I climbed up the train carriage and followed Kathey to a compartment. The corridor buzzed with voices and movement, but the moment she shut the door behind us, it felt like we had stepped into our own little world again.
"Alright," she said, leaning back against the door with a small smirk, "next year the trio are joining."
I dropped into the seat opposite her. "Yep. And I think I told you about what's going to happen with W.I.N.T.E.R.S, right?"
She nodded, crossing her arms. "You did. Expansion, consolidation, influence. You're thinking long term."
We spent the next few minutes quickly summarizing our predictions. Verdant's growth, S.P.I.R.E's expansion, the strengthening of financial networks, everything falling into place piece by piece. It was strange how normal these conversations had become for us.
Then we shifted to this year's goals.
"First," I said, counting on my fingers, "we reach N.E.W.T level in all subjects by the end of this year."
"Second," Kathey continued immediately, "Animagus transformation. We do it first, then guide Victor and Elara through it."
"And third," I added, leaning forward slightly, "we build a proper den. Near our training area by the Forbidden Forest."
Kathey's eyes lit up slightly. "Underground. Hidden. Protected."
"Exactly."
The door slid open just then as Victor and Elara stepped in.
Victor dropped his bag with a grin. "You guys won't believe it. My relatives were completely shocked at how much I've improved. One of them even tried to test me."
"And?" I asked.
Victor smirked. "Let's just say… he won't try again."
Elara shook her head lightly before sitting down. "Meanwhile, the Muggle world is just as chaotic as ever. But honestly… it feels strange now. Like I don't fully belong there anymore."
We all understood that feeling.
The ride passed smoothly, filled with conversation, plans, and the quiet excitement of returning.
When we finally arrived, the familiar sight of the castle welcomed us.
We moved toward the Thestral carriages. I paused for a moment, looking at one of them.
"Heh," I said quietly, "mine's more handsome than you."
The Thestral let out a soft, almost amused neigh in response.
"Who are you talking to?" Victor asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Thestrals. You can't see them yet."
As we climbed into the carriage, I explained everything I knew about them. By the time we reached Hogwarts, they were listening in complete silence.
The feast and sorting went as usual, nothing out of the ordinary, but comforting in its familiarity.
Soon we fell back into routine. Morning workouts. Classes. Evenings filled with study and training. Weekends split between the Centaurs and the Merpeople. The balance between school life and everything else we were building somehow held together.
Me and Kathey handled our electives with ease, often finishing work ahead of time and using the Room of Requirement for our projects.
I had begun working on something unconventional.
A weapon.
Not a traditional one, but a tool. A gun like device that used enchanted scrolls as ammunition. Each scroll embedded with runes, designed not to generate magic, because that was impossible, but to amplify and channel the user's magic efficiently.
"For Squibs," I muttered one evening while sketching designs. "A way to fight. To defend."
It was ambitious. It would take time. Likely until fifth year. But it would work.
Kathey had her own ideas.
She was improving enchanted clothing and footwear, making them more efficient and adaptable. But her main focus was something even more interesting.
"Alternatives to wands," she told me one night.
"Like what?"
"A ring. Or braces. Something subtle. Something people can carry without depending entirely on a wand."
I nodded slowly. "That'll change everything if it works."
"It will," she said quietly. "But not yet."
One evening, after finishing classes and setting up my self writing quills to handle the rest of my homework, I entered my dorm.
Thanks to my performance over the past two years, I had been shifted to a two bed room.
My roommate… unfortunately, was Percy Weasley.
I stepped inside quietly.
Anubis was asleep on my bed, his wings wrapped around himself, paws curled in. He wasn't the thin little creature he once was. He had grown. Fluffy, yes, but strong. His constant flying had built real muscle beneath that soft exterior.
I crept closer.
Then suddenly
"BOO."
He jolted awake with a startled meow.
And in a puff of black smoke,he vanished.
I froze.
A second later, he appeared on the desk across the room. We stared at each other.
I slowly pointed at him, mouth slightly open.
"How long?"
He gave a small, guilty sounding meow.
The rest of the night turned into an experiment.
I tested everything.
"Again."
Poof.
"Again."
Poof.
It quickly became clear. Teleportation drained his stamina, not based on distance, but on the number of times he used it. He could travel far, but repeated use exhausted him. The castle wards still blocked him from leaving, though.
"Wicked," I muttered, grinning.
Eventually, we both collapsed onto the bed. After a well deserved round of treats, Anubis flapped his wings and settled comfortably on my abs as we drifted to sleep.
The next morning, during our workout, Kathey and the others joined me in the gym.
"Guys," I said, stretching slightly, "I've gotta show you something."
I snapped my fingers.
Poof.
Anubis appeared on my shoulder, perching proudly.
Their reactions were immediate.
"What—?!" Victor stepped forward.
Elara's eyes widened. "That's… teleportation?"
Kathey just smiled, impressed.
They all immediately crowded around him, completely fascinated.
Soon enough, Anubis became part of training. I used him to distract moving dummies, creating unpredictable scenarios before stepping in with precise, powerful strikes that shattered them.
"I can never get used to how insanely strong you are," Victor said with a chuckle. "Can you wrestle Hagrid or what?"
I smirked. "Maybe someday."
Alongside everything else, Kathey and I began planning the den.
"Underground," she said, sketching lightly.
"Entrance triggered by drawing a cross with the foot," I added.
"A gym inside."
"A training hall."
"Rest areas- later." she finished.
It was coming together.
Then came the Animagus process.
We began exactly as required.
Each of us took a Mandrake leaf and placed it inside our mouths, pressing it carefully against the roof with a woody paste so it would not shift or fall.
"We don't remove it," Kathey reminded. "Not once."
"Not even while sleeping," I added.
The timing was chosen carefully. Kathey used her knowledge of Astronomy to fix the exact date, ensuring the conditions would be perfect. No disruptions. No storms. No irregularities.
For an entire month, the leaf remained in place.
It was uncomfortable at first. Then irritating. Then… strangely normal.
We spoke less during that period, careful not to disturb the process.
When the time finally came, we removed the now transformed leaves and placed them into small crystal phials. We added a strand of our own hair, a silver teaspoon of dew collected under the full moon, and finally, a chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth.
The potion began to form slowly. Then we waited. Every day, we checked it. Watched it. Protected it. Until finally, on a night marked by a violent thunderstorm, lightning cracked across the sky.
"That's it," Kathey said quietly.
We stepped outside, and with her shoes one pair with me and other with her, we went to the highest point of the castle.
Rain poured down heavily as thunder roared above us. We held the phials in our hands.
"This is it," I said, my voice steady.
We drank the potion.
The effect was immediate.
Pain.
Not ordinary pain, but something deep, like every part of my body was shifting, reshaping. My heart began to pound violently in my chest.
I bundled in the air, holding knees to my chest.
Kathey beside me was breathing heavily, clutching her chest.
"Feel it?" she managed.
"Yeah…"
Our heartbeats grew louder. Stronger. Almost echoing in our ears.This was the sign.
We closed our eyes, focusing completely. On the animal within. On the transformation.
Waiting.
For the moment it would finally happen.
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