Chapter 10
Finally Animagi
Soon Harry, Ron, and even Hermione were overloaded with school work. The animagi classes with McGonnagal were becoming difficult to fit into their overwhelming schedules--- what with the extra practice sessions, since everyone wanting their own House to win the Quidditch Cup---each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. All that, on top of all their sixth year homework assignments. Needless to say, none of them exactly had much free time allowed them.
The very next week, Harry was told that their first Quidditch match of the season was to be against Hufflepuff, two weeks from the upcoming Saturday. Amelia and Mariah had become fast friends with the three, which meant they usually could be found where ever Ron, Harry, and Hermione might be.
Despite the fact that the team roster was already full, the two girls asked Harry if they coud join in the training sessions. Harry thought it over a moment. "Sure! Why not?" Harry said, nodding his head.
"Guess what, everyone?" Amelia said, barely able to contain herself. "Professor McGonnagal told me I could take over the job as commentator! Isn't that wicked?"
"Nice, Amelia!" Ron replied, thumping her on the back in congratulations.
"Right then," Harry said when they finally made their way down to the field. "Listen up, everyone! Professor McGonnagal told me that our first match is going to be against the Hufflepuff team, Saturday afternoon in two weeks." The team gave him a vibrant cheer, but Harry waved his arms for quiet. "That´s why we've begun training so hard already. Their Seeker is a small Third Year, so he´s no threat, but their Chasers are tough defenders, so let's watch out. Ron and Dean, every Bludgers you two can manage, send 'em against their Chasers, all right?"
"Yeah, Harry," Ron said, nodding in approval.
"Next...Hermione, Ginny and Kitty, in addition to racking up the points on offense, do whatever you all can to confuse and block their Keeper. He´s good, a big Fourth Year, but he's a bit unsteady on his broom. Take some chances out there, but play smart," Harry added, almost surprised how professional he was now sounding.
"Erek, most likely you won't be having too rough a match, but that still means no quaffles make it through. Got it?"
"Absolutely, Harry!" Erek assured him.
Harry nodded in satisfaction. "All right then. Let´s get started with our training!" Harry said and rose up on his trusty Firebolt.
Harry's role as Captain made his job as Seeker that much more difficult. Ordinarily he'd let quaffles and bludgers go whichever way, and just mind the Golden Snitch, which he wouldn't let out of his sight. Now, however, he had the additional responsibility of his team: watching how things were unfolding, encouraging his players, shouting out warnings, planning their game play...and, in addition to all that, still keep up his diligent watch for the elusive, speedy Snitch. He watched his team perform.
Erek seemed a natural as a Keeper, stopping all shots sent his way as usual.
The three girls who were his Chasers worked great as a team, wisely and eagerly passing the quaffle between them to the detriment of their opposing defenders.
Ron and Dean, his Beaters, smashed and clubbed the iron Bludgers about with such strength and verve that they splintered a flag pole with one overhit Bludger.
After an hour's time, Harry whistled them all down to the field. "Good work, Team!" Harry called out. "You keep on playing like that, and we'll be hard to beat. So, again, great work, and I´ll see you all again this Friday."
The weary yet pleased Gryffindors made their way back to the castle, where along the way, Ron observed to Harry and Hermione, "Too bad we have so swamped...else, we would be managing our Animagi lessons a bit easier, huh?"
"Well, Ron...I daresay that we're all rather good already," Hermione responded. "Like so..." she added after the other had gone inside, promptly turning herself into her panther form in the blink of an eye.
"Remember what Professsor McGonnagal said, eh? You get used to it after you've done it the first few dozen times. "I agree with Hermione," Harry said and turned himself into a lion.
"If you all say so," Ron said, giving up and changing himself into his fox form. In their animal forms, the three raced toward the castle, when they suddenly spotted Draco and his sister, Opaleye walking out of the main doors of the castle into the courtyard.
The two big cats and the fox smiled at one another, and stealthily crept up behind the Malfoy pair. Once in position, Harry roared and Hermione screamed, causing both Draco and Opaleye to scream in terror. The two clung to one another, white as sheets as they looked upon the two felines confronting them. But their fear was transformed into barely restrained rage when they saw the animals transfigure themselve into their most hated adversaries.
"What´s the matter, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, laughing. "Is our Ferretboy scared of three little Gryffindors?"
"Y-Y-You're ani-animagus!" Opaleye gasped quietly, her voice shocked.
