Has anyone ever seen Hogwarts at four in the morning?
Ryan had.
After the twins dragged their exhausted bodies, begging for mercy, and left the Room of Requirement, Ryan persisted in completing the three sets of training assigned to him by Gryffindor. This was the advantage of being a wizard. With his goblin skills as a foundation, he didn't have to worry about his eleven-year-old body getting hurt.
As for the mental and physical fatigue—he could endure it.
As the rising sun cast its rays through the window, Ryan left the Room of Requirement. He arrived at the Transfiguration classroom on the second floor of the castle and took a seat by the window. He could see the sunlight outside, casting a soft golden veil on the brick walls of the ancient castle.
"A familiar sight," Ryan sighed softly. Then he heard a subtle scratching at the door. He turned and saw a tabby cat striding into the classroom.
"..."
The man and the cat locked eyes, and then... Ryan saw a flicker of surprise in the tabby's eyes.
Buzz!
The tabby leaped into the air, transforming continuously in mid-air. Upon landing, it transformed into a witch in green wizard robes. "Mr. Elias... you're incredibly early," Professor McGonagall's voice remained commanding, but upon closer inspection, a hint of embarrassment could be detected.
She had planned to follow past 'custom' and transform into a tabby to intimidate the new students... ahem, perhaps to demonstrate the wonders of Transfiguration. But she hadn't expected a young wizard to arrive in class even earlier than she had.
"I didn't sleep well last night, Professor," Ryan replied casually, then turned a curious gaze to Professor McGonagall. "Professor—did you just use... the 'Human-Animal Transfiguration'?" His question was met with a look of surprise from Professor McGonagall.
"You actually know this spell?" she exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"Oh, Professor Flitwick might have told you that I have a family vault at Gringotts," Ryan replied, expressionless. "I saw this spell in a book on Transfiguration." That was the benefit of having a 'family vault'. Ryan could easily attribute many things to the books he had read, concealing his uniqueness.
"I see." And in truth, Professor McGonagall had no doubts. She had indeed heard Flitwick mention it. So now, she said seriously, "It's probably a very old book... since the name 'Human-Animal Transfiguration' is no longer used."
"Abandoned?" Ryan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes—the ancient Greek wizard Falco Esalen invented this spell, but its original version was far too difficult." Professor McGonagall, like Professor Flitwick, was clearly a teacher who was not shy about sharing her knowledge. "Transfiguring into any animal at will, and being unable to change back if you make a mistake... it was an incredibly difficult spell. So, in 1207, Barberu Blagge simplified and improved the spell, reducing its difficulty and danger. The improved spell, the one I know, now only transforms into the animal that best suits you, but it greatly increases safety and controllability. It's called 'Animagus.'"
At this point, she looked at Ryan seriously. "So, Mr. Elias, I must warn you. If the book passed down in your family records the practice of the ancient 'Human-Animal Transfiguration'—do not attempt it!" Her voice was almost stern at the end.
As one of the recognized masters of Transfiguration in the contemporary wizarding world, Minerva McGonagall's attainments in Transfiguration were unquestionable. She was one of seven Animagus registered by the Ministry of Magic this century, but precisely because of this, she knew firsthand the difficulty of the 'Human-Animal Transformation'.
It was the predecessor of the Animagus and the pinnacle of human transfiguration. It was said that those who mastered this spell could transform into any animal at will, unlike the Animagus, who was limited to a specific species. However, due to its extreme difficulty, aside from its inventor, Falco Esalen, few in the entire wizarding world had ever clearly mastered this spell in the following centuries.
Of course, if Ryan could hear Professor McGonagall's inner thoughts at this moment, he would definitely refute her, for he knew that Salazar Slytherin, one of his four teachers, had mastered this highest level of Transfiguration. This was a point of great pride for him, as Gryffindor had never successfully mastered the spell.
Of course, Ryan nodded in agreement to Professor McGonagall's request. In fact, it wasn't just Professor McGonagall. Even Slytherin had previously forbidden him from practicing the spell, despite his longing for it.
"I will improve it and make it even more incredible—until then, it's not too late for you to practice it."
After seeing Ryan's statement, Professor McGonagall's expression eased a little. She didn't transform back into her tabby cat form but sat down at the podium, waiting for the other students to arrive. As daylight grew, the young wizards from Gryffindor began to enter the classroom.
Ryan didn't recognize many of them, so he only greeted Seamus. Upon seeing him, Seamus decisively chose to sit with him, along with two other young wizards.
"They're Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom," Seamus introduced enthusiastically. "You don't need to introduce yourself. They all know you... You're a celebrity, second only to Harry Potter—everyone in the school knows you!"
Ryan shrugged and greeted the two. Dean was a rare black wizard, thin and gentle. Neville, on the other hand, was a round-faced, slightly chubby little wizard—Ryan recognized him; the toad, Trevor, was his pet. He seemed a bit timid, even hesitant to greet Ryan.
"Thank you... for teaching Malfoy a lesson for me last night!" Neville blushed, finally seeming to muster up the courage to say this.
Ryan smiled, saying you're welcome, and enthusiastically inquired about the other toad.
"Trevor is a bit shy. He seemed to be frightened last night, so I put him in the box I brought this morning..." As if sensing Ryan's friendliness, or perhaps because he was talking about his pet, Neville gradually relaxed.
Soon, almost all the Gryffindor students had arrived—notably, Hermione Granger, who arrived later, chose not to sit with the girls but instead took the chair behind Ryan.
"Where are Ron and Harry?" Ryan noticed that the last two young wizards who hadn't arrived were Hermione's two friends.
"How should I know? We don't share a dormitory!" Hermione seemed to be in a bad mood, her words a bit harsh.
Ryan shrugged, ignoring her temper. Beside him, Seamus continued, "Harry was already up when I left, but Ron wasn't—he didn't look well. Maybe he didn't sleep well last night... well, I didn't sleep well last night either." As he spoke, Ryan saw Harry and Ron trotting into the classroom.
Just as Neville had said, Harry was fine, just a little out of breath But Ron looked pale, as if he hadn't been up all night.
"He was the first one to fall asleep last night. I could hear him snoring," Neville muttered, scratching his head. But then, Professor McGonagall's voice rang out.
"Potter, Weasley—you're late for your first class of the term..."
With her slightly serious voice, Ryan began his first class at Hogwarts, which was also the start of his new adventure here.
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Author's note
Shoutout to Terrance Smith who has become the new member of the Patreon community! Thank you for your support!
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