Chapter 17: Of Different Plans

Through forests, quagmires and rivers, the majestic owl flew. Flying to his dark destination, to the south, a large manor awaiting his presence. After having to put up with the torrent weather that took place in November, he was ready for a break in his master's room. He flew through the large arched window, and landed elegantly on his silver perch, holding his leg out to his master. Gloved hands untied the letter, and stormy grey eyes scanned its content. The master smirked and disappeared through the fireplace.

***

Lily ran through the corridors of the school. This was the fourth time this week that she was late for class. She wouldn't normally have minded being late, but she couldn't face another detention right now. The Professor's thought it best to pile them with homework before the pupil's lethargy at Christmas time kicked in. Lily couldn't believe the pile of homework she was getting from every Professor, and she doubted Professor Fernhopper - the DADA teacher - would be lenient with her. She skidded to a halt in front of the classroom door and opened it with a crash. The first thing she saw was a flurry of black robes falling backwards.

"Really do watch what you are doing Mr Pettigrew!" a voice scolded from the other side of the room. Lily burst out laughing at Peter's dishevelled state on the ground, and helped him up. His hair was frazzled, his arms seemed limp and his skin had taken on a rather nasty shade of green.  

"As for you Miss Evans, your tardiness cannot go unpunished." Fernhopper continued. That shut Lily up. 'Please don't give me detention…'

"10 Points off Gryffindor." She announced and continued shuffling papers on her desk. Lily sighed and uttered a quick apology to Peter. She quickly sat on a desk. But not her usual one. She usually opted to desks near the windows, but she had been avoiding windows at all costs. No one knew why. Gladys thought she just might have changed her preferences. But she still noticed how Lily would sometimes peer to the window and look a little hot and bothered. She wondered why she was doing it, and when she questioned Lily on the subject, Lily simply shook her head and told Gladys she was being silly and probably just imagined it. Sure, she would be miffed with the reply, but she was sure Lily would tell eventually.

Today's lesson was on counter curses. How to block simple curses, and they were to work in pairs. Remus had been Peter's partners, but he had been sent to hospital wing as several curses had ricocheted off of each other and hit Peter. Remus had ended up being partnered with her.

"Now remember everyone, a swirl of the wand and clear enunciation." Professor Fernhopper ranted on as she observed the paired students.

"Are you ready Lily?" Remus asked. She looked at him. He didn't look to well. Maybe he had the flu. His skin was paler and there were some slight bags under his eyes. Lily nodded. Remus raised his wand, taking a final glance at her. She didn't look to comfortable, she looked flustered, a bit red in the face and a sheen of perspiration lay on her brow. Her usually bright eyes took on a duller shade, but she looked determined to get through this lesson. 'Wow…suddenly I don't look too bad.' Remus thought as he sent a curse her way. She collapsed under the jelly-leg curse. Remus rushed over, and once again raised his wand to do the counter curse.

"Are you ok?" he asked as she got up.

"Yeah, only jelly-legs. I'm glad you didn't do something too damaging." She replied.

"No, I didn't mean that. Are you alright? You don't seem to be your usual self," Remus started. Lily smiled at his concern.

"I'm fine. I've seen better days, but I'll pull through. What about you? You look like you could do with some sleep." She stated.

"Sleep would be good around about now. But we don't always get what we want sometimes." He replied with a small smile.

"Tell me about it." Lily replied smiling in understanding.

"Will you two stop chattering and get on with your work!" the irritable Professor exclaimed. Remus rolled his amber eyes and grinned at Lily. She laughed – she had never thought Remus to show cheek towards a professor. He walked to the other side of the classroom and awaited Lily's curse.

***

The blonde man fixed his robes and opened the door to the chamber. It was dimly lit, but the green lanterns gave enough light to illuminate the row upon row of robe-clad followers. And the person they followed was sitting upon his chair on the other side of the vast chamber. He raised his red eyes to the man and beckoned for him to proceed into the chamber. The man's footsteps echoed, and he graciously swept down onto one knee and bowed to the person before him. Voldemort looked down at the bowed man, testing him. When he still hadn't raised his head, he spoke.

"What news do you bring Malfoy?" He asked his voice deep yet charming. Many people had succumbed to the charm Tom Marvolo Riddle possessed, and as Voldemort, his charm flared on his trusty followers.

"I have received word from my son, Lucius. He has carried out the task you asked of him, and has sent me back the results." The senior Malfoy raised his head to speak eye-to-eye with the Dark Lord, but hadn't risen from his crouched position.

