Spring Thunder Brings Rain

"You actually meant to go see Professor Bubage? I thought it was just an excuse for you to run away."

Loren shook his shoulder and nudged Hermione's shoulder as they headed toward Charity Burbage's office in Muggle Studies.

"..." Hermione stared straight ahead, looking like a young wizard on her first trip to the professor's office, intently learning her way.

The windows on the Seventh Floor corridor were all open. With the building higher up, and no longer obstructed by the Forbidden Forest and surrounding towers, a gentle breeze blew in from outside. The greyish-white sky was like a canvas, with muted paint depicting swirling clouds, giving the scene a slightly gloomy atmosphere.

"I thought you were quick-witted, but I also have some doubts. After all, you don't seem like the type to lie to the professor... well, you don't usually lie."

"..." Hermione clenched her fist and then let go.

Loren's words were rambling and pointless; he just wanted to talk. Without Hermione's prompting, he chattered on and on, finally clicking his tongue and looking out at the sky. "When do you think it'll rain heavily? How many people can learn to be Animagus?"

"After the snow melts, there will be plenty of moisture, so it should rain soon." Hermione paused for a moment. "However, the Animagus needs thunderstorms, which is unpredictable. It could be a week or a month."

"It's a good thing Hogwarts isn't in the desert, otherwise we wouldn't encounter thunderstorms for years." Loren nudged Hermione's arm again. "Remember to keep chanting the spell every day at sunrise and sunset, or you'll fail again and have to start over."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "I won't fail as long as you don't mess things up."

"You're slandering me!"

"..."

Time passed by amidst banter and classes. Loren teased Hermione every day, joked around, played pranks on Crookshanks, and teased his classmates and roommates. Before he knew it, a month had gone by.

In March 1994, a few light rains fell, and some eager lilacs had already bloomed. The pale purple flowers were very fragile. After being rained on and then blown by the wind, a few petals were knocked off and the flowers quickly withered, only slowly recovering after a few days.

For a whole month, the sky was filled with leaden clouds, and the professors and young wizards at Hogwarts could tell that a storm was coming.

The members of the Animagus class were anxious and restless. Some of the young wizards hadn't even heard a second heartbeat yet, while others were already tired of the twice-daily spell rituals and eagerly awaited the arrival of the thunderstorm, hesitant and uncertain.

Thursday, March 31.

The dome of the Great Hall simulated the sky outside, piled with thick, dark clouds, so dark that not a ray of light could be seen. If it weren't for the hundreds of floating magic candles, it would look as if it were buried at the bottom of Black Lake.

The young wizards gathered in the Great Hall to practice the Patronus Charm, Professor Lupin and eleven teaching assistants moved among the crowd, instructing others on how to cast spells.

In addition to Harry, Loren, Hermione, Neville, and Cedric, six more senior wizards summoned the Patronus Charm and were recruited into the teaching assistant team.

With more teaching assistants, some people started slacking off. After instructing a few people, Loren wandered off to the side of the stage.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were chatting here. They were, in fact, teaching assistants, and would readily offer guidance to any young wizards who asked them for help. However, for some complex and inexplicable psychological reasons, very few people actually asked them for help.

"The newly added junior wizards who can summon physical Patronus are all seniors. It seems that the principles and knowledge of magic also have a certain impact on practicing the Patronus Charm," Professor Flitwick said. "From the perspective of the houses, there is not much difference. I thought the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor junior wizards would have it easier. They are always more likely to feel satisfied and happy."

"Sorting is just a reference and cannot be used to judge students' personalities." Professor McGonagall nodded. "Many upperclassmen have enough experience and the vivid memories of the Christmas holidays, coupled with the stimulation of Boggart, make many of them successful."

"However..." Professor Flitwick frowned, "The Dementor that Boggart disguises himself as is very different from the real Dementor. I'm worried that many students will not be able to release their Patronus when they encounter a real Dementor."

"You're right, Filius ..." Professor McGonagall sighed softly, "It's not just Dementor; without experiencing real combat, the knowledge we have now doesn't belong to them."

"I just hope they never meet..."

"..."

The two were silent for a short while.

