Marina's plan had worked without a hitch. Faced with her animagus training already accomplished, Remus hadn't been able to argue.

Christmas Eve had been just the four of them, so today they were having lunch with the Tonks and the Notts. Merlin help Harry handle her crazy family.

Right now her brother was putting on his Quidditch clothes and getting ready to fly. There were about 245 acres of forest right behind their backyard and her Dad and Remus had walked in for about five minutes before clearing out trees – they'd turned it into firewood and given it to a muggle homeless shelter – so there was a practice field.

"Will aurors be there?" Harry grumbled but his mood instantly changed when he grabbed his new broomstick. Her father was a genius: he'd bought him the best broomstick on the market so far. Even Marina had to admit that the Firebolt was pretty damn beautiful.

Hermione had been in on it and had gotten him a Broomstick Servicing Kit, so it was a good thing he'd spend so much money to get his overachieving friend a new schoolbag – complete with

Undetectable Extension and Light-As-a-Feather Charms. Now she could haul around as many books and supplies as she wanted and wouldn't even feel the weight.

"Not today," she replied belatetly. "Dad's technically on vacation but he'll be on protective duty. You got your sneakoscope?" Ron had outdone himself, getting one for him. Harry, in turn, had asked her Dad to get Ron tickets for the next match of his Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons.

The trio had sure put Marina to shame this year, as far as presents went. Even if, as she noted with a small smile, Harry had the red-gold stag brooch she'd gotten him pinned to his robe.

"Yes. But Sirius is taking the one we got him, right?"

"Naturally. Always have it with you, Harry, especially with my mental case of a cousin on the lose."

"What will you be doing?" Harry asked as they watched her Dad grab the Nimbus 2001 he'd gotten for the house. The Black Family vault must have screamed in protest at losing so much money at once; then again the compensation from the Ministry had helped.

"Studying for my O.W.L.s and reading the book Carmen got me." Some best friends they were – giving each other books for Christmas.

"And Professor Lupin?"

"Remus is out getting the next creature he's going to throw at you in class." He really needed to stop calling him Professor at home; among other things because her Dad always burst out chuckling when he did.

She really expected him to nod and then run out to fly – it was the first quality time alone he got with his godfather. Instead, he made sure said wizard was outside and couldn't hear before looking at her, getting all nervous.

"You think I can become an animagus too?" he asked so fast she almost didn't understand him.

Marina sighed under her breath – she really should have seen this coming (no, the irony of that statement given her reluctance of Seeing was not lost on her). After she'd turned back human, her brother had spent the remainder of breakfast questioning her and Dad about animagi. The process was a tedious and time-consuming one but that hadn't seemed to bother him.

Chanting the bloody incantation every night before bed was the least annoying part. The potion was mighty difficult and if one thing went wrong you could end up turning into an animal forever or having a tail or scales forever – and you had to brew it yourself because, much like Polyjuice Potion, it needed your hair. Never mind the bloody Mandrake you had to harvest yourself.

Elias and David were both animagi too, though she had no clue what animals, so they'd supervised Carmen and Marina during the practice potions – they'd vanished them afterwards so no one could come to harm. When they'd gotten it right three times in a row, Elias had declared that they were ready for the real thing. Since the man was getting his Potions Mastery without even working with his master full time and while working as an auror, even McGonagall trusted his judgment.

The only improvement to all of it was that you didn't have to wait for an actual thunderstorm anymore to finish it – someone had invented the Lightning Curse which worked just as well. She had mentally thanked the very brave (or insane) wizard who'd tested it and risked the Animagus Potion backfiring.

And after all of that, the real training started. Turning at will was harder than it sounded, given you needed a great deal of focus, if only for a few seconds to start the transformation. But then what? As an animal you had muscles you hadn't had before or had never used. So the next step was physical exercise in your animagus form, and the turning back afterwards.

Overall it took several months before you could change at will, run or fly around as an animal, and change back again without having very sore muscles the next day.

Now there was Harry, thirteen years old, and wanted to do it. Marina could hardly blame him when everyone in the family could change.

