This is going to be quick animagus fic no more than 10 000 words. The idea of Teddy becoming an animagus and meeting other deceased animagus occurred to me and I could shake it out of my head. I have to write it down somewhere.
Summary: Teddy Lupin escapes the hardships of being treated differently by becoming an animagus. He finds the Resurrection Stone and uses it to bring back Remus, Severus, and Sirius. But it backfires and they all stuck in animagus form.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Ted Lupin stumbled through the thick dense foliage of the Forbidden Forest in a mad rush. He had solace somewhere where he would be disturbed by the curious looks of his fellow students and the pitying looks of his professors. His mind was filled with a chaos of thoughts but one thing stood out clear. He needed to get away from the magical school known as Hogwarts. As Teddy stumbled over large trees roots which threatened to trip him, he glanced at his magical watch which had been a gift from his beloved godfather Harry. The watch was spelled to glow in the dark and Teddy could make out the engravings of planets and stars on it. It's past eleven o'clock, he thought with a pang of fear. If he was caught at this hour, at this location, then he would no doubt be expelled.
It was a well known fact that wandering in the Forbidden Forest would lead to a horrific death from the various magical creatures which lived there. Teddy recalled this fact as he almost ran into a looming tree trunk which seemed to have aged beyond its years. His shirt caught on a tree branch and he tore it away, in an attempt to free himself. Eyes widened with fear, Teddy thought back on how he had gotten into this situation.
It was Teddy's first year at Hogwarts. When he had first entered the castle he was at wonder and mesmerised by its magical wonder, much like the other first-years. Teddy had been excited at the prospect of learning magic and was eager to start on his magical studies.
That was until he noticed the odd treatment which was getting from the Hogwarts students and staff. They all knew about his parents and how they had died in Final Battle of Hogwarts. They also knew that he was the godson of the famous Harry Potter. It wasn't like he was ashamed of his parents of godfather, but it was rather annoying to see his fellow students treat him differently because of his history. Teddy's mind was buzzing from all the Harry Potter fans who had harassed him to get Harry Potter's autograph because he knew him. He also got sympathetic and pitying looks from teachers who knew about the tragic death of his parents. They treated Teddy with extra care and spoke to him in gentle voice as if he was a fragile heart-broken child who might crack at any time. Not to mention that he was a Metamorphmagus to top it all up.
It was only the second week of school but Ted already missed home. He wanted to go back to the place where he could avoid the stares of others and just be like any other kid. The teachers had assigned homework but Ted had a nagging feeling at the back of his head that they had given him less than others because they felt sorry for him. For other students, it may have been a good thing to be receiving less homework but Ted had wanted more homework to distract himself from his troubles. Also, the Sorting Hat had surprised everyone by placing him in Ravenclaw instead of the expected Gryffindor.
It was Tuesday night and Teddy had been in the Ravenclaw common room sitting in the couch placed by a fireplace. He had had nothing to do, having finished his homework and so he had exited the Ravenclaw tower and wondered around in the corridors, knowing that it was against the rules. Unfortunately, he had gotten lost and had somehow found himself at the castle entrance doors. That was when he heard Argus Filch and his cat Mrs. Norris out on his trail. The caretaker was still as eager as ever to catch a stray student. So Teddy had no other option but to slip out of the castle building and to wander around aimlessly on the school grounds.
To make matters worse, Hagrid was still up and he was on the school grounds as well, tending to an injured unicorn foal which had broken its leg and gotten separated from its herd. Hagrid had noticed that there was a student outside on the school grounds and he had tried to reach Ted but Ted had foolishly panicked, fleeing into the nearest location, the Forbidden Forest. That was how Teddy Lupin had ended up in the forest.
As Ted lay panting on the leaf litter of the Forbidden Forest, he wondered if it was a great idea to be lost and all alone in the most dangerous part of the Hogwarts. He could still hear the heavy footsteps of Hagrid after him and he waited for the half-giant's arrival. Now that Teddy wasn't in any immediate danger of being caught, he had time to think. I was so stupid to leave the Ravenclaw common room, he thought regretfully. Then I wouldn't be in this mess. But if the bloody teachers had given me more homework then I wouldn't had even left in the first place. Ted added bitterly. Oh hell, let Hagrid find me, things can't possibly get any worse.
Standing up, Ted brushed the dirt of his jeans and waited for Hagrid to arrive. Except... it wasn't Hagrid who had arrived. Instead, it was a herd of centaurs who had found him.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" A male centaur stepped forward, obviously the leader.
