Hey all, I've had a really hard day, so I stress typed a bunch and after browsing pinterest and seeing this thread on Harry as an animagus [ pin/AZTFoj761cEp82_otz4ksiItFeXl9BE_OIh0R8iJPvjKAn7waxh8g3U/ ], I just couldn't get the idea out of my head.
It's super short and has absolutely no plot or meaning, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
The Cat's Out of the Bag
Harry crept silently through the abandoned hallways, the stone floor feeling oddly warm under his socked feet, despite the snow he can see falling outside. It was the Christmas holidays and most students had gone home for the celebrations.
After Voldemort's defeat, the wizarding world seemed to take any excuse to go all out with celebrations and so it stood to reason, that the first Christmas after You-Know-Who's defeat, the festivities started the beginning of November already, massive Christmas tree decorating Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, tinsel adorning every doorway and window and mistletoe floating around with witches and wizards only too happy to dole out kisses.
For Harry, it was very odd. It had only been 7 months since Voldemort died, but more importantly, it had only been 7 months since Remus, Tonks, Fred, Lavender, Colin, Snape and 45 others had died at the Battle of Hogwarts, not including the Death Eaters, who brought the death count up significantly higher. Harry had still been in mourning until recently, unsure what to do with himself. He had come back to Hogwarts to complete his final year, as he wanted more time to just be normal, before he's thrown into the chaos of working and to decide if he truly wants to become an auror.
Hermione had joined him for their seventh year, but Ron had gone straight to the Auror Academy. Harry was a bit lonely without his best mate, but Ron made sure to come visit them every weekend, as the "special seventh years" were allowed to visit Hogsmeade anytime they wanted to. Harry also took time to visit Teddy, who was staying with Andromeda at the moment, the woman seeming to throw her entire being into caring for her grandson.
He had tentatively gotten back with Ginny, because he really did love her and while he had been gone on the Horcrux hunt, he had constantly thought about her and how she was doing, but he also felt as if he didn't give her the proper attention she deserved, as if he was just going through the motions. She understood and tried to keep his spirits up, challenging him to impromptu seeker matches and cuddling in front of the Common Room fire, but Harry still felt restless.
For an entire month, Harry had just wandered around Hogwarts, attending classes and completing assignments, kind of lost about what he should do with himself. Finally, Ginny had cornered him and stuffed a book into his hands, her eyes flitting around to check that they were on their own. Harry still remembered her mischievous and lovely voice as she whispered to him.
"Honestly Harry, you're like a ghost, I swear you're worse than the Grey Lady. You've never done good when you didn't have something to occupy your time and we both know school isn't enough. So find something to occupy your time with."
That book had been one on how to become an animagus and while reading it, Harry had felt new life filling him. It was like a breath of fresh air and even the ridiculously complex steps to become an animagus didn't turn him off the road.
For the entire month of November, Harry had kept that bloody Mandrake leaf in his mouth. The hardest part was actually keeping the professors from finding out, as he didn't want anyone to know he was trying to become an animagus. After much wheedling and persuasion, Hermione had helped him brew the potion needed in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, taking him back to fond memories of second year.
At the end of the month, Harry considered himself lucky that the full moon wasn't blocked by clouds or such, and he could easily complete the next step, placing his mandrake leaf into the potions vial. The potions vial was promptly stores in the Room of requirement, where Harry asked for a room that allowed no sunlight to enter. He had been pleasantly surprised at the start of the school year to see that the fiendfyre didn't destroy the room, though when he had asked for the room of hidden things, he had found a vast, completely empty room.
Then, Harry kept an eye out for any electrical storms, even watching the weather in the surrounding areas, like back in England and such. Luckily, three weeks after completing the potion and repeating the incantation 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus' at every sunset and sunrise, Harry saw that London was apparently expecting a thunderstorm of magnificent proportions that night. Soon after curfew, Harry had grabbed his cloak of invisibility, said goodbye to Ginny and Hermione and rushed to the Room of Requirement, placing the potion in a bag and sneaking out of Hogwarts.
This is where he was now, tip toeing through Hogwarts under his cloak, the potion secured in the bag slung over his shoulder, the Marauder's Map in his hand. He already had to dodge Mrs Norris and Filtch, as well as Professor McGonagall, but finally he made his way out, running down to the gates and apparating as soon as he crossed the wards. He appeared at King's Cross station and smiled when he heard the rumbling of thunder and saw the lightning in the distance. He walked out of the station, taking refuge in an alley and casting muggle repelling wards, even though he couldn't see any muggles around. He took out the potion flask and unstoppered it, holding it up to see the liquid swirling within.
Waiting, he saw a bright bolt of lightning splitting the sky, feeling as if it was right above him, and he immediately swallowed the potion down. Gagging at the gross taste, he paused as his stomach rolled, his skin tingling. Quickly taking out the hand mirror he had filched from Ginny's book bag, he propped it up against the Alley wall, so that he would be able to see what he turned into.
His skin had started prickling all over and he closed his eyes as nausea overcame him. He could feel his bones shifting seamlessly, though it didn't hurt, even if it felt like it should. His head spun and when he opened his eyes, everything was disorientating, as the angles and colors were all off. He tried to walk forward, only to stumble, as he had too many legs and looking down, he could see black furry paws underneath him. Twisting his head around, surprised at how far he could do it and how flexible his body felt, he saw a black furred body and a furry tail swishing the air behind him.
He was some sort of cat!
