Chapter 7: The Ministry of Magic
Mira awoke the next morning feeling as though she had slept for a week. She felt refreshed and ready to take on whatever the world threw at her. She got dressed and went downstairs into the kitchen. Molly, Arthur and Bill Weasley were already up and about, as were Moody, Tonks and Remus.
"Good morning, Mira," said Molly. "Did you sleep well?"
"It was the best sleep I've had in years," replied Mira, sitting down next to Remus.
"What would you like for breakfast? Bacon and eggs, kippers, porridge or toast?"
"Bacon and eggs sounds lovely, thanks, Molly."
As Molly Weasley started to get breakfast ready, she said." So, dear, what are your plans for today? You don't have guard duty until tomorrow. I looked at the roster."
Mira smiled. "Well, I have to go into the Ministry of Magic today to register myself as an Animagus."
Everyone looked as shocked as Remus was the night before. Molly dropped an egg; Arthur spluttered the coffee he was drinking Moody put down the Daily Prophet he was reading and looked at her with both eyes; and Bill and Tonks stopped the conversation they were having and looked at Mira. Remus, meanwhile, looked at her, smiling.
In answer to the shocked silence, she said, "I've been an Animagus for about 7 years. I can turn into a lioness and Dumbledore thinks I should register so I won't have any reason to be in trouble with the Ministry. Beside, I have no reason to hide it."
"Also, to prove that she really was an Animagus, she got up and transformed into a lioness, transformed back into a human and sat down again.
"So, Remus, if you're not doing anything today, maybe you could come with me to the Ministry of Magic?" she asked amid the stunned silence.
"Sure," he said, still smiling.
Molly, remembering herself, pulled out her wand and cleaned up the broken egg and continued making breakfast. Moody went back to his Prophet and Bill and Tonks to their conversation. Arthur got up, kissed Molly on the cheek goodbye and said, "Well, I might see you and Remus today. The Improper Use of Magic office is on the same floor as mine. I've got to head over to work, now. See you later, then."
With a loud crack, Arthur disappeared.
After Mira and Remus had finished breakfast, they left the kitchen to get ready. Soon enough they were outside the disappearing front door. They walked down to the train station and got on the next train in silence. After they sat down, Remus quietly said, "It's been years since I've been on a muggle train."
"Really? I take public transport all the time, except, of course, when it's an emergency. Then I just apparate. But I don't really like to use apparition unless I need to."
They soon got off the train, left the train station and found themselves in the heart of London. They walked down the road to a side-street and kept walking until they found the telephone box. Remus opened the door and allowed Mira to go into the box first, before stepping in and closing the door. Mira picked up the receiver and dialled the numbers six, two, four, four and two. The familiar woman's voice came from the booth, saying, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."
"Mira Montrose to register at the Improper Use of Magic Office as an Animagus and Remus Lupin here - er - for moral support."
"Thank you. Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to your robes."
Mira picked up the badges and looked at them. Hers said Mira Montrose, registering as an Animagus and Remus' said Remus Lupin, moral support. They pinned their badges to the front of their shirts.
"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk. The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day."
The telephone box slowly moved down. When it stopped, the doors sprang open and they got out. They walked along the hall, past the fountain of Magical Brethren, to the security desk. After going through all the security necessities, they moved along to the lifts. Mira and Remus followed a broad witch with short grey hair into one of the lifts. When inside the lift, the witch turned around to face Mira and Remus. It was Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Mira Montrose!" she boomed. "Since when were you back in England? How long has it been?"
Mira smiled. "Madam Bones! I've been back for about two or three days , and it's been 15 years."
"Well, well, so it has. So what are you doing at the Ministry today?"
'I'm going up to your floor, actually. I'm registering myself as an Animagus."
"You're an Animagus? Since when? What animal do you turn into? Don't worry about going to the Animagus Registration Office, I'll help you personally."
"Really? Why thank you, Madam Bones. Are you sure -"
"It's not a problem, really, Mira."
They reached the second floor and got out. Madam bones lead the way down the corridor to one of the first doors on the left that had a sign on it saying,
AMELIA BONES
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Madam Bones opened the door and allowed Mira and Remus to enter her office before going inside herself and closing the door behind her.
