Chapter Four

"Harry! Wake up!" Hermione urged. "Harry!"

Harry opened his eyes slowly, "...Go back to sleep, Hermione."

She persisted, "No! Wake up! It's Remus."

He sat up suddenly, "Remus- where?"

Hermione led him to the window. It was very dark, with only the moon shining down upon the werewolf, hunched over in the clearing. Before Harry could ask her how he'd gotten there, he also noticed Ravenwolf in shadow holding the pistol that Harry had seen this morning.

"Remus... no- get out of there," he muttered to himself. "Hermione- we've got to help him. Get Tamora."

"What about Ron?"

"Do you really think Ron will want to be forced awake now?" They both heard Ron snoring as he hung halfway off of the bed.

Hermione turned back to look at him. "All right. I need the invisibility cloak, though. There's no other way we'd get past the prefects, or worse- Snape."

"Can we both fit under the cloak still?" Harry asked. He lifted the cloak. "I don't think so. We have to hurry. I'll go."

Hermione smiled thoughtfully, "I have an idea." She swished her wand through the air. Feroverto! Harry felt himself shrinking, everything around him becoming at least ten times its size. "Hermione, what's–" He tried to speak, but his voice was muted. Suddenly, he realized that he had sprouted small black wings and Hermione was carrying him away. "Sorry about that, Harry. But nothing else was going to fit under the cloak. We have to both be there, and you're not ahead in your studies in Transfiguration." She talked as she passed through the portrait hole, now changing to a whisper and removing her shoes so she would not make a sound. "Oh! And you're a raven, if you'd like to know."

They descended the steps, passing the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom on the third floor. To their luck, they had not encountered anyone yet, not even Filch or Mrs. Norris. When Hermione reached the entrance hall door, it was opened by the last person they wanted to run into... literally.

Snape walked straight into them, tripping backwards. His arms flailed wildly, reaching for something to break his fall. Hermione managed to grasp a portrait, tearing it off of the wall. Snape was not as fortunate. He fell to the floor, standing up as abruptly as he had fallen. "Who is there? Reveal yourself or find yourself suspended. Well well well... Mr. Potter, is it? I will return to Gryffindor, and when McGonagall finds you missing, I will make sure your cloak is confiscated. I would've taken great pleasure in seeing you expelled since the day you arrived, but until now, I had little proof of your... excursions." Snape walked quickly up the stairs, his destination being the Gryffindor common room.

"Harry, you have to go back. Fly to Ron." She put Harry's wand in his beak. "You have to leave, now. You'll never hear the end of it." Harry flew off of her shoulder, his wand clenched in his beak. Beak. It'll never work... He thought. Ron's asleep. There's no way he'll know how to reverse this, even if I can wake him up.

There was one chance for him to be saved. McGonagall he thought. She's better to deal with than Snape.

In the meanwhile, Hermione was running frantically toward to the dungeons. She crept through the door, charging into the Slytherin common room. Tamora was still awake, sitting in an armchair. Hermione threw the cloak aside, startling Tamora. "Hermione! ...What's wrong?"

"It's Remus," she panted, trying to catch her breath. "He's outside. Ravenwolf is trying to kill him."

"...Where's Harry?" asked Tamora urgently. "Where is he?"

Hermione explained on the way, holding the black cat under the cloak. When she was finally outside, she transformed into herself again. "There," Hermione pointed. Remus looked worn and thin, even for his wolf form. Ravenwolf stood before him, holding her gun.

"It's been a few months since our last meeting. Who are you, then? Are you ready to tell me, or will I kill you?"

Remus snarled, stepping closer to her. He was obviously not aware of his actions as he used to be. "The wolf has more control than it used to," said Tamora. "We have to save him. Take this wolfsbane. I'll explain later." Ravenwolf cocked her gun, aiming for Remus' head.

Meanwhile, Harry was already at the door. The only difficulty was opening the door... McGonagall opened the door to the seventh floor corridor, and finally Harry dove for her head. She froze him, taking the wand from his beak. "...I might've known there would be a student out of bed, and transfigured, no less. Feroverto. Mr. Potter. I thought the threat of point deduction from your own house would force you to reconsider your actions. Well, I believe Professor Dumbledore should hear about this."

"I hope he does," said Harry, "and also tell him Remus is here." In the dark night, Ravenwolf was not the only soul preparing to strike.

"Finite incantarto!" Tamora cried, causing Ravenwolf's gun to erupt into flames. Hermione jumped. Ravenwolf turned toward her. "Leave this creature alone," she said to Tamora, "it deserves death."

