To use a mature mandrake leaf, which was larger than an adult's palm, it was impossible to hold the entire thing in his mouth. He could only choose smaller, tender leaves. But if the leaves were too small, they could easily be swallowed.
"The best way is to cover one-third of the upper palate, but without touching the teeth," Professor Sprout said, sharing the wisdom of past wizards. "The curvature of the leaf is also important; the more tightly it fits against the palate, the more likely you are to succeed."
Under Professor Sprout's guidance, Wade picked out a leaf. Professor Sprout then carefully selected and cut five or six more leaves of a similar size. She soaked these leaves in a greenish herbal solution to dissolve the mandrake's natural magic, then cast a preservation charm and handed them to Wade.
"You can use these leaves to practice until the full moon."
"This many?" Wade asked in surprise. There were only six days until the full moon, which meant Professor Sprout had given him an average of one leaf per day.
Professor Sprout smiled. "The beginning is always the hardest. If you don't use up all the leaves before the full moon, you'll have succeeded."
"Good afternoon, Wade."
The little monster hunter bounced as he opened the office door and said in a low, raspy voice, "You're late."
Wade held up his palm and showed a "five."
The monster hunter surprisingly understood his meaning and frowned. "Five minutes is still late."
Wade waved his wand, and a string of golden words floated in the air.
[I had a small incident at lunch. It held me up.]
Just then, Professor Moray came out from the inner office.
Wade asked in writing: [Has Jerry become more lively?]
"Jerry" was Professor Moray's nickname for the monster hunter.
"That's the wonder of life alchemy," Professor Moray said with a smile. "Unlike a stiff, rigid chess piece, he will gradually grow, absorb more knowledge, and even his personality might change."
Wade expressed his feelings: [It's like creating a real life.]
"That's what makes it so fascinating," Professor Moray said. "What's wrong with your voice?"
[I'm practicing to become an Animagus,] Wade replied. [I have a mandrake leaf in my mouth, so it's not easy to talk.]
On the very first day, he had already ruined two leaves.
One was when he accidentally bit down on it while answering a question in class. His mouth was immediately filled with an intense, lingering bitterness that didn't go away until he brushed his teeth several times.
The other was sacrificed during lunch. Wade had used a Sticking Charm to attach the leaf to his palate, but it made him feel choked and short of breath. When he tried sticking it to his tongue instead, speaking and swallowing became even more difficult, and the leaf was more easily damaged. Wade now truly understood how difficult the task was. Keeping a thin leaf in his mouth without damaging it was not as easy as holding a piece of candy. Candy could melt or be chewed up, but the leaf had to be handled as carefully as a baby.
Wade decided to temporarily give up talking. To that end, he secretly used an Ignoring Charm in class so the professors wouldn't suddenly call on him to answer a question.
"Animagus?" Professor Moray shook his head in disapproval. "This kind of magic is both dangerous and useless. After transforming, you're limited by the animal's body and can't use other spells. Why bother practicing it?"
[It's amazing enough just to be able to turn into an animal! And mastering Animagus is very beneficial for learning Transfiguration,] Wade replied.
Moray indulged him. "Do as you please. You always want to learn every type of magic... Have you heard of the Uagadou School of Magic?"
Wade: [I have. It's the magic school in Africa and the largest of all magic schools.]
Professor Moray nodded. "I haven't learned Animagus myself, but I know a few wizard friends from Africa. Uagadou is especially good at wandless magic and Animagus. Many of their students can transform into elephants and cheetahs by the age of fourteen. I can borrow some of their notes for you to reference."
[Thank you, Professor.]
"Don't thank me so soon," Professor Moray said with a straight face. "If you turn into a slug, just don't come crying to me."
Wade couldn't help but smile. He knew that even if Professor Moray disapproved, he would still support his decision.
He imagined Professor McGonagall...
"That's too dangerous, Mr. Gray!" Professor McGonagall would probably say with a stern face. "This is not the kind of magic you should be meddling with at your age!"
Or—
"Mr. Gray, what is your Animagus form? A wizard's Animagus form and its features must be registered with the Ministry of Magic, or it's an illegal act!"
What can he say? Professor McGonagall was a very good and decent professor, an impeccable teacher. However, she could hardly tolerate any rule-breaking behavior, which made Wade afraid to reveal certain secrets to her.
"Well, enough chitchat. Let's continue today's lesson," Professor Moray said. "I assume you've completed the homework I gave you last time?"
Wade nodded, placed his backpack on the floor, and tapped it with his wand. A gigantic wardrobe appeared.
Entering the wardrobe's inner space, a pumpkin carriage with no horses rolled over. The door opened automatically, and it only began to move after the two of them got in. The carriage followed a white road, and they could see imposing armored soldiers patrolling and two cats rolling in the grass on either side of the road. Their movements looked nimble, but their appearance had the mechanical feel of man-made objects.
Several large brooms swept the ground by themselves. A dustpan hopped along beside them, spilling the trash it had just collected. A broom tapped it, then turned back to continue sweeping.
The carriage stopped by a grove of trees, where a white table and two high-backed chairs were placed under a banyan tree. A round-bellied teapot bowed, and two cups scrambled out of a tray. The teapot poured black tea for them, and steam puffed from the lid as if singing happily.
Professor Moray picked up his cup, drank it all in one gulp, and placed it back on the table. The teapot eagerly moved to pour more tea, but the professor stopped it.
Wade waved his hand, and a small bird landed on it. The bird lowered its head and pecked at the edge of the cup, and clear water surged up from the bottom of the cup until it was full again.
Professor Moray smiled with satisfaction.
"Not bad. You completed this creation in just two weeks." He was extremely pleased, but with a sense of reserve, he didn't use more flowery words to praise his student.
[It's difficult to combine alchemy creations with magic, and it's even harder to solidify the magic runes so that it can cast the Aguamenti spell,] Wade said as he stroked the bird's head. [Luckily, I finally succeeded.]
"Now, you can start trying to solidify two magic rune circuits," Professor Moray said. "Today, we'll talk about the compatibility and conflicts between alchemical materials and magic spells..."
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