Chapter 78

Presents for Moony

Peter,

The potion is nearly done and it looks exactly like it's supposed to, which in itself makes me nervous. Is it really possible that we actually managed to do this correctly on the first try? I mean sure between the two of us we've got more skill than our entire class combined, but... Is it really possible? Sirius is pretty confident, he read the description of how it's supposed to turn out three times, and apparently that was as much confirmation as he needed. I wish I could be that sure.

Well anyway, you need to see about coming over Thursday. I know it's Christmas Eve, but maybe you could tell them I'm planning a Christmas party or that we need to do some last minute shopping or something. It absolutely has to be done on Thursday. The book reminds us that the leeway of time is only like half an hour at least fifteen times.

Okay, well, owl me about when you're coming over, make it before noon...

We are complete idiots for even trying this, Remus is going to kill us.

Kinda exciting, huh?

James

James attached the letter to their family owl and sent him off. Ignoring Sirius' complaints from behind him, at first it was a difficult task, as most of it was just him cursing loudly at the box on the floor in front of him. Now though, Sirius had exhausted his english vocabulary of rude words and had moved to some celtic language James didn't even recognize (sometimes he wondered if Sirius even knew how to speak in the languages he used rather than just knowing all their curse words.)

"Sirius, just go ask Mum to do it for you." He suggested for the third time.

"I can do it myself." Sirius glared at the bright red wrapping paper he was attempting to place neatly around Remus' present (which by the way was not a book, and not made of chocolate, scary as the thought may be.) He'd managed to figure out the spell McGonagall had used last year, but such a perfectly wrapped present would be a dead give-away to James' parents that they were secretly doing magic, and that could cause some problems with their attempts to finish up a very illegal, and thus vary secret, potion later in the week.

"Si, I can't even do it myself. And I've celebrated Christmas for thirteen years now."

"I can do it myself." Sirius repeated returning to the (in James' opinion) ridiculously bright wrapping paper. James merely shook his head and proceeded to the kitchen to get a snack, chuckling when he heard Sirius insult the paper's mother just as he left the room.

His dad apparently had the same idea he did, as they were plowing through the kitchen, talking about Quidditch, of course, they heard Sirius yell something that vaguely sounded Russian from upstairs.

"I'll bet he got another papercut." James laughed highly amused.

"What in merlin's name is he doing?" Fleamont asked still looking in the general direction of James' room. Why on earth the two had decided to share a room was lost on him, there were plenty of perfectly good guest rooms.

"He is attempting to wrap a present," James answered as though this was a perfectly normal thing to hear someone scream about.

"Why doesn't he..."

"He's extremely stubborn." James interrupted, knowing full well what his father was going to ask.

"I see."

The conversation returned to Quidditch.

"You guys I really don't think this is a good idea." Peter squeaked nervously looking at the cauldron of thick black goop.

"If you're so nervous you can do it after one of us," James said not really paying attention as he stirred said thick black goop.

"O-Okay," Peter stuttered, scared out of his wits.

"Okay, I think it's ready. I can't stir it any more, it's too thick." James turned to Sirius who was sitting on the had three different books opened around him.

"Is it thick enough to be solid?" Sirius asked crawling over on all fours because the roof was too low and peeking in the cauldron.

"Can I touch it to check?"

"Yeah."

James gently reached into it and grabbed a handful of the goo, though it felt a lot less gooy than it looked.

"I think this counts as a solid, right?"

"I think so, it doesn't say it has to be completely solid, just that you stir it till you can't any more." Sirius poked the stuff that, for a lack of a better word, they were still going to call goo, despite being partially solid.

"Now what?"

"Split it into three even parts."

"The book doesn't say that," James argued.

"But the book isn't expecting three people to do it at once."

"That's true, will it work with less?"

"Of course, it will, it's the same potion no matter how much of it, you have."

James simply nodded and did as he was told. Placing a pile of the goo in front of each of them.

"Next."

"It says to flatten it, cover your hand with a generous amount of your own blood and place your hand so it creates a handprint on the goo."

They ignored Peter when he squeaked loudly at the thought of using his blood.

"I'll go last. I'm the best at healing spells." James nodded, gut clenching a little at the idea, but he was otherwise fine.

"Guess that means I'm first." Sirius pulled out one of the three knives he swiped from the kitchen.

"Do you want me to do it?" James asked looking at the knife nervously.

