Animagus Lessons - Year 7

Animagus Lessons

By:

Iris Potter

"All right, now, students, quiet down, quiet down!" McGonagall's voice rang through the crowded classroom. "Mister Malfoy, kindly refrain from talking as if I can't hear you! Now, you have all studied the Animagus Transformation Spell for months. At this point in your tutelage you should all be able to pull off this complex bit of magic! We have assistance here in case anything goes wrong. We'll begin with Miss Granger!" Mad-Eye Moody nodded from a back corner.

Hermione stepped to the center of the room with her fellow students watching with baited breath. A few whispered words floated through the silence from the back of the room as the young woman began the complex incantations.

"I bet she'll turn into a worm, the filthy Mudblood," Draco Malfoy jabbed at Harry and Ron. "Eh, Potty, Weasel, what d'ya think? Will I be right?" The blonde Slytherin turned to watch, smirking. The two Gryffindors held back their anger because McGonagall was looking sternly in their direction.

As everyone watched the air around Hermione began to glitter with multi-colored sparks. Slowly, very slowly, her skin reddened to auburn and several inches of fur grew from her pores. Her body shrank as her limbs shortened and slimmed, her hands and bare feet forming paws. From her rear came a bottlebrush tail with a white tip. Hermione's face and head changed, her mouth and nose lengthening to the muzzle of a fox.

There was an immense roar of applause as Hermione the Red Fox sat back on her haunches, curling her tail around her feet, and looked around. The fox gave a very knowing and clever grin, then, changed back into a tousled looking Hermione Granger.

~*~*~*~

Several students later, Harry was called for his turn. He nervously walked to the center of the chamber. There was a group of accomplished Animagi on one side, students that had already found their Animagus form, Hermione, other Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws among them. Malfoy and the Slytherins were sneering at him from the group of yet untried students.

Harry glanced around, then, began the complicated motions of his wand and incantations. After several minutes, he felt a pull in his legs as they shrank. He gasped as his arms pulled in towards his torso and his fingers spread out; His wand fell to the floor. His mouth curved, lengthened, hardened, and turned black as his head shrunk to fit his new body. The young Merlin let out a screech, appraisingly looking at his companions.

McGonagall stepped towards the bird standing on the floor. "Well, well, Potter. I have never seen a prettier falcon than you. Let's find out your species; Moody, please bring out the bird book." While the two adults were looking through the large volume, Harry the Merlin flew over to Hermione, who absent-mindedly stroked his cruel beak.

Professor McGonagall held out her arm, silently calling for Harry's return. He skillfully soared towards her, on the way transforming back into himself, landing on his feet at his teacher's side.

~*~*~*~

After a while, Professor McGonagall called out "Ronald Weasley" forcing the tall red head to step forward. Ron was head and shoulders taller than most of his classmates, standing at six feet and two inches. He swallowed painfully, then, began the spell.

Unlike most of the other students Ron Weasley felt his body grow larger, not shrink. His skin began to pale to a tawny gold as he grew short, bristly fur all over and a tail broke loose from his bum. The tail was tufted with a darker brown than the rest of him. His mane of shaggy dark brown fur was that of a young lion.

Ron the lion arched his feline body and gave a ferocious roar. His animal mouth grinned menacingly at Malfoy, who's skin turned almost white in fear. As the door burst open, revealing a very angry Severus Snape, Ron transformed back into his, normal, human self.

"I should have known this ruckus would have been one of Mister Weasley's design, a noise making candy from his brother's shop, perhaps?" the ruffled Snape commented dryly.

"It was no candy," Ron interrupted, adding as if as an after thought, "sir."

"Oh, what was it then?" was the following snide remark.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "As it turns out, Severus, Mister Weasley was successful in his attempt at the Animagus Transformation Spell, and transformed into a lion!" And with that announcement Snape stormed from the room, scowling pure hatred.

~*~*~*~

As most of the students were dismissed, including half of the Slytherin's, it was Draco Malfoy's turn to become an Animagus. The tall blonde young man stepped sedately into the center of the room.

"What do you think I'll be, Professor? A very venomous snake is my bet!" He arrogantly called out, sneering.

"Well, mister Malfoy, begin if you are so sure of yourself," was her only reply.

And begin he did. After the incantations and wand waving, his body began to shrink rapidly, like so many before him. His torso remained long, in proportion to his limbs. Wait, why aren't my arms and legs disappearing, he thought to himself, if I'm a snake! But, unfortunately for Draco he wasn't a snake, but had, in fact, returned to an all too familiar body. Draco Malfoy's Animagus form was that of a pure silvery white ferret.

The ferret scuttled over to a full-length mirror in the corner as the rest of the room burst out laughing, and McGonagall smiled. When the ferret saw his reflection, he panicked, causing more laughter. When Draco the Ferret returned to Draco the Slytherin he was blushing fiercely.

The rest of the students and the two adults departed for a late lunch on the grounds. Before departing for the Ministry, Mad-Eye Moody was conversing with The Golden Trio.

"I'm glad that weasel was a ferret, it should probably keep him humble for quite a while!" the Auror said before leaving the Trio's company. This statement put them in a very good mood and caused many more waves of laughter.

THE END