"You won't turn into a stag, Harry," she cautioned. "The animagus form comes from your personality and the stag just isn't you."

"That's okay, Professor McGonagall mentioned that," Harry said quietly. "But you said you did it because you get into trouble a lot and well... I'm hoping for a bird actually."

She reached out and ruffled his hair.

"Alright. I'll ask McGonagall about it – because you're only doing it if she helps."

"Thanks!" he beamed and hugged her. "I'll ask Ron and Hermione too!" With that rather troubling announcement he finally went outside to have fun with his godfather.

Marina watched with a broad smile as they mounted their broomstick and zoomed in the direction of the training field. An image flashed through her head, of a very exasperated Minerva McGonagall surrounded by a few third-years, and she choked a laugh. Apparently, Harry would get his wish. And he wasn't the only one.

Lunchtime, Christmas Day

The Notts' living room was full. Marina still wasn't sure exactly how they'd fit all seventeen of them in the dining room. She absently wondered just how they were going to manage at New Year's when, as a surprise for Harry, they'd all get together with the Weasleys and the Grangers.

Bianca had, of course, brought her fiancé. Talib Onkoro was the man's name. The eldest Nott had come home with him right after school had started again, had told her parents he'd proposed and then they'd stayed a month so the man could get to know her family and vice versa.

According to a very impressed Laura, he'd gone to Uagadou, the African Wizarding School, and graduated with high marks. Jupiter, equally fond of his future son-in-law, had proceeded to tell everyone that Talib was an Advocate and had just finished his Mastery in Law.

Talib himself, clearly uncomfortable with all the praise, had just said that his occupation would make it easier for him to move to England, if that's what Bianca wanted once her Mastery was done.

With that one statement, Bianca's siblings were sold on their future brother as well and she was so happy Marina got dizzy from it.

Nobody mentioned Jenna's absence and Marina didn't dare comment on David's indifference to it.

But the biggest surprise of all had been someone else: Benjamin and Theo Nott had attended the family Christmas celebration. For the first time in 25 years, the brothers were under the same roof for the holidays.

It had been very tense and awkward at first.

But then Harry, bless his heart, had teased Theo about how Gryffindor was going to beat Slytherin on the Quidditch pitch and Theo, to everyone's shock, had replied that it wouldn't be hard to do given the team was made of trolls instead of athletes. The boys had blinked, stunned by their agreement, and the ice had been broken.

Between Laura and Dromeda there had been a Feast worthy of Hogwarts and everyone had stuffed themselves just as much as everyone always did at the castle.

Now Harry was sitting next to Theo and they were animatedly chatting with Remus about how he had encountered all the creatures he kept confronting them with. He was grinning broader with every story he told, as the boys' eyes got wider and wider.

Her Dad was sitting with the other parents and they were discussing who knew what. Hopefully, given that it was Christmas, it wasn't work-related.

Marina was sitting with Carmen, her older siblings, Talib and Elias and had just finished telling them what had happened this morning.

"He wants to become an animagus?" Bianca replied bemused when she was done.

"Yes. It shouldn't have surprised me. Between Dad and me, and James back then, half the people he knows are animagi. Plus, it would be a great ace up his sleeve the next time he gets into trouble."

And there would be a next time, she had no illusions about that.

"What did Sirius say?" Elias asked curiously. Marina shook her head.

"I haven't told him yet. I told Harry I'd ask McGonagall about it – there is no point in freaking Dad and Remus out if she says No."

"You told him he probably won't be a stag, right?" David questioned and conjured them all a new round of eggnog.

"I did. But that didn't bother him at all. He says he's hoping for a bird."

Something else she should have known. She'd seldom seen anyone, aside from Carmen, who loved flying so much. It would be different as a bird, but he'd still love it if her best friend was any indication.

"Did you warn him that if he got his wish he'd be sore for three or four months?" Carmen grumbled but her blue eyes sparkled merrily – she always turned into her red kite form and flew when she couldn't risk a broomstick because they were too close to muggles.

It was just fortunate she actually turned into an animal native to Britain.

Marina's own lynx form had only been native a few centuries ago but they'd been reintroduced through breeding a few decades back; lucky for her.

