Vizette shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a knot of nerves twisting in his stomach. The three professors facing him—Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick—were masters of the magical arts, their reputations preceding them like a shadow. He'd only meant to share his insights on the Animagus transformation, but now doubt crept in. What if he muddled the explanation? He'd already benefited so much from their guidance; disappointing them would sting.
He glanced up, meeting their eyes—Dumbledore's twinkling with quiet encouragement, McGonagall's steady and expectant, Flitwick's alight with curiosity. The tension eased a fraction. "I can do this."
Vizette exhaled softly. "From what I've gathered, young mandrake leaves have a remarkably unique structure, especially when it comes to their interaction with the soul. At first glance, they appear almost needle-like—a visual cue to their deeper properties."
"That was my initial take," he continued, "but finishing the first stage of the Animagus process shifted my perspective entirely."
With a flick of his wand, a silvery-blue thread of memory emerged, shimmering in the air. He'd woven this extraction spell using ancient magic, lending it an extra layer of clarity and resonance that standard charms lacked. It was a technique he'd honed through trial and error, drawing on the raw power he'd come to wield.
"Texts like The Handbook of Ritual Magic, Rituals and Protection, and The Practice of Ritual Magic all highlight common traits in leaf-based enchantments," Vizette said, guiding the memory into a conjured Pensieve basin.
Dumbledore nodded sagely. "Growth and absorption—the hallmarks of all foliage, magical or otherwise."
"Exactly!" Vizette's shoulders relaxed further. "Growth demands absorption, which drives energy flow to fuel the change. That leads to another key trait: flow itself. In the Animagus ritual, the mandrake leaf channels my memories. Professors, you can sense it, can't you?"
He infused the memory with a subtle pulse of ancient magic, enhancing its fluidity. The professors leaned in, eyes narrowing as they immersed themselves. McGonagall and Flitwick murmured in surprise, realizing the Pensieve's depths ran far beyond what Hogwarts' archives suggested.
Dumbledore, ever perceptive, caught Vizette's eye and offered a conspiratorial wink. As one of the few who knew of Vizette's unique heritage as a Guardian, he grasped the memory's enhanced potency immediately.
Vizette stifled a laugh, clearing his throat. "This flow is bidirectional—an exchange, really. I pour my past into the leaf, and it grants me its essence of absorption in return."
"A compelling theory," McGonagall agreed, her lips pursing thoughtfully. "The Animagus form is perilously complex, riddled with risks. Few wizards delve into soul magic, so this absorptive quality of mandrake has likely gone overlooked."
Flitwick's eyes sparkled. "I'm intrigued by this 'exchange' you mentioned—memories for traits. Gentlemen, does this evoke the siphon phenomenon?"
Vizette paused, the term jogging a connection. "Siphon phenomenon?"
Flitwick beamed. "In my studies of ancient Roman magic, I once read a wizard's memoir about his Muggle acquaintances. Back then, wizard-Muggle relations weren't so strained. The memoir described Muggles engineering vast aqueducts to siphon water over valleys into their cities—brilliant, really!"
McGonagall frowned. "Siphoning? Never heard of it. Why bother when Aguamenti can summon water on demand?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "Muggles are ingenious in their own right. They coined the term, you know."
The pieces clicked for Vizette. "That's it! It ties everything together!"
He waved his wand again, ancient magic manifesting a simple demonstration: two glass vessels, one tall and filled with water, the other short and empty, linked by a clear tube. "Professor McGonagall, this illustrates the siphon phenomenon perfectly. I call this the siphon tube."
Water trickled from the higher cup, defying gravity to flow into the lower one through the tube. "See how the flow persists until equilibrium? Professor Flitwick, your insight is spot on—this makes it all so clear!"
Dumbledore applauded lightly. "A vivid breakthrough. Well done."
Emboldened, Vizette pressed on, his words tumbling faster. "With the siphon as our model, the explanation simplifies. The flow continues to balance the sides, introducing stability—a safeguard, if you will."
He enlarged the curled mandrake leaf from his memory. "As I said, it's needle-like, but now consider it a siphon too. The tube enables the effect, while the needle serves as an anchor point!"
"This anchors the first Animagus stage," Vizette explained, recalling the ritual's demands. "You hold the leaf in your mouth for a full month. Proximity to the brain—to the soul—is crucial. 'Mouth' ensures that closeness, and the month allows steady absorption."
"Over those weeks, the leaf draws in memories, using them to forge the anchor. When it becomes the potion, those anchored memories become the bridge between human and animal forms!"
A wrinkle formed on his brow. "But memories are vast—spanning years, moods, moments. How to narrow them?"
Dumbledore's voice was gentle. "Perhaps trace them to their source?"
"Source... the hair!" Clarity surged through Vizette. "The hair from later steps refines the anchor, ensuring precision. That's why extracting it perfectly is so vital—it locks in our current form, preventing regression to childhood or infancy during reversal."
The professors exchanged impressed glances, the air humming with revelation. Vizette felt a surge of relief; his nerves had forged into focus, unearthing secrets long buried in magic's roots.
…
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