Usual Disclaimer: This world does not belong to me. I just borrowed it along with its inhabitants. Thanks J.K. for lending me your ready made world of magic.
A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken so long, thanks to those who reviewed, I wont waste your time with a long AN so on with the show...
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Harry woke later the next morning after only a few hours sleep. He had stayed up through the night, engrossed in the guidebook. He had come across a few interesting charms but there was one page that had particularly caught his attention. What had alerted him to it was the fact that it was the only page which remained blank. He had tried all the revealing spells he could think of and he had tried writing on it but as it turned out, the ink was just absorbed into the page but did not reappear. He had spent an age trying to figure out what it was hiding but to no avail.
They spent the next day going over the Animagus charm and possible risks, eventually deciding that they would begin trying the next day. Hermione insisted that they go to bed early and get a full nights sleep before they attempted anything, for they would pose a great risk to themselves if they were to try such a complicated spell whilst yawning.
In all the fuss over the Animagus spell, Harry forgot to ask Hermione about the blank page of the book and it was pushed to the back of his mind for the time being.
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"I don't see how this is meant to work. Are you sure you've read it right?" Ron frowned, as they stood in the room of requirement, the Marauders Guidebook open on the bookstand the room had provided for them.
"Yes Ron, this is only the millionth time I've read it since yesterday and it says quite clearly 'No wands'! That is why it's only very powerful witches and wizards who have managed it. It requires controlling our innermost magic and directing it to change something fundamental to our being. It's the magic within us that chooses our animal form."
"God you sound just like a textbook sometimes." Ron continued to frown and Hermione scowled back.
"Be quiet both of you." Harry said. It was usually his job to cut off their bickering before it developed into a riot and, as usual, he did so with ease, silencing them with the simple instruction.
"Right, lets go over it one more time and then we'll decide who's going first." Ginny took control of the situation as they were getting nowhere quickly and she was too excited and impatient to wait any longer.
"Okay," Hermione agreed, turning to the open book. "Use your wand to draw a circle of protection around yourself, this will act as a guard to any bad spirits lurking, waiting to enter an unsuspecting body. Stand in the centre of the circle and summon your magical being to your chest let you body prepare itself for the transformation and when you're completely ready, say 'Transformus Animagus'. If it has been a success, you will find yourself with as few unusual features depending on the animal you have now become. To change back, think of your regular self. Whether successful or not, the spell is physically challenging and attempts whilst tired are not recommended for obvious safety reasons. If successful, transformations may sometimes take a while to master but you should now be able to transform at will between your animal and human selves (this will become easier and quicker as time goes on)." She finished reading and looked excited.
"So who's going first?" Ginny asked, eyes shining.
"I will." Ron volunteered eagerly. "So what's the protection charm you use?"
Hermione turned to consult the book. " 'Averto Improbus' and turn in a smooth circle, drawing a ward of protection around yourself." She said informatively, smiling encouragingly at her boyfriend and he drew his wand.
"Here it goes..." He mumbled more to himself than anyone else. "Averto Improbus." He said confidently and the end of his wand glowed blue.
He slowly began to turn in a circle, drawing a shimmering blue line around himself as he did so. When the circle was complete, it extended itself from floor to ceiling in a flash of radiant blue light that left Ron, slightly blinded but strangely aware of a force field around himself.
He put his wand back into his robes and stood silent and still, eyes closed as he revelled in the sense of power surrounding him.
He concentrated as hard as he could on summoning all his magical ability and he felt strange tingling sensation starting in the very tips of his fingers and toes and gathering power and speed as it all travelled to his centre of being.
He wasn't sure how but he could tell when he was ready and without having to think about it, his mouth spoke those all-important words. "Transformus Animagus."
The others watched, riveted and full of anticipation as Ron began to levitate and glow slightly before them.
Ron felt his feet lift off of the ground and he opened his eyes, he was glowing pearly white and hovering only a few inches from the ground. He felt as if someone was sucking energy out of him and he closed his eyes again, struggling to maintain enough energy to keep the spell going. He felt every fibre of his animal being fighting to escape but he was unable to hold together the powerful and draining centre of power he had created inside himself. He was too tired and when he finally gave in, he collapsed to the ground, shaking with utter exhaustion.
"Ron! Are you ok?" Hermione and the others rushed to his side.
"I'm fine, just tired. That is unbelievably hard and not to mention draining. If I didn't know better I'd say I hadn't slept for a week." He accepted Harry's help to stand and they helped him over to the couch that had just appeared at the side of the room. Ron sat and closed his eyes for a moment. "You guys carry on, I'll just watch for now." He managed a small smile and forced his eyes to stay open.
"I'll go next." Hermione volunteered in a slightly shaky voice, making her way into the centre of the room. "Averto Improbus." She muttered, going through the motions of creating the protective force field around herself. As Ron had several minutes before, she could feel the force of the energy around her as she closed her eyes and began summoning all the power and energy she possessed. She took a little longer before her heart told her she was ready. "Transformus Animagus." She muttered, beginning to hover slightly above the floor and glowing as Ron had done. She gasped as she felt something stir violently inside her, fighting to escape, to show itself to the world.
