Chapter 166: Human Transfiguration
When Ethan returned to the castle, it was just past eight o'clock. He went to his dormitory to collect a few items and then headed to the Room of Requirement again.
"Done?" George asked as he opened the door.
"Done. All that's left is to recite the morning and evening incantations and wait for the storm to arrive," Ethan answered as he walked inside.
The twins had known about Ethan's Animagus training for quite some time. When he first started keeping the Mandrake leaf in his mouth, his speech came out garbled. Naturally, they asked him what was going on. He had nothing to hide from the two of them. He had told them everything about the process, except for the special steps his unique Patronus required.
The twins had decent Transfiguration grades, but they only studied it to hone their alchemy. Completely wrapped up in their own world, they had no interest in learning complex Transfiguration that probably wouldn't help with their inventions. After hearing the explanation, they both shook their heads and said it was too much hassle. They would pass.
What struck Ethan as odd was how consistent his close friends' reactions were. They had all chosen not to learn. Even Draco, who had helped him gather Mandrake leaves, and Hermione, who had asked about his strange speech, had no intention of pursuing this advanced Transfiguration.
He could understand Draco. As someone who didn't particularly love Transfiguration, Draco would find learning this magic time-consuming and arduous, with limited applications. It was hardly worth the effort.
Hermione's reluctance surprised him more. Although the textbooks didn't provide a clear methodology for Animagus training, the subject was at least mentioned. However, after hearing her concerns, he realized it was just like Hermione to be hesitant.
"I think we should wait until fifth year before attempting this kind of advanced Transfiguration. Also, trying it without a professor's supervision feels too risky," was Hermione's answer at the time.
Noticing the worry in her eyes, Ethan told her that he had already spoken with Dumbledore. The Headmaster believed he could handle it given his knowledge and experience.
That settled it for Hermione. She stopped pushing him to abandon the idea, though she still looked concerned. If Dumbledore, one of the greatest wizards of the century, had given his approval, it had to be fine. Still, she made him promise to check back with Dumbledore if anything seemed off.
Ethan had agreed without hesitation, though internally he was rolling his eyes. His Animagus process was different from Dumbledore's. When he first started, his Patronus was a two-headed dragon about seven or eight meters long. Now it was a three-headed beast stretching over a dozen meters. Given how deeply his Animagus form was tied to his Patronus, Ethan wasn't sure this was even possible anymore.
Right now, all he could do for his Animagus training was wait. He'd just keep at it and hope for the best. The worst-case scenario was starting over. What mattered now, besides the daily morning and evening incantation practice, was learning Human Transfiguration for magical creatures and getting some advance practice. Hopefully Dumbledore would agree to teach him tomorrow.
Shaking his head and putting these troubles aside for now, Ethan continued brewing potions in the Room of Requirement. The new techniques Professor Snape had taught him this week sparked fresh ideas. Ethan had even found ways to improve several potions he'd already perfected. He'd sent a letter to the apothecary and was ready to begin again.
Now that he'd reached the second step, Ethan couldn't risk staying in the Room of Requirement past curfew. He had to practice the incantation at sunrise. Sunrise was around six-thirty this month, and it kept shifting earlier each day, which Ethan found miserable.
When his alarm went off at six sharp, Ethan shut it off and dragged himself out of bed. After washing up, he made his way out of the pitch-dark dungeons and sat by the Black Lake in the misty dawn, waiting for the sun to rise.
"Amato Animo Animato Animagus." Pointing his wand at his heart, Ethan began chanting the incantation the moment he saw the sun.
Reciting it a hundred times only took a few minutes. Ethan put down his wand, glanced at the morning sun, yawned, and returned to his dormitory to catch up on sleep.
It was the same in the afternoon. Ethan arrived at the Black Lake early and started the incantation the moment the sun began to dip, and didn't head to the Great Hall for dinner until he'd finished.
That night, feeling fully prepared, Ethan made his way to Dumbledore's office. When he entered, the Headmaster was leaning over his desk, engrossed in his writing.
Dumbledore looked up as Ethan walked in. He asked if the Animagus stage had been completed the day before, his tone implying he already knew the answer.
"It's complete, and everything went smoothly," Ethan replied, playing along. He pretended not to know Dumbledore had been there.
"Is there something you wish to ask me this time? Perhaps some doubts or difficulties with the next steps?"
"No, this time it's about magical creature Transfiguration," Ethan said, shaking his head.
The old man's smile faded as he turned serious. He had assumed Ethan had questions about the Animagus process, not that he was coming back to inquire about dangerous Human Transfiguration again.
"I've told you before. This isn't the time for that kind of Transfiguration. You're already working on something extremely advanced, Ethan. You need to concentrate on that." Dumbledore had turned Ethan down repeatedly and wasn't about to change his mind now.
Sensing the old man's impatience, Ethan decided to take drastic measures.
"I know, but I've already finished the second step. Now I just have to wait. Besides, I really need to practice the dragon transformation. I need to get used to the feeling beforehand so I can master my Animagus form faster."
He had barely finished speaking. Before Dumbledore could refuse again, Ethan transformed into a slender coat rack.
"Human Transfiguration? You've already learned this?" The old man was visibly caught off guard. Ethan had never demonstrated this before. The portraits of the headmasters on the wall behind him gasped as well.
