Practicing the Animagus

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall, but it seems I'm a little late," Ivan apologized as he closed the door.

"No, I haven't been here that long." The tabby cat opened its mouth and spoke in human language, then leapt lightly to the ground.

Its body continued to expand in mid-air, and within a second or two, it had transformed into a middle-aged witch wearing dark green robes and square spectacles.

Ivan's eyes burned with envy at this ability to switch between two forms at will without the use of a wand or incantation.

Professor McGonagall adjusted her square spectacles and walked back to the lecture table. "So, before we begin our lessons, I must ask you a question. What do you know about Animagus?"

Yvonne thought for a moment, then spoke solemnly.

"AnimaGus is a high-level transfiguration spell used by wizards on themselves.

There is no need to cast spells or use a wand after mastering the skill. The magical effect is to transform oneself into some sort of animal, most of which is used to detect or evade danger. Few people are wary of an ordinary creature…

There are some risks involved in the first transformation, so in addition to talent and perseverance, the practice of the Animagus usually requires a little luck…"

Yvonne recalled the book's description of the Animagus, combining it with information she had gathered during her school years.

Professor McGonagall's expression became more and more satisfied. This meant that Ivan's learning of Animagus was not an easy decision, but one that he had prepared and consulted extensively.

Professor McGonagall waited for Ivan to finish explaining his understanding before continuing.

"Well said, but you left out a few others! The first Animagus is usually limited to ordinary creatures, and the transformation into a magical creature has unpredictable consequences.

Second, this transfiguration requires one to report to the Ministry of Magic, and since the 20th century, only seven Animagi have been recorded so far! So the Animagi transfiguration is not just dangerous, it is extremely dangerous!"

Professor McGonagall glanced at Ivan, hoping he understood the danger, and continued, "Of course, the danger is not constant, and the higher the level of your Transfiguration, the lower the risk."

Ivan, on the other hand, didn't care about the risk of the transformation that McGonagall mentioned. He was confident in his Transfiguration skills, and he also had a temporary buff like the Academic Genius Experience Card.

However, Professor McGonagall's request to report this to the Ministry of Magic troubled Ivan.

Ivan grimaced. He didn't want his Animagus transformation to become public knowledge, which would greatly diminish the value of the spell.

'Can I not report it?'

Ivan gave him a discreet questioning look, but Professor McGonagall ignored it.

Ivan was not discouraged. Professor McGonagall's silence meant that she would not interfere, so it was up to him to register…

While Ivan was lost in his thoughts, Professor McGonagall carefully explained the difficulties of the Animagus cultivation, and Ivan quickly composed himself and listened carefully to every step.

The practice of the Animagus was extremely tedious, and the first step was to hold a leaf of Mandrake in your mouth for an entire month.

It had to be done from one full moon to the next, and the leaves could not be removed from the mouth in the process, or they would start over.

A month later, the leaf could be used to brew a tedious potion, which would then be buried in a place where it would not be disturbed or touched by the sun.

If the potion is completely blood-red in colour, it means that all the steps are correct, and the potion allows one to begin the first Animagus transformation…

Listening to the steps, Ivan frowned. It was too much trouble…

He thought that an Animagus only needed to have a high-level Transfiguration Spell to learn it.

"Professor McGonagall, is potion-making necessary?" Yvonne asked.

The other steps were more tedious and could be solved, but it was more difficult to bury the potion in one place and wait for the storm. Who knew when the storm would come around here?

It would not be good to go abroad and hide the potion in a stormy area, right?

"Not really," Professor McGonagall said, shaking her head.

"But it will greatly reduce the difficulty and danger of the practice, and unless you are confident in your Transfiguration skills, such as Headmaster Albus's, you will do well to follow the steps!"

Professor McGonagall waved her wand in the air, and the light of her magic flowed through the air, slowly morphing into several half-human, half-monster creatures with twisted forms and pained expressions.

"These are the wizards who have failed in their transfiguration, and there is nothing that can be done to restore a wizard who has failed in his transfiguration." Professor McGonagall was very serious, not joking at all, and warned Ivan that if he did not want to become like this, it would be best not to do it in private.

Ivan dismissed his earlier unrealistic belief that his Transfiguration was better than Dumbledore's, even under the effects of the Experience Card.

McGonagall placed a young emerald leaf in front of Ivan.

"These are the leaves of the Mandrake. You should be grateful that your Professor Sprout has recently brought in a batch of Mandrake, saving you a lot of trouble."

Professor McGonagall paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "As for when exactly to begin, that's up to you."

Ivan was still surprised that you knew the Muggle weather forecast. It seemed that McGonagall, who was a regular visitor to the Muggle world, was not entirely ignorant of life there.

It was just that Ivan didn't want to wait around like a fool. God only knew how long it would take for a storm to hit. What if it didn't come in years?

Ivan felt that the Room of Requirement might be able to create a scene in which he could practise the Animagus Transfiguration…

After Ivan took the Mandrake leaves, Professor McGonagall handed him a copy of her notes.

Flipping through the notes, Ivan found that they were all about learning how to transfigure an Animagus. The notes were very detailed and highlighted some dangerous points, which Professor McGonagall had obviously sorted out over the past few days…