Chapter 154: “Steps For Becoming an Animagus”
Chapter 154: “Steps For Becoming an Animagus”
This notebook was obviously written not long ago since he can still smell the ink on the book.
The Animagus’s practice steps are quite cumbersome, and it has many Dumbledore’s notes. After Sean read it carefully, more than an hour passed.
“It’s too complicated and depends on luck.”
Beginning with the first step, a single leaf of the Mandrake must be kept in the mouth continuously for a full month, from full moon to full moon. The leaves should not be swallowed or taken out of the mouth. If the leaves leave the mouth, the whole process must start all over again.
Sean picked up a thin piece of jade in the book, which was carved into the shape of a leaf. According to Dumbledore’s suggestion, he should practice with substitutes for some time and start the real attempt after he is ready.
When it really starts, and you accidentally spit it out after twenty days with the leaves in your mouth, everything will have to start all over again.
Sean put the jade piece into his mouth and found himself having difficulty speaking. After a long time, he accumulated a large amount of saliva in his mouth, leaking whenever he spoke and looking like a drooling monster.
In the process, a single leaf of Mandrake must be in his mouth for a full month, even when you have to talk and eat. Dumbledore specifically notes that the taste of Mandrake leaves is very bitter; it looks like vegetables soaked in rotten water for a month and smells like a dragon’s dung.
“No wonder even Dumbledore said that it usually takes several years to become an Animagus.” Sean sighed with a piece of jade in his mouth and began to try to push the piece of jade to the roof of his mouth with his tongue below.
After he had practiced for a while, Hermione came over to him.
“Sean, what are you doing?” She naturally sat aside and asked curiously.
Sean quickly turned around, wiped off his saliva, and said vaguely, “Practice Alimagus.”
“What?”
“Alimagus.” Sean tried to make his pronunciation as standard as possible.
Hermione finally understood what he meant, and she immediately put on a serious expression, “Animagus?! Sean, this is very advanced and dangerous magic, and illegal Animagus may be sent to Azkaban! How did you find out how to practice one?”
Sean tried to explain, but the jade piece in his mouth kept blocking his tongue, so he had to spit it out. He took a breath and moved his mouth again. For the first time, Sean found that it was so wonderful to be able to speak normally.
“Don’t worry. I won’t put myself in danger, and I have professional guidance. As for whether it’s illegal or not, as long you didn’t tell anyone about it.”
After becoming an Animagus, Sean didn’t want to register himself with the Ministry of Magic. At that time, he should ask Professor Dumbledore for his opinion.
“Of course, I won’t do that to you,” Hermione gave him a hard look, “But, Animagus is very dangerous, and only seven wizards in this century have mastered it.”
“To be precise, seven Animagus are registered on the list of the Ministry of Magic.” Sean corrected her statement. There are several illegal Animagus he knows.
James Potter, Sirius, Pettigrew, Rita Skeeter, and Sean felt that someone like Snape was probably an illegal Animagus too.
This kind of magic is indeed extremely difficult, but Sean feels that most wizards who can practice it wouldn’t show it to the Ministry of Magic.
“You just got extra points from Snape, and then you’re going to violate the school rules?!” Hermione said angrily.
Sean wiped the saliva off the jade piece and said lazily, “Actually, I have been violating the school rules the whole time. Raising a Winged Demon or a magical animal privately is enough for me to be expelled and sent to Azkaban.”
“What?!” Hermione’s eyes widened, “Are you raising a Winged Demon?!”
“Uh…” Sean laughed. He gave the Winged Demon to Hermione once yesterday, and she thought that she already knew about it. But Hermione thought he only had an Occamy.
She first carefully looked around, and after making sure that no one was paying attention, she stood up angrily and put her hands on her hips.
“Tell me, how many other things have you done that violated the school rules?” She asked angrily in a low voice.
“Relax, Hermione. There’s nothing else than that.” He whispered reassuringly.
She puffed her cheeks, and the expression on her face was obvious. She did not believe him.
“Well, it’s not technically violating the school rules since I haven’t been caught, right?” Sean explained.
Hogwarts has always been like this. The point of violating school rules is not to ‘violate’ but not to be caught.
“It’s a rule that should be violated.” Hermione gave him an annoyed look.
She wanted to hit him, but her chest heaved violently a few times before she sat down dejectedly.
“I can’t believe that my best friend at Hogwarts has a Winged Demon.” She said annoyedly, “Ugh, one day I will be expelled from school just because of cooperating with you.”
Sean smiled.
Hermione sighed and returned to her previous character. Sean generously showed her the Animagus practice method. Hermione would not secretly practice it since she only wanted to know how’s the process.
“My God, it looks really complicated. Sean, you want to try it now, do you? Dumbledore really wants you to do that?” Hermione handed the notebook back to him.
“Animagus is not as dangerous as you imagine. I will not be in danger if I can strictly follow the steps. What’s more, I have just started learning it, and I must be fully prepared.”
The time span of practicing Animagus is usually years, and Sean still lacks many necessary conditions.
For example. After the first step is done, the leaves must be taken out at the full moon, soak the leaves with saliva in a crystal vial and let baste under the pure moonlight. This means if the weather is cloudy at night, he will have to do it again from the start.
The steps are really luck dependent. After all, the weather is something that no one could predict and how it would progress.