Chapter 36: Animagus Transformation
The club meetings were longer than the classes. In the three hours from three to six in the afternoon, Ezio gained a great deal. In terms of theoretical knowledge and basic practice, he was somewhat inferior to Cedric. There was no helping it; Cedric had studied at Hogwarts for two years more than him and was very talented himself. It was normal not to be able to compare with him now.
In the last ten minutes before the end, Ezio found Professor McGonagall to chat alone. He wanted to know in advance about some high-end Transfiguration knowledge that he intended to master in the future but couldn't yet access.
"Professor McGonagall, may I ask you some questions about becoming an Animagus? I know I'm not yet capable of learning this magic, but I want to understand it a little more. It's a skill I very much want to master in the future."
"A proper amount of curiosity is beneficial. I also hope that you will be able to successfully learn the Animagus transformation one day in the future." Professor McGonagall said encouragingly. Every student who could enter her club actually had the talent to master the Animagus transformation.
"I have questions in three areas," Ezio said, having prepared for this inquiry long ago. "I want to know, is there a direct connection between the form after the Animagus transformation and the wizard's original body?"
"I read an example in a book where a wizard who had transformed into a wolf was attacked by a werewolf in the wild. The transmission of lycanthropy has always been considered a curse, with the most direct method of transmission being a bite. But this wizard, who was bitten by the werewolf, was not infected with the werewolf curse after returning to his original body. What is the reason for this? Is it because the transformed body is an independent entity?"
"This question involves the principles and composition of the werewolf curse," Professor McGonagall pondered for a moment, then replied, "A werewolf is forced to transform into a half-man, half-wolf form during the full moon due to a curse. But the transformation principle of this curse is actually similar to that of an Animagus. Or rather, a werewolf itself is in a state of incomplete Animagus transformation. It was an accident caused by wizards in ancient times when they were exploring human transfiguration."
"Therefore, the werewolf curse is not effective on a wizard who has already mastered the Animagus transformation and is currently in that transformed state. But that is only one of the reasons."
"You mentioned the independence of the transformed form. That is also a factor affecting the effectiveness of the curse."
"An Animagus is a semi-permanent transformation. As long as the wizard is alive, they can maintain the transformed state until death. And the wizard's original body will affect the form of the Animagus. For example, if the wizard's original body is injured, after transformation, the transformed form will also show corresponding injuries, especially severe ones like missing limbs."
"But if you are injured while in your Animagus form, then when you return to your wizard body, those injuries will almost completely heal. This is because during the transformation process, we can control the reconstruction of the transformation, that is, actively heal the wounds. This is the most magical aspect of being an Animagus."
"When we turn into some other creature, the transformed individual can be considered a completely new body. Because it has now been confirmed that the Animagus transformation will cause the wizard to be assimilated. That is to say, if you turn into a cat, and you maintain the cat form for a long time—this could take ten or even decades—your way of thinking, and even your thoughts, will gradually be assimilated by the cat. One day, you will completely become a cat, from body to soul."
"But very few people do this. Currently, there are only two known cases of this accident. They were both wizards from Uagadou and had maintained their transformed state for over thirty years. If they hadn't been discovered by chance, we might not have known this secret. But even after they were forcibly transformed back, they had already lost their human minds. They had already identified themselves as beasts."
Ezio quickly jotted down notes in his notebook, then asked his second question: "As far as I know, the Animagus transformation is uncertain. Before the transformation, the wizard themselves does not know what creature they will become. Is there a way for a wizard to become a creature they want to become?"
"That question is flawed from the beginning, Ezio," Professor McGonagall replied seriously. "Before the transformation, a wizard can vaguely sense what creature they are about to become. This is mostly based on the wizard's preferences or their inner need for a particular form. Transfiguration is also magic, and it is also influenced by the wizard's mind. And I can tell you with certainty that it is possible to actively specify your Animagus form."
"There was no definite conclusion on this question five years ago. But five years ago, the wizards at Uagadou found a method. By adding the hair or blood of the creature you want to become to the Animagus transformation potion, you can determine your own transformed form. But one thing is certain: magical creatures still cannot be included in the list of transformations. Every wizard who has attempted this has, without exception, met with an accident."
"Why is that?" Ezio asked curiously.
"Because of magic," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "After using the Animagus transformation, all of the wizard's magic is used to maintain the Animagus form. That is to say, the transformed creature will not have any magic. And magical creatures themselves must have magic to survive. Without magic, a magical creature's body will suffer an irreversible collapse, leading directly to death. Their very existence is a gift of magic. Compared to wizards, they are more dependent on the existence of magic. There are no Squibs among magical creatures."
When she spoke of this, Professor McGonagall was particularly serious, her tone cautionary throughout. She did not want a student she valued to die a tragic death because of such a thing.
"One last question." Ezio nodded seriously, indicating that he had committed this taboo to memory. "I want to know, since humans are also a type of creature, does the Animagus form include a human form?"
"To become... a Muggle?" Professor McGonagall asked, confused. She couldn't quite understand Ezio's line of thinking.
But this question also successfully stumped Professor McGonagall. She had never thought that someone would ask such an outrageous question. This was beyond the scope of just unconventional thinking.
"Regarding the question you've raised, I really can't give you a definite answer right now, Ezio." Professor McGonagall shook her head. But after a moment, she said, "If you are interested in this question, I can introduce you to a wizard who specializes in the Animagus transformation. However, he has hidden his name with magic, so that owls cannot deliver letters to him. You can visit him during the holidays. He lives as a hermit in the Mountains of the Moon, which is where the Uagadou School of Magic is located. When it comes to the Animagus transformation, the wizards of Uagadou have research that far exceeds that of wizards elsewhere. Their school has included the Animagus transformation in their advanced Transfiguration curriculum. For every ten wizards from Uagadou, at least five have mastered the Animagus transformation. This is related to their preference for wandless magic, as wandless magic is very good for training a wizard's control over their magic."
"A personal visit?" Ezio's eyes lit up. He was really interested in visiting other magic schools. After all, opening the map at Hogwarts had given him three milestones to unlock. If other magic schools had the same treatment, his skill set could be greatly enriched. After all, unlocking milestones could grant some very bug-like, extraordinary abilities, such as the Ares' War Cry he had obtained from a million kills, which allowed him to ignore the threat of the Killing Curse for thirty seconds.
*****
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