A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 639: Animagus - (1)

Chapter 639: Animagus

After the match, Harry gave a brief victory speech in the changing room.

"I'm proud of all of you. Each one of you was fantastic! Katie, despite the possible criticism, showed extraordinary courage and decisiveness—"

He named each player, with a large Quidditch tactical diagram left by Wood behind him. It was a 'legacy,' and it was crawling with colorful little figures, arrows, and some strange markings. Harry still hadn't fully understood their meanings.

"I didn't think that much at the time," Katie shook her head.

"Demelza, hit three goals against two opponents targeting you—"

Demelza smiled.

"Perks and Goot, your seamless coordination repeatedly saved teammates in danger while creating opportunities for offense—"

Two beaters grinned, applauding enthusiastically.

"Ron—blocked five goals, one of them particularly spectacular; Ginny, scored sixty points, impressive performance—"

"And you, the most outstanding Seeker." Ginny smirked.

Harry pretended not to hear the cheers from other players and continued, "Yes, and me... caught the Golden Snitch." He improvised a few encouraging words, even quoting Wood's old speech, and surprisingly, it flowed smoothly. Katie stifled a laugh, and Harry, slightly embarrassed, declared the end.

Players left the changing room cheerfully, Ginny kissed Harry on the cheek and floated away like a ballet dancer.

For a moment, only Harry and Ron were left in the changing room.

Harry glanced nervously into the corner, and Ron still had that gloomy expression. He opened his mouth to speak, "Ron, Ginny and I—"

But the door opened from outside, and Hermione called, "Is it not over yet? We're going to be late for our meeting with Hagrid!"

"We're coming out now."

Harry muttered, pulling Ron forward. However, Ron fell straight to the ground, making a loud noise.

Harry jumped, and Hermione hurried over as they realized something was wrong. After some investigation, they found out that Ron was hit by a Petrification Curse and a Stickfast Hex. "It's Ginny's doing! How dare she?" Ron rubbed his cheek, indignant. By this time, they had reached Hagrid's hut, and Ron used a tongue cramp as an excuse to decline Hagrid's homemade toffees.

"Your sister loves to joke around; I've noticed it for a long time," Hagrid casually said while flipping sizzling sausages with tongs, "How's everything lately? I mean, your advanced classes—"

Harry immediately put down the tooth-marked toffee as Hagrid handed them. The three of them poured out their grievances about the strict new professor and the difficult and uninteresting coursework, regretting not choosing Care of Magical Creatures.

Hagrid listened happily. He handed them the slightly burnt, oily sausages. The three of them took it, including Ron. While Hagrid brewed tea, Harry quickly stuffed the sticky toffee into Ron's mouth.

Hermione glared at Harry, bit her lip, and didn't dare to imitate.

"You're exaggerating... trying to cheer me up," Hagrid chuckled, flipping sausages with a sizzling sound, "How about Slughorn—definitely talented, even though I didn't learn much from him... you know, I got expelled in my third year."

He mumbled, "That Bathsheba professor is not simple either. I guess he and Dumbledore are old acquaintances, close ones... "

"How do you know that?" Ron said, mouth full.

"Oh!" Hagrid laughed, "I saw them walking together from a distance during my morning patrol in the Forbidden Forest, maybe discussing something... I've seen it more than once."

"Probably discussing Professor Bathsheba's course content," Harry thought for a moment, "His classes are quite controversial."

"I don't know about that," Hagrid paused, "He came to me, asked about the school... a good person, refreshing... he's quite interested in little Grawpy too, rare..."

The three remained silent. During the rest of the time, they happily ate grilled sausages and drank hot tea until Hermione mentioned that they were learning Animagus tomorrow. Harry and Ron became restless, and soon they said goodbye.

Back in the common room, Harry and Ron eagerly borrowed notes from Hermione, preparing for a late-night study session. But Hermione had lent her notes to Neville, so they found Neville and copied notes from him. The three of them sat together with furrowed brows.

Meanwhile, Hermione took out her magical runes book and started reading.

"How much have you read?" Ron asked Neville.

"Not much," Neville whispered, "I'm not good at Transfiguration, and there's a lot of human transfiguration knowledge in there that I don't understand."

Ron sighed and turned to Harry, "I remember you read a bit too, right?"

"Just some failed cases," Harry said dejectedly, "I brought it to lighten the mood, but it scared me. It said if the practice goes wrong, you might grow an extra tail or nose."

"I wonder how Sirius and them did it," Ron grumbled.

They opened Hermione's notes, huddled together, and discussed. Surprisingly, they found that even Hermione didn't fully understand. She had marked many questions on her notes, indicating she was planning to ask them tomorrow. After a brief discussion, they unanimously decided that if Hermione found it challenging, they didn't need to waste time on it. They swiftly skipped the difficult parts, significantly accelerating their progress.

