Chapter 159: Magical Creature Transformation, Ravenclaw's Vault
"How did you go about researching the Animagus transformation for magical creatures?" Now that he'd worked through all the steps and details, Ethan asked Dumbledore about his process.
The old man smiled. "Have you finished reading the Transfiguration notes I gave you last time?"
"I have."
"Then you understand Human Transfiguration, right? Didn't you come across the section on magical creature transformation?"
"I didn't," Ethan said, nodding.
Human Transfiguration was the branch of magic that allowed wizards to transform themselves into animals or other objects.
Wizards could cast Human Transfiguration on themselves to become other objects, like when Slughorn turned himself into an armchair when Dumbledore came to find him.
Or they could be Transfigured by someone else, like when Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, turned Draco into a ferret as punishment.
However, every one of these instances involved transforming into non-magical creatures or objects.
Dumbledore's Transfiguration notes and the upper-year textbooks contained no examples of transformations into magical creatures or magical items.
Ethan had previously assumed this was simply a more advanced form of Human Transfiguration, but hearing Dumbledore now, he realized there might be more to it.
Ethan quickly came up with a possible answer, drawing on his knowledge of becoming a magical creature Animagus. "So is it the same problem as with an Animagus? A conflict of magic?"
Beyond that, Ethan considered another possibility. "Or is it a matter of not having sufficient understanding of the object or creature you're trying to transform into?"
Dumbledore nodded. "It is not only a matter of magical conflict, but also the difficulty of restoring human form after an active transformation. Understanding the object is actually the simplest part."
The old man pointed to the parchment showing the three images again. "As I just told you, after completing the Animagus transformation and turning into a magical creature, magic operates differently, preventing the wizard from casting spells properly.
"This same principle applies when transforming into a magical creature."
"Think about it. You barely survive the magical conflict, turn into a Phoenix, and find yourself unable to change back. It would be utterly devastating, wouldn't it?"
Indeed. Dumbledore was referring to a flaw in Human Transfiguration.
As a high-level branch of Transfiguration taught only to upper years, Human Transfiguration had strict requirements.
Turning into an object was fine, but if a human remained in animal form for too long, they would gradually be assimilated by the creature they had become, both psychologically and physiologically, resulting in lifelong consequences.
*So, Headmaster, you had tried performing a phoenix transformation and then adjusted the Animagus steps based on that?* Ethan thought of his own situation, his breathing growing heavy. He really needed to see if he could transform into a two-headed dragon.
"Yes, but I cannot teach you at this time. This is more dangerous than the Animagus transformation I have already perfected."
Dumbledore's words came as a blow.
Ethan refused to give up. "Headmaster, I want to learn this Transfiguration."
"No. That is too dangerous. Besides, aren't you planning to attempt the Animagus transformation? Wait until you have grown accustomed to your magical creature form before trying this as well." Dumbledore shook his head.
Seeing the determined look on the old man's face, Ethan realized there was no hope of getting any key information about magical creature transformation from him for the time being.
"Fine." There was no hope for today, at least. He also had Astronomy class later and needed to leave.
He gathered the two parchments, returned to the dormitory to fetch his Astronomy textbook and tools, and headed to the Astronomy Tower to observe the stars.
During Saturday's Potions class, Ethan asked in detail about the progress of several experimental potions.
"No results yet. Relying on the UK wizarding world alone, there aren't many patients exactly suited for these potions. So aside from one potion that was tested, the others haven't been used yet." Snape shook his head.
"Then which potion was tested? How effective was it?"
"The red one. The effects are decent, but there's only one sample. Why not take the patient you care about to St. Mungo's to try it?" Snape pressed him again.
*No. Not yet.* He refused firmly once more. Cyril still had plenty of years ahead of him. It was better not to resort to medication just yet.
After class, he went straight to the Headmaster's office without stopping to eat. Cyril was already there, waiting to take him home.
Dumbledore escorted them to the school gates. Cyril took him through several Apparitions, finally bringing them back to London.
The series of Apparitions brought back discomfort he hadn't felt in a long time, even though he'd adapted to the sensation. "A phoenix is truly powerful. Last time I traveled home from Hogwarts, it took only one Apparition to reach the door."
