Okay...here's the disclaimer! Um, basically all the characters except
Liana belong to J. K. Rowling. I wrote the plot and such, and the ideas
are all mine, but I might have subconsciously slipped in some basic stuff
from Chameleon's VIRUS, which is an excellent story, by the way.
So...sorry Chameleon! It wasn't on purpose.
That's everything as far as I know. I guess just enjoy the story, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Yeah...that's it.
The Fourth Animagus
Chapter One
Liana Lassek slipped out of the girls' dormitories quietly. As usual, no one noticed her. Besides the fact that the four other girls in her dorm were fast asleep, Liana was generally overlooked by her peers.
The common room was warm and dimly lit with a small fire. It was empty except for a pet cat, prowling among the comfy armchairs in search for a dropped piece of cake. Liana casually kicked the subject of the feline's search into view before slipping out of the portrait hole. She'd always gotten along better with animals than people; they seemed to know when she needed cheering up, which was often, and she knew they'd love her no matter what. If her tortoiseshell cat ever shunned her, it was for good reason.
The halls were drafty this time of year, and Liana shivered in her warm cloak, wishing she'd worn a sweater over her pajamas. Oh well; at least she'd remembered slippers this time. She passed Nearly-Headless Nick, who was on his way into the Gryffindor common room, but he took no more notice of her than the paintings on the wall did. The black-haired little fifth- year made it outside onto the grounds without problems.
Once she was outside, the cold air sent Liana shivering behind a bush. For the first time, she Changed without hesitation; her need for warm fur was greater than her fear of a little pain--for pain there was. As soon as the transformation began, a sharp pain spread throughout her body, radiating from her spine and tracing along her nerves until it reached her very fingertips. Although the Change was over in a matter of seconds, the hurt took a while to ebb away. Shaking her fears loose, the sleek black wolf slipped further into the shadows, hugging the wall of the castle where the torchlight near the entrance couldn't quite reach. Curling up with her nose buried in her tail for warmth, Liana the wolf awaited the arrival of the Marauders.
Before long, she forced herself to stand and abandon her comfortable position; the Marauders were here. She slipped from shadow to shadow, following them across the grounds as they approached the Whomping Willow. A fat gray rat slipped through the branches and pressed a knot on the trunk. Immediately, the branches stopped swinging, giving a large black dog enough time to slip through them and into a hole at the base of the tree trunk. The last animal who'd emerged from the school, a large white stag, stayed out of the tree's way. He had no intention of getting his antlers caught in the branches unless there was good reason to risk his neck.
A moment later, the dog reappeared with a large gray wolf at his heels. The wolf was looking positively dog-like, eyes shining happily and ears pricked as he searched for something to chase or sniff. The dog, in fact, seemed more subdued than his friend.
As soon as the odd little group started moving, the wolf took off at a run, hurtling across the grounds at breakneck speed. His three companions followed him immediately, trying to surround him and veer him towards the forest, but Liana could see that he meant no harm. He was merely letting off steam...this animal hadn't had enough exercise recently. The wolf's yellow eyes gleamed in the bright light of the full moon as he playfully skirted his friends. He was much faster than they, Liana saw, and could have ditched them quite easily. She wondered anxiously whether they knew that...
If the Marauders hadn't known the full speed and power of their friend, they were soon to find out. Liana, watching the playful wolf romp on the grass, noticed a sudden change in his expression. For a moment, he froze, nose in the air, ears swiveling to pick up sounds from everywhere. In that second, Liana caught a familiar scent on the breeze: human. Her reaction to the smell was far different from that of the wolf on the sloping lawns. His eyes took on a baleful look, his lip curled in a snarl as he took off in the direction of the smell. Liana swiveled her head frantically, searching for the human, hoping she'd find it before the other wolf did. As she spotted her, a Gryffindor third-year bundled up in layers of sweaters and robes and carrying her broomstick over her shoulder, the large gray wolf hurtled past, claws ripping into the earth, saliva dripping from his jowls.
There was a long chain of loud barking, all but drowned out by hoofbeats on the frozen ground. The Marauders were frantically trying to catch their runaway member, but Liana saw in an instant that they were too slow, too far away. The wolf was almost upon his prey...
A low growl rumbling in her throat, Liana leaped. Her powerful back legs launched her little body a whole three feet, where she landed heavily on the large gray wolf. He, nearly twice her size, wasn't even knocked off balance. He threw her off and kept running for the third-year girl, who was now running for her life towards the school. Liana rolled automatically and was back on her feet in less than a second, chasing after the monster ahead of her with a speed she didn't know she possessed. The girl dropped her broomstick in her fear.
