Secrets of the Animagi

Chapter 10 - Between Fur and Feathers

"Excellent Miss Phelps, Miss Chang, very convincing fur and eyes this time. Malfoy, I distinctly remember telling you on Wednesday not to overdo your transformation. However as your fangs are quite realistic, I will not take points from Slytherin this time. Potter, stay here please." Professor McGonagall dismissed the rest of the Animagus trainees and turned to Harry. "Potter, you are progressing. But I'm sorry to say you're almost out of time. You are getting too far behind the rest of the class. Unless you can demonstrate your ability to focus on a single animal by Monday, I will have to discontinue your lessons. You do understand?"

Harry nodded. "Yes professor." A feeling of guilt washed over him. He felt he was disappointing his father's memory. Perhaps he had found the limits of his power. Surely James Potter hadn't taken more than a month to decide on a suitable Animagus form.

Harry was unable to sleep that evening. Only three days remained to decide on an animal. It had taken several weeks just to narrow his options down to two. Even without knowing for sure what type of reptile Malfoy planned to mimic, he had come to the conclusion that whatever it was, he wanted to be something else. Preferably something that wouldn't be eaten by Malfoy. It left him with a choice between fur and feathers. He could be cloaked in something soft and warm, or he could have the freedom of flight. Of all the things to fret over, he thought it was one of the most ridiculous and trivial things. Insignificant compared to Voldemort, Death Eaters, or even where he would spend Christmas.

~~~~~~

Harry met Snuffles on the road leading out of Hogsmeade. It had taken some work, or more precisely several Galleons and a shopping list, to convince Ron and Hermione to go into the village without him. Also included in the negotiations was the promise that his godfather would be invited to lunch.

"No friends today?" asked Sirius once he had transformed inside the mountain cave. He and Harry lounged on the dirt floor. It wasn't particularly homey, but at least it was safe from prying eyes.

"I'll meet them later. I have some questions to ask you in private."

"I didn't think you were in the habit of keeping secrets from them."

"I'm not really supposed to talk to anyone about it, according to Professor McGonagall."

"Breaking school rules so early in the year? You grow more like your father every day."

"That's the problem, actually."

"Hmm?"

"Sirius, how did you and the others decide on your Animagus forms?"

"Decide? I'm not sure how much any of us thought about it, we were just concerned about helping Remus. All I remember is thinking about something large and strong. I suppose my loyalty to my friends figured into it, too. As for Peter, a rat was the best he could manage, or so he said. Maybe he just wanted the ability to make quick escapes. At the time, we just thought it was simply a matter of talent or energy. He wasn't one to ever receive top marks."

"What about my dad? Did he ever mention making a decision?"

"If he did, he never told me. But then we really weren't much for theory were we? I suppose if he was going to give a potential Animagus advice, it would be to go with your strengths. Dare to be something different from the others."

"Others?"

"It was just a figure of speech, Harry. That is, unless there are others."

"I couldn't tell you if there were. Would you mind if I practised here?"

"Not at all."

Something seemed to click in Harry's brain. He didn't want to waste the opportunity. It was unlikely that Professor McGonagall would agree to tutor him privately. Once he returned to the castle, he would either demonstrate his progress or be forced to forget all he had learned under the professor's supervision.

Harry took a deep breath and concentrated on a single animal. After a moment, he felt a crawling sensation as his skin sprouted feathers. As his nose and mouth merged to form a beak, he was felt as if he were suffocating. Fighting the urge to panic, he focused on his beak until it was fully formed. Relief washed over him as oxygen rushed into his lungs.

"Harry, I think you've gone far enough. That's very impressive, considering the questions you were asking me." Sirius pulled out his wand and quickly reversed Harry's transformation.

"Thanks for your help, Sirius," Harry said as he drew his wand. "I hope you'll forgive me for doing this-"

"Certainly Harry, can't have both the Ministry and Minerva McGonagall after me."

"Obliviate!"

Harry saw Sirius' eyes temporarily lose their focus. He hoped the Memory Charm hadn't been too powerful. He had never tried it before, and felt just a bit guilty that his godfather was the guinea pig.

"I'm sorry Harry, I seem to have forgotten what we were discussing."

"Professor Browne."

"Why him? Oh well, if you must-"

"You said he was a fine instructor."

"If I remember correctly, I said I heard he was a fine instructor."

"Hermione, Ron and I suspect he isn't what he seems."

"Harry, who is what he seems? I spend most of my time as a dog, you know. Suppose you tell me just what makes you suspicious?"

"Well there's his smile, for one thing. I swear I've seen it somewhere before. And then, why weren't any of his books in the Hogwarts library until a few weeks ago? He puts Lockhart to shame with all the grooming and wand care lessons, and then there was that ridiculous Muggle fashion show-"

"No one's perfect, Harry. Obliviate!" Sirius paused for a moment while Harry regained his balance. "Do be careful of the stones in here, Harry. What would you say to some lunch?"

