Chapter 7

Regarding the research on Animagus transformation, Yi Xiao had already successfully become an Animagus a few days ago, of course, an unregistered one. Although he did not intend to use this magic as a means of self-preservation, he still hoped to transform into a useful animal, perhaps a well-concealed insect, or a strong bear.

It was said that the form an Animagus took reflected the inner nature of the wizard. Yi Xiao did not know what his inner nature was, as he did not know what he was yearning for, and thus could not infer anything else.

He neither had a stunningly handsome appearance nor the commanding presence of a king. Although he was extremely, extremely well-versed, could he possibly turn into a dictionary?

So, with great curiosity, Yi Xiao successfully transformed into a cat.

A black, glossy-furred cat. In fact, on that day, the cat's face immediately showed a very conflicted expression. Could his inner nature be that of an old woman like Professor McGonagall?

Yi Xiao appeared very disappointed. However, just as he was about to transform back into human form, the cat's form changed again. Yi Xiao clearly saw in the large mirror placed in the house that the cat's face gradually elongated, its tail gradually shortened, and its back sprouted fleshy wings.

A few minutes later, a gray crow flapped its wings and landed on a cabinet. Yi Xiao turned to look at his tail and wings, and from his now smaller head, he found the information about this type of crow, which was a common raven in the skies over London.

Yi Xiao transformed back into human form, squinting his right eye. This was neither good nor bad news. Although his two forms were not particularly powerful, at least the raven could fly, and who knows, maybe he could transform into other forms in the future, as the Animagi in the books only had one form.

It had been some time since Yi Xiao arrived in London. His strength had grown rapidly, and he had already mastered the theoretical knowledge, but he did not know how he compared to other wizards in terms of magical power.

With Harry's school term approaching, Yi Xiao had many plans to implement, which he estimated would happen in the next few nights.

...

Yi Xiao took out the Death Eater costume from the cabinet and dressed himself neatly. For several evenings, Yi Xiao had been preparing in advance, sitting quietly by the door.

At this moment, he heard a different sound from outside. After much practice, Yi Xiao immediately recognized it as the sound of the Avada Kedavra and the Cruciatus Curse hitting their targets. Instantly, Yi Xiao performed a Disapparition.

When he first bought the house near the Thames, he had this plan in mind. According to the plot, there would be an operation by the Order of the Phoenix to escort Harry to the Weasley home during this period, followed by Bill Weasley's wedding to Fleur.

This escort mission became extremely dangerous due to Mundungus's betrayal. The Order of the Phoenix was immediately ambushed by the Death Eaters, and Yi Xiao planned to take this opportunity to observe the wizards' powers up close.

In the previous books, Harry had several experiences of flying over the Thames, so this escort mission would definitely involve a Harry who had taken the Polyjuice Potion flying this route.

The real Harry and Hagrid were taking a different route and would encounter Voldemort, who was lying in wait. Yi Xiao did not intend to face Voldemort so early, as Voldemort was undoubtedly very dangerous before all his Horcruxes were destroyed.

...

George felt that today was terrible. First, his joke shop was harassed by the Death Eaters, and then the operation tonight was ambushed. Looking at the numerous Death Eaters around him, George did not know how the others were faring, but it was definitely not good. They could only rely on their own luck.

"Hey!" George shouted against the strong wind while on his broom, "You guys will have to pay for the losses to the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"

In response, a Cruciatus Curse came his way. He dodged it and fired one back, causing the Death Eater to fall from the sky, surely to his death from such a height.

The other Death Eaters did not slow their attacks. Spells rained down on George and Lupin like a storm. However, Lupin's luck was not as good; he was hit by a Body-Bind Curse and almost fell off his broom. George quickly moved to cover him.

...

Yi Xiao mixed in with the group of Death Eaters, transforming into a dense black mist that swirled above the Thames. This magic was a variant of Apparition, which more skilled wizards could master on their own. In the chaos of battle, where magic was unstable, direct Apparition was not possible, so this method was used.

No one noticed the addition of one more person. Although he had joined halfway, the Death Eaters all dressed similarly, and with Voldemort's return, the ranks had grown, making it normal to have many unfamiliar non-core members.

Spells flew past him one after another, but Yi Xiao did not appear flustered. There are two types of people in this world: one panics and hastens their own death when danger comes, while the other remains calm and composed, finding a way to survive in the most dangerous situations. This is a talent, hard to cultivate later in life.

He deflected a few spells aimed at him. With the large number of Death Eaters and their ruthless nature, any friendly fire only indicated a lack of skill. There was no concept of workplace injuries among the Death Eaters.

A few nearby Death Eaters, seeing this, kept their distance. The ability to deflect spells silently with just a wave of the hand was not something they could provoke.

Feeling the not too light, not too heavy force of the spells, Yi Xiao had a very mysterious feeling, a profound sense of the magic's charm. However, there was no time for personal reflection now.

George was still making jokes at the front. Yi Xiao raised his hand and cast a Stunning Spell. George raised his wand to block it and was pushed back.

George glanced back at Yi Xiao, then sped up and flew forward. Yi Xiao did not make another move; he had only intended to place a tracking spell on George, and his goal was achieved.

However, the other Death Eaters would not let this opportunity pass. The leading Death Eater extended his wand and cast a low, deep voice, "Sectumsempra." George, caught off guard, only managed to turn his head slightly, and blood gushed from his ear as he fell into a daze.

"No!" Lupin roared, grabbing the nearly falling George and flying forward with all his might. By this point, the Death Eaters' victory was almost certain.

At this moment, Yi Xiao observed that the Death Eaters seemed to receive a collective signal and became hesitant. Yi Xiao rolled his eyes, guessing that either Voldemort had caught up with the group riding the Thestrals, or he had discovered Harry, who was exposed by Hedwig. In either case, Voldemort was summoning his army through the Dark Mark.

The Death Eaters were unsure whether to capture the two in front of them or go to help. Soon, the leading Death Eater made a decision and flew away without looking back. The other Death Eaters scattered.

The corner of Yi Xiao's mouth curled under his mask. He recognized the leader as Snape, whose signature spell and voice were easily identifiable. It seemed he was still a good person, Yi Xiao sighed, as he did not deliver a fatal blow even to an enemy like Lupin.

Thus, Yi Xiao did not bother with the relieved Lupin and George, gradually falling behind the main group and quietly leaving the battlefield.

...

Yi Xiao did not intend to get involved in the subsequent battle. Moody would die tonight, and Hedwig would be hit while protecting Harry, but that was not his concern.

Yi Xiao found an empty alley to land in, ignoring the curious or frightened eyes from the high-rise buildings. He Apparated directly back home.

He let out a long breath. Tonight's battle gave Yi Xiao a general understanding of the overall level of wizards. Given his current state, he might be much stronger than the average wizard, but he would still be threatened by a group attack or dangerous creatures like dragons that even wizards found hard to resist.

Taking off the airtight cloak, Yi Xiao began to prepare dinner for himself. In the next few days, he would need to make preparations in advance.

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