April Fools' Day

Friday, April 1st.

The day before the Easter Holiday.

Professor McGonagall summarized last night's Animagus Transformation night from the podium. "Including Neville Lomberton, Hermione Granger, and Loren Morgan, a total of three people completed the Animagus Transfiguration, and thirteen people showed varying degrees of Transfiguration reactions..."

"Regarding the Animagus registration, I'll come down and discuss it with them after the Easter Holiday. Now, let's talk about the Animagus Ritual..."

Hermione, sitting in the back row, glanced at Loren out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting upright with a serious expression, acting like a good student receiving praise.

But only a few people knew that Professor McGonagall was just covering for him.

Seemingly noticing her scrutinizing gaze, Loren chuckled at her, his facade of being a diligent student crumbling.

Just then, Professor McGonagall was talking about something unimportant, Loren leaned slightly forward, whispering to Lupin beside him, "Professor, did your Transfiguration last night work?"

A smile appeared on Lupin's face, "Although there were some setbacks, Transfiguration animal did not meet my expectations, fortunately... it was a success."

A hint of surprise flashed in Loren's eyes, but after a moment's thought, he felt it was within his expectations.

Back in his student days, Lupin and his friends studied Animagus together. The knowledge of Transfiguration was not difficult for him. Professor Lupin also had a unique advantage in overcoming his wild mentality.

Loren said thoughtfully, "Now we just have to wait for the next full moon to see if the Animagus can stop the Werewolf Transfiguration... In that case, Professor, you don't need to drink your Wolfsbane Potion."

Lupin nodded, his smile becoming even more gentle.

Professor McGonagall continued her speech, "I believe everyone witnessed the Transfiguration process last night, especially Neville Lomberton's Transfiguration. I must emphasize again— Animagus is a very complex magic that requires a long time to prepare. The Transfiguration process is full of pain. Even if there are no obvious aftereffects under the professor's supervision, no one can guarantee the final result."

Professor McGonagall's deep gaze swept across the young wizards' faces. "Don't be attracted by the majestic lion. You should pay more attention to Miss Granger's Ermine and Mr. Morgan's lion cat. These are the common Animagus forms..."

Lion cat?

Harry and Ron paused for a moment, as if they had remembered something.

"I hope everyone will carefully consider during the Easter Holiday whether it's really necessary to spend a lot of time and effort practicing a not-so-useful spell..."

Only a few young wizards in the audience showed a hint of hesitation; most of them were excited.

They had heard Professor McGonagall's words many times before. Although they had only heard the Lion's Roar once last night, it had echoed in their dreams all night.

Many astute young wizards had already foreseen that for many years to come, on every stormy night, they would remember the lion at the Edge of the Forbidden Forest the night before, and the lion's roar that overwhelmed the Lion's Roar.

When they are old and too old to even eat a chicken leg, the scene from that night will become a legendary story they boast about to their grandchildren.

But they are not too old to move yet; they are full of vigor, so they hope to be the protagonists in the story who shine even brighter than lightning.

George raised his hands and shouted, "Professor! No need to say anymore! We already thought about it when we took the Teaching Class exam!"

"Yes, Professor, let Neville and the others demonstrate Transfiguration for us again!"

Fred's words were echoed by the other young wizards:

"We want to see lions!"

"We want to see lions!"

"We want to see the cats!"

"..."

Loren glanced at Hermione suspiciously, feeling that there was something strange mixed in with the commotion just now.

Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed with satisfaction, but she quickly straightened her face and said in a serious voice, "Quiet!"

"They've just completed the ritual, and some of their animalistic instincts still remain within them, so they can't Transfiguration at will. I'll give them some targeted training during the Easter Holiday, and then we'll consider showing you something after the holiday."

The young wizards let out a collective sigh of disappointment.

Over the next hour, Professor McGonagall summarized the reasons why most of the young wizards failed and encouraged the thirteen young wizards who showed significant improvement.