"He does not deserve death!" Tamora faced the gnarled werewolf. "...Remus?" When she stepped into the moonlight, his features softened, the snarl fading every second he watched Tamora. His eyes were clouded, and he disappeared into the shadow. Tamora saw his paw (the only part in light) changing to a foot very slowly and painfully. He let out a howl, but now it seemed more human than before. "Remus...! Lumos!" He was deformed and thin, and terribly similar to how Sirius had first looked when he escaped Azkaban. His flesh was exposed and torn in places, his hair unkempt; some had actually been ripped from his head. He looked a wreck, somewhere between his life as the wolf and death as a human being. Tamora found it an unbearably pitiful sight. "Oh Moony... what's happened to you?"

McGonagall's reaction to Remus' name was exactly as Harry had expected it to be.

"...P-Professor Lupin? Here? Oh...my. Return to the common room. I'll settle this."

"Snape- Professor Snape is after me." Harry briefly explained to her what had happened, then she stopped him short. "That's fine, Mr. Potter. Go to the common room, quickly! He'll have no reason to suspend you if you're in Gryffindor where you belong."

Harry ran up to the common room, bolting up the stairs and leaping into his bed. Only a minute or so later, he heard the dull footsteps of Snape on the stairs. "You may have succeeded through excuses, Mr. Potter, but you'll soon enough get your comeuppance." He didn't walk into the dormitory; instead, he simply turned on his heel and left, finding his battle lost. Ron was now awake, "What the bloody hell is going on, Harry?" Harry pointed toward the window. Ron looked out. "Harry! It's Remus!"

"I think Hermione was right. You are a bit slow on the uptake lately." Outside, most of the anger had diminished.

Remus spoke calmly, evidently in pain and trying with great difficulty to hide it from her. "Tamora- go back to your dormitory. Please. It won't be very long until the moon has its hold over me again. In the meantime, I'll have a talk with the professor."

Ravenwolf was still in shock. "...My god... Professor Lupin."

"You know me?" he said, forcing a smile.

"Know about you? You're the reason I wanted to become a professor. I was here the first time you taught. Don't you remember me?"

"How is that possible? I taught for the first time nearly twenty years ago. You still seem so young..." she finally became visible in the moonlight, and Remus nodded, "Ah. Ravenwolf. I should've known by your voice. Welcome back to Hogwarts."

Remus winced, using the wall as support for his weakened body. "Tell Albus I'm here, but tell no one else. I don't want to cause a stir." It was far too late. Already Tamora noticed noses pressed against every window on their side of the castle, prying eyes wide with wonder. "Remus... we have an audience," said Ravenwolf, directing his attention to the windows.

"Oh...no. Tamora! Get inside. The last thing you want is for them to see you."

Tamora walked toward Remus, wrapping her arms around his weak body and whispering to him consolingly, "They already know I'm here. I'm going to take care of you for once. How's that sound?"

Ron was still suctioned to the window, "Does she know Remus?"

Harry sighed and shook his head, "Go back to sleep. I'll get them both up here." He opened his only hinged window and uttered, "Accio invisibility cloak!" The cloak snapped into attention and floated to the window.

"Tamora," said Remus, "you can't do this. Everyone saw me. You've already helped me enough. Please."

Ravenwolf helped him to move against the wall, backing into the shadow to avoid the prying eyes in the windows. Suddenly, Tamora could see Remus flying into the air. "Remus!" But he couldn't hear her. Up past the astronomy towers he sailed until she could no longer see him.

Hermione stood behind her, eyes toward the place she'd last seen Remus, "...What just happened?"

"Nevermind that. We have to get inside," said Tamora.

Hermione pulled the cloak over herself and the cat, running inside the castle. As she ran, Hermione noticed every prefect staring behind her. She turned around, only to find that she had left a trail of mud footprints from the door. She suddenly jumped, running faster toward the door to the staircases. "Potter!" yelled Snape. Malfoy scowled, running through the trail of mud to catch up with them. Before Hermione could dash through the door, Malfoy stepped on the end of her robes, causing her to fall backwards. The cloak slid off of them, and the black cat hissed, clawing at Malfoy's leg. Draco ripped the cat off of his leg, blood dripping from gashes torn through his robes. He was about to throw the cat against the wall when Hermione stood up.

"NO DRACO!" Hermione yelled, "It's Tamora! The cat is TAMORA!"

Draco's face immediately went pale and he let the cat out of his grasp. "Tamora?"

