Disclaimer: Jeez, do I have to repeat it again

Disclaimer: Jeez, do I have to repeat it again??

Author's notes: Well, I wasn't really in a romantic mood when I wrote this chapter, so I decided to center about something else. I didn't think I'll make a second chapter... *shrugs* That means that the ending notes in the first chapter means nothing, and I'll have to remove them...

Chapter 2: Transformation

James entered the common room. Sirius and Peter were sitting in one of the corners, reading advanced transfiguration books. He sat on a chair besides them.

"You wouldn't believe what happened to me today!" He declared. Sirius eyed him from behind the book.

"You found a brand new kind of dung bombs?"

James scowled. "No. There was this girl down there, Lily, and she wanted to be my girlfriend." He paused. Sirius and Peter stared at him.

"Lily? That nice girl? She's my partner in transfiguration" Peter said. Sirius grinned.

"Ha! I told you this journal wasn't fake! So, what did you tell her?" He put down his book.

"Well, she's a nice girl..." James looked at the ground. "I didn't want to hurt her, so I told her we can be friends. Maybe we can help her with her grades?"

Peter smiled. "Yeah, like you help me! That would be great!"

Sirius shrugged. "You don't even know her."

"I know her!" Peter said, and beamed at James. "We talk sometimes. She doesn't have friends, even though she's very nice." He smiled. "I'm sure you'll like her"

Sirius shrugged. "Well, we can give it a try." He got up. "I'm going to sleep. I'm tired."

He eyes Peter and James. "And don't forget: The full moon is in two days from now. We'll try the potion tomorrow again." He went up the stairs. Now there were very few students in the common room. James took the transfiguration book and started reading.

*****

They all looked at the cauldron with expressions of disgust. There was a yellow-brown colored potion swimming inside, a potion they made earlier, and just finished.

"Yuck!" Sirius exclaimed. "You mean I have to drink THIS?" He took a step back, his gaze still fixed on the disgusting liquid.

"Yes, I know it's disgusting" James explained. "But we have to drink it if we want to become Animagi. Now, who's first?"

Peter and Sirius took a step back.

"You." Sirius pointed. James gritted his teeth,

"Okay."

He took a handful of the potion with a glass, and drank it, then put a hand on his neck.

"Yuck!" He exclaimed. "And I don't feel different"

"Well, I guess it doesn't work!" Sirius said cheerfully. "And there's no point for me and Peter to drink this, no?"

James made a face. "Have you forgotten all about the way this works?" Sirius shrugged. "Enlighten me." James rolled his eyes.

"Well, first you have to drink the potion. Then, you have to cast that complicated spell of the animal you want to be."

"Ah." Sirius approached the cauldron, disappointed.

After Sirius and Peter drank the potion, it was time to cast the spell.

"Well, have you decided what kind of animals you'll be?" Peter asked.

"A stag." James said without hesitations.

"A big, scary dog" Sirius grinned. "How 'bout you Peter?" Peter smiled dumbly.

"I'm going to be a dog too. Big and scary, like you." He said. Sirius shrugged.

"Whatever. Just don't piss on my tree." They all laughed nervously. James picked the book. "Okay..." He said nervously. "Wish me luck."

Then he said two words that were so complicated, that Sirius and Peter couldn't follow.

I have to say THAT? Peter thought. I'll never be able to say it!

Then, in front of their eyes, James started to change. It was a gruesome sight. Sirius and Peter covered their eyes, and when they finally dared to look, James was a fully-grown stag. Sirius ran to hug him.

"Success! Success! We did it, James my boy! We did it!" James returned to his human form in a much less gruesome way.

"We did it! We did it!" Sirius cried. James shook his head.

"No, I did it. Now it's your turn." James handed him the book.

With a big smile, Sirius read a complicated word, much different than James'. When Peter and James looked again, he was a big, black dog. He barked happily at James and Peter, then sat on the floor and wagged his tail happily.

"Can you change back Sirius?" James asked him. Sirius turned back human.

"I did it! I did it!" He handed the book to Peter. Peter looked obviously frightened.

What if everything goes wrong?? What if I will only grow fur? What if....

Peter swallowed. He prayed that everything will be okay, and then looked at the book. It was full of those complicated words. There were few pages of them, for almost every animal he could think of. He found the spell for the dog he wanted, which looked awesomely complicated. But, after all, they all were, and this was a spell for much-advanced wizards...

He said the word. At least, he tried to. But his voice was shaky, and he was sure he made a mistake... Suddenly he felt waves immense pain washing him. He wanted to scream in pain but he couldn't. He could only... Squeak?

He looked up and saw Sirius and James looking at him, wide eyed. Something was wrong... The spell went horribly wrong! He wasn't supposed to be that small...

He transformed back into human. He didn't know how, and he didn't care. The spell... It...

