The ferret obediently took a sip of black tea, then used its little paws to smooth out its whiskers.
Upon hearing Regulus Black's question, Draco didn't dare to play dumb. He immediately turned around and nodded to show he understood.
"Hmm! Looks like you're not completely clueless. Still, I need to check you over. After all, this transformation spell was cast by someone else—not an Animagus transformation you performed yourself."
Regulus Black's wand emitted a faint, glowing aura that swept over the ferret's body in layers, much like a Muggle scanner, detecting the creature's condition using different types of magical energy.
Sure enough, this wasn't a simple transformation spell—it was a passive Animagus transformation, or perhaps a variation of the Transfiguration Curse.
Among wizarding spells, there exists a type of magic that forcibly transforms enemies into animals. Even in myths, there are tales of witches turning sailors into pigs before slaughtering and eating them.
An Animagus, by contrast, transforms voluntarily and can revert back on their own, all while retaining their magical power throughout the process.
When someone is forcibly transformed into an animal, it may look similar to Animagus magic, but the resulting creature loses all magical energy. A wizard turned into an animal this way has no means of reverting back on their own. As for Muggles, it's even worse.
The more severe issue is that, over time, their consciousness may be entirely consumed by animal instincts. Even if they manage to return to human form later, they'll resemble feral children—mentally and physically unbalanced. Though in some cases, they may gain abilities beyond those of ordinary people.
"Draco, do you want to learn how to become an Animagus?"
Regulus Black asked as he handed an apple to the ferret.
The ferret clutched the big apple excitedly, hopping in place with joy. However, it had no clue what an Animagus was and tilted its head in a thinking pose.
"An Animagus is a wizard who transforms into an animal and can change back at will. The process is risky. Beginners often fail to complete the transformation properly, resulting in mismatched body parts—that can be extremely dangerous. That's why another wizard must supervise during training. Do you still want to learn such a dangerous form of magic?"
Only wizards who can transform into an animal and still retain their magical abilities are considered to have truly mastered Animagus magic.
Regulus Black's question reminded Draco of Professor McGonagall's transformation into a tabby cat, and he immediately nodded in agreement.
Why wouldn't he want to learn? The Ministry of Magic has only registered a handful of Animagi—this is a rare skill mastered by very few.
To grasp a magical art that only a select few can achieve, a little danger is nothing.Besides, Regulus Black would be overseeing it, wouldn't he? The ferret was so excited it stopped eating the apple and nodded eagerly.
Since the birth of mythology, there have been tales of humans transforming into animals. In Celtic mythology, turning into wild boars, swans, eagles, and ravens was commonplace. Native American shamans in North America also often transformed into animals, usually birds.
An Animagus cannot transform into just any creature. The chosen animal is tied to the wizard's personality and body type.
Generally, each person can only transform into a single animal. Furthermore, Animagus transformations are usually limited to non-magical creatures. Transforming into magical beings such as phoenixes, dragons, or hippogriffs can lead to unpredictable consequences.
That's because the magic of wizards and the magic of magical creatures operate on fundamentally different principles.
While practicing Animagus transformation, wizards may experience magical instability or even madness. This is why the Ministry of Magic strictly regulates it, requiring all Animagi to register their animal form and characteristics with the Improper Use of Magic Office.
Yet many never registered after mastering it. That includes James Potter's stag, Sirius Black's black dog, Peter Pettigrew's rat, and Rita Skeeter's beetle.
Clearly, sometimes the Ministry's laws are ineffective.
Mastering Animagus magic usually takes several years. Determining which animal suits you best requires repeated trials and comes with the risk of failure. That's why Animagus transformation requires courage.
As a result, only seven Animagi were registered in the 20th century—including Professor Minerva McGonagall's tabby cat.
The reason Regulus Black encouraged Draco to study Animagus magic was because his current state clearly suited the form of a ferret. If he hadn't been speaking, no one would've suspected that the little ferret was actually a transformed wizard.
Some people, once turned into animals, exhibit erratic behavior until they adjust to their new forms.
This only proves that their transformed animal shape doesn't align with their true nature.
But Draco, as a ferret, had shown no desire to return to his human form, which meant he had fully adapted to this identity.
Wizards who want to practice Animagus transformation must reach that kind of mental state to maximize their chances of success.
"In that case, let's begin. I'll help open up your energy channels."
With a wave of his wand, Regulus Black channeled his magical energy into the ferret's body.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts class had finally begun!Students were spreading the word—everyone, stay alert.
"I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. If you have any objections, we can settle them face to face. Any problems?"
Alastor Moody wrote his name on the blackboard, then turned to look at the students with a twisted expression.
Who would dare have a problem? Just seeing that face was enough to scare anyone to death.
"When it comes to teaching about the Dark Arts, I believe practical experience is the most important."
Alastor Moody gave a smile that was meant to be friendly but came off as sinister. The students felt a chill down their spines.
"First, who can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"
Alastor Moody rotated his magical eye, scanning the room for a student who might answer.
"Three in total, sir!"
Since Hermione wasn't in Gryffindor, some unlucky boy took her place, trembling as he gave the answer.
"Because they are Dark Magic, using any one of them will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban."
Moody didn't expect the boy to explain them fully. He simply turned and wrote Unforgivable Curses on the blackboard behind him.
"The Ministry of Magic thinks you're too young to witness the effects of the Unforgivable Curses. I disagree. You should know exactly what you're up against! You need to be prepared to fight—not just stand around waiting to be attacked."
He turned back around and began writing the names of the three Unforgivable Curses on the board.
"Mr. Finnigan, you should find somewhere other than under your desk to dispose of your chewing gum."
Moody turned around, and the entire class swiveled their heads to look at Seamus Finnigan.
"What the—does this old guy have eyes on the back of his head?"
The school's infamous explosion artist muttered carelessly.
"Levicorpus!"
It's not just my eyes that are sharp—my ears work just fine too. You'll stay hanging like that until class is over.
Because of the rumors spread by Regulus Black, Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, had become particularly irritable. But all of this still fell within the realm of normal behavior, so no one found it suspicious.
"Weasley! Stand up. Let's start with one of the Unforgivable Curses."
Moody had clearly run out of patience and directly called on a student to answer.
Ron Weasley, the only Weasley in the classroom, had no choice but to rise to his feet.
"My dad told me about one—the Imperius Curse."
Ron wasn't sure if his answer was correct. His voice was so soft that Moody had to lean in to hear him.
"Yes! The Imperius Curse. Your father knows that spell well. A few years ago, it caused quite a headache for the Ministry. Many witches and wizards claimed they only followed the Dark Lord because they were under the Imperius Curse. The real challenge was figuring out whether they were telling the truth."
Moody took a jar from behind him and pulled out a poisonous spider. He enlarged it, then used the Imperius Curse to control it, making it dance on the table. The students burst into laughter—until he suddenly tossed the spider onto their heads, provoking a wave of shrieks.
"Who else wants to try another one? You there—Mr. Longbottom."
Moody—or rather, Barty Crouch Jr.—deliberately called on Neville, whose parents had been tortured to death by his own hand using the Cruciatus Curse, a spell that inflicts unbearable pain on both the soul and the body.
"I—I know the Cruciatus Curse," Neville stammered.
For Neville, who had been just a baby at the time, this was a memory etched into the depths of his soul.
"Crucio!"
The curse was cast on the spider, which immediately began to writhe and twist in agony, unable to die no matter how much it suffered.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09