In LOTR with Harry Potter system

As Beorn completed his transformation into a towering black bear, a wave of raw, untamed power surged through the air.

Even though Sylas knew it was still Beorn behind those amber eyes, a primal instinct deep in his bones urged him to step back. The sheer presence of the creature was overwhelming, like facing an ancient force of nature.

"Beorn," Sylas said calmly, steadying his breath, "don't resist. I'd like to study the way magic flows through your transformed body."

The bear gave a low grunt of agreement, inclining its massive head ever so slightly.

Taking that as consent, Sylas approached. He pressed his palm against the thick fur covering Beorn's flank, allowing a gentle stream of his own magic to pass through his fingertips. His aim wasn't to alter, only to observe, to sense how the magic within this form moved and pulsed.

He focused.

The internal workings of Animagus magic were vastly different from the innate magic of creatures like Beorn. That, Sylas already knew. Wizards shaped magic through wands, words, and will. Magical creatures, on the other hand, were born with their magic, they were their magic.

This difference was the reason no Animagus had ever successfully transformed into a magical beast. To force the body to adopt a form fueled by a different magical system was to invite disaster.

For example, the Quintaped in the magic world is said to have been transformed from a Wizard.

In the entire 20th century, only seven Animagi were officially registered in the wizarding world. There were likely others who went unrecorded, but even among them, none had managed to transform into a magical creature. The consequences of even attempting such a feat were too great.

But Sylas wasn't content with ordinary boundaries.

What set Beorn apart was that his transformation wasn't a learned spell, it was a natural inheritance. Yet the form it took, and the magic that supported it, offered clues.

Sylas furrowed his brow as he delved deeper. Threads of earthbound magic laced through Beorn's transformed body, dense, primal, connected to the land itself. The flow was not channeled like a wizard's spell but pulsed in rhythmic surges, as though tied to Beorn's very heartbeat.

And it was strong. Very strong.

The longer Sylas observed, the more solemn his expression became. He traced the path of the energy, watched how it pooled in the limbs, surged in the spine, burned in the chest like a forge. It was beautiful… but completely different from Animagus magic.

Eventually, he sighed and drew his hand away.

"Thank you, Beorn," he said quietly. "You can change back now."

The giant bear let out a deep, rumbling growl as its hulking form began to shrink. Fur receded, limbs shortened, and in moments, the beast had reverted back into the familiar, broad-shouldered figure of Beorn.

He calmly pulled his clothes back on and turned to Sylas with a curious look. "Well? Did you learn anything?"

Sylas nodded, his expression thoughtful. "More than I expected. Your transformation isn't just physical, it's tied to a unique magical flow. The way magic circulates through your body… it's nothing like Animagus magic. If I could replicate even part of it, I might begin to unravel the true nature of skin-changing."

He paused and sighed. "But your magical pathways are far too intricate to trace all at once. Just recording them would take years, maybe even decades."

In Sylas's mind, magic circulation is similar to the circulation of true qi in meridians in Wuxia novels, a complex network running throughout the body, channeling power in precise rhythms. Wizards, too, had their own internal magical structure, but it was fundamentally different from that of magical beasts.

If a wizard tried to forcibly take on a magical creature's form, the result was catastrophic. At best, their inner magic would collapse into chaos, rendering them powerless, a Squib. At worst, their soul could be locked inside a beast's body, doomed to lose their humanity entirely. Worse still than a cursed Half-Beast.

No wizard had ever managed to bridge the gap between human and magical beast. Their internal systems were simply incompatible.

But Beorn was different.

What fascinated Sylas most was that Beorn didn't just transform, he shifted between two entirely distinct magical circuits. As a man, his magic flowed one way. As a bear, it followed a completely different route. And somehow, his body had mastered the switch.

If Sylas could identify the exact point of that switch, it might be possible to develop a new type of Animagus. One capable of transforming into magical beasts.

But such a discovery was still far off. For now, even mapping Beorn's bear-form circuit would take immense effort and precision. Any mistake could result in disaster.

Surprisingly, Beorn seemed utterly unfazed by the complexity of it all. He simply waved a large hand and said, "Bah, it's no trouble. If you want to study me, you're welcome here anytime. Stay as long as you like. It gets lonely, and I wouldn't mind the company."

Sylas was taken aback by his generosity.

He had come prepared for suspicion, even hostility. After all, the skin-changer's gift was sacred. If someone were to uncover its inner workings or learn how to undo it, the entire race would be vulnerable. For Beorn to allow him access without hesitation was a profound gesture of trust.

Sylas felt he owed him something in return. And he had just the idea.

"You have magic," he said thoughtfully. "How would you feel about having a wand?"

Beorn blinked. "A wand? For me?"

"You have the potential. Your magic is strong, just untamed. A wand could help you focus it. Why not try it now?"