Don't pick it up, Liana thought fiercely, vaguely wondering if she could transmit the message telepathically. No, you stupid girl-! Not thinking clearly in the face of such terror, the girl stopped and grabbed for the broomstick. Before she could straighten and run again, the wolf was upon her, tearing at her well-padded back. In seconds, Liana had launched herself ferociously at the wolf, tearing heedlessly at him in an effort to get him off. She never would have succeeded, but soon the stag was there, tossing his head dangerously, not caring who he hit as long as he kept the wolf from tearing his prey apart. The large, black dog was there in moments, and the three of them managed to tear the wolf off the poor girl, who was curled up in a protective ball on the grass, sobbing uncontrollably. Her robes were torn to shreds, and Liana's sharp wolf eyes were drawn to the bright blood on her pale hands. No, no... she prayed, leaving the wolf to his friends and grabbing the girl's arm delicately in her strong jaws, pulling her towards the school. The girl looked at her in terror, hitting her face and paws feebly, but Liana had no intention of harming her. Realizing she wasn't helping, she let go and watched the girl scamper inside. But she doesn't know, thought Liana, watching her slam the door behind her. She'll just go straight to bed, glad to be away from us all...
Liana couldn't let that happen. If that girl had been bitten by the wolf... Throwing caution to the wind, she nosed open the door and scrambled inside. The girl was stumbling weakly up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, no longer hurrying now that she was safe within the walls of Hogwarts. Liana briefly considered Changing, but didn't dare; there would be too much to explain that would put her and the others in a very bad, very uncomfortable situation. Her claws skidding on the stone floors, she ran to intercept the girl, who was now looking at her in sheer terror. Hoping she wasn't traumatizing the poor child further, Liana took her arm lightly in her teeth. I won't hurt you, she thought silently. Perhaps her eyes or her gentle touch got the message through, or perhaps the child was thinking she was dreaming after all, for the girl allowed herself to be led to the Hospital Wing. She gave the black wolf at her side an odd look when she realized where they were, obviously wondering how a wolf knew where and what the Hospital Wing was. Liana nudged her over the threshold, gave a low whine, and slipped away.
* * *
She considered going outside again to see how the Marauders were handling their friend, but decided against it; they'd be on the lookout for her, and she couldn't risk letting them know who she was. She'd planned on keeping herself a secret, but they'd probably figure out soon enough that the small black wolf who'd saved the third-year was no ordinary animal. Instead, Liana headed for the Gryffindor common room. She was halfway there before she realized she needed a private place to Change, and she wouldn't even be able to get inside without the ability to speak the password. Sighing inwardly and turning around, she headed back downstairs and outside. Even the bathrooms were too risky; she'd have to take her chances with the Marauders.
Luckily for her, the grounds were deserted when she pushed the doors open and slipped into the night. The Marauders had probably taken Moony to the forest, or back to the hole under the Whomping Willow. Liana thought grimly that they must be feeling rather shaken up after that near miss, and were planning on lying low for a while. At least, they'd better be, she thought fiercely. Only males were stupid enough to laugh at an event like this one.
Liana found a shadowy place to Change and prepared herself for the transformation. Not until she was settled down, with nothing on her mind but the Change ahead, did she realize there was a searing pain in her side. Craning her neck around, she had to fight to keep her dinner down as she saw a gaping, bloody wound in her left side. Swallowing convulsively, Liana turned away from the sight. The last thing she needed to worry about was more pain during the transformation from wolf to human. She knew the pain she usually felt was unnatural, but usually ignored it. She'd taught herself to be an Animagus, and it was to be expected that she didn't get everything perfect. The pain never lasted long, and hadn't affected her yet, so what was to worry about?
But now there was something to worry about. Liana was sure that wounds didn't disappear when one Changed, and she couldn't very well wander around with a bloody gash in her side. Going to Madame Pomfrey was a scary thought, too; how would she explain this? Especially after delivering that third-year to the Hospital Wing.it was too likely that the nurse would put two and two together. Liana simply couldn't risk putting herself and all the Marauders at risk like that. Maybe there was a Gryffindor who knew how to heal.
Sighing her resignation, she settled into the familiar mindset that was required for the Change, concentrating almost lazily on her human form. Immediately, she felt the transformation take place. That familiar splitting pain resonated through her body, but it was worse this time; it concentrated in the area around her wound, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. When the transformation was complete, the pain remained for longer than usual-or was she imagining that, because it hurt so terribly? When it finally subsided, Liana crawled to her feet, clutching the wound in her side, which was bleeding freely. She'd been right; injuries stayed, no matter what form she was in.
The Gryffindor common room was still empty when Liana stumbled through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady had been quite perturbed when the fifth-year had woken her from her "beauty rest," as she called it, and had only swung open because it was her job.
"I should just start turning you people in," she mumbled testily as Liana climbed through. "Stumbling in here at all hours of the night, waking me up from my rest without so much as a thank-you..." Liana was in too much pain to worry about the Fat Lady's feelings, and left her grumbling to herself as she crawled into bed. The sheets were wonderfully cool as she slipped into them, hoping she wouldn't stain them too badly. Her last thought before she drifted off was to wonder what would happen to that third-year's broomstick.
