A Trip to Brazil
Two other things happened in November.
Let's start with the first thing--
Professor McGonagall had already suspended the Transfiguration Club's activities in late October because the International Animagus Seminar was about to be held, and as one of the symposium's honorary members, Professor McGonagall also had to begin making various preparations for the symposium.
The International Animagus Seminar is a major event in the field of Transfiguration, bringing together Transfiguration masters from around the world. Almost all registered Animagus attend to discuss the most cutting-edge Transfiguration theories and practical experiences.
This year's symposium will be held at the Brazilian Ministry of Magic, and as the organizers, they have made a special exception for each invited Transfiguration Master, allowing them to bring up to two of their most accomplished students. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young Transfiguration students to showcase their talents at the symposium, not only to gain recognition from their peers but also to add valuable experience to their future academic research or career.
After careful consideration, Professor McGonagall selected Skylar and Cedric Diggory as her accompanying students. Elusi Montgomery will accompany her mother. Therefore, Hogwarts will have three Student Representative attending this symposium.
It was mid-November, the sky was clear, a tropical breeze was blowing, carrying the scent of the ocean and the forest.
The Brazilian Ministry of Magic is located in Lage Park at the foot of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, but like all the Ministry of Magic in the world, it has a special entrance that only wizards can use in order to prevent Muggle from noticing it.
When Professor McGonagall brought Skylar, Cedric, and Elusi to the park, they were greeted by a lush tropical rainforest landscape. In the distance, they could see a lake and a meticulously manicured maze of greenery, making it seem no different from any other park. There were Muggle tourists, photography enthusiasts, and several street performers playing samba and guitar, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
However, Professor McGonagall led them directly into the depths of the park.
Reaching an abandoned fountain, McGonagall stopped, looked around, and whispered, "Stay close to me."
She raised her hand first, her fingertip lightly touching the center of the fountain. A ripple of ethereal blue spread from the center, as if the water's surface had been disturbed by an unseen force. But just as the ripple reached the edge of the fountain, the scene before the four of them suddenly changed—
The park has disappeared.
Instead, a stone path covered with lush vines winds its way forward and disappears into the depths of the forest.
"This is a barrier spell," Professor McGonagall explained. "Only those with a formal invitation can see the entrance to the Ministry of Magic."
Skylar and the other two exchanged glances, then followed Professor McGonagall up the ancient stone steps.
At this moment, Transfiguration Masters from all over the world are arriving in the hall one after another. Most of them are Animagus, and each of them carries a hint of pride. After all, becoming Animagus wizard is extremely rare, let alone making achievements in this field.
Skylar, Cedric Diggory, and Elusi Montgomery followed Professor McGonagall into the room.
The hall was surrounded by tall floor-to-ceiling windows, and sunlight streamed in through the lush vines, making the golden floor tiles Winky. Representatives and scholars from various countries' Ministry of Magic sat around a circular conference table, exchanging pleasantries and conversations. In the center was a spacious exhibition area, clearly prepared for the upcoming demonstration session.
Professor McGonagall's arrival caused a murmur among the whispers. Her status in the field of Transfiguration was unquestionable; she was not only the Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts but also one of the authorities on registered Animagus. However, one gaze held a sharp, probing look—that of Gilbert Fontana, the headmaster of Ilvermorny.
Fontana was a tall wizard with gray hair that was neatly combed, and he wore a blue and gold robe with the school emblem of Ilvermorny.
His Animagus form is a clever monkey, as intelligent and ambitious as he is. Although he has a good personal relationship with Dumbledore, he has always harbored the ambition to make Ilvermorny surpass Hogwarts academically. At this moment, his gaze is on Skylar and Cedric, as if assessing their potential.
In stark contrast to him is Zhang He from China, whose Animagus form is a gray donkey capable of long journeys, earning him the nickname "Thousand-Mile Donkey" among his peers due to his exceptional endurance and Transfiguration abilities.
He crossed his arms and listened attentively to the opening remarks from the Ministry of Magic representative. When he saw Skylar, he smiled and nodded to Skylar.
With the host's announcement, the seminar officially began. First came keynote speeches from Transfiguration masters from various countries, covering a range of topics from advanced Animagus training to how to flexibly utilize Transfiguration abilities in combat.
Professor McGonagall's lecture, themed "Animagus and Modern Magical Education," emphasized the central role of Transfiguration in magical education, while Fontana deliberately highlighted Ilvermorny's breakthroughs in Transfiguration research, revealing a challenge to Hogwarts in his words.
After all the Transfiguration Masters had showcased their latest research findings, it was finally the students' turn to present.
The students of Ilvermorny took the stage first, immediately delivering a stunning visual impact to the entire audience.
Several seventh-grade students Transfiguration into large, aggressive Americas and Americas. They crouched low, their sharp claws scraping the ground, their dark pupils scanning their surroundings intently, as if they were about to pounce at any moment.
This scene caused the audience to gasp, and many even instinctively took a step back, fearing that these beasts might escape their control.