Tamora turned human again, crouched on the ground, "Yes, you fool! Congratulations. You nearly had me suspended! You nearly had me killed!"

He stammered, watching Snape approach the two cooly. "Miss Granger, I'd expected this much of you. But Miss Black, you've created quite a reputation in the month you've been here. I'd almost consider placing you in Gryffindor for these ridiculous acts. But you've been my top student, therefore you are exempt. As for you, Miss Granger. Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"Only fifty?" said Malfoy harshly, "After all, she was outside of the castle, aiding a werewolf of all creatures."

"Excellent point, Draco. I take great joy in deducting twenty-five more for placing Tamora in unnecessary danger."

"Unnecessary danger?" said Hermione incredulously, "Now you listen to me–"

"Severus," a voice floated through the entrance hall.

Snape nodded, "Albus."

Dumbledore spoke soothingly, "I must have a word with you in my office. The minimum amount of house points will be deducted from these two in the mean time. And Draco-" he smiled at the pitiful shade of green his face was turning, "you may not take it upon yourself to suspend other students or suggest house point deduction. Umbridge is gone, if you have not taken notice. The Inquisitorial Squad has been disbanded, and you are simply a Prefect. Return to your post."

"Filthy little mudblood," Draco spat at Hermione.

"However!" said Dumbledore. "I will remind you that I am the Headmaster. Ten points from Slytherin for impolite gestures toward Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled at him, "Go on, Malfoy. You don't want a girl beating you up again, do you?"

"Tamora," he said cooly as soon as Dumbledore left, "I don't know why you waste your time on these inferiors. Especially that lowly werewolf who called himself a teacher. Scum of the earth, and a second-rate wizard to top it all off."

Tamora's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she surged forth, smacking him hard across his face. "DON'T YOU DARE EVER MENTION REMUS AGAIN OR I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO YOUR OBLITERATION, YOU SLIMY, ARROGANT–"

"–Tamora," said Dumbledore placidly, placing a hand on her shoulder, as if he had appeared out of thin air, "that will do. As I requested before, Draco- return to your post. And you two must return to your dormitories. It is late, and I have an old friend to see to in the Hospital wing."

Draco walked toward the dungeons, the same shocked expression plastered upon his face, and a red hand print on his cheek.

Hermione and Tamora parted, Hermione returning to Harry and Ron. "Hermione!" Harry called when she stepped through the portrait hole. "What happened? Where's Remus?"

"He's in the Hospital wing. Dumbledore's with him. Tamora threatened to kill Malfoy. I think we have her allegiance now."

"Why did she want to kill Malfoy?" asked Harry.

Ron sat up in bed, "Does she really need a reason? It's Malfoy."

"He called Remus all of these horrible things. I almost killed him myself," she said. "Ravenwolf and Lupin know eachother very well somehow. I'm not sure yet, except that he must have taught quite a while ago. Over twenty years, he said. She was one of his students. There's something very odd about her, don't you think?"

"You mean besides the way she looks and acts?" asked Ron in jesting.

"I'm serious, Ron. Something terribly wrong. And the way Remus just floated into the air."

"Do you think she's going to be trouble, too?" he mocked.

"Oh shut up, Ron! You're more useful when you're sleeping," she said angrily.

"Harry?" asked Ron, "Why couldn't that beast of a cat been more like Tamora? Bloody monstrosity, that was."

"That monstrosity wasn't the pet that sold out Harry's parents," she snapped.

"Will you stop?!" Harry finally bellowed. After a few more angered words, they all returned to their own beds before Percy could complain to them. "Bloody cat," Ron grumbled.

"Good night, Ron."

Soon enough, autumn had changed the trees to a deep crimson, flagrant orange, and shades of brown and yellow that made the leaves seem like brush fires. The Whomping Willow had long since lost its leaves in a fierce battle with two bludgers from Hufflepuff Quidditch practice. Quidditch season had begun, and so far, Gryffindor had been victorious over Hufflepuff, and Slytherin would be in a match with Ravenclaw in early November. Tamora had indeed formed quite a reputation for herself ever since the night that Remus returned to Hogwarts. She had not spoken to Draco since that time, though there have been a few fresh hand prints on his face.

The bright morning made every student of Hogwarts alive with hope of pleasant weather until the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the most important of the entire season. Ron was particularly cheerful today.

"I wonder if Remus will visit again," Ron asked. "I want to ask Tamora."

"Tamora! Is that all you think about?!" hissed Hermione.

