After a day and a half of exploring the castle as a group, and then the girls going off in their animagus forms to run around in the forest. Ernest McMillian finally snaps, "Arry, I know we don't sleep in your dorms, but you can't just leave us out of half the activities that you girls are doing."
Arry turns slowly to look at Ernest, "What are you asking?"
"You've helped all the girls in your dorm achieve their Animagus forms. W…" – he swallows hard as Arry's tail comes up over her shoulder, and changes his demand into a request – "Would you help us achieve ours please?"
"Is this something you all want?"
The other magic born boys all nod, and reluctantly Justin Finch-Fletchley nodded as well.
Arry sighs, "Let's find a spare classroom, I'll contact the Head Master as there are some facts you need to know before you make your final decision."
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Once Minerva arrives, Arry looks at all the students with a serious expression, "Unlike the girls, you will all need to know just what the consequences of your actions could be. Part of being an animagus is that you gain the instincts of the animal that you're changing into. Xenomorphs have 4 stages of life, the first is as an egg that is held by a Face Hugger. Once the Face Hugger has implanted the egg inside an animal, it dies and the second stage of life begins. The xenomorph then becomes a parasite, living off of the host as it matures over a period of between 2 days and a week. Transitioning from a parasite to a chest burster invariably proves fatal for the host. At this stage it can be fed Royal Jelly to turn an ordinary Xenomorph into a Queen. We'll revisit this later as it will be important. Once the chest burster has fed enough, it will go through it's first moult. At this time it takes on the role that the Queen that laid the egg programmed into it. They are now considered mature, and will continue to grow to around half again as large as Murph. There is one very important thing about this whole process, that is the fact that Xenomorphs get their genetic diversity from their hosts, rather than through sexual reproduction. If that was the end of the story, this wouldn't be a problem. The fact is that there are male xenomorphs, they are just very rare. I don't know if you've had the talk about sex, and boys and girls. So while I'm laying some harmless eggs so that you can all see what you're letting yourselves in for, the Head Master is going to give you The Talk, and explain the differences between boys and girls."
It takes Arry around an hour to lay an egg for each of the boys, and so she flames all the eggs back to the classroom to see the boys all staring at the floor and shuffling uncomfortably.
"I see you've all had the detailed explanation now. Anyone want to back out now?" – when nobody gets up to leave she continues – "These are egg sacks, inside each one of these is a sterile face hugger. This is an experience that Masters McGonagall, Sprout, and Babbling have all been through, as has Miss Dunns, and everyone you saw at the visitors table. Just remember, relax and don't fight it, you can't win you'll only be unconscious when it's finished."
Arry dips her hand into an egg and pulls out a Face Hugger, "McMillian, you're first, remember this one is shooting blanks so you have nothing to worry about."
Nervously, Ernest takes the face hugger and jumps as it leaps at his face, "See how it jumped at him, this induces a startle response, which in most animals, humans included, causes them to open their mouths. Hopkins, here's one for you. Remember it's sterile so you don't have to worry about anything, just relax and enjoy the ride. Rivers, one for you. Entwhistle I've got one for you too. Finch-Fletchley, are you sure?"
Justin nods and Arry hands him the last one.
"So you now know about sex and boys and girls. Did Minerva explain how it's the man that determines the sex of the baby?" – all of the boys shake their heads – "So the non-magicals have known for a while that there are two sex chromosomes, they call them x and y. The vast majority of people only have one of two combinations. XX or XY. There are always exceptions, because nature is messy. This is true of Xenomorphs too, and I'm not one of those exceptions. I can show you the proof of that statement if you need me to later. But it's long and boring, and Hermione would probably enjoy showing it to you more than I would.
"Now, there is a very important thing about xenomorphs. Every single one can lay an egg like these, once. It will kill them to do so, but they can. Every single xenomorph can also create royal jelly, and a chest burster that's fed royal jelly will turn into a Queen. This is what happened to me. It's also how I know I'm not an exception to the rule about sexes, a converted queen goes through a chrysalis phase where, like a butterfly, she turns to goo and is completely rebuilt from the cells up, new chromosomes included. If the Queen of a hive dies, then all of the workers and warriors will split off and try to find a safe place to feed and live. They are like the girls are at the moment. On their own, they just live out their lives. However, if they meet up with other xenomorphs then a temporary hive will start to form. At a certain point, one of them will feel the need to lay an egg, and the others will bring it food until it is able to. When the egg is ready, they will capture a host and bring it to the egg bearer, who will lay the egg as their final act. The resulting chest burster will then be fed royal jelly until it turns into the queen of the temporary hive.
