Chapter Thirty Six
Cattus Elixa Amethyst
I woke at an odd hour, and opened my eyes to check the time. I went to brush my face and froze. Before my eyes was a paw attached to a long furry leg. I sprung up and realised soon after that I was no longer a human, but a black cat. I spun round, seeing my tail. This couldn't be happening! I tried to wake myself from what I thought was a nightmare, but it became horribly apparent that this was no nightmare or dream. What was I going to do? I made a quick decision. I leapt from the bed, realising how four legs were a little more brain power to co-ordinate than two, but much more stable. I went over to the door and looked up at the handle. Problem. I sat down and continued to look at the handle. I concentrated hard, remembering the lesson about the sugar cubes that McGonagall had taught me during the previous week. The door handle turned and pulled the door open with a paw, and walked out into the corridor. Who should I wake? Severus? Wouldn't he just think I was Acerbus? He'd be willing to kill that cat. McGonagall, she'd understand. All I had to do was find her.
After what seemed like hours, but I knew was only half of one by the clock, I found myself standing outside the deputy headmistress's chamber door. I couldn't open it, no doubt a charm. I resorted to more cat like methods, scratching at the door. I called out and heard it be voiced as a loud meow. My heart sank, and my tail swished with annoyance. I tried again, and heard a cat like yowl of "Professor McGonagall!" from my mouth. Eventually the door opened and the Professor looked down at me.
"Cat?"
"Professor, its Elixa. What's happened to me?" It came out in the same cat like voice. The witch put on her glasses and knelt down in the doorway.
"Elixa?" Thank Merlin, she understood. I nodded.
"Help!" I mewed back. Minerva went to wake Dumbledore, me at her heels. The old Professor did much the same as McGonagall had, but invited me in and suggested I stood on the table while Minerva fetched Severus.
"Everything alright headmaster?" Quirrell floated in the corridor outside.
"Come in Slatero. Elixa has been transformed into a cat." I saw the ghost Professor fly through the wall, and his translucent eyes widened.
The four professors sat round the table thinking hard. They'd tried to reverse any spell without success.
"We need to find Acerbus." McGonagall said decisively.
"I'll look. I'll be able to see the sort of places he might be." I offered.
"I'll help you." Quirrell said.
"We better inform the Ministry." Dumbledore sighed, appearing annoyed at himself for not understanding the situation. Severus was next to speak, after thinking hard for quite a while.
"I'll set to work on the sample I took from your bite." With that we all stood up and started from the headmaster's chambers.
Quirrell and I stalked the dark corridors, me finding out the uses of a cat's nose. I picked up a smell that alerted me along the charm's corridor. It led me to think there was another cat around. I sunk down and saw Quirrell sink into the wall, parts of his face only visible. I crept along the corridor, and pounced. The cat gave a yelp.
"Elixa, get off!" I leapt away and saw the tabby cat had circles around it's eyes like spectacles.
"Sorry Professor."
"I thought I'd give you a hand too." Professor McGonagall explained, speaking normally as she was an animagus, but I so obviously wasn't.