Chapter 169: Becoming a Phoenix
Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Notice any differences?"
"No. They look identical to me. I don't see a difference at all." Ethan shook his head.
Even though the forms looked the same, the transformation method was different. The first time, Dumbledore had recited an incantation and brandished his wand with a loud crack. The second time, he had simply stood there and transformed. There had been no wand movement or sound.
This shows the superiority of the Animagus transformation. The form is fixed, and the process of learning it is arduous. However, once mastered, the execution is effortless. Just being able to perform it without a wand makes it far superior to Human Transfiguration. This is why, over hundreds of years, only an Animagus like Sirius has been able to escape Azkaban.
Ethan remembered Sirius, who would be escaping next year, and thought of Ron's pet, Scabbers. *I have no idea who's been sheltering him lately. The man is a master at hiding. He lived as a rat for over a decade, so he's probably developed rat-like habits by now. He is ruthless.*
Seeing Ethan go quiet, Dumbledore explained, "Both times I transformed, I appeared as a phoenix, so they looked the same. But underneath, they are fundamentally different. My Animagus form can undergo Nirvana. Human Transfiguration cannot do that. The same applies to the healing tears. Furthermore, Human Transfiguration uses the wizard's own magic, so it cannot Apparate over long distances like a real phoenix."
He warned sternly, "Pay extra attention to that last point."
"Yes, I know." Ethan felt a twinge of regret. He'd hoped to test whether his tears could purify Ravenclaw's diadem.
After going over the key points once more, Dumbledore looked at him seriously. "Are the steps clear? Your turn."
"Clear."
Ethan was just as serious. He didn't rush. Instead, he exhaled slowly and went over the key points and the phoenix's anatomy in his mind.
Magical creatures weren't that different from ordinary ones in basic structure. A phoenix was still a bird. Only certain organs had developed magical connections, differing slightly from those of ordinary birds. Dumbledore had gone over all of this using his hand-drawn anatomical diagram. He'd even transfigured each organ to show Ethan what they looked like.
The more nervous he became, the more his imagination ran wild. At such a serious moment, a ridiculous thought popped into his head. *Where had he obtained all this information before the transformation was even complete? Surely he hadn't dissected Fawkes.*
This was hardly conducive to spellcasting. He shook off the distracting thought.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan raised his wand and pointed it at himself. In a steady voice, he chanted the spell Dumbledore had modified for magical creature Transfiguration. His wand movements were precise and deliberate.
Crack!
With a sharp crack, a phoenix appeared. It looked nearly identical to Dumbledore's. While the Headmaster's phoenix would have taken flight immediately, Ethan's could only stand on the ground, its wings spread wide to keep its balance.
While Ethan struggled to stand upright, Dumbledore circled him. "Very well done. No mistakes or omissions." He crouched down to meet the phoenix's eyes. "You can't stand because you're not used to the form. You'll adjust. But not now. First, cancel the Transfiguration."
Ethan gave a slight nod. *No time to get comfortable.* He started trying to change back.
There were three major difficulties. First was identifying the organs that differed from those of ordinary creatures. Get that wrong and the Transfiguration would likely fail, or produce a normal creature that merely looked the part. Second was the conflict between two modes of magical operation. It hurt. Mishandle it and you could get seriously injured. Third was restoring your human form. The conflicting magical modes made restoration completely different from ordinary Transfiguration.
With ordinary Transfiguration, you just recited the restoration spell a few times and you were back. With magical creatures, the conflicting magical modes made it much harder.
Ethan had mastered the first two. Now came the hard part. He recited the restoration spell over and over, but nothing happened. His three minutes were running out.
Dumbledore sensed his desperation. He shared the concern, but kept his tone steady. "Do not worry. There is still time. Be patient. Consider why it is not working. Is it the spell, or the magical connection?"
Ethan nodded, comparing his attempts to Dumbledore's lessons. After several more tries, he finally managed to revert. Roughly three and a half minutes had passed.
Ethan knelt on the ground, wand in hand, his fists braced against the dirt as he gasped for breath. "Good thing I figured it out. It would have been disastrous if I hadn't been able to change back."
It was his first time. He hadn't fully grasped the underlying mechanics of the magic, which had hindered his attempts to revert. He remained where he was, mentally dissecting what had gone wrong and what had gone right. After a brief rest, he brushed the dirt from his hands and rose to his feet.
