'Look, this is stupid.'
'Remus - look, we're going to do this properly.'
'You don't have to do this for me. I've been a wolf 10 years. I'm fine.'
'We're taking precautions.'
'Like what?'
'Learning the reversal spell.'
'And are you actually going to try it out on someone other than yourselves?'
'Ah.'
'Sirius. I can't believe you can be so stupid sometimes.'
'It's not stupid. It'll be cool. I promise.'
'I don't want you, my friends, getting into trouble because of me.'
'Like we haven't before?'
Remus didn't have a reply for Sirius, and sat back. Sirius had been deputed to tell Remus about the animagus plans. They'd come across the idea two and a half years ago, and spent the time trying to build up their skills enough to do it. The first year had been about improving transfiguration skills, without making McGonagall suspicious that 3 thirteen and fourteen year olds were suddenly doing things to NEWT standard.
That had taken longer than expected. The following two years were about the focus and the wandless magic. Now Sirius reckoned they could do it.
'Look. I don't want you getting stuck, and having to tell Dumbledore why you're stuck. I'll have no friends, and no one will trust me again.'
'How about this. We each find McGonagall, when she's transformed, and make her turn back. Will that satisfy you?' Remus nodded, the ghost of a grin on his face.
'You'll need James' invisibility cloak. And I'll need to know the spell as well.'
'It's 'homo', or 'femina'. 'Homo Sapiens' is weaker, and then you need to follow whichever with 'resume!' - latin, not english. Homorphus also works.' Remus shuddered. That was used to give wolves human shape, but keeping the same mind.
This was how it was that Sirius and Remus were under the invisibility cloak outside the transfiguration classroom, waiting for McGonagall to sidle out in cat form, as was her wont.
Remus went first, catching sight of her as she walked down the corridor, tail twitching. He muttered the spell, and a very upset Professor McGonagall appeared before them. Sirius and Remus had used a gripping spell on the invisibility cloak, in order to prevent unwanted 'Accios'.
'Exactly what do you think you're doing? Mr Potter, Mr Black.' Sirius guiltily removed his invisibility cloak. Remus followed.
'It was I, Professor McGonagall. We'd been hearing about how they're training illegal animagi, for the Dark Side. My Dad's had quite a lot of trouble with them, so we thought we'd try and learn the reversing charm.'
'So you thought you'd try it on me, Mr Lupin? Without asking my permission. I would have expected better from the pair of you. You might at least have had the manners to ask.'
'I'm Sorry professor McGonagall.' Sirius hung his head, as did Remus
'It's quite dangerous magic. And very advanced. Are all of you in on this?'
'Yes, professor McGonagall.'
'Very well then. You were just the ones to get caught. No wonder you've been doing better in transfiguration recently. You really didn't think that I'd be able to tell you were there?' Remus and Sirius hung their heads. 'I think I ought to be speaking to all four of you. Would you please fetch Mr Pettigrew and Mr Potter and return here in 20 minutes.'
Running to the quidditch pitch they found James and Peter throwing the quaffle, James trying different versions of the Porskoff ploy, Peter managing quite well.
'We got caught. We've got to go to see McGonagall. All four of us. She seemed to realise that if it was one of us, it probably involved all of us.'
'Yeah. Remus came up with a brilliant excuse. Said his dad had told him that his office were having problems with illegal animagi.'
'It's true. There's been four or five recently caught. Mostly stuck and splinched.' The four young men ran back to the classroom, and sat quietly, waiting.
Professor McGonagall returned, with Professor Dumbledore.
'You are aware, Mr Black and Mr Lupin that you have broken several school rules, not least assaulting a teacher, using spells that are far advanced. I cannot allow this to be taken lightly. Had you asked, it might have been different.'
'We're sorry Professor. We didn't think. We didn't mean to hurt Professor McGonagall.'
'It doesn't hurt. But it is a form of the Imperius Curse. It is only the body that is affected, and not the mind, but it is not pleasant to have control wrested from you like that.' Dumbledore spoke, warmth lacking in his eyes. The implication of his words was clear. They weren't much better than Dark Wizards.
'We're not going to be expelled?' Sirius suddenly lost all his cockiness, and it was his Head of House that spoke.
'No, Mr Black. Although after the last incident, you were warned that this might be an option we would have to consider. However, in light of your family circumstances, you will remain here.' Sirius looked relieved. 'However this will not go unpunished. You will each write 5 feet of parchment on the complexities and implications of human-animal transformations.' The four nodded. 'And I shall teach you to use the spell properly. You are all very powerful young men, and I was somewhat - surprised - that you would manage that spell so young. That sort of raw power requires training, and as such, you, Mr Lupin will lose 40 points as you cast the spell, and all of you will spend an extra hour each day undergoing additional training. That, I would hope will keep you out of mischief." They all nodded.
"That will be all then. Chop chop."
Safely in the common room, they found their usual balcony. 'That was amazing - you should have seen her face when she changed. She was spitting like a cat!'
'5 feet - I could write 10.'
'40 points isn't too bad Remus, and we know you can do the spell now. And we're getting extra training.' Remus was quiet as Sirius, Peter and James crowded round him.
'Look. You shouldn't be doing this. I'm not safe. You know that.'
'If we're in animagus form, you are. Safe from yourself.' James grabbed his arms pointedly, and Remus winced. 'I've seen the blood in there when you've finished with it. Please. let us do this.' half-heartedly he nodded.
'C'mon now. Let's get those essays done.' Sirius bounded back, arms full of parchment from their years of research. 'We've got 20 feet here, no problem.'