"Yes, I only learned it this month." Ethan nodded as he transformed back. He had been preparing for this moment for a long time. This wasn't just to prove he could handle Human Transfiguration, but to pave the way for what came next.
"How long have you been studying it?"
"Two months. I started the day you refused me," Ethan answered truthfully.
Dumbledore's previous notes did cover Human Transfiguration. At Hogwarts, the subject wasn't taught until sixth year, and only students with the appropriate O.W.L. scores could take it. Although Ethan had been working through the notes systematically, he hadn't reached that section yet.
But once he realized his Animagus transformation was connected to magical creature Transfiguration, and Dumbledore refused to teach him, he skipped ahead and started studying it on his own. In just two months, Ethan had worked through material that normally took sixth years an entire year. He'd done it all while keeping up with his regular classes, homework, and potion brewing.
Finally, on the day before the full moon, he mastered the simplest form of Human Transfiguration: turning into an inanimate object.
Ethan still couldn't transform into complex animals. He was limited to simple inanimate objects, and they had to be structurally basic. Anything more complicated was beyond him for now. But even this much, he figured, should be enough to convince Dumbledore.
Ethan was right. The old man's tone wasn't as firm as it had been. He studied the boy for a moment, then said it was clear Ethan had made up his mind to learn this no matter what.
Ethan said nothing. The office fell silent.
Dumbledore finally relented. He agreed to teach him, but insisted that Ethan follow his instructions exactly. He warned that learning magical creature Transfiguration was still dangerous, even though Ethan had managed ordinary Human Transfiguration.
"Understood. I'll follow your instructions exactly." After two months of pestering, Ethan was thrilled to finally get his wish.
"Go on back. I need to figure out how to teach this. I've never taught it to anyone before, so I have to plan it carefully." The old man shot him an exasperated look.
"All right." Riding high on his victory, Ethan cautiously asked if he could visit the Chamber of Secrets right away.
He had never forgotten about replacing the Horcrux hidden beneath the school. However, last semester, Myrtle had caught him searching for Salazar's legacy, and he had gone straight to Dumbledore to confess before the situation escalated. Dumbledore had warned him to stop wandering the halls at night. Since then, afraid of being caught again, Ethan had kept his distance.
"Not at the moment. I've asked Myrtle to keep watch over the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. There hasn't been any unusual activity so far. Don't disturb the snake," Dumbledore warned him sternly.
"All right." Ethan had no choice but to agree, albeit reluctantly. He asked if anyone had come forward with clues about who had opened the Chamber, given how much time had passed since the Basilisk was killed.
"Naturally, they have. Plenty of people have come forward, but none have any real evidence pointing to the identity of the heir." The old man gave a bitter smile. Ever since the Basilisk's body had been put on display, students had been lining up to claim they had clues. Unable to get into the Headmaster's office, they cornered Dumbledore in the Great Hall or wherever else they could find him.
At first, Dumbledore listened patiently and even investigated their so-called clues. However, his patience didn't last. Every clue turned out to be nothing more than a guess or a gut feeling. None provided any actual proof linking anyone to the Basilisk.
Their strongest evidence was merely that someone had visited the lavatory alone during the Halloween feast. Yet when Ron was petrified, no one had anything useful to contribute. Consequently, comparing the two incidents cleared every suspect. Dumbledore sounded exhausted. Three months later, at least the accusations against their classmates had ceased, which was a relief.
Fair enough. Ethan hadn't found Voldemort's diary either.
Ethan offered a theory for Dumbledore to consider. "What if there's more than one heir? Since we haven't found anything about the night Mrs. Norris was attacked, maybe we should focus on the night Ron was petrified and figure out who was wandering around. Excluding myself, of course."
Based on the evidence Ethan had pieced together, the diary simply had to be with Ron. Ron had the opportunity to summon the Basilisk on Halloween night. However, Ron's subsequent petrification had completely overturned Ethan's theories. Until Ron regained consciousness, the truth would remain impossible to determine.
"You make a valid point," Dumbledore said after a moment of thought. Two heirs existing simultaneously seemed unlikely, yet given the circumstances, it remained the most logical explanation.
Seeing that Dumbledore was lost in thought, Ethan said goodbye and took his leave.
The moment he left, the portraits on the wall erupted into animated conversation.
"He's only a second-year? Such remarkable talent!" exclaimed the portrait of a wizard with a pale face and short, dark bangs.
"That's precisely what worries me. He was trained by Voldemort himself," said a plump headmaster with a red nose.
"You're overthinking it. He's a good boy," an old lady with curly silver hair said with a warm smile.
"He's a Slytherin. A Shafiq, no less. His bloodline rivals even the Blacks." A dark-haired wizard dressed in Slytherin colors looked smug. No one bothered to respond.
A gaunt wizard with a short beard turned to Dumbledore with a concerned look. "Dumbledore, you must keep a close watch on him. A second-year performing Human Transfiguration. He has more talent than Tom did at that age. If he goes down the wrong path, it will be even worse than last time."
Dumbledore nodded. He had been watching Ethan's every move for some time now. The last thing he wanted was to allow another Dark Lord to rise under his watch.
He reassured the portrait. "I know, Armando. Ethan won't become another Tom. He's different. He has a family and parents who love him. He has no desire to amass power or gather followers. Don't worry. I'll keep watching him."
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