More than a week into the new term, the professors had generally become kinder to Will, perhaps because of what had happened in Egypt. After every tutoring session, they even checked to make sure he was all right.
Will found a few books on Ritual Studies in the library and soon pushed his Ritual Studies to LV3.
[Your Ritual Studies has reached LV3. You may choose one of the following bonus abilities.] A. Ritual Scholar: Increases the rate at which you gain Ritual Studies experience by 11%. B. Ritual Imprint: Strengthens the effectiveness of your Personal Imprint by 5% in Ritual Studies involving a Personal Imprint.
It was not a hard choice. A Personal Imprint was crucial. To become an Animagus, one had to spend a month holding a Mandrake leaf in one's mouth just to complete the first step of forming one.
The entire Animagus ritual involved stabilizing the Personal Imprint. Adding hair to the vial and reciting an incantation over one's heart both served that purpose. It was a vital anchor in the ritual; if the Personal Imprint was not stable enough, someone who turned into an animal might never turn back.
Will chose Ritual Imprint.
Another bonus ability put Will in a fine mood. Even the snowflakes filling the sky looked more pleasing to him today.
Yes, it was snowing at Hogwarts again. That was the weather in the Scottish Highlands. Despite its temperate oceanic climate, rain and snow were common, and winters were long. There were even extreme cases of blizzards in March.
At lunch, Will was drinking a meat broth loaded with pepper when a platinum-blond boy came over without his two usual followers.
"Draco? What is it?"
Draco glanced around. "After afternoon classes, come to the third empty room on