"There is only one way to stop this instinct once it has started, and that is for the xenomorph to have a queen."
Arry pauses for everyone to take this in and Minerva takes over, "There are risks to being an animagus, one of which is that you can become lost in your animal form. Going native it's often called. Every year one or two animagus' will go native and be lost to us. The reason for the registry at the Ministry of Magic isn't to keep track of witches and wizards who are animagi. It's there so that if you go native we can hopefully find you and force you back to your human form. All of you will turn into male Xenomorphs if you choose to go through with this. Every one of you will also be tutored by me in how to recognise the signs of going native in yourselves or others."
Arry takes over again, "I have a solution to this, I have modified the basic design of my eggs so that they are symbiotic rather than parasitic. This means that they will become part of you instead of living off you. It allows anyone to join my hive, however I don't have the information needed to make male eggs. This means that you will receive a female egg, and as it grows and becomes part of you, it will also discard the male parts of you and induce growth of female organs. All those thing's you've just learnt we go through? You'll have to go through them too. If you choose, you can become part of my hive whenever you want. If you lose yourself, you will be forced to become part of my hive, as it's too dangerous to let a wild xenomorph to run free. If you start to get the urge to lay an egg, you will become part of my hive. Until I am able to get some genetic material from a male, this means that you will become a woman. Now that I understand what's involved in getting that genetic material, you are probably going to have to wait for a decade or two before I'll even consider it, ew."
Minerva takes over again, "If, now knowing the risks, you still want to go ahead with this, I will want your verbal acknowledgment that you understand the risks and are willing to go ahead anyway. We will then arrange for you to go through the process. If you have any questions, speak up now."
Sally-Anne puts her hand up, "If I join your hive, will I get my leg back?"
"Even if it means looking like Arry? Or never being able to live in the non-magical world again?"
Sally-Anne starts to cry as she nods, "It's horrible. I originally lost only the foot as a toddler when it got run over by a car. As I've grown they've had to take more and more of my leg as the bones grow and splinter. I was 8 when they took my knee after a muscle detached and rubbed against the bone. I have to take my leg off as much as possible, and it's virtually impossible to keep clean enough. I struggle with the stairs here, and I'm constantly getting sores. Yesterday was the first time I remember ever being able to run. If joining your hive gives me my leg back, it will also give me my life back." As she talks, all of the girls take turns to hug her, ending with Arry.
Arry says softly, "I had no idea it was like that for you. We'll talk about it next weekend, and if you still want it I'll lay an egg for you."
Sally-Anne sniffs, "Being able to run to the classes and then sit without the leg is still far better than I had before."
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Wayne Hopkins watches as the flock of Xenomorphs runs out of the school for the third time that week. Leaving to play in the forest where it was too dangerous for most students to venture. When a tear trickles down his cheek, he wipes at it with a finger in surprise, before turning to find the Head Master's assistant.
"Miss Dunns."
"Yes Mr Hopkins?"
"Would I be able to speak to my father about the animagus process on offer here."
Priya's eyes glaze slightly and she then nods, "You may, I will take you up to the Head Masters office after dinner. You may use her floo."
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Samuel Hopkins listened to his son talk about this great opportunity he has to become an animagus. Of the benefits of the new form, and how the rest of his year mates were already animagi or were considering it. As Wayne continued to talk he started picturing how gaining this skill would increase the prestige of the house, and open new opportunities for business and trade. Especially if a marriage contract is required.
"Wayne, why haven't you already gone ahead with this? All I've heard are positives."
Wayne swallows, "From the way it was explained to me, there is a chance that I will succumb to the instincts of the animal."
"Yes, yes, that's a risk for all animagi, we'll just get you registered, and I'll pay someone to use a reversal spell on you if it happens."
