In Vincent’s original plan, if Ms.
Kenna’s collection contained nothing about Animagi, he would simply use the excuse of wanting to learn more about the wizarding world and ask her to take him to Diagon Alley—or at least to a wizarding bookstore.
“Fortunately, it’s already here. That saves me a great deal of time.”
Vincent ran his fingers across the page.
The words seemed almost alive, squirming away from his touch as though they were ticklish.
Ten Steps to Becoming an Animagus
Step 1: Hold a single mandrake leaf in your mouth continuously for one full lunar month.
Step 2: On the night of the full moon, remove the leaf and place it inside a small crystal phial filled with your saliva.
Leave the phial where it will receive pure moonlight.
Add one strand of your hair, one silver teaspoon of dew that has not seen sunlight or human feet for seven days, and the chrysalis of a Death’s-head Hawk Moth.
Seal the phial and store it in a dark, undisturbed place.
Step 3: Wait for a violent thunderstorm.
At every sunrise and sunset, point your wand at your heart and recite:
“Amato… Animo… Animato… Animagus.”
Step 4: Continue the process.
Feeling a second heartbeat is perfectly normal.
Step 5: When the thunderstorm finally arrives, retrieve the completed potion.
Step 6: Point your wand at your heart once more, repeat the incantation, and drink the potion.
Step 7: Visualize the animal you are destined to become.
Step 8: Allow the transformation to proceed naturally.
Do not resist.
Do not panic.
Step 9: Complete the transformation.
Step 10: Picture your human form and transform back.
Detailed notes filled the margins.
One lunar month referred specifically to the period from one full moon to the next.
Warning: Never swallow or remove the mandrake leaf before the month is complete.
If it leaves your mouth for any reason, the entire process must begin again.
The thunderstorm could arrive weeks, months, or even years later.
A correctly brewed Animagus potion should be blood-red and yield only a single mouthful.
The first transformation should always be performed in a spacious, secure location.
The system interface displayed:
[Completion Progress: (0/10)]
The progress matched the ten steps described in the book exactly.
Vincent read the instructions several more times to ensure he hadn’t overlooked anything.
“I’ll need a mandrake leaf, a crystal phial, one of my hairs, fresh dew, and the chrysalis of a Death’s-head Hawk Moth.”
Hair and dew would be easy.
Obtaining a crystal phial would take some effort, but it wasn’t impossible.
The real problem was the mandrake leaf and the moth chrysalis.
Those certainly weren’t items an ordinary person could purchase.
At least, Vincent had never heard of anywhere that sold them.
There was another problem.
The ritual required him to point a wand at his own heart.
He didn’t have one.
To complete the transformation, obtaining a wand was absolutely essential.
“The Ministry’s Trace prevents underage witches and wizards from performing magic outside school…”
He paused.
“Although…”
“…children who haven’t started Hogwarts aren’t normally punished for accidental or basic magic.”
He remembered Hermione Granger mentioning that she had already tried a few simple spells before arriving at Hogwarts.
Still, even if that were true, he would need plenty of practice before attempting something as advanced as an Animagus transformation.
Vincent leaned back in his chair, stretching his stiff shoulders.
There were still many things he lacked.
Materials.
A wand.
And, most importantly…
Time.
Between the fourth and fifth steps, he would have to wait for a thunderstorm.
The book made it very clear.
That wait might last weeks.
Months.
Even years.
It was currently May.
He would begin attending Hogwarts that September.
If he started the process now and buried the potion near the orphanage, only for the thunderstorm to arrive after the school term began, he would somehow have to travel all the way back to Shropshire to retrieve it.
“What an incredibly powerful talent…”
“…and an incredibly troublesome one.”
Should he simply wait until he reached Hogwarts before beginning?
The problem was that nobody could predict when the storm would come.
It might arrive immediately.
Or years later.
The earlier he began preparing, the sooner he could become an Animagus.
More importantly, the Legendary Animagus talent clearly had additional abilities waiting to be unlocked.
There was no reason to delay.
Cedric Diggory would be murdered in June 1995.
Even earlier than that, Frank Bryce—the elderly Muggle caretaker of the Riddle House—would be killed in August 1994 after overhearing Voldemort’s conversation.
Vincent had roughly three years.
That sounded like a long time.
In reality…
It wasn’t.
“I’ll definitely have to tell Professor Dumbledore about the Horcruxes eventually.”
“But once history begins changing, the butterfly effect could make everything happen much sooner.”
The stronger he became, the more lives he could save.
If the war ended before he had even completed the first step toward becoming an Animagus…
That would be a bitter joke.
At worst, after beginning the process, he could inform Professor McGonagall.
As a registered Animagus herself, she would understand the importance of the transformation and could help him retrieve the potion if necessary.
Of course, the professors would almost certainly try to stop an ordinary first-year student from attempting such an advanced and dangerous branch of Transfiguration.
But if he had already progressed halfway through the process before informing them…
They would be far more likely to supervise him than forbid him.
Registered Animagi were exceptionally rare.
According to Become a Unique Wizard!
100 Ways to Be Different, only seven witches and wizards had officially registered as Animagi with the Ministry of Magic during the twentieth century.
Professor McGonagall would probably be delighted to discover another.
Having made his decision, Vincent closed the book.
“It seems I still need to visit Diagon Alley.”
“I have to buy a mandrake leaf, a crystal phial, the chrysalis of a Death’s-head Hawk Moth…”
“…and a wand.”
Ms.
Kenna sat in her usual chair, quietly looking out the window.
Outside, the orphanage children chased a football across the lawn, laughing as they fought for possession.
“I wonder if he’s still reading.”
When she had woken that morning, the light in the storeroom where Vincent was studying had still been burning.
Once…
She had dreamed of the wizarding world as well.
She had dreamed of magic.
Of becoming a witch.
Of one day telling her own children wonderful stories about that extraordinary world.
But life had taken a different path.
She had never possessed magic.
Nor had she ever started a family.
Instead, she found comfort in reading the books left behind by witches and wizards.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Vincent stepped inside.
“Vincent.”
Noticing the dark circles beneath his eyes, Ms.
Kenna frowned.
“Nothing is so urgent that you should neglect your health.”
“You need some sleep.”
“I will, ma’am,” Vincent replied with a smile.
“I’m heading to bed shortly.”
“But before that…”
“I have one favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I’d like to visit a wizarding shop.”
“I want to buy my schoolbooks…”
“…and a wand.”
“The books all say that witches and wizards use wands to cast spells.”
“I’d like to start learning before Hogwarts begins.”
Ms.
Kenna smiled gently.
“You’re rushing things, Vincent.”
“Your Hogwarts letter hasn’t even arrived yet.”
“It will include a list of everything you’ll need.”
She added reassuringly,
“Children from Muggle families begin with no magical knowledge at all, yet many of them become excellent students.”
“School doesn’t start until September.”
“There will be plenty of time to visit Diagon Alley.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“But I’d still like to begin as early as possible.”
He lowered his eyes.
“My parents died because they were wizards.”
“I want to own a wand.”
“I want to become strong enough that no one like the Death Eaters can ever take away what matters to me again.”
“And…”
“They were able to perform magic.”
“I want to learn it too.”
“If I can…”
“…it will feel as though they’re still with me.”
A polite child.
Eager to learn.
Still cherishing the memory of parents he had never truly known.
How could she refuse him?
Ms.
Kenna opened her mouth.
No words came.
After a long silence, she finally nodded.
“…Very well.”
“I understand.”
“But I can’t make this decision alone.”
“I’ll need to speak with the wizarding authorities first.”