A/N I just want to apologize profusely for how long it's taken me to update. There is just too much going on in my life, and I'm working on way to many writing projects….and yeah. Hopefully that will never happen again. But here's chapter eight. Enjoy!
Chapter 8: Of matches and Pigs and Bugs and Cats and…
Alathea was standing at a table off to the side in the transfiguration room. The other students were copying notes and McGonagall was watching Snape's daughter transfigure a match into a needle. The girl bit her lip, narrowed her eyes and waved her wand. And…Poof! The match blew up. McGonagall grabbed another.
The young witch's eyes filled with tears and her lower lip started quivering. She wanted her aunt to be proud of her, but this was a first year trick and she'd even done it before. McGonagall's face gave nothing away when she looked up. Alathea couldn't take it, she set the wand down and burst into tears. "I can do it Aunt Minerva! I can! I've done it before! I don't know what's wrong with me."
McGonagall's face softened and she pulled the young woman close, stroking her long black hair. "You're nervous Thea. You're trying too hard. I believe you can do it. It's alright."
Harry looked at Ron. Alathea needed to calm down, she needed to laugh. So, they quietly made a plan. Hermione frowned from her where she sat with Lavender, but didn't say anything. They were supposed to begin human transfiguration next week, they were taking notes on it now, but thanks to Hermione the two boys were a little ahead. Harry whispered and waved his wand. Ron, pretending not to know what Harry had done jumped up on the table. A little curly pink tail stuck out of his bottom. "Oi, Harry what did you do to me?!" Ron shouted as he turned in circles on the table. The class started laughing and McGonagall and Alathea turned to see what was going on.
Harry put his feet up on his desk and leaned back, imitating Malfoy. "Just thought you should have a tail to match that stomach of yours Ron old pal."
They snuck a glance at the front of the class. McGonagall didn't look pleased, but Alathea had stopped crying and a bit of a smile had crept onto her face. "Pig am I?" Ron roared. "Well you're something of a pest aren't you….Yeah a real bug!" He waved his wand at Harry. McGonagall let out a squeak, and Harry grew antennae out his head.
Alathea started to giggle quietly. "A Bug!" Harry pointed his wand at Ron.
Hermione had figured out what was going on now, and decided that for it to be really funny she should get in on the act. "Knock it off you too. You're going to get in trouble!" She said in her bossiest, prissiest voice.
"Quit being such a teacher's pet Hermione!" Ron shouted at her. Harry turned his wand on her and suddenly Hermione had whiskers.
"Oh come off it Ron!" Hermione teased. "Stop trying to be such a troublemaker, everyone knows you're just a push-over. Just a big teddybear!" And with a flick of her wand, Ron had brown furry bear ears poking out of his red hair.
That was it. Hysterical giggles erupted from Alathea and with a bow the three gryffindor's sat down. McGonagall sighed and looked at them sternly. "Five points, each, from Gryffindor for disrupting class. Ten points will be awarded for your good intentions. And ten points each, for successful human transfigurations." They let out their breath. "However, because you are not supposed to be doing human transfiguration today, you will keep your new pieces until dinner."
Then she turned back to Alathea. She pushed the girl toward the match and watched. This time, the match turned immediately into a needle. Another second later and she had a successful cup out of the sparrow McGonagall had placed in front of her. And so one it went until she'd proven she'd mastered everything up to human transfiguration. "I never did human transfiguration Aunt Minerva." She told the professor. "I studied all the theory, even the stuff on Animagi, but I never had any one to practice on."
"Then you can sit in with the seventh years and learn it, if you like."
"Oh yes! And will you help me become an animagus? Please."
"Of course Thea. Did you have an animal in mind?"
"I want to be a cat!"
McGonagall's lips twitched as she bit back a smile. "Very well. This summer we'll begin working on Animagi training, if you do well in human transfiguration."
"Professor?" Harry spoke up. McGonagall turned to him. "Professor we have potions next and Ali supposed to spend the day going around with me, and well, we'll loose points if we're late."
"Very well. You may all go." They students filed out. Harry, Hermione and Ron waited for Alathea, then they all set off to the dungeons.
