Disclaimer: I know it, you know it, the American people know it. I own nothing. Leave me alone.
Chapter 4: Metamorphosis
"So you broke the pact?" Ron asked Harry. They were both in the library, quietly conversing waiting for Hermione to arrive. It was Ron's first day back from Christmas break and Harry was filling Ron in of the events of the past two weeks, well, not all of the events.
"Yeah, how could we keep it Christmas day?" Harry answered.
"And what about after that?" Ron asked, curious to know.
"Well after Christmas we, she, decided to go back to the pact. It was hard, but it wasn't as hard because I had the memories of Christmas to keep me going…" Harry broke off with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Where is she anyway? What is taking her so long?"
Harry's brows furrowed. "Right now she is on the corridor leading to the library. She was late getting out of class because she was arguing with Professor Vector about a grade she deemed unfair."
"You know, it's scary how you two can do that…"
At that moment, Hermione sauntered into the library, a look of triumph on her face. She sashayed over to Harry, sat on his lap, and gave him a big kiss on the lips.
Harry grinned, "You know, I think you should argue your way into better grades more often, I kinda like the affect it has on you."
Hermione gave him a playful smack, but before Hermione could give him a witty comeback, Ron interrupted them.
"Before you two go back to that nauseating display of affection, may I remind you that we have Transfiguration next and that if we don't hurry up, we will be late."
Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ron and stood up. "All right all right we're going! When have you ever been in a hurry to get to class before Ron?" she teased.
Harry burst out laughing and Ron turned slightly pink around the ears.
"Come on you two," Hermione threw her one arm around each boy, "Let's get to class."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Animagii." Professor McGonagall said as she began class. "We have touched upon this particular Wizards skill very lightly, but now, we will go much more in depth."
With that, Professor McGonagall walked behind her desk, and pulled from a drawer a small round, crystal ball. The base of the crystal ball was silver, shaped into various different animals. "Does anyone know what this is?" she asked.
As was expected, the only hand that shot up was Hermione's. Everyone else gave each other blank looks.
"Very well Miss Granger, what is it?"
Hermione's eyes seemed to light up as they usually did when she was in class. Harry couldn't help but stare at her in awe.
"That is the Crystal of Circe."
"Correct Ms. Granger, 10 points to Gryffindor. Does anybody know what this stone is used for?"
*It determines which wizards have the natural ability of the Animagii.* Hermione thought to Harry.
*What? You're giving me the answer? Why?*
Hermione rolled her eyes mentally.
*Just answer Potter, honestly.*
To the surprise of everyone in the class, save Ron, who probably figured out what up, Harry raised his hand.
"Mr. Potter? Very well. What is the crystal used for?"
"The crystal is used to determine which wizards have the natural ability of the Animagii."
At this point Harry turned to look at Hermione for approval, which Hermione gave with a bright smile.
"10 more points to Gryffindor, excellent Mr. Potter. Now then, the Crystal of Circe was made by none other than the great sorceress Circe herself. You see, Circe was gifted with the power to turn others, as well as herself, into animals. Seeing that not many others of the craft were gifted with this natural ability, Circe left a legacy of her talents by brandishing this crystal."
Prof. McGonagall stopped at this point to see which students in her class were still awake. To her great surprise, the majority were.
"You see, most Wizards, after many years of rigorous training, can turn themselves into an animal by using their wand. But, only a select few carry the natural ability within them. They can turn themselves into this particular type of animal without their wand, and without the many years of rigorous training. Very few Wizards are born with this ability. In the history of Hogwarts, only 9 witches and wizards carried this natural ability. The four founders were four of them, I am one of them," and at this moment, she turned to look at Harry, "and the other four shall remain undisclosed."
Harry's mind reeled. It was obvious that he was thinking of Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and…Moony? Wait no, Moony wasn't an Animagus, he was bitten by a Werewolf as a child. That only leaves…
*Its your Mum Harry. She was an Animagus.*
Harry turned to look at Hermione.
*How do you know?*
Hermione shrugged. *I don't know. Most logical reason I guess.*
"Now then. Only Witches and Wizards born with the natural ability have the power to activate the crystal."