"Let me see." Voldemort's deep voice commanded. Malfoy stood and handed the letter to his master. The room watched as their master's eyes swept across the parchment. His fiery red eyes seemed to glare even redder as he read the letter. He smirked as he finished it.

"You son deserves an honorary award Malfoy. I commend him." He said. His eyes flickered on the letter again. "As for this mudblood. She may be of some use." He commented. Several startled gasps swept throughout the crowd. A mudblood working with them? Had their master gone mad?

"She is already being watched. If things go as planned, she will come to us willingly," he said again, his eyes reading over the last line of the letter.

She can provoke magic, without the use of a wand.

***

The library was completely dark when James and Sirius arrived. It was perfect. Sirius held the lantern as James manoeuvred them to the Restricted Section of the library under the Invisibility Cloak. They had found out that even the Advanced Transfiguration section of the library hadn't given any hints on becoming Animagus. They hadn't told Remus of their plan to become Animagus nor the fact that they knew he was werewolf. They still questioned him every month, and he either replied with his mother being ill or something came up at home. They had to ask him, even if he felt uncomfortable with replying to them – it would be out of character for them not to. If Remus were to find out their plan to become Animagus, they knew he would dissuade them. They would be breaking the law and he wouldn't want them in trouble. But both James and Sirius knew that he would have probably done the same if they were werewolves.

As for Peter, they felt a little upset at not telling them the plan, but Peter would never be one to break school rules, let alone a magical law. Also, both James and Sirius doubted his ability to actually become animagus. He had trouble doing the spells they were doing now, so there was no way he could have been able to cope with an Animagus spell.

Both boys spent a long time looking for different books and volumes to help them.  They took a copy of 'Beastia' tore pages from 'Metamorphosis Matters' and scanned the different issues of the critically evaluated 'Human-to-Horror; The Mistakes NOT to Make.' After finding a bundle of the books needed, they silently walked the corridors of the castle to their dorm. Remus was away to a full moon tonight, and Peter slept like a log.

"And people think we don't study." Sirius muttered as he opened a copy of 'The Age of Transfiguration.' James smirked a little but carried on looking through the different books. They sat in silence, taking note of anything that may help them.

"It looks like we'll have to brew a potion if we want to become animagus." James stated as he reread a passage in his book.

"A potion? Great. Peter is the genius with Potions!" Sirius commented as he sifted through another book. "I haven't read this much since I lost my copy of 'Ellyn the Elephant.' The things I do for that boy." He continued to mutter. James grinned. The reason the book was lost was because he had hidden it. He was tired of Sirius quoting every single line of the book and had hidden it in the Black's attic.

"Well, I'm sure Ellyn the Elephant would be proud of all the reading you are doing now." James smirked and turned the page of the book.

"Damn right she would!" Sirius agreed wholeheartedly and continued to go through the books.

"Hey, I think mum should have a book somewhere at home which can tell us how to make the potion." James said, as he thought of his mother.

"You think? Maybe she'll have the ingredients too." Sirius said while chewing on his quill.

"Yeah, she might. I'll have a look around in the holidays." James replied.

"Well, I'm shattered. I'm going to sleep in tomorrow, so don't wake me up until noon." Sirius warned while shutting his book. James nodded and continued reading through the books until he felt his eyelids start to droop. Looking at the clock it head 'you should be in bed.' James for once agreed with it, and shut his book. He put them away and stretched.

As he was about to climb in bed, he heard something down in the Common Room. It sounded like a crash. Curious, he stepped out of his dorm and down the spiralling stairs, to the Common Room. He looked at the main window and saw a large lightning-white crack running across it. Huddled in a little ball on the couch was a mass of dark red curls.

"Lily?" he asked. The girl jumped about a foot in the air. James noticed her deathly pale skin and that she was shivering.

"What's wrong?" he asked walking towards her. She didn't reply. She just continued to shiver. Her green eyes were dull as she looked at James. She looked dead brought back to life, but only just.

"N…nothing." She replied.

"Then why you down here, looking like a zombie?" He asked, sitting down next her. The expected punch on the arm didn't come.

"Because I want to!" she snapped.

"Fair enough." James replied. He turned to look at the window. "Lovely crack on the window."    

"Thanks, did it myself." Lily replied sardonically. "They wouldn't shut up, so I did it for them."

"Who wouldn't shut up?" James asked.

"Doesn't matter. I'm going to bed." Lily said getting up and walking up the staircase. James got up as well.

"Lily." He called. She stopped at the foot of the staircase.

"You can talk to me." James said simply. He saw her nod and head up the staircase.