'Remus - look, we're going to do this properly.'
'You don't have to do this for me. I've been a wolf 10 years. I'm fine.'
'We're taking precautions.'
'Like what?'
'Learning the reversal spell.'
'And are you actually going to try it out on someone other than yourselves?'
'Ah.'
'Sirius. I can't believe you can be so stupid sometimes.'
'It's not stupid. It'll be cool. I promise.'
'I don't want you, my friends, getting into trouble because of me.'
'Like we haven't before?'
Remus didn't have a reply for Sirius, and sat back. Sirius had been deputed to tell Remus about the animagus plans. They'd come across the idea two and a half years ago, and spent the time trying to build up their skills enough to do it. The first year had been about improving transfiguration skills, without making McGonagall suspicious that 3 thirteen and fourteen year olds were suddenly doing things to NEWT standard.
That had taken longer than expected. The following two years were about the focus and the wandless magic. Now Sirius reckoned they could do it.
'Look. I don't want you getting stuck, and having to tell Dumbledore why you're stuck. I'll have no friends, and no one will trust me again.'
'How about this. We each find McGonagall, when she's transformed, and make her turn back. Will that satisfy you?' Remus nodded, the ghost of a grin on his face.
'You'll need James' invisibility cloak. And I'll need to know the spell as well.'
'It's 'homo', or 'femina'. 'Homo Sapiens' is weaker, and then you need to follow whichever with 'resume!' - latin, not english. Homorphus also works.' Remus shuddered. That was used to give wolves human shape, but keeping the same mind.
This was how it was that Sirius and Remus were under the invisibility cloak outside the transfiguration classroom, waiting for McGonagall to sidle out in cat form, as was her wont.
Remus went first, catching sight of her as she walked down the corridor, tail twitching. He muttered the spell, and a very upset Professor McGonagall appeared before them. Sirius and Remus had used a gripping spell on the invisibility cloak, in order to prevent unwanted 'Accios'.
'Exactly what do you think you're doing? Mr Potter, Mr Black.' Sirius guiltily removed his invisibility cloak. Remus followed.
'It was I, Professor McGonagall. We'd been hearing about how they're training illegal animagi, for the Dark Side. My Dad's had quite a lot of trouble with them, so we thought we'd try and learn the reversing charm.'
'So you thought you'd try it on me, Mr Lupin? Without asking my permission. I would have expected better from the pair of you. You might at least have had the manners to ask.'
'I'm Sorry professor McGonagall.' Sirius hung his head, as did Remus
'It's quite dangerous magic. And very advanced. Are all of you in on this?'
'Yes, professor McGonagall.'
'Very well then. You were just the ones to get caught. No wonder you've been doing better in transfiguration recently. You really didn't think that I'd be able to tell you were there?' Remus and Sirius hung their heads. 'I think I ought to be speaking to all four of you. Would you please fetch Mr Pettigrew and Mr Potter and return here in 20 minutes.'
Running to the quidditch pitch they found James and Peter throwing the quaffle, James trying different versions of the Porskoff ploy, Peter managing quite well.
'We got caught. We've got to go to see McGonagall. All four of us. She seemed to realise that if it was one of us, it probably involved all of us.'
'Yeah. Remus came up with a brilliant excuse. Said his dad had told him that his office were having problems with illegal animagi.'
'It's true. There's been four or five recently caught. Mostly stuck and splinched.' The four young men ran back to the classroom, and sat quietly, waiting.
Professor McGonagall returned, with Professor Dumbledore.
'You are aware, Mr Black and Mr Lupin that you have broken several school rules, not least assaulting a teacher, using spells that are far advanced. I cannot allow this to be taken lightly. Had you asked, it might have been different.'
'We're sorry Professor. We didn't think. We didn't mean to hurt Professor McGonagall.'
'It doesn't hurt. But it is a form of the Imperius Curse. It is only the body that is affected, and not the mind, but it is not pleasant to have control wrested from you like that.' Dumbledore spoke, warmth lacking in his eyes. The implication of his words was clear. They weren't much better than Dark Wizards.
'We're not going to be expelled?' Sirius suddenly lost all his cockiness, and it was his Head of House that spoke.
'No, Mr Black. Although after the last incident, you were warned that this might be an option we would have to consider. However, in light of your family circumstances, you will remain here.' Sirius looked relieved. 'However this will not go unpunished. You will each write 5 feet of parchment on the complexities and implications of human-animal transformations.' The four nodded. 'And I shall teach you to use the spell properly. You are all very powerful young men, and I was somewhat - surprised - that you would manage that spell so young. That sort of raw power requires training, and as such, you, Mr Lupin will lose 40 points as you cast the spell, and all of you will spend an extra hour each day undergoing additional training. That, I would hope will keep you out of mischief." They all nodded.
"That will be all then. Chop chop."
Safely in the common room, they found their usual balcony. 'That was amazing - you should have seen her face when she changed. She was spitting like a cat!'
'5 feet - I could write 10.'
'40 points isn't too bad Remus, and we know you can do the spell now. And we're getting extra training.' Remus was quiet as Sirius, Peter and James crowded round him.
'Look. You shouldn't be doing this. I'm not safe. You know that.'
'If we're in animagus form, you are. Safe from yourself.' James grabbed his arms pointedly, and Remus winced. 'I've seen the blood in there when you've finished with it. Please. let us do this.' half-heartedly he nodded.
'C'mon now. Let's get those essays done.' Sirius bounded back, arms full of parchment from their years of research. 'We've got 20 feet here, no problem.'