Lightning Split the Sky!

And so, Sean began chanting the incantation repeatedly at sunrise and sunset every day. To his surprise, just a week later, when he was chanting the incantation as the sun was just rising on the horizon in the morning, his heart started beating.

Suddenly, another heartbeat appeared where the tip of his wand was pointing at his heart. The feeling was very strange, as if some creature was residing inside his body.

The heartbeat seemed to originate from within his own heart, as if two hearts were sharing a single blood-supplying organ. The extra heartbeat was significantly slower than Sean's original heartbeat, but it was stronger and more powerful.

Dumbledore mentioned in his notes that the extra heartbeats were often related to the Transfiguration animal form. For example, when Professor McGonagall was doing this step, her second heartbeat was much faster than before, about 150 beats per minute, but the amplitude was not as strong as before.

This matches the cat's heart rate.

Dumbledore said he also knew an Animagus who had passed away, whose second heartbeat was extremely fast, around 500 beats per minute—her Animagus form was a hummingbird.

Sean felt another heartbeat. Based on his current performance, he might be turning into some kind of stronger creature.

It's not an aquatic creature, is it...?

This Transfiguration is not unprecedented; a wizard once experienced something similar. He perfectly completed all the steps required by the Animagus, finding a wide, safe place—and then he transformed into a shark.

He was just a hair's breadth away from dying on the ground—the sorcerer forcibly transformed back into human form at the last moment.

But he never dared to try Animagus again, and in the rest of his life, he suddenly developed a problem: he had to keep moving in order to keep breathing, and he even had to cast a Dancing Steps Charm on himself while sleeping.

So this guy died pretty young...

Sean also started thinking about the location for the Transfiguration. To ensure nothing went wrong, it would be best to find a place with varied terrain and water...

Hmm? Sean's eyes lit up; he suddenly thought of a good place to go.

He raised his hand, and the Gemstone Ring Newt had given him on his index finger was Winky.

This is a great place... Hermione can just hold the ring, and Pudding can stay inside the ring to protect herself.

The terrain is even easier to handle. Diagon Alley has a ton of magical environments that can be placed, whether it's a desert, a snow-capped mountain, or a river, you can just pay for it.

With no worries left, Sean was completely relaxed and now just waited for the storm to come.

But as the sun set, Sean encountered an unexpected situation.

The second heartbeat changed; it was no longer slow and strong. It was beating rapidly at twice the speed of Sean's original heartbeat, and at the same time, it became weak.

Sean's brows furrowed tightly.

Dumbledore did mention that heartbeats can change, but these changes usually happen much later. Generally, a newly formed heartbeat will stay at a certain frequency for a period of time. If you don't witness a storm during this period, it will suddenly change someday, perhaps becoming weaker or stronger.

However, there will not be a situation where the heart rate is one at sunrise and another at sunset.

Was it an anomaly or a special circumstance? With these questions in mind, Sean knocked on the door of the Headmaster's Office at Newmontgard Castle after dinner.

"Come in—" came the authoritative voice from inside.

However, upon seeing that the person who entered was Sean, Grindelwald reverted to his previous casual and relaxed demeanor.

"Look, what a wonderful guest! Good evening, child," he said with a smile.

"Good evening, sir." Sean blinked; the old man's expression changed so quickly...

Grindelwald seemed to have guessed his thoughts. "You think I change my tune too quickly? Ha, you know, my child, as the headmaster of a School of Magic, kindness is a powerful tool for building rapport between teachers and students, but authority is the best way to prevent them from doing anything foolish—of course, such an authoritative Mr. Grindelwald is so relaxed and at ease when facing Sean Wallerup, isn't that particularly easy to win your favor? Ha, after all, special treatment always brings a sense of superiority, doesn't it?"

That's true, but it would be too embarrassing for me to nod... Sean, too embarrassed to continue, quickly explained his purpose.

"A new heart rate was established within a day..." After listening to Sean's explanation, Grindelwald, who was leaning back in his chair, habitually crossed his legs. He twirled his short beard with one hand and tapped rhythmically on the table with the other.

"I've seen quite a few failed Animagus transformations, whether it was an accident during the Transfiguration or a terrible mutation caused by contamination from Potions. However, this is the first time I've seen one like yours," he said.

Did the old man in front of him not know either? Sean felt a little regretful.

"However...it's not necessarily a bad thing," Grindelwald said.

"Why do you say that, sir?" Sean asked, puzzled.

"Because I am Seer." Grindelwald winked at him.

Sean's mouth dropped open in realization. Oh right, how could he have forgotten that? Grindelwald was a born Seer; he could see glimpses of the future!

"After that mess, I looked back, and well," he shrugged, "It was blurry, but I didn't see you turn into anything weird."

Sean breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that something might happen to the Animagus; once it mutated, it would be difficult to reverse.

Grindelwald tossed him a candy, then peeled one for himself and popped it into his mouth. The moment the candy entered his mouth, he frowned. "Damn, this stuff is way too sweet! Albus still has teeth—"

He looked utterly miserable, and after finally swallowing the candy with difficulty, he smacked his lips and said, "Tsk—don't worry too much, Sean. Although I haven't practiced Animagus, I know a lot about Transfiguration. While the unknown is something to be wary of, proceed boldly once you're sure the previous steps are correct."

This time, Grindelwald didn't take out his wand. He stretched out a hand, his thin fingers making a grasping motion in the air. Then, to Sean's astonishment, the other man's hand transformed into a powerful, fiery Fire Dragon.

He scratched a mark on the table with his dragon claw, the piercing sound hitting Sean's eardrums.

"Sean, no matter what kind of technique or state Transfiguration takes, its essence remains the same: ' Transfiguration.' Remember this, and at the same time, do not reject your own uniqueness."

