Stepping out of the weathered wooden cabin, Maurise dramatically swept the hem of his robes. The massive bone dragon instantly materialized from the array, its colossal skeletal frame settling silently onto the snow-covered earth.
Professor Kettleburn's reaction was entirely predictable. His jaw dropped so far it nearly hit his chest. He froze completely in place, utterly oblivious to the snowflakes landing and melting on his face.
"I am fairly certain it is a dragon skeleton," Maurise said casually, "but I cannot identify the exact breed... Hello? Professor, are you listening?"
"Merlin's saggy stockings!" Professor Kettleburn finally found his voice. A split second later, a look of feverish, fanatical excitement completely overtook his features.
Leaning heavily on his walking stick, he hobbled forward at an alarming speed. He began circling the bone dragon frantically, muttering excitedly to himself. "This cranial structure... the curvature of the tailbone... Ah! It must be a... no, wait, perhaps it is a..."
What exactly is it? Maurise thought, waiting patiently for the professor to actually finish a sentence.
But Kettleburn was completely lost in his own academic world. He hobbled in circles around the undead beast, muttering an endless stream of theoretical jargon without offering a single piece of concrete information.
Finally, Maurise could not hold back his curiosity any longer. "Professor, have you figured out what breed of dragon this is?"
"No!" Professor Kettleburn spun around, his eyes burning with absolute manic glee. "And that is precisely the most brilliant part! My boy, I can confidently tell you that this skeleton does not belong to any known, officially recorded breed of dragon in modern history."
"...Right."
Truthfully, Maurise did not care all that much about the dragon's exact pedigree. It was just mild curiosity. It would be nice to know, but it did not matter if he didn't. The bone dragon was already bound as his undead summon. He had plenty of time to study it at his own leisure.
"Patience, boy, listen to me," Kettleburn continued, his tone absolutely certain. "While I cannot pinpoint the exact breed, I can guarantee you that this skeleton belonged to a genuinely ancient dragon. A truly primeval beast."
"Ancient?"
"Without a doubt. It is a terrible shame I cannot accurately estimate its exact age, though," the professor sighed regretfully, shaking his head.
Maurise stroked his chin thoughtfully. That actually made perfect sense. He had dug this entire frame out of the dirt deep in the Forbidden Forest. The bones had been incredibly brittle and degraded when he first found them. Getting the skeleton assembled in one piece was already a miracle in itself.
"I see. Thank you for your expertise, Professor."
Professor Kettleburn suddenly let out a heavy sigh, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. "If I were only ten years younger, I would be utterly obsessed with this skeleton. I would study it day and night. Unfortunately, I am on the verge of retirement."
"You still seem quite energetic to me, Professor," Maurise offered sincerely.
Kettleburn burst into a booming laugh and slapped his good leg. "Energetic? Ha! My spirit is willing, but the flesh is failing, my boy. I am not exaggerating when I say that in my prime, I could outrun an enraged Graphorn for an entire day."
Is that something to be proud of? Maurise thought, his mouth twitching slightly.
For the next several hours, Maurise was subjected to an endless barrage of Kettleburn's wild, nostalgic tales from his youth.
***
During the remainder of the Christmas holidays, Maurise frequently took his bone dragon out for joyrides. However, once the new term officially began and the students returned en masse, Hogwarts became lively once more.
Maurise wisely stopped flying his dragon out in the open. As much as he wanted to show off his magnificent creation, Professor McGonagall had explicitly warned him against it. He decided it was best to keep a relatively low profile.
Of course, when it came to his actual magical experiments, he had no intention of holding back.
***
Late on a Saturday afternoon near the end of January, Maurise strolled casually into the hospital wing and made his way to the bed tucked in the farthest corner.
Hermione was propped up against her pillows, deeply engrossed in a massive textbook. Harry and Ron were sitting at a small table nearby, locked in an intense game of Wizard's Chess.