Dumbledore let out a sigh of relief. He patted Ethan on the shoulder. "Now that you've done it once, it will go much more smoothly next time. So? What was it like?"
"Amazing. Completely different from the red deer. It's not merely the difference between mammals and birds, but something deeper." Ethan savored the memory of those three and a half minutes. Even though he had spent most of that time struggling to change back, there was something undeniably special about it.
"The actual Transfiguration was painful, though." Ethan shuddered at the memory. At one point, he had even wondered if he would survive it. Now he understood why Dumbledore had been reluctant to teach him. This was genuinely dangerous magic.
He paused. "But once it was done, I could feel the difference between wizards and magical creatures. It wasn't just body structure. The way magic moves and flows is completely different."
Dumbledore listened and nodded. Ethan was right. His understanding wasn't complete yet, but that was only natural after a single attempt. With a few more tries, he would understand it better.
"I want to try a few more times to get used to the flow of magic." Five minutes later, Ethan attempted the Transfiguration again.
"Very well. I had planned to dedicate the entire day to this before visiting an old friend tonight. However, seeing as you are making excellent progress, I will attend to some matters this afternoon. We can make up the time next week?"
"Understood." Half a day was sufficient. A week would give him time to study dragon Transfiguration, and he could consult Dumbledore the following week.
Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat down, taking out a Peppermint Toad and popping it into his mouth.
With another crack, Ethan became a phoenix again. Having already achieved a successful transformation, he was in no rush. The goal now was to get a feel for the posture and the magic.
After several attempts, he adjusted to the forward-leaning stance and the new perspective, learning to stand and walk. When that attempt ended, he went straight into the next. It took five or six tries to progress from standing to flying.
When he finally soared above the Forbidden Forest, he let out a sharp cry. In response, another phoenix appeared in the sky, calling back. The two looked identical as they circled through the air. They trilled to one another as if holding a conversation.
Ethan did not understand Fawkes' cries, nor was he certain about his own. He made the sounds intentionally, yet he had no idea if they conveyed his intended meaning or if Fawkes understood him.
After roughly thirty seconds of circling, Dumbledore held out his arm. "Fawkes!" he called. Fawkes stared at Ethan's phoenix form for a moment, then landed on Dumbledore's shoulder, looking bewildered.
"That is Ethan. You didn't recognize him?" The old man tilted his head slightly.
"Chirp, chirp," Fawkes trilled and resumed preening on the old man's shoulder.
With a pop, Ethan Apparated a short distance away, materializing in front of Dumbledore and reverting to his true form.
Back at Hagrid's hut, Harry had been staring toward the forest since hearing the phoenix cry. He hadn't been able to shake off his curiosity ever since Dumbledore and Ethan left. He'd used the excuse of helping chop wood so he could keep watching.
"Hagrid, were there two phoenixes?"
Once the phoenixes had vanished from sight, Hagrid resumed chopping wood. "Two phoenixes. I don't know if the second one's related to Fawkes." He paused, his hands stilling on the axe handle. "Dumbledore's bloodline attracts phoenixes. Legend has it that every member of his family has one."
"A family gift? That's incredible!" Harry looked envious.
Hagrid set down the axe and slapped Harry's back with his huge hand. "You're no slouch yourself. You fly as well as your dad. Better, even. He was a Chaser, but you're the best Seeker on the team."
"Yeah." Harry rubbed his stinging back. He wished he had that sort of toughness, but Hagrid had a point. He nodded.
Still, try as he might, his gaze kept drifting back toward the forest.
"Did I call Fawkes?" Ethan held out his arm. The scarlet and gold bird hopped onto his wrist and nuzzled his cheek.
"Yes. He must have heard your cry and Apparated from the office."
"Professor, can you understand Fawkes when you're transfigured? I made sounds back to him, but I have no idea if he understood me. I certainly didn't understand him."
Ethan tucked his wand into his pocket and stroked Fawkes' smooth feathers from head to tail.
"Not with Transfiguration. But in Animagus form, yes. Like I said, Transfiguration changes the outside, not the inside. You're still human. Of course you can't understand phoenix cries."
"Got it." The same issue as before. Bloodline versus magic power.
After resting in a conjured chair, Ethan became a phoenix again and took flight.
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