chapter 8

I would be happy if you support me on my pa(tre)on account.

Pa(tre)on.com*(/)arcanedruid

 4 September 1942

As I finished my morning run and returned to my room, I felt a massive pain through voxnaturae. It passed so quickly that the pain meant he only felt pain for a moment. Since the pain was only momentary, I concluded that the thing in pain was not injured. The only thing I can think of is that Riddle did something to the basilisk, and for me to feel that kind of pain, the thing that is suffering would have to have a pretty clear and strong consciousness. I need to talk to Radagian about this. Riddle started earlier than expected. I immediately went back to my room and went to Radagian's portrait in my pocket size. When he saw my breathless and panicking state, he suddenly became serious and asked.

"What happened?"

"I just felt enormous pain with voxnaturae. But this was strange, it seemed almost instantaneous, not long-lasting like an injury. Do you think Riddle has taken action?"

"It could be. This has two meanings. Either Riddle attacked someone or he's trying to train the basilisk.If the attacks have started, it means that the basilisk is actually resisting Riddle, using pain as a form of punishment, or maybe Riddle is inflicting pain on the basilisk to make him submit."

"Couldn't there be another possibility? "Like another magical animal that got injured."

"Don't fool yourself, kid. You and I both know that the creature must be very smart and strong for you to feel such a strong pain as you describe. There are almost no creatures in the school that fit this description, except for the basilisk. Also, if there was something like an injury. Pain would not appear and disappear momentarily. Instead, it would continue for a while longer. Riddle is the one who did this, that's for sure. Hmm definitely a dark wizard, of all the methods that would allow him to gain control of that bastard basilisk, he chose the one that would probably cause him a massive amount of pain."

I knew this, but it still wouldn't hurt to hope.

"The materials you mentioned will arrive today. Will the devil trap be as effective as you say?"

"That thing will turn a corridor of Hogwarts into a wall of devil traps. If the basilisk comes after you, that should give you enough chance to escape."

"Okay then, first lesson today is transfiguration, I don't want to miss it."

"Come as soon as classes end. "The devil's trap will take some time to prepare."

After nodding my head in approval, he left the pocket dimension. I went into the shower to take a bath. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but the worst thing about being a half-giant was that my hair and beard grew extremely fast and were difficult to shape, so I had to spend more time in the bathroom than usual.

After bathing, I had a quick breakfast in the great hall and started running to get to transfiguration class. Poor Faye didn't have time to get into my pocket before I started running. His desperate attempt to hold on to my shoulder while I was running provided a very entertaining sight. I managed to enter the classroom no more than 2-3 minutes before the class started. Meanwhile, Professor Mcgonagall was sitting on the table in the form of a cat, waiting for us.

 As class time arrived, Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom. Although he assigned all the lessons of the lower grades to McGonagall, he came to the first lesson of each year. Not just the transfiguration lesson, though, from what I've heard. He also gives alchemy lessons. It's a bit annoying that alchemy is only a newt level course, maybe chimaric alchemy could help. Even though chimaric alchemy interested me, I did not have the necessary knowledge and materials to start doing alchemy.

After roll call, Professor Dumbledore took a quick look at the class and started the lesson.

"First of all, it is a great pleasure to see everyone within the boundaries of this class once again. Now let's move on to the lesson. I'm sure all the professors have given you a long lecture by now. Boring things like how important this year is and how different it is compared to previous years and how you need to spend more time on your own studies. I won't retell you things you've already heard many times, but your professors were right and you will be expected to do your own work in transfiguration class, as in other classes. So far, we have only done the transformation from non-living to non-living, but now we will also cover areas such as transformation from non-living to living, and from living to non-living, and even permanent transformation. Does anyone have any questions?"

Someone from the class, whose name I don't know, raised his hand.

"I thought Professor Gamp's law of elemental transfiguration meant that permanent transfiguration was not possible."

"That's not wrong, Miss Seawater. What I mean here is a permanent change of form. To permanently change the shape of something. During transformation, it is the energy used during the spell that determines how long the transformed object will remain that way. Depending on factors such as the size of the object, less or more energy may be needed, and when this energy runs out, the object automatically returns to its previous state. This is where we step in and give the objects whose shape we change the ability to maintain their shape by absorbing ambient energy. Of course, this method has its limits. The reversal spell or damage dealt to the object recycles the transfigured object."

