Teaching Aid from Abroad

"In the first lesson, we will not be teaching formally. We will mainly talk about some basic information about Animagus and related precautions."

Professor McGonagall stood behind the lectern, her gentle voice ringing in the ears of every young wizard.

"First of all, students who were not selected for the Teaching Class this time don't need to worry. The Animagus class will be based at the Transfiguration Club. Every year from now on, the club will organize a selection exam for the Animagus class, and every student will have the opportunity to take the exam."

A murmur immediately broke out among the students, some of whom were already getting excited.

The Animagus class is based at Hogwarts, which means they have more opportunities to try it every year thereafter.

Even if they fail the first exam, it can be considered as gaining experience. If they try a few more times and take the exam several times, they will eventually pass. If they still haven't entered the Teaching Class after several years, it proves that they don't have any talent in Transfiguration, so they should just give up.

The above was addressed to the observers. Loren, Hermione, and the other formal students in the Teaching Class didn't react much, as they had already passed the exam.

"I urge everyone to carefully consider whether to study Animagus. I have given you some examples before: Mirabella, who turned into a black-striped Cod and got lost in Loch Lomond; and the seven hedgehog sons of the dark wizard Thaddeus Serkel. These are all bloody examples of failed Human Transfiguration."

Aside from a few extreme cases, there are many studies on minor Animagus disorders, such as patches of animal hair or scales growing on the body, or webbed fingers resembling those of aquatic animals. These are incurable.

These minor ailments are fine if they happen in inconspicuous places, but if they appear on the face, they can severely impact daily life. Fish gills grow on the chin, the mouth transforms into the beak of a sharp-nosed animal, horns sprout from the head...

The young wizards' eager anticipation cooled somewhat as they slowly began to recall that there were only seven registered Animagus (now there are eight), largely because the magic was too risky.

To spend one's entire life learning a spell is not a worthwhile trade.

"Do we have these risks too?" one of the Twins, Fred, shouted.

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Professor Black and I will keep an eye on your progress and check your physical condition. As long as you strictly follow the rules we have set, there should be no irreparable damage."

Her gaze swept across the faces of the Teaching Class members. "Of course, I can't guarantee 100% that any member can withdraw from the Teaching Class at any time."

George raised his hand and shouted, "That won't stop us from transforming into lions!"

This sentence ignited the enthusiasm of the Teaching Class members, and many young wizards shouted along:

"It should be an eagle!"

"Is nobody supporting pythons?"

"And badgers too!"

"Hufflepuff, don't bother coming along."

"What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? Badgers include wolverines!"

"Quiet!"

Professor McGonagall looked seriously at the group of young wizards. "You must know that most people's Animagus are not majestic eagles, lions, or tigers, but cats, dogs, small birds, or even insects."

"I hope you will seriously consider whether it is worth spending months or even years learning to be Animagus, just to become an animal without Magic Power?"

"The professor doesn't even want to mention the badger..." Cedric said sadly to the person next to him.

This drew another burst of playful laughter from the Gryffindor wizards.

The young wizards whispered among themselves, having learned a little about the Animagus ritual process before attending the class.

Step 1: For a full month (from Full Moon to the Full Moon), you must keep a single Mandrake leaf in your mouth. You must not swallow the leaf or remove it from your mouth at any time. If the leaf leaves your mouth, the entire process must be restarted.

Step 2: Take out the leaf during the Full Moon, fill a small crystal vial with saliva, soak the leaf in it, and let it receive the pure moonlight (if the night is cloudy, you will have to find a new Mandrake and start over).

Add a strand of your hair and a silver teaspoon of dew to a crystal vial bathed in moonlight. The dew must be collected from a place that has not seen sunlight or been touched by humans for seven whole days. Finally, add a Death's-head Hawkmoth Chrysalis. Place this mixture in a quiet, dark place and do not look at it or disturb it until the next thunderstorm.

Step 3: While waiting for the storm to arrive, at each sunrise and sunset, you should do the following: point the tip of your wand to your heart and chant the spell. "Amado, Animo, Animado, Animagus".

The wait for the storm could be weeks, months, or even years. During this time, the crystal vial must remain completely undisturbed and protected from sunlight. (Sunlight pollution can cause the most severe mutations.)

