The skies wept heavily as the golden sun tried to break through the thick, dark clouds gathered above the old castle. The hollow noise of raindrops hitting off the glass of the windows echoed throughout the red and gold common room as the five friends sat gathered around the flickering fire buring away in the fireplace. Only a mere night earlier, they had been six. All six of the places had been filled unlike that night where the faded armchair sat completely empty. Elizabeth Bagnold had sat there the night before as her laughter spread throughout the Gryffindor common room, but not that night. That night there was an eery silence in it's place as the news began to sink in. Elizabeth Bagnold was gone and there was nothing any witch or wizard could do to change that.

One year earlier

There was a pile of books sat messily on the large wooden table at the furthest edge of the dusty library. Aged potion books jumbled up with transfiguration papers. To the people on the outside, Elizabeth Bagnold was completing homework for class, but that was far from the truth. 'Animagus is the term used to describe a witch or wizard who can morph him or herself into an animal at will.'

"Bloody great help that is." Elizabeth mumbled under her breath, slamming the fifth book she had read that night closed. "If those four idiots can find a way, so can I."

This was the fourth night that week that Elizabeth had spent in the library with only her own company and it hadn't went unnoticed. James Poter quietly peeked through the tall rows of books to find his friend hunched over several books with a rather annoyed scowl on her face. Sirius Black stood to his left whilst attempting to fight his friend for his position. Sirius had just wanted to spend the night in the common room, catching up on some serious Sirius time, but James had pulled him to his feet and told him they had to find out what Elizabeth was up to.

"Padfoot, flick my ear one more time and your broom is going to be mysteriously hexed during the game on Saturday." James warned, his voice low and hushed as he turned to his friend with a glare.

With a silent protest, involving throwing his hands up in the air and his eyes narrowing, Sirius took a step back and the two friends turned back to the girl. There sat Elizabeth, well there lay Elizabeth fast asleep. Her green tie hanging loosely around her neck and her quidditch robe flung into a heap on the floor.

"This is the fourth time we've done this." Sirius whispered, brushing past James. "And this is the fourth time she has fell asleep. I'm getting bored real fast."

"Padfoot, where are you going?" James exclaimed, his voice still low and quiet. "Padfoot, don't you dare!"

"Aw is Prongsie scared?" Sirius grinned, walking towards the sleeping Elizabeth. "Besides you know what she's like, she could sleep through Ireland winning the World Cup."

"Scared of Elizabeth?" James chuckled, catching up to his friend. "You'd be an idiot not to be."

"True." Sirius replied, his hand reaching to grab one of the book that lay open infront of Elizabeth. "Transfiguration."

"So she's just studying." James grumbled, his eyes scanning the rest of the books. "Transfiguration isn't exactly her strong point."

"Yeah, not just any transfiguration." Sirius told him, turning the book to show his friend. "Animagus."

"Transfiguration essay?" James tried, shrugging his shoulder.

"That essay was four weeks ago." Sirius reminded him, shaking his head. "She either wants to be an animagus or she's worked out what we do every month."

"Why would she want to be an animagus?" James sighed, raising an eyebrow.

"Who wouldn't?"

"Nice sleep, Lizzie?"