"Yes, Professor McGonagall!"
After some thought, Vizette began by describing the most obvious features.
"First, Animagus spellcasting is characterized by the fact that it does not require spells or wands. Second, it is free to do as one pleases, and the entire transformation process is very flexible."
"However, I think these characteristics are similar to wandless spellcasting and silent spellcasting; they all require frequent practice to achieve such effects."
"Excellent!" Professor McGonagall nodded in approval. "Anything else?"
"There's also some information I've found," Vizette continued. "Animagus retains a special mark in their animal form, which the Ministry of Magic registers…"
"Mastering Animagus is inherently fraught with danger and uncertainty; in addition to regular practice, a bit of luck is also needed to complete the entire process..."
Professor McGonagall nodded repeatedly, a slight smile playing on her lips, revealing a satisfied expression.
She could tell that Vizette had put a lot of effort into preparing for this, finding a lot of information related to Animagus.
Piecing together relevant information from fragmented knowledge in books is no easy task.
In addition to these compiled materials, Vizette also had some new insights, stemming from the conjecture that Professor McGonagall, after transforming into a tabby cat, would tease the ball of yarn.
"Professor McGonagall, if one becomes an Animagus, will some animal instincts emerge?"
"Of course!" Professor McGonagall nodded. "It's a strange state, and you need to overcome this instinct. You can't… try not to act on your instincts."
"Animal instinct…that's quite an amazing perspective!" Vizette habitually began to make connections. "Thinking about magic from an animal's perspective…wouldn't that offer a different perspective?"
"If I could transform into a magical creature, like a dragon... what would be the difference between the dragon's breath and the fire-starting spell cast by a wizard..."
Professor McGonagall's eyelids twitched; she was still amazed by Vizette's divergent thinking.
However, in the matter of gaining control of the Animagus, she wanted to make Vizette realize just how dangerous it was to have such thoughts.
She tapped the table lightly and looked at Vizette seriously, saying, "Vizette, I must reiterate, the risks involved in completing Animagus are considerable."
Professor McGonagall waved her wand and summoned a somewhat old parchment scroll.
The parchment was slowly unfurled on the table, revealing an incredibly detailed hand-drawn illustration of a small, thin monster with a massive bull's head.
"This is a wizard from ancient Greece. You may know his name through some Muggle stories—the Minotaur."
"He lives on the island of Crete and is an Animagus. In a magical experiment, he wanted to further transform himself and make himself more powerful."
"The Minotaur set his sights on the Re'em bull, but unfortunately the magical experiment failed. He could no longer turn back into his original form and could only remain in this half-man, half-bull state until the end of his life."
Based on the hand-drawn illustrations before him and the descriptions in the materials he had consulted, Vizette came to a conclusion.
"Professor McGonagall, can I understand it this way: the Animagus's ability to transform is limited to ordinary animals?"
"That's right! This is very important!" Professor McGonagall nodded emphatically.
"Even if you are very familiar with Animagus, if you want to transform further and change yourself into a magical creature, it will bring unpredictable consequences."
"Not only the Minotaur, but also the Sphinx, now defined as a magical creature, is rumored to have been transformed from a group of ancient Egyptian sorcerers."
"These wizards wanted to acquire the magical talents of cats and leopards in order to try to transform into cats and leopards. Unfortunately, their magical transformation failed, and they were forced to continue to reproduce in a half-human, half-lion form."
Her expression was very serious. "You have a great talent for Transfiguration magic; but you must be extremely careful when dealing with Transfiguration magic, especially Animagus magic!"
"Wizards can study various magical creatures and thus develop magic similar to their talents, but there will always be some differences between the two."
"Wizards have difficulty discerning the true nature of magical creatures, so these differences are magnified infinitely by the Animagus, leading to irreversible consequences."
Had he seen through the root of the problem?
Vizette's mind raced as he recalled his experience at noon.
Through the Ancient Magic: Imperius Curse and the Magia Revelio, he had been able to see into the little pixie's magic circuits. He wondered if this could be considered... a glimpse into the essence of magical creatures?
It was not the time to think about these things; laying a solid foundation was the key.
...
Vizette began his formal studies of the Animagus under Professor McGonagall.
Mastering Animagus involved a long wait, various uncertainties, and tedious procedures.
The first step was to hold a mandrake leaf in one's mouth. The wizard needed to start from the first full moon and continue until the next full moon, for a full month.
It was important to note that the wizard could not swallow or spit out the leaf; otherwise, this step would need to be repeated at the start of the next full moon.
During the time it took for the second full moon to arrive, the wizard would also need to prepare various auxiliary materials, including a sufficiently clear bottle, a teaspoon of dew, and a hawk moth pupa.
This teaspoon of dew required special care; it could only be collected from dew that had not been exposed to sunlight or any living creatures within the past seven days.
Once these preparations were complete, if the second full moon was cloudy or rainy, then the first step needed to be restarted.
...
If everything went well, one could proceed to the second step.
The wizard would take out a bottle, shine it in the moonlight, and stuff it with mandrake leaves, pure dew, hawk moth pupae, and his own hair.
After completing this step, he would bury the bottle to ensure it was not disturbed in any way.
Once the bottle was dug out, or exposed to the light due to some unforeseen event, then it needed to be started all over again.
...
The third step was a long wait, during which one needed to take out one's wand and point it at one's heart while chanting the spell, "Amado, Animo, Animado, Animagus," at sunrise and sunset.
One might experience abnormal heartbeats during the journey, whether they were strong or weak; these were all normal phenomena.
Most importantly, the wizard had to control his curiosity. The bottle containing hair would have a strong attraction, constantly tempting the wizard to look inside.
This waiting process was extremely long, and choosing a suitable burial location was crucial.
...
When the storm arrived and the first lightning flashed in the sky, the wizard had to immediately go to the location where the bottle was buried to proceed to the fourth step—digging the bottle out.
If all the steps went smoothly, all the materials in the bottle would disappear, leaving only a blood-like liquid, just the right amount to be swallowed in one gulp…
….
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