Professor Dumbledore paused to see if anyone in the class had any questions, then continued.

"Today we will talk about animagus, one of the most difficult and advanced examples of permanent shape change. Professor Mcgonagall will help us with this." While Dumbledore was saying his last sentence, the tabby cat waiting on the table suddenly jumped over the table and turned into a human.

"wow"

"airy"

While the students in the class gave various reactions, even I couldn't help but be surprised. Thanks to my knowledge of Canon, I knew that the cat on the table was Mcgonagall. Despite this, I couldn't help but be surprised. Imagine how surprised the students were who had never known this before. Professor Dumbledore continued the lesson after waiting for the class to calm down. " Animagus is a spell that allows a person to turn into an animal at will. This animal can be any animal, and a person can turn into only one animal. It cannot transform into other animals. Animagus animals also tend to have unique clothing or scar-like patterns worn by their owners. Professor Mcgonagall's cat version has shapes around her eyes that resemble the glasses she always wears. Professor Mcgonagall will now answer your questions about transformation."

Questions suddenly began to pour in.

"Does it hurt when you transform?" "Do we choose which animal we become?"

"How is the conversion done?" "Will you teach us?" "Can we turn into magical animals?"

Professor McGonagall calmed the class with a single look and then began speaking. He was already turning into the authoritarian professor with absolute control over his class, whom he would become years later.

"To answer your questions, the answers would be as follows.

 1- We do not choose the animals we will become. The animal that everyone becomes will be the animal within that person. Those who want to know in advance what animals they will turn into. They may try to learn the Patronus spell. Although it is not exact, there is a great similarity between your Patronus and your animal form.

 2-No, it doesn't hurt when I transform. Once you complete the ritual process, it's as easy as breathing.

 3- Although there have been legends throughout history about people turning into magical beasts in animal form, it has been concluded that this is not possible today.

 4-The precise and detailed ritual process is something you will not learn until you reach the NEWT level. Today we will only learn the characteristics of the animagus."

 After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, Crouch raised his hand and wanted to say something.

 "Professor, you just said animagus ritual. I thought rituals were forbidden in magical Britain. Does this mean animagus transformation is illegal?"

 The Crouch family was a family involved in the ministry and generally active in the DMLE and the international cooperation department. I think they raise their children with this mentality. People who strictly abide by discipline and laws.

 "First of all, the only things that are illegal are rituals, also known as dark rituals. Otherwise, many important spells in many fields of magic would never have been performed. I'm sure you've heard that some potions can only be prepared under certain conditions. Events such as the alignment of the planets on a stormy day are actually rituals if examined sufficiently. To continue your question, although the animagus ritual is not prohibited, you are required to register your animal form with the ministry after the ritual is successful because some animagus have misused their animal forms in the past. Today there are only 9 animagus registered with the British Ministry of Magic."

And so the lesson continued.

 .

 .

 .

After the end of transfiguration class, we would have to go up to the astronomy tower for astronomy class. Understandably, the entire class was in quite a hurry, as we were currently on the ground floor and would have to climb to the highest point of Hogwarts to get to class.

Astronomy class, along with potions, was the course with the longest class hours. However, unlike potions, it was divided into two parts. Today's 1-hour theoretical lesson and tomorrow night's 1-hour practical lesson focusing on star observation.

Apparently astronomy is not just about observing stars and planets. Apparently we were studying the effects of the positions of planets and stars on magic. In an example, Professor Satyavati Shahn explained how a comet passing through the solar system a hundred years ago failed all the potions that were being brewed at that moment, and how some of them even flew into the air and harmed the potion masters. Apparently, it is a subject that is very much included in the rituals, but since many such rituals are illegal in Britain, those parts will not be explained. According to the professor, these subjects were taught at the Uagadou magic school because the rituals were legal in many parts of Africa. That's why Uagadou had the best astronomy education in the world and even had an elective course for rituals. Maybe I can go to Uagadou, even for a year, with something like a student exchange program. Frankly, rituals are seen as one of the most important and powerful forms of magic in any fantasy setting.

 . 

