Chapter 227: The Steller's Sea Eagle

The sky roared with thunder and lightning. Jagged bolts streaked through the clouds like tearing open a gaping wound. Raindrops the size of beans crashed down in torrents.

William pointed his wand at the ground and a small crystal vial burst forth from the soil.

The once sky-blue liquid inside had turned a deep blood-red. This was a completed Animagus Potion.

William glanced at Hermione. The girl nodded nervously.

Raising his wand and pointing it toward his heart, William incanted, "Amato Animo Animato Animagus."

He uncorked the bottle and drank it in one gulp.

The liquid was icy cold, sending a searing sensation through his mouth before spreading down to his throat and stomach.

It felt as though he'd just downed a bottle of 1986 Erguotou liquor in one go!

William could feel his heart pounding fiercely—or rather, two hearts pounding! The mismatched rhythms throbbed so violently it made his eardrums tremble and his brain feel as though it might burst.

At last, the two rhythms synchronized. In his mind, the image of the animal he was transforming into began to emerge.

Thankfully, it wasn't a magical creature, such a result would signify the failure of his Animagus transformation.

Animagi could not transform into magical creatures, which was a limitation that had stumped the wizarding world for millennia.

Exhaling deeply, William closed his eyes tightly, focusing all his attention on the transformation.

He could distinctly feel his arms undergoing a slow metamorphosis. The muscles, organs, and even the very structure of his body were reshaping themselves, though the process was excruciatingly slow.

Even the clothes on his body began to fuse into his form.

Professor McGonagall's admonitions echoed in his mind at that moment: "Gradually increase your magical power. During the transformation, remain calm at all costs. Allow your body time to adapt."

He lost track of time. At some point, his arms completely disappeared, as if severed. William's wand fell to the ground, and Hermione hurriedly picked it up, staring at him with wide-eyes.

In her view, William's arms were gone, replaced by something resembling chicken wings.

"Is it a bird?" Hermione guessed. Could it be an owl?

William had no time to address Hermione's speculations. He remained focused on his slow, agonizing transformation, feeling as though he was experiencing the magical equivalent of childbirth.

Though he'd never had children, he suspected the pain wasn't far off.

Eventually, his right leg disappeared, replaced by a raptor's talon.

The talon gleamed with a metallic sheen, crushing the stone beneath it into dust with a mere squeeze.

Nearby, Fluffy whimpered, taking three cautious steps back from the razor-sharp claws.

William looked utterly grotesque at this stage, like a bald phoenix reborn from the ashes.

Gradually, feathers spread outward from his neck. He transformed into a strange creature with the head of a human and the body of a bird.

Finally, his head began to change. An orange-yellow, slightly curved beak emerged, though his irises remained unchanged, the same striking emerald green, just as they were in human form.

Every Animagus retained some trace of their human characteristics.

William's plumage was mostly dark brown with grayish-brown streaks. His forehead, shoulders, back, and tail were adorned with white feathers, while his head was a dark brown, patterned with tiger-like stripes.

He had transformed into a Steller's sea eagle!

But this sea eagle was far larger than normal, at a height of nearly 1.4 meters. it was an absolute behemoth.

As the eagle, William seemed to lose his rationality. The next moment, he launched himself forward, crashing violently into the ground of the valley.

It was like a comet striking the earth.

The impact left a massive, cracked crater.

Fluffy howled mournfully. His iron food bowl, as large as a washbasin, was crushed into a flat sheet of metal by the rampaging eagle.

That was his food dish!

In an instant, the sea eagle charged again, and Fluffy's doghouse, a gift from Hagrid, was reduced to rubble.

Though furious, Fluffy dared not retaliate. He merely howled from a distance.

Amid the chaos, Hermione stepped forward, standing tall. She clenched her fists tightly and wrapped her arms around the eagle's enormous head, which was nearly her height.

"William, snap out of it!" Hermione called out.

William's consciousness wandered in darkness. His head throbbed as though it might split open, and his body yearned to smash into something to relieve the pain.

This was one of the challenges of an Animagus transformation. After all, humans and animals were fundamentally different. The first transformation always brought confusion.

The animal's instincts clashed with human reason.

If rationality couldn't be regained, the wizard would lose themselves forever and remain an animal.

This was why Animagus transformations were so dangerous.

Then he heard it, a voice, crying. It was Hermione.

In that instant, William closed his eyes, his expression contorted in pain. He finally remembered who he was and what he was doing.

Meanwhile, Fluffy retreated further, guarding his stash of snacks to prevent the mad sea eagle from causing more havoc.

But the rampaging eagle suddenly calmed down, crouching meekly.

From the eagle came William's voice. He spoke softly, "Sorry, Hermione. I'm fine now."

Hermione looked up in surprise. 

A smile broke across her face, dimples forming on her cheeks.

"Come on, the sun is about to rise. Let me take you to see it," William said gently, crouching and extending a wing.

Hermione climbed onto the giant eagle's massive body.

Standing tall, William fully spread his wings, which spanned an impressive four to five meters.

"Hold on tight and use magic to shield yourself from the rain," William said.

Hermione nodded, quickly casting a water-repelling charm on herself. She pulled a lined rain cloak from her ring, draping it over her body to shield herself from the wind, and nestled her head against William's warm feathers.

With a powerful sweep of his wings, William lifted into the sky. Fluffy felt the rush of wind and stumbled back again.

The wind howled, and dust swirled as William soared higher, crossing the Forbidden Forest toward Hogwarts.

He landed atop one of Hogwarts' spires, from where the entire castle was visible.

"Caw!"

Fawkes flew out from the headmaster's office window, circling William curiously.

It quickly recognized him.

William took flight again, piercing through the dense clouds. Lightning flashed all around him, yet not a single bolt struck his massive frame.

Fawkes wasn't so lucky. Within moments, a purple bolt struck it, and with a cry, it plummeted to the ground.

William sighed. Hadn't Dumbledore warned it?

Never hang around someone who's taken Felix Felicis, especially during a thunderstorm.

Because when luck is on their side, the unlucky ones nearby are bound to be struck.

William soared onward, breaking through the dense storm clouds. Below, the clouds parted, as if pierced by a dagger, revealing a glowing golden dawn.

Hermione lifted her head, staring at the horizon.

In her view, the golden sea of clouds and the feather-like streaks of morning light painted a breathtaking scene.

She hugged William's neck tightly, gazing at the radiant sky, her eyes brimming with wonder.