He handed over his own wand, and taught Beorn the most basic spell he could think of, Lumos. 

Sylas's wand was naturally not suitable for Beorn, but it was not difficult to cast a simple Lumos spell with it.

As a point of light glowed at the tip of the wand, Beorn looked as if he had seen the most wondrous thing, a very happy smile appearing on his face.

He immediately eagerly requested to Sylas, "Sylas, please make me a wand, this is too magical!"

Sylas smiled and nodded.

"Of course, that's what I was going to do."

To make a wand for Beorn, the first step was naturally to find a suitable wand body and core for him.

He had Galadriel's hair and giant eagle feathers that were suitable for wand cores.

However, when Sylas took out these two, neither was compatible with Beorn, until Beorn brought out a Warg he had killed the day before. Only then did Sylas find a suitable wand core for him from the Warg: a Warg's heartstring.

As for the wand body, Mirkwood also had many magical trees.

Sylas rode his broom to Mirkwood and found a suitable wand body for Beorn, which was a section of heartwood cut from a very old oak tree.

After collecting the materials for the wand, Sylas began preparing to make it.

However, Sylas did not intend to make it here.

The wand-making process was complex and time-consuming. He had been away from Dale for some time and didn't know if the Orc army had arrived.

Especially that giant dragon, he didn't know if it had behaved during his absence.

"Beorn, interested in experiencing Floo travel?" Sylas invited him with a smile.

Gandalf was busy preparing for the arrival of the Orc army, and Sylas couldn't afford to idle.

It was also a good opportunity to invite Beorn to Dale to join the fight against the Orcs.

He remembered that in the original timeline, Beorn participated in the Battle of the Five Armies, dealing heavy blows to the Orcs and even killing Bolg, Azog's son.

Hearing that it was about fighting Orcs, Beorn agreed without even thinking.

His kin had all died at the hands of Orcs, and his hatred for them ran deep. Anything that involved slaying Orcs, he would agree to without hesitation.

So, after arranging for the livestock, the two used Floo Powder to teleport directly to Dale through the fireplace.

...

In the fireplace at Dale, green flames flashed, and Sylas emerged first.

The next second, the tall figure of Beorn appeared, accidentally inhaling some soot. He coughed awkwardly, hunched over as he crawled out of the fireplace.

Seeing this, Sylas waved his hand to clear the soot from him and asked with a chuckle, "Beorn, are you alright?"

"Cough cough...I'm fine!"

Bilbo, hearing the commotion, walked in from outside. Seeing the two, his eyes lit up, and he quickly ran forward.

"Sylas! And Mr. Beorn! How did you come together?"

"Long time no see, Mr. Baggins," Beorn greeted politely. He had a good impression of the Hobbit.

Sylas explained with a smile, "Beorn is a guest I invited. He will join us in fighting the Orcs."

"By the way, where's Gandalf? Has he not returned yet?"

Bilbo shook his head.

"Bard and the residents of Lake-town have all migrated here, but Gandalf hasn't returned yet. Bard said he went to Mirkwood, trying to persuade the Elves to ally with humans and Dwarves."

Sylas shook his head upon hearing this.

Gandalf's trip would probably not go smoothly.

Thranduil was not an Elf with a broad mind like Elrond. He only cared about the Woodland Realm.

Not to mention allying with Dwarves, that was unthinkable.

Setting the matter aside, he asked, "What are Bard and the others doing now?"

"Bard and the others are currently building defenses, preparing to mend the gaps in the city walls so they can withstand Orc attacks," Bilbo replied.

"Then let's go take a look together!" said Sylas.

Immediately, the three went to Bard's location.

Along the way, Sylas looked at the residents of Lake-town, who were setting up makeshift tents using the ruined walls as foundations, and couldn't help but frown.

It was now late autumn, early winter, and the temperature in Dale, located in the north, was starting to get cold.

Such crude living conditions could easily lead to people freezing to death.

The three arrived at the city gate.

At that moment, Bard and his men were moving stones, stacking them one by one to fill the gaps in the city wall.

After lifting a large stone, Bard paused to breathe. When he saw Sylas and the other two, surprise and joy lit up his face.

"Sylas! Bilbo said you went on a long journey, I didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Are you repairing the city walls?" Sylas asked.

Bard nodded.

"Although the walls of Dale are badly damaged, they can still be used. I want to repair them as fast as possible before the Orc army arrives, so we can prevent them from entering the city and harming the people."

"In that case, let me help," Sylas said, drawing his wand.

Then he waved his wand at the broken city walls.

"Reparo!"

The next second, time around them seemed to flow backward. Except for the parts burned by dragon fire, the city walls began to mend themselves, scattered rubble rising, cracks closing, and the once-ruined ramparts rapidly rebuilding under the spell's power.

...

STONES, Stones and Stones

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