-in. He knew all too well the significance of Vault 713 and the danger it represented. He had hoped to stay hidden and out of trouble, but hearing Harry and Ruby discuss their concerns stirred something in him.

'Harry and Ruby,' Peter thought, his tiny rat heart beating faster. 'They remind me so much of James and Lily. If only things had been different...'

Peter crept closer, hiding under a nearby bench to catch the final bits of their conversation. His mind raced with conflicting emotions. He had betrayed James and Lily, leading to their deaths, and had lived in fear and guilt ever since. But now, hearing the concerned voice of their son, he felt an unexpected urge to help.

Peter pondered his options as the students walked away, heading to their next class. He couldn't reveal himself—he was a wanted man, after all—but maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to aid them from the shadows.

He scurried into the shadows of the courtyard, contemplating his next move. "I can't change the past, but perhaps I can do something now. Something to help protect them."

Peter decided to make his way to the library. He knew he couldn't gather information openly, but he could still keep an eye on the students and perhaps find ways to assist them without being detected.

Later, in the dimly lit corners of the library, Peter watched as Harry, Ruby, and their friends gathered around a table, surrounded by books and parchment. They were determined to uncover the mystery of Vault 713 and the break-in at Gringotts.

Hermione was leafing through a thick book of magical artifacts. "There has to be something here," she murmured. "Something about Vault 713 or what it might have contained."

While struggling with a stack of books, Neville added, "We'll find it. We have to keep looking."

Peter, hidden in the shadows, felt a pang of guilt. He knew more than he could ever share openly, but he could leave subtle clues that might guide them in the right direction. Helping protect them, even in small ways, might ease some of his guilt.

Peter hurried away as the students continued their research, his mind made up. He would find ways to aid them, to offer protection and guidance without revealing himself. It was a small step, but for Peter, it was a chance at redemption—a chance to honor the memory of James and Lily by protecting their son from the shadows.