A/N: I am being generous and probably foolish - this shud stress Eihwaz out hahaa, she needs to finish the next chappie even sooner - but i realised that the B/N of Chap 19 gave away part of wot happened in this one. So here ya go!

Chapter 20

Mum took sending an extra boy back to school completely in her stride. I was impressed - Sirius and I had caused enough mayhem by losing things and nearly forgetting things at the last minute that even Dad, the laid back one, had been convinced we would miss the train. Of course we didn't. Sirius and I slid onto platform 9 and 3/4 with fifteen minutes still to go. We shoved our belongings into a carriage and then stood around on the platform, chatting with the other people. We saw Remus leaning out of the front carriage and waved.

"Where's Peter?" Sirius said. "He should be here soon."

We slid back into the muggle world to see if he was out there. It wasn't so very unlikely that he'd forgotten how to get onto the platform.

"Nope..."

As we re-emerged on the platform, Sirius gave a low whistle. "Somebody's had a makeover," he said. "How come we didn't notice her?"

I followed his gaze and gulped. No, I hadn't really wanted to go out with her myself these last couple of years despite my insisting that Peter shouldn't, but now stones were ricocheting around in my stomach. Evans looked... well, she looked stunning. And for the first time, I was not the only boy staring. Her hair was now shoulder length and loose rather than waist-length and plaited, and it looked a deeper, darker red rather than orangey. She had grown into her amazing, almost ethereal eyes, and now they were more startling than ever. Still that bright, bright green, they were outlined in black and contrasted dramatically with her pale skin.

Sirius was watching me. "So, you going to try asking her out again?"

I shrugged. "Might. A prefect, though," I noticed. "Maybe Moony should try!"

He smiled. "I'd like to see you put up with that one, mate."

At last the train was moving. Peter had struggled onto the platform at the last minute, panting that he'd overslept. It felt strange, starting the year without Remus, but I was off in a world of my own anyway. I heard Peter indicate me and ask if I was feeling all right, but Sirius just laughed and changed the subject.

Remus joined us about an hour into the journey. "The other prefects are Lily Evans, Marcius Malfoy and Patricia Parkinson, Emma Bones and Eric Attley, Annie Griffiths somehow and Bernie Higgins."

"Annie Griffiths?" I echoed. "God they're desperate!"

He laughed. "Thanks, J."

"Not for Gryffindors," I laughed, miming a punch at him as he sat down. He grinned.

"Are we alone?"

"I think so."

He stood up again and checked round the compartment. "Yes. OK, we need to talk about the Animagi. Are you ready, as in have you done all the brain- training?"

All three of us nodded.

"The potion should be ready tomorrow night. The next full moon isn't for two weeks, I think we should give it a go tomorrow. Clearly I need to be there properly the first time, but this way we can practise a few times before next week."

Remus, Sirius and I had decided that Remus needed to be there in person. The first transformation was complicated, involving drinking the potion, saying charms and doing all the brain work. After the first time, it was supposedly possible to change into your animal at mere will, but we had decided that Remus would probably need to help Peter the first time. Sirius and I were confident, but it couldn't hurt to have a helping hand.

We all nodded now, although Peter looked nervous. "So we should probably go out onto the grounds, near the Forbidden Forest but not in it. Animals wouldn't be out of place there," Remus continued.

"Start at about eleven thirty," I added. "We want time to take it slowly and be back well in time for morning."

Remus nodded. "I must admit, I'm slightly envious," he said wistfully. "I know I hate being an animal... but being an Animagus at will would be so much different." He smiled. "I'll enjoy seeing what animal you are tomorrow. Who do you reckon'll have the biggest teeth?"

"Sirius," Peter and I said at once - Sirius himself said "Me."

We laughed. "That's a dead cert., then."

"Yeah."

After the welcome feast, Remus disappeared with the first years and Evans. I was still having trouble thinking straight when I saw her. Could this mean that she had truly changed her image? Maybe she might actually now appreciate the school's hottest boy and best Quidditch player asking her out. I could certainly lift her image that bit further. I'd observe for a few days first, though.

The first day told me I was wrong. She was still bookish, and fairly serious. Clearly, she had only changed how she looked. I doubted she wanted me as a boyfriend, then. It was a disappointment, to say the least.

At least I had the Animagus transformation to anticipate that evening. Ironically, we had Transfiguration last that Monday, and at the end Professor McGonagall approached me. "Well done, Potter," she said mysteriously.

"Sorry?"

"You mean the rumours haven't reached you? Why, for the first time I've actually heard a piece of gossip that was true in this school and it hasn't got round to the person concerned?"

Sirius, waiting for me by the door, looked as bewildered as me.

"You're Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Potter," she said. "I hope to see the team fly to new strengths. Win the cup every year from joining to leaving and I might be content!"

I grinned. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. I insist on keeping that Cup. My personal house-elf has just got used to cleaning it."

"No, no, about me being captain."

"Yes, Potter, perfectly serious. You're the youngest captain in, hmm, must be twenty, thirty years according to Professor Dumbledore."

Sirius began to cheer. McGonagall smiled. "You'd better go and inform the rest of the team. Gryffindor team trials are next Friday, I expect no favouritism."

"Oh, go on, put me on the team, J!" Sirius called.

"No way, Si. Of course I won't, Professor. And... thank you."

I didn't, in fact, get any sleep before eleven thirty. I was too busy, practising the Animagus concentration, and then running over and over the congratulations I had received, the cheers, the shouts, Snape's face when he'd heard... and above all, just the straight fact - I was Quidditch captain. This was far better than being a prefect - well, at least as far as I was concerned. And soon I would be an Animagus as well.

It had been agreed that Remus would bring the cauldron to our meeting place. He would also take the Invisibility Cloak. Sirius and I were not worried for ourselves about parading about school without it, but Peter was used to being reckless. I had a strange desire to hold his hand and keep him safe, like a child crossing the road. Nevertheless, we made it out into the grounds. When we were about ten metres away, Remus took off the cloak. The cauldron was bubbling beside him. Peter, Sirius and I were each holding a glass flagon. Remus had a ladle in his right hand.

"Ready?" he said.

I eyed the cauldron. "We have to drink that?"

He nodded. "Sorry..."

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

I held out my bottle, and he filled it carefully, as instructed by the book. Sirius and Peter followed suit.

"Who wants to go first?"

"Not me," Peter said.

Sirius and I exchanged glances. "You first," I offered sweetly.

"OK... wish me luck."