THE QUEEN OF MY HEART

Disclaimer: I made up Jory. All else not previously mentioned to be mine, belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Chapter Nine: The Animagi Potion

Remus was nervous around James the next day. He was afraid that a foot messuage and a hug was in some way cheating. James, Sirius, and Peter didn't even notice his apprehension as they headed for Transfiguration. Professor McGonagal, the transfigurations mistress, eyed them leerily as they took their seats. They had been known to make quite a ruckus in her class.

"Get into groups of...four," she instructed, reluctant to say "four" knowing that Sirius, Peter, James, and Remus would stay together.

The assignment was to turn a chair into a Great Dane. James did this quickly, being very talented in transfiguration, and then they went to planning.

"We should check on the Animagi potion tonight," Sirius suggested. "We don't want to stew it for too long."

"Good idea," Peter fawned.

"Great Dane," Lily complimented behind them, giggling to herself.

Remus felt his stomach lurch.

"Hey, babe," James greeted. "Done already?"

"You aren't the only one good with transfiguration," Lily informed him, making herself comfortable on his lap.

Remus took a breath, trying not to look directly at them.

"What are you guys discussing?" Lily asked.

"Nothing important," Sirius fabricated. "Just homework assignments."

"Oh, Binns' essay'll be a killer," Lily voiced.

"The one on post-modern runic societies?" Remus asked.

"That's the one," Lily confirmed.

"I have mine finished," Remus boasted.

"Maybe you could help me out," Lily suggested.

"Er...no," Remus said uncomfortably, "we, guys, have something planned tonight."

"What's that?"

Sirius glared at Remus. He just shrugged.

"We are contemplating the constructiveness of the Cunjunctivitus Curse," James blurted.

"Fun," Lily said sarcastically. "Maybe Sara'll help me with it."

Lily got up from James' lap and rounded him.

"No kiss?" James pleaded.

Lily just smiled and continued back to her friend.

"About the Animagi potion," Remus grumbled.

"Yeah, James," Sirius added, "get your head back on planet earth."

"You guys are just jealous because I have a girl like Lily," James told them.

He was right, in Remus' case anyway.

*************

That night, Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus snuck out of Gryffindor tower under James' invisibility cloak. It was a tight squeeze. Remus was sure that people could see shoes walking around without owners.

They made their way up to the hawk wizard on the sixth floor. James tapped the wizard's nose and said, "Admitis." The statue swung aside and the guys walked up a stone staircase. James pulled the cloak off of them and stuffed it in his robes as they reached the trap door that led to the tower. Peter pushed it open. Their Animagi potion was stewing in a pot that was suspended over a small fire.

"How'd you hide this from Lily?" Sirius asked, peering at the grey slop inside the caldron.

"My cloak," James said simply, pulling the advanced potions book from his robes.

Peter jumped on his stumpy legs to get a look at the book while Sirius just leaned over James' shoulder. Remus stared at the steaming grey muck and watched as a putrid shade of yellow bled into it.

"James," Remus began apprehensively, "it's turning yellow. What does that mean?"

James got a look of dismay on his face and then buried his nose in the potions book.

"It..it means," James sputtered. "It means that the cobwebs and ground newt's eyes are blended."

"Now what?" Peter squeaked in alarm.

"We..er..we have to," James turned a few pages forward. Then he turned pages back. He ran his finger down the page he was on and then continued, "We have to freeze it for three months exactly, to the minute."

Sirius checked his watch quickly.

"This is so complicated," Peter whined. "What if we mess up?"

"Let's just freeze it, alright?" Remus said with a bit of ire in his voice.

Peter nodded.

"Where will we find a freezer that is big enough to hold this thing?" Sirius asked. "And added to that, no one can know it's there."

"Is there any way we can bribe the house elves to keep it a secret?" Peter suggested.

"How do you bribe a house elf, blockhead?" Sirius spat at him.

Peter flinched as if Sirius had hit him again.

"You know," Remus began, "house elves are very compliant. If we tell them not to tell anyone, they probably wont."