Grindelwald's hand returned to normal, and he smiled gently, "Geniuses always see more of the wonders of magic. What I can do, Albus can do, you may be able to do as well, or even more."

What's special about him... Sean lowered his head slightly and looked at his heart.

Perhaps this is what he had felt before? Transfiguration will bring him many more different changes...

"Alright, go back to sleep. You're full of energy, but this old man can't stay up all night anymore. Goodbye, have a good night's sleep."

After saying that, Grindelwald waved his hand, and Sean drifted outside involuntarily before being gently placed on the ground.

"Click." The office door closed, leaving Sean standing dumbfounded in the hallway outside.

What a capricious old man... Sean shrugged, relieved, and headed toward the Common Room.

After he left, in the Headmaster's Office, Grindelwald turned his chair and looked at the bookshelf.

"I have to say, Albus really does look alike?"

The air in front of the bookshelf stirred, and Dumbledore's figure appeared.

He stared at the office door, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Grindelwald continued, "Just like when we were young, when we followed the rules and experiences left by our predecessors, there were always unexpected things that happened."

He shrugged. "Could I call this the inspiration of geniuses?"

Dumbledore turned his head, found a chair and sat down, placing his hands on his knees, a look of reminiscence in his eyes. "There is no such thing as genius—we are just lucky enough to be closer to the essence of magic than others."

Grindelwald gave a faint smile, "Oh, humble Master Dumbledore —you didn't say that when you were young, did you?"

"That's because I know an arrogant friend," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"No, no, no, although you are my best friend, I must correct you. That wasn't arrogance. I do possess extraordinary talent in Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Prophecy, and so on; I just made it more obvious—I usually call this quality 'honesty'~"

"But you're not even an Animagus yet," Dumbledore said, shrugging.

"Come on, my old pal," Grindelwald said, dramatically waving his fist, "That's just because I don't want to practice those troublesome and useless little tricks. Besides—an illegal Animagus doesn't seem to have the right to say that."

"Oh, I must correct you on one point," Dumbledore, holding up a finger. "Animagus refers to a wizard who can transform into an animal while retaining his magical powers. The key word is animal."

"Aren't Magical Creatures animals?"

"It's not mentioned in the Animagus Registration Statute of the Office of Improper Use of Magic at the Ministry of Magic."

"Oh, no wonder he's the greatest wizard of our time—even when it comes to exploiting loopholes! Wow, amazing."

Should I thank you for your compliment?

"Albus, you're much more shameless now than you were when you were young."

"Thank you for the compliment, Gellert."

Reassured, Sean continued his practice. He discovered that his second heartbeat exhibited a different frequency each time he chanted the mantra. By this Sunday, Sean had eight different heartbeat frequencies.

Could I transform into several Animagus forms? Sean often thought this in his spare time.

In the history of Wizarding World, or rather, in all recorded history, there seems to have never been Animagus like this.

The only exception is Merlin, the legendary wizard whose name has become synonymous with wizarding, who is the most amazing Animagus beastmaster in history.

Merlin, known as the Magic Prince, can Transfiguration all sorts of animals and talk to them; he can even transform into a virus.

Of course, Merlin's era is too far removed from the present, Sean is unsure whether there are any parts of the legendary wizard's deeds that have been mythologized by later generations or have been lost in detail in the records.

However, it is certain that Merlin's Animagus does indeed have many different forms.

Sean got excited at the thought. Could he also transform into several different forms?

If it's true, it would be incredibly useful. He could even register a form with the Ministry of Ministry of Magic 'Office of Improper Use of Magic, and then use other forms when needed.

This made Sean look forward to the day he would transform.

But he never expected that this day would come so soon.

Just eleven days later, on a day off, when Sean got out of bed, a fierce wind was blowing outside the window, and torrential rain was pounding against the glass like beans.

"No way, did my luck suddenly explode?" Sean immediately shook off all sleepiness.

When he got dressed and went to the Common Room, Hermione and Daisy were already waiting for him.

"Sean, you're awake!" Hermione exclaimed anxiously. "Oh my god, oh my god, a storm! I was going to wake you up, thank goodness you woke up on your own—"

She seemed somewhat incoherent.

Sean was getting a little excited too. He took a deep breath and asked, "Did you see lightning?"

"No, I've been watching outside the whole time. It's just raining so far, there's no thunder or lightning yet," Daisy replied quickly.

The storm is coming; this is an important step towards becoming Animagus.

The instant the lightning flashes across the sky, immediately go to where you buried the Crystal Vial. If you have correctly completed all the steps above, you will find a single dose of Blood-Red Potion inside.

"I wonder if there will be thunder and lightning today..." Sean was starting to feel uneasy.

The group couldn't sit still in the Common Room, so they went to the exit on the first floor near the basement level and found a floor-to-ceiling window with a complete view of the weather outside.

"Lightning, lightning..." Daisy's eyes widened, her hands clenched together as she stared intently out the window.

Just as she was muttering those words, a dazzling bolt of lightning ripped across the sky!

"Let's go!" Sean rushed ahead towards the underground classroom.

He quickly entered the room and opened the Stone Chamber. The Crystal Vial still lay there quietly, and inside was just the right amount of red Potions.

The steps are correct!

Sean picked up the Potions and turned around. Hermione had just locked the door and was running over, panting.

He handed the ring to the girl. "I'm going now."

Just as he was about to crawl into the opening in the ring, Hermione and Daisy each grabbed one of his hands and squeezed it tightly.

They didn't speak, their faces trying to convey encouragement as they awaited your victorious return, but in the end, their expressions turned to worry.

"Don't worry." Sean squeezed their hands, and when he arrived in the Ring Space expanded by the Undetectable Extension Charm, his face had turned into the most serious expression.

"It's about to begin..."