That's everything as far as I know. I guess just enjoy the story, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Yeah...that's it.
The Fourth Animagus
Chapter One
Liana Lassek slipped out of the girls' dormitories quietly. As usual, no one noticed her. Besides the fact that the four other girls in her dorm were fast asleep, Liana was generally overlooked by her peers.
The common room was warm and dimly lit with a small fire. It was empty except for a pet cat, prowling among the comfy armchairs in search for a dropped piece of cake. Liana casually kicked the subject of the feline's search into view before slipping out of the portrait hole. She'd always gotten along better with animals than people; they seemed to know when she needed cheering up, which was often, and she knew they'd love her no matter what. If her tortoiseshell cat ever shunned her, it was for good reason.
The halls were drafty this time of year, and Liana shivered in her warm cloak, wishing she'd worn a sweater over her pajamas. Oh well; at least she'd remembered slippers this time. She passed Nearly-Headless Nick, who was on his way into the Gryffindor common room, but he took no more notice of her than the paintings on the wall did. The black-haired little fifth- year made it outside onto the grounds without problems.
Once she was outside, the cold air sent Liana shivering behind a bush. For the first time, she Changed without hesitation; her need for warm fur was greater than her fear of a little pain--for pain there was. As soon as the transformation began, a sharp pain spread throughout her body, radiating from her spine and tracing along her nerves until it reached her very fingertips. Although the Change was over in a matter of seconds, the hurt took a while to ebb away. Shaking her fears loose, the sleek black wolf slipped further into the shadows, hugging the wall of the castle where the torchlight near the entrance couldn't quite reach. Curling up with her nose buried in her tail for warmth, Liana the wolf awaited the arrival of the Marauders.
Before long, she forced herself to stand and abandon her comfortable position; the Marauders were here. She slipped from shadow to shadow, following them across the grounds as they approached the Whomping Willow. A fat gray rat slipped through the branches and pressed a knot on the trunk. Immediately, the branches stopped swinging, giving a large black dog enough time to slip through them and into a hole at the base of the tree trunk. The last animal who'd emerged from the school, a large white stag, stayed out of the tree's way. He had no intention of getting his antlers caught in the branches unless there was good reason to risk his neck.
A moment later, the dog reappeared with a large gray wolf at his heels. The wolf was looking positively dog-like, eyes shining happily and ears pricked as he searched for something to chase or sniff. The dog, in fact, seemed more subdued than his friend.
As soon as the odd little group started moving, the wolf took off at a run, hurtling across the grounds at breakneck speed. His three companions followed him immediately, trying to surround him and veer him towards the forest, but Liana could see that he meant no harm. He was merely letting off steam...this animal hadn't had enough exercise recently. The wolf's yellow eyes gleamed in the bright light of the full moon as he playfully skirted his friends. He was much faster than they, Liana saw, and could have ditched them quite easily. She wondered anxiously whether they knew that...
If the Marauders hadn't known the full speed and power of their friend, they were soon to find out. Liana, watching the playful wolf romp on the grass, noticed a sudden change in his expression. For a moment, he froze, nose in the air, ears swiveling to pick up sounds from everywhere. In that second, Liana caught a familiar scent on the breeze: human. Her reaction to the smell was far different from that of the wolf on the sloping lawns. His eyes took on a baleful look, his lip curled in a snarl as he took off in the direction of the smell. Liana swiveled her head frantically, searching for the human, hoping she'd find it before the other wolf did. As she spotted her, a Gryffindor third-year bundled up in layers of sweaters and robes and carrying her broomstick over her shoulder, the large gray wolf hurtled past, claws ripping into the earth, saliva dripping from his jowls.
There was a long chain of loud barking, all but drowned out by hoofbeats on the frozen ground. The Marauders were frantically trying to catch their runaway member, but Liana saw in an instant that they were too slow, too far away. The wolf was almost upon his prey...
A low growl rumbling in her throat, Liana leaped. Her powerful back legs launched her little body a whole three feet, where she landed heavily on the large gray wolf. He, nearly twice her size, wasn't even knocked off balance. He threw her off and kept running for the third-year girl, who was now running for her life towards the school. Liana rolled automatically and was back on her feet in less than a second, chasing after the monster ahead of her with a speed she didn't know she possessed. The girl dropped her broomstick in her fear.
