A healthy balance of work and rest—that was Wyzett's current approach to learning.
Beyond his regular classes and studies, his daily routine included exploring the entire library (even the Restricted Section) and delving deep into the mysteries of the Animagus transformation.
Professor Flitwick's private lessons had officially begun, and now Wyzett was learning the intricacies of the Weather Charm.
Much like the Animagus transformation, the Weather Charm was notoriously complex in its casting principles and, some would say, a bit impractical—hardly a popular spell among students.
In truth, the Weather Charm was an umbrella term for a whole family of related spells.
The simpler branches included the Whirlwind Charm, which conjured a gusty vortex—useful for tripping up an adversary or clearing away obstacles.
A step up in difficulty were spells like the Drizzle Charm and the Fog Charm, which produced gentle rain or conjured a thick, concealing mist.
The most challenging offshoots, such as the Blizzard Charm or the Storm Charm, could unleash truly dramatic effects, but their complexity was daunting.
The Weather Charm worked on principles not unlike the Levitation Charm—except, rather than moving objects, the caster manipulated the intangible, ever-shifting phenomena of the weather itself.
With a wand as their guide, the wizard would draw upon the existing weather, shaping and reshaping it until the desired effect emerged.
Take Professor McGonagall's attempt, for instance: with so few clouds above, no amount of coaxing could gather enough to make a difference.
That was when a new approach was needed—like Professor Flitwick's clever method of drawing water from the Black Lake into the air, conjuring a fresh bank of clouds from nothing.
It was only after studying the theory behind the Weather Charm that Wyzett finally understood what Dumbledore had meant by "it won't work for Animagus."
If there simply wasn't any lightning in the atmosphere to begin with, you'd run into the same problem as McGonagall—unable to summon enough energy for a proper thunderstorm.
And the lightning a wizard could conjure was fundamentally different from the wild, unpredictable power of a real storm.
So, you couldn't just pull in a bolt from nowhere, as Flitwick had done with clouds; there were limits.
Fortunately, Professor Flitwick was a masterful teacher. With the weather holding fair, he began with the relatively simple Clear Sky Charm, guiding Wyzett through the first steps into the world of weather-altering magic...
After several sessions, Wyzett had mastered the Clear Sky Charm.
The incantation was "Sereno." To cast it, you had to sweep your wand outward in gentle arcs, steadily pushing away any lingering clouds until the sky was clear as glass.
The spell could even be adapted—using those new gaps, Wyzett managed to bring real sunlight streaming into the Hidden Corridor for the first time.
No one was happier about this than Luna. Now she could fill the corridor with potted plants, letting the whole space burst with new life.
On the weekend, after a morning Quidditch practice, Wyzett took a break in the Hidden Corridor.
His own pot of Mandrake—nurtured by hand—now basked in the corridor's sunlight, safely relocated to this private haven.
Mandrakes were dangerous magical plants, and he felt far more at ease having it tucked away here.
As per habit, he showed up outside Professor Snape's office ten minutes early.
This time, there was a familiar magical object waiting inside—the Pensieve that had once graced the headmaster's office.
Just seeing it made Wyzett's heart beat faster.
There was less than a week until the second full moon.
Following the methods of magical item crafting, Wyzett had meticulously inscribed a host of spells into the Mandrake leaf he'd been carrying.
Not just basics like the Levitation Charm, Severing Charm, and Fire-Making Spell, but also his newly learned weather spells—Clear Sky Charm, Drizzle Charm, and more.
To satisfy Wyzett's curiosity, Professor Flitwick had even planned to teach him the Lightning Summoning Charm—a rare weather spell that could call down thunderbolts.
Snape's voice was cold: "Did you say something to Dumbledore and the others about the Animagus ritual?"
"Yes, Professor Snape!" Wyzett nodded, quickly pulling out the relevant notes.
He'd just rewritten this section while preparing his paper for Transfiguration Today—it was hot off the press.
With a flick of his wand and a Copying Charm learned from The Book of Spells, he produced a duplicate. "Professor Snape, this is my research on juvenile Mandrake leaves."
"I'd also like to…" Snape curled his lip, gesturing toward the Pensieve. "Well, you know what I mean."
"Understood." Wyzett placed the notes on the desk, pressed his wand to his temple, and cast the Memory Extraction Charm.
In the headmaster's office, Dumbledore wore a broad smile.
Having just finished another stack of paperwork, he set down his quill and stretched, turning to the ever-dignified phoenix perched nearby. "Severus certainly knows how to bide his time!"
"Took nearly a month before he finally asked me for the Pensieve… Fawkes, do you think he's simply curious about Mandrake leaves, or is there something more?"
Fawkes's song was long and low, a drawn-out, thoughtful note.
"I think so too," Dumbledore mused, stroking his beard. He reached for a Cockroach Cluster and a peppermint humbug, popping both into his mouth.
The combination made him shudder, and he exhaled a great puff of white mist.
"The full moon never brings pleasant memories. But if he's thinking about this one, perhaps it's a good sign—don't you agree?"
Fawkes nodded gently, another feather drifting down to dissolve into ash before it touched the floor…
Thanks to a string of clear days, the Scottish Highlands were free of clouds that night.
The full, round moon hung high—a luminous pearl in the velvet sky.
If the second full moon had been shrouded in clouds, they'd have had to start the process all over again.
To make sure the skies stayed clear, Hagrid stood watch near the grounds, joined by Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick—all gathered for the occasion.
The biggest surprise for Hagrid was seeing Snape lurking at the edge of the grounds.
Noticing Hagrid's astonished look, Snape's scowl deepened. He swept his cloak around himself and stalked off to another spot.
Wyzett thanked each professor and Hagrid in turn, then produced the Mandrake leaf.
Bathed again in moonlight, the leaf had transformed—its very texture seemed changed.
Now it resembled a thin shard of green jade, shimmering with a translucent luster. Tiny motes of light danced just beneath its surface.
"Truly remarkable," Professor McGonagall was first to inspect it. "When I did this, my leaf only turned a deeper green… It was never this beautiful!"
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