"Nah, I'm fine." Sirius pulled up a coat sleeve and cut a small but deep line in the soft part of his arm. It bled easily and he was able to get plenty of it on his hand.

As he placed his bloody hand on the pile of black goo James went ahead and healed his arm, leaving a scar that would probably go away in less than a week.

Sirius didn't wait very long before removing his hand, only to see his fingerprints glowing the color of his blood against the black background, it was a surprisingly eerie sight. As they watched the black potion began to bubble taking a new, much larger and more solid shape, it's color roughly stayed the same with some minor changes, changes that would soon become eyes.

The eyes were the only thing on the dog that wasn't black, and they were merely a gray. But that wasn't even the most notable thing about the dog, the most notable thing was it's size.

It was huge for a dog. Probably closer to wolf size than dog size, though it's paws weren't big enough for it to be a wolf. At the very least it would go up to James' waist if he were standing, and James was the tallest of the three.

"Told you it would be a dog." James said after the initial shock wore off. Sirius glared at him, promising to get him back later. Though he had to admit he wasn't disappointed, sure the dog jokes would be endless, but it was awesome!

It didn't last long, eventually, the dog seemed to simply melt away, leaving not even the black goo behind.

"That was awesome," Sirius said with a smile, thinking that one day he might, no he will be able to turn into something that cool.

"Peter's turn," James said excitedly.

"What?!" Peter jumped, hitting his head on the ceiling and staring at James. "I-I don't think I can.."

"Calm down, just close your eyes and I'll do it for you." Sirius rolled his own eyes and picked up a different knife.

Peter squeaked loudly, practically hiding behind James.

"Er, Si, maybe I should do it." James said gently taking the knife from Sirius who looked as though he really wanted to hit Peter for a moment, realized that that was probably exactly why Peter didn't want him doing it, and shrugged it off.

"Whatever."

James copied Sirius' cut on Peter's arm, though he was pretty sure it wasn't as deep because it didn't bleed nearly as much, but Peter managed to get enough on his hand, barely anyway.

Peter's fingerprints glowed as well, though when the goo began to bubble it didn't change nearly as much and was finished much quicker.

James poorly hid his laugher, Sirius didn't even try.

A gray rat sat there in front of Peter. It was pretty large, as far as rats go, but comparing to its predecessor, it just looked sad.

They could practically see the rain cloud over Peter's head.

"Don't worry Peter. Not everyone can have large animagi. Besides, it'll be like a million times easier to sneak into things if we can just send you in first. No more worrying about being caught sneaking into the girls loo."

Sirius' laughter was not helping Peter feel better. Though it did help him feel better when the rat melted away.

"Hey, if it makes you feel better maybe James' will be smaller. Like a bug, because of how annoying he is."

"At least I won't be a mutt." James countered, teasing. James was the only person in the world that could call Sirius a mutt. If anyone else tried they'd get a face full of whatever spell was the first to pop into Sirius' head, and it was never pleasant. Even Remus would probably get the silence treatment for a day. Though he'd never tested it out to be sure, neither had Peter, but he was pretty sure he was in the punch category.

"Better than a bug." Sirius defended.

"Please, like I'd be a bug."

"Only one way to find out," Sirius smirked holding the last knife out to his friend.

James looked at the knife for a moment before giving up any pretence and holding out his arm. He wouldn't close his eyes and turn away like Peter had, but he could not cut himself. Sirius laughed at him, but it wasn't a mean laugh, and he was surprisingly gentle with the knife, though he went just as deep as he had with himself, but James expected that. He quickly covered his hand with the blood and reached the arm back so Sirius could heal him. Sirius wasn't as good at healing spells, so James' scar might last a little longer than two weeks, but it was winter so he would be wearing long sleeves anyway.

The fingerprints in James' goo was just as bright and just as red as the others but when it began to bubble the color and size changed drastically.

The stag's antlers put a hole in the ceiling, and they were pretty sure it could be heard from inside the house.

"Oops." James deadpanned,

"Well, that's no bug... but mine is still cooler," Sirius admitted. Though he was quite impressed.

"Um, no, no it isn't.

It was the first time they got into a lengthy argument over who's animagus was cooler, but it most certainly wouldn't be the last.

Edit (5/3/2016) Changed Mr. Potter's name due to new cannon information (and grammar checked)