Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Working on the Transformation

Hermione frowned down at her map. She had been trying, for quite some time, to add the room that they had just discovered on it, but for some reason it wouldn't work. She was really confused by this, because she knew she was saying the spell correctly. She had researched this for the last few days but still nothing happened when she tried the spell.

"What's the matter?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrow at Hermione questioningly. Usually when she looks that angry, it was because he was the one doing it, but he'd actually been study semi quietly.

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes narrowed in a way that caused him to gulp.

"What … I didn't do anything," he said and only realized when she looked away from him that she wasn't actually angry with him at all.

"I know," she grumbled.

"What is it?" Harry asked frowning now.

Hermione made a face before she said, "I can't figure out how to make it work."

"I see," Ron said, his mouth going thin in his efforts not to laugh. Only Hermione would be this upset about not being able to do something. Her eyes narrowed again, and this time he knew that she was angry with him. It was a look, after all, that he was quite familiar with.

"Can't make what work?" Harry asked, he too was amused but either he was better at hiding this fact, or it just didn't bother Hermione as much, Harry wasn't sure. Still he was glad he didn't have to deal with Hermione's angry glances very often.

"I've been trying to add the room to the map," Hermione explained in a whisper, they were in the common room after all, though it was in the corner and she had preformed a spell that made it more difficult for them to be noticed.

"And it doesn't work?" Harry frowned and now she was glaring at him.

"That's what I just said, wasn't it?" Hermione snapped. "I'm sure that I'm doing the spell right … this is so annoying!"

"Maybe you should talk to Luna about this … she was pretty helpful the last time you couldn't work the spells for the map," Ron said in a sing song voice and quivered when she turned to glower at him. "What … it's true?"

"She's already told me how to do the spells … I've read all the books …" Hermione huffed. "I've already added things to my map …"

"You have?" Harry asked surprised. "Like what?"

"Er … just small things, nothing important," Hermione said.

"It probably has something to do with finding all the professors' living quarters or something like that," Ron guessed.

Hermione's glare was ruined by her blush. "That's not important right now."

"You're right," Harry agreed. "What's important is why you can't add this room to the map."

"Maybe it's because the room isn't always there," Ron suggested.

Hermione looked at him with an opened mouth.

"I think you surprised her with your logic there, mate," Harry chuckled.

"Shut up, Harry," Ron glared at his friend before crossing his arms in an obvious form of sulking.

"That's really is a good theory," Hermione said. "I wonder if there's something about the door that makes it so it can't be put down on a map."

"Hm?" Harry said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's unplottable."

"Unplottable?" Hermione asked.

"It means that the place is unable to be put down on any map or written work," Harry said. "It would make sense for a room like that … it doesn't even exist unless someone needs it."

"Why are you so angry now?" Ron asked, still sitting with his arms cross, he was looking rather annoyed himself now.

"I've wasted days trying to figure this out when I should have been studying!" Hermione exclaimed and both boys couldn't help but burst into laughter at her words and expressions. Though she tried not to, Hermione couldn't help but laugh with them.

After laughing for a while, Harry gathered himself. "If the room is unplottable, then I can't be sure that Moony and the others don't know about the place or not."

"That's true, the Marauders might have found this place and just couldn't add it to their map," Ron frowned. "Does this mean that we're going to have to find a different place to practice?"

"I don't think that's necessary," Hermione said. "The room gives you whatever you want after all. I'm positive there's a way to make sure that no one can find you, even if they know that you're using the room."

"That's a good point," Harry smiled at her; he was looking forward to using the room and was glad that they didn't need to find anywhere else to go. "You know, if we found this room back in first year we won't have had to learn those spells to get the books out of the library … we could have just wished them to be there."

"But then we wouldn't …" Hermione started to say but trailed off, her eyes going round. "Merlin, I didn't think of that!"

"What?" the boys asked in unison, both looking worried.

"I can use the room to get any book I need," Hermione said smiling. "I can do all kind of research in there … this is fantastic!"

"Geesh Hermione, don't get us all worked up like that," Ron grumbled. "I thought something bad had happened."

"Sorry," Hermione said, not really looking sorry at all. She actually looked like she wanted to run off to the room right now, to see if she was in fact right about her theory.

"I could lend you my Cloak if you want to go so badly," Harry said with an amused smile.

"Huh?" Hermione said looking at him, it was now after hours. "No … that's okay, I'll wait until tomorrow."

O

"Hm … why do I get the feeling that I'm going to have to go and look here, whenever Hermione is missing in the future?" Ron asked as they opened the door to their new hang out. Hermione was already there; presumptively she had woken up early to check out her theory.

"Because you're probably right," Harry shrugged. "It seems like the room can give you anything that you wish for."

"Harry … Ron? When did you guys get here?" Hermione asked then, looking up from one of the many books that were surrounding her.

"Just now," Ron chuckled.

"You know it would have been nice if you told us you were coming here," Harry said, "Ron's been worrying about you all morning."

"Shut up Harry, I have not," Ron said, his ear's turning red.

"Sorry," Hermione said looking sheepish, "I just couldn't wait to see if it was true or not. I really am able to get any book that I need from here. Not only that, I was wondering what this room was and this book came. It explains what it's called …"

"And what's that?" Harry asked, knowing that she wasn't going to tell him if he didn't interrupt.

"The Room of Coming and Goings or the Room of Requirement," Hermione said.

"Cool … finally we know what to call this place instead of just the room," Harry smiled. "What else did that book tell you?"