Mira looked around the office. It was rather big. There was a huge oak desk in front of a window with a huge, comfy-looking chair behind it. On the desk were an in-tray and an out-tray, with everything in both trays stacked neatly. There were a few other papers sitting neatly on her desk, along with a beautify eagle-feather quill and an inkpot. Hovering above her desk were a few memos.
Madam Bones strode over to her desk and motioned Mira and Remus to sit down on two chairs in front of her desk before sitting down herself. As they settled themselves on the chairs, madam Bones plucked the memos out of the air, read them and replied to a couple of them and sent them back on their way. She then opened a drawer and took out a piece of parchment.
'OK. This is an application form for registration as an Animagus. So, let's begin. Full name."
"Mira Montrose."
"Current address."
"Put down Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'll be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts once term begins."
"Are you already an Animagus or are you training to be one?"
"I'm already an Animagus."
"How long have you been an Animagus for?
"Seven years."
"What animal do you transform into?"
"A lioness."
"What are your distinguishing features when you transform into an animal?"
"My fur is the same colour as my hair, that is light brown, and my eyes are the same colour, that is blue."
"Why did you choose to become an Animagus?"
"I realised that having the Animagus ability would be very useful in fighting the Dark Arts, which has been my occupation for the last 15 years."
"OK, I need you to transform into your animal, then transform back and sign the form. Lupin should sign this, too, as a witness."
Mira got out of her chair, transformed into a lioness, paced a little around the office, changed back into her human form and sat back down. Madam Bones pushed the piece of parchment toward Mira and Remus, and Mira signed the parchment before handing the quill over to Remus to sign.
"OK, that's that. You're now registered. Your name should appear on the office register in the next day or two; I just need to send this over to the Animagus Registration Office."
"Well, I think that we've taken too much of your time already, Madam Bones. Thank you, again, for helping me out."
"As I said, it's not a problem. It was wonderful to see you, again, but I am afraid I have quite a lot to do."
Madam Bones got up and opened the door for them. "Do send my regards and support to Dumbledore and young Potter. I hope to see you again, soon."
"Good bye."
As Mira and Remus got into the lift, Remus mumbled, "Well that wasn't too difficult, now was it?"
Mira awoke the next morning feeling as though she had slept for a week. She felt refreshed and ready to take on whatever the world threw at her. She got dressed and went downstairs into the kitchen. Molly, Arthur and Bill Weasley were already up and about, as were Moody, Tonks and Remus.
"Good morning, Mira," said Molly. "Did you sleep well?"
"It was the best sleep I've had in years," replied Mira, sitting down next to Remus.
"What would you like for breakfast? Bacon and eggs, kippers, porridge or toast?"
"Bacon and eggs sounds lovely, thanks, Molly."
As Molly Weasley started to get breakfast ready, she said." So, dear, what are your plans for today? You don't have guard duty until tomorrow. I looked at the roster."
Mira smiled. "Well, I have to go into the Ministry of Magic today to register myself as an Animagus."
Everyone looked as shocked as Remus was the night before. Molly dropped an egg; Arthur spluttered the coffee he was drinking Moody put down the Daily Prophet he was reading and looked at her with both eyes; and Bill and Tonks stopped the conversation they were having and looked at Mira. Remus, meanwhile, looked at her, smiling.
In answer to the shocked silence, she said, "I've been an Animagus for about 7 years. I can turn into a lioness and Dumbledore thinks I should register so I won't have any reason to be in trouble with the Ministry. Beside, I have no reason to hide it."
"Also, to prove that she really was an Animagus, she got up and transformed into a lioness, transformed back into a human and sat down again.
"So, Remus, if you're not doing anything today, maybe you could come with me to the Ministry of Magic?" she asked amid the stunned silence.
"Sure," he said, still smiling.
Molly, remembering herself, pulled out her wand and cleaned up the broken egg and continued making breakfast. Moody went back to his Prophet and Bill and Tonks to their conversation. Arthur got up, kissed Molly on the cheek goodbye and said, "Well, I might see you and Remus today. The Improper Use of Magic office is on the same floor as mine. I've got to head over to work, now. See you later, then."
With a loud crack, Arthur disappeared.