Perhaps inspired by the success of others, or perhaps because of the upcoming Easter Holiday, the young wizards were all in high spirits, and the atmosphere and effect of the class were fantastic.

Aside from Neville, who has been repeatedly mentioned, he went from being shy at the beginning to gradually becoming numb, and his expression was somewhat blank when class ended.

"Lomberton, Granger, Morgan, you three stay behind..."

Upon hearing Professor McGonagall's words, Harry and Ron exchanged a silent glance and stayed behind quietly, shrinking into a corner to minimize their presence and avoid being noticed by the professor.

Professor McGonagall called Loren and the other two to the front row, found a seat herself, and quietly asked Hermione and Neville about their experiences during the Transfiguration the previous night.

Lupin smiled and went to the corner, quietly calling Harry and Ron over as well, and the seven of them formed a circle.

Professor McGonagall's voice was slightly softer than during class. "The Neville Animagus is a lion, which, like his Patronus, is a reflection of his inner self."

A glimmer of light appeared in Harry's eyes. His Patronus was a stag, and by that logic, his Animagus was also a stag.

Professor McGonagall's words shattered his illusions. "But this does not mean that the form of the Animagus is the form of the physical Patronus."

"The Patronus is closely related to the wizard's emotions and memories, and is influenced by many external factors..." Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, "Just like your Patronus is a stag, it is highly likely that you learned that your father's Patronus was a stag, and out of remembrance and longing for your father, your Patronus became a stag."

Loren's eyes flickered slightly. He thought of Professor Snape, whose Patronus turned into a doe after Lily's death. Perhaps this was the same principle.

Professor McGonagall continued, "The Animagus, on the other hand, focuses more on the reflection of character. Neville craves courage, and courage resides within him, thus he becomes the lion that symbolizes courage."

Her gaze shifted to Hermione: "Ermine are described as intelligent and agile animals, but that also means they're sensitive. You always think too much and worry too much..."

Loren grasped the small hand under the table and squeezed it gently a few times, but the girl quickly squeezed it harder, preventing him from continuing his mischief.

"In summary, based on the available information, the forms of Animagus and the Patronus remain difficult to predict..."

Professor McGonagall patiently advised, "You just completed your first Transfiguration last night, and it was a very short time. The beast's brain and body need some time to practice and adapt. As for the two of you who haven't completed your Transfiguration yet, don't spend too much time and energy fantasizing about the transformed state; that will only hinder the ritual."

"Compared to Hermione, Neville's Transfiguration took longer and he suffered more pain, which may be related to the size of the animal Transfiguration into..." Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione thoughtfully, "Or it could be for other reasons."

Hermione vaguely realized something, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Loren, tell me the truth, did you ever use Human Transfiguration to trick Hermione and turn her into some kind of animal?" Professor McGonagall asked in a deep voice.

"Emmm... yes, Professor, it was probably around the Christmas holidays..."

Loren answered in a low voice, "I briefly turned Hermione into a cat to explore the science of Transfiguration. What does that have to do with the Animagus?"

The onlookers all turned their gazes toward Hermione, which made Hermione glare at Loren in embarrassment and annoyance.

Was it short-lived?

For a whole hour, and he kept teasing her!

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, her eyes hardening. "When I first taught about Human Transfiguration, I emphasized that it is strictly forbidden to use Transfiguration on real people without authorization... Do you remember Thaddeus's Seven Hedgehog Sons and Mirabella, the Cod lady of Loch Lomond?"

Professor McGonagall's reprimand surprised everyone. Hermione wanted to explain for Loren, but Professor Lupin stopped her with a look.

Loren nodded silently, his lips moving a few times, but he didn't say anything in defense.

He was absolutely certain that there would be no danger.

He was just playing around, and the Transfiguration only lasted a very short time...

Loren knew very well that none of these could be considered reasons.

Professor McGonagall's gaze softened. "Since you made the mistake during the holidays, I won't punish you according to the school rules. Instead, I'll give you an extra paper on the topic of Human Transfiguration and the dangers of the Animagus."