~~~~~~

Ron and Hermione were disappointed that Harry hadn't learned anything more about Professor Browne from Sirius. In fact, he said very little about the meeting as they returned to the castle after lunch at a small café in Hogsmeade. He was embarrassed to admit he didn't even remember bringing up the subject of the mysterious professor. On the other hand, he felt confident that he would be allowed to continue as a novice Animagus. Confident enough in fact, that he decided to seek out Professor McGonagall immediately.

"You're ditching us again, aren't you," said Hermione accusingly. "Ron and I have known for weeks that you haven't really been visiting Dobby after Transfiguration lessons. Why don't you just tell us what's going on?"

"If I could tell you, I would. And if I don't see Professor McGonagall now, I may not ever be able to tell you. It's complicated, okay?"

"We could just follow you under the Invisibility Cloak," said Ron.

"If you can find it, I can't stop you. But I wish you'd just trust me."

He hoped they wouldn't find the cloak before he found Professor McGonagall. Although he moved it every week so Ron wouldn't use it to spy on the girls' lavatory, there were only so many suitable places in the fifth year dormitory. This week, he had shrunk it to the size of a handkerchief and slipped it into one of his dirty socks.

Oh well, he thought as he tapped on the professor's door. If they did happen upon him in mid-transformation, there was always the trusty Memory Charm to undo the damage. He hoped Hermione wouldn't need too many before the year ended.

"Potter, have you something to demonstrate?" the professor asked as she ushered Harry into her office.

"Do you mind if we find another location? Ron and Hermione are determined to find out what I've been hiding."

"Why am I not surprised? Very well then, follow me."

She passed her hand over a section of the wall. A concealed door opened to a narrow, winding passage. He could see torches come to life as the professor flicked her wand toward them. As he stepped inside, the door closed behind him with a soft snick. In just a few minutes, they came to an ornate wooden panel. Its surface was completely covered with carvings of magical beasts.

Professor McGonagall spoke, "I should have thought of using this room long before. Your friends can't be the only ones wondering what our group has been doing twice a week. Now watch carefully, there's only one way to open this door."

The professor gingerly touched the carving of a centaur in the upper left corner, followed by one of a sphinx. The door swung open and revealed a small dusty room lit by a single stained glass window high on the wall. Harry realised he'd never seen that particular window from outside the castle. Windows in Hogwarts didn't have stained glass.

"Yes, that's not an actual window but it does make it a touch less claustrophobic," said Professor McGonagall. "As you may have already guessed, this room was designed to keep apprentice Animagi from running amok in the castle. That was before the Ministry instituted Animagus registration. Since then, there have been very few students trained in this room. I was the last, sixty years ago."

She allowed Harry to explore the room while she tidied. There was dust everywhere, and he doubted house elves had ever been permitted to clean the chamber. There were no desks in the room, only a circle of eight tapestry-covered chairs in the centre. There were several empty cages of various sizes in the far corner. Apparently, they were for students to observe animals during their sessions.

"Whenever you are ready," she said as she sank into one of the comfortable chairs.

Harry took his place in the centre of the room. Calling up images of Hedwig and Pig, he began his transformation. As the professor didn't ask him to stop once he'd produced feathers and a beak, he decided to see how far into the process he could go. He felt a strange sensation as his fingers merged, forming wing tips. A moment later, the room seemed to become larger as his legs began to shorten.

"You may stop now, well done."

The professor drew her wand and restored him to his natural form. As quickly as they had appeared, his feathers seemed to melt into his skin. As his legs lengthened, he suddenly became dizzy and pitched forward.

"Sit down for a few minutes. I should have warned you not to go too far. It can be exhausting until you've had more experience. That reminds me, we will need secure locations at Durmstrang and Beauxbatons so that all of you may continue to practice."

Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower to find Hermione and Ron sitting in corner of the Common Room, revising for OWLs.

"I thought you planned to follow me."

"Oh we did, alright. But Neville caught us," said Ron.

"Can you believe he took ten points from us for trespassing on private property? Such cheek," said Hermione.

"We decided it was better to trust you after all," said Ron as he tossed a small silky square to Harry. "Besides, we've been punished enough by having to touch your dirty unmentionables."

~~~~~~

"This being our final lesson in Continental Culture, we will discuss the influence of language on interpersonal communication." Professor Browne was in rare form. Why couldn't he use simpler terms?

"Pardon?" asked Ron.

"There are few English speakers at our destination, Mister Weasley."

"Oh."

"Thus, we shall use the Translation Charm on ourselves to grease the wheels of progress. Simply cast the charm each morning, and you will understand everything anyone says to you. Most importantly, they will understand you. Quite useful, if I say so myself."

"Better start now weasel boy," said Malfoy quietly, "your mastery of the English language is distressingly inadequate."

"Shut it, ferret face," snapped Ron.

"And now," said the professor, "we practice. Simply say 'Lingua' as you direct your wand toward your throat. If the young ladies would be so kind as to cast the charm on themselves, the young gentlemen will see how effective the charm can be."

Professor Browne waited a few minutes while the girls cast their charms. Then, he began speaking in what seemed to be an unintelligible language. Harry distinctly heard the word "bladvak" and deduced the professor was now lecturing in Gobbledegook. Or least it seemed to be a lecture until the girls started chuckling.

"As you can see gentlemen, I have told a joke entirely in the Goblin tongue," the professor said. He then waved his wand and muttered, "Finite Incantatem!"

After allowing the boys to cast the charm, he then spoke in what Hermione later reported to be Mandarin. It was not, to Harry's disappointment, the same joke he had told to the girls. Instead, he reminded them to attend a final Potions class before they packed their trunks.

