Disclaimer: I own nothing; it all belongs to J.K.Rowling. I'm just borrowing the characters to play with for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER EIGHT – There's Transformations, and Then There's Transformations
"This is absolutely incredible! This is amazing! No one has ever managed a complete animagus transformation on their first try. Not even close. This is completely unprecedented!" Hermione it seemed could not contain herself.
Remus and Tonks, the only two adults that weren't house elves that knew about the training, were standing in the room with their mouths wide open.
Ginny was full of pride for him.
Harry could only smile a genuinely happy smile.
And Ron could only bleat. "Baaaaahh."
Ron it seemed was a lot more goat than anyone gave him credit for. Or maybe Ron was too easygoing and happy to care what form he held. He summed it all up in one word. "Baaaaahh."
And right away, Hermione knew she was being mocked. And Harry and Ginny knew the lucky little bugger was done with training before anyone else had even started.
Ron started to do a little goat run around the room, falling down a few times. He then noticed he had a tail and wanted to see what it tasted like so he started spinning in a circle. He fell again. At this moment, Ron quickly changed back to his human form, and had the biggest smile on his face. It went away for a split second; he vomited all over the floor, and was quickly smiling again. He then popped right back into his goat form and started running around some more.
Harry cleaned up the vomit with a quick spell, and the other three, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry began to work on their transformations. None of them had much luck yet, although Ron was having fun chewing on the back pocket of Hermione's jeans. Hermione was quite glad it was the jeans she was wearing and left Ron to work his happy goat lips. The only success any of the other three had showed so far was Harry had managed to shrink himself to a couple inches shorter than Dobby. A couple of incriminating photos were taken but Harry was too happy to be closer to his existence as a snidget. He was putting off the basilisk transformation for a while. And he figured he'd need a better place anyway, as this room wouldn't quite fit a 40-foot basilisk.
That evening Harry and Remus cornered a halfway sober Albus Dumbledore and told him about their idea for a new Potions instructor. He thought it was a grand idea and drank to it. Albus quickly drew up the papers and explained that it would be Harry who was getting paid and responsible for Cissy, but the idea of an eternally happy Head of Slytherin House appealed greatly to him. He informed Harry that this was only the second time a current's student's property became a Hogwarts instructor. When questioned about the first, Albus only frowned and changed the subject. For a moment Harry briefly wondered just how close the Headmaster and Snape used to be. 'Ewwwww.'
When Harry explained his plan for Cissy, she acted as expected. Tears enough to fill a couple glasses and so much happiness that Harry felt ill. Although considering how much hate the woman used to have, a disgustingly sick amount of joy was probably a good thing. Even if it did sometimes make Harry want to grab his hammer and go puppy hunting. Harry couldn't believe the relationship Draco had with his mother. Harry loved his own mother dearly. The woman did die for him. But even Harry wasn't too envious of this apparent dependence Draco had on his mother. And now all those packages of sweets Draco got made a lot more sense with his need for freshly squeezed morning juice. 'I really should stop making myself ill.' Harry thought.
Dumbledore came in to join the kids at lunch and brought with him a surprise. "Good afternoon, Mr. and Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, Harry. I thought you might like your OWL scores." And he set three envelopes on the table.
"YOU!" Ginny rasped with vehemence looking right at the Headmaster.
Ron had tears in his eyes and kept them firmly locked on the old man. "We trusted you. We believed in you. And this is how you repay us!"
Albus was having second thoughts about the OWL scores, though he was quite combuzzled at this response. 'Particularly since Miss Weasley hasn't even taken hers yet.'
Ron's anger seemed to fade into disappointment. "Why? Why have you been lying to us, to everyone, all these years?"
Ginny got up and stomped away screaming, "I can't believe I ever actually thought you were a real champion bowler."
Albus was beginning to have second thoughts about his future as an alcoholic. He could only sigh and start to walk away. A broken man whose shoulders just sagged. 'I fear I have failed Ronald and Ginevra just as much as I have failed Harry.' Here Fawkes appeared in a brilliant flash of fire and pecked Albus in the head. He then grabbed a chunk of beard in his beak and yanked. "Yeowch!" 'Okay, so maybe I've failed Harry a bit more than them. Jeez Louise Fawkes. That time of the cycle, eh?' Another peck on the back of the old man's neck and he fell to the ground completely limp and unconscious. Albus has long since regretted the day he taught Fawkes about Vulcan death grips.
Seeing this little episode seemed to brighten up Ron's mood considerably and the original golden trio opened their OWL's together. No surprises on them at all. Hermione aced everything, Harry did better than expected, and Ron just did a step below Harry, and far better than his twin older brothers. Requirements on Potions NEWT courses were changing even if Harry hadn't pulled off an 'O.' Of course Harry didn't exactly have as much interest in becoming an auror anymore. He wanted to be a professional international playboy. Grab his little Nymphie after school ended and go everywhere in the world he had yet to be. Which was basically everywhere outside of Surrey, London, and Hogwarts.
