Title: In The Name of Merlin
Author: Hope Potter
E-mail: ashley_rpger@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I like many others wish I owned Harry Potter, but alas, I don't.
Thanks: Thanks to Phoenix Tears Type Six for the idea for this fic.
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts early and some strange things begin to happen. He is asked to take Animagus training and during that time begins to suspect someone he had known for years, isn't who the person claims to be.
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Chapter 2: Concentration is the Key
The next morning Harry woke around 9:00, once again his dreams were plagued by dreams which had woke him around midnight, luckily he fell asleep without much trouble. Pushing the covers off himself he got out of bed and dressed in his old school robes. Looking at them he realized he would have to get new ones when he went to Diagon Alley. He wasn't sure how he was going to get there, surely Dumbledore wasn't going to take him, he was certain the Headmaster had other things to attend to.
Once dressed he set off to the Great Hall for breakfast, and when he arrived there he noticed the giant room was empty. Upon sitting at Gryffindor's table he was greeted by a house elf, Dobby to be exact. "Harry Potter sir! How is Dobby helping sir?" Dobby looked excitedly at Harry.
"Hello Dobby, um how about some bacon, eggs, and pumpkin juice?" Harry smiled at the house elf.
"Right away Harry Potter, sir." With that Dobby hurried off to get Harry's breakfast. After a few short minutes a plate and goblet appeared in front of Harry who was, at that point, quite hungry. He ate the food rather quickly before setting off towards Gryffindor house when he nearly ran into Professor Snape.
The potion master sneered at the boy in front of him. "Potter, I advise you watch where you are going."
"Sorry, I just wanted to get to my common room." Harry had hoped that he wouldn't run into the greasy haired git, but here the man stood before him.
"The Headmaster wishes to speak with you." With that Snape walked around Harry, his black robes billowing behind him.
Harry scowled at the man's retreating back before heading towards the Headmasters room. When he arrived he looked at the gargoyle and mentally cursed Snape for not telling him the password, so he began to tick different types of sweets. "Um... Lemon drops, Chocolate Frogs, Blood pops, Cockroach Clusters..." The gargoyle leapt to the side letting Harry through. "Ugh... he can't possibly like those." Harry shivered at the thought before entering and walking up the many stairs. Upon reaching the top he stepped toward the wooden door and knocked. From within he heard Dumbledore's voice telling him to enter. Harry did as he was told and opened the door to be greeted by Dumbledore who was smiling at the young boy.
"I am glad Snape found you with little trouble I hope." Harry considered anything that dealt with Snape was trouble. "There are a few reasons you are here, Harry. Once of which is your Animagus training, we will begin that as soon as I am done explaining a few things. First though, I wanted to know if you have gotten your school supplies yet?"
Harry shook his head. "No, the Dursley's would never take me to Diagon Alley. The Weasley's always took me there."
Dumbledore nodded. "You will have to get them then, I'll arrange for someone to accompany you." Harry nodded. "Harry, today a few letters were sent out and one of which belongs to you. Instead of having it delivered I thought I'd give it to you myself." Opening one of the many draws on his desk he pulled out an envelope which was addressed to him in green lettering. Harry took the letter and opened it to find a letter from the deputy Headmistress.
Mr. Harry Potter,
I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted, along with Miss Granger to be a Gryffindor Prefect. Please note that with this privilege there are many things a Prefect must do and many rules they must follow. A complete list of everything that is expected of you is attached along with you badge. Congratulations.
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry looked in the envelope and found the silver badge with the engraved P. He couldn't believe that he had been accepted to be a Prefect, especially after all the rules he had broken in previous years.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he watched the boy stare at the small silver badge. Clearing his voice he snapped the boy out of it before speaking again. "Congratulations Harry. I am sure you will fulfill the position quite well. Now that all of that has been settled I believe your Animagus training should begin. The sooner the better as they say."
Harry placed the letter and his badge back in the envelope and tucked it into a pocket in his robes before looking back at the Headmaster, waiting for his first instructions.
Dumbledore smiled and stood. "Well then, we should go outside incase your animal form is a bit too large for this room." With that he and Harry exited the small office and made their way outside. Dumbledore led Harry to the middle of the Quidditch Pitch. There he turned to face the 15-year-old, wand in hand. "Now Harry, the first part of Animagus is to be able to concentrate hard enough on your goal. Without concentration you won't get far in this branch of magic. It's why most wizards and witches don't become Animagus. They don't know how to concentrate strongly enough or they are too impatient to teach themselves. Harry, I want you to close your eyes and think of an animal, any one at this point. It won't be the creature you change into, but if you are concentrating hard enough I'll know."
Harry nodded and closed his eyes. He searched through his mind for a type of animal he wanted to concentrate on. There were so many that caught his interest and fascinated him, it was so hard to pick from the mass of them. Finally deciding upon one he concentrated on what the creature looked like.
Dumbledore raised his wand and pointed it Harry. Saying a short incantation sparks of gold surrounded Harry but nothing happened. "I need you to concentrate on every small detail of the animal such as it's body color, features, and size."