"No. But if he does turn into a bird, would you mind giving him flying lessons? McGonagall is great with the process and all – but she's a cat. She doesn't have wings and wing-muscles."

"Sure thing," Carmen agreed immediately. "Is he going to do it alone?"

"I doubt it," Marina snorted. "He already said he'd ask Ron and Hermione. And I had a Seeing that suggests that one more will join them."

Before any of them could ask, Laura called Carmen and Bianca over to help her with something. Elias mumbled something about getting ready and went upstairs.

"You think McGonagall will go for it?" David asked and took Carmen's seat next to her.

"I know she will. That Seeing was too specific to not come true."

"Splendid," Talib commented, his African accent still pretty pronounced. "It is a magnificent experience." Given that he'd only been here for roughly four months, his English was excellent.

Marina narrowed her eyes and looked at him more closely, sensing joy.

And for the first time in her life, she had a Seeing on command: replacing Talib with a hyena.

"So it's true what I've read?" she asked him. "Everyone at Uagadou becomes an animagus?"

"Most of us," he nodded, smiling as he realised she'd figured him out.

Then Bianca called his name and Marina felt his heart literally skip a beat before a goofy smile spread over his face. Those two had it really bad.

She looked over at Harry and saw he was playing Exploding Snap with Theo. Who would have thought? Slytherins and Gryffindors could get along.

"He looks happy," David commented, following her gaze.

"He is," she confirmed. "The only time I ever sensed that from him before was on the pitch. And the day Dad was declared innocent."

She waited a beat, but David didn't bring up any other subject, so she figured she might as well get it over with – she was too curious for her own damn good.

"So... you're okay with Jenna not being here?"

"You need to ask?" he countered but was still smiling.

"No but... that doesn't really make any sense."

"You sensed it in Hogsmeade already, didn't you?"

"Hey, I wish I wouldn't sense everything," she said defensively. "Most of the things I sense, I don't want to know. If you can come up with a spell or potion to block it, you let me know."

David put both their glasses on the side table and hugged her with one arm, leaning back.

"When I said Jenna and I have been seeing each other on and off since Hogwarts, I should have said mostly off. Last time we were separated for almost a year. She came back when she got the job she wanted."

Marina wisely bit her tongue. Jenna was officially a fool. No woman with half her brain cells intact would pass up a chance to be with David.

Sure, he had a lousy temper when you caught him on a bad day, but you just had to know how to handle him in a mood. And he loathed every student or alumni of Durmstrang on principle – which was just plain unfair; it wasn't their fault their Headmaster was a Death Eater.

But other than that, David was a great catch – his own sisters even said so, if not to his face.

"And this time?" she asked, hoping her derision wouldn't sound through.

"This time the split is permanent," he answered, with a sense of finalty about it.

"Sorry." Not sorry.

"No, it's better like this. We've both changed. She really doesn't like you," he added jokingly. But Marina was well aware that he was serious.

"Yes, well, I really don't like her either. On principle."

"And on that cheery note-," David said and got all giddy inside – not something she sensed too often from grown men. "-your present." He pulled out a 6 inch long and 5 inch broad object, gift-wrapped and flat.

"Which part of you don't have to get me presents did not register?" she asked. Elias and David lived in Central London, close to the office, and most their salary was spent on rent and... well, food.

David just made a get-on-with-it gesture and Marina ripped away the paper.

She almost dropped it in shock when she saw what it was.

"Merlin. David, you're crazy," she whispered, awed.

That sodding fool had gotten her a Scrying Mirror. They were very rare, as only a few people made them and only bothered to do so every few years. Not to mention they cost a fortune.

With one of those magical mirrors, seers could control their Sight better; could channel the vague images into actual ones.

"It wasn't as expensive as you think," he assured her at her stunned epression. "I know the witch who made it and when she heard it was for you, she made me a good deal."

Ah. He'd met a member of the Marina Black Fanclub. Ugh. People were absolute idiots.

Still, he had just made her life easier and might even have handed her a way to decipher her bloody dream visions enough to stop Bellatrix.