The next few weeks the kids practiced their animagus transformation that they had all now managed to achieve. It was just getting more comfortable with it, and being able to transform in a split second, and hold it permanently if they wanted to. Harry realized "Hey Remus! We're going to be able to keep you company on the full moons now at Hogwarts! Isn't it incredible how well this is working out? You'd almost think this was carefully planned out ahead of time, and not just made up as we go." The truth behind this statement was missed by all the people in the room. Hmmm.
Remus nodded at their luck, though felt Harry had more to do with it than anyone else. This evening was to be the official passing of the Marauder torch. The last true Marauder of the first generation was going to bestow upon the kids their official Marauder monikers that they would carry the rest of their lives. Harry was the only one a little worried about Remus having this much power over them. It seemed the other three knew him best as a caring, conservative teacher and seemed to gloss over the fact that the man IS a Marauder.
All four of them transformed and awaited this most joyous occasion.
"Welcome friends. I, Mister Moony, am pleased to announce the official second generation of Marauders."
The goat, fox, cat, and snidget all seemed quite happy.
Remus approached the goat. "Mr. Moony would like to welcome our friend Mr. Horny into the fold." Ron popped back into his human form. "Thanks Moony!"
Remus rolled his eyes, "My pleasure Horny." Even Moony it seemed found this ceremony a bit much. But he knew Padfoot and Prongs would haunt his eternal existence if he didn't do something like this.
Remus moved over to the fox. "Mr. Moony would like to welcome our friend Miss Cottontail into the fold." The small Weasley red fox with the white-tipped tail popped into Ginny and she had a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Moony."
"My pleasure Miss Cottontail." Remus moved over in front of the cat that was undoubtedly strikingly similar to Professor McGonagall's form. Sometimes he really feared it would transform into Minerva and scare the bejeebus out of him. He seemed to be snickering some to himself as he began again "Mr. Moony would like to welcome our friend Miss Mini-Minnie into the fold." He had trouble keeping the giggles in at this one.
Hermione transformed and seemed a little less than pleased at her nickname. She spoke with a bit of intensity "Thank you Mr. Moony. I look forward to properly thanking you for the name at some time in the future." She said with a challenging glint in her eye.
Remus was obviously enjoying himself and said "The pleasure was all mine, Mini-Minnie." He moved over to the snidget fluttering at eye-level to him. "Mr. Moony would like to welcome our friend, and Marauder heir, Mr. Snatch to the fold."
Harry popped back with smile and a blush. "Thanks Moony."
"And it is with great honor I present to the world, the second generation of Marauders: Horny, Cottontail, Mini-Minnie, and Snatch. May all your mischief be manageable and all your solemn swears up to no good."
The kids all applauded and Tonks hugged and kissed her Snatch.
The first act the new Marauders had to do was to play a prank and announce their presence to the world. Or at least to a large lunch group. With access to the previous Marauder's journals of pranks and pictures of memories the kids decided to try their hands at some potions-based illusions.
While planning and preparing for the lunch tomorrow, Hermione found herself thinking. She had subtly asked Professor McGonagall if it was possible for two people to have identical animagi forms. McGonagall was a bit hesitant to answer, fearing their may be more illegal animagi on the horizon. Her fears were quite accurate, of course, but no one wanted to inform her of that fact just yet. Hermione found her hesitancy to answer quite suspicious but she eventually found out that no, animagi forms are every bit as unique as people are. The way she formed the answer left Hermione even more suspicious. She decided to air her suspicions to her fellow Marauders.
"I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I'm Professor McGonagall." She stated as though this were a normal thing to start a conversation with. After getting over their initial reactions of shock and doubt, the others seemed to be considering the possibility.
Mini-Minnie continued "I particularly remember, back in third year, when she gave me the time-turner, she was acting like she was in on some big joke. Not that I wouldn't be quite pleased to be Professor McGonagall, I just wish I would tell myself dammit! Surely I know how much I hate not knowing things!"
Ron seemed to pick up on this. "Hey you know, now that you mention it, she has always kept her hair up in a bun. It's probably because you know that we'd recognize your frizzy bushiness anywhere."
Ginny added "That's true. And she definitely has always had a soft spot for Snatch here. Half the time she looks at him like he's dying."
Harry seemed to be considering this. "That would make sense why she seemed so certain to put me on the Quidditch team in first year, when the rules have always stated 'No first years.' I mean she was awfully confident in my ability at a sport I'd never heard of, after I had a grand total of about 5 minutes of lifetime flying experience."
Ginny had been pondering this and said "You think maybe the Headmaster is Snatch?"
"WHAT! No! Noooooo! I am not the Headmaster! I am perfectly sane!" Harry exclaimed quite flustered at the thought. He was trying to come up with more evidence.
"And besides, the Headmaster has a brother that looks just like him! Who the heck would my brother be?"
Here Mini-Minnie, Cottontail and Snatch looked over at Horny, and remembered the Headmaster's brother's particular rumored eccentricities. Someone's animagus form was beginning to make a lot more sense.
Ron caught on to what they were thinking and yelped "Shut up! I wouldn't…would I? I mean goats, and running a bar? Hmm you know that might not be too bad actually."
