After Sterling left the office with the box, the "sleeping" old man in the mirror suddenly opened his eyes, gazing at his retreating figure.
"Vitam, did you see it?"
"...Sorry, mentor, I didn't detect any traces of Avalon."
"That's quite normal..." The old man pulled up the feather blanket to cover his stomach.
"Anyway... now I don't owe that Archangel anything."
The old man's thread-thin whisper didn't reach Sterling's ears. Before he could properly examine the mysterious box, ambushing Terry burst out and slapped his back.
"Yo, Professor Vitam not only didn't criticise you but also gave you a reward gift? Tsk tsk tsk, is this the treatment of an invincible good student?"
Terry had wanted to touch that iron spike, but before contact, he felt a chill and quickly withdrew his hand.
"Didn't you go eat?"
"To prevent weird-flavoured beans appearing in my teacup someday, I think enduring hunger is better."
"I'm not that petty... at most Every Flavour Beans."
"You actually thought of that! And Every Flavour Beans still wastes tea leaves!"
Sterling put the box in his bag and competed with Terry on who could reach the Great Hall first. Why not run? School rules prohibited students from running in corridors, and they'd just heard a cat's meow.
Under Hermione and Padma's indescribable gazes, two people with motionless upper bodies but rapidly moving legs pushed each other onto benches.
"I'm first." Sterling struck preemptively.
"I sat on the bench first!" Terry countered.
Sterling smugly crossed his legs. "But we were competing on who reached the Hall first, not who sat down..."
Padma shook her head, sighing to Hermione: "Are boys always this childish? And these are Ravenclaw boys..."
"Yes, look at Ron and Harry. You'll know how childish Gryffindor boys can be."
Hermione pointed her fork toward the Gryffindor table, where Ron was trying to put Harry in a chokehold but was quickly overpowered by the stronger Harry.
"Hermione! Remember what I said? Pointing at people with objects is very rude!"
"Alright..." Hermione blushed. "I'll definitely be careful next time..."
"Sterling, aren't you taking your assessment this afternoon?"
Padma turned to Sterling, who'd stopped fooling around with Terry and was reading Transfiguration notes while eating.
"Obviously, otherwise he wouldn't work so hard."
Terry indignantly ate fish and chips, not understanding how Sterling's physical condition was so good. He'd planned underhanded moves at the Hall entrance, but it felt like elbowing a steel plate...
"I think you don't need such anxiety. I'm not clear on Animagus practice difficulty, but according to Professor McGonagall's previous interview in Today's Transfiguration..."
Padma closed her eyes, thinking. "Professor McGonagall learnt Animagus in fifth year. Even considering exceptional talent, sixth-year Transfiguration probably meets learning conditions, right?"
"Whether you succeed after learning is another matter, but I think Professor McGonagall's assessment for you would be fifth or sixth year level. But your Transfiguration definitely exceeds typical sixth years."
Padma based her judgement on Robert's level. Robert was a fifth-year prefect interested in Charms and Transfiguration, so his level could represent excellent sixth years.
Generally, Ravenclaw prefects' levels in their interests were assessed one year higher.
"I know that... but still can't help feeling anxious..."
Sterling swallowed a rolled meat slice whole, choking until Terry quickly patted his back.
Terry had wanted petty revenge but forgot this guy's ridiculous physical condition. Using real force would only hurt himself.
"Cough cough! Regardless, I must learn Animagus!"
"Fine, fine, you definitely can... Want some fish and chips? Today's cooking is much better than before. Maybe the house-elves had culinary exchanges with other pureblood family elves."
"No, I'm going to Utopia to study. I remember leaving Professor McGonagall's fourth-year notes there."
Sterling grabbed his bag and ran off, leaving the three others exchanging glances and shaking their heads helplessly.
"It's rare seeing Sterling so... flustered?"
"He really loves Animagus. Hope he doesn't randomly get an animal he dislikes. Does anyone else want fish and chips? Nobody? I'll eat them all then."
As time passed, Sterling stood outside Professor McGonagall's office, taking a deep breath.
Wearing the same determined expression as Harry entering Potions class, Sterling knocked.
"Is that Mr. Page? Please enter."
Sterling turned the handle. The interior matched his impression of Professor McGonagall. Simple, neat, meticulous. Besides the usual desk and chairs, almost no other furnishings were visible.
In a slightly remote corner, Sterling spotted a display case containing numerous Quidditch trophies, though they all looked rather old.
Well, because Slytherin had dominated Quidditch for many years recently.
"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall."
Sterling felt no nervousness now. He sat openly across from Professor McGonagall, drawing his wand ready for examination.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Page... You look eager, so very well, let's get straight to the point... Inanimate to inanimate, animate to inanimate. These needn't be demonstrated. Show me inanimate to animate."
Professor McGonagall looked at Sterling expectantly. Sterling hoped to begin learning Animagus, and McGonagall felt likewise.
For an old teacher, nothing brought more joy than seeing students excel. Especially since announcing that a Hogwarts first-year was learning Animagus...
No magical school worldwide would dare compare Transfiguration teaching quality with Hogwarts, not even the currently acknowledged best, Uagadou.
Sterling looked at the row of transformation materials on the desk. Wood, copper rods, even strips of gold and silver. Choosing the magic-conducive gold and silver would be easiest, but Sterling felt Professor McGonagall wouldn't want to see that.
Copper was a poor magical material, obviously the highest difficulty among this batch.
Seeing Sterling's wand point at the copper rod, Professor McGonagall's lips curved slightly upward.
Magic poured from the wand tip, enveloping the copper rod. Sterling's will was carried by magic, penetrating the rod and covering the world's recognition of it from inside out.
"Woof woof!"
A chubby white puppy with yellow markings poked its head out, nuzzling Professor McGonagall's outstretched hand.
"Excellent!" Professor McGonagall skilfully petted the puppy's chin, using Wingardium Leviosa to bring over a small box from her desk, opening it to release the beetles inside.
"Next, try transformation between living things. I hope you can transform it into a lion or an eagle over one metre tall."
"This tests whether you can complete animate transformation, ignoring mass and volume limitations, also a crucial element of Animagus."
Sterling lightly flicked his wand, and the beetle became a large golden-red lion circling Professor McGonagall, nudging the puppy in her arms with its head.
"Beautiful. I can already put 'Outstanding' on your Transfiguration report cards from first to sixth year."
Professor McGonagall placed one hand on the lion's head while stroking the puppy's back. She closed her eyes, then smiled:
"The magical content also meets requirements... Yes, even the lion transformation can be maintained for at least an hour."
"Undoubtedly, if you can't begin Animagus study, I probably won't be able to teach this magic again in my career."
She handed Sterling a leaf.
"Mandrake leaf. I assume you already know the Animagus learning steps?"
"Every Wednesday evening, I'll teach you human transformation magic here. You can start holding it in your mouth now."