"Part of those instincts is an urge to lay an egg, which would kill me." – Wayne quickly continues – "They have a cure for that, and the going native problem. But it involves becoming part of an established hive."
"What's the problem with that?"
"There are only witches in the hive. A few wizards have joined, and they're now witches or becoming witches."
"Absolutely not, I will not have my son and heir run the risk of sullying themselves, and becoming a witch because of it. I forbid you to go through with this."
He shuts off the floo and turns back to the living room.
Emmaline looks at him critically, "Don't you think you were a bit harsh at the end?"
"Absolutely not, you heard him. There's a risk that he will want to lay an egg."
"So it was ok for me to take that risk when we were just out of school, but it's not ok for Wayne to take the same risk?"
"It's not the same thing, you're a witch. And we got Wayne out of it."
"I see."
"I'm going to the Pot, I need a drink."
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As Mr Hopkins turns away from the floo, Minerva's heart goes out to him as tears freely streak down his cheeks.
Gently she holds out her hands, "Mr Hopkins, come here."
As he comes closer, she pulls him into a comforting hug, "I know it's hard, but sometimes we don't get what we want. Master Sprout is on her way, until then, take your time and when you're ready you can return to your dorm mates."
While Wayne is crying in Minerva's office, her floo lights up again. Priya gets up and answers it, only to see Lady Hopkins in the fire.
"May I come through please, I'd like to talk to my son?"
Priya looks back at Minerva who nods, "Certainly, let me activate the floo for you."
A few seconds later, she steps through and kneels down beside her son to give him a hug, "Is there anywhere we can talk privately?"
Minerva nods, "The Head Masters quarters are just through there. We're still sorting through the accumulated stuff that Mr Dumbledore has, so I'm not using it."
Emmaline leads her distraught son into the bedroom and sits on the bed with him. After a moment, she says, "When you were growing up, I always knew I was going to have this talk one day. However, I always imagined it would be with your sister and not you. My mother had the same talk with me when I met your father in my NEWT year, and my father forbid me from seeing him. Wayne, this is your life, not mine and not your fathers. Ultimately you will always be the one that has to live with the consequences of your own decisions. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't then as your parents, we will be here to help you with the consequences. If not doing this will leave you unhappy and feeling left out, then you should do it. But do it because it's something you want, not because others are pressuring you into doing it. I know what it was like to be a Hufflepuff, I was one too after all. That loyalty to your friends will never go away as you grow older, but you will learn to temper it with your personal wants and needs. Now, why don't you tell me about what else was discussed during that class where you found out about eggs?"
She sits there and listens as her son tells her a story that has a large similarity with the talk that Madam Pomphrey gave her dorm mates at the end of third year. Though with a practical example rather than a charmed replica to be passed around. She needs to hold back a laugh when Wayne describes the fact that this animagus form is almost risk free for the girls, as if something goes wrong they just join a hive and carry on as before. Much like the boys and pregnancy, Emmaline probably wouldn't have chosen Samuel as a husband, but he gave her Wayne and she wouldn't trade that for anything.
As Wayne finishes talking, she turns his face so that he's looking her in the eyes, "Wayne, that class you had. Your female classmates will be having an identical one in their 3rd year about men. Just because there might be consequences in the future, doesn't mean that you won't welcome them. After all, you are one such consequence for me, and I would never change it for the world. Do what will make you happy, and we will deal with the consequences as a family. You are my child, and you always will be my child. It doesn't matter if you're Wayne my son or Wayne my daughter, you'll still be my child. Ignore the Slytherins, like your father, who are always worried about positioning and prestige. It has its place, but it's not as important as you, your friends, family, and their happiness is."
"Mother, what do you mean it's the same as the talk the girls get in 3rd year?"
"Wayne, do you know where babies come from?"
"You always told me from the cabbage patch."
