The days at Hogwarts

Just as Hermione had expected, the classroom was already full half an hour before class started.

"I should have studied harder if I had known this!"

"You're right!"

Harry and Ron fell into endless regret.

Five minutes before class started, Professor McGonagall walked in. Behind her was Sirius, who was holding a transparent glass bottle in his hand.

Professor McGonagall was wearing a black high-shouldered magic robe with a faint smile on her face, which was completely different from her solemn appearance in the Transfiguration class. She looked mature and steady, but not too serious.

Sirius did not go up to the podium. He put the glass bottle on the desk and sat down at a random seat on the right side of the desk.

Professor McGonagall glanced around, took out her wand and waved it towards the four walls of the classroom.

Invisible waves extended along the edge of the classroom, and in the blink of an eye, a circle of spacious space appeared. The stone-paved ground stretched and changed, and rows of tables and chairs grew out of the ground.

The classroom was no longer crowded and the first Animagus class began.

Chapter 244 Teaching Aids from Abroad

"In the first class, we will not be involved in formal teaching. We will mainly give you some basic information about Animagus and relevant precautions."

Professor McGonagall stood behind the desk, her gentle voice ringing in the ears of every little wizard.

"First of all, students who were not selected for the teaching class this time don't have to worry. The Animagus teaching class will be stationed in the Transfiguration Club. Every year in the future, the club will organize selection exams for the Animagus teaching class, and every student will have the opportunity to take the exam."

There was immediate discussion among the audience, and some students began to get excited.

The Animagus class is based at Hogwarts, which means they have more opportunities and can try every year thereafter.

Even if they fail the first time, it can be counted as accumulating experience. They can pass the exam a few more times by trying a few more times. If they still fail to enter the teaching class after spending several years, it also proves that they have no talent in Transfiguration. If they give up, they give up.

The above content was said to the auditors. Loren, Hermione and other formal students of the teaching class did not react much because they had already passed the exam.

"I hope you will consider carefully whether to study Animagus. I have told you some examples before. Mirabella who turned into a haddock and lost in Loch Lomond, and the seven hedgehog sons of the dark wizard Thaddeus Circe. These are all bloody examples of failed human transformations."

In fact, apart from some extreme cases, there are many studies on cases of Animagus with minor problems, such as patches of animal hair or animal scales growing on the body, and webbed feet of aquatic animals growing between the fingers. These are incurable.

It's OK if these minor problems happen in inconspicuous places, but if they happen on the face, it will greatly affect life. Fish gills grow on the chin, the mouth turns into a beak of a pointed animal, horns grow on the head...

The eager eyes of the young wizards cooled down a bit, and they slowly began to remember that there were only 7 Animagus registered (now 8), and a big reason for this was that this magic was too risky.

Spending your entire life just to learn a magic trick is not a good deal.

"Are we at risk too?" Fred, one of the twins, shouted.

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Professor Black and I will monitor your progress and check your physical condition at all times. As long as you strictly follow the rules we set, there should be no irreparable damage."

She scanned the faces of the class members and said, "Of course, I can't guarantee it 100%. Class members can withdraw at any time."

George raised his hands and shouted, "This won't stop us from being lions!"

This sentence ignited the class members, and many young wizards shouted:

"It's an eagle!"

"No one supports Python?"

"And badgers!"

"Hufflepuffs, don't join in the fun."

"What do you mean? Look down on people? Badgers also have wolverines!"

……

"Quiet!"

Professor McGonagall looked at the young wizards seriously and said, "You must know that most people's Animagus is not a majestic eagle, lion, or tiger, but a cat, dog, small bird, or even an insect."

"I hope you will think carefully about whether it is worthwhile to spend months or even years studying Animagus just to become an animal without magic power?"

"The professor doesn't even want to mention the badger..." Cedric said dejectedly to the person next to him.

This caused another round of playful laughter from the little wizards of Gryffindor.

The young wizards began to talk to each other. Before coming to sit in on this class, they had more or less understood the Animagus ritual process.

Step 1: For a full month (from full moon to full moon), a single leaf of the Mandrake must be held in your mouth continuously. The leaf may not be swallowed or removed from your mouth at any time. If the leaf leaves your mouth, the entire process must be started over again.

Step 2: When the moon is full, remove the leaf and soak it in a small crystal vial filled with saliva, allowing it to receive the pure moonlight (if it is cloudy that night, you will have to find a new Mandrake leaf and start over).

Into a moonlit crystal vial add a strand of your hair and a silver teaspoon of dew, collected from a place that has not been exposed to sunlight or human contact for seven days. Finally add a chrysalis moth. Place the mixture in a quiet, dark place and do not look at or disturb it until the next thunderstorm.