He smiled, "Oh come off it, you know you're friends with her, too."

"But you just can't stop talking about her no matter where we go! From the–"

"–first day you met her, all you do is talk about Tamora! Tamora, Tamora- I'm so tired of hearing about Tamora!" he imitated in a high irritating voice. "You know, if you don't want to hear about her, you can just go read some more. The library's your real friend, after all."

"Don't you start on that, Ron. I have no patience for you already."

"I have no patience for either of you, carrying on like this," said Harry in an irritated tone. "Now please. We have to get to Potions or Snape will have our heads."

"Oh, when have you ever cared about Potions, Harry?" asked Hermione. "Sudden interest in Tamora taken you as well?"

"Hermione..." began Harry. But Snape stopped them at the door. "Morning," he said with a misshapen grin. "Sleep in today, did we, Mr. Potter?"

"Not enough to miss your class, obviously," said Hermione smartly.

"And Miss Granger," said Snape, preparing a cruel remark, "I didn't notice you there. Actually, I don't believe I was speaking to you in the first place. Not early enough to hold your tongue and just awake enough to boast your intelligence?"

Hermione passed him in a huff, taking her seat quickly. By now, Ron was used to seeing her 'appear' in several classes, instead of entering the room like other students. And moreover, it was very entertaining to watch the look on Malfoy's face when he sees someone seated in front of him that wasn't there a second before.

"I expect that you will all be prepared for your exam at the end of today's lesson," Snape said to the class, "since we have been studying elixirs for three days now. Taking this fact into consideration, this exam will count double." Groans of protest emitted from the students of Gryffindor and Slytherin alike were common, and Snape now took pleasure in hearing such noises of loathing.

"Next we will review animagi. Of course such review wouldn't be needed for someone with your experience, would it, Miss Black?" said Snape, his black eyes flashing.

Tamora smiled, nodding, "No, Professor. You're such an excellent teacher. It's a wonder that you were rejected the Defense Against the Dark Arts position again this year. And for a woman, no less."

"Five points from Slytherin."

"From your own house, Professor?"

"If need be," he said slowly, hinting his bitter rage.

Tamora smiled in Draco's direction, which was at least a change from her usual attitude towards him.

"And... if I did... this?" she continued, throwing one of his vials of dissolving potion at the ceiling. The ceiling itself dissolved in that spot, and a desk from above fell with a crash into the aisle. Neville sat in horror on the floor, staring at his desk, then the hole which he had fallen through. The Slytherins laughed and jeered him, each with a certain wickedness.

"Never can escape danger, can you, Mr. Longbottom?" retorted Snape. "Well Miss Black, I am the law in this class, therefore I must deduct another five from Slytherin."

"Only five? I did endanger a student and make that nasty hole in your ceiling- oh... And apparently in Professor Flitwick's floor. You did afford Malfoy the courtesy of choosing the number of house points deducted only last night."

"Twenty, then." Snape answered. "Though Longbottom was born only to put himself in danger, so it was no difficult task. Are you satisfied?" Anger was beginning to form between the Slytherins and Tamora, though she remained poised at her seat.

"Hm... No. Not yet." Tamora's mischief did not end there. With a confident grin, she opened a small bag of root of asphodel and mixed it with her healing elixir, and into that mixed wolfsbane.

"No!" Snape yelled abruptly. "Shhh..." said Tamora, putting her hand up to halt him. She flung half of the vial at Malfoy's desk, and it exploded in a puff of amber smoke. His face was covered with soot of that same color when it cleared, and his usually perfect white-blonde hair was blown backward.

"Ten points!" growled Snape, followed by, "Five, fifteen! MISS BLACK!" She flung amounts of the potion at select Slytherins.

"Miss Black- in my office at nine o'clock, and another five points will be deducted if you are late."

"I plan to be."

The Gryffindors were still laughing heartily and clutching their sides. Many cheered her after class, with "Well done, Tamora," and "Bloody brilliant, Tamora."

Harry smiled as the four of them walked down the hall together. "You know, Tamora, Fred and George would've been proud."

"My brothers," Ron explained to her, "They own Gambol and Japes, and I think they're trying to buy a share of Zonko's now that their business is growing, and–"

"–Sorry to interrupt, but here's my little pawn now... Hello, Draco," said Tamora in a tone as sweet as humanly possible.

