The students chattered away giving Kurama and I side ways glances every few moments, or glaring at the opposing house. Not particularly wanting to get started I sat and listened to my students. Who knows they might say something interesting.
'… wonder how hard this class is going to be? Or if there are….'
'… strict? I hope not that ….'
'…if I can't do it! I mean…'
'…look like a bunch of losers bet they got dragged off the streets by the old…'
'… work for you-know-who? I mean…'
'…when do you think that we will be able to transform? I hope….'
I see movement off to my right and I watch as Kurama stands up.
" Welcome to Alteration. In this class we will teach you how to be able to perform an Animagus transformation. Now before we get started with the practical lesson we must teach you the theory. Please get out quills and parchment. Then copy the notes on the board. We will answer questions after everyone is done and while you are taking notes we will be taking attendance."
And with that the only sound was of quills scratching that was until I started to call the names.
"Brown, Lavender,
Bulstrode Millicent,
Finnigan, Seamus,
Granger, Hermione,"
I let my mind start to wander as I examined my new students.
"Longbottom, Neville,
MacDougal, Morag,
Malfoy, Draco,
Parkinson, Pansy,
Patil, Paravati,
Potter, Harry,"
That was the boy we were sent to protect wasn't it? Well I'll make sure to know his face.
"Thomas, Dean,
Weasley, Ron,
Zabini, Blaise"
I sat back when I finish and start watching them finish coping the notes. After a few moments I glance up at the board and studied them myself.
Animagus Theory
The first step is to learn how to center yourself. You need to be calm and in control of you body so that you will be able to use your magic to shape your flesh. What you do is relax, take deep breaths and concentrate on the feeling of your lungs contracting and expanding. When you feel yourself falling into a stable rhythm you concentrate on your muscles. Tighten them and then release the tension. Keep doing this until none of your muscles are tense any more.
Once you are able to center yourself it is time to move on. First you need to have chosen an animal. Chose something that fits your personality because it will make it easier to change. Muto Forma is the incantation that is needed when one is starting their transformations. Muto (to change alter/exchange) and Forma (to shape to form to fashion). As you progress further the incantation will not be as need. When you finally master the transformation it will not be needed at all.
But to change not only is the state of mind and the incantation need. You must be able to direct your magic to make yourself transform. This is much harder then normal magic because you don't just force the magic into the wand and say the incantation the wait for the wand to do the rest. You must use the magic with your mind. This is what makes becoming an Animagus so hard. But it is easier when you seem to have less magic because it means most of your magic is already under control. Control is achieved when you are able to gather magic into the center of your chest. Once it is gathered there you say the incantation and focus.
If you manage to change some part of yourself you must try to memorize the feeling of you redirected flow of magic. After you memorize the feeling repeat the incantation, remember what it feels like to be human and focus your magic.
The quill scratching has stopped so it means it is time to get started. Standing I walk to the front of the room and address them.
"Now that you know the theory it is time to get started by choosing the animal that you want to turn into. This is important because if you choose an animal that you are not like at all you may go insane if you are under a lot of stress when you change. The reason for this is because when you transform part of the creature becomes you. You have their instincts along with their bodies, and so if you change under stress and you are not suited to that animal, the instincts may override you thoughts and when that happens you have around a 75 chance of going insane."
At this I paused and looked around. Many of the students were giving me looks somewhere between horror and nervousness, except for one student who looked like he was about to faint. I gave a grin at this and moved on.
"But none of you are going to have to worry about that because Professor Kurama and myself are going to give you a sheet which you are to fill out. You will answer the questions as truthfully as possible and then at the bottom you will state what you want to become. If we think your personality matches what you put then we will just write a few more animals along the bottom. But if we don't like the animal that you chose then we will put a line through it and write some choices next to it. And the animal that we think is best will be circled."
A few of the students looked relived at this and once more I gave a grin. But some of those on the snake side were muttering. I glared at them and they promptly shut up. Kurama gave a mental snicker.
"Professor Kurama will pass out the papers. When you are done Gryffindors will give theirs to me and Slytherins will gives theirs to Professor Kurama. Start when you get your papers."
