Ango and Natsume
Ango walked along the school corridor and frantically rummaged through the library book, periodically, almost mechanically, pulling feathers growing out of his head. In general, such a problem should have been addressed to the hospital wing, but then he would have to explain why he was sprouting feathers all over the place. And if Ango tells the truth, then it will immediately surface that he broke half of the school rules in just a month.
~ Sakaguchi-kun, be careful," came a voice from above. Ango stopped abruptly, and just in time – a couple more steps and he would have crashed into the headmaster. He slammed his book almost immediately – the staff should not see him with literature from the forbidden section, which he took with a fake permission. But Professor Natsume did not pay any attention to what his student was reading. – I'm glad to see such a desire for knowledge, but you almost knocked me down.
~ Sorry, professor – Ango muttered and tried to rush past the headmaster quickly until he saw the feathers growing on the student's head again. But, apparently, the professor was in the mood for conversation.
~ Did you know that Professor Hirotsu is growing mandrakes in his greenhouses this year? – He asked, as if he had not noticed that Ango was in a hurry. And Ango couldn't just escape, even though his head would soon start to resemble that of a hippogriff. – An amazing plant – Natsume continued thoughtfully – its roots have a healing effect, and the leaves are used in a potion to become an Animagus. You're going to have Herbology now, right? Would you mind taking the greenhouse keys to Professor Hirotsu, I borrowed them this morning and I have no time to return.
The headmaster winked cheerfully at Ango and calmly walked down the corridor. And Ango himself stood thunder-struck and looked after the headmaster with eyes as round as the frame of his glasses. How could Professor Natsume know that Ango is brewing an Animagus potion in the Room of Requirement? And that he lacks exactly mandrake leaves and has been trying to replace them with something else for a whole month?
There were still ten minutes left before the next lesson. Pulling another feather out of his head, Ango ran to the greenhouses. Of course, Professor Hirotsu received the keys to his greenhouse that day, but only a minute before the start of the lecture.
In the evening, as soon as the last bell rang, Ango did not go to the Great Hall for dinner, but went up to the seventh floor of the castle. There he walked three times along one of the corridors, first making sure that he was not being watched, and repeating to himself: "I need a place to make a potion, where no one will find me." When the door in the wall finally appeared, he quickly slid inside, holding a package of mandrake leaves under his robes.
~ You are already here? – Ango asked the cat, which lay near the fire that was burning under the cauldron of boiling potion. – How in the world do you get here you sly face?
The cat only purred in response and stared at the boy with large yellow eyes. Ango squatted down next to the cauldron and added the remaining ingredients to the potion. He chanted the spell, frowning and checking his textbook. To an outsider he would resemble a ruffled owl. When the potion was ready, he breathed a sigh of relief.
~ That's it. I'm ninety-eight percent sure it was brewed correctly – he said, turning to the cat, and stroking it on the back. - If not for Professor Natsume, I probably would not have dared to continue all this. Well, okay, now there is no reason to retreat.
The spotted cat purred softly under his apprentice's gentle hand. His eyes closely followed all of Ango's actions. The headmaster must know about everything that is happening in his school after all.