Draco confronted her, still trying to smooth down his hair in the front and wiping as much amber soot off of his face as he could. "You just cost your own house sixty points. I don't care who your friends may be, but if you do anything else–"

"You'll do what?" Tamora smiled, keeping her sweet disposition, "Hit a girl?" Hermione was beginning to understand her plan, and it was proving effective. Tamora continued cheerfully, "No, maybe put a hex on me. Well, either way, Mr. Malfoy, you will be hurting house points. I'll stop trying to get on Snape's nerves, and you... ah- you will apologize to me and take back everything you ever said about Remus."

"Done."

Tamora nodded, "You're not bad at all, are you? Just a blonde, boasting, romantically constipated little teddy bear. You will apologize, in Potions, in front of every single one of your friends, while Professor Snape is in the room, or it is no deal."

"What a load of–"

"Fine. Next time, I will make some new claw marks in that leg of yours, and–"

"Deal, deal- anything, just go away." Draco left her in disgusted anger.

Ron hugged Tamora happily, "That was incredible! Brilliant, Tamora, brilliant!"

"Brilliant, brilliant! God, it's no wonder you've got the vocabulary of a mountain troll, Ron!" Hermione walked away from him, down the hallway to the girls' bathroom.

"What did I–"

"Nothing," said Ron to Tamora, "She's just being herself. Harry told us you're going to teach us to be animagi."

"Yes. Tonight, actually. Everything's in order," she said happily.

Even Harry had managed to be lighthearted that day, since Quidditch practices would end earlier than usual, leaving time for animaigus lessons. I hope I'll be a dog like Sirius was, thought Harry. Carrying on the name of Padfoot would be the greatest honor he'd ever receive. Then again, he could be like his father; he could be Prongs. Then, he remembered his ordeal last year where he had felt a desire to lash out and bite like a serpent. He was a serpent, as far as he knew. What if he was to be a snake? It would be the most embarrassing moment of his life if the last link to his father was instead another reason that he was placed in the wrong house...

"Harry?" His mind reacted quickly with a grunt that meant 'yes'. It was Tamora's voice. Now he didn't even notice when he slipped into deep thought. It was more difficult to leave his thoughts... He was still in his thoughts, he now realized. "Harry?" he heard her call again. "Are you all right?" For a moment, he forgot how to speak. It was preposterous. The recesses of his mind refused to let him speak? "Harry! Are you all right?!" "What's wrong with him?" said a second voice he just barely distinguished as Ron's. "What's wrong with him, Tamora?" "Harry!" It echoed, and now seemed muted somehow. Was he fainting?

It felt as though he was floating above the clouds, and they were still on the ground, shouting, trying to be heard. He was flying. Such an incredible feeling, drifting through the clouds. "Harry!" he heard a voice, lower still, crying out to him. Then, he felt himself diving, backwards, soaring. He was soon to crash. He felt the ground beneath him, but it was not a painful landing. He had fallen onto... something, something soft. There were cloaked hooded figures looming around him in a large circle. At first he thought them to be dementors, but they seemed so familiar, and he could see some faces that he couldn't place... faces of wizards. He wasn't quite sure why, but they were laughing, laughing cruelly and coldly, like he had once heard Malfoy laugh at him.

Malfoy. Suddenly the name held some significance. He edged backwards and hesitantly looked behind him. Draco was sprawled on the floor, a pool of blood beneath him. His face was slack, but his eyebrows were contorted as if he was in pain. He was so pale... Harry felt a wrenching pain in his heart, his lungs did not permit him to breathe, and a flash of green light washed over him. How he wanted the pain to stop, how he wanted to scream...

"No! Draco!" he yelled, bolting upright in the bed. He was in the hospital wing with Tamora, Ron, and Hermione seated on a bed across from him. The sweat beaded on his forehead, and he breathed raggedly.

"Oh thank god you're all right. You gave us quite a scare, you know," said Tamora. "You've been asleep since morning. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he said, astonished that he felt none of his previous pain. It had been a dream, though it was so real. "I had a horrible... dream. That's all. What time is it now?"

"A quarter till midnight. Well we'll be in the dungeons during the end of the Halloween feast tomorrow night, pretending to be in the library, obviously."

"Snape will never buy it," said Ron, "He knows we'd never go to the library... ever."

Tamora smiled, "Snape won't know. He and a few of the other teachers will be in a conference about Professor Ravenwolf. Something about... her place on the staff, I think." Harry noted Tamora biting her lower lip nervously, and that Hermione was just as uneasy, but disregarded it as something trivial. Then, he raised his eyebrows. Ron had noticed their odd behavior as well.

