Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling does.

Harry, Ron and Hermione silently crept under the invisibility cloak to the edge of the Black Lake in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The lake was calm and the silver orb which was the moon was reflected peacefully into the water of the lake. Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced around, took off the invisibility cloak and headed towards the bank of the Black Lake where there was a small bush. Hermione extracted a small black box which was inscribed 'The Marauders'.

"Ron, hand me a Mandrake leaf," said Hermione. Ron reached out and took the leaf which Harry was holding.

"Oi!" Harry said, who snatched the leaf back. "That's my lucky leaf!"

"There's no such thing Harry," Hermione said, sticking another Mandrake leaf into her mouth. Harry and Ron followed suit. They were hoping to become an animagus. Of course, they wouldn't tell anyone, they would be bound to be reported to the Ministry of Magic. Harry was hoping to use his animagus transformation to help him in the first task and as Hermione pointed out, since Harry was learning to become an animagus, it might be good for her and Ron to undergo the process too to check their work. Harry and Ron were deeply shocked by this: Hermione had never been the sort to break rules. So after tips from Sirius and secretly stealing the required ingredients, they started. They had to wait a long time since the process could only be done in the presence of lightning. They all found that Sirius's tips came very handy. For instance, Sirius had recommended a sticking charm to keep the Mandrake from falling or accidentally swallowing it. Ron swallowed three leaves before he had used a sticking charm. They did as the instructions Harry had got from Sirius said and did everything as correctly as they could. Hermione had to keep correcting Ron, who kept sticking his Mandrake leaf in the wrong place. Finally, the last day had come. They hoped that they had done the process correctly and as Ron pointed helpfully out, they wouldn't want to be stuck forever in half transformation.

Unknownst to them, in the bush behind the lake, a tiny beetle with little marks around its eyes was practically quivering with excitement. Rita Skeeter, in her animagus form, was watching them out of the bushes. "What a scandal !" Rita thought ecstatically. "The boy-who-lived, Gryffindor's golden boy caught sneaking out at night and illegally becoming an animagus!" Of course, Rita Skeeter conveniently forgot that she was an illegal animagus herself.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were now busy preparing their final step. They took out their vials, which they had hidden in a safe place. Harry looked at the bottle. It now contained a bright red substance.

"Ready?" said Hermione nervously. "I think we've done everything alright. On the count of three then. One, two, three!" Harry, Ron and Hermione gulped down the potion and drew their wands. "Amato Animo Animato Animagus" they chanted in unison. At once, a searing pain broke through their chests and they saw the creatures they would become. Hermione saw herself as a little humming bird with a brown bit near the head. Ron saw himself as a grand, roaring lion, with its enormous legs. Harry's form, however, was rather peculiar. Harry thought he had seen his form before. Then it hit him. He had seen this creature before, he had seen it in a magazine a dirty rblonde girl was reading. It was a crumple horned snorkack! It was a very peculiar creature, with deep purple skin, curling purple horns and a short, squashed snout, the type you would find on a pig. Its eyes, however, still retained the twinkling emerald eyes of Harry Potter.

"You know what your form is right?" said Ron excitedly. "You wouldn't guess what my form is. It's a lion! Mum and dad are going to be sooo proud!"

"Ron, we're not telling anyone," said Hermione impatiently. "It's illegal, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Ron said, disappointed.

"Can we transform now?" Harry said.

"Alright. One, two three!" Hermione whispered. A curious sensation spread through the three. Then, suddenly, they began to transform. Ron had started growing fur and rapidly sharpening teeth was beginning to emerge. Hermione was beginning to shrink and a beak started to form. Meanwhile, Harry's skin colour began to change to bright purple and he could feel horns starting to grow on top of his head. The transformed trio looked at each other. Hermione started to make bird noises and began panicking, flying away to the treetops. Ron let out a strangled roar and reared upon his shoulders.

Rita Skeeter looked fascinated as she watched them begin their transformation. She saw them chant the words and claw their chests in pain. Slowly, they began to transform. The red head boy began growing into a lion, the bushy haired girl began to shrink into a bird but it was the Potter boy's transformation that surprised her. It was the oddest creature she had ever seen! With its purple skin and curled horns, it made the boy seem like a deformed unicorn! The bird suddenly chirped and flew away. Rita Skeeter transformed and stepped out of the bushes, hoping to confront them when the most terrifying creature stood in front of her. The lion had risen on his hind legs and was roaring at her! Acting on instinct, she transformed back into a beetle and scurried away frantically.

Ron roared and chased after her, determined to catch the beetle. "It seemed like the animagus Ron was very dim witted too" thought Harry, observing the scene rapidly unfurling beneath him. Just then Ron pounced and a cracking noise ripped through the air and a squashed beetle lay before Ron, who had just transformed back and had his arms over his face.

"What did I do!" Ron moaned, kneeling on the floor.

The end.