Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: I have only recently gotten in to reading Snape fan fiction so have no idea if this idea has been done before. If it resembles anyone else's work, it was not my intention, as I have never read anything else quite with this plot.
The Ministry of Magic kept close tabs on those wishing to become Animagi due to the extreme and sometimes deadly complications resulting from such serious magic. That was why Severus Snape, seventeen years old and fresh out of Hogwarts, decided to do things by the book. He had seen enough horrid books depicting gruesome images of the transformation gone wrong.
Not that Severus would ever think he could fumble the transformation so badly. No, only blithering idiots could somehow mess up that stupidly. But still, he reasoned, why take the chance? And what would it matter if he was registered? It wasn't like it was a common thing for people to look up the recent Animagus additions to the catalogue; there had only been five in the past century so far.
The reason for becoming an Animagus was purely for prestige. The ability to turn in to a fierce and deadly creature at will held a vast amount of appeal to the young Slytherin. Severus was coming along quite nicely, if he did say so himself. He had yet to transform, but the theory part was coming along at a rapid pace.
Severus knew that the animal he would become was based on his innate character. In his hopes, he imagined turning into a vast, powerful snake, able to slither through any obstacle life threw at him. Or maybe a bat, perfectly comfortable in the dark of night. A panther, stalking the weak who pissed him off (namely that stuck up James Potter, who had so savagely taken away the only woman he would love for the rest of his life).
So it was that after midnight in mid September, Severus decided to try out the practical part of becoming an Animagus. He had practiced before in front of the Ministry officials, and while he had never managed to shift his form, he had never had a mishap either. That, and the effects of a half bottle of fire whiskey, fueled his determination to try the transformation again. If it worked out, he need never tell the Ministry that he had done it without supervision; he would simply say it was his first time the next time he transformed in front of the officials. And if it didn't work, well then, nothing had changed.
Severus cleared his mind, focusing solely on the desire to become his inner animal. Nothing else mattered, just being a different, freer version of himself.
He lost track of how long he stood there, eyes screwed up in concentration and to keep the room from spinning with the effects of too much alcohol, face already red from his binge drinking turning still redder with the exertion he was expending on trying to change.
A tingling in his mid section was his first hint that he was on the right track. He had never felt anything before while trying to become an Animagus. The feeling spread slowly, and Severus was elated to feel his feet shifting beneath him. When his arms started to become shorter, he almost lost his concentration. But he held steady until it was complete.
Opening his eyes, Severus walked over to a mirror to see what he was, deciding to look at the whole image instead of just glancing down. The knowledge that he had two feet still was a bit disconcerting, there weren't too many animals that walked on two feet. So he definitely wasn't a snake or panther then. But as soon as he began walking to his mirror, he stopped. He wasn't walking at all. He was waddling. And his arms felt like…but no.
Hurrying as fast as he could , Severus turned the corner to his bedroom and stopped short at the sight of himself.
A penguin. He had become a bloody penguin.
'This cannot be happening!' he thought in horror, watching as his flightless wings flapped in irritation, not even lifting him off the ground. 'In what sick world am I internally a bloody penguin?'
Rage overtook him, and a horrible sound, not quite a squawk, issued from his beak. 'I have a beak!' he thought, quickly closing it and turning around.
Waddling back to the living room, Severus transformed himself back in to the scrawny teenager. As fast as his now human legs would carry him, he walked over to the table and drank the last of his fire whiskey.
'No one shall ever find out about this,' was the last menacing thought to go through his head before he passed out in a drunken state.
The next morning, Severus sent an owl to the Ministry. It was short and to the point.
"To Whom it May Concern,
After much reflection last night, I have decided that the entire process of becoming an Animagus is beneath me. I do not care to transform in to some inane animal. Thank you for pandering to my earlier, ill conceived wishes. I will not be wasting any more of your time, and I beg the same courtesy.
S. Snape."
The whole idea of him becoming an Animagus was dropped. And two years later, when Severus was working for the Dark Lord for over a year and eleven months (he had actually joined his ranks two days after the Animagus fiasco) when the Dark Lord brought up the idea of his Death Eaters becoming Animagus to have an edge over that molly coddling, muggle loving Dumbledore, Snape talked him out of it. It is unclear precisely how, but the rumor was that Snape had brought up the point that with the transformation having so many variables and no set animal, he may very well end up with an army of caterpillars at his disposal.
Until his dying day, not one single soul every found out that he was an unregistered Animagus.
~END~
A/N: This idea is completely random, and came to me in bed one night while reading Deathly Hallows again. I don't remember verbatim, but Rowling had stated when Severus leapt from the window at Hogwarts he transformed. That got me thinking about all the characteristics about Snape and what animal could have fit him. Penguin was the first thought that came to mind. After all, they only have one mate in their lives, and poor Snape never did get over Lily. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, and please review!