Professor McGonagall spent a considerable amount of time just outlining the four steps of the preparation work.
Looking at the steps and additional points and precautions in his notebook, Vizette couldn't help but sigh that mastering Animagus was indeed no easy task.
Vizette considered his understanding of ritual magic to be somewhat superficial, but he had already mastered the method of casting Aguamenti through learning ritual magic.
Therefore, based on these steps, he was able to conclude that this was a complete ritual magic.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and said, "Let's take a short rest!"
Unlike traditional lectures that involve questioning and interaction, the preparation steps for Animagus require detailed explanations of the key points.
This elaborate ritual magic greatly reduces the difficulty of the learning process and increases the safety of the final transformation step.
After going through all these preparation steps in one go, she felt her throat was a little hoarse.
Looking at the densely packed contents of Vizette's notebook, she nodded slightly.
Being able to deliver all the content in one go, with the audience fully following along and taking ample notes, was certainly a kind of ease, wasn't it?
Professor McGonagall picked up her wand and tapped the table lightly.
A tea set appeared quickly, with black tea already poured into the teacups, emitting steam.
She stood up and took a round tin box out of the drawer.
Opening the lid revealed all sorts of cookies inside, with the most numerous being fish-shaped cookies.
Black tea and cookies were her favorite afternoon tea combination.
When she had free time on weekends, she would find Sprout and enjoy some rare leisure time together.
"Vizette, relax," Professor McGonagall said kindly, placing the cookie box beside the tea set. "It's the weekend, have some tea and a snack!"
"Thank you." Vizette picked up the teacup, blew on it, took a small sip, and focused his attention on his notebook.
He had already briefly outlined the preparation steps and listed out all the materials that would be needed.
"So? Do you have any questions about the materials used?" Professor McGonagall glanced at the notebook. "Pomona told me that you've dabbled in ritual magic."
"I think you should be able to see that the whole set of Animagus steps is actually a complete ritual magic."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall. I have a rudimentary understanding of ritual magic." Vizette nodded. "I just find the materials used in these rituals very interesting."
"I've summarized the ritual magics I've encountered before. Those ritual magics are usually used externally, which is somewhat different from this ritual magic."
"Oh?" Professor McGonagall took a sip of her black tea. "What do you think is different about this ritual magic?"
"First of all, this…" Vizette turned the notebook sideways so Professor McGonagall could see it more easily, "For seven days, it has not been exposed to sunlight or the dew of any living creature."
The books Ollivander had recommended earlier had taught him a lot about potion ingredients and what intentions they might have when used in ritual magic.
He combined this existing knowledge with a re-examination of the materials needed in the preparation steps.
"Dew itself has the meaning of protection and purification, and seven is a magical number. In ritual magic, there are few such strict requirements that involve the use of such pure dew."
"Dew that has not been touched by any living creature represents its connection with nature, the purest connection; seven days is a complete natural cycle, which can further enhance this characteristic."
"By combining the two, one can achieve inner cleansing and rebirth, while also providing protection, thereby completing the transformation of body and soul..."
"You've come to this level of understanding?" Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses, a hint of surprise in her voice.
She had first mastered the Animagus technique before studying the steps and deducing their significance.
What Vizette was saying now was almost identical to what she had deduced.
Vizette nodded. "I've read books about ritual magic."
"Let me add something," Professor McGonagall said. "Only sufficiently pure and powerful dew can clearly convey the wizard's inner will and determine the specific form of the Animagus."
"So it has this deeper meaning, it's truly amazing!" Vizette exclaimed, quickly noting down this key point.
Professor McGonagall said with some anticipation, "I feel like we can save a lot of time. Please continue."
"Next is the pupa of the hawk moth." Vizette felt a surge of inspiration. "It is in the middle stage between the caterpillar and the adult, and it also has the meaning of transformation and rebirth."
"Furthermore, it was emphasized that the pupa of the hawk moth was used. This is a moth that does not belong to Europe, so the focus is on its unique appearance after it becomes an adult."
"That skull-like ghostly face... must serve as a warning! I think... in the process of transforming from a wizard into an animal, the wizard will naturally develop fear and resistance."
"By taking advantage of the unique characteristics of the hawk moth, this fear can be minimized. As a pupa, it also serves a protective function, and the hawk moth's appearance as an adult further enhances this protection!"
"I have nothing to add, it's perfectly complete!" Professor McGonagall said with satisfaction, though her tone was somewhat complicated.
Such an excellent student, why is he in Ravenclaw...?
Perhaps only in Ravenclaw can one truly bring out this excellence...
She let out a soft breath, picked up a small fish-shaped biscuit, and slowly chewed it, as if trying to crush and digest all the distracting thoughts in her mind.
"And then there's the matter of timing," Vizette continued. "Ritual magic can use the phases of the moon to achieve completely opposite effects."
"For example, the earliest curse ritual magic needs to be performed after the full moon, and the best time is the new moon."
"The earliest protective ritual magic can be performed on the night of the full moon or the night before the full moon, with the best time being the full moon."
"Therefore, the Animagus ritual would choose two full moons, both for protection and for completeness. From this, we can deduce..."
Vizette frowned slightly as he looked at the listed information, and gradually an answer came to his mind.
"Professor McGonagall, can I understand it this way... that the Animagus not only explores external changes, but more importantly, delves into the inner self... to understand the soul!"
"With enough protective measures, one can understand the soul most directly in a relatively safe way... The wizard who came up with this method is truly remarkable!"
"You are also remarkable!" Professor McGonagall did not hold back her smile. "I thought… we would need a longer course to cover all this material."
…
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