Chapter 273

The weather in Spider Tail Alley was always gloomy, and the summer clouds were endlessly shifting.

When the rain fell with a roar, En was still grappling with a difficult problem.

His Animagus transformation had not been fully mastered.

This was evident not only in the unacknowledged progress on his panel, but also in his inability to return to the Catling form no matter how hard he tried.

After all, Animagus transformation typically applies only to non-magical creatures; transforming into magical creatures such as phoenixes, fire drakes, or hippogriffs would bring unpredictable consequences.

For En, these consequences manifested in the extreme difficulty of switching between his human and animal forms.

He found it hard not only to transform into a Catling, but also to revert back to his wizard form.

After several failed attempts, En silently pulled out a Catling cookie.

Sometimes wizards truly do need a little external aid…

Soon, a black cat with mismatched paws and body appeared on the wall lined with books.

It walked unsteadily, as if drunk.

The firelight from the hearth fell upon it, casting a dull yellow hue; noticing this, Snape slowly raised his newspaper to block the lingering light.

For nearly a week, En had been trying to switch his forms fluidly.

Sometimes he even remained in Catling form for several consecutive days, improving his mastery over the Catling body.

For instance, he would leap across bookshelves, or use his whiskers to sense humidity and temperature to predict weather changes.

“It will be sunny tomorrow.”

The black cat leapt upward, becoming a wizard clad in a long black robe, whispering to himself.

On the sofa, Snape, reading his newspaper, let out an involuntary sneer; he waved his wand, and the potion ingredients drying on the balcony were drawn inside.

After all, that black cat had been wrong about the weather for an entire week.

In a certain sense, it was not easy at all.

En believed he would succeed this time, for he had already heard the panel’s voice:

【You have mastered a unique soul transformation. Master-level proficiency +100】

【A unique form has been unlocked. Please check.】

En was astonished. Since reaching Master level in Transfiguration, his proficiency gains had dwindled to one or three points at a time. Now, suddenly, a hundred points had been added… He could hardly wait to open his panel.

【Transfiguration Categories:】

【Material Transfiguration: Beginner (10/300);】

【Magical Transfiguration: Beginner (30/300);】

【Soul Transfiguration: Apprentice (60/90)】

【Evaluation: A wizard who has just entered the Master tier of Transfiguration possesses a combat strength of five points.】

Ignoring the evaluation of five combat points, En turned his gaze to the newly unlocked Soul Transfiguration.

He slowly extended his hand; in an instant, it transformed into a cat’s paw, and moments later, he became a black cat.

—Without the aid of a Catling cookie.

The black cat stood on the ground, gazing thoughtfully at a certain spot.

【Name: En Green】

【Unlocked Unique Form: Catling】

【Unlocked: Unknown】

An unlocked unique form?

So I truly have more than one soul incarnation?

This subtle difference in wording made En’s mind race with possibilities.

Thus, as the end of July arrived, beneath the golden summer sun unique to the season, En returned to Hogwarts Castle.

There were no young wizards in the castle, but most of the professors were present.

Silence had become the castle’s defining trait during the break, allowing En to organize his plans under clear skies and gentle breezes.

—Snakebite Cookie.

To accomplish this, En needed the ability to resist the Basilisk’s gaze and further enhance the magical ritual of the Fairy Cookie so that users could remain conscious.

After all, an uncontrolled Basilisk could only be used under exceptional circumstances.

His continually improving Transfiguration would help him achieve the first goal, while Soul Transfiguration offered him hope for accomplishing the second.

Before the Basilisk could harm anyone, En needed to complete his plan—sooner rather than later.

Therefore, on his first day back at the castle, En sought out Professor Professor Tela in the Alchemy office.

“Delighted to see you, my dear student. Have you mastered your Animagus form?”

Professor Professor Tela immediately noticed the disappearance of his brooch; she spoke with quiet delight.

“Yes, Professor, but I have some questions.”

En said.

“Is the transformation not smooth? Are the animal instincts too strong? Or can you not transform without your wand?”

Professor Professor Tela sounded highly experienced.

“My student, these are all normal phenomena.”

“Understood, Professor. But what if the Animagus form is a magical creature?”

En asked cautiously.

“Magical creature… Magical creature?!”

Professor Professor Tela leaned forward sharply, her voice hoarse:

“Let me see…”

After a long silence, the fiery light in her eyes could no longer be concealed.

She sent out a white paper airplane, then spoke in a trembling voice:

“I should have known… But to master it so quickly… Have you entered a dream? Tell me what you saw.”

Understanding the meaning of “dream” was one of En’s goals; he spoke slowly:

“I saw indistinct shadows, a black Catling, and countless mists;

then, I became that Catling I had seen…”

He described it as fully as he could.

“Good, very good. You have already entered one of your soul incarnations within the dream. As for the place you were in—that is the most wondrous place of all…

Listen to me, child. Even wizards from Wada do not fully comprehend that world. It is a place without the passage of time, merely an existence—a flat, empty thing.

Very few wizards ever enter it—the world beyond the Veil, the realm where wizard souls reside.

Normally, a wizard only gains access to it after death; if he refuses to accept death, he becomes a ghost;

if he willingly accepts it, he embarks upon a great adventure.

But wizards who practice Soul Transfiguration can glimpse just a corner of that world, granting them unique powers.

For instance, maintaining clear consciousness after transformation, or swiftly mastering the essence of self-transformation.”

Professor Professor Tela spoke at length.

The shorthand feather quill trembled as En recorded every word the professor said.

“To enter that place—even just a corner—is extremely difficult; ordinary Animagus transformation is nearly impossible to achieve,”

her gaze burned with intensity, emphasizing the word “ordinary” with deliberate meaning,

“yet its significance is immense. So, my student, have you thought of the method used by the wizards of Wada?”