Chapter 270: Dream

After his first Animagus transformation, to return to human form, En must visualize his human shape as clearly as possible.

Usually, this is enough. But sometimes the transformation does not occur immediately—do not panic.

With practice, you will be able to switch freely between animal and human forms merely by imagining the creature’s form.

But… how long will practice take?

This question troubled En, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of unease.

Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore soon left, and the place quickly returned to its silent, lifeless state.

Lightning flashed across the sky above Spiderweb Alley; even the Dursleys looked down on this impoverished neighborhood. But to a cat’s eyes, everything here was new.

After wandering around, the black cat could even close its eyes and silently slip through the shadows to wherever it wished, guided purely by instinct.

The magical creature Catli’s abilities seemed to be gradually coming under its control.

But problems arose alongside this progress.

It couldn’t live forever as a magical creature.

Before leaving, Professor McGonagall told him not to worry—Animagus transformation would be mastered quickly by wizards.

At the latest, no more than a day.

But… he was not an ordinary Animagus.

If he had not transformed back after a day, he would have to call for the professor.

During En’s practice.

Night passed quickly, and dawn arrived.

Puddles from the stormy night still lingered, slowly draining into the filthy river.

The sun rose above the cluttered street before the house, illuminating the copper plaque at the end of Spiderweb Alley; sunlight also crept quietly into the cramped living room.

En had fallen asleep on the soft cushion created by Transfiguration; when he woke, the hoots of an owl came from outside the window.

That night, he entered a dream.

The dream was filled with mist, and within it, he could fully control his Catli body.

He recalled the description from *Soul Transformation*:

“Those unaware they possess a double… interpret what they see as a dream, but those who know clearly understand they are not dreaming—they have manifested a double.”

In Norse mythology, such dreams allow the double to borrow the dream and its corresponding scene, turning its owner’s thoughts into reality.”

En remembered Harry’s past dreams: he had dreamed of Nagini attacking Mr. Weasley—and it became reality;

he had dreamed of Wormtail’s first conversation with Voldemort—and that too became reality…

Upon waking, the black cat shook its head and remained motionless as always—this was him imagining his wizard body—and this time, he quickly felt his physical form.

This meant he could now control his Animagus form even in reality!

The success filled En with exhilaration.

As he transformed,

a sharp crack echoed above him; En looked up—the owl had shattered the window, scattering glass across the floor.

Professor Snape stared blankly, then grabbed the owl and moved to throw it into the fireplace.

Only the signature on the owl’s letter distracted him, allowing the bulky owl to flap away.

—“For Mr. Wizard Sean Green.”

En quickly took and opened the letter.

Sunlight fell upon the letter, smoothing its wrinkled pages and revealing the inked words:

【Dear Mr. Green:

Hollyse has not seen a sick orphan go without aid for a long time.

This is solely your doing. Do you know what I thought of when I cried?

There are always people who carry the purest kindness toward the world.

The children here are all well; Wizard Sean, who came from the farm, wrote you a short poem—I want you to know:

Dear Mr. Green:

If I were to send you a book,

I would not send you poetry,

I would send you a book about plants, about crops.

I would tell you the difference between rice and barnyard grass,

I would tell you how a single barnyard grass trembles in fear,

longing for sprouting,

in spring.

Spring has passed—do you have time to visit Hollyse and see these seeds?

—Yours faithfully, Roland Taylor】

En’s gaze remained unfocused for a long time; he put away the letter and found Professor Snape standing beside him.

Snape’s expression turned cold—this fool always left himself defenseless; one glance was enough to know what this idiot had done.

Because of these ridiculous reasons, his vault had been drained…

“White… foolish! Your head must always be filled with such naive thoughts.”

Snape sneered, mocking him with a tone of bitter disappointment.

“May I go out for a while, Professor?”

En asked.

“Ha—self-righteous, kind-hearted Mr. Green—what do you think you’re doing? What do you lack compared to them…?”

Snape’s words caught in his throat; long moments passed, as if he had just woken from a nightmare.

What was the difference between him and them?

He swallowed his words—every time he looked into that fool’s calm eyes, he always forgot they had once been in the same situation.

A broken, nearly nonexistent family; constant poverty and frailty; utterly naive ideas…

Snape’s gaze wandered across this familiar place; before his eyes, a hunched-nosed man loomed, shouting at a cowering woman and a small boy, the black-haired child weeping in the corner.

As he glanced at the bedroom, he again saw a greasy-haired teenager sitting alone in the dark room, using his wand to zap flies on the ceiling…

He was repeating the story that had once happened to him—he was always good at this…

A pain rose from deep within him—he and those he despised were, in the end, no different.

He heard a voice sneering: Severus, you’ve done such a fine thing—you hated those people so much, fought them so long, yet ended up just like them. What ideal in this world is worth such a fall?

His throat trembled; he could not speak a word.

The voice sounded forced:

“I’ll—take you—”

Professor Snape’s face was grim; he remained silent on the way.

“Professor, can we go to Diagon Alley?”

En planned to withdraw some Jin Jin Jialong—there were always places where they could be more useful than sitting in a vault.

For En’s words, Professor Snape said nothing again, only gave him a long look before using Apparition to arrive in Diagon Alley.

The sunlit street buzzed with noise,

and the gleaming white building of Gringotts stood before them.

Goblins always bowed respectfully to professors; inside, a goblin-driven cart sped along miniature rails, racing through the bank’s underground tunnels to each vault.

The lightning-fast ride did not alter Snape’s gloomy expression even slightly; only the goblin seemed to shrink further under the professor’s oppressive aura.

When the vault door opened, the dazzling Jin Jin Jialong caused Professor Snape’s expression to change for the first time:

“This is your vault?! What have you done?!”