Harry nodded so Dumbledore would know he understood before picturing the creature in much more depth. It's black fur, massive size, four large paws, and deep brown eyes all very vivid in his mind.
Dumbledore waited a few moments. When it seemed the boy was concentrating as hard as he could he raised his wand again. Muttering the same incantation gold sparks, once again, surrounded Harry and Dumbledore watched as the boy began to change.
Quite suddenly Harry could feel himself changing into, he figured, the animal he was focusing on. He could feel and hear his bones and organs twist themselves around to fit the new body and felt himself fall forward onto all fours. His skin began to itch as black fur sprouted over his body and his face began to elongate itself into a large muzzle, which was quickly filling with sharp teeth. During the whole transformation he didn't feel much more than itchiness, it seemed as if pain wasn't part of such transformations. He was quite glad of that, he could only imagine how much it must hurt to have your whole body change so suddenly like that. He opened up his, now, deep brown eyes and looked up at Dumbledore who was smiling at him.
"Now that creature looks rather familiar." He chuckled. "Sirius would be proud, I am sure. Well, now we know that you are capable of concentrating hard enough to continue with these lessons." He waved his wand and the sparks once again surrounded Harry.
Harry could feel himself change back into his normal self and within minutes was standing on two legs facing Dumbledore as Harry, not the large black dog. "I really looked like Sirius?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Despite the white lightning bolt mark on your forehead you were an exact replica of Sirius's Animagus form. You did quite well. I am rather curious as to what animal you shall resume as your Animagus form but that will have to wait until tomorrow's lesson. Too much of this in one day and you can over exert yourself, which Madam Pomfrey would surely scold me for."
"Sir, when will I get to see Sirius? I haven't seen him since last term, and that was only for a small while, and not under the best circumstances." Harry watched his Headmaster, hoping that he would reply with something promising.
"I am sure Sirius will make an appearance before the school year starts. He has been asking me when he could see you. I informed him of you being brought here when I asked him about you taking Animagus training. I wouldn't worry about not seeing him." The sparkle in the Headmasters eye seemed to intensify as he finished. This gave Harry the idea that Dumbledore already had a plan worked out.
Dumbledore led Harry back into the castle. They departed their own ways, Harry heading straight for Gryffindor. He slowed to a halt long enough to state the password to the Fat Lady before rushing in and up to his dormitory. Opening his trunk his pulled out his Firebolt, one of the most precious things he own next to the photo album filled with pictures on his parents, his fathers invisibility cloak, and the Marauders map. He snatched up his Quidditch robes and quickly changed into them before heading outside to the pitch once again.
Walking over to the shed which held the broom and Quidditch balls he pulled out a heavy case. Upon opening it he looked at the struggling bludgers which were trying to escape their chain clasps before adverting his eyes to the small Hogwarts shield. Opening it up he pulled out the small, walnut sized snitch and held it in his palm. Small wings appeared and immediately began fluttering extremely fast. The ball left Harry's palm and hovered for a few moments before disappearing. Harry leapt onto his broom and ascended into the air. The thrill of flying rushed back to him as he soared level with the pitch stands. Moving even higher he began to do a series of different loops and turns before diving at a 90-degree angle towards the ground. Leveling himself with his broom his speed increased as he watched the grassy earth speed towards him. At the last second he pulled out, performing a perfect Wronski Feint.
He zoomed back up to be level with the stands once again before turning to look for the snitch. After about 10 minutes of searching he found the golden ball hovering in the middle of a scoring hoop. Lowering himself on his broom he speed forward after the snitch which seemed to have known he was approaching. It zoomed off just as Harry reached for it. Harry flew through the hoop, just barely making it, and followed the snitch, weaving around trying to get a hold of the tiny ball. He followed it up and around hoops and the stands as it tried to avoid his hand that reached for it. Harry put on a burst of speed just as the ball and himself were about to collide into the stands. He clutched the tiny ball in his hand and turned his broom up and away from the danger of colliding in the walls.
He flew to the ground and landed before placing the snitch back into its case. Closing the large trunk-like case he pulled it back into the shed and closed the door before shouldering his Firebolt and heading back to Gryffindor to work on his homework. Now that the excitement of flying had passed him he began to wonder about tomorrow's Animagus lesson and what he would have to do. What made him curious was how Dumbledore seemed to expect him to achieve his new form rather quickly. It took his father and Sirius years to achieve it. Then again, they didn't have Dumbledore teaching them, they had to teach themselves how to become Animagus, but they learned because of their ambition to be with their werewolf friend on the nights of full moons. And like them Harry was determined to achieve his Animagus form.
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AN: I know, I am depriving you guys of knowing what Harry will become, but at least I am not leaving you all on cliffhanger, like some nasty Authors do. BUT... they will probably start forming as the story does. ;0) I know it's still slow but it will pick up as time rolls on by. I am trying to get 1 chapter out a day but I am not sure how long that will last since I have so much going on now but I'll do my best. Please leave a review so I know what you guys think of it so far. I was proud to get so many reviews for the first chapter. I wasn't expecting that much so surprise me some more.