"All right, what's going on?" Ron asked them. They both shrugged. "Potions exam," said Tamora, "I'm just a little nervous."

Ron gave her a look of doubt and faced Harry. "What dream could do that?"

"Do what?"

"You sort of... stopped listening," said Ron.

"I couldn't hear you," Harry answered, "I mean... I could, but I couldn't say anything. It was out of my control. Then..." He didn't want to trouble them with his dreams, even though they weren't quite dreams. They were more.

"Tell me, Harry. Please. What did you see?" asked Tamora.

"I can't tell you," he said. "Besides, it's not important."

The three bid Tamora goodnight and headed to the dormitories. In the morning, all four sat at the table at breakfast. It was such a horrible vision he'd had, but each of them had tried at least twice that morning to get the truth from him.

"Please Harry!" Tamora begged on the way to her fourth class, "I have to know."

He finally decided to give in and tell them; after all, they had experienced so many worse things in the past. "All right. I was in a room, surrounded by... well, I think they were death eaters. I saw a few with familiar faces I couldn't place. But... it was just so real. And then Draco."

"What about him?" Tamora urged.

"...He was dead."

She gasped, a holding her hand to her mouth. "Oh god... Did you see Sirius?"

"No. Just Draco. There was so much blood... And I think I saw Lucius; I can't be sure, though."

"Draco's father?" asked Tamora, taking her hand from her mouth. Harry nodded. She continued to speak darkly, "He's still the leader of the death eaters. But I thought I read that he was in jail."

"He is," said Draco from behind them, "but he knows better than that. He'll escape that stupid prison. Dementors can't contain him. Who is Lupin to you, Tamora? Why do you care about him so much?"

"Because he's my father's best friend. I chose him to be my guardian, if you must know," she answered stiffly.

Draco walked alongside her, farthest away from Hermione. "Guardian? He can't even protect you from himself."

"Not now, Draco. You don't want to upset me while I have my wand in my hand."

"I'm serious!" he said, standing in front of her. "I could protect you more than he could. He's dangerous."

"He transformed back into a human when I came near him. I can help him. And what makes you so sure you can help me? You can't even stop a bludger from knocking you halfway off of your broom in Quidditch practice."

Ron sniggered. Draco sneered at him, "You think you can do better, Weasel King? Do I have to remind you of last year?"

"Come on, Ron. We have to get to flying class," said Tamora, "Leave this scum to his business." She walked with Ron at her side away from Draco, and she almost mistook the look on his face for sadness. He has no remorse she thought. Harry had seen it, too. He had also seen Hermione's angered stare, watching Tamora and Ron talking together as they walked down the hall. What was it about Tamora that she loathed? Or maybe it was Ron. Or both. Come to think of it, Hermione had been quite odd lately.

Harry internally shrugged, walking with Hermione to McGonagall's classroom. McGonagall rapped her wand against the desk for silence as everyone filed into the class. "Thank you," she said as soon as they were seated. "Today we will begin a new chapter: Human Transformation. This is a far more dangerous chapter than we have ever dealt with, since so many things can (and will, Harry thought) go wrong. Many witches and wizards have been stuck between animal and human, or object and human. It is very likely that at least one of you will be confronted with this problem in some form. Pay attention, Mr. Finnigan, this may be your lucky day. (scattered laughter could be heard)

"Everyone listen carefully, because I will only instruct you once. It is the same incantation, but a different wrist movement. Instead of a direct flick of the wand," she repeated the standard transfiguration wand flick, "it will be a swooping motion. A swish. Feroverto." She waved her wand in a half circle, transforming Seamus into a potted plant of some sort. Then, she swished her wand and muttered the incantation again. The flower pot broke and Seamus was left sitting at his desk again. "That was weird," he said excitedly. "...I think I liked it."

"Maybe you prefer to be a potted plant then, Mr. Finnigan? I can make the transformation permanent if you like. No? Well then, each partner must take turns trying to transform the other into a matchbox. Begin."

"I'll try first," said Harry. "I'm not so sure you'll transform me the whole way, Ron." Ron took this as an insult, then nodded truthfully, "All right. Go ahead then!" Harry held his wand toward Ron nervously. He swished it through the air, "Feroverto!"

Ron transformed quickly with an odd 'poof' into a dozen matches, but no box.

"Well done, Harry," said McGonagall, "move aside, move aside." She picked up fragments of cardboard. It was then that Harry understood that he had successfully performed the spell, aside from the fact that the matchbox had exploded, leaving bare matches.

