Chapter 4 The Idea
The next morning, Harry woke up with one intention in his mind. "Hermione and Ron, can I speak with you privately?" whispered Harry after breakfast was over.
"Sure," said Hermione.
"Well," said Harry uneasily, "You know that in the end I'm going to have to fight Voldemort and kill him, or be kill... I have an idea that will make me more prepared for when that time comes. I want to become an animagus so I can defend myself better. Also, I'm going to have to learn some new curses, and eventually...the killing curse. I'm going to need the help of you two to make that happen."
"Ooo," said Hermione, "That's a wonderful idea, but I have another suggestion," she said with a sly grin.
"What?" asked Harry with surprise.
"We all become animaguses'," she said with a bright face. "I know that in the end you have to fight Voldemort alone, but you're going to need our help to get you there in the first place. Do you think you're just going to knock on Voldemort's door and think he will duel you? No. Of course not, you're going to need our help.
"Hey, that's not a bad idea," added Ron. "Then we could kinda be Harry's backup."
"Yeah, that is a good idea," Harry said as the idea dawned on him. "We would be just like my dad, Sirius, Lupin, and ...well...Peter."
"We should form a secret alliance between ourselves. Swear ourselves to secrecy and study the right spells so that we will be unstoppable to Voldemort." Hermione said in a very excited, fast voice. "In fact, we can have an order of our own! Since we can't join the Order of the Phoenix."
"That's Brilliant Hermione!" Harry said, "but what should we call it?"
"How about The Order of the...err...Aurors" Ron asked off-handily.
"No," said Harry, "That's no good. Well, we can figure it out later. The way I figure it, we can become animaguses' by the end of our seventh year."
"Actually," Hermione said, "I bet we could do it by Christmas."
"What? But McGonagall said it take years to become an animagus," said Ron who was slightly confused.
"Well, that's true...for an adult, but teenagers can do it a lot faster," said Hermione."Great! I want to be a dragon!" Ron said excitedly.
"I'm afraid you don't get to choose. Besides, a dragon is too big, you won't be able to transform at Hogwarts without being seen. It depends on your soul," Hermione said. "Let me explain how you turn into an animagus. The key to it is to find out who you really are...err...to find your 'inner self.'"
"You sound like those muggles who do yoga, Hermione," snickered Harry.
"Well, they are similar," said Hermione. "When you are in animagus form, you are really just in the animal form of your soul. Like I said, the key it to find your inner self or your soul. Your soul will determine the kind of animal you turn into. For example, if you're really happy and hyper all the time, you might be a ferret.
"Snape would be a snake, because he's slimy, evil, and sneaky," said Ron with a look of disgust on his face.
"You also have to go through a series of potion treatments. The reason a teenager can turn into an animagus faster than an adult is because teenagers know themselves better than adults. Adults are too wrapped up in their job, family, and money to enjoy just being themselves."
"How do you know all this," asked Ron.
"I've done some research," Hermione said. "Actually, I was considering doing it myself."
"Harry, could you come downstairs?" asked Mrs. Weasley, "Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to you," she said and left the room.
"I wonder what he wants to talk to me about," Harry said to Ron and Hermione. In Ron and Harry's bedroom, Ron and Harry were in the middle of a game of wizards chess and Hermione was reading her schoolbooks. It was a two days before they had to return to Hogwarts. "Bye," Harry said to them as he left the room and went downstairs. Harry found Dumbledore in the kitchen, alone.
"Good evening Harry," Dumbledore said warmly as Harry entered. "I want to talk to you about continuing you occlumency lessons. This time you're going to be taking them from me. Have you been practicing it any over the summer?"
"Yes," said Harry. "Every night before I go to bed I clear my mind. I've been doing this ever since Voldemort lured me into his trap through my dreams."
"Very good!" Dumbledore seemed pleased. "Have you had any visions this summer?"
"No, I've had quite a few nightmares, but no visions."
"Very well. When you come back to school I want you to lessons again. I'll inform you when I think it's convenient for me," informed Dumbledore.
"Ok," said Harry. "Maybe it will be fun now that its Dumbledore, and not Snape," thought Harry.
"What was that Harry?" asked Dumbledore.
"I didn't say anything," said Harry wondering whether Dumbledore had read his mind.
"Right," said Dumbledore. "I'll see you at school. Keep out of trouble," he added with a wink.
"Bye."
