Chapter 68: Soviet Union?
Now that was something. Phineas had finally acquired Animagus magic through the task reward. All he needed now was to succeed once in casting it, and mastery would follow.
He understood why this particular reward came with such a condition. Animagus transformation wasn't like other spells—it was extremely dangerous, and there was no way to undo it if it went wrong. That was why St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries had an entire ward dedicated to treating mishaps from failed transformations.
Becoming an Animagus was a long, grueling process. It could take years. The transformation was meant to reflect one's innermost self—revealing the animal most suited to their nature. But the risks were immense, and the process required both discipline and courage.
To become one, you had to hold a single Mandrake leaf in your mouth for a full lunar month, never removing it—not to eat, sleep, or speak. If it ever left your mouth, the process had to start again. That was just the first step.
At the full moon's peak, the leaf would be removed and added to a crystal vial filled with the user's saliva. It had to sit in moonlight—pure and unobstructed—along with a strand of their hair, a silver teaspoon of dew collected from untouched ground, and the pupa of a grimace moth. The mixture was then sealed in darkness, left undisturbed until the next thunderstorm.
Meanwhile, the wizard had to recite the incantation "Amado, Animado, Animagus" at sunrise and sunset, wand tip pressed to their heart. This ritual continued until a second heartbeat could be felt—a sign that the transformation was beginning.
At the first crack of lightning during a storm, the potion would be unearthed. If everything had gone correctly, it would have turned blood-red. Drinking it would trigger a painful metamorphosis into the wizard's Animagus form. They would need to resist fear and retain clarity to revert to their human form, thus completing the process.
Phineas knew all of this. He'd read about it endlessly, even dreamt of it. So getting the entire transformation process fast-tracked as a reward felt like a miracle. He was thrilled—but now wasn't the time for celebration.
First, he needed to get back to London. Only from there could he return to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Then the elf could take him back to Hogwarts.
"Hello, how do I get to London?" Phineas asked a passerby on the street.
Fortunately, this one spoke English.
"London? You'd need to take a plane. Or you can take the train and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Soviet Union."
Phineas blinked. "This is the Soviet Union?"
The man looked at him strangely. "Of course. This is a small town in the Kaliningrad region. Are you feeling alright?"
Phineas sighed. "I... I don't know how I got here. I went to sleep in London and woke up here."
Given his age and appearance, the man probably assumed he'd been kidnapped.
"Oh, poor child. Well, if you want to get back to London, you'll need to head into the city and buy a train or plane ticket."
Phineas nodded politely but knew that wouldn't work. He hadn't arrived through Muggle means, and there was no legal or traceable way back through ordinary transportation. He'd been smuggled—magically, at that.
He needed to contact Hogwarts. Or better yet, the house-elf at Grimmauld Place.
And for that, he needed an owl.
Phineas made his way into the city of Kaliningrad using a Confundus Charm to get past nosy adults. What shocked him most was how open the wizarding shops were—bold signs, odd objects in the windows, and no attempt to conceal them.
He soon learned that the Soviet magical world was hidden, just in a different way. Their secrecy was about blending in by being so bizarre that Muggles dismissed it. The high prices also helped keep curiosity at bay.
In the Soviet Union, unlike other magical communities, wizards were expected to align themselves with Muggle hierarchy. Strange—but useful in this case.
Luckily, they still used Galleons. That saved a lot of trouble.
After purchasing a barn owl, Phineas wrote a detailed letter to Dumbledore explaining everything—his abduction, escape, and current location.
He chose to write to Dumbledore instead of Professor McGonagall because only the Headmaster's phoenix could bypass Ministry restrictions and bring him home discreetly.
After sending the letter, Phineas settled into a quiet corner of the wizarding inn to wait. He trusted Dumbledore. Surely the old wizard would come. After all, Phineas was still a student of Hogwarts.