"Will he be all right?" he asked. "Yes, fine, Potter," said McGonagall, placing all of the pieces on the table. "Reparo." The pieces of the box were whole again. "Now, Harry. Do not shout incantations. We are not warding off boggarts, we are trying to make Mr. Weasley a more useful object."

"Feroverto," said Harry in a normal volume. Ron was curled into a ball on the table, looking disheveled and confused.

"What in bloody hell did you do to me, Harry?! I felt like I was... naked... but stranger. I think my hair fell off, like a wig. Whatever happened, I'm not trusting you to transform me anymore." Ron raised his wand, "Feroverto."

"Mr. Weasley. I would like to personally congratulate you on your very first time performing a spell correctly in my class." She transformed Harry back into himself and moved on with the lesson.

By dinner that night, the four were equally exhausted. There had been a total of three exams, four assignments, five matchboxes, and three guinea pigs (Ron had accidentally transformed Harry into two guinea pigs instead of one).

"Welcome, everyone," said Dumbledore. "We will soon begin our Halloween feast. The sooner you are silent, the sooner we will be able to stuff our faces with the food you see before you. Good. I would like to announce that Professor Ravenwolf has taken a short leave of absence from our staff. Taking this into consideration, Professor Lupin will occupy her position until she is able to return." The Gryffindors cheered loudly, Remus standing to take a bow. Dumbledore held up his hands. "In continuance of tradition, I will begin our feast with my most favored phrase of commencement. Tuck in!"

Each of the three ate very quickly, gulping pumpkin juice and hurrying through dinner in preparation for their meeting in the dungeons. "Y' dumn yerh?" slurred Ron.

"Speak English, Ron," said Hermione.

Ron swallowed his food. "You done yet?"

"Yes," Harry and Hermione said simultaneously. Harry checked that Tamora was finished, then they all left the dining hall at the same time.

"That was too simple," Hermione whispered when they descended the steps to the dungeons.

Tamora lead them into a small classroom that resembled a torture chamber. "What is this?" asked Hermione.

"Detention."

The three exchanged glances. "Now," said Tamora. "We have to begin slowly. I've acquired some extra equipment in case."

Ron inched away from a metal rodent cage. "In case?"

"In case something goes wrong. That's why we're in the dungeons. None of you know the way back, and the door locks on its own."

"Do I have to mention how creepy that is?" Ron cringed. Tamora laughed at him. "That's all right. I know how to open the door. First, the process of choosing an animal that best fits your character. That is the most difficult task. Some people already know, some people do not. Try the animal you think best represents you, not your favorite. Chances are none of you are dragons."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"Sirius knew."

Harry focused first on the black dog. "Then what?" he asked Tamora.

"Well," she explained, "it's a process. You must trust your instincts, picture the animal, then simply transform, if you've chosen correctly. It's helpful to see yourself in a situation as that animal. The first time you transform, you must point your wand at yourself, like so. Animagi. Though I don't need the incantation, you may need it for a while if you're slow to transformation."

"Animaigus!" Hermione said, waiting to transform.

"Which animal did you pick?"

"A Persian cat," she replied.

Tamora shook her head, "No no. A cat isn't you at all." Hermione contained her anger. "Hermione, try a bird. Any type that comes to mind."

Hermione tried again. "Animaigus!" This time, wings sprouted from her shoulder blades. They all turned to watch Hermione transform. It was amazing how quickly she had changed. Ron fell down laughing, pointing at the slightly ruffled brown owl on the stone floor. Even Harry laughed when he realized that Hermione had finally become the most mythically wise creature in the wizarding world... which was coincidentally the most degraded pet as well

Ron still laughed while muttering the incantation, then stopped. His eyes bulged. Hermione was transforming out of her owl form when she began to laugh uncontrollably, pointing at the small toad where Ron had once been standing. "Serves you right," she giggled. The night became a bit colder in the dungeons, but neither Harry nor Tamora seemed to notice, too busy doubling over with laughter at the sight of the two disgruntled pets battling eachother.

Harry had tried everything save two animals: the stag... and the snake. He set his mind to it now; he would rule out the snake first. His hand shook and he whispered the incantation, but nothing happened. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and pictured the stag which he had called forth in his patronus many times before.

Hermione and Ron whooped and cheered when they had stopped fighting long enough to become human again. Harry was a white stag, identical to his father. It comforted him until he heard hurried footsteps echo in the dungeon staircase and was forced back into a human form.