Step 3: While waiting for the storm to come, you should do the following at sunrise and sunset: point the tip of the wand to your heart and chant the spell: "Amado, Animaud, Animagus.

The wait for a storm to arrive can take weeks, months, or even years. During this time, the crystal vial must remain completely undisturbed and out of contact with the sun. (Sun pollution will cause the most devastating mutations.)

If you continue to repeat the mantra over and over at sunrise and sunset, there will come a time when, as the tip of the wand touches your chest, you will feel a second heartbeat, sometimes stronger than your original heartbeat, sometimes weaker.

Step 4: When lightning strikes the sky, immediately dig out the crystal vial. In a wide and safe place, point the tip of the magic wand to your heart and chant "Amado, Animaud, Animagus". Then drink the brewed blood-red potion.

All that remains is to control the animal nature that emerges in the body. If everything goes well, the Animagus will be completed.

"Once again, I completely oppose your attempts to perform Animagus on your own. Do not imitate your classmates or roommates who are members of the teaching class and perform the ritual. Without a teacher to watch over you, any unfortunate incidents could occur."

Having said that, Professor McGonagall glanced at Sirius.

Sirius said nothing, and his expression showed no abnormality, he just sat straighter.

More young wizards fell into hesitation and desperation. Animagus was not a very practical magic. The animal after transformation was random, and no one could predict what animal they would draw.

The theory is complex, the process is tedious, the results are random, and the risk is high. If you are not that interested in Animagus, you should give up the idea of ​​learning it as soon as possible.

Just as Professor McGonagall had expected, the fantasy was shattered and the reality was before their eyes. Some people had the idea of ​​retreating, but a large number of people still had the enthusiasm for Animagus.

Professor McGonagall smiled and decided to use her last weapon to dissuade others: "Besides me, Professor Black is also an Animagus. I think some of you have seen it."

Sirius stood up, bowed to the young wizards, and sat back down amid the applause.

Professor McGonagall continued, "Before the class officially starts, we have invited an Animagus who wishes to remain anonymous. She will demonstrate to you the transformation of this special species of beetle."

The little wizards all widened their eyes.

"Beetle? There really is such an Animagus?"

"I thought Professor McGonagall was joking when she mentioned insects!"

"After working so hard for several months, I ended up being a bug. This—"

"I must have cried myself to death."

Loren and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione lowered her voice and said in disbelief: "Professor McGonagall actually let her be an assistant teacher?"

"..."

Loren was silent for a moment, "Maybe it's not the teaching assistant, it's the teaching aid."

Now it was Hermione's turn to be silent.

Brought into the classroom in a glass bottle, this treatment does not look like that of a teaching assistant.

Feeling the gazes of many people, Rita's heart in the glass bottle trembled, and even the beetle's wings trembled.

The Transfiguration class was completely different from when she graduated, and even Animagus courses were added. Rita Skeeter, who was born in Ravenclaw, thought so, and her recent experience flashed through her mind.

Some time ago, Umbridge, the Senior Deputy Minister of Magic, contacted her and offered her a large sum of money to cooperate with the Ministry's publicity efforts.

Rita did not agree immediately. She was a gold medal special reporter and a best-selling author, not a mouthpiece for the Ministry of Magic. How could she easily agree for money?

But later on, Umbridge's prices became higher and higher, and she was willing to open the Ministry of Magic's archives and even provide special help...

Afterwards, Rita took the truth serum given by Umbridge to Godric's Hollow to meet Bathilda Bagshot, a magical historian and the author of "A History of Magic", the designated textbook of Hogwarts History of Magic.

She was a neighbor of the Dumbledore family and the only person in Godric's Hollow who could speak to Dumbledore's mother.

Most importantly, he is Gellert Grindelwald's great-aunt.

In the summer when Albus Dumbledore graduated from Hogwarts and returned to Godric's Hollow as an orphan and the head of his family, Gellert Grindelwald, the great-nephew of Bathilda Bagshot, came to live in Godric's Hollow. Bathilda introduced Gellert to Albus, and the two talented boys became good friends.

After drinking the truth serum, Bathilda, who was half asleep and half awake, told everything she knew, revealing many details about the childhood and youth of the greatest wizard of our time.

Based on the unknown secrets that have been unearthed, Rita has already decided on the name of her next book, which is "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore."

The short reports written based on what Bathilda had revealed helped the Daily Prophet achieve record sales. She planned to strike while the iron was hot and write a few reports about the basilisk and Dumbledore, and at the same time accumulate material for her new book.

Rita sent an application letter to Hogwarts in the name of a reporter, but was rejected by Minerva McGonagall. The wording of the reply was infuriating, so Rita sneaked into Hogwarts, intending to eavesdrop on some so-called warriors who defeated the basilisk, and write a report based on their words and some subtle processing to refresh sales.