Harry frowned when he realized they'd given away their secret, and tried to steer the pair away by asking, "By the way, Malfoy...what do you know about the new Gryffindor Quidditch team?"
"Not much, Potter. Just that they're doomed," Malfoy said caustically. "With you off the team, they don´t stand a chance at all of winning this year."
Harry laughed. "What do you mean I´m not on the team?" Harry asked. "Of course I'm on the team, Malfoy. I´m the Seeker as well as the Captain."
Malfoy gaped. "B-B-But you were banned, last year by Professor Umbridge!" he shot back at Harry.
Harry slowly shook his head. "Sorry, but Professor McGonnagal reinstated me...once she had a talk with Professor Dumbledore," Harry corrected his arch- enemy.
"See you on the field, Malfoy!" Hermione then said.
"What's that's supposed to mean, Mudblood? You aren't even on the team," Opaleye spat, her eyes blazing.
"Oh? So you haven't heard then? Yes, as a matter of fact I am on the team," Hermione declared with a proud smile. "I´m one of the new Chasers for your information, Ms. Malfoy."
"Good-bye and good riddance, Malfoy," Ron said, his lip curling.
Malfoy fumed, he was unused to being outwitted by Gryffindors. "Well, what about you, Weasley?" Malfoy asked. "Catch any quaffles yet?"
"Actually no," Ron replied, "But that's because I'm a Beater now, see? So, have a care, Malfoy...I've got my eye on you now..."
"Love to stay and chat, Malfoy...but we've to go," Harry said. "Things to do and people to see, and all that..."
The three then left the Malfoys staring, and trotted away inside. They quickly changed clothes and dashed to McGonnagal´s classroom.
Once they'd begun their lessons, McGonnagal said, "Kindly transform and we´ll finish your final lesson. After that, you will be considered full- fledged Animagi. You will then be registered with the Ministry of Magic, informing them of what sort of animals each of you are, what your markings are, as well as who you were instructed by, mainly myself."
Later on, when the lesson was over, Professor McGonnagal helped each of her students with the necessary paperwork, and finally prompted each to sign their name at the bottom of the official-looking forms. "Now, you will send these to the Ministry of Magic, and...you're done. Congratulations," McGonnagal said. "You are all now officially Animagus."
Finally Animagi
Soon Harry, Ron, and even Hermione were overloaded with school work. The animagi classes with McGonnagal were becoming difficult to fit into their overwhelming schedules--- what with the extra practice sessions, since everyone wanting their own House to win the Quidditch Cup---each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. All that, on top of all their sixth year homework assignments. Needless to say, none of them exactly had much free time allowed them.
The very next week, Harry was told that their first Quidditch match of the season was to be against Hufflepuff, two weeks from the upcoming Saturday. Amelia and Mariah had become fast friends with the three, which meant they usually could be found where ever Ron, Harry, and Hermione might be.
Despite the fact that the team roster was already full, the two girls asked Harry if they coud join in the training sessions. Harry thought it over a moment. "Sure! Why not?" Harry said, nodding his head.
"Guess what, everyone?" Amelia said, barely able to contain herself. "Professor McGonnagal told me I could take over the job as commentator! Isn't that wicked?"
"Nice, Amelia!" Ron replied, thumping her on the back in congratulations.
"Right then," Harry said when they finally made their way down to the field. "Listen up, everyone! Professor McGonnagal told me that our first match is going to be against the Hufflepuff team, Saturday afternoon in two weeks." The team gave him a vibrant cheer, but Harry waved his arms for quiet. "That´s why we've begun training so hard already. Their Seeker is a small Third Year, so he´s no threat, but their Chasers are tough defenders, so let's watch out. Ron and Dean, every Bludgers you two can manage, send 'em against their Chasers, all right?"
"Yeah, Harry," Ron said, nodding in approval.
"Next...Hermione, Ginny and Kitty, in addition to racking up the points on offense, do whatever you all can to confuse and block their Keeper. He´s good, a big Fourth Year, but he's a bit unsteady on his broom. Take some chances out there, but play smart," Harry added, almost surprised how professional he was now sounding.
"Erek, most likely you won't be having too rough a match, but that still means no quaffles make it through. Got it?"
"Absolutely, Harry!" Erek assured him.
Harry nodded in satisfaction. "All right then. Let´s get started with our training!" Harry said and rose up on his trusty Firebolt.