"Snape!" whispered Harry. They all hid in the shadow, except Ron, who had accidentally transformed himself into a toad again. Tamora tried to transform him back without success, then ran into the shadows with him when she was unsuccessful. The door opened. It was Malfoy, back early from the feast.

"Who's there?" Silence. "Show yourself!" Silence. "I'll have no trouble reporting whoever gets in my way. Show yourself or face detention with Filch."

'Crooooaaaaak.' Ron had spoken, sort of. Draco caught sight of the toad in the sliver of light produced by the open door. "Longbottom's stupid toad made it down to the dungeons? I wonder how long it will take him to notice, the git." Ron continued to croak as he was being carried down the hall, and the voice of Malfoy could be heard trying to silence it, echoing down the staircase until it could no longer be heard.

"Oh no! We've got to get Ron back, Tamora!" said Hermione.

"I'll get him back. You should both return to Gryffindor now. I'll sort this out."

Harry stopped in the doorway, "...How?"

"I have my ways."

Tamora crept out of bed to the common room, then into the boys' dormitories. From what she could tell, the rest of Slytherin was still at the All Hallow's Eve festivities. She scanned Malfoy asleep in his bed with a sly grin. She searched the room for the toad, but when she couldn't find him, Tamora slowly but surely reached for the end of Malfoy's pillow, preparing to lift up the corner and look for the poor creature that was Ron. Without warning, Draco's eyes snapped open from his helpless state, and he flipped her onto the bed. Draco loomed over Tamora, a hand on each side of her leaning on the mattress, like a predator stalking his prey. A smile spread across his face in the dark.

"I don't think I have to ask what you're doing here."

"Draco," Tamora uttered, "You know perfectly well why I'm here." Unsettled by his presence, her voice shook a bit.

"Scared?" he purred, moving closer to her face, "I hope so."

"Scared- of you?" she mocked. He could feel her trembling beneath him when he moved closer still, which brought an even wider smile to his face, "Why yes, Tamora- I think you are." She could feel him moving in even closer, trying to keep her wits about. "I've wanted to know since Quidditch practice...Was it really a tempting offer?" he purred, trying to render her senseless. He leaned closer... hovering less than an inch away from her, leaning in to kiss her, then...

"Locomotor mortis," she said, wand pointed at his legs.

His legs straightened involuntarily and locked in their current position. Malfoy rolled off the bed to the floor with a 'plop'. He tried to reach his wand, wriggling on the floor, finally lacing his fingers around the end. Muttering the counter-curse, he sprang to his feet, holding his wand at her chest. Her eyes moved down to the wand. "Well that's just cruel."

"Go back to bed, Tamora. Next time I won't be so...generous as to let you leave."

"Goodbye," she hissed, leaving, "Good riddance." Had not the toad croaked, she may have stepped on Ron walking out of the dormitories.

Draco smirked, "She'll be back to apologize any minute..."

Tamora walked back in, "Accio bedsheets! It's cold in our dormitories, you know." She descended the stairs triumphantly, Draco's eyes narrowed. He stripped an empty bed of its covers, bringing them to his own nearly-bare mattress. Then, he had a much better idea...

The sun shone through the dust-laden windows on the bitterly cold morning that followed. Tamora shivered, drawing the covers over herself, snuggling to the strange warmth radiating from the opposite side of the bed, inching nearer to... "DRACO! GET OUT!– NOW!"

He laughed, slinking out of bed as random objects flew across the room towards him. He conjured a defense charm and the objects stopped short of him, crashing to the ground. He took the covers with him back to the boys' dormitories, leaving Tamora on her bare bed shouting furiously. A light-haired seventh-year prefect boy bolted up the girls' dormitory staircase. "Miss Black- are you alright? What happened to your sheets?"

Later in detention, Malfoy finished polishing the Gryffindor House Cup angrily, "Reporting me, the nerve of her..."

"Not a word out of you, Mr. Malfoy," said Professor McGonagall, "In the girls' dormitories- And to think Professor Snape made you a prefect again this year. Ha! We'll certainly see about that, won't we?"

"Apparently so, Minerva," he sneered.

"Any sarcasm toward an authority figure deducts ten house points for every word spoken. Do you understand me?"

Draco stopped short of getting himself in deeper trouble. "Yes, Professor McGonagall." He polished the next trophy begrudgingly, wearing down the finish.

"Careful, Mr. Malfoy," warned McGonagall.

A/N: Bwahahahaaaa that was fun. I'm addicted! All right. Reviews, reviews. Actually, I have no reviews for chapter three because I already posted it. Oh well. Thank you for reading!