"Oof. Harry, that was a genuinely terrible move," Maurise commented as he set a small crystal vial filled with a bubbling green potion onto the table.
Hermione instantly snapped her book shut and looked over. "What is that? If you finally brought the antidote, you are a bit too late. I am practically fully recovered."
It was true. Hermione's feline features had almost entirely vanished. All that remained was a small, faint patch of fuzz on her cheek. According to Madam Pomfrey, she was scheduled to be discharged in just two days.
"Oh, this isn't an antidote," Maurise smiled mischievously. "This is something far more entertaining. Does anyone want to volunteer?"
"You need to tell us exactly what it is first," Hermione demanded, frowning suspiciously at the bubbling green liquid.
"Consider it an experimental prank product," Maurise replied smoothly. "The raw ingredients alone cost me over a dozen Galleons."
"Let me see that." The mention of expensive prank materials instantly caught Ron's attention. Completely abandoning his chess match, he leaned over eagerly, snatching the vial. "So, do I rub it on my skin, or just drink it straight?"
"Just a tiny sip will suffice."
Without a second thought, Ron uncorked the vial and took a swig. He smacked his lips, furrowing his brow in deep thought. "Hmm. Honestly, it tastes significantly better than Polyjuice."
"Ron!" Hermione and Harry shrieked simultaneously.
"What?" Ron asked, completely oblivious.
Maurise drew his wand, transfigured a nearby water goblet into a hand mirror, and handed it to Ron. "See for yourself. But do not panic. Unlike Hermione's little accident, the effects of this potion will not last very long."
Looking deeply confused, Ron took the mirror and held it up to his face.
The reflection staring back at him was no longer a freckled teenage boy.
"A LION?!" Ron yelped, nearly throwing the mirror across the room in sheer terror.
In the mirror, his human head was entirely gone. It had been replaced by the majestic, terrifying head of a full-grown male lion. The only identifying feature remaining was a tuft of vibrant, ginger-red mane near the crown of his head that still vaguely resembled Ron Weasley. The rest of his body from the neck down was still completely human.
"I heavily modified the base formula of the Polyjuice Potion," Maurise explained proudly. "It now temporarily transfigures your head into the shape of a specific animal. Brilliant, isn't it? I specifically formulated this batch to turn you into lions."
"How long am I going to be stuck like this?" Ron asked, his lion jaws moving perfectly in sync with his panicked words.
"Roughly three minutes."
Hearing the short time limit, Ron instantly relaxed. He held the mirror closer, eagerly inspecting his new feline features. He tried out his most menacing glare, bearing his sharp fangs and letting out a low, rumbling growl. Surprisingly, the effect was incredibly intimidating.
Curious, Harry took the vial and swallowed a sip himself. Seconds later, a second lion's head sprouted from his shoulders. Interestingly, his trademark round glasses had seamlessly transfigured into a black, circular fur pattern around his eyes.
"Quite entertaining, right?" Maurise nodded in deep satisfaction.
"This feels incredible." Harry stretched his arms and legs, noticing a distinct difference. His body felt significantly lighter, more agile, and bursting with energy.
Maurise elaborated. "Aside from the cosmetic transfiguration, this potion also provides a minor, temporary boost to your physical attributes. It sharpens your reflexes and provides a slight increase in raw strength."
In truth, the physical enhancement was the primary goal of this experimental potion. The cosmetic transfiguration was merely an amusing side effect.
Maurise had not relied solely on traditional wizarding brewing methods to create this formula. He had integrated Gap Energy Crystals and specifically carved runic arrays to force the magical reactions to stabilize. Unfortunately, the integration of these different magical systems was not perfectly seamless yet, resulting in a very limited duration and a relatively weak physical boost. It required extensive optimization.
However, looking at the two majestic lion heads roaring playfully at each other in the hospital wing, Maurise decided the experiment was a resounding success. At the very least, he had accomplished his goal of making something highly entertaining.