Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

Chapter 165 Animagus of Siron
Xiren also ate lunch in the common room, since he was the only student in the castle now, so there was no need to go to the Great Hall.

The house-elves delivered them right to his face.

The sizzling roasted beef leg, glistening with golden oil, filled the air with the aroma of meat mixed with black pepper.

The crispy fried pork cutlet is still steaming hot, coated with a specially made cranberry sauce. Taking a bite while it's still hot is Xilun's favorite combination.

In addition, the plate also contained chocolate cake, caramel muffins, and Yorkshire pudding, along with a slice of buttered toast and a pitcher of pumpkin soda.

There was no shortage of main courses, desserts, and drinks. Xiren even suspected that the house-elves had brought out the evening's feast for him ahead of time.

……

After lunch, the sky gradually darkened.

Thick, gray clouds hung low, pressing down on the castle towers, and the air became stagnant and damp, making people feel very uncomfortable.

Xilun opened the window, and the earthy wind blew in, making the curtains flutter.

A rumbling sound came from afar, and a few drops of water hit the window with a thud.

A storm is coming.

Suppressing his excitement, Celen immediately ran out of the common room and happened to run into Professor McGonagall, who was hurrying by, in the hallway outside.

Without saying a word, she grabbed Xilun's arm.

With a loud bang, the two disappeared from their spot in an instant.

Now, Celeste knew what she and Dumbledore had been talking about.

Hogwarts prohibits Apparition, but that restriction has now been lifted.

When he opened his eyes again, Xiren found himself in a forest, surrounded by towering oak trees.

Underneath one of the oak trees was an empty space, and Xiren immediately spotted a small bottle inside—the same bottle that contained mandrake leaves and hawk moth pupae.

The rain intensified, turning the sky a watery gray that gradually darkened. A pale flash of lightning ripped across the sky, followed by an even deeper rumble of thunder.

The rain intensified, pattering against the leaves, and soon, amidst thunder and lightning, it formed a vast, dark mass that blotted out the sky.

Everything around them became blurry, except for the tree hole, which emitted a dazzling light.

First it was silver, then it turned yellow, and in the blink of an eye it turned into a jewel-like red.

"Now!" Professor McGonagall shouted, "Get it out now!"

Having been on edge for a while, Xilun instinctively reached out and took the bottle out of the tree hole.

Then he felt his arm being grabbed again. In a dizzying moment, they were back at Hogwarts Castle.

This time it was at the Astronomical Tower, the highest point in the entire castle.

"Are you ready, Siron?" Professor McGonagall's voice was different from usual; it sounded trembling.

She stood three steps away, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes.

Xilen gripped the bottle tightly, nodded, and could feel his heart pounding.

“I think so, Professor…” he tried to control his voice, “but… I mean, what if we fail?”

“That’s why I chose Hogwarts Castle instead of the Forbidden Forest.” Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. “Every brick here is woven with ancient and mysterious protective magic. This magic minimizes the risk of spell backlash, allowing young wizards to study with greater peace of mind.”

“Animagus deformation is also included.”

"Hogwarts Castle has this kind of ability?" Siron's eyes lit up.

“Yes, but it only works on underage wizards,” Professor McGonagall said, glancing at the bottle in Siron’s hand and speaking faster.

“But you must concentrate completely, Siron. Animagus transformation is not an ordinary transformation; it touches the essence of your soul, and even with protection, it is not absolutely safe.”

“I understand.” Xiren closed his eyes, took out a wand, pointed it at his heart, and whispered.

"Amado, Animo, Animado, Animagus!"

He then opened the bottle and drank the potion inside in one gulp.

In an instant, a strange sensation surged from the tip of the wand into his heart, then quickly spread throughout his body. "Thump, thump thump..."

"Dong dong..."

My heart started racing; it sounded like one voice, yet also like two different voices.

Then, an indescribable pain swept over him; he felt his skin tearing and all his bones twisting and reassembling.

The excruciating pain nearly made him faint.

"Drink this quickly."

In the dim light, Xiren heard a faint sound, and something dripped into his mouth.

Xilun's gradually fading consciousness returned to clarity, a feeling that was both painful and strange.

His vision began to change; the Astronomy Tower suddenly became extremely tall, and Professor McGonagall's robes fluttered on the ground... He was shrinking!

"It's a success!" Professor McGonagall's voice came from above, tinged with obvious surprise. "Oh my goodness..."

Xiren lowered his head (if it could still be called "lowering his head")...and what he saw was no longer his own body and hands, but a pair of snow-white, furry paws.

He tried to lift it up and saw the paw pads hidden under his claws.

This... seems familiar.

By the way, that's what Tom's paws look like.

"My Animagus form is a cat?" Siren wanted to ask, but instead, a cat's meow came out of his mouth.

But Professor McGonagall seemed to understand his meaning perfectly, and said with a smile, "Yes, your Animagus transformation is also a cat."

Upon seeing Sheron turn into a cat, even the usually composed Professor McGonagall, whom Dumbledore said lacked a sense of humor, became excitedly animated and danced with joy.

Because her Animagus transformation is a tabby cat.

As for Xilun... she couldn't say what kind of cat it was.

Its entire body is black, but its four paws are snow-white, without a single blemish, making it look like a black cat stepping on the snow.

Moreover, it has heterochromia, one blue and one yellow...

At this moment, Professor McGonagall suddenly frowned.

It's normal for cats to have heterochromia, but Celeste's is a bit different.

Well, in Animagus form, one usually retains some of the wizard's original characteristics.

For example, after she turned into a tabby cat, the same stripes as her glasses would appear at the corners of her eyes.

Actually, this feature isn't particularly obvious, and it's easy to overlook if you don't look closely.

But Siren is different; the distinguishing feature he retains is his eyes… his yellow eyes are exactly the same as the ring on his hand.

But those vertical pupils… Professor McGonagall thought they looked more like a snake's eyes than a cat's.

This strange feeling will make it difficult for Xiren to use the Animagus to hide himself in the future.

However, once Animagus has transformed, it cannot be changed back, and there's nothing she can do about that.

However, it's not impossible to completely hide it; as long as Xilun puts in a little effort, he can simply close one eye.

Thinking of this, Professor McGonagall became happy again.

Her students, like her, are all cats, Animagus. What could be more delightful than that?
There's still some time before the Hogwarts Express arrives, so she plans to invite Philius and Pomona to the Three Broomsticks for a drink to celebrate.

Professor McGonagall turned and left.

Perhaps she was too happy, because she forgot to remind Siron that he needed to report to the Ministry of Magic after learning Animagus shapeshifting.

……

(End of this chapter)