Marina leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

David kissed her back, on the temple, before getting up and heading upstairs, presumably to check on Elias.

"I heard all that," Carmen said and Marina twisted to look at her. She'd come back into the room through the second door, behind the couch she was sitting on.

"He's mental," Marina told her friend. "Good deal or not, he must have spent 50 to 70 galleons at least."

"So? You think the camera Elias got me was any cheaper?"

"Then they're both nuts." But she knew exactly why Elias was spending so much money for Carmen. If he wasn't careful David might catch on, and somehow she doubted he'd be thrilled about his best friend having a crush on his baby sister.

"And we spent just as much," Carmen added pointedly, sitting down again.

Marina had bought David a Probity Probe, Carmen had gotten a Secrecy Sensor for Elias. Both were dark detectors of varying range and strength.

"They're aurors, they need them. And we still live at home."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Marina," Carmen huffed, the exasperation she was sensing clearly sounding through. "You have a crush on my brother."

Her words hit Marina with the force of bludgers. She immediately looked to check if anyone had heard her brilliant, but cazy, friend. Thankfully, everyone was preoccupied.

"I do not," she refuted sternly.

"You look more exited about seeing him, when it's his turn to guard you, than you do about going on a date with Cederic."

Marina winced. She'd started seeing Cederic Diggory at the beginning of the year. The Hufflepuff student was a year ahead of her, Captain of his Quidditch team and a good person through and through. They always had fun on their dates – especially since he never even saw her constant shadows, thanks to their discretion. He really liked her too; her empathy had made that clear.

Unfortunately, she suspected Carmen was right. Marina always did look forward to David's shift. But that didn't mean she had a crush on him, right?

"You didn't like Jenna, either," Carmen continued, as if knowing she was mentally collecting evidence to the contrary.

"You don't like Jenna," Marina countered.

Could what she'd felt in Hogsmeade have been jealousy? No, no way, she wasn't that petty.

The subject of their discussion walked back in, Elias in tow and they were both carrying their favorite hobbies: David his cello and Elias his violin. Music was pretty much the only thing that worked the same in the wizarding world as it did in the muggle world.

The two were setting up for a home concert and Marina couldn't help the sappy smile. It had been years since she'd heard them play.

"I rest my case," Carmen shook her head, motioning at Marina's face.

They settled back into the cushions and Carmen's heart sped up as Elias smiled at her.

And then her best friend was, as per usual, proven right. David winked at Marina as he settled into position and her own heart skipped a few beats. She'd never noticed before. Merlin help her.

Her realisation must've shown because Carmen took and squeezed her hand.

"It's not a big deal," the brunette whispered reassuringly. But it was.

How could she possibly expect that David saw her as anything but his sister's best friend whom he had grown up with?

And she knew from her mother that the worst that could happen was to be in love with someone who didn't love you back.

29th December 1993, Full Moon

"Dear Ms Black,

I have considered your inquiry at great deal and discussed it with Professor Sprout and the Headmaster.

We are in agreement that Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Ms Granger have the necessary magical reserve to complete the transition into animagi.

Professor Sprout has agreed to help them harvest the Mandrake leaves needed. The plants will have matured enough sometime in March.

Also, Ms Bones will be joining the extra lessons as well.

Madame Bones, Mr and Mrs Weasley, and Mr and Mrs Granger have already sent the signed permission to my office. I have attached Mr Potter's copy.

I will expect Mr Potter in my office, first day back at school around 5pm so we can discuss a lesson schedule.

Best wishes for the rest of your holidays.

Professor Minerva McGonagall"

And once again her Sight had proven right; Susan was the extra third-year she'd seen in her vision.

McGonagall had to suspect that she hadn't told her Dad anything yet, or her Head of House would have written to Harry directly. This way, if it backfired, Marina could take the blame.

So she took the letter and permission slip and went to her Dad's study. She couldn't very well let Harry go to The Burrow, not knowing if he was allowed to train or not. Not with Ron already having permission.

The study was really more of a library with a very small desk and a lot of room for her Dad to pace. He tended to do that when frustrated.

Right now he was reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them after the subject of Buckbeak and the hearing had come up again.

