Harry Potter: How To Become An Animagus (Every Step Explained)

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Becoming an Animagus in the Harry Potter series is long, dangerous, and complicated – and not the sort of thing Harry would have found instructions for in his Transfiguration textbook. It takes several months to execute, especially if efforts fail (which is likely). A hopeful Animagus must be a master in Transfiguration and Potions since both facets of magic are required. This has proven unachievable for most witches and wizards, with only the especially impressive known to have been successful.

Harry first learned about Animagi in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Minerva McGonagall, Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Rita Skeeter were each revealed to have the ability to turn into an animal at will, which means they went through a grueling process (most illegally). Though the Harry Potter books or movies never went into full detail about what this process included, the Wizarding World website has since provided the entire step-by-step process, demonstrating why it took so many years for these notable witches and wizards to master.

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Carry A Mandrake Leaf In Your Mouth For A Month

The first step of becoming an Animagus is holding a Mandrake leaf in the mouth from full moon to full moon – precisely one month. The easiest part of this step is getting ahold of a Mandrake since they are among the most useful plants in Harry Potter’s wizarding world. However, living day-to-day life with a leaf stored safely under the tongue or in a cheek is no easy task. If the leaf falls apart, is swallowed, or is spit out for even a moment, the process must be started over. It would make eating, talking, and sleeping very difficult – especially for those trying to undergo this magical change secretly.

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Combine Ingredients Into A Phial & Leave In A Quiet Place

Once the Mandrake leaf has been thoroughly soaked in an individual’s saliva for a month, it’s time to combine it and a few other ingredients in the phial. Like other complicated potions in Harry Potter such as Polyjuice potion, hair is required (this time, the hair of the person who plans to undergo the change). The next ingredient is a teaspoon of dew collected from a place never touched by the sun or human feet. This would be no easy task (just like every other step to becoming an Animagus), especially since it’s difficult to tell if human feet have ever walked in an area.

Once these ingredients have been collected, they must be combined in a small crystal phial that has received the pure rays of the moon. This instruction is a little less explicit – it could be a simple matter of leaving the phial out overnight in the moonlight, or perhaps it needs to be another full moon to be considered “pure.” Once this step has been completed, the phial, filled with the mandrake leaf, hair, and dew, must be placed in a quiet, dark place and left entirely alone until the next lightning storm – no matter how long this takes.

Place Wand Over The Heart & Say Incantation Every Sunrise & Sunset

The quest to become an Animgus is far from over at this stage, and while the subject waits for a lightning storm, they still have a job to do. Every single sunrise and sunset before the storm, they must hold the tip of their wand over their heart and say the incantation, “Amato Animo Animato Animagus.” This must be spoken clearly and without error. After several repetitions, the witch or wizard will begin to feel a second heart beating along with their own.

This heartbeat is supposed to be that of the animal that will be part of the transformation, living inside the witch or wizard host. Once the witch or wizard feels this, they know they have done the steps up to that point correctly, and they must continue repeating the incantation every sunrise and sunset. However, if nothing happens, they will know something has gone wrong. They must start over, which is likely why the Marauders of Harry Potter were unsuccessful at becoming Animagi until their fifth year at Hogwarts.

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Drink The Potion & Repeat Incantation During An Electrical Storm

Once a lightning storm finally starts, the witch or wizard must quickly retrieve their crystal phial from where it was hidden. If everything has been done correctly (including not getting the phial until after the first strike of lightning), the potion within will have turned blood red. The subject is encouraged to find somewhere safe where no one could be hurt by whatever animal they transform into. Then, they are ready to drink the potion, place their wand over their heart one last time, and repeat the “Amato Animo Animato Animagus” chant.

This time around should be very different from the sunrise-sunset sessions. The witch or wizard will go through excruciating pain that feels like burning, and that ‘second heartbeat’ sensation will feel even stronger. This first transformation will be the most difficult, and some suggest going through it in the nude since the fusion of clothing, classes, etc., with the body can be even more painful until the subject is used to it. However, at this point, it’s too late to turn back. Any fear or panic could make something go wrong – such as being stuck mid-transformation.

Register Animagus Appearance With The Ministry Of Magic

Once the transformation is complete, the witch or wizard will finally know what animal they can become. It’s important to remember that this cannot be chosen – and it often has much to do with the subject’s personality. This is also why it is so important to be somewhere safe. There is no guarantee that the animal will be something that fits indoors – it could be a giraffe or, even more unluckily, a gigantic blue whale. Ultimately, it’s all part of the risk.

At this point, with some practice, the witch or wizard should be able to practice turning back into their true form using their wand and the incantation – and eventually, they will be able to transform at will, even without their wand. Then it is their responsibility to register their name and appearance with the Ministry of Magic. Of course, not everyone follows this rule. In fact, a majority of the Animagi seen in Harry Potter were illegal – but this would be highly discouraged by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Source: Wizarding World