The Final Peace

"Originally, we just trained our bodies, Iris taught me how to cast the spells from the textbooks, and Luna pushed me to memorize the basics of potion-making."

After Cypher finished speaking, he paused, not bringing up the Awakening Draught.

"Now, I should learn the Patronus Charm and Occlumency first."

Hmm? Cypher's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Professor, can external forces help me master Occlumency quickly?"

"External forces?" Dumbledore was taken aback.

"For example, taking Veritaserum. I write down a number, then someone else questions me, training my will to resist."

Hearing Cypher's words at first, Dumbledore's heart skipped a beat.

After listening to the whole thing, the clouds in his heart dissipated, and he silently let out a wry laugh. Cypher's way of doing things was too erratic; even he sometimes couldn't keep up.

"Cypher, the use of Veritaserum is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic, and even its ingredients are hard to come by on the market. Did Horace bribe you?"

"No, no, Professor, don't get worked up," Cypher said, scratching his head sheepishly. "We can brew Veritaserum ourselves. As for the ingredients, we have our own channels. Over the years, Luna has supported a group of people by selling the potions she brews. We promise we won't obtain it through other means, nor use it for other purposes. That way, the Ministry's laws can't touch us, right?"

Hearing this, Dumbledore's expression eased slightly.

"If this gets out, your lives will face serious trouble, and you could even be forcibly expelled by the Ministry. I can't agree to it."

Seeing that Dumbledore seemed to be softening, Cypher quickly pressed on.

"We want to brew it in a magical room on the eighth floor, not in my dormitory. If someone finds the potion inside, they won't know who it belongs to."

"The eighth floor?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.

"Yes, near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Walk past it three times, focus on what kind of room you want in your mind, and it will appear opposite the tapestry. We usually practice magic in there. We call it the Room of Requirement. It's our little secret, the three of us."

Seeing the hint of grievance in Cypher's expression, If he still refused, the eager Cypher might cause trouble on his own, and then he wouldn't be able to contain it.

Helplessly, Dumbledore nodded. At least he knew where the three of them were up to their mischief, right?

"If I have time, I'll come and experience it myself."

"Best if it's late at night, Professor. We might be in there during the day, and the tapestry won't respond to people with different requests then."

Cypher said with a smile.

Dumbledore glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It's getting late, Cypher. You three should go eat. I have an old friend to visit. I'll be dining with him, so I won't join you."

Seeing Cypher and the other two pack up and head to the door, Dumbledore called out to Cypher.

"Cypher, geniuses often feel lonely. But they still need to make friends. Take your friends and interact more with others your age. Who knows, you might master the Patronus Charm faster."

With that, Dumbledore indicated they were free to leave.

And Cypher was left deep in thought.

It was a new week. The three of them swiped a single mandrake leaf from Herbology class and decided to put it in their mouths on the night of the full moon.

"One. For an entire month (from full moon to full moon—Luna quietly added), you must continuously hold a single mandrake leaf in your mouth. You must never swallow the leaf or take it out of your mouth. If the leaf leaves your mouth, the entire process must start over.

Two. On the full moon, take out the leaf, fill a small crystal phial with your saliva, and soak the leaf in it. Let it receive pure moonlight (if the night is overcast, you'll have to find a new mandrake leaf and start from scratch—Luna quietly added again, and Iris's expression began to shift). Add a strand of your hair and a silver teaspoon of dew to the moonlit crystal phial. The dew must be collected from a place that has had no sunlight or human contact for seven full 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.

Three. While waiting for the storm, at every sunrise and sunset, you must perform the following: point your wand tip at your heart and chant the incantation: 'Amato, Animo, Animato, Animagus.'

Four. The wait for the storm could take weeks, months, or even years. During this time, the crystal phial must remain completely undisturbed and out of contact with sunlight. Sunlight contamination will cause the most severe mutations. If you keep chanting the spell at sunrise and sunset, there will come a moment when, as the wand tip touches your chest, you will feel a second heartbeat, sometimes stronger than your original, sometimes weaker. Everything must continue as normal. The spell must be chanted the correct number of times, without missing a single one.