Bounding forwards, or more like tumbling head over heels, he popped up from where he was sprawled on the ground and peered into the mirror. Big, green eyes gazed back at him, the pupils slitted like those of a feline. Above his eyes, a path of fur was a bit lighter than the rest and suspiciously shaped like a lightning bolt. Even as a cat, he could escape the accursed scar!
Taking a closer look, his eyes narrowed and he could see his fur standing up on end as horror started to fill his body. Yes, he was a cat, but the problem was that he was a baby! A bloody kitten! Yowling, Harry tried to twist his body around to see exactly how big he was, but only ended up falling over his own paws. Huffing, he sat back, his brow scrunched up as he tried to scowl. Before he could think further on it, his body tingled again and he felt himself growing, shooting up as the fur retracted back into his body, the base of his spine tingling as his tail disappeared.
Shaking his head to get rid of the last of his disorientation, he stooped to pick up the mirror, placing it in his bag with the empty flask. Glancing around, he heaved a sigh of relief that there was still no muggles around and dismantled the wards he put up, before apparating back to Hogwarts. Crossing the grounds, he made his way up to the doors, slipping inside. He was just about to get out his cloak of invisibility, when a sudden thought presented itself and a devious grin overtook his face.
Concentrating on what it felt like to change into his cat form, it wasn't long before he shrunk down again. Blinking, he marveled at how clear everything was and at how easy it was to see in the dark. Smirking, or as close to it as his kitten face could, he prowled forwards, pouncing on dust motes and yowling at a particular suit of armor that had stepped off its plate and almost stepped on him. His tail fuzzed up, something which annoyed Harry to no end, he sniffed and darted around the corner, eager to see all the new sights with his feline eyes and nose.
It amazed him how he could smell things he never knew were there, like the smell of ink and parchment that lingered by the doorways of classes, the sharp smell of smoke from where someone had set of one of the Weasley fireworks a few hours ago and hundreds of human scents all mixed together. But most of all, there was a thick, tingling smell of ozone that prickled at his senses. After some consideration, he decided with some awe that what he was smelling and sensing must be magic, as it was embedded in the very walls of Hogwarts.
Prancing around, Harry slipped from shadow to shadow, thoroughly enjoying this new found freedom. In fact, he was enjoying himself so much, for the first time in a long time, that his guard wasn't up and thus he didn't hear the soft steps of another set of paws or smell the new scent coming closer. The next moment, he skidded around the corner, chasing a feather he had filched from Professor Flitwick's classroom, when he smacked into another furry chest, causing him to go tumbling head over heels, or paws in this case.
Blinking up, he saw to his horror a silver tabby seeming to glare down at him, square markings around her stern eyes that had Harry want to curl his tail between his legs. It was Professor McGonagall! Of all the professors to catch him out after curfew, which even the special seventh years were not exempt to, and as an animagus to boot, it had to be the Headmistress! Her yellow eyes bore into him, seeming to rest on his scar patch of fur before catching his gaze, disapproval evident in that gaze.
Harry cringed, hunching his small body into itself and curling his tail tight against his body. He closed his eyes as he saw her come closer, knowing he was in for a real scolding and probably just lost Gryffindor a ton of points. However, what he didn't expect was a firm but gentle tug on his neck and the next moment, his body was swinging in the air, held firmly by the scruff of his neck.
Eyes widening, Harry yowled and mewled, trying to get loose, but to his horror, his kitten body seemed to go entirely slack, refusing to budge as the Headmistress carried him primly down the hallway. He couldn't even change back, as it seemed his feline instinct were forcing him to remain slack. He huffed in distress, knowing if he was human his face would be blood red in embarrassment and he closed his eyes in humiliation as McGonagall carried him all the way to Gryffindor Tower, his small body remaining lax and his tail curled up between his legs.
Finally arriving at the portrait of the Fat Lady, McGonagall changed back, managing someway to keep holding Harry by the scruff of his neck.
"Hippogriff." The portrait swung open and Harry saw to his utter humiliation that Ginny and Hermione had waited up for him, Hermione scribbling away at an essay and Ginny flicking through a Quidditch magazine. As the portrait opened, Ginny jumped up, her eyes widening as she saw Headmistress McGonagall stepping through, a disgruntled black kitten held by the scruff of its neck in her hand.
"Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, I believe I can entrust him to you?" Ginny rushed forward, taking Harry from McGonagall, ignoring Harry's indignant yowl as he was passed along. Harry was so embarrassed that he didn't even consider changing back into a human, rather trying to hide his smaller body by borrowing against Ginny's robes and trying to hide under her hair.
McGonagall turned to leave, pausing briefly as she stepped out the portrait hole.
"Mister Potter, I believe this experience has been sufficient in discouraging any other late night wanderings, as human or otherwise. Oh and… Twenty points to Gryffindor for an outstanding piece of transfiguration. Goodnight, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger. Goodnight, Mister Potter."
Harry watched incredulously as the Headmistress left, the portrait closing behind her. He ignored Hermione's scolding and instead arched his back as Ginny scratched it, turning his head to encourage her to scratch behind his ear as his eyes fell shut in pleasure. His body vibrated as he purred, the feeling quite strange, but also pleasant and he decided, whatever else happened, this had been a good idea.
It didn't take him long to fall asleep, excited for what the next day would bring for the first time since the war ended.
HP
Hope you all enjoyed that! I just couldn't help myself hahahaha!