"I understand, Professor."

Hermione looked at Professor McGonagall, then at Loren, and mimicked his earlier gesture by squeezing his hand.

"I think Human Transfiguration might be somewhat enlightening for the Animagus. I'll discuss it with Albus, and the Teaching Class might add some new content after the holidays..."

After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she and Professor Lupin left in a hurry.

Harry and Ron were a little disappointed; they hadn't had a chance to ask Professor Lupin about his work last night, or what his Animagus form was.

A few minutes later.

Harry, Ron, and Neville left the classroom together, though they were very eager to ask about the specifics of Human Transfiguration.

Hermione and Loren walked side by side down the corridor, her pace slow. She held Loren's index finger in her hand and muttered to herself, "Why didn't you explain to Professor McGonagall just now? Your Human Transfiguration are excellent; there was no danger. Besides, we were just joking around; it wouldn't cause any harm..."

"Stop reading, Professor Granger..."

Meeting Hermione's reproachful gaze, Loren smiled, withdrew his index finger, and squeezed Hermione's hand aside to interlock their fingers. "Professor McGonagall is right. No matter what, I shouldn't have turned you into a cat, shouldn't have gone against your will, restricted your behavior, or even played with your body..."

"..." Hermione whispered a reminder, "Watch your wording."

"In short, Professor McGonagall's words made me realize that our close relationship cannot be a reason for me to cast a spell on you..." Loren shook her hand. "I remember for a while after I turned you into a cat, you tolerated it many times when I deliberately made you angry, whereas before you would have beaten me up..."

Hermione lowered her head somewhat guiltily.

Did she think that much about it at the time?

I don't remember clearly, but back then I was focused on studying Human Transfiguration and planning to get revenge by turning Loren into a cat during my free time.

However, it's nice to feel cared for and respected.

At the long dinner table, Loren noticed that a circle of seats had been vacated around George and Fred, and the faces of the younger wizards nearby were filled with undisguised terror.

Oh right, today is April Fools' Day's Day.

Loren turned to ask, "Seamus, is something interesting happening?"

"Oh, actually, George and Fred didn't throw Dungbomb at anyone. They were well-behaved all day, so well-behaved it was almost boring..."

Seamus shrugged, looking at Neville with pity. "But our Mr. Lion is really unlucky."

The group looked at Neville; his expression was sorrowful, and his face showed signs of pain, as if he were on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Seamus sighed and explained, "Poor Neville, no matter where he hides to do his homework, there's always a little wizard popping out from the corner to ask him about his Animagus experience, or even ask to see his Patronus and Animagus form."

Neville said with a sob in his voice, "I've summoned the Patronus seventeen times today. I feel like I've used up all the happy memories I've accumulated in my life!"

Honestly, he was really miserable, but the people around him couldn't help but laugh.

Just then, Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff sneaked over from the side, holding a strangely colored cup of Butterbeer. He casually put his arm around Neville's shoulder and shouted:

"Neville, turn into a lion and show us! You know we're best friends, and I just bet Finley you'll do it..."

His unrestrained voice brought a brief silence to the surroundings. Even the smiles on Loren and the others' faces disappeared. Neville's face turned red, and he looked like he wanted to explode, but his composure prevented him from uttering a curse.

"Macmillan!"

A sharp female voice snapped, and Hannah Abbott, with her golden ponytail, walked over from Hufflepuff's table, pulled Macmillan off Neville, and handed him to a shameful Finley.

Finley hung his head, his ears flushed with embarrassment, mumbled a few apologies, and dragged Macmillan back to the long table next door.

All eyes were on Neville and Hannah, who said nothing, yet it was as if they had said everything.

Ron hesitated for a few seconds, then his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Fred brought him that Butterbeer!"

The stagnant scene suddenly came alive because of this sentence, and everyone rushed to denounce George and Fred, and Macmillan, which relieved the two shy parties involved.