"A rat Peter??" James cried. "I thought you were going for a dog!"

"Huh? W...what d..d..do you m...mean?" Peter said shakily.

"You turned into a rat!" Sirius exclaimed.

"R...really?"

Well, at least I managed to turn into SOME animal... He thought. And maybe... Maybe being a rat isn't so bad. He can hide, and he can be quick... But still, it was much less exciting than being a dog. But it was a wonder that he even managed to turn into a rat, for he wasn't a very good student. He shrugged.

"I guess..." He said quietly "That fate had other plans for me."

James and Sirius stared at him for a minute, than they all broke into laughter.

*****

They promised themselves not to tell Remus anything about it, So that at the night they'll be able to surprise him. Remus felt they were plotting something, judging by the cheerful looks they gave him, but he didn't pay too much attention to them. He started to feel sick. He looked for Lily, to apologize to her, but he was told she was sick. nd it was a great relief though... He couldn't bring himself to face her.

"Hi Remmy!" Said a cheerful James who passed by him. "Are you coming? We're gonna be late for charms!" James skipped happily to the classroom.

"Remmy"?!

In the evening, like every evening, he went to the whomping willow to go through his monthly transformation, which was never a good thing. He always woke up full of cuts and bruises... He didn't even want to think what the wolf did down there. And then, because he was so wounded he had to spend the whole day at the infirmary. Tomorrow he will miss school too.

*****

"Are we ready?" James asked his friends. They were hiding in the bushes near the whomping willow, minutes after Remus went there.

Sirius and Peter nodded.

"Aye aye captain!" Sirius said.

They were all nervous. What if Remus will attack them? And what if they'll have to attack him? They didn't want to think about it.

"Okay. Here we go!" They all transformed into animals. James turned into a stag, Sirius into a big black dog, and Peter into a rat. They approached the willow, but they forgot one little thing... The willow started smacking the air, missing James by only few inches. Another branch tried to hut Sirius, who barely dodged that attack. Peter, on the other hanfd, was less fortunate: One of the willow's branches smacked him mercilessly. Sirius quickly noticed that, and tried to distract the branch. The branch stopped hitting Peter, and went on hitting Sirius instead. Peter tried to find a place to hide, and accidentally stepped on one of the tree's roots. The Willow instantly went still. Sirius looked at Peter. If dogs could smile, he would be smiling now. They all went to the space between the tree's roots. There was a long tunnel there; it seemed like they walked there for hours. When they finally reached the shrieking shack they heard blood-freezing screams, but it didn't stop them. Sirius barked, and soon enough, an answer came. Two yellow eyes appeared from the darkness.

In any other occasion Sirius would be running for his life right now, but oddly, (Even to himself) he didn't. James and Peter, on the other hand, retreated a few steps.

The wolf came out from the shadows and growled. Then, started sniffing the air. Sirius could swear he looked confused at that moment, but even if he didn't, he wasn't as wary anymore. Slowly, the wolf approached James and Peter too, but he didn't attack them as well.

They stayed at that hut all the night, melting the ice. They knew the wolf was Remus but not really Remus; for the wolf they were only vague memories, but yet he sensed something about them that told him that they're friends.

That night was probably the happiest night in his life.

******

Sleepless but happy, James, Sirius and Peter returned to the Gryffindor tower ("Really boys! What were you doing outside all night?!"-the fat lady) In 5 AM.

In the common room they found a surprise-Lily, in a nightgown, and a worried expression on her face.

"Really! You were out all night!" She said angrily. James shrugged.

"Well, err, time sure flies when you're having fun!" James smiled. Lily gave him a worried look. "Well, I didn't really sleep either..." She confessed.

"I, err, wanted to improve my grades in potions so I did one of the easier ones in the book" She explained. James raised an eyebrow. He was sure that Lily acted a little... Strange.

"Well," She continued, "I did this, umm, energy potion." She smiled a worried smile. "It will help you waking up" She picked up a mug from the table and handed it to James. He examined it suspiciously. They once made an energy potion in Potions, and it sure didn't look like this... On the other hand, it was a long time ago, and he may have forgotten and he couldn't allow himself to be sleepy tomorrow... He took a long sip.

Sirius noticed that Lily was looking at James with a hopeful expression...

Something isn't right...

James finished drinking the potion.

"Umm.... I don't remember the energy potion being so tasty..." He mumbled. Lily faked a scowl. "James! You drank the whole thing! What about your friends?" She faked an angry tone. James scowled.

"Well, it obviously wasn't---" He looked at Lily while he spoke, and instantly stopped. His mind was cleared of any thoughts but one-

He has just seen the love of his life.

Ending notes: Uhhhhh.... I just committed myself to a 3rd chapter. Ouch. I hoped you liked it.