I leaned back in my chair and watched as Kurama passed out the papers to each student. When he finished he sat down beside me. We only had one desk so I person got just a chair. Since we may not all ways want the students to see our hands we decided to share the desk, I get the right half and Kurama gets the left easy.
A paper descends on to my half of the desk and I look up to see who dropped it. A girl with bushy hair was walking back to her desk and I tried to put a face to a name, well a name to a back of a head. Unable to do so I pick up her paper and scan through it, noting that the name at the top was Hermione Granger. I pick up characteristics along the way (bravery, thoughtfulness, intelligence, creativity, and what humans call a photographic memory) and then look at the animals that she has written. Leopard and can I have some ideas were what was at the bottom of the page.
Grabbing a quill I nibble on the end of it while I think. Then with a grin I write fox and circle it. Fox is followed by bobcat and then leopard gets a line through it. Lets let Kurama have fun with that, I can already see the look he is going to give me for telling ahuman that they would be good for a fox form. I place it on the side of my desk and I grab the paper off the top of the pile that has appeared.
Noting the name, Neville Longbottom, I get started. I skim through the paper and stop at the bottom. I frown when I notice that there were no animals listed there. With a sight a contributing it to low self esteem I write gecko and circle heron. I give a nod at that but spiral a couple other choices at the bottom.
The next 20 minutes was spent writing out ideas. With a sigh I sat back and thak the stars that it was over, and I didn't have to explain myself to any of the humans because I was a teacher. I had been against this whole thing of telling them what to change into. I was a demon, and so I wanted to train them the demon way. Sink or swim I think the human phrase is. The demon way is to experiment and see what you like and what fits you the best. Of course there is a chance of going insane, but what is the fun in life if there is no danger. Humans cuddle their children too much, maybe that is why so many live past childhood but that could also be the reason that many seemed to depend on others to help them throughout their lives. But I'm not human so I guess I'll never know.
I give my head a shake to stop wool gathering and pick up the papers to pass back. I drop them on the first desk I see that has a human with a lion badge on and told them to get theirs and pass the papers back. Movement to my left told me that Kurama was doing the same. I give a slight yawn and turn to address the students.
"Ask any questions that you have now and if there is none we will continue."
"I have a question." I turned my head and found the student that was speaking. His mouth was twisted into a sneer and silver blond hair fell into his glaring eyes as he stared and Kurama. "Why did you write ferret and circle weasel!"
A few students in the class snorted with laughter at this but none louder then a red head in the back. They quickly quieted down though, probably because they still were not quite sure how their new teachers would act with laughter. They may not have seen it but my eyes danced with laughter and I had to work to keep the chuckles from becoming laughter.
Kurama looked at the student for a moment before he spoke. "Malfoy was it? Well they were put on your paper because they reflect your personality" The look in Kurama's eyes was just daring the boy to comment. I held back a snicker at that.
His face grew more hateful and he sat back muttering something about his father, which I ignored. With a sigh I stood for the chair that I had sat down in after I had given back the papers and walked to that front of the room. I could feel Kurama's gaze on my back but I paid on attention to it. After all I had played masteries teacher long enough and I was getting bored. Plus I just wanted to get out of the class room it was getting hot in there.
"Would all of you take you papers and your wands and follow us out side, it is time to begin to get acquired with the forms that you will choose. Plus I just want to get out of this stuffy room."
They gathered up their things and started chatting with there friends as they followed Kurama and I.
Sorry that it took so long but school was a killer. But I did manage to get stight A's for the semester and quarter. I have been trying to write this chapeter for a while now and have around seven diffrernt files each with a different start for the chapter in my documents folder but this is the one that I finished and posted. Sorry about any problems but it isn't checked over very well because I wanted to get it out as soon as possible. The next chapter should be out soon probably in around three weeks or so since I am going on vacation and won't be back for a while. And whenI get back the first couple of chapters are getting a revap for spelling and grammer.Sometimes when I think about it I amshocked to think that you guys could read it and still say that it was good. Ifeel like I could have donemuch better with them. But please review because they make me feel good and write faster. Bye.