Harry really didn't like the way this was going and stated, "I'm not a barmy old coot!" before stomping away angrily.
The Headmaster saw Harry stomping towards him. "Harry, there is something I must tell you."
Harry interrupted the Headmaster from going any further by covering his ears with his hands, screaming and running in the opposite direction.
The next morning the new Marauders began executing the prank they had planned. First, the main potion was put into the butter used to cook everything, and a second one was coated onto the handles of the silverware.
Minerva, Albus, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Shacklebolt, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting down to eat lunch. A couple of minutes after they had taken their first bite, the left eye of everyone present started spinning in crazy circles within its socket. Everyone was feeling a bit ill adjusting to Mad-Eye Moody's point of view. When they tried to cover their eye with their hand, the second potion in the silverware was triggered and they could all see through their own bodies as though they were invisible. Remus was laughing, as were the not so silent group under the invisibility cloak. Most of the other people at the table were feeling differing amounts of nausea. Moody on the other hand, was merely enjoying his chicken and potatoes. After five minutes of no control over the massive amount of input their optic nerve was forced to endure, the spinning stopped, and they all received massive headaches. This was further compounded by a message that appeared right in front of each of their left eyes. It clearly read "Welcome to a Brave New World. Marauders official and authorized Second Generation.' And was signed by 'Horny, Cottontail, Mini-Minnie, and Snatch.' Minerva started to cry and Albus pulled out a fresh bottle of firewhiskey. Remus, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Moody, and Mr. Weasley were laughing, and Mrs. Weasley looked torn between proud and pissed off.
The kids returned to their room, desperately hoping to avoid any punishment, and it seemed so far like they would. Not the most spectacular prank, but an excellent start and learning experience. That and they felt the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress deserved at least some fair warning about just what the next two years would hold.
The Headmaster knocked on the door and entered the room. "That was a most eye-opening experience, though I would appreciate a little less nausea next time and perhaps a headache cure. I am quite looking forward to deciphering exactly how you all arrived upon those names," he said with a knowing twinkle in his eye. "Nevertheless Harry I still need to talk to you, and I really must request you not cover your ears and run away screaming before I can finish."
Harry grudgingly got up and followed the Headmaster into the hallway.
"Harry I'm afraid the Hogwarts Board of Governors has reviewed Draco Malfoy's case and are not inviting him back to school. He was forced to plead guilty to a number of dark artifacts he possessed, and intent to become a Death Eater. He was fined quite heavily, and for these grounds he has been expelled."
Harry sighed. 'This just keeps getting better and better.' He thought. "Alright, I should go talk to him and Cissy and see what they want to do. I was really hoping she could teach us Potions but I don't know if it would be fair to keep her away from Draco so much."
The Headmaster suggested, "I may be able to come up with something, although his status as the Head of the Malfoy family makes it more difficult. As I did with Hagrid, I hired him onto Hogwarts staff and was able to keep him around in an official capacity. But it took a lot of my sway, and the fact that I was going to assume guardianship of him, since he had no funds or family to return to. Mr. Malfoy has many funds and a comfortable home, and I am not certain I would be able to allow him the same."
Harry nodded and went to go talk to his Cissy and Cissy's Drakey-poo. Those two had been spending an awful lot of time together it seemed. Anytime Cissy asked for house elf work for Harry and he had nothing for her, she would scurry back to her son and comfort him like a mother would her newborn baby. The fact that he was not a baby made it a bit creepy. Dobby and Winky, Harry had feared would be angry at sharing their Master, but as it turned out they were incredibly amused by the whole situation.
Dobby in fact could not have been prouder of his old Mistress.
Harry knocked on the door to their room. Heard some shuffling and entered when Cissy opened the door with an eager smile, "Yes'm Master?" Draco didn't even flinch anymore when he heard his Mum call Harry that. Harry had gladly informed all three of his elves, that they were his friends and as such could freely call him Harry. He wouldn't force them, and understood if 'Master' made them more comfortable, but made it quite clear he himself would prefer they call him Harry. Dobby was happy to take him up that, and called him Harry or some odd form of Harry many times, though not always. Winky said it would be completely improper, though Harry had a sneaking suspicion it didn't really bother Winky too much, she just liked playing with Harry's head. Cissy agreed that it would be improper especially for her, as she looked like a woman, not a normal house elf, and as such needed to make her status clear to others. She did reluctantly agree to try her hardest to treat him like a normal student in class. She would make no promises though.
Harry stepped into their room nodded at Draco who had been surprisingly silent and kind as of late, and smiled at Cissy. "I wanted to talk to you about Draco's future. I assume you've heard from the Hogwart's Board of Governors?
Cissy nodded eagerly and said "Yes sir, Master. Cissy was disappointed, but Cissy knew this was prolly coming."
Draco looked up at Harry, and said "We've been talking it over with the Headmaster some and I think we might have a solution, but we'd need your help Potter."
Harry felt the all too familiar feeling in the air that something was coming.
Cissy smiled brightly and said "Cissy would need Master's permission but-"
Draco finished for her with an equally bright smile. "I'd like to become my mummy's house elf."
Harry sighed.