"I... I'm l-lost," Teddy stammered, cowered by the centaur's looming figure.
The centaur snorted. "Obviously."
Teddy had never seen a real centaur before but he knew that they are to be treated with utmost respect. The centaur who had spoken to him, towered for at least two metres above the ground. It almost had a regal appearance to it, with its head lifted high and mighty. It had a head, torso and arms of a very buff-looking man and the rest of its body was a horse's with dappled white spots over a brown coat.
"What should we do with this young foal?" The centaur asked the others.
"Bane, it's a wizard foal from the Hogwarts School." One called out. Bane must have been the leader's name. "It must've come here at its own will. Let us leave it be."
"Yes! Let it be!" The others chorused in agreement, cantering their hooves.
"It is not our problem should any harm be in its way." Bane announced. "Rowan, what do the heavens tell us?"
"It is a full moon tonight! The alignment of the stars is the most unusual one. It predicts of a great event within out mist!" The centaur called Rowan, replied.
Full moon? Teddy thought fearfully. Despite the fact that lycanthropy had not been passed down to Ted, he still had some wolf-like characteristics during the full moon such as his pupils dilating slightly and his teeth becoming sharper and longer.
"A full moon night? There would be odd happenings beyond the Veil."
Beyond the Veil? The centaurs can't possibly mean the dead, can they? Thoughts raced through Ted's mind. For a moment, the young Metamorphmagus wanted the centaurs to leave. Their Divination was freaking him out. And they seemed to have forgotten about him. Hoping vainly that Hagrid would arrive soon, Ted silently slipped out of the company of the beasts.
Ted was terribly afraid now. If there were "odd happenings" then the Forbidden Forest was definitely not the right place to right place to be. Teddy's sense of smell was enhanced slightly due the lingering effects of his father's lycanthropy and he could detect many of the creatures which lived in the forest. He could sense many eyes on him that didn't belong to the centaurs who he had met earlier and he knew that other magical creatures had known that there was a newcomer in their forest territory. For a moment, Ted wondered why they were bidding their time, instead of confronting him and attack but then he realised that they were waiting for him to make the first move.
Panicking for the umpteenth time, Teddy glanced around wildly for any sign of Hagrid. I'm so lost and alone. I wish that I can find my way out of here. He thought fearfully. Suddenly, Ted felt his body tingle and the tingle became more painful and more pronounced. It spread from his chest and outwards through his arms and legs. Grimacing with pain, Teddy shut his eyes. His body felt as if it had many needles sticking into him and he wondered if his Metamorphmagus abilities were working overdrive because the strange sensation felt similar to when he was morphing. That tended to happen when he felt extremities of emotion.
But Metamorphing only lasted for a few seconds. This feeling was lasting for more than a five minutes. Teddy squeezed his eyes closer and brought his hands close to his face in an attempt to stop the pain but he found that it was harder to move his limbs, suddenly.
It was as if Teddy's entire bone and muscle structure had changed but he knew that wasn't possible. Metamorphing only affected the outside of his body, not the inside. Unless...
Oh bloody great Merlin! Am I becoming an animagus? Teddy Lupin thought as he doubled over, slamming his front paws onto the soft earth of the ground.
For what seemed like eternity, Teddy stood still, eyes closed, unmoving, with all fours on the ground. Heart hammering against his chest, Ted tentatively opened an eye and he took a glance at his surroundings. His view of perception had changed dramatically, he could see all around him and his eye sight became keener and clearer. Teddy cautiously glanced at his body and his suspicions were confirmed as he saw that he indeed had become an animal. Shaking himself to rid of the leaves which had collected in his fur, Teddy swished his bushy tail back and forth. He took another look at his body and he realised that he had become a sandy coloured wolf.
Suddenly, Ted took in his surroundings. Despite the darkness of the night, he could still see very clearly as if it were broad daylight. Lifting his snout to the air, he took a deep breath and he could detect the scent of all the trees around him and identify what type it was. The forest didn't seem as dark and forbidding as before and he felt an urge to run through it and chase the unsuspecting rabbit or squirrel. He caught the scent of a fresh water stream somewhere to his left and Ted dashed in the direction of the scent. At first, it felt odd to be running of all fours and use the sense of smell as navigation but after a while, his instincts took over and Ted ran as if he were born to. He relished the feel of the wind rushing through his fur as his pace quickened and he felt a sense of belonging which he had never felt before. Not even when he was at home with grandma Andromeda.
This fic will probably get really slow updates unless I get some reviews. So please review if you are interested in this story!
~Wolfmilk