As a result, he was caught as soon as he entered the castle.

These young wizards handed themselves over to Professor McGonagall, who in turn handed herself over to Dumbledore.

Apart from the fact that everything he fed her was extremely sweet, Dumbledore did not make things difficult for her, so Rita felt lucky.

She fantasized that Dumbledore would hand her over to the Ministry of Magic, and she could get away with it through the Senior Deputy Minister of Magic and only have to pay some fines for registering as an Animagus.

Until that night Snape knocked on the door of the headmaster's office. Snape and Dumbledore didn't say a few words before Dumbledore cast a stunning spell on her.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Snape and McGonagall interrogating her.

It was an old, dirty and abandoned classroom. There were many such abandoned classrooms in Hogwarts. When Rita was studying, she often arranged her classmates in these abandoned classrooms.

I don't know when, she has restored her human form. This is not surprising, Dumbledore and McGonagall are masters of Transfiguration, it is easy for them to remove their Animagus.

After that, Snape poured a compound potion into her mouth. In addition to the familiar smell of truth serum, there were also some other potions, which made her consciousness blurred again...

The first thing he saw when he woke up was Snape's face, which was full of sarcasm and amusement. "They fabricated facts, slandered and spread rumors. Not only did they spread rumors from many senior officials of the Ministry of Magic, but they also spread rumors from the Magical Congress of the United States... In addition to political news from many countries, there were also gossips about Quidditch teams, involving Ireland and Wales... Player transfers, team managers abusing players, referees taking bribes..."

"Ms. Rita Skeeter seems to disdain reporting anything other than shocking news."

If this information leaks out, even if the Ministry of Magic does not investigate Rita's crime, those bigwigs will issue a reward for her. By then, there will be no place for her in the world.

Except Azkaban.

Rita's hope was shattered by these words. Driven by fear, she pleaded earnestly to Professor McGonagall and won the teaching aid job.

……

On the podium, Professor McGonagall unscrewed the lid of the glass bottle and gently poured the beetle onto the table. "Begin your performance, Miss Beetle."

Under the gaze of many young wizards, the black beetle flapped its wings and flew to the side of the podium. Its body began to swell. Its skin faded, its tentacles lengthened, and gradually a human outline appeared, gradually transforming into a blonde woman.

The once exquisite wavy hair has become a mess, the red nail polish on the pointed nails has peeled off, and the two fake jewels on the glasses were put back on after they fell off. There is no trace of the former glory.

The black veil covering the lower half of her face maintained her only remaining dignity.

Looking at the many little wizards, Rita's lifeless eyes wavered, but thinking that those unspeakable secrets were in the hands of Snape and McGonagall, she suppressed the impulse in her heart.

The young wizards were silent for a few seconds, then began to discuss in a low voice.

"Why does she cover her face?" someone asked puzzledly.

A young wizard whose parents worked at the Ministry of Magic said mysteriously: "Because she is an illegal Animagus. Among the registered Animagus, there is no beetle."

The students around widened their eyes in surprise and looked at the stage more carefully.

A young Hufflepuff wizard whispered, "Should we report illegal Animagus?"

Fred glared over and said, "Do you mean to report Professor McGonagall as well?"

"I don't!"

Hearing these discussions, Professor McGonagall patted the desk and said, "Don't think too much. This person is an assistant teacher invited from another country, so he is not registered with the British Ministry of Magic."

Hermione leaned over and asked, "What do you think Professor McGonagall will do with her in the end?"

"I don't know," Lauren spread his hands, "At least now you don't have to worry about Professor McGonagall handing her over to the Ministry of Magic."

Chapter 245 Hermione's Journey to the Ministry of Magic

"The key to Animagus is not only the understanding of the principle of transformation, but also about self-awareness and persistence. If you are hesitant about learning this magic after listening to what I just said, I suggest you quit..."

The content of this class was all about admonishing young wizards, interspersed with a lot of Professor McGonagall's personal experiences and explanations. Loren and Hermione automatically blocked out those words of dissuasion and gained a lot.

After the class, Professor McGonagall took Rita away, but this time she didn't put her in the jar again.

Evening, Gryffindor common room.

Loren and Hermione were huddled on a sofa in the corner, catching up on the pile of homework they had accumulated over the Easter holidays, while Harry and Ron had gathered a group of young wizards to play exploding cards.

The sound of chess pieces fighting mixed with the crackling of exploding cards, and Luna, with her tousled, waist-length blond hair, wandered among the crowds, holding a stack of magazines in her hands and handing them out to everyone she knew.

"The Quibbler, The Quibbler, the latest issue of The Quibbler, go check it out."