Chapter 209: Transfiguration Club

Alan's curiosity was also piqued; he was about to join the conversation when an owl swooped past him, swiftly dropping a letter onto his person...

Alan opened it and found it was a letter from Professor McGonagall, detailing the specific location of the Transfiguration Club and some precautions, which immediately made him forget about Hermione...

Their first class was Divination; Alan was still quite curious about Divination, though his impression of it was just that Firenze sometimes acted mysteriously.

Not long after class started, he lost interest in Divination, just as he had lost interest in Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts last year.

Professor Trelawney, who taught Divination, was simply too mysterious; her speech lacked any logic or rigor. Perhaps Divination itself disregards logic and rigor, a fact that made Alan extremely uncomfortable.

After Divination came Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class.

Hagrid was clearly a bit nervous during his first class; although he brought out a Hippogriff in the very first lesson, the classroom effect was obviously quite poor.

Finally, Alan simply could not watch anymore; he stood up and voluntarily offered to become Hagrid's teaching assistant, and Hagrid immediately agreed with delight.

Having worked in the Forbidden Forest for so long, Alan was quite familiar with the various magical creatures there, so in a sense he could indeed help Hagrid.

With Alan's joining and his filling in the gaps on the side, the classroom atmosphere improved noticeably.

During the practical session in the following class, Alan keenly spotted Malfoy showing disrespect to Buckbeak; with quick eyes and fast hands, he soothed the angry Buckbeak, then kicked Malfoy aside, avoiding a classroom accident.

The furious Malfoy threatened to report Alan, but later it came to nothing.

The subsequent Ancient Runes class also disappointed Alan, because the things taught were things Alan had already mastered long ago.

Days passed like this, and time quickly arrived at Friday, the day Alan had long awaited for the Transfiguration Club to be held.

That day, as soon as dinner was finished, Alan bid farewell to his friends and came to the Hogwarts staff lounge, which was precisely the gathering place for the Transfiguration Club.

He found the tables and chairs in the staff lounge had been piled into the corner, leaving a large open area in the middle; Professor McGonagall wore a emerald green tartan robe, her hair tied back and swept into a high bun, her expression serious.

Alan found he had arrived a bit late; there were already over a dozen wizards in the staff lounge. Among these people, Alan only recognized Landon Roach of Slytherin, whom he had fought last year; this year he should be in his sixth year. The others appeared to be in their sixth or seventh year.

Alan stood somewhat awkwardly outside the crowd; the other wizards also looked at him with some surprise, and Roach even let out a cold snort.

At this moment, Professor McGonagall spoke: "Everyone is here; let us begin!" Her gaze swept across the face of every student.

"The new year's Transfiguration Club is about to begin; you are all the outstanding students of various grades. I hope you can seize this opportunity," Professor McGonagall said seriously.

The next moment, Roach raised his hand, and Professor McGonagall gestured for him to speak.

"Professor McGonagall, why is a third-year child appearing here? You must know that all the rest of us are about to graduate," Roach said politely, but the words he spoke were not at all courteous.

Several wizards from Slytherin and Ravenclaw also expressed support for Roach's words; attending class with a third-year student made them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"I made this decision after careful consideration. Alan Finis already possesses the qualification to learn Animagus; his mastery of Transfiguration spells exceeds all of yours," Professor McGonagall retorted Roach with high profile.

Alan did not expect Professor McGonagall's evaluation of him to be so high.

"On the contrary, many of you actually do not possess the qualification to learn Animagus,

you merely achieved Outstanding in the O. W. Ls exams and showed a certain potential—" She pressed her lips together, her expression becoming even more severe.

"Therefore, you must go all out, exert more effort, and face this matter with the most rigorous attitude. There are many rules you must obey; if I discover you have violated any single one, I will ruthlessly kick you out of my Transfiguration Club."

Professor McGonagall swept her gaze around with authority; the students fell silent as if frozen, daring not to make a sound.

Professor McGonagall's authority had been accumulated over so many years; no one dared to ignore it.

Then Professor McGonagall began to lecture on the relevant knowledge of Animagus.

"... I have finished explaining the difference between transforming into an animal and Animagus transformation. In summary, the former is passive; once Zhong Zhou, one cannot independently cast a counter-spell; the latter is a voluntary choice, and the wizard can decide when to restore the human form."

"It must be especially noted that the former will cause human reason to gradually disappear until one becomes a beast, while the latter can maintain a low degree of intelligence."

"Regardless of which transformation, for beginners it is a very dangerous matter, so you must all stay alert and concentrate your attention."

"Next, you will find that the training you receive is somewhat different from what you see in books; these are some improvements I have made. I will do my utmost to guarantee your safety, but if anyone wishes to withdraw, they may speak up now." Professor McGonagall emphasized the last two sentences.

Everyone understood Professor McGonagall's meaning; they quietly exchanged glances, and not a single person wanted to withdraw.

"Very well, then we will officially begin. Next, we need a volunteer; who is willing to cooperate for the demonstration?" Professor McGonagall swept her gaze across the room once more.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became oppressive; everyone was attending this club for the first time and had no idea what would happen next, and transformation is a rather dangerous matter...

Everyone hesitated for a moment.

Seeing the others' reactions, Alan felt he should give Professor McGonagall some support, so he simply raised his hand.

With Alan leading the way, several other arms trembled as they were raised.

Professor McGonagall ultimately chose Alan; she had Alan stand in the center of the room.

The other students formed a circle, their eyes flashing with anticipation.

"What do I need to do, Professor?" Alan said very steadily.

"Strive to stay awake!" Professor McGonagall said; everyone's expressions changed, as if Alan was about to endure some inhuman pain.

"I will cast a Transfiguration spell to transform you into a small animal," Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "During this period, you must strive to remain calm, thereby resisting increasingly strong bestial impulses and avoiding being driven by instinct..."

"The longer you endure, the better, but do not force it; resisting bestial impulses is the first step for you to become Animagus," Professor McGonagall explained.

"Of course, in the end I will transform you back, before you lose control," Professor McGonagall said to Alan.

"Now there is only one question left, Mr. Finis; what animal do you want me to transform you into?"

Alan stroked his chin and said softly to Professor McGonagall:

"A panda!"

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