A few minutes later, Professor Flitwick looked at the silvery-white light filling the Great Hall, pondered for a moment, and then raised his head and said, "Minerva, shouldn't we consider setting aside a special place as a practice field? Since Lockhart came to our school, there have been many more group practice sessions like this."

"Hmm..." Professor McGonagall thought for a few seconds with a serious face. "You're right. There are still many Abandoned Classroom. When summer vacation comes this year, I will combine several classrooms on the Second Floor to make a practice field."

Several young wizards nearby noticed Professor McGonagall's expression, whispered a few words, and moved a few steps further away.

Just as the young wizards were focused on the Patronus's glow at the tip of their wands, a ray of light suddenly burst forth from between the dark clouds in the dome. The intense light that burst forth in that instant even overwhelmed the hundreds of candles and the Patronus's glow, and then forked into countless bolts of lightning that tore through the darkness.

The young wizards were startled by the sudden flash of lightning, Great Hall fell silent for a moment—

Boom!

A few seconds later, a deafening rumble of thunder echoed throughout the Great Hall, not only from the Enchanted Ceiling but also from the sky outside the Castle —the first thunderstorm of 1994 had arrived!

"It's thundering!"

George shouted, instantly igniting the entire Great Hall, and the young wizards erupted in cheers:

"Animagus ..."

"The first clap of thunder..."

"Transfiguration... Second heartbeat..."

They chattered and chattered, their voices rising together and becoming even louder than the thunder from before.

"Quiet!"

A booming voice drowned out the noise filling the Great Hall. Loren rubbed his ears and looked to the side, only to see Professor McGonagall with her wand against her neck, her voice, enhanced with "Amplifying Voice," reaching the ears of every young wizard.

"All members of the Animagus class, assemble in the Entrance Hall! Your respective house Prefect will escort you to the Edge of the Forbidden Forest! Hurry!"

After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she gave Professor Flitwick a few instructions and hurriedly walked towards the Entrance Hall.

The Prefect of each house counted the number of people and led them to the Entrance Hall. Loren squeezed through the chaotic crowd to meet Hermione.

This was the first time that many young wizards had participated in Animagus Transformation at the same time. The Great Hall was filled with excited young wizards, and their hushed discussions blended into a noisy cacophony. The young wizards who couldn't hear clearly had to speak even louder, and as a result, the Great Hall became increasingly noisy.

Loren and Hermione exchanged a few words, then realized it was too much work and quietly fell silent. Harry, along with Harry and Ron, who were practically shouting themselves hoarse, followed Percy all the way to the Entrance Hall.

"Stay close to me!"

Professor McGonagall didn't say much. She nodded to Percy and then walked out of the Castle first.

Watching the torrential rain pour down, Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and the concealment Magic Power of Transfiguration solidified into a thin film of air in mid-air.

The water droplets fell half a meter above my head, as if they were falling on a transparent roof. They flowed along the air and eaves to both sides, merging with other raindrops along the way to form streams of water that splashed and pattered onto the ground.

The young wizards only marveled at Professor McGonagall's amazing Transfiguration for a few seconds before quickly turning their attention to the upcoming Animagus Ritual.

Loren leaned closer and asked, "Hermione, did you feel the second heartbeat?"

Hermione nodded, then shook her head. "I can't quite tell. My heartbeat did change, but I don't know if it was a second heartbeat."

"That's it," Loren affirmed. "Professor McGonagall said that in this situation, the second heartbeat is not stable, but once it appears, it means the time is right."

"I hope we don't fail again..." Hermione's throat tightened with nervousness.

Loren took her hand and held her pale fingertips in his palm. "You won't fail. You have a complete grasp of the theory of Human Transfiguration and have also experienced Transfiguration."

Loren paused for a moment. "It's okay if we fail, we can just try again."

"I don't want to start over." Hermione with a mournful face. Although the cheek pouch was an easy way to get rid of the taste of Mandrake, she really didn't want to taste it again.

"Then I won't learn it."

"No!"

"..."

Loren gently tried to comfort Hermione, but the more he tried to reassure Hermione, the more Hermione wanted to reveal her nervousness.

Harry, Ron, George, and Fred, standing nearby, were completely different. They huddled together, laughing and imagining what their Animagus forms would be, occasionally teasing Neville, who was also trembling with nervousness, and repeatedly asking for his advice.