Aldrich Fontana, the headmaster of Ilvermorny, sat on the stage with a smug smile on his face. He had specially selected these students, hoping to thoroughly outshine Hogwarts at this international event.
Sure enough, the surrounding area was abuzz with discussion and exclamations of amazement— Americas and Americas are among the most representative beasts of North America, and the ability to master such a powerful and ferocious Animagus form is the ultimate expression of Transfiguration ability.
Fontana tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing subtly on Professor McGonagall, trying to find even a trace of shock or resentment in her expression. But McGonagall simply picked up her teacup and took a sip, seemingly unconcerned, which caused Fontana's smile to falter slightly.
"Fine, let me show you Hogwarts that Ilvermorny's students have far surpassed you all." He thought to himself with smug satisfaction.
When these beast-like students finished their demonstration, transformed back into human form, and walked off the stage with proud smiles, the audience finally came to their senses and gave them a standing ovation. Animagus, hailed as the highest achievement in Transfiguration, is difficult even for adults to master. The fact that such a group of young students were demonstrating it with such skill demonstrates its awe-inspiring nature.
When the host announced that it was the Hogwarts students' turn to appear, Elusi and Cedric chose to remain in the audience; their purpose in coming was mainly to broaden their horizons, and they did not intend to go on stage. However, Skylar walked up to the display area, and the moment his name was called, many Transfiguration masters in the audience showed expressions of interest.
"Skylar Malfoy from Hogwarts will demonstrate a unique Transfiguration," the host announced.
After all, Skylar had not publicly revealed his possession of Animagus, nor had he officially registered as a legitimate Animagus. Therefore, he could only demonstrate his unique Transfiguration— "Amphimagus."
As Skylar slowly raised his wand and his form began to change, an unprecedented Transfiguration shocked the entire hall.
Skylar's body rapidly changed. His body retained a human form, but fine brown fur gradually appeared on his skin, making him look somewhat like a half-human, half-cat who had failed to transform into a cat.
Immediately afterwards, his limbs became longer and his muscles became more defined and powerful. Then, his fingertips extended into sharp claws, but he was not completely beast-like. His eyes turned amber in an instant, his pupils stood up, and his ears elongated slightly, his hearing was obviously greatly enhanced.
His aura also changed accordingly.
It is neither entirely human nor entirely beast, but rather a form somewhere in between.
Even so, everyone could tell from the changes in his body and aura that Skylar had now transformed into an orc, ready to pounce and kill with the precision of a predator hunting its prey.
As if deliberately showcasing the abilities of this orc form, Skylar's figure flashed suddenly, rushing towards the audience at an extremely fast speed. Just before he reached them, he suddenly leaped up, his body nimbly flipping in the air, and finally landed steadily, standing precisely in his original position.
The audience erupted in uproar, with many Transfiguration whispering and discussing amongst themselves.
"Wow... so fast!"
"What's this?"
"A half-human, half-beast form... Could it be a variant of the Animagus?"
"I've never seen such Transfiguration before..."
Fontana's eyes suddenly narrowed, as if he had developed a strong interest in Skylar's research, while Zhang He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze revealing a thoughtful expression.
"This is the technique of 'Amphimagus' —an advanced art that combines Animagus and Human Transfiguration, allowing the caster to retain human form while also possessing the senses, agility, and wild strength of a magical animal." The host, having finally recovered from his daze, quickly scanned the notes in his hands and began to introduce Skylar's magic.
Then, something even more shocking happened.
"Hello everyone, I am Skylar Malfoy from Hogwarts." Skylar bowed to the audience and spoke in a human voice.
He... he can still talk?
That wasn't all. Skylar quickly waved his claws, and a fireball and a water ball condensed in the air above and in front of him, floating to his left and right.
What? He can cast spells?
Of those present, only McGonagall remained calmly seated; all the other Transfiguration stood up, their faces filled with disbelief.
What kind of magic is this!
While Animagus is hailed as the greatest achievement in Transfiguration, this is due to its excruciating difficulty in learning. In reality, however, its practical applications are limited, mostly used for infiltration, disguise, and concealment. After all, while transforming into an animal grants animal abilities, it also results in the loss of a wizard's ability to speak and cast spells.
The magic that Skylar is demonstrating not only allows one to retain a human form while gaining animal abilities, but also enables one to speak and cast spells. The effects of this magic are simply too overpowered.
A deathly silence fell over the scene, followed by a thunderous burst of enthusiastic gasps and applause!
Even Principal Fontana's expression changed slightly; his previous smugness vanished instantly, replaced by astonishment and resentment.
He had seen countless excellent Animagus, and even knew several top masters who could Transfiguration into Magical Creatures, but he had never heard of the skill of Amphimagus —let alone the fact that the person demonstrating this skill was just a Hogwarts student!
At this moment, the limelight that originally belonged to Ilvermorny was completely overshadowed by Skylar.
Professor McGonagall's previously indifferent face finally broke into a satisfied smile.