Man of Archives

Chapter 22

For an entire week, I recovered from the ritual, noticing several changes. After casting my first spell, I realized I had become stronger. My spells were more powerful, and my magical energy had increased. Along with this, I began experiencing new magical sensations, which I still had to get used to. I developed an innate sense of direction, could tell time almost to the minute, and lost my fear of heights and discomfort with water temperature. Additionally, I gained a heightened awareness of death and danger.

I concluded that these abilities came from the mythical creatures whose minds I had visited during the ritual. And, to be honest, I wasn't opposed to it. My sleep was also reduced by two hours, and my physical capabilities had improved, making me a stronger wizard overall. The ritual had proven to be incredibly beneficial and successful so far. Of course, I still couldn't transform into any of these creatures, but I knew my time would come. Meanwhile, ordinary animals had become much more intriguing to me.

"How are you feeling, Timothy?" Dumbledore asked when I arrived at his office by invitation.

"Much better, thank you," I replied. "The ritual took a toll on me, but I've been recovering all week."

"Yes, those rituals do have lingering effects," the headmaster agreed. "I went through something similar in my youth, with the same side effects."

"Despite that, I'm grateful to you for sending me to Hagrid," I said, bowing my head slightly in a gesture of thanks—following proper etiquette.

"Don't take it personally," Dumbledore chuckled. "Are you ready for the next step?"

"Yes."

"Then, can you tell me which animals you plan to transform into?" he asked.

"A woodland warbler, a gorilla, and a cleaner fish," I answered, listing three very different creatures.

"Oh, wow," Dumbledore stretched. "I see you followed my advice. That's very good. Next, you'll need to study the full anatomy of these birds. I suggest starting with something simpler, like the woodland warbler."

"Then I'll need to visit somewhere like a zoo," I said, stretching in response.

"The nearest weekend," the headmaster nodded. "You'll go to the London Royal Zoo. You'll find the necessary animals there."

"I understand," I nodded.

"Ah, you young people," Dumbledore exhaled. "Everything comes so much easier to you. Back in my day..."

He waved his hand dismissively, as if not planning to finish the thought. It was clear that someone like Dumbledore could tell countless stories about his youth, but that wasn't the time.

"What should I do after I've studied the anatomy?" I asked.

"Come to me," said the headmaster. "I'll spend a few days monitoring your first self-transfiguration to ensure there are no unexpected complications."

"Thank you, headmaster," I said with another nod.

"You may be dismissed," he said with a final nod.

I left the office and headed straight to the library, where Isolda, Dorsani, and Nymphadora were supposed to be waiting for me. We had agreed to work on a project for ZOTI together. This wasn't homework but a personal project, since Quirrell had proven himself to be a completely inadequate teacher. He couldn't speak on any subject himself, merely reading from a book during his lectures. He never wrote notes on the board or gave spatial explanations for where or how a spell could be used.

To pass the OWLs in his subject, I suggested we take up self-study. My friends immediately agreed, and we formed a small study group. Some Ravenclaw students joined in as well, seeing it as a great opportunity. As for the Slytherin students, I had no idea what they were doing, nor did I have any particular desire to find out.