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Chapter 105: Animagus
Chapter 105: Animagus
"I apologize, Professor O'Ryan."
Kyle remained standing in place, "First-years are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest. I think we should head back to the castle."
"It's good to follow rules, but sometimes it's unnecessary to be too rigid, Kyle," Professor O'Ryan said with a smile. "It will cause you to miss out on a lot of interesting things."
"That won't do." Kyle shook his head. "If Professor McGonagall finds out, we'll be expelled."
"It's not that serious. Professor McGonagall is just trying to scare you. Besides, I'm here with you."
Professor O'Ryan placed one hand on his waist and stretched the other toward the direction of the Forbidden Forest. "Come on. As the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, I permit you to accompany me into the Forbidden Forest today to broaden your horizons."
...Well, there was no need to guess anymore. Kyle felt he now knew who the person with the Crup was.
Come to think of it, if one didn't have a hidden identity, how could they dare to come to Hogwarts as a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?
Kyle hadn't been suspicious of O'Ryan; or rather, when he had first read about this incident in the newspaper a few months ago, he had started suspecting this "vampire" professor.
But he had indirectly asked Professor McGonagall about it and learned that Professor O'Ryan had taken office in July, while the group smuggling fantastic beasts had entered the country at the end of August.
There was a gap of almost two months in between. Professor O'Ryan had a perfect alibi.
How did he do it...
Kyle was skeptical in his heart, but this time, he didn't say anything to refuse.
Because the hand Professor O'Ryan had placed on his waist was resting on his wand, and he only needed to move his fingers to draw it out.
It was this action that made Kyle sure he was the "mysterious man."
This was already an obvious threat.
"Okay." Kyle shrugged. "Since the professor permits it, then there's no problem."
"A wise choice." Professor O'Ryan raised an eyebrow.
After taking two steps forward, Kyle seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned his head to Connor and said, "By the way, I just remembered that I didn't bring the meat jerky I prepared for Rover. Could you trouble yourself to get it for me? It's on the table in the common room. You'll see it as soon as you enter."
"Um... okay."
Although Connor felt that Kyle's words were a bit strange, she didn't think too much about it and turned back toward the castle.
Professor O'Ryan didn't say anything more, as if his target had been Kyle alone from the start.
Seeing this, Kyle relaxed slightly. After all, at least Connor was safe for now...
However, at this moment, something unexpected happened.
The rat named Bobby suddenly jumped out of Connor's pocket and started running toward the Forbidden Forest at full speed.
"Bobby... come back!"
Connor screamed and chased after it without hesitation.
Because it happened so suddenly, Kyle didn't have time to stop her, and Connor had already rushed into the Forbidden Forest after Bobby.
"I..."
Kyle's eyes twitched, but it was too late to say anything now. To prevent Connor from encountering any danger in the Forbidden Forest, he could only chase after her.
The Forbidden Forest was densely packed with trees, and it was impossible for a person to catch up to a rat here.
Soon, Bobby disappeared from their sight.
Kyle caught up and pulled Connor back, not allowing her to continue forward.
"You go back first!"
"But Bobby..."
"We don't have time to deal with that rat now. Go back to the castle!" Kyle grabbed Connor's arm and was about to drag her back forcefully when he turned and saw Professor O'Ryan standing behind them.
"I must criticize you, Kyle. You shouldn't be so rude to a young witch. It's very ungentlemanly."
Professor O'Ryan said flatly, "Come on, let's help Miss Prince find her pet together."
"You're right," Kyle took a deep breath and forced a smile, "I'll listen to you."
"Good boy."
Led by Professor O'Ryan, the three of them began to venture deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Along the way, Professor O'Ryan seemed genuinely intent on finding the rat, constantly observing the surroundings.
Whenever they encountered aggressive magical creatures or spiders, he would diligently shoo them away.
After walking for an unknown duration, Professor O'Ryan suddenly asked, "Kyle, according to Professor McGonagall, your Transfiguration grades are excellent. Have you ever considered learning Animagus?"
"No, Professor," Kyle's expression remained unchanged, "Animagus is a very advanced branch of Transfiguration. It not only requires a vast amount of foundational and advanced knowledge but also demands extremely precise control over one's magic. I still have a long way to go."
"Oh?"
Professor O'Ryan used his wand to move a dead tree blocking their path and said teasingly, "It seems you know quite a bit about Animagus."
"Professor McGonagall demonstrated it during our first class," Kyle explained, "I found it fascinating, so I looked up some related information in the library."
"Yes... the spell that can turn people into animals is indeed fascinating, and many wizards walking the line between light and dark dream of mastering it," Professor O'Ryan said in a low voice, "Animagus can make certain tasks much more convenient for them.
After all, who would suspect a cat, an insect, or a... rat?
That's why the Ministry of Magic requires every Animagus to register their identity, although not many are willing to do so.
Of course, that's the right thing to do.
And if you ever learn Animagus in the future, I advise you not to register either."
At this moment, Professor O'Ryan sounded like a teacher imparting life lessons, gently sharing his experiences with Kyle.
"Professor, it's a bit early for you to be telling me this,"
Kyle narrowed his eyes, "My Transfiguration skills are still at the beginner level. I probably won't be qualified to learn Animagus until after my fifth year at the earliest."
"No, I think you can do it next year,"
Professor O'Ryan glanced at Kyle from the corner of his eye, "One's talent and ability cannot be hidden, especially for a young wizard like you with limited experience.
Although you've been performing ordinarily in my class, I've noticed that your control over magic is exceptionally precise, and the spells you cast have a high level of stability.
In other words, if we compare the spells of other students to a piece of string, yours would be a wire.
Even if you intentionally lower your magic output, it's like making the wire thinner, but the essence remains unchanged.
String and wire are inherently different, and anyone with a bit of discernment can tell them apart."
"You probably haven't realized it yet."
Professor O'Ryan suddenly laughed, "We professors have mentioned you more than once during our private chats, sharing your clumsy performances in class.
By the way, we even made a bet on how long you could keep up the act.
Except for Aurora, who didn't participate, both Minerva and Filius thought it would last until your third year. Pomona guessed the fifth year, and Severus... well, he was vague, but let's say the seventh year."
Kyle was struck by lightning, and a strong sense of shame suddenly surged within him.
Damn, he always thought he'd been doing a good job of hiding!
......
(End of Chapter)
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