~~~~~~

Professor Figg was already at work over a bubbling cauldron when they arrived in the classroom the next morning. "This morning, we will be brewing concentrated wolfsbane potion. Don't forget to pour it into shatterproof bottles while it's still warm. We want it to stay nice and fresh for your trip."

There was a low buzz as the students whispered to each other. Wolfsbane was only for werewolves, wasn't it?

"Professor, I know Weasley's rather hairy these days, but is it kind to accuse him of lycanthropy?" asked Malfoy with a smirk.

"Pish tosh, Mister Malfoy. How you jump to conclusions. A goblet of hot water, two tablespoons of the potion and just a pinch of sugar makes it an excellent remedy for certain maladies associated with travelling. You can thank me upon your return. Now, get to work. You leave Hogwarts this afternoon, and you wouldn't want to miss lunch."

The students worked steadily all morning. Harry was surprised to learn that the potion that kept Professor Lupin in check during the full moon wasn't as difficult as he had been led to believe. It did, however, require continuous stirring to prevent the shredded herbs from sticking to the bottom of the cauldron. Harry's arm was quite sore by the time he strained and bottled his batch.

~~~~~~

Before lunch was served in the Great Hall, Dumbledore stood and addressed the students. "It is time to say goodbye, just for a little while, to our Special Studies students. It is my hope that they will be excellent ambassadors for Hogwarts. I would like to encourage their housemates to owl them frequently, even if the news consists solely of Quidditch scores.

"I would also like to invite those of you remaining at Hogwarts to welcome our guest when they arrive this evening. We will assemble on the castle steps. Afterwards, they will join us for our traditional Halloween feast.
And by the way, I expect to see each and every one of you in Transfiguration class. I think you will find I am a fair substitute for Professor McGonagall." His eyes twinkled as he delivered this last remark.

There was still no mention of which school the Special Studies students would visit first or how they would travel. Harry felt a little uneasy, not knowing where he would be at the end of the day. But then, he knew Dumbledore had good reason to keep the destination of each school's delegation secret. With the constant flurry of owls in and out of the Owlery, there was no telling how many inadvertently delivered news from Hogwarts to Voldemort's spies.

After lunch ended, four horseless carriages were waiting at the base of the castle steps to transport the Hogwarts delegation to Hogsmeade. From there they would travel on the Hogwarts Express to London before continuing to the continent. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in companionable silence as their carriage rumbled toward Hogsmeade. Each was staring out a window lost in thought, as the castle grounds faded from view, replaced by the rough countryside surrounding the Wizarding village.

As they arrived at the station, Harry noticed that the train consisted of far fewer cars than usual. He wondered if this was always the case between holidays when the train wasn't packed with students. Boarding the train, Harry noticed that these weren't the standard cars either. They were in fact much more luxurious, as if they were intended for longer journeys. After passing through the lounge and the dining car, Harry and his friends settled themselves in a large compartment that included sleeping berths. It looked like the Wizard Rail version of the Knight Bus.

"It seems too quiet without the animals," remarked Harry.

"I can't say I miss Crookshanks," answered Ron. "Hermione, you didn't hide him in your trunk did you?"

"Parvati offered to look after him. They actually get along quite well. I know Hedwig will be delivering our letters eventually, but what about Pig? He's a bit small for such long journeys."

"Ginny's keeping him," said Ron. "I would have let Fred and George have him, but I couldn't be sure they wouldn't use him as a test subject. You wouldn't believe the racket they've been making in the seventh year dormitory. It's worse than when they're at the Burrow. Even Lee is starting to complain. You'd think they could wait a few more months until they have a proper shop."

A mere three hours later, they arrived in London. Apparently the train could move much faster when it wasn't transporting the entire student population of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall appeared in the compartment just as they were retrieving their trunks.

"Quickly now, we only have a few moments until the Portkeys are activated. You three will use this one," she said, handing them a a large conch shell.

Harry took a minute to shrink the luggage. Although the professor hadn't asked him to do so before she left the compartment, it seemed a much less complicated way to travel. Remembering how awkward it had been to transport the cats, he was glad she had insisted that all pets remain at Hogwarts.

His ears rang as the Portkey deposited his group outside a compound of elegant villas. Odd side effect, he thought, until he realised the ringing was caused by shrill squeals from a blonde-haired girl dressed in silken robes. Harry sincerely hoped those were happy squeals Fleur was emitting, as he was certainly glad not to have arrived at Durmstrang.