 .

 .

After the astronomy class was over, I went to the big hall to spend some time and eat. I was very relieved to see that no student in the school had yet been terrified and no alarm had been raised. The fact that the attacks have not started yet means that Riddle cannot fully control the basilisk yet. This means that I still have time to prepare the devil's trap and take other measures if possible. At Radagian's suggestion, I should learn some talismans and druid spells to cool the environment and create ice. I don't know how I didn't think of this before, but basilisks are snakes, after all, and snakes are cold-blooded. That's why they hate going to cold places. If I'm lucky, the modified demon trap combined with a strong enough cooling spell will be enough to make the basilisk give up in case of any attack.

Well, you know what they say. Speak of the devil and he will appear. At that moment, Riddle entered the great hall. He was surrounded by a crowd made up almost entirely of Slytherins. When I saw him, I couldn't help clenching my fist under my desk. Maybe it's something the old Hagrid left behind, or maybe it's something that comes from being a partial animal lover in my past life, but ever since I felt the wave of pain radiating from the basilisk in the morning, I've felt a great deal of anger towards Riddle.

I decided to go out, partly because I didn't want to be in the same place with him any longer than necessary, and partly because I didn't want to spend the time until Charms class inside. It was very sunny today, which is rare in the Scottish Highlands. I also wanted to play with Faye for a while. I haven't been able to spend much time with her since I started school, and it seemed like a good idea to spend some time with her. Considering there were still 2 hours until Charms class, I had plenty of time. Indeed, the Hogwarts curriculum was almost nonsense.

Just as I stood up, I felt a strange sensation related to voxnaturae. When I turned to the source of the emotion, I noticed Professor Raskalov watching me from his place at the staff table. When I turned to him, she turned his face away, but she was a little slow and we made eye contact, at least for a moment. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. Being Maledictus was a curse. Either she will turn into a wild animal by the end of the day, or she will be forced to join organizations such as the druid circle and remain loyal to that organization for the rest of his life. Still, I can't understand how he managed to become a professor at Hogwarts. Unlike werewolves, which only pose a threat during a full moon, maledictuses could transform into an uncontrolled beast at any time. According to Radagian, maledictus does not evolve into a normal animal. They have high magic resistance and can perform magical attacks depending on the animal they transform into. For example, a snake maledictus has venom that is many times more powerful than its non-magical relatives. Radagian said the curse was likely the product of dark arts masters trying to achieve a magical animagus form.

Maybe I should contact Raskalov. If Druid joins my circle, he will be a valuable assistant against Riddle at school. The only reason I'm not doing this is because I don't know what to say to him, so I can't just stand in front of him and say it, right? Professor, I know your little damn problem. I have a solution, but for it you will have to serve me for the rest of your life.

At best he might laugh at me, at worst he might try to silence me because I know his secret, or he might question me and try to get the solution by force. Of course, this doesn't mean that I won't help him if I get the opportunity.

 I went to Hogwarts garden and started walking around. On the one hand, I let Faye wander around and joke with her from time to time. I'm sure it looks like a pretty funny scene when you look at it from the outside.

 .

 .

 .

I was sitting in the charms class. While I was waiting for the class to slowly fill up, I was browsing through the intermediate level spells book. As the classroom slowly filled up, it was time for class. Almost at the same time as the last student entered, Professor Robert Steffonson was a large, friendly American who did not hesitate to laugh out loud at the jokes he made during the loud lecture.

 After taking the attendance, Professor Steffonson immediately started the lesson.

 "Yes, guys. As you know, so far in this lesson we have examined talismans, also known as 'temporary talismans', that affect the target only for a short time. Now we will start working on some talismans that give long-term magical effects to an object. "Does anyone have any questions?"

Gryffindor's Carter Kane raised his hand and excused himself.

 "Professor, I heard that there is a method called a spell wheel to add multiple talismans to the same object. Will we continue this topic this year? Also, will we need an extra study area when we can do our own studies in charms class, just like in potions class?"