Don't pick it up, Liana thought fiercely, vaguely wondering if she could transmit the message telepathically. No, you stupid girl-! Not thinking clearly in the face of such terror, the girl stopped and grabbed for the broomstick. Before she could straighten and run again, the wolf was upon her, tearing at her well-padded back. In seconds, Liana had launched herself ferociously at the wolf, tearing heedlessly at him in an effort to get him off. She never would have succeeded, but soon the stag was there, tossing his head dangerously, not caring who he hit as long as he kept the wolf from tearing his prey apart. The large, black dog was there in moments, and the three of them managed to tear the wolf off the poor girl, who was curled up in a protective ball on the grass, sobbing uncontrollably. Her robes were torn to shreds, and Liana's sharp wolf eyes were drawn to the bright blood on her pale hands. No, no... she prayed, leaving the wolf to his friends and grabbing the girl's arm delicately in her strong jaws, pulling her towards the school. The girl looked at her in terror, hitting her face and paws feebly, but Liana had no intention of harming her. Realizing she wasn't helping, she let go and watched the girl scamper inside. But she doesn't know, thought Liana, watching her slam the door behind her. She'll just go straight to bed, glad to be away from us all...
Liana couldn't let that happen. If that girl had been bitten by the wolf... Throwing caution to the wind, she nosed open the door and scrambled inside. The girl was stumbling weakly up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, no longer hurrying now that she was safe within the walls of Hogwarts. Liana briefly considered Changing, but didn't dare; there would be too much to explain that would put her and the others in a very bad, very uncomfortable situation. Her claws skidding on the stone floors, she ran to intercept the girl, who was now looking at her in sheer terror. Hoping she wasn't traumatizing the poor child further, Liana took her arm lightly in her teeth. I won't hurt you, she thought silently. Perhaps her eyes or her gentle touch got the message through, or perhaps the child was thinking she was dreaming after all, for the girl allowed herself to be led to the Hospital Wing. She gave the black wolf at her side an odd look when she realized where they were, obviously wondering how a wolf knew where and what the Hospital Wing was. Liana nudged her over the threshold, gave a low whine, and slipped away.
* * *
She considered going outside again to see how the Marauders were handling their friend, but decided against it; they'd be on the lookout for her, and she couldn't risk letting them know who she was. She'd planned on keeping herself a secret, but they'd probably figure out soon enough that the small black wolf who'd saved the third-year was no ordinary animal. Instead, Liana headed for the Gryffindor common room. She was halfway there before she realized she needed a private place to Change, and she wouldn't even be able to get inside without the ability to speak the password. Sighing inwardly and turning around, she headed back downstairs and outside. Even the bathrooms were too risky; she'd have to take her chances with the Marauders.
Luckily for her, the grounds were deserted when she pushed the doors open and slipped into the night. The Marauders had probably taken Moony to the forest, or back to the hole under the Whomping Willow. Liana thought grimly that they must be feeling rather shaken up after that near miss, and were planning on lying low for a while. At least, they'd better be, she thought fiercely. Only males were stupid enough to laugh at an event like this one.
Liana found a shadowy place to Change and prepared herself for the transformation. Not until she was settled down, with nothing on her mind but the Change ahead, did she realize there was a searing pain in her side. Craning her neck around, she had to fight to keep her dinner down as she saw a gaping, bloody wound in her left side. Swallowing convulsively, Liana turned away from the sight. The last thing she needed to worry about was more pain during the transformation from wolf to human. She knew the pain she usually felt was unnatural, but usually ignored it. She'd taught herself to be an Animagus, and it was to be expected that she didn't get everything perfect. The pain never lasted long, and hadn't affected her yet, so what was to worry about?
But now there was something to worry about. Liana was sure that wounds didn't disappear when one Changed, and she couldn't very well wander around with a bloody gash in her side. Going to Madame Pomfrey was a scary thought, too; how would she explain this? Especially after delivering that third-year to the Hospital Wing.it was too likely that the nurse would put two and two together. Liana simply couldn't risk putting herself and all the Marauders at risk like that. Maybe there was a Gryffindor who knew how to heal.
Sighing her resignation, she settled into the familiar mindset that was required for the Change, concentrating almost lazily on her human form. Immediately, she felt the transformation take place. That familiar splitting pain resonated through her body, but it was worse this time; it concentrated in the area around her wound, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. When the transformation was complete, the pain remained for longer than usual-or was she imagining that, because it hurt so terribly? When it finally subsided, Liana crawled to her feet, clutching the wound in her side, which was bleeding freely. She'd been right; injuries stayed, no matter what form she was in.
The Gryffindor common room was still empty when Liana stumbled through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady had been quite perturbed when the fifth-year had woken her from her "beauty rest," as she called it, and had only swung open because it was her job.
"I should just start turning you people in," she mumbled testily as Liana climbed through. "Stumbling in here at all hours of the night, waking me up from my rest without so much as a thank-you..." Liana was in too much pain to worry about the Fat Lady's feelings, and left her grumbling to herself as she crawled into bed. The sheets were wonderfully cool as she slipped into them, hoping she wouldn't stain them too badly. Her last thought before she drifted off was to wonder what would happen to that third-year's broomstick.