After Mira and Remus had finished breakfast, they left the kitchen to get ready. Soon enough they were outside the disappearing front door. They walked down to the train station and got on the next train in silence. After they sat down, Remus quietly said, "It's been years since I've been on a muggle train."
"Really? I take public transport all the time, except, of course, when it's an emergency. Then I just apparate. But I don't really like to use apparition unless I need to."
They soon got off the train, left the train station and found themselves in the heart of London. They walked down the road to a side-street and kept walking until they found the telephone box. Remus opened the door and allowed Mira to go into the box first, before stepping in and closing the door. Mira picked up the receiver and dialled the numbers six, two, four, four and two. The familiar woman's voice came from the booth, saying, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."
"Mira Montrose to register at the Improper Use of Magic Office as an Animagus and Remus Lupin here - er - for moral support."
"Thank you. Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to your robes."
Mira picked up the badges and looked at them. Hers said Mira Montrose, registering as an Animagus and Remus' said Remus Lupin, moral support. They pinned their badges to the front of their shirts.
"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk. The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day."
The telephone box slowly moved down. When it stopped, the doors sprang open and they got out. They walked along the hall, past the fountain of Magical Brethren, to the security desk. After going through all the security necessities, they moved along to the lifts. Mira and Remus followed a broad witch with short grey hair into one of the lifts. When inside the lift, the witch turned around to face Mira and Remus. It was Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Mira Montrose!" she boomed. "Since when were you back in England? How long has it been?"
Mira smiled. "Madam Bones! I've been back for about two or three days , and it's been 15 years."
"Well, well, so it has. So what are you doing at the Ministry today?"
'I'm going up to your floor, actually. I'm registering myself as an Animagus."
"You're an Animagus? Since when? What animal do you turn into? Don't worry about going to the Animagus Registration Office, I'll help you personally."
"Really? Why thank you, Madam Bones. Are you sure -"
"It's not a problem, really, Mira."
They reached the second floor and got out. Madam bones lead the way down the corridor to one of the first doors on the left that had a sign on it saying,
AMELIA BONES
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Madam Bones opened the door and allowed Mira and Remus to enter her office before going inside herself and closing the door behind her.
Mira looked around the office. It was rather big. There was a huge oak desk in front of a window with a huge, comfy-looking chair behind it. On the desk were an in-tray and an out-tray, with everything in both trays stacked neatly. There were a few other papers sitting neatly on her desk, along with a beautify eagle-feather quill and an inkpot. Hovering above her desk were a few memos.
Madam Bones strode over to her desk and motioned Mira and Remus to sit down on two chairs in front of her desk before sitting down herself. As they settled themselves on the chairs, madam Bones plucked the memos out of the air, read them and replied to a couple of them and sent them back on their way. She then opened a drawer and took out a piece of parchment.
'OK. This is an application form for registration as an Animagus. So, let's begin. Full name."
"Mira Montrose."
"Current address."
"Put down Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'll be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts once term begins."
"Are you already an Animagus or are you training to be one?"
"I'm already an Animagus."
"How long have you been an Animagus for?
"Seven years."
"What animal do you transform into?"
"A lioness."
"What are your distinguishing features when you transform into an animal?"
"My fur is the same colour as my hair, that is light brown, and my eyes are the same colour, that is blue."
"Why did you choose to become an Animagus?"
"I realised that having the Animagus ability would be very useful in fighting the Dark Arts, which has been my occupation for the last 15 years."
"OK, I need you to transform into your animal, then transform back and sign the form. Lupin should sign this, too, as a witness."
Mira got out of her chair, transformed into a lioness, paced a little around the office, changed back into her human form and sat back down. Madam Bones pushed the piece of parchment toward Mira and Remus, and Mira signed the parchment before handing the quill over to Remus to sign.
"OK, that's that. You're now registered. Your name should appear on the office register in the next day or two; I just need to send this over to the Animagus Registration Office."
"Well, I think that we've taken too much of your time already, Madam Bones. Thank you, again, for helping me out."
"As I said, it's not a problem. It was wonderful to see you, again, but I am afraid I have quite a lot to do."
Madam Bones got up and opened the door for them. "Do send my regards and support to Dumbledore and young Potter. I hope to see you again, soon."
"Good bye."
As Mira and Remus got into the lift, Remus mumbled, "Well that wasn't too difficult, now was it?"