Harry, Ron and Ginny watched as colour drained from her face as energy drained from her body. She was fighting the exhaustion though and managed to keep the spell going, willing her body to let the inner animal to become her.
In a silent flash of blinding light the others found them selves staring at the floor, amazed at what they saw.
Hermione hardly dared to open her eyes as she felt the ball of magic she had created within herself explode and begin to disperse, making its way to every part of her body, causing her to tingle in the strangest manner.
When she hesitantly opened her eyes a moment later she found herself rather closer to the floor than she had previously been. She couldn't remember falling over or collapsing and so she tried to get up, finding, when she tried to move, that she had... feathers?
'Wow' she thought to herself. 'I done it!' she looked up as Harry Ron and Ginny began a round of applause for the beautiful, if a little dazed, snowy owl standing in the centre of the room, where Hermione had stood only moments before. The owl had and endearing streak of golden brown running down its back and it's eyes, the same rich brown, flecked with gold of Hermione's own eyes, were bright and intelligent portraying their human counterpart perfectly.
Unsure what to do next, Hermione decided to test her newly acquired wings and so she spread them and took off. To her surprise she found that the fluid movements she made came easily to her as she circled the room, close to the ceiling. After a few circuits she flew down and landed gracefully on Ron's lap.
"Well done 'Mione!" Ron said, stroking her feathers tenderly with his fingers. He soon found that his fingers were stroking hair as Hermione transformed and Ron found himself with a rather excited, though extremely tired, Hermione in his lap.
"I can't believe it! I done it!" She squealed, squirming off Ron's lap and onto the couch beside him, giving him a kiss as she did so.
"Me next I suppose." Ginny asked, presuming that Harry would do his usual of insisting that he go last. Harry nodded at the question directed at him. "Kiss for luck?" Ginny said, leaning over and kissing him without waiting for a reply.
Ron and Hermione sat sleepily together on the couch while Harry perched on the arm of it, watching Ginny as she went through the process of shielding herself, summoning her power, and then levitating and glowing, before she, like Ron, collapsed from exhaustion before the spell could reach it's full term.
"I'm okay." She told Harry shakily as he helped her up. "Just disappointed."
Now it was Harry's turn and it was three very sleepy Marauders who watched him as he began to cast the protection charm.
"Averto Improbus." He said clearly and confidently, drawing a circle around himself and finding, that when he was done, the chamber he had created was unlike the three he had previously witnessed. His was not only powerful, but also visible. It glowed bright blue around him, stretching from floor to ceiling. He looked to his friends for confirmation that this was normal. He raised his eyebrows at them and Ron shrugged. Hermione frowned but nodded for him to continue anyway. He bit his lip and closed his eyes; calling on his power and feeling it travel to his chest where it manifested to the point that his chest felt as though it might burst. 'Now' his mind told him and he confidently cast the spell. "Transformus Animagus." He was lifted off of the ground and was certain he was glowing and had he opened his eyes he would have realised just how brightly. Hermione, Ron and Ginny had their eyes screwed up at the light radiating from Harry's body.
Harry screwed his eyes tighter shut in an effort to hold his power in place until the spell was complete. He was rapidly losing energy but he wasn't about to give up. He felt as though there was a wrestling match going on inside his chest. I seemed as though there was a herd of animals inside him, not only fighting to get out but fighting each other as well. He felt the spell reach its climax and his chest seemed to explode, not once not twice but three times.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny braced themselves against the force of the three explosions that emitted from Harry in rapid succession.
Ron emitted a low whistle as they stared at the sight in front of them.
"Jeeso Harry, you don't do things by halves do you?" Ron asked the impressive black panther that stood majestically before them, looking every bit as dazed as Hermione had if not more so.
Testing his new catlike paws, Harry padded around the room, flicking his tail back and forth menacingly. His fur was as black as black can be and it gleamed in a most wonderful way. His eyes, sparkling with intelligence, mischief and menace, were the same emerald colour of Harry's own eyes.
"Why the three explosions though?" Hermione wondered aloud. No sooner had she done so than the panther disappeared, leaving behind a cheeky looking Husky dog. It barked in apparent answer to her questions. Its fur was of the silkiest quality, as pure and as white as fresh snow, with patches of silver-grey. Its eyes were strikingly green.
"Oh, Merlin Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, amazed. Were there no limits to what he could do. He was forever surprising them, pushing his magical ability to its limits.
"I've never heard of an Animagus with multiple forms before." Hermione frowned. "If there has been cases of it then none of them are still living or registered because there's none on the ministry list." She looked up from her thoughts to find that the Husky had disappeared and in its place sat a large, rather forbidding looking, jet black raven with piercing green eyes.
"Oh, Harry, change back into something nicer you look creepy that way." Ginny rubbed the goose bumps that were rapidly appearing on her arms. At the request, Harry reappeared as himself but before Ron could congratulate him once again for being 'best of show', he swayed on the spot before his legs gave way and he fell limply to the floor.
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