With that, Prof. McGonagall stretched out her bare palm over the Crystal.
The crystal began to glow a brilliant white color, causing all of the students to cross their arms over their face for fear of being blinded. Soon enough, the blinding white light dimmed to a more bearable radiance. The crystal seemed to elicit a gentle a hum…
Nobody seemed to notice the tight grip Harry and Hermione had on their desks.
*Oh Harry, can you feel it?*
*You can feel it too Hermione?*
Prof. McGonagall continued. "If any one in this room were born with the natural ability, the second I activated the crystal, you would have felt a passionate desire to run up and-"
But Prof. McGonagall didn't finish her sentence because at this point, Harry and Hermione jumped out of their desk like insane lunatics, and ran towards the crystal.
Prof. McGonagall smiled. This was expected. As she thought this, she took out her wand and froze Harry and Hermione in place.
"I guess these are the only two wizards in this class who are natural Animagii?"
Seeing that everyone was rooted to their seats, she continued.
"Very well."
Prof. McGonagall straightened up and sauntered over to the two frozen figures standing in front of her desk.
"I'll unfreeze you in a second, but first, let me lecture the class. As I was saying, the second the crystal is activated, Witches and Wizards born with this would feel an intense need to get their hands on the crystal when activated. This is because the gentle humming coming from the crystal is in fact the humming of Circe."
At this the class leaned forward in their seats, trying hard to listen to the humming.
"As you may very well know, Circe's enchanting song attracted Odysseus' men to her house on the island of Aeaea. And as is quite obvious, her song attracts those worthy of being natural Animagii to her crystal."
The class stared in awe at and wonder at the frozen duo. Of course Harry Potter would be worthy, thought the class, but Muggle born Hermione Granger?
"The crystal is not prejudiced," Prof. McGonagall continued, "Muggle borns can also have the natural ability."
The class went wide eyed, but figured that after years of teaching this class, she would know what they were thinking.
"When the Wizard or Witch finally does get his or her hands on the crystal, it tells you what animal you are destined to be, and you can only be one animal. So who should go first?"
She eyed the frozen duo curiously.
"Miss Granger shall go first."
She unfroze Hermione, who immediately ran to the crystal and put her right hand on it.
The second Hermione touched the crystal, the blinding light that had radiated from the crystal came back, engulfing Hermione. The brilliant light seemed to leave both her and the crystal and form a strange ball of light that floated in front of her, which then shaped itself into something…a bird?
It was a raven. The incandescent raven figure flew to the frozen Harry and perched itself on his shoulder, nipping his ear affectionately. As if it realized something, the raven flew from Harry's shoulder, and back into the crystal.
Hermione couldn't hide the glee in her eyes and turned to look at Prof. McGonagall.
"Miss Granger, it seems that you are a Raven Animagus. Please go back to your seat."
Hermione was all smiles as she went back to her seat, giving Harry a little wink as she passed him.
"Your turn Mr. Potter." Prof. McGonagall said, and unfroze Harry with a flourish. This should be interesting, she thought. And it was.
As soon as Harry was free from his frozen curse, he ran to the crystal and placed his hands on it. As soon as he touched it, the white light that had appeared before with Hermione returned, only this time it was 10 times more blinding. The light that seemed to swallow Hermione in its radiance, seemed to seep into Harry's being, passing the level that it had reached with Hermione. Just as it had done with Hermione, the ferocious light formed into a luminous cloud, and soon enough, arranged itself into a puzzling shape.
At first glance it was a lion, big and strong, emitting a soft roar. Soon enough the lion extended its…wings? A lion with wings? The lion extended its wings and began prowling around. The class crouched in their seats as what they thought a lion passed by them. It stopped in front f Hermione's seat and stared straight at her. Hermione bent over her desk and petted him softly, at which the animal gave a small gentle purr.
The class, seeing the benevolent nature of the…whatever it was, relaxed in their seats.
Before they could relax too much however, another blinding flash off light exploded from Harry's general direction.
Prof. McGonagall looked surprised. Again? She thought.