As they neared bedtime, Harry yawned with teary eyes, having only read one-third. Now his mind was a mess, and he vaguely saw a gleam in Hermione's eyes.

"Hermione, your eyes—"

"What's wrong with my eyes?" Hermione asked puzzled.

"...They seem to be glowing," Harry honestly said. Ron and Neville stared at her intently.

"How is that possible? I haven't used magic." Hermione said, but Harry thought he might have been mistaken, so he patiently continued reading the notes. After a while, Hermione went upstairs to rest, and the common room's lights dimmed.

Ron yawned and cast a Lumos spell, creating a circle of white flames revolving around him. Harry and Neville, terrified, instantly became alert. They stayed up until past one or two in the morning before finally going to bed.

The next day, Harry was awakened by Hermione's pet, Crookshanks. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Harry woke up Ron and Neville, and as they got dressed and went downstairs, Hermione was already waiting at the door. They hadn't even had breakfast; they were wolfing down the teddy bear biscuits Hermione provided.

"Just a few of you left." Felix said with a kind smile as they entered.

They walked in to find the furniture in the teacher's lounge piled up in the corner, leaving a large area in the middle. Professor McGonagall, wearing a dark green checkered robe with her hair twisted into a high bun, looked serious.

Harry and the others mixed in with the crowd, surprised to see a few unfamiliar faces among the seventh-year students. It seemed they were the top students from the Transfiguration Club who would be attending their class.

"Alright, students," Professor McGonagall said sternly, "There are a few new faces among you. They are the top performers in the Animagus

transformation class. They will assist you in today's practice. I hope everyone works hard and cooperates well."

The Animagus transformation was highly difficult, and not everyone was capable of it. Even among the top students, there were only a few who succeeded.

The familiar sound of the whistle echoed, and McGonagall began the class.

"Today, I will guide you through the preliminary steps of the Animagus transformation. Keep in mind that this is a complex and dangerous magic, and you should follow my instructions carefully."

Harry's mind was in turmoil as he listened to McGonagall's lecture. He had always been curious about Animagus transformation, and now that he had the opportunity to learn it, he was both excited and nervous.

The preliminary steps involved mastering the transformation of a single body part into an animal feature. McGonagall demonstrated by transforming her hand into a cat's paw, and the students watched in awe.

"Now, it's your turn," McGonagall announced.

The students paired up, and Harry found himself partnered with Neville. They stood facing each other, ready to attempt the transformation.

"Concentrate and visualize the animal feature you want to transform," McGonagall instructed.

The room was filled with the sound of students concentrating, trying to achieve the first step of the Animagus transformation.

Harry closed his eyes, focusing on transforming his hand into a cat's paw. He imagined the texture of fur, the shape of claws, and the sensation of a feline limb. After a few minutes of intense concentration, he opened his eyes to see if anything had changed.

To his surprise, his hand was still a human hand. Neville, too, looked disappointed.

"Remember, it takes time and practice. Don't be discouraged," McGonagall encouraged.

The class continued with various exercises to help students develop control and precision in their magical transformations. Despite the initial difficulty, there was an air of determination in the room. The prospect of becoming an Animagus was too enticing to give up easily.

As the class progressed, some students began to show signs of success. Faint animal features started to appear on their hands or other body parts. McGonagall went around, offering guidance and encouragement to those who struggled.

After a couple of hours, Harry felt a tingling sensation in his hand. When he looked down, he saw the faint outline of cat fur and claws. Excitement surged through him, but McGonagall reminded everyone to take it slow and not rush the process.

The class concluded with McGonagall expressing her satisfaction with the progress made. She emphasized the importance of patience and practice in mastering the Animagus transformation.

"Remember, becoming an Animagus is a significant achievement, and it requires dedication. Continue practicing on your own, and we will build on these foundations in future lessons," McGonagall said.

The students left the room with a mix of exhaustion and determination. As they headed back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville discussed their experiences in the class.

"I almost got it," Harry said excitedly, "I could feel the transformation starting."

"I'm still struggling with the visualization," Hermione admitted, "But I won't give up."

"I turned my finger into a lizard tail for a moment," Neville shared, "It was quite strange, but it disappeared quickly."

Back in the common room, they continued their discussion and decided to set aside time each week for Animagus practice. The prospect of transforming into animals fueled their determination.

As they planned their future practice sessions, little did they know that the journey to becoming Animagi would be filled with challenges, discoveries, and unexpected twists. The magical world held secrets waiting to be unveiled, and the trio was ready to embark on this new adventure.

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