"It just explained why the founders had decided to make this room and some of the fundamental rules that can't be broke here even if the magic is …"

"Speak English," Ron cut in. "What are some of these rules?"

"Well, the one that you'll care about most is that you can't make food appear in here," Hermione said.

"What?" Ron said looking truly crestfallen upon hearing that.

"It says here it's the first of five Principal Exceptions of Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration that food can't be made out of nothing and …"

"Stupid law, why did he have to go and make something like that," Ron grumbled.

"Ron!" Hermione said rolling her eyes in exasperation. "It's not that kind of law … it's a law of nature … and in this case a law of the nature of magic."

"It's still a stupid law," Ron shrugged. "Harry what are we going to do about this?"

"It's not the end of the world Ron," Harry chuckled. "We are able to bring food in here; we're just not able to wish food to suddenly appear."

"Argh, is food seriously all you can think of," Hermione grumbled from her seat and then turned back to her books and started reading again. Harry walked over to the table and picked up the book about the room so that he could read it. It wasn't a big book so he was able to finish it in half an hour. It seemed that the room was made for two reasons. The first and most valid reason was because the mixture of so much strong and descent magic of the founders left a excess of magic in the air that needed to be channeled somewhere. The founder had argued for a long time how this magic should be channeled until Ravenclaw had suggested making a room that would be able to help the students in a time of need. It was also made in the hopes that if anything was to happen inside the halls of Hogwarts that there would be a way to protect the students in any means that was necessary.

It wasn't long after Harry had finished reading the book that the other came to join them for their first practical lesson in their transformation. Hermione put down one of the larger books that she was reading and made her way to join the group noticing that all eyes were on her.

"Well, the book said that there is actually two ways to go through the transformation," Hermione said after clearing her throat. "The first, and I think that this is the way that the Marauders did it, is to only use transfiguration and learn how to transform yourself starting with your toes until you learn how to do the head, which at that time the transformation will be complete.

"The second way is to take a potion that is rather difficult to make and dangerous if it is made incorrectly," Hermione said. "We will still need to transform ourselves in a simpler manner as the first way, but it will make the transformation smoother."

"Which way is easier?" Harry asked.

"That depends on what comes more naturally to you," was Hermione's answer. "Like I said, I'm sure that the Marauders had taken the transformation only route because you said both your dad and Sirius are good at transfiguration …"

"Not to mention they sucked at potions," Harry added.

"That too," Hermione said.

"How hard is the potion to make?" Fred asked. "It can't be any harder than the Polyjuice Potion you've already made, can it?"

"Actually it is," Hermione said.

"Do you think you can make it?" Neville asked.

"I think so," Hermione said biting her lip.

"How dangerous is it if the potion is made incorrectly?" Luna asked, her eyes were very serious for Luna, and it was easy to see that she was concerned.

"It's not deadly, but it is painful," Hermione said. "Not to mention everyone will know what we've been up to and we would probably be expelled from Hogwarts."

"And that's nothing to what Mum would do once she gets a hold of us," Ginny added to her brothers, who all shuddered at the idea of that suggestion.

"Okay, so what are the problems with just doing the transfiguration?" George asked.

"Well, there is no grantee that things would go smoothly this way either," Hermione said. "If the potion is made correctly, it would make the transformation both quicker and less dangerous in the future."

"Will it hurt if we try to learn the Transfiguration way right now, and then later take the potion?" Ron asked.

"Hm …" Hermione said thoughtfully. "As far as I've read, you can take the potion at any time while you try to transform yourself."

"Then I say that we try to make the potion and if it doesn't look like you made it right …" Ron started to say.

"Why wouldn't I make it right?" Hermione demanded, now glaring at him.

"You're the one that just said that it was difficult," Ron rolled his eyes.

"That doesn't mean that I think I won't make it right!" Hermione huffed.

"Then why are you trying to scare us all by telling us how dangerous it is if you're so sure that you can make it right?" Ron pointed out hotly.

"Because it is dangerous!" Hermione said. "Everyone should know how much they're risking before they attempt to do this! You can't just go rushing into something like this!"

"Rushing! Who are you saying is rushing?!" Ron glared at her. "I was just saying that we should be cautious!"

"No! You just said that you don't think I can make the potion properly!"

"Wow, I've never seen so many Argouaunts in one place before!" Luna gasped, looking at the very angry Ron and Hermione, who were still arguing.

"Do they do that often?" Ginny asked Harry, who was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"All the time," Harry sighed, but he noticed that his friends were no longer arguing, but now looking embarrassed as the twins sniggered.

"That's good, I'll probably be able to see more Argouaunts then," Luna smiled. "They love arguments."

"Well, now that there's no more yelling going on," Fred said laughing as Ron crossed his arms looking annoyed and Hermione still looked embarrassed. "I think that Ron had a good point. We can always make the potion and see if it's done correctly."

"Which I'm sure it will be," George added on for his twin because Hermione was now glaring at him.

"You're right, it is a good precaution," Hermione finally admitted and Ron smiled smugly at her.

"So in the mean time we can work on how to transfigure ourselves right," Harry said quickly so that another fight wouldn't start.

"Yes," Hermione agreed, turning her back on Ron and looking only at Harry. "I have a book for everyone that shows the right way to say the spell and the proper wand motions. Like I said before you have to start the transformation with your toes and move your way up your body."

"Well then, what are we waiting for," Fred said. "Let's get working."