Wade followed Lupin and Sirius, and worked busily for most of the day before finally completing the preparations.
Above the clearing in this section of the forest, branches and nets had been intricately woven together into a dense canopy.
Overgrown shrubs blocked the entry of any animals, while devil's snare hidden within the thickets ensured that even a mouse wouldn't be able to slip through.
The surrounding area had been arranged to accommodate various habitats, such as freshwater and saltwater pools, a miniature desert, and a snowy landscape. Weather charms maintained these environments in their respective forms.
Wade couldn't help but admire it with envy. He had secretly wanted to replicate these habitats within his wardrobe space and attempt his Animagus transformation there.
However, Lupin vetoed the idea.
"The wardrobe space is indeed safe and can guarantee you won't be disturbed by external factors," Lupin explained, "but you can't transform there because it's isolated from the true essence of nature."
Lupin continued, "During the transformation, you need to establish a deep spiritual connection with your inner animal form, and being in a natural environment makes this process much easier."
"Although there's no concrete evidence, there have been numerous failed attempts when wizards tried to transform in enclosed spaces or caves. That's why wizards have concluded that the first Animagus transformation must take place in an open area."
"And you know," Sirius chimed in while wrapping vines around wooden stakes with rope, "Remus and I aren't exactly great at weather spells."
"These environments we set up will only last for a limited time. After ten days or so, maybe a fortnight at most, they'll start to lose their magical stability. They're not as useful as you might think."
Truthfully, lasting ten days to a fortnight was already impressive. However, it still paled in comparison to the near-natural habitats inside Scamander's enchanted suitcase.
Wade could only sigh regretfully.
The next morning, Wade woke up and checked the time. As usual, he recited the incantation as usual, then turned off the alarm clock just as it was about to shriek, pulled back the curtains, and looked outside.
The sky was overcast with thick clouds, and the air felt oppressively humid, making it slightly difficult to breathe.
It seemed as though the heavy clouds were preparing for a torrential downpour.
Filled with anticipation, Wade washed up and headed downstairs.
Lupin was sitting at the table, flipping through a book. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and smiled, "Breakfast today is fried toast and oatmeal porridge. What would you like to drink? Orange juice, tea, or milk?"
"Remus, didn't you sleep last night?" Wade asked in surprise, catching the aroma wafting through the air.
He thought he had risen early with the sun, yet Lupin had already prepared breakfast.
"I did sleep. I just woke up a bit earlier," Lupin replied with a gentle smile.
"Don't be so anxious," Wade said as he sat down and picked up a piece of toast. "It's just an Animagus transformation. It shouldn't be unfamiliar to you."
Lupin smiled.
Perhaps it was because he had recently read too many cases of failed Animagus transformations; Lupin seemed more worried about Wade's transformation than Wade himself.
His mood mirrored the weather outside the window—the darker the clouds, the gloomier his demeanor.
Wade, on the other hand, was much calmer.
He had been preparing for this day for a long time.
It felt just like a final exam—an entire semester of effort culminating in one last test. Having laid enough groundwork in advance, by the time the actual test arrived, he felt it was just another ordinary task.
After breakfast, Wade took a book on biology from the shelf. It detailed various animals' physical structures, including their limbs, skeletons, muscle distributions, and living habits.
The book was so worn from use that it was falling apart, yet Wade still didn't know what his animal form would be.
It was said that the image of the animal would only appear in one's mind the moment before the transformation occurred.
If, at that moment, one hesitated, feared, or regretted the decision, the Animagus transformation could fail—or worse—result in an incomplete transformation. This might leave too many human features intact or even turn the person into a monster.
While reading, Wade couldn't help but wonder: What about hags... or centaurs? Could their creation be the result of ancient wizards casting failed magic?
Of course, such baseless speculation would never be proven. If members of those two species overheard the theory, it might even earn him a beating.
Wade continued reading for over an hour before Sirius finally pushed open the door and walked in.
"Hey, Remus, what delicious thing did you make?"
...
After breakfast, the three of them spent some idle time in the living room before deciding they couldn't just sit around. They headed to the village for a stroll.
Wade bought some school supplies, picked up small gifts for the others, and even grabbed a bag of prank items for the Weasley twins.
Later, they stopped by The Three Broomsticks for a while. Madam Rosmerta, familiar with Wade, served him a butterbeer that was entirely alcohol-free. Judging by its appearance, it looked identical to the others' drinks, even down to the frothy head.
It was here that Wade learned from Madam Rosmerta that the butterbeer she usually served was made by boiling regular beer and melting butter into it.
The non-alcoholic version, however, was made by simmering milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and other ingredients. Oddly enough, it was slightly more expensive than the alcoholic variety.
"I usually only serve this to girls and children." Madam Rosmerta leaned against the counter with a cheeky smile and said: "Poor Wade—you just can't handle alcohol, can you?"
Lupin placed a hand on Wade's shoulder and said, "He's still just a kid, after all!"
"Oh, right, I forgot," Rosmerta teased. "Maybe it's because he's always around adults, so I tend to forget his age."
"Another beer, please," Sirius said, setting down his empty glass.
Then, turning to Wade, he added, "There's nothing wrong with having a little drink now and then, Wade. Giving it up means giving up a part of life's pleasures. When I was in Azkaban, I kept longing for the taste of this place."
He looked as though he'd only had a little to drink, yet the faint haze of intoxication had already begun to settle over him. His usually sharp gray eyes appeared dull and cloudy.
"Sirius!" Lupin suddenly called out.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm still sober!"
Sirius nodded vaguely, downed the newly poured beer in one gulp, and then ordered a few bottles of butterbeer to go from Madam Rosmerta.
"When you succeed…" he said to Wade, "we'll celebrate with a drink."
But as soon as the three stepped out of the pub, the seemingly tipsy Sirius instantly sobered up. He glanced at the sky and muttered under his breath, "Damn it!"
Wade tilted his head back too, feeling the moist wind brush against his face, carrying with it a faint chill.
The wind had picked up.
Raindrops, fine as threads, began to fall.
But it wasn't the storm they had been waiting for.
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