"Harry still upstairs?" he asked as she entered, not even looking up.

"Buried in Quidditch statistics and trying to pick a team," she confirmed. With the money the Ministry had given to Harry, damages for locking up his godfather and leaving him with the Dursleys, he could by himself season tickets for the next three years.

"You bought him a year's subscription of Seeker Weekly. What did you expect?"

"He loves Quidditch and he could never actually join the arguments in the dormitory. Now he can."

Not fitting in was no fun, she knew that. Now the best Seeker Hogwarts had ever seen could actually discuss Quidditch on a larger scale.

"So what's up?" her Dad asked after marking his page.

Marina walked over and handed him the pieces of paper without a word.

"When did you have time to set that up?" he wondered while reading the permission slip.

"I sent Hedwig Christmas Day – I figured Ron and Hermione would be all for it. I didn't think she'd actually answer so fast though."

Sirius Black, renowned Hit Wizard, looked at her very worriedly.

"Yes, I warned him he wouldn't get James' form. He's fine with it. We both explained the process. He really wants this."

"You'll keep an eye on him?"

"Always," she nodded. "And if he gets his wish and wings, Carmen agreed to teach him to fly."

Her Dad was the only one she'd told that her friend had mastered the skill too. Otherwise there would really be no point in not registering. If Harry thought he was surrounded by animagi now, she couldn't wait to see his face when he realised just how many it really were.

"Alright." The permission was signed without further preamble. Marina couldn't help but wonder which present was better: the Firebolt or permission to become an animagus.

"Right. So now he and Ron can spend all night guessing what they'll turn into."

"Any ideas?" her Dad asked curiously.

Well... Last night she'd woken up after a Seeing dream and had, still so drowsy she could barely see, written down a poem. A grammatically challenged poem but still.

Across the sky black feathers sail,

Seeking treasure without fail,

Whilst feline grace and amber fur

From the ground watch it occur.

On a tree branch, protective keeper,

Nimbly climbing, always eager,

With copper fur a sharing friend,

Hidden well, a perfect blend.

Then again, Seeings never made sense so why should they in written form?

"Maybe," she answered her father. "But I don't want to say anything, in case I got this one wrong."

After another hour of letting Harry stay disappeared in his world of Quidditch and checking his Rune homework – flawless all over – they send him off to the Burrow.

Remus was still not thrilled that she was staying but she ignored his grumblings by now.

Elias had mixed him the Wolfsbane Potion, after her Dad had bought ingredients to last for several moons, and he'd dutifully taken it all week before dinner.

Marina followed her father down to the basement – and got another shock for life. He'd had someone cast an extremely powerful Undetectable Extension Charm and now their basement could pass as a wildlife preserve – minus the animals.

"Just how in Merlin's name did you manage to plant growing trees in here? There's no sun!"

It was like standing at the edge of a forest.

"Spelled lamps," her Dad ansered, grinning broadly. "I had a Preservation Charm cast too, so nothing will die out."

"Forest in a bottle," she mumbled, forgetting that he wouldn't understand the muggle reference.

Then Remus joined them down there and he already looked positively awful. He'd transform soon.

Marina looked at her Dad and they transformed simultaneously – she was almost as fast as him now. Once again, she had to rub her nose and the big, black goof let out a bark that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

She hissed – or tried to anyway. Lynx didn't hiss. No, the sounds they made sounded more like... a human woman starting to get hoarse from screeching in outrage. At low volume, it could pass as a pathetic meow, but anything louder...

Marina flinched when it came out; that was the one thing she didn't like about her animal form. She didn't sound that much like a banshee when she was human, for Merlin's sake.

The dog nuzzled her head with his and Remus grinned at the both of them.

For all his protest, he was glad not to be alone.

The grin vanished when the moon was at its apex and Remus succumbed to its effects. Watching it happen was horrible – but feeling it happen... She'd never told him that she could sense it, even all the way through the castle.

Once the pain subsided in both of them, he shook his furry head as if to clear it. When he looked up, it was Remus looking at them.

As one, the three of them started running and a very weird game of Tag began. This was going to be fun.