If you continue to chant the spell repeatedly at sunrise and sunset, you will encounter a moment when the tip of your wand touches your chest, and you will feel a second heartbeat, sometimes stronger than the original heartbeat, sometimes weaker.

Step 4: The instant the lightning flashes across the sky, immediately dig out the small crystal vial. In a spacious and safe place, point the tip of your wand at your heart and chant the spell, "Amador, Animo, Animado, Animagus." Then drink the blood- Potions that has been brewed.

All that remains is to control the primal instincts surging within his body. If all goes well, Animagus will be done.

"To reiterate, I strongly oppose any attempts you may make on your own regarding Animagus. Do not imitate the behavior of your classmates or roommates just because they are members of the Teaching Class. Without a teacher's supervision, any unfortunate incident could occur."

At this point, Professor McGonagall glanced at Sirius Black.

Sirius Black didn't say anything, and his expression didn't show anything unusual; he just sat up straighter.

Many more young wizards hesitated and wavered. Animagus was not a very practical magic, and the animal that appeared after transformation was random. No one could predict what animal they would draw.

The theory is complex, the process is tedious, the results are unpredictable, and the risks are high. If you're not particularly interested in Animagus, it's best to abandon the idea of studying it as soon as possible.

Just as Professor McGonagall had predicted, the illusion was shattered and reality was laid bare. Some people had thoughts of giving up, but a large number of them still harbored enthusiasm for Animagus.

Professor McGonagall smiled and decided to pull out her last weapon to dissuade people, "Besides me, Professor Black is also an Animagus, and I think some of you have already seen that."

Sirius Black stood up, bowed to the young wizards, and then sat back down amidst applause.

Professor McGonagall continued, "Before the formal start of the course, we have invited an Animagus who wishes to remain anonymous to demonstrate to you the Transfiguration of this special species of Beetle."

The young wizards' eyes widened in surprise.

"Beetle? There really are such Animagus?"

"I thought Professor McGonagall was joking when she mentioned insects!"

"After months of hard work, I ended up as a bug—"

"If it were me, I would cry my eyes out."

Loren and Hermione exchanged a glance. Hermione lowered her voice and said incredulously, "Professor McGonagall actually made her a teaching assistant?"

"..."

Loren paused for a moment, then said, "It might not be a teaching assistant, but a teaching aid."

Now it was Hermione's turn to be silent.

Bringing it into the classroom in a glass bottle—this treatment certainly doesn't seem like that of a teaching assistant.

Feeling the gazes of so many people, Rita inside the glass bottle trembled, and even the veins on the Beetle's wings quivered.

The Transfiguration classes were completely different from when she graduated; they even included Animagus courses. Rita Skeeter, Ravenclaw native, thought to herself, recalling recent experiences.

Some time ago, Senior Deputy Minister of Magic, Umbridge, contacted her and offered her a large sum of money to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic's publicity efforts.

Rita didn't agree immediately. She was a top-notch special correspondent and a bestselling author, not a mouthpiece for the Ministry of Magic. Why would she easily agree for money?

However, Umbridge kept asking for higher and higher prices, and was even willing to open up the Ministry of Magic's archives and provide special assistance...

Afterwards, Rita, carrying the Veritaserum given to her by Umbridge, went to Godric's Hollow to meet Bathilda Bagshot, a A History of Magic and the author of the Hogwarts A History of Magic textbook A History of Magic.

She was Dumbledore's neighbor and the only person in Godric's Hollow who could speak to Dumbledore's mother.

Most importantly, he was Gellert Grindelwald's great-aunt.

That summer, after Albus Dumbledore graduated from Hogwarts and returned to Godric's Hollow as an orphan and head of his family, Bathilda Bagshot's great-nephew Gellert Grindelwald, came to live in Godric's Hollow. Bathilda introduced Gellert to Albus, and the two gifted boys became good friends.

After drinking the Veritaserum, Bathilda, in a semi-conscious state, spoke candidly, revealing many details of the greatest wizard of our time, including his childhood and youth.

Based on the unearthed secrets, Rita has already decided on the title for her next book: "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore".