It's not the experience of Transfiguration, but the experience of transforming into a lion.

Neville, who was initially tense, was both amused and exasperated, and instead relaxed.

Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a beech tree and looked at the group of young wizards with a serious expression. "Go and dig out your Secret Potion, but remember not to transform on your own. To prevent accidents, try to Transfiguration under the professor's supervision!"

As if in response to her words, Snape, Flitwick, and Professor Sprout stepped out from the back of the group, and the young wizards realized that the professors had been following them all along.

The torrential rain split into streams that flowed to both sides. If anyone paid attention to the streams, they would have noticed that the rain was avoiding the two transparent human figures. The two people, who were under the influence of the Disillusionment Charm, quickly ran into the Forbidden Forest and disappeared without a trace.

Loren didn't notice the flowing water, but he did notice the bright Magic Power glow, and Dumbledore turned and smiled at him before leaving.

Loren: "..."

The young wizards didn't see Professor Lupin and assumed he was maintaining order in the Castle, but those who knew the truth were different.

Hermione whispered worriedly, "This is the first thunderstorm of the year, and Professor Lupin also Transfiguration today."

Harry and Ron also came over, their expressions no longer as excited as before, and they also noticed the absence of Professor Lupin.

Loren said in a voice only they could hear, "Don't worry, it wasn't Full Moon today, and Dumbledore."

Relieved, the three turned and rushed into the rain, dispersing in different directions. The other young wizards who had buried the Secret Potion also left one after another.

Loren followed behind Hermione, holding up his wand in his right hand to maintain the umbrella.

Half a meter above their heads, a transparent film of water stretched out. Rainwater fell on the film, trembled slightly, and then melted into it. The increasingly thick film of water occasionally spilled some water.

Professor McGonagall's method of making an air umbrella gave Loren some inspiration, but he couldn't use the Transfiguration on the air like Professor McGonagall did. So Loren made a small improvement and applied the Transfiguration to rainwater, achieving a similar effect.

Hermione, who was not far away, quickly arrived at the beech tree she had marked last time. After a few Levitation Charm, she dug out the Crystal Vial. The originally transparent Secret Potion had turned blood red.

When they returned to the meeting point, many of the junior wizards had already returned, each gathering in front of their respective Head of House, preparing to drink the Secret Potion Transfiguration.

About three minutes later, all the young wizards returned. Professor McGonagall once again pressed her wand to her throat, giving them her final instructions:

"Remember to chant the incantation first, then drink the Potions!"

"The intense pain is normal. After that, two intense heartbeats will alternate within your body. Carefully feel these heartbeats, and the image of the animal you are about to transform into will appear in your mind!"

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and raised her voice. "No matter what kind of animal it is, you must show no fear. It's too late to run away now."

"Clothes, glasses, or jewelry can blend into the skin and become hair, scales, or claws. It's normal to feel panic; it's an animal's instinct."

"But don't resist, don't lose your mind! Otherwise, the animal's mind will control your body to do stupid things, like running around or defecating and urinating everywhere, throwing things around..."

"When transforming back into human form, you must visualize your human form as clearly as possible. Usually, that's enough, but if the Transfiguration doesn't happen immediately, don't panic. Calm down and try again..."

Professor McGonagall looked at the barely suppressed excitement and nervousness on the young wizard's face, paused, and said in a relaxed tone, "There are four professors here, so you don't need to worry about your safety. Even if you turn into Gorgon, we can turn you back!"

"But if you lose your temper and do something stupid, then you'll be laughed at by others for the rest of your life!"

The young wizards were surprised that the usually serious Professor McGonagall would joke at this moment, and they couldn't help but laugh, which eased their tension a bit more.

Let's begin!

As soon as the professor finished speaking, Hermione held her wand in her right hand and the crystal vial in her left, her hands trembling slightly.

Just as the ceremony was about to begin, Hermione suddenly remembered something, looked up at Loren, and threatened in a trembling voice, "No matter what I become, you are not allowed to laugh!"

"I promise!"

Loren agreed readily. Seeing the shifting light in her eyes, he knew this person had ill intentions, so he simply said, "Don't overthink it. As long as the Transfiguration is successful, I'll agree to any request you make."

"!!"

Hermione felt her tension completely dissipate.

Full of fighting spirit!