The second day dawned sunny and bright.
The rising sun shone upon the castle, its golden light glinting off the leaves of the Mallorn trees and the silver glow of the White tree, bathing the entire castle in a radiance of gold and silver, a scene both sacred and serene.
The sweet fragrance of grass and flowers drifted into the dormitories on the morning breeze, slowly waking the first-year students from their pleasant dreams.
As they opened their sleepy eyes and looked out the windows, the breathtaking view drove away any trace of drowsiness.
"Wow, it's so beautiful!" exclaimed Anlomir, from the Phoenix Academy dormitory.
Even the young elf Alanier, who had grown up in the valley, couldn't help but nod in agreement.
As the freshmen woke one after another, they washed up and went down to the auditorium on the first floor for breakfast.
After breakfast, it was nearly nine o'clock.
Anlomir, Alanier, and Adam hurried toward the Transfiguration classroom. Their first class of the day was Transfiguration, held together with students from the Dragon Academy.
The three arrived just before the bell rang and quickly took their seats.
When the bell sounded, the students looked around in confusion, there was no professor in sight.
Just then, a massive figure strode through the classroom door.
Students seated at the back turned their heads and immediately froze in terror, their faces turning pale.
One by one, others noticed the sudden silence and looked back, only to be struck by fear as well.
A towering, wolf-like creature stood before them. It had a black back, a white belly, and limbs thick with muscle; at first glance, it looked exactly like a dire wolf.
The "giant wolf" walked calmly down the aisle to the front of the classroom, then, in the blink of an eye, transformed into Professor Edward.
A wave of gasps and exclamations rippled through the room.
The students stared in disbelief, as though they were still trapped in a dream.
Only Adam, after his initial shock, suddenly understood and shouted in excitement,
"I know! It's an Animagus! Professor Edward's Animagus form is a wolf! That's so cool!"
Everyone in the classroom heard him.
Those who already knew about Animagi nodded in recognition, while those who didn't quickly learned from their classmates, soon, the entire class wore the same mixture of astonishment and awe.
Professor Edward, seated now at his desk, had clearly heard Adam's words. A faint smile flickered in his eyes before he spoke.
"Quiet!"
His calm but firm voice silenced the room instantly. Still, the students' faces were full of excitement and unease, lingering from the transformation they had just witnessed.
Edward looked over the class and began,
"Mr. Bailey is correct. Animagus transformation is one of the highest achievements in the study of Transfiguration. It allows a wizard to freely take on an animal form, letting us disguise ourselves or adapt to special environments."
Then his expression hardened.
"However, Transfiguration is an extremely dangerous branch of magic. A single mistake can cause irreversible consequences. Those who successfully master the Animagus transformation are exceedingly rare, so far, only five people have ever done it."
He paused, his tone turning grave.
"Therefore, reckless experimentation is strictly forbidden in my class. You are absolutely not allowed to use Transfiguration carelessly. I have no wish to see any of you twisted into grotesque forms, lose your sanity, or even die."
The warning struck home. The students felt as if cold water had been poured over their heads; their earlier excitement about Animagus magic quickly faded.
Still, one of the bolder students couldn't help but raise a hand.
"Professor, besides you, whose Animagus forms have succeeded?"
At that, the rest of the class turned eager eyes toward the professor, their curiosity rekindled.
Seeing everyone's curiosity, Professor Edward didn't immediately begin lecturing. Instead, he decided to satisfy their curiosity, and, in doing so, stir their enthusiasm for Transfiguration.
"To date," Edward began slowly, glancing around at the attentive students, "the Ministry of Magic has registered four Animagi, including His Excellency, the Headmaster."
"Many of you have probably heard of His Excellency's Animagus. Yes, it is the first and only phoenix in all of Middle-earth."
As he spoke, Edward's face reflected both admiration and reverence.
"The phoenix is an extraordinarily beautiful, powerful, and sacred creature. It can be reborn from its ashes, command fire, and its tears can heal all wounds and illnesses. Its song can inspire courage and drive away darkness. In every sense, it is a perfect being."
The students listened in awe, their faces filled with wonder and yearning.
"Normally," Edward continued, "an Animagus can only transform into an ordinary animal. Wizards like myself and the other two registered Animagi can only assume mundane animal forms. Forcibly transforming into a magical creature would cause severe, irreversible damage. Therefore, becoming something like a phoenix, as the Headmaster has, is simply unrealistic."
He paused for a moment to let that sink in before adding sternly,
"If any of you are ever interested in learning Animagus transformation, you may apply to me once you have reached an advanced level of Transfiguration. You will then be allowed to practice under my supervision or that of another qualified professor.
But the most important rule is, that you must never attempt it in private!"
The students nodded quickly, sensing the weight behind his repeated warning.
Edward went on, his tone relaxing again.
"As for the other two Animagi, one of them is someone you already know, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Brog. He is the only other Animagus besides the Headmaster capable of flight. His Animagus form is a magnificent falcon."
"The remaining one is the wand-making master, Bill Ollivander. His Animagus is a chameleon."
Edward shared this information openly, without any hint of secrecy, as though unconcerned about exposing such private details.
After all, one of the principal uses of Animagus transformation was disguise and covert operation, to conceal one's true identity. Revealing their forms so openly might have seemed careless, yet in truth, this was no secret at all.
Edward, Brog, and Bill had all registered with the Ministry of Magic after completing their transformations, and many within the Ministry already knew of them.
Of course, Edward's willingness to speak freely came from the fact that their true mastery lay beyond ordinary Animagus transformation, they had evolved beyond it.
After their successful transformations, Sylas had personally guided them to evolve their Animagus forms.
Through his help, Edward's ordinary Animagus form, a wolfhound, had evolved into a giant wolf. Both forms coexisted, allowing him to transform into either at will.
Just as Sylas, though his Animagus was a phoenix, could still take the form of an owl.
Edward's evolved form, the giant wolf, far surpassed any dire wolf in strength and size. Its design was inspired by Cerberus, the three-headed wolf of Isengard, its hide bronze-hard, its bones iron-strong, and its fangs sharp as blades.
Brog's ordinary form was a falcon, but his evolved form was a giant eagle. Though not as massive as the true Great Eagles, it still possessed tremendous power.
Bill's Animagus had begun as a tiny chameleon, the weakest and smallest of the three, but it held the greatest potential. Under Duir's guidance, Bill's Animagus evolved from a mere chameleon into a fire-breathing dragon.
Though its size and strength could not rival a true dragon, its scale being closer to that of a wyvern, it was still fearsomely powerful.
Thus, while the world knew their forms as a wolfhound, a falcon, and a lizard, in reality, they were three mighty magical creatures: a giant wolf, a giant eagle, and a dragon.
They were also known as the three strongest wizards personally trained by Sylas.