Emmaline smiles as she remembers that moment, "Well, that was sort of true for your sister. What happens is that men and women have a special sort of hug, and at the end of it the woman may end up pregnant. The hug itself is very nice, which is why we do it, and there are precautions we can take to prevent pregnancy. However, nothing is fool proof, and sometimes consequences happen. At your age you probably think all of this is yucky, but when you go through puberty your body will change, and…"
Wayne listens intently as his face goes redder and redder from embarrassment as, for the second time that week, he is subject to The Talk, this time about human sexuality instead of the consequences of becoming a Xenomorph animagus.
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Arry and the rest of the Hufflepuff first years, all troop into the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom for their first class, which is set up in a circular auditorium style, with Professor Quirrell sat at his desk in the centre. His deep purple turban seated primly on his head, while he fiddles nervously with the tail of it. Making their way to one side, Arry ends up sitting on one edge of the benches looking sideways at the desk. Slowly the other houses filter in and take their own seats. Once everyone's there, the professor stands up and begins the longest and most drawn out introduction she's ever heard of, even in other people's memories. Most of which is down to the poor mans stutter. With a sigh she pulls out a computer and sets it to record the lesson. When she looks up from the computer, the Professor is facing the Ravenclaws on the far side of the room. As her gaze meets the back of his head, he flinches forward as though physically struck. Thinking it a coincidence she carries on trying to decipher what he's saying, and then it happens again. Deciding to turn it into a game, she looks for the exact spot where it happens and tries to stare at it as often as possible. Hermione tries not to giggle as she picks up what's going on from the hive mind. Instead, she gets a mock glare from her about interrupting the lesson.
Ne'stbei isn't even that polite, as she takes one of her pair of claws, and starts to do maintenance on the weapon.
"Miss Ne…Ne…Nest bei, am I boring you?"
Ne'stbei looks down with contempt, "You are focusing the children's minds on the wrong things. 'ighlighting the dangers of the Muggle World while not addressing the underlying cause. Every 'unt starts the same way, know your prey. This applies when you are the 'unted just as much. If you visit the muggle world without knowing it, it will be dangerous. If you visit another culture without knowing it, it will be dangerous. If you visit another clan without knowing it, it will be dangerous. What is important is respect, for if you do not have respect, you will not learn, and what you don't learn will kill you."
"f…f…five points from Hufflepuff for disrespect."
Ne'stbei shakes her head and goes back to maintaining her weapons.
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Once the lesson is over, Wayne approaches Arry, "Arry, I've thought about it, and I'd like your help in finding my Animagus form."
Arry looks down at him and nods, "Tell the Head Master, and we'll arrange for it to happen. Incidentally, did you know the only thing a xenomorph won't eat is another xenomorph. Just food for thought."
As Arry saunters away, Wayne feels a chill go down his spine. However, despite that feeling he informs the Head Master when he sees her at lunch time. For some reason, Professor Quirrell seems to be having trouble not throwing his head forward violently at in opportune times. At lunch time it happens so badly he dunks his face in his soup while Wayne is talking to the Head Master. As Wayne looks over Minerva's shoulder, Arry's xenomorph form waves from a shadow, then disappears up into the rafters. When the professor looks down to check his clothing, he jerks forward again so violently he knocks himself out on the table. Priya mutters something next to him, before levitating him and heading off to the Infirmary.
That afternoon, they have potions with the new teacher. Wayne's not sure what he was expecting. However, a table full of carrots, turnips and celery wasn't it. He ends up standing next to a Ravenclaw girl by the name of Sue Li.
"Good afternoon everyone, I am Professor Bagley Journeyman in Potions. I will be teaching you this year and next. Hopefully you will be more attentive than the rest of your year. Normally, Potions Master Snape would have you brewing a basic potion in your first lesson, and for every lesson there after. However, my Master preferred people to have the basics down before you even touch a potion. This term, none of you will actually brew a potion, instead I will be instructing you in a technique in each lesson. At the end of the lesson I will demonstrate how that technique is used in a potion. Today is all about basic knife techniques, peeling, chopping, slicing, dicing, and also destringing. On the table behind me are the knives that you will be using today. They are very sharp so you must observe proper safety while walking around with them.
