Chapter 2

Finally, the Welcoming Feast was over! Harry had been bored to death waiting for a chance to try out the Animagus spell. He had not had a chance to try the spell until after his birthday and he was back at school. Now he was back and more than ready to try it.

The golden trio ran up the stairs ahead of the first years. Barely saying an intelligible password to the portrait of the Fat Lady they blazed through the common room to the boys' dorm. So far, nobody was there…yet.

"Ok! Let's try this now!" Harry was excited. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"I'm really interested in this spell! It should actually be classified as a dark spell, level 1! I wonder why it has eluded the Ministry?" Hermione nearly gushed. She was brewing up a research project in her brain now, which meant she'd spend at least a month with Harry's book.

Meanwhile Harry unlocked his trunk and fished out the book but before he could place it on the floor, it was plucked out of his hands by Hermione. She had already prepared her notebooks and quills on Ron's bed to begin taking proper notes.

"Wait, I want to do it!" Ron pulled his wand out of his robe and grabbed the book from Hermione. "Besides, you can't cast the spell on yourself Harry." He started reading the spell while practicing the right wand movements.

"I don't know Ron, I have been studying that book all summer. Do you think you'll be able to do it with just a read through?" Harry was hesitant to try the spell now. Ron was his best friend but heaven and hell knew Ron was a wild card when it came to spell work.

Ron indignantly straightened his back and huffed "Of course I can! I got a E in Transfiguration last year!" This was quite the accomplishment to Ron.

"Ok Ron, It's just that well I have to … well stay on guard for anything. And it's not that I think you'll do something to me." Harry had never, for one reason or another, seen Ron perform a spell correctly on the first go.

"Fine mate." Hermione snatched the book back from Ron and flipped it open to where the spell was marked.

"He has a point Harry. You can't do this one on yourself. See, look paragraph four." she read:

"Be warned that self application can cause serious harm, thusly in the year 1920 after a young witch by the name of Victoria Wade attempted this spell on herself and became the first centaur ever created by

spell and not a herd. This spell was put under inquiry and has beenlabeled a spell that should only be done by wizards and witches that have at least 3 years of training. To do other wise is considered a breakage in the reasonable restriction of underage wizardry. Only on one occasion when breakage of this rule was permitted with out further punishment in the year 1972, the case of Robert Timmings who died when only his organs changed and not his body."

"That sounds awful! Harry maybe you should let Ron do it. I mean you can cast it on him after you try it out." She finished, still holding the book in her arms.

Harry pulled a face. "I think it's a good idea too... Uh don't you think Ron?" Harry saw Ron's face a little pink so he added, "It'd be great to see what you'd be! Ron Weasley the eagle!" Ron's face brightened at that.

"Ok! Come on let's go then!" Both of them got up and faced each other.

Ron took a breath and said, "Ok Harry, Ready."

He pointed his wand at Harry and made like he was saluting him with his wand, then pointing it at Harry's heart he said, "Animales Expecto." A blue light shot out of Ron's wand, hitting Harry square in the chest and Harry went poof! On the floor where Harry had been standing was nothing but a pile of clothes.

"OH MY GOD RON! WHAT DID YOU DO?" yelled Hermione. "WHERE IS HE!"

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD OHMYGOD!" Ron was pale faced and trembling.

Hermione meanwhile was frantically searching the book for possible answers. Ron, who was now staring stupidly at Harry's clothes, thought he might be going mad. He saw Harry's clothes move.

"H…Hermione? I think A PIECE of Harry is still there."

"What?" She looked up at Ron and then at Harry's clothes. They were moving madly now and a VERY mad, hissing noise was coming from them. She walked over to the pile of clothes. She gently prodded the clothes and lifted half the pile. The hissing that had begun to subside flared anew. Ron went a shade paler and pointed to the hem of Harry's shirt.

Hermione looked and saw a large, yellowish brown lizard with a beard full of spikes hissing and puffing itself up. The lizard was furious! His claws dug into the fabric and began climbing the shirt to get to Hermione, who reacted girlishly screaming and dropping the shirt and lizard.

It hissed when it hit the floor.

"Harry? Is THAT you?" she stammered. The lizard freed itself of all the clothes and walked along the floor in front of Ron and Hermione, nodding it's head once.

end of chapter 2