According to Bathilda's revelations, the short reports she wrote helped the Daily Prophet achieve record-breaking sales. She planned to capitalize on this momentum, writing a few more reports about the Basilisk and Dumbledore, while also gathering material for her new book.

Rita sent an application to Hogwarts posing as a journalist, only to be bluntly rejected by Minerva McGonagall. Annoyed by the wording of the reply, Rita infiltrated Hogwarts, intending to eavesdrop on several supposed Champion had defeated the Basilisk, then, with some subtle embellishment, write a story that would break sales records.

They were caught as soon as they entered the Castle.

These young wizards handed themselves over to Professor McGonagall, Professor McGonagall in turn handed themselves over to Dumbledore.

Aside from the fact that everything he fed her was sickeningly sweet, Dumbledore didn't make things difficult for her, which made Rita feel a sense of relief.

She fantasized that Dumbledore would hand her over to the Ministry of Magic, and that she could get away with it through the Senior Deputy Minister of Magic, only having to pay a fine to register as Animagus.

Until that night, when Snape knocked on the Headmaster's office door, Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a few words before Dumbledore cast Stunning Spell on her.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Snape and McGonagall interrogating her.

It was a dilapidated and dirty Abandoned Classroom. Hogwarts had many such Abandoned Classroom, and Rita often gossiped about her classmates in these Abandoned Classroom when she was a student.

Sometime during the night, she had already reverted to human form. This was not surprising; Dumbledore and McGonagall were both masters of Transfiguration, and reverting to their Animagus was easy for them.

Then, Snape poured a compound potion into her mouth. Besides the familiar smell of Veritaserum Rita, it contained other ingredients that blurred her consciousness once again...

The first thing he saw upon regaining consciousness was Snape looking at him with a mocking and amused expression. "Fabricating facts, slandering and spreading rumors, not only involving multiple high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic, but also the American Magical Congress... In addition to political news from multiple countries, there are also Quidditch team scandals involving Ireland, Wales... Player transfers, team managers abusing players, referees accepting bribes..."

"Ms. Skeeter. Rita Skeeter seems to disdain reporting anything that isn't sensational."

If this information gets out, even if the Ministry of Magic doesn't investigate Rita's crimes, those powerful figures will still issue a bounty on her head. At that point, there will be nowhere for her to hide in the world.

Except for Azkaban.

Rita's last hope was shattered by these words, and driven by fear, she pleaded with Professor McGonagall and won the job as a teaching aid.

On the podium, Professor McGonagall unscrewed the cap of the glass bottle and gently poured the Beetle onto the table. "Begin your performance, Miss Beetle."

Under the watchful eyes of many young wizards, the black Beetle flapped its wings and flew into the air to the side of the podium, its body beginning to swell. Its exoskeleton shed, its tentacles lengthened, and gradually a human silhouette appeared, eventually transforming into a blonde woman.

Her once-perfect wavy curls were now a mess, the red nail polish on her pointed toenails had peeled off, and the two fake jewels on her glasses had been replaced after falling off. There was no trace of her former glamour.

The black veil covering the lower half of her face preserved her only dignity.

Looking at the many young wizards, Rita's lifeless eyes flickered, but remembering that those unspeakable secrets were in the hands of Snape and McGonagall, she suppressed the impulse in her heart.

The young wizards were quiet for a few seconds, then began to discuss in hushed tones.

"Why is she covering her face?" someone asked, puzzled.

A young wizard whose parent works at the Ministry of Magic said mysteriously, "Because she is Animagus. Among the few registered Animagus, there is no Beetle."

The students around them stared wide-eyed in surprise, scrutinizing the stage even more closely.

A young Hufflepuff wizard whispered, "Should we report the illegal Animagus?"

Fred stared at him. "You mean you're going to report Professor McGonagall too?"

"I don't!"

Hearing these discussions, Professor McGonagall patted the lectern. "Don't overthink it. This assistant teacher was brought in from another country, so he's not registered with the British Ministry of Magic."

Hermione leaned to the side and asked, "What do you think Professor McGonagall will do with her in the end?"

"I don't know," Loren shrugged. "At least for now you don't have to worry about Professor McGonagall handing her over to the Ministry of Magic."