"Good questions, Mr. Kane. The magic wheel method is next year's topic, this year you will learn how to successfully add a single charm to an object, but I see no problem with students who can enchant an object to a certain level of proficiency taking up the topic in advance. Believe me, even this can take quite a long time. For example, if you want to enchant a glass. The same talisman can both freeze the liquid in the glass and keep it at the ideal temperature. Unless you fine-tune a spell in this way, you will not be allowed to move onto the spell wheel. As you can understand, fine-tuning talismans in this way requires long-term practice, so students who wish will be provided with workspaces to practice talismans."

"If you have no more questions, open the textbook to page 15 and let's start the lesson."

1 hour later

I was looking at the empty glass in front of me as if it were my worst enemy. Not only me but many people in the class were doing the same thing.

As the Professor said at the beginning of the lecture, fine-tuning the talismans was incredibly difficult. Even this simple cooling charm was difficult to adjust. I was constantly either freezing the liquid that was poured into it or there was no significant change in its original temperature. At this moment, the professor's voice was heard again.

"Remember, the wand movement should be in an 'f' shape, neither too slow nor too fast. The word required for the talisman is 'salixo'. As you say the words, visualize the feelings that a cold drink makes you feel on a hot summer day."

I don't remember how many times I've heard these sentences. Nothing changed each time. Failure.

I closed my eyes to focus more easily and tried to remember the feeling of drinking a cold cola on a hot summer day. After doing the same thing for about five minutes, I tried to make the talisman once again. After I felt that the talisman was completed, I slowly filled the glass with water from the jug next to the glass. When I drank the water after waiting for a while, I was convinced that even though the water was not at the temperature I wanted, it was better than freezing completely.

Apparently Professor Steffonson agreed with me, when I heard his booming voice behind me.

"Congratulations, Mr Hagrid. An acceptable standard for a first lesson. 5 points to Gryffindor."

Turns out I'm not as bad at this as I thought. Still, it made sense. Occlumancy helped with many things. It did wonders for things like visualization, which are essential in many areas of magic, at least initially.

By the end of the course, I had gotten a little better at this job, but unfortunately I couldn't bring another point to Gryffindor.

 .

 .

 .

In the pocket dimension, in the ritual room of the mansion that used to belong to Radagian but now belongs to me, I was preparing three different mixtures, sweating from my forehead, in front of three different potion cauldrons. One of the mixtures will be used in the drawing of the alchemy circle, and the other two will serve as a catalyst to obtain the final product along with the devil trap seeds. Unfortunately, the mixtures had to be used fresh. That's why I couldn't make and use them in order, after the mixtures were completed, I would have 30 minutes at most to use them. This situation led to my current position. I was sweating and trying to prepare the mixtures while Radagian was barking instructions at me from the portrait behind me. I had to spend almost 150 galleons on the materials for this damn thing, and I had to steal the demon trap seeds from the school.

I should punch Riddle in his smug face at least once for that alone.

Finally, I added a few drops of my own blood to the mixture in the largest cauldron and stirred it clockwise until it turned black.

Without wasting any time, I started drawing the alchemy circle using the mixture in the largest cauldron.

First I drew a big circle, then I drew a triangle with its corners on the edges of the circle. Then I drew three small circles at the corners of the triangle and another small circle at the center of the triangle. I drew straight lines from the circles at the corners of the triangle to the circle in the center. I hurriedly put the devil's trap seeds into one of the hoops in the corners and the other two mixtures in glass containers into the other hoops. I activated the circle while holding one hand over the circle and channeling magical energy into it. Suddenly, a huge amount of magic energy from my body began to be absorbed by the circle, and green lights began to emerge from the circle. At the peak of the transformation the light was so bright I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

Signaling that the transformation was over was when the lights suddenly went out and the absorption of magical energy stopped. Tired from the sudden loss of magical energy and the tension of the last hour, I walked towards the center circle and when I saw the three modified seeds lying on the ground there, I laughed out loud despite all the tiredness and exhaustion. According to Radagian, three seeds was the best result I could get right now. Each seed was devoid of demon trap weaknesses and could fill a ten meter long corridor with a plant wall of demon traps in approximately one second. As a price, he would only stay there for a few hours. I would only use it as a last resort to avoid drawing attention for now.

After saying goodbye to Radagian, I hid the seeds in my robe, exited the pocket dimension, returned to my room at Hogwarts, and fell asleep without even taking off my robe due to exhaustion.