To be honest, Wyzett felt a bit out of his depth.
He was standing before three of the most accomplished magical minds at Hogwarts. Though he only wanted to share his insights, he couldn't help worrying—what if he failed to explain himself clearly? Would he let down Dumbledore and the others, after all their encouragement and support?
But when he looked up and met their eyes, he saw nothing but encouragement and expectation shining back at him.
Maybe it wasn't so daunting after all.
Wyzett exhaled slowly. "I've come across information suggesting that young Mandrake leaves are truly unique inside."
"They feel almost like a needle… Especially in the soul, where they take on that very shape. Seeing it manifest so directly seems to confirm the theory."
"But that was just my first impression. Now, after completing the first step of the Animagus transformation today, my understanding of Mandrake leaves has changed."
He summoned his wand, which shimmered with a distinct silver-blue light.
In fact, this time he'd cast the memory extraction spell using Ancient Magic. Compared to the ordinary version, spells powered by Ancient Magic often produced some rather unusual effects—a little trick he'd discovered after much experimentation.
Wyzett continued, "Books like Manual of Ritual Magic, Rituals and Protection, and Practical Ritual Magic all describe certain shared traits among leaves…"
Dumbledore chimed in at just the right moment. "Growth and absorption—those are the essential qualities of any leaf."
"Exactly!" Wyzett nodded, feeling his nerves ease. "Growth requires absorption, and that absorption drives the flow of energy—without it, nothing can grow."
"So, we can extend that to another property: flow. The Mandrake leaf and my memories are engaged in a kind of flow. Professors, I think you can all sense it, can't you?"
He gave his wand a gentle wave, releasing a trace of Ancient Magic to infuse the memory with even more depth.
The professors narrowed their eyes, as if savoring the sensation, then nodded in agreement. Professor McGonagall and Flitwick muttered to each other, surprised by how much more powerful the Pensieve seemed than they'd ever imagined.
Only Dumbledore smiled knowingly, winking at Wyzett with a hint of mischief. As one of the few who knew Wyzett's secret as a Guardian, he understood perfectly why this memory was so special.
Wyzett couldn't help but smile, clearing his throat to steady himself. "This flow is bidirectional—a true exchange."
"I offer the Mandrake leaf my memories, and in return, it grants me its power of absorption."
"That's a compelling explanation," Professor McGonagall agreed. "The Animagus ritual is notoriously complex and dangerous."
"Only a handful of wizards ever attempt to understand the soul well enough to learn it. Without that insight, it's hard to notice this property of the Mandrake leaf."
"I'm intrigued by your idea of 'exchange,'" Professor Flitwick said. "The swapping of memories and traits… Have any of you heard of the 'siphon effect'?"
"When I was researching ancient Roman magic, I found a wizard's memoir describing his interactions with Muggles—back when relations were much friendlier. The memoir told of how Muggles built massive aqueducts to carry water across valleys into cities. Ingenious, really!"
"Siphon effect?" Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Can't say I have… After all, we can conjure water with a spell. No need for all that trouble."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Muggles have always been clever. In the old days, I believe they were called 'Muggles' as well!"
"Siphon effect!" The phrase lit up something in Wyzett's mind, connecting the scattered threads of his thoughts.
His eyes sparkled. "That's it! That makes everything so much clearer!"
He waved his wand, channeling Ancient Magic to conjure a simple demonstration: a "siphon apparatus." It consisted of two transparent cups—one higher, filled with water; the other lower, empty—connected by a clear tube.
"Professor McGonagall, this is the simplest example of the 'siphon effect.' I call this tube the 'siphon tube.'"
As they watched, water from the higher cup flowed down the tube into the lower cup, driven by the siphon effect.
Wyzett grinned, excitement bubbling in his voice. "Thank you, Professor Flitwick! This example is so vivid!"
Dumbledore clapped his hands. "To reach such a clear and elegant conclusion together—splendid!"
"Now, with the 'siphon effect' as our guide, the explanation becomes much easier!" Wyzett's thoughts raced, his words tumbling out faster.
"The flow created by the siphon continues until both sides reach equilibrium. That leads us to another property: stability—a kind of magical safeguard."
"Through this stability, we can further explain why Mandrake leaves…" He flicked his wand, magnifying the curled Mandrake leaf for all to see.
"As I said before, it's like a needle—but it's also a siphon tube! The tube creates the siphon effect, and the needle serves as an anchor point."
"Let's return to the first step of the Animagus ritual," Wyzett said, recalling the intricate process. "You have to keep the Mandrake leaf in your mouth for a full month!"
"Both 'in the mouth' and 'a month' are crucial—because the mouth is in the head, close to the brain, and thus close to the soul."
"For that entire month, the Mandrake leaf absorbs our memories, using them as the foundation to establish an anchor point."
"Once the Mandrake leaf is transformed into a potion, the memories stored in that anchor point become the key to shifting between animal and human form!"
"But there's still a question… Our memories span so many years, so many versions of ourselves…"
Wyzett frowned, his train of thought momentarily snagged.
"Perhaps you could trace it back to the origin?" Dumbledore suggested gently.
"Trace it back to the origin?" The words sparked a revelation. "Of course—the hair!"
"So, the strand of hair used in the later steps acts as a correction, ensuring the anchor point records the right moment!"
"That's why, during the Animagus process, you have to pluck a hair—it's the final, decisive touch!"
"It makes sure that when we return to human form, we don't revert to our childhood—or even infancy—but remain as we are now!"
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