"Alright," James mumbled, "how on earth will we get this thing to the kitchen?"

The group looked at each other.

It was decided that they would use the invisible cloak. James reluctantly threw the cloak over the old cauldron ("If this muck splashes on my cloak-"). Peter held the trap door open as Remus, followed by James and Sirius carrying the invisible cloak, ran down the stone steps and tapped the brick wall with his wand, saying, "Disadmitis!" The wall swung open. Remus, Sirius, and James hurried out the opening, Peter scurrying after them. They closed the statue behind them and walked down the corridor.

"Boys!" a voice exclaimed behind them.

Sirius and James stiffly and casually set the shrouded cauldron on the ground. Remus glanced behind them. Professor Crauwel stood glaring at them with the side of lip twitching. Peter hid behind Remus.

"Hey there, Professor," Sirius greeted, seeming relieved.

Remus was more panicked knowing it was Crauwel.

"What are you boys doing out at this hour?" asked Crauwel through his teeth.

"Getting a bedtime snack," James lied. "You know how it is."

Professor Crauwel's tic went wild.

"Really, you ought to get back to your house," he said.

"Please," Sirius uncharacteristically begged. "We must get to the kitchens."

"May I ask why?" Crauwel grumbled.

"No," Remus blurted. "It is of a private nature."

"Indeed," Crauwel muttered. "I do believe that Gryffindor tower will not miss you. Nor will I, so get out of my sight."

"Yes, sir," the four boys said in unison like cadets in a military academy.

James and Sirius made like they were tying their shoes to grab the handles of the cauldron. They continued off.

"I was worried that he was going to give us detention," Remus told the others when they were out of earshot.

"Crauwel would never," Sirius assured him.

"Yeah, he's cool," James added.

"You must be insane," Remus commented. "He's harsh and..and creepy."

"He's just a little rough around the edges," James explained.

"He acts that way to intimidate people," Sirius said. "Inside, he's just a marauder."

"Yeah," James laughed, "like us."

"We're marauders?" Peter asked, surprised.

"'Course," Sirius replied. "Long live the marauders."

Remus was worried. His announcement was a bit loud. What if someone heard?

"Don't get too excited," James warned Sirius. "I don't want my cloak getting slashed on."

"Mooney," Peter began quietly, "what's a marauder?"

"It's like a outlaw or rule breaker," Remus explained.

The marauders carried the cauldron all the way down to the entrance hall. Remus was apprehensive the whole time, worried they might bump into a less gracious teacher. They continued down stone steps to the left of the main staircase and down a stone corridor. Remus scanned the many paintings in the hall, looking for the bowl of fruit. They found it halfway down the corridor. Remus, being the only one with free hands and who was tall enough, rubbed the large green pare. It squirmed and giggled until it transformed into a green door handle. Remus, then, pulled the painting open and held it open for Sirius, James, and Peter to enter.

Hundreds of house elves, with funny little faces, hustled and bustled about the large kitchen. A quite chubby elf with a pale purple skin came up to the four guys and blinked her round eyes.

"What may Jory do for misters?" she asked, rubbing her hotdog-shaped nose.

"We need a large freezer," James told her.

"It needs to have loads of space," Sirius added.

"It can't be disturbed either," Remus went on.

"And it must be kept secret," squeaked Peter.

Jory's orb-like eyes glanced from one of the boys to another until she had scanned all of their faces. Then she wiped her hands on her ruffly apron and smiled.

"Jory know just the place," She told them.

The boys followed the house elf to a large back room. It was like a freezer of a butcher shop. It was it's own room, filled with racks of beef and other meats. Remus could see his breath as he entered the room.

"Good place?" Jory asked.

"Real good," Sirius complimented, helping James set the cauldron in the corner.

James pulled his cloak off of the cauldron, causing it to become visible, and stuffed his cloak in his robes. Jory blinked in astonishment.

"Don't touch it," Sirius commanded, shaking his finger at her. "Tell all the house elves not to tamper with it and not to tell anyone about it. Understand?"

Jory nodded.