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Chapter 398: Animal Transfiguration
Chapter 398: Animal Transfiguration
The next morning, Liam woke up a bit late. So when he walked into the Great Hall, he was surprised to find that Umbridge, who was always present every morning, had disappeared. The dining table was scorched black.
“What’s going on?” Liam asked Neville as he sat down. “What happened today? You all seem pretty excited.”
“Look at this.” Neville excitedly handed Liam a tightly rolled copy of the October issue of The Quibbler. When Liam unfolded it, he saw the photo he had taken through the door of Fudge and Umbridge kissing. At the time, he and Hermione had been directed by Rose Crystal to kiss more than ten times, their lips swelling from the effort.
Above the photo, in large red letters, it read: Umbridge and Fudge’s Secret Office Romance—What Does This Mean?
Liam thought this must be the effect of the previous photos. No wonder Umbridge’s seat was burned. The Ministry of Magic had certainly offended a lot of people recently, and they would seize this opportunity to send Howlers to vent their anger. Umbridge must have fled after receiving too many Howlers.
Of course, Umbridge’s retaliation was swift. By noon, huge notices were plastered all over the school, not just on the house bulletin boards but in the corridors and classrooms as well. The Hogwarts High Inquisitor declared that any student found with a copy of The Quibbler would be immediately expelled.
“It seems the Ministry of Magic doesn’t understand how to handle public opinion,” Liam said to Hermione after reading the notices. “In this situation, using the threat of expulsion to scare people from reading the news is the most foolish choice. This will only make people subconsciously believe the news is true, and no matter how they try to defend themselves, no one will believe them. The more they try to suppress the rumors, the faster they will spread.”
“So, we succeeded,” Hermione said, her excitement evident. For someone who usually followed the rules, being part of this activity gave her a strange sense of satisfaction.
“Yes, we succeeded,” Liam nodded. “I hope this will make that toad quiet down for a while.”
As they had predicted, by the end of the day, even though they hadn’t seen a single copy of The Quibbler in the school, it seemed everyone knew about it. Whispers about the photos floated through the corridors, classrooms, and even the Great Hall during meals. Hermione even told Liam that people were discussing the photos in the bathroom stalls.
“Wizards’ lives are too boring. Our photos are just giving them something to talk about. And according to Percy, Umbridge isn’t very popular at the Ministry of Magic. So, whether the photos are real or not doesn’t matter anymore. People just need an outlet for their emotions. See, even if we do nothing, the situation will only get worse,” Liam concluded.
Sure enough, the Daily Prophet over the next few days showed that Fudge was in a state of turmoil because of the photos. Even his home had seen serious conflicts. According to some students whose family members worked at the Ministry, Fudge had been living in his office for several days.
“Did you know? My dad said this issue of the magazine is a huge hit. He’s already had to print two additional batches this week,” Luna told the Study Group on the weekend. “He can’t believe there’s something more popular than the Snore Snail.”
“Maybe it’s because the news is as reliable as the Snore Snail, which is why it’s attracting so many people,” Liam said, sharing a smile with Hermione. The Weasley Twins burst into laughter from the back.
After the photo incident had calmed down, at Hermione’s insistence, Liam began focusing on teaching her animal Transfiguration. Ever since Liam had privately demonstrated how to turn into a giant panda at the Black family’s ancestral home in Grimmauld Place, Hermione had developed a strong interest in this magic.
This Transfiguration is a creation of Liam's, combining the Magic of Shape-shifters from The Lord of the Rings with the Nature Magic of Nymphs. He discovered that this form of animal Transfiguration is more powerful than that of an Animagus. However, like the Animax, the animal one transforms into cannot be chosen by the wizard.
For example, an Animagus can only turn into a regular animal, while this new Transfiguration can produce animals that are far more powerful, almost like magical creatures. At least, when Liam transformed into a panda, he found that his magical and physical defenses were on par with those of a Giant, making it far more practical than most Animagus transformations.
"Pay attention! The core of this Magic is to awaken the spirit within you. Let your spirit connect with nature and follow this feeling. Nature will show you how to release your inner spirit and achieve resonance with the natural world", Liam said, sitting on a tree trunk while Hermione sat within the Magic Array. They were in the Forbidden Forest, and tonight was a full moon, the most recommended time for Transfiguration.
"Hermione, focus! Follow the Transfiguration process I taught you!" Liam pointed at the Magic Array beneath Hermione with his finger adorned with rings. "I'll help you!"
It was midnight, and as Quenya spells flowed from Liam's mouth, the Flame of Eternity stored in the rings slowly emerged, enveloping his arm. With a wave of his arm, a surge of magic power erupted from within him, instantly illuminating the runes on the Magic Array.
If someone were standing beside them, they would witness a truly magical scene.
Just like Liam's first Transfiguration, he saw Hermione emit a light that harmonized with the moonlight. As the moonlight illuminated her, Hermione began to tremble. Her muscles, skin, and even her hair were transforming and shaking at an incredibly high frequency. Her body seemed to be liquefying, rapidly shrinking and softening, much like a Slime.
"This feels different from my last time. Last time, I was continuously expanding", Liam thought, watching Hermione's rapid transformation, but he did not stop channeling natural magic power into the Magic Array.
The Transfiguration process was extremely uncomfortable, as if each cell in her body was being pierced by needles. Yet, Hermione gritted her teeth and remained silent, enduring the pain without a sound.
The Transfiguration also rapidly drained her magic power, but no matter how much she lost, the Magic Array beneath her quickly replenished it. Throughout this process, her body continued to change.
"This is..." Evan looked at Hermione, who seemed to have transformed into an animal different from his own, not a particularly large one.
In the blink of an eye, Hermione's body fully transformed, completing her first animal Transfiguration.
Her transformation went smoothly. Theoretically, this Magic requires the magic power of an adult wizard and a deep understanding of nature. Hermione's success might be due to her body being previously enhanced, as well as her solid foundation in this knowledge, allowing her to correctly release her inner spirit.
Now standing before Liam was a relatively rare feline, resembling a leopard but much smaller, with playful black tufts of fur on its ears.
"Liam, what did I turn into?" the feline asked, her voice still recognizable as Hermione's, though slightly higher-pitched. This is another advantage of this Transfiguration over Animagus: the ability to speak in human language even in animal form.
"I think you turned into a Lynx. You look quite good", Liam said with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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