Five. The moment lightning splits the sky, immediately go to the place where you buried the crystal phial. If you have correctly completed all the above steps, you will find a mouthful of blood-red potion inside.

Six. You must immediately go to a wide, safe place, ensuring the transformation process won't attract attention or put your body in danger. Point your wand tip at your heart, chant the incantation 'Amato, Animo, Animato, Animagus,' and then drink the potion.

Seven. If all goes well, you will feel intense pain and two fierce heartbeats. The form of the animal you are about to become will appear in your mind. You must show no fear; it will be too late to escape the change you have set in motion.

Eight. The first transformation is usually quite uncomfortable and frightening. Items like clothes, glasses, or jewelry will merge into your skin, turning into fur, scales, or claws. Do not resist and do not panic, or the animal mind might take over and drive you to do foolish things, like leaping out a window or charging into a wall.

Nine. After the transformation is complete, you should find yourself adapted to your new body. It is strongly recommended that you immediately pick up your wand and hide it in a safe place, so you can retrieve it when you return to human form.

Ten. To return to human form, you must visualize your human form as clearly as possible. Usually, that's enough, but if the transformation doesn't happen immediately, do not panic. With practice, you will be able to switch between animal and human forms at will, just by imagining the animal's shape.

Advanced Animagi can transform without a wand."

"And that's all the steps to becoming an Animagus."

Luna finally stopped adding corrections to the big issues she'd overlooked, and Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

This was the Room of Requirement. The two were telling Cypher the steps to practice becoming an Animagus.

"Learning Occlumency helps us maintain our sanity, and the Patronus Charm lets us know in advance what animal we might turn into, so we can prepare for losing control."

Iris clapped her hands together firmly, stars shining in her eyes. She seemed to see herself succeeding as an Animagus.

"Alright, stop daydreaming. Let's get the first phase done smoothly first."

Today was the full moon.

Cypher placed a leaf into his mouth.

For the next month, he would have to be careful with this leaf.

His heart felt as heavy as if a large stone were pressing down on it.

According to Murphy's Law, sure enough, Cypher ended up chewing the leaf halfway through.

He was eating at the time and was instantly filled with regret.

He would have to wait for the next full moon. What a pity...

The two girls looked at him smugly, since they hadn't made the same mistake.

However, it seemed fate had played a joke on them.

After waiting a month, the two girls were met with a sky full of thick clouds on the night of the full moon.

To comfort the crying pair, Cypher talked himself hoarse telling little stories all night long.

Finally, they calmed down.

But looking at the two girls sleeping soundly in his bed, Cypher didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Fortunately, his Transfiguration had improved greatly.

He conjured a single bed and made do for the night.

The three of them were back on the same starting line.

However, Cypher, who had made his mistake early on, had gained more than the other two.

He no longer had to worry about swallowing or spitting out the leaf during intense activity.

He learned all the spells from the textbooks.

Speaking of textbook spells, ever since he changed wands, Cypher couldn't cast any magic even when he chanted the incantation and waved the wand perfectly. It wasn't until Iris helped him analyze the spells and drew out the most basic magical runes that Cypher regained his ability to cast.

Petrificus Totalus, Impedimenta, Pulverizing Curse, Shield Charm...

Fireball Charm, Freezing Charm, Air-Cutting Charm...

Cypher even didn't let the House-elves' magic slip by; he learned it all.

Cypher thought the most practical magic of the House-elves was their Apparition.

As long as he could perceive his location, even within Hogwarts, he could Apparate.

He recalled the time he went to Professor Dumbledore to ask him to handle the Splinching that occurred when his Apparition failed.

However, right in front of Professor Dumbledore, Cypher succeeded on his first attempt.

Startled and caught off guard, Dumbledore plucked out a tuft of his beard.

Days passed one by one. The children in the castle ate their fill and stayed warm every day. Cypher and the two girls gradually grew stronger in their fulfilling days, absorbing new knowledge and using Veritaserum to temper their willpower.

But outside Hogwarts, undercurrents were already stirring.

In the blink of an eye, Halloween arrived.