"Never ever have the point of the blade held out in front of you, or towards you. If you don't have a sheath for the knife then hold the handle so that the blade points down your forearm, and lays flat against it. A slight twist of your wrist will press the cutting edge against your clothing or skin. This is the safest way to walk around with a bare blade, you may still cut yourself if you're clumsy, however you will not stab yourself or someone else, and the blade won't be able to cause too much damage to your arm. Under your benches, you should find a wooden practice blade. I want you to hold it the same way I demonstrated. When I'm happy with each of you, go and get your working blade."
Once everyone has met his standards, they all have a knife on the table in front of them.
"Now that you have your blades, when they're not in use, they must be place at the far side of your working area with their edge facing away from you. This is so that when you are reaching for ingredients, the knife is out of the way, and if you do happen to brush it, you can't cut or stab yourself. I want you to take a turnip and place it on your work board. Then watch me carefully as I demonstrate how to use the knife to peel the skin off the turnip."
The lesson continued for the whole hour like that, with the teacher demonstrating a technique and they had to copy him until they had the basic idea correct.
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Once their lessons were over for the day, Priya collected Wayne from the common room and led him out to the edge of the forbidden forest.
"Miss Dunns, what are we doing out here?"
"You are getting your request. The girls are going to help you to gain your animagus form, or you're going to be their dinner. You've heard about how their instincts can take over. Anyway, I've been asked to remind you that the only thing a xenomorph won't eat is another xenomorph. Anyway, here they come now, which is my cue to leave. I hope to see you at dinner. If not we'll hold a service for you at the weekend."
"Miss Dunns!" Wayne calls as she vanishes in a pillar of fire.
Looking back towards the castle he can see Arry clearly running towards him and the smaller black shapes must be the other girls. Frozen in fear they get ever closer, then the adrenaline starts pumping and he bolts. First along the forest line, but they veer off and a few even run ahead faster than he can run. Desperately he turns to run away from them, hoping that the trees would slow them down enough for him to escape.
He's been running for what seems like hours, and they've been dogging his tail every step of the way. Suddenly he breaks through into a clearing, and in front of him, outlined in the last of the sun, is a xenomorph. Then it leaps at him and he screws his eyes shut, no, they're not shut. He's not dead.
"Hey Wayne, it's Sally-Anne, you did it."
"Wayne did it everyone."
"Huh? What are they talking about?"
"You're an animagus silly."
"I can't be, I must have died. I can't see."
"Arry, I think you're going to need to give him the memories, otherwise we'll be here all night."
"What memories, why can't I see anything?"
"You're right. Wayne, apart from your sense of touch and hearing, you don't have anything that you recognise as senses. This is going to be unpleasant, and may also leave you feeling a little weird as the memories are for a female scout. But it's either this or you spend the next few weeks acclimating to your new body. Each of the girls has already gone through this."
"Do it. I chose this because I wanted to join in."
Suddenly, a vast pressure pushes down on him, it feels like it did when his father used to pin him down when he was younger. Or the one time he went to the Nott's and they forced him to eat a garden gnome. Too much of a Mummy's boy they said. He's not even aware of when the pressure recedes, as he's writhing on the floor while he gets used to having two sets of memories and his brain and magic work to integrate them both. He remembers forcing his way out of the chest of something and then gorging himself on some meat and bones until she moulted. With her new legs underneath her she was part of the hive for a couple of days before… the memories end there and he/she shakes their head and staggers to their feet. The forest around them opening up in a way it never could have before.
"Tag, your it."
Wayne looks around in wonder even as most of the girls disappear, only Arry left watching her, him. On impulse, he leans down in supplication in front of her, and recites the vassals oath that he learnt at the feet of his Father.
"My liege, in thanks for this most wonderous gift, I Wayne Hopkins, pledge myself to your hive and your house as your vassal. On my life and Magic I swear this. When I come of age and inherit, my house will follow my lead and become part of your demesne."
As the last words resonate in his soul and magic, it feels like he joins something larger than himself.
"Gkei'moun, Minva, I need you."
From a pillar of heat, someone appears in the clearing with them, they feel like family.
"What's the matter my Queen?"
His Queen changes into her lesser form and points at him, "This, can't you feel him?"
"I can. What happened?... Oh Merlin, I didn't even think of that."
"I'm sorry for interrupting My Queen, but what have I done wrