Preparations

"You haven't learned about Animagus Transformation?" Xiwen asked, his mouth agape in shock.

"Yes, I indeed never learned Animagus Transformation." Dumbledore said slowly, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. "While still in school, I was arrogant and overconfident, looking down on Animagus who could only transform into ordinary animals, so I had no interest in learning."

'Such a sophisticated kind of magic, others either can't learn it or encounter danger during practice. But Dumbledore doesn't seem interested in learning it...' Xiwen thought to himself, at a loss for words.

Dumbledore seemed to have guessed what Xiwen was thinking, chuckled softly, and continued, "Furthermore, as my Transformation improved and I mastered Human Transformation to an unparalleled degree, the Animagus became less necessary."

"I can easily transform into any animal I want through regular Human Transformation, such as a large bird in the shape of Phoenix. Isn't that much more convenient Animagus magic, which can only transform me into one kind of animal?"

"So, since Animagus can be replaced by a higher-level Human Transformation, and it also has such a complex, unstable, and dangerous learning process, what is the practical significance of learning it?" Xiwen frowned and asked softly.

"That's a good question." Dumbledore finally emerged from behind his desk and spoke to Xiwen. "After all, cases are too rare for me to give definitive evidence. But according to the Animagus I've met, their Transformation have all improved significantly after learning Animagus Transformation."

"In addition, learning Animagus Transformation requires enduring the impact and trials of one's animalistic instincts. Therefore, most Animagus possess a mind and will that surpass those of ordinary wizards."

"That sounds pretty good." Xiwen smiled, then asked curiously, "So how can I find out what animal I'll turn into?"

"I don't know either," Dumbledore shrugged. "But before you formally practice Animagus Transformation, you might consider learning the Patronus Charm first. A wizard's Patronus best reflects what animal they are most compatible with. Minerva's Animagus form is similar to her Patronus."

Upon hearing this, Xiwen subconsciously turned his head to glance at Fawkes, who was preening its feathers on the shelf against the office wall.

"Professor, since your Patronus is the Phoenix, does that mean you'll really transform into a Phoenix during Animagus Transformation?" he asked doubtfully. "But that would violate the principle that Animagus Transformation cannot be Fantastic Beasts."

"My Patronus is probably influenced by my family bloodline," Dumbledore said with a smile, shaking his head. "In fact, the animal with whom I have the strongest affinity may be something else entirely, but it's hard to tell now."

At this point, Dumbledore glanced at the clock on the office wall and then looked surprised.

"Oh no, we're going to miss lunch!" he exclaimed.

That very evening, Xiwen arrived at the Room of Requirement and eagerly began preparations for the Animagus Transformation.

Ghost Xiwen also arrived at the Room of Requirement, ready to offer his assistance.

Helena, who had been inseparable from the Ghost Xiwen for a long time, heard that the Young Wizard Xiwen was going to learn Animagus Transformation, so she also came along with great interest.

"First, you need to keep a Mandrake Leaf in your mouth for a full month, specifically from one full moon to the next. Under no circumstances should you swallow or spit out the leaf; as soon as the leaf leaves your mouth, the entire process must be started again."

Helena read with great interest the parchment floating in the air, glancing occasionally at the Young Wizard Xiwen, who was taking notes at a desk.

"So first we need to prepare a lot of Mandrake Leaf. Hmm, casting a little spell to stick the leaves to the roof of our mouths might be a safer bet," the Young Wizard Xiwen muttered to himself as he took notes.

"On the second full moon, place the leaf soaked in your own saliva into a small, clear bottle and let it receive the pure moonlight," Helena continued. "That means if it happens to be a cloudy night, you have to find another mandela leaf and start over. Isn't that all about luck?"

"It's alright, there's a portal, no big problem." Xiwen jotted down another note and said casually. "I don't believe that every place in the world where you can see a full moon is cloudy!"

Helena paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement, and continued to recite the next steps to Xiwen:

"Then add a strand of your own hair, a silver teaspoon of dew, and the pupa of a Death's-Head Hawkmoth to the small bottle that is being exposed to moonlight. The dew must be collected from a place that has not been exposed to sunlight or human contact for seven whole days."

Upon hearing this step, the Young Wizard Xiwen paused in his note-taking, looked up, and asked, "So if a wizard collects dew, does that mean there has been human contact with it?"

"I really don't know what's going on in your little head. If this counts as human contact, does that mean you won't need to use dew anymore?" Helena said to the Young Wizard Xiwen, amused.

"This means that when collecting dew, you should be careful not to touch it with your hands in order to keep the dew clean!"

The work he was supposed to do had been taken away, so Ghost Xiwen was now floating aimlessly in the air, tilting his head and staring blankly at Helena. Seeing her scolding the Young Wizard Xiwen gave him a strange feeling.

When Helena was with Xiwen, who looked to be in his twenties, she was always extremely gentle, like a virtuous wife.

Even though she knew perfectly well that the ghostly Xiwen and the Young Wizard Xiwen were the same consciousness, she still couldn't help but use the doting tone and affectionate gaze she would use when talking to a child to the Young Wizard Xiwen.

It just goes to show that humans are ultimately creatures who judge by appearance?

The Young Wizard Xiwen's lips twitched, but he still wrote down the next entry in his notebook.

"Just to be on the safe side, I'll ask Professor Kettleburn to find a secluded spot in the Forbidden Forest, and then have Millie collect the dew for me." Xiwen thought his idea was good and nodded in satisfaction.

Helena rolled her eyes at the Young Wizard Xiwen, speechless, after hearing that he had House-Elf collect dew to prevent human contact.

'Why does this person seem to have to pull off some kind of crazy stunt at every turn?'

Speechless as I am, I still have to continue reading the following steps:

"After all the ingredients have been added, place the mixture in a quiet, dark place, ensuring it is not seen or disturbed, until the next storm arrives."

"The transparent bottle must be completely undisturbed; it has to be taken out during a storm. So, we can't use a teleportation portal," Helena said. "That way, you can't come up with any underhanded methods, right?"

Xiwen frowned, lost in thought.

Just as Helena breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he wouldn't cause any more trouble, Xiwen's brows relaxed.

He slapped his thigh hard and exclaimed excitedly, "Why don't I just put the bottle in a place where there are storms all year round?!"

Helena: "..."