*I wonder if transforming into a phoenix would allow me to use that ability.*
Before he could recover, Cyril checked the time and pulled out a jar of Floo Powder. "There's still time. Gringotts is still open, so let's hurry."
He lit the fireplace with a spell. He pinched a small amount of glittering powder, tossed it into the flames, and stepped into the emerald green fire. "Diagon Alley!"
He stepped out of the shop's fireplace. A few seconds later, Cyril arrived as well.
They walked briskly into Gringotts. He handed Nathaniel's key to the goblin behind the counter. "Take me to the Ravenclaw vault."
"The Ravenclaw vault?" The goblin looked at Ethan in surprise.
He raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"
The elderly goblin seemed reluctant. "This vault owes us one hundred and eighty-three years of management fees. We cannot open the vault until the debt is settled."
Ethan understood immediately. Under Gringotts regulations, if management fees remained unpaid for over two hundred years, the goblins could legally claim the vault's contents.
Driven by goblin greed, they'd wanted to claim the vault contents as their own after just ten years of unpaid management fees. It was only under pressure from the Ministry of Magic that they agreed to extend that period to two hundred years.
The Ravenclaw vault had gone one hundred and eighty-three years without a management fee payment. That meant that in just seventeen more years, ownership of the vault would fall into goblin hands. No wonder the goblin was unhappy.
"How much is the management fee?" Ethan didn't waste time with pleasantries. He pulled out his money bag, ready to pay.
"Two Galleons a year. The total is three hundred and sixty-six Galleons." The old goblin looked at the ledger in his hand as he quoted the price.
Ethan hadn't expected to pay up front during this trip to Gringotts. He only had three hundred Galleons set aside in his bag. Cyril covered the remaining amount for him.
Once the money was paid, the old goblin's face turned ashen. Without saying a word, he took the key and led them to the cart.
The Ravenclaw family vault wasn't among the lowest, but it was still fairly close to the surface.
So the opening process was the same as for the Shafiq family vault.
The goblin inserted the key into the keyhole, pressed his hand on the door, and opened the vault.
Ethan and Cyril lit their wands. In the glow, they examined the pitch-black vault.
"Is this it?" Ethan was hugely disappointed once he got a good look at the vault's contents.
Unlike what he'd expected, the huge vault wasn't packed with books, treasures, and Galleons. It was completely empty. A single bookshelf sat in one corner, holding a few books and a small box.
The two of them carefully swept their wands over every corner, finally confirming that the Ravenclaw vault really did contain only these few items.
"Could it be? Is this a box with an Undetectable Extension Charm?" Ethan still clung to a sliver of hope.
After checking for spells and sweeping it with a Secrecy Sensor, Ethan carefully opened the box, only to find it was perfectly ordinary.
Inside, besides a badge carved with the Ravenclaw crest, there were only a few books.
A thousand years of the Ravenclaw family legacy, and this was all that remained. It shouldn't be possible. Wait, he needed to verify something. After Nathaniel died, who exactly had inherited the family estate?
He had good reason to think this. After all, even the destitute Gaunt family had still retained their ancestral home.
The once-glorious Ravenclaw family should have been in a similar situation. Even if the line of Ravenclaws had ended, someone should have inherited the ancestral home and acquired the other legacies.
The reason the vault had never been claimed was simple enough. The key had remained with Nathaniel. Otherwise, would the vault really have stayed unopened until now?
Ethan removed all the books from the shelf and placed them in his bag. He confirmed once more that nothing remained in the Ravenclaw vault except the empty bookshelf.
Ethan couldn't be bothered to go past the dragon again just to withdraw funds. On the way back, he stopped at his own small vault, withdrew some Galleons, and rode the cart to the surface.
The goblin seemed to be in a better mood after seeing the empty vault, and the guide escorted him out respectfully. The two of them left Gringotts.
Cyril clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go. Time to head home for dinner. Your parents heard you were coming back, so they prepared quite a feast."
"Mm."
The two of them returned home through the shop's fireplace once more.
After dinner, Ethan and Cyril checked the newly acquired books one by one to ensure they were safe to handle.
They were all ordinary texts, containing no dark curses or dangerous artifacts. By the time they finished testing the dozens of books, it had grown late.