Sure enough, the all too familiar process re-played itself out. Another cloud of light emerged, and soon enough it took the shape of a snake. A snake? The snake seemed to know exactly where it was going. It headed straight to were the lion figure was, at the foot of Hermione desk, and lunged straight toward it. Soon enough, the lion and snake erupted in a full-blown fight.
The class stared, thunderstruck from the battling clouds of light, to Harry, and back again.
Harry was completely bewildered, and figured he should take his hand off the crystal before another animal came to join the party. As soon as he did, the two battling luminous figures stopped fighting and ran back into the crystal ball (the snake slithered).
Harry looked from his hand to the crystal and back again, while the class looked from Harry, to the crystal, and back again.
Prof. McGonagall, a small smile on her lips, composed herself and tried to get the attention of her class.
"That's enough Harry Potter, back to your seat."
Harry, a puzzled expression on his face, mechanically walked back to his desk next to Hermione. Hermione unconsciously reached over and rubbed his shoulder.
"It seems Mr. Potter that the rules don't apply to you, again."
The class, for the billionth time that day, turned to stare at Harry, who had a slight blush on his cheeks.
"For one thing, you are only allowed the ability to transform into one animal. Mr. Potter, it seems you have the special bonus of another one."
Hermione raised her hand to ask a question. "Professor, the first animal, it looked like a lion, but it had wings, is it a Gold-?"
"A Golden Gryffin? Yes it is. Very well noted Miss Granger, 10 points to Gryffindor. Only one other wizard has ever had the ability to transform into a Golden Gryffin, and that was Godric Gryffindor himself."
The class, even though they were shaking to turn to look at Harry, fidgeted in their seats to avoid it.
"And if I am correct, which I usually am, the snake Mr. Potter has the ability to transform himself into is a Basilisk."
This time the class didn't care what they did and whipped around to look at Harry who looked as if he had just played Quidditch inside a volcanic mountain. He was a deep shade of red and looked as if he was about to faint, or puke, or both, at any second.
Hermione immediately felt his dispair and asked Prof. McGonagall if she could accompany him to the infirmary.
"Go on ahead you two, but I wish to see you later in the day."
Harry rushed out of the room, Hermione right behind him.
"Harry, are you all right? How are you? Talk to me."
Harry kept on walking ahead, not looking at her.
*You know I can read your mind if I wanted to.*
Harry sighed and turned to look at her. "I don't want to hurt you."
As soon as he said this he kept on walking straight ahead, not even going in the direction of the infirmary but quite the opposite. He was walking towards the rock on the lake.
Hermione continued to walk behind him, confused as to what he had just told her.
"Hurt me? How can you hurt me?"
Harry refrained from answering her question. They finally reached the rock and he sat down on it, leaving a little space for her to sit down next to him. She sat down and put her head on his shoulder.
"Harry talk to me."
He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her sweet scent. Vanilla.
"Hermione, the hat wanted to place me in Slytherin."
Hermione sat up, a curious look in her eye. "In Slytherin?"
Harry nodded. "Yes in Slytherin, and I lived with that doubt all through second year, it got worse with the whole Chamber thing, but my doubts were quailed when I got Gryffindor's sword and I had that talk with Dumbledor after the whole ordeal. But now they're back again. What if I do belong in Slytherin? Some of Voldemort is inside me, it is evident in my ability to speak in Parseltongue, and now I am a Basilisk Animagus, an animal that attacked you. What if I am evil?"
Hermione had to restrain herself from smacking him. "Harry, you are forgetting one important fact. You are also a Golden Gryffin Animagus, and you were put in Gryffindor. Not in Slytherin. The stupid hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw, and I am a Raven Animagus, and I'm not whining about it. You are a Gryffindor Harold James Potter, be satisfied!"
Harry couldn't help but grin at her. He was so glad to have her, someone who could talk sense into his mind while he was on one of those, "Oh wow is me and my destiny," mind trips.
"And as for attacking me Harry Potter, you are welcomed to do it, any time."
Harry raised his eyebrows at the suggestiveness in her voice, and prepared himself to do just that…