William's Animagus

Since Dumbledore became the headmaster, the lines on the admission notices have remained unchanged for years. Starting with this year's class, there has finally been a slightly better change.

Overall, William thought it was very good; at least it captured the essence of Hogwarts.

Sometimes, an excellent admission notice can greatly enhance a school's reputation; this can be considered one manifestation of soft power.

If it's too simple, Hogwarts students won't be able to present themselves well when interacting with students from other schools.

Similarly, William believed that Hogwarts ' influence was too weak and did not live up to its status as the leading figure in the underworld.

William did not encounter any international students from France, the United States, or even Wakanda who came to visit him at the school.

With admissions limited to the British Isles, it's easy to see why Hogwarts, this long-established prestigious school, will only lose its reputation.

After all, the Great British Empire... has fallen.

Even disregarding the local student body, William believes that the sheer number of students from other countries flocking to Hogwarts is what truly makes it so special.

Of course, first-year wizards are a different story, but advanced classes should recruit students from all over the world.

The requirements must be exceptionally strict!

For the OWLs exams, you'd need at least eight O's, let alone twelve certifications.

You don't even know Animagus? How dare you submit an application?

If you can't even Nonverbal Spellcasting without a staff, you should just stay in your school!

What, you have the power of money?

Oh, that's alright then.

Welcome, welcome.

Every year, the best students from other districts and countries apply to study in the advanced classes, which is what truly showcases Hogwarts's prestige.

Everyone has a herd mentality; they all know Hogwarts is hard to get into, but even wielding Galleon would get you in!

Unfortunately, we won't see that under Dumbledore's guidance.

Now that Anne's acceptance letter has arrived, I can take her to Diagon Alley to buy a wand.

However, William decided to go later, waiting for the weekend's storm.

William had been preparing for this Animagus for far too long.

After he left the cycle, he kept a single Mandrake leaf in his mouth for a full month.

Never swallow the leaf or remove it from your mouth. If the leaf leaves your mouth, the entire process must be restarted.

This leaf is the material for the Animagus Transfiguration agent.

William swallowed it whole several times while eating.

This is only the first step. After a full month, the leaf must be removed during the full moon. The leaf is then soaked in a small crystal bottle filled with saliva, allowing it to receive the pure moonlight.

Then, facing the crystal vial illuminated by moonlight, add a strand of your own hair and a silver teaspoon of dew. The dew must be collected from a place that has not seen sunlight or been touched by humans for seven whole days.

The final step is to add a Death's-head Hawkmoth Pupa.

Place this mixture in a quiet, dark place and do not look at it or disturb it until the next thunderstorm.

The wait for the storm to arrive could be weeks, months, or even years.

If you live deep in the Sahara Desert, then sorry, you'll probably have to wait a lifetime for a storm.

During this waiting period, the crystal vial must be kept completely undisturbed and away from sunlight. Sunlight pollution can cause the most severe mutations.

William buried the crystal vial in the Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts, because Nicolas said there would be a storm this Sunday.

William didn't tell his sister Anne about this, otherwise she would definitely have made a fuss about it.

The weekend is almost here, and William and Hermione's adventure is about to begin.

At four o'clock in the morning, William secretly left his room.

Hermione was already up.

"I think we need some luck today," William said, pulling a vial of Potions from his pocket.

--Felix Felicis.

William and Hermione each took a small sip, a dose enough to sustain them until the Transfiguration was complete.

"How do we get there?" Hermione asked, standing at the door.

"Direct Apparition," William explained. "Come, take my hand."

Hermione gripped William's right hand tightly.

"Alright, let's go."

Hermione felt William's hand trying to slip from her grasp, so she quickly tightened her grip.

She was being squeezed intensely from all directions, unable to breathe at all; it felt as if several iron hoops were tightly constricting her chest.

Next--

The two appeared outside a valley.

It was pitch black all around, and a deafening roar echoed from the valley.

Hermione shrank back in fear, but still held William's hand tightly.

William didn't let go, holding the girl's hand as they slowly walked towards the valley.

Hermione's worries quickly subsided; it turned out the sound was just Fluffy snoring.

Fluffy was fast asleep in the large wooden cabin that Hagrid had built.

"Are we in the Forbidden Forest?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, this valley is in the northwest corner of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid discovered it and released Fluffy here."

After the Philosopher's Stone incident, Dumbledore returned Fluffy to Hagrid and placed him in the Forbidden Forest.

Dumbledore also communicated with the Centaur.

There was nothing they could do; Fluffy had all grown up. Even if they attacked Fluffy, they would still lose some of their people, so they had no choice but to accept it.

With Fluffy helping to look after the small bottle, William felt at ease.

Upon smelling the familiar scent, Fluffy quickly woke up from its sleep and rushed over, wagging its tail.

William gave it lots of snacks for breakfast.

William used magic to transform two chairs and sat in the middle of the valley, waiting for the storm to arrive.

By this time, the sky was covered with thick clouds, and the moon had completely disappeared.

"Falco Isalen was a sorcerer from ancient Greece, and also the earliest recorded Animagus, who could transform into a falcon at will."

The two chatted casually, William whispered "Mop".

"I know, he appeared on the Chocolate Frog Card." Hermione kept her eyes fixed on William's face under the cover of darkness.

"By the way, will you report this to the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I've looked it up. If you don't report it, it's illegal and you'll be thrown in Azkaban."

"I'll probably report it after the semester starts. Professor McGonagall knows my academic progress, so I can't hide it from her."

William wanted to keep it a secret, but it was pointless.

"Let Professor McGonagall be happy; she's always hoped that Cedric and I would win the ' Most Promising Newcomer Award.'"

This award is selected by the internationally authoritative academic journal "Transfiguration Today".

Professor McGonagall received the award before graduation for her impressive Transfiguration abilities during her time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

McGonagall herself is now a peer reviewer for the journal, specializing in reviewing published papers.

It had been a long time since anyone at Hogwarts had received this award, and Professor McGonagall had been waiting for it for many years.

"Another award... that's great." Hermione was extremely envious.

Clearly, after graduating, William will leave with a wealth of honor, just like Dumbledore.

This kind of student only appears once every few decades.

She said quietly, "I'm just good at studying... and I'm a little bit clever."

William patted Hermione's head and comforted her, "No, you're very talented. You're the smartest witch I've ever met."

I can teach you too.

Animagus doesn't necessarily have to Transfiguration on their own. I can help you with my wand. Once you're very familiar with it, you'll be able to Transfiguration completely on your own."

Hermione nodded vigorously.

Just then, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky.

The storm has finally arrived.

(Thanks to Elder "Snz" for the generous donation of 10,000 coins.)

Currently, I owe "Hell Cat" three chapters and "Snz" one chapter; I'll make up for it slowly.