1975.
"They did something for me that would make my transformation not only bearable, but the best time of my life. They became Animagi."
"Sorry to say it, Remus, but your brother is really irritating."
"I know. He's always been like that" replied Remus.
"Shhhhh, be quiet!" whispered James. "Or do you want to get caught?"
They were walking under James´ Invisibility Cloak, on their way to an empty classroom. Peter was carrying a heavy old book, which read "From Human to Animal and Back Again, A Guide To Transfiguration" on the cover. After Remus had told them he was a werewolf, they had read everything about werewolves they could find. That's how they found out werewolves are only aggressive to humans. James and Sirius had got the idea to become animagi, people who can turn into animals.
That was three years ago, and now they were finally ready to try it. They had drawn straws to see who had to try it first, and James was the lucky one. He had decided to change into a stag, Sirius wanted to change into a dog, and Peter would be a rat. Jams and Sirius could keep Remus in check while he was a werewolf, and a rat was always useful to creep into small holes. And a rat was almost the most easy animal to change in.
"Were was that class room again?" whispered Remus to James.
"Near the kitchen. Wait, if we take this turn…" He stopped death. They all heard footsteps. Who was walking here at this time of the night, except four people under an invisibility cloak?
"What the…" whispered Sirius. He stepped back.
"Shhhhhhhhh, stand still!" whispered James back. A tall man with a long silver beard and a steaming cup in his hand came walking through the corridor. It was Dumbledore, obviously coming from the kitchen. Apparently he had a cup of hot chocolate-milk in his hand. He walked past them without noticing them, although he nearly touched Peter.
"Narrow escape" sighed Sirius. "You don't think he can see through invisibility cloaks, do you?"
"Maybe, maybe not. If you just want to take you big feet from my toes, you're squishing them" said Remus dryly. Sirius quickly stepped forward.
"Look guys, here's the class room. Come in" waved James.
~*~
"Well, let's see" said James, turning the pages of the book, while the others were dragging the tables and chairs out of the way. "Changing into an animal. Hey, it's said here that a skilled animagi can do it without a wand. Just out of his own free will, without even saying a charm or something like that."
"Without a wand?" said Sirius, walking over to him. "Let's not try that now, shall we?"
He walked back to the chairs. "Okay, James. We'll sit here and watch. Let's hope for the best. And we have a mirror, so you can see the result. Ready? Let's do it."
He, Remus and Peter sat down on a chair, while James nervously took the book again. He swallowed. Then he concentrated on a stag, took his wand, pointed it to himself and said: "Animagi". He felt a strange feeling on top of his head. It wasn't hurting, it was a funny tickling feeling. The others were watching him in amazement. Suddenly, the feeling stopped. James looked down. He still had hands and feet and everything, so apparently it didn't work.
"Too bad, it didn't work" he said.
"You don't mean…It's over?" said Sirius. "I mean, you don't feel something? You're not changing anymore? This is it?" His voice broke with a strange giggle. Remus crammed his hands before his mouth, as to prevent himself from bursting into hysteric laughter. Peter bit his lower lip.
Suddenly, they couldn't hold themselves anymore and they roared with laughter. When James asked them what was so funny, Sirius just pointed laughing at the mirror. When James had picked it up, he thought his heart would stop. Two beautiful stakes rose from between his hair. He had antlers!
He stared disbelievingly at his head. How was he going to remove them? What was he going to say to Madame Pomfrey? She believed a lot, but this?
Remus, Sirius and Peter finally stopped laughing, although they sometimes gave a weird giggle. They consulted about how they were going to remove James' unwelcome 'decoration'. After a quarrel, they decided to try 'Finite Incantatem'. Luckily for James, it did work, although he still felt little bumps on his head 'til autumn…