Early the next morning after breakfast, Cyril Apparated Ethan back to Hogwarts.
Cyril remained in the Headmaster's office to discuss sponsorship and school administration with Dumbledore. Ethan headed straight to his dormitory to retrieve the Salazar manuscript from his trunk.
He had stayed up late the previous night poring over the experimental records mentioned in Nathaniel's letter. The content provided insights that complemented Salazar's bloodline experiments.
Back at school, he couldn't wait to retrieve both sets of experimental records and compare them.
With the manuscript in hand, Ethan headed straight for the Room of Requirement.
He paced back and forth three times, but no door appeared on the wall. Ethan realized that Fred and George must already be inside.
He quickly pulled out a Communication Card and sent a message to the twins.
Once the door finally appeared, Ethan entered and greeted Fred.
He then greeted George, who was wearing a protective suit as he conducted an experiment. Ethan found a table in the corner and sat down.
He placed both manuscripts on the table and compared them side by side, occasionally jotting notes on a fresh piece of parchment.
Over at the twins' workbench, explosions were constant. Ethan had no idea what the two were working on.
With a massive five thousand Galleons to spend, the pair hadn't just ordered new materials by mail.
They had also made a trip to Hogsmeade on Saturday, returning with a huge pile of supplies.
For the past few days, the two had been spending their nights in the Room of Requirement. Yesterday, they had even stayed there from morning until night, working on their products to their hearts' content.
Amid the explosions, Ethan finished reading the two manuscripts and jotted down the insights he had gained from them.
Nathaniel's experimental data suggests that bloodline fusion is actually achievable. One simply needs to prepare various potions to stabilize the body before the fusion process can begin. The tragedy, however, is that he never managed to devise a feasible plan for it.
Of the various concoctions he prepared, his personal trials revealed that only one was effective. The others were useless for his specific situation.
Furthermore, this particular potion would lose its efficacy after repeated use, making it unsuitable for long-term consumption.
Salazar's manuscript, on the other hand, presents an entirely different line of reasoning.
He used a property of Basilisk venom, which he had discovered by chance, to stimulate a bloodline that an individual already possessed, thereby forcing an awakening.
The two methods differ significantly. Nathaniel's experiments focused on strengthening a diluted bloodline, whereas Salazar's work aimed to allow a Squib to gradually transform into a wizard. In a way, they are somewhat complementary.
However, Nathaniel's method can also theoretically be used to fuse specific magical creature bloodlines. In such a case, the transformation could be achieved in a single step, allowing a Muggle with no magical ancestry to become a wizard directly. Although the difficulty would be far greater, there is still hope.
Salazar's stimulation method is better suited for Squibs. For Muggles, who likely lack a magical bloodline altogether, the results are highly uncertain.
Ethan looked over the notes he had taken while reviewing the two manuscripts. He felt he could try combining the two methods to develop a new potion.
Sitting in his chair, Ethan felt the knowledge from the two manuscripts merging in his mind. Inspiration struck in rapid flashes. He quickly jotted down his ideas on parchment.
By the time his inspiration ran dry, it was noon.
The twins stopped their experiments as well. They packed various materials and protective suits into a large bag they'd prepared for the occasion, then cleaned up the waste from their failed experiments. They called out to Ethan, inviting him to grab some food.
Eyeing a crystal ball discarded in the bin, Ethan asked, "Is this the refined version of Dumbledore's magical crystal ball?"
Ethan certainly hadn't forgotten about that.
Before Filch tested his magic, Dumbledore had forbidden him to mention the alchemy wand. The Headmaster hadn't wanted to reveal its existence without knowing if other Squibs possessed magic too.
However, seeing that the failed product resembled the magical item the old man had once brought out, Ethan suspected Dumbledore might have taught the twins something during the holidays.
========================================
------------------------------------------
Chapters on Patreon progress: Currently at;
1. Harry Potter: Satan? Nah, Just My Family Crest = CHAPTER 374
2.Harry Potter: Beyond Good and Evil in the Wizarding World = CHAPTER 389
3.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 195
support me on Patreon for instant access to the 120+ advance chapters: patreon.com/redofic