Harry's role as Captain made his job as Seeker that much more difficult. Ordinarily he'd let quaffles and bludgers go whichever way, and just mind the Golden Snitch, which he wouldn't let out of his sight. Now, however, he had the additional responsibility of his team: watching how things were unfolding, encouraging his players, shouting out warnings, planning their game play...and, in addition to all that, still keep up his diligent watch for the elusive, speedy Snitch. He watched his team perform.
Erek seemed a natural as a Keeper, stopping all shots sent his way as usual.
The three girls who were his Chasers worked great as a team, wisely and eagerly passing the quaffle between them to the detriment of their opposing defenders.
Ron and Dean, his Beaters, smashed and clubbed the iron Bludgers about with such strength and verve that they splintered a flag pole with one overhit Bludger.
After an hour's time, Harry whistled them all down to the field. "Good work, Team!" Harry called out. "You keep on playing like that, and we'll be hard to beat. So, again, great work, and I´ll see you all again this Friday."
The weary yet pleased Gryffindors made their way back to the castle, where along the way, Ron observed to Harry and Hermione, "Too bad we have so swamped...else, we would be managing our Animagi lessons a bit easier, huh?"
"Well, Ron...I daresay that we're all rather good already," Hermione responded. "Like so..." she added after the other had gone inside, promptly turning herself into her panther form in the blink of an eye.
"Remember what Professsor McGonnagal said, eh? You get used to it after you've done it the first few dozen times. "I agree with Hermione," Harry said and turned himself into a lion.
"If you all say so," Ron said, giving up and changing himself into his fox form. In their animal forms, the three raced toward the castle, when they suddenly spotted Draco and his sister, Opaleye walking out of the main doors of the castle into the courtyard.
The two big cats and the fox smiled at one another, and stealthily crept up behind the Malfoy pair. Once in position, Harry roared and Hermione screamed, causing both Draco and Opaleye to scream in terror. The two clung to one another, white as sheets as they looked upon the two felines confronting them. But their fear was transformed into barely restrained rage when they saw the animals transfigure themselve into their most hated adversaries.
"What´s the matter, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, laughing. "Is our Ferretboy scared of three little Gryffindors?"
"Y-Y-You're ani-animagus!" Opaleye gasped quietly, her voice shocked.
Harry frowned when he realized they'd given away their secret, and tried to steer the pair away by asking, "By the way, Malfoy...what do you know about the new Gryffindor Quidditch team?"
"Not much, Potter. Just that they're doomed," Malfoy said caustically. "With you off the team, they don´t stand a chance at all of winning this year."
Harry laughed. "What do you mean I´m not on the team?" Harry asked. "Of course I'm on the team, Malfoy. I´m the Seeker as well as the Captain."
Malfoy gaped. "B-B-But you were banned, last year by Professor Umbridge!" he shot back at Harry.
Harry slowly shook his head. "Sorry, but Professor McGonnagal reinstated me...once she had a talk with Professor Dumbledore," Harry corrected his arch- enemy.
"See you on the field, Malfoy!" Hermione then said.
"What's that's supposed to mean, Mudblood? You aren't even on the team," Opaleye spat, her eyes blazing.
"Oh? So you haven't heard then? Yes, as a matter of fact I am on the team," Hermione declared with a proud smile. "I´m one of the new Chasers for your information, Ms. Malfoy."
"Good-bye and good riddance, Malfoy," Ron said, his lip curling.
Malfoy fumed, he was unused to being outwitted by Gryffindors. "Well, what about you, Weasley?" Malfoy asked. "Catch any quaffles yet?"
"Actually no," Ron replied, "But that's because I'm a Beater now, see? So, have a care, Malfoy...I've got my eye on you now..."
"Love to stay and chat, Malfoy...but we've to go," Harry said. "Things to do and people to see, and all that..."
The three then left the Malfoys staring, and trotted away inside. They quickly changed clothes and dashed to McGonnagal´s classroom.
Once they'd begun their lessons, McGonnagal said, "Kindly transform and we´ll finish your final lesson. After that, you will be considered full- fledged Animagi. You will then be registered with the Ministry of Magic, informing them of what sort of animals each of you are, what your markings are, as well as who you were instructed by, mainly myself."
Later on, when the lesson was over, Professor McGonnagal helped each of her students with the necessary paperwork, and finally prompted each to sign their name at the bottom of the official-looking forms. "Now, you will send these to the Ministry of Magic, and...you're done. Congratulations," McGonnagal said. "You are all now officially Animagus."