Animagus

Starting in 3rd year (provided you have 2 levels in Transfiguration), you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a pre-determined beast provided you meet the qualification requirements. You can use this feature twice per short or long rest.

The process of becoming an Animagus is long and arduous, having the potential to go horribly wrong. The process is taught in third year transfiguration classes, and some students choose to go through this process while attending Hogwarts.

Part of the process is holding the leaf of a mandrake in your mouth for an entire month (full moon to full moon, if the sky is cloudy on the second full moon you must restart this process), using the leaf for the creation of a potion, reciting an incantation on a daily basis, and drinking the Animagus potion during a lightning storm. If done incorrectly, this can result in disaster, such as a permanent half-human/half-animal hybrid.

If the leaf is removed or swallowed, you will have to restart the process. It will also have to be restarted if there is no visible full moon at the end of the month. Should this be done successfully, on the visible full moon, you must spit the leaf into a phial within range of the moon's pure rays. To this phial, you must also add one of your hairs, a silver teaspoon of dew that has not seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven days, and the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. This phial must be put in a quiet, dark place and cannot be disturbed until it is drunk.

The potion cannot be drunk until the next lightning storm, whenever that is, and during the waiting period, you must recite-at sunrise and sundown, without fail- Amato Animo Animato Animagus with the tip of your wand placed over your heart. When there is, finally, a lightning storm, you must move immediately to a large and secure place, recite the incantation one final time and drink the potion.

You can stay in your Animagus form for a number of hours equal to half your transfiguration level (rounded down, minimum 1). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the animal, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the animal has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the animal's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.

• When you transform, you assume the animal's hit points and hit dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form, For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.

• You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.

• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.

• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Each Animagus bears an identifying mark on their animal form caused by something on their human body. This may be a physical trait like dental structure or an acquired trait like glasses. If an Animagus undergoes a major physical change, such as the loss of a limb, their animal form will reflect that as well.

Professor McGonagall is currently the only known animagi introduced in this campaign.