Facing two first-years, Quirrell—well aware of his complete lack of approachability—abandoned any thought of coaxing information out of them. He chose a far simpler, more direct method.
[Imperius Curse]
Two Imperius Curses were all it took to control the unsuspecting girls, and Quirrell quickly obtained the information he wanted.
The Unicorn-hair ornament had been given to the crying girl by a Hufflepuff student named Leonard William as a Christmas gift.
A Christmas gift…
Quirrell thought it over carefully. That meant this William likely knew where the Unicorns were.
Of course, it was possible the student had simply bought Unicorn hair from outside the school—after all, it wasn't particularly rare. But this was Quirrell's only lead, his "543," and he wasn't about to let it go unexplored.
...
Meanwhile, Leonard was on his way to Professor McGonagall's office, carrying Lockhart's Wanderings with Werewolves, completely unaware that a small accident had put him on Quirrell's watch list.
He was planning to ask Professor McGonagall about some questions he had regarding Transfiguration.
"Professor McGonagall, are you in?" Leonard knocked. When he heard a "Come in," he pushed open the door.
Professor McGonagall was seated at her desk, working through paperwork. She glanced up as Leonard entered and nodded. "Mr. William, what can I do for you?"
"Yes, I have a question," Leonard said. "It's about Transfiguration."
"Come in and sit," McGonagall said. Hearing he was there to ask her something, her expression softened slightly. Not quite on Professor Sprout's level of warmth, but still unusually kind for her. "What is it?"
"It's about werewolves." Leonard pulled a chair over and sat across from her, placing Wanderings with Werewolves on the desk. "I've been reading this, and something caught my attention. It mentions a spell that can turn a werewolf back into a wizard."
McGonagall glanced down at the book. Wanderings with Werewolves, by… Gilderoy Lockhart…
Her expression tightened for a moment, then smoothed out.
"I've heard of this one," McGonagall said. "When it was first published, I discussed it with several old colleagues who specialize in Transfiguration. We were curious about the Charm mentioned in it and looked into it together."
"Did you learn anything?" Leonard asked eagerly.
A group of Transfiguration masters discussing something—that had to be valuable. Even if they hadn't reached a conclusion, he might get inspiration.
"Unfortunately, no," McGonagall said with a shake of her head. "The so-called Homorphus Charm in that book is described far too vaguely. Even its explanations of werewolf transformation contradict themselves. We unanimously doubted the book's authenticity."
"I see…" Leonard was disappointed, though not surprised. He'd noticed the same superficiality while reading.
Lockhart had never lived through any of those experiences. He was simply filling in the gaps with his imagination—using the memories of the poor wizard he'd Obliviated as a template for himself.
Great for storytelling, terrible for learning.
Still, Leonard wasn't done. "Setting the book aside, Professor, what do you think about the possibility of a Morphorus Charm?"
"My view is that it's possible—but extremely complicated," McGonagall said with a frown. "And frankly, this is far beyond your level. What prompted your interest?"
"I've always heard how dangerous werewolf wizards are. After reading this, I became curious. I thought that if I could solve the werewolf problem, it would benefit my future prospects," Leonard explained.
He had prepared this excuse long ago, specifically to dispel any suspicion that he had personal ties to werewolves.
"Ambition is good, but you shouldn't be so utilitarian," McGonagall sighed. "Still, your reasoning is correct. Completely resolving the werewolf wizard issue would indeed raise your potential."
She meant completely resolving it—clearly, things like the Vile Potion didn't count.
"The origins of werewolves go too far back. No one knows whether they came from a magical experiment gone wrong or emerged naturally. In any case, werewolves have always been synonymous with instability."
McGonagall continued, "But despite their instability, their transformation shares certain similarities with Transfiguration. Many masters suspect werewolves are actually incomplete Animagi."
"Incomplete Animagi?" Leonard felt a spark of excitement. That lined up perfectly with his own deductions.
"Yes. They can transform, but lose all rationality—very similar to the consequences of a Transfiguration mishap. But they change back automatically after a single night, which differs from a spell accident."
McGonagall adjusted her glasses and added, "We emphasize before every class that Transfiguration must not be used on oneself or others. It affects the mind—the transformed person can't change back or won't want to. But werewolves regain human form even after losing all reason. And they're contagious—something no Animagus transformation possesses."
"So the exact mechanism of werewolf transformation still can't be determined?" Leonard asked.
McGonagall nodded. "Another reason to suspect werewolves are unstable creations is this: when two werewolves encounter each other during a full moon, they may produce offspring. These offspring are highly intelligent, wolf-shaped, and incapable of transformation."
"Are they Magical Creatures, then?"
"Hard to say. They don't attack wizards, but they also avoid them," McGonagall said.
"Has any werewolf tried learning Animagus transformation?" Leonard pressed.
"Yes. But without exception, all failed," McGonagall replied. "Animagus transformation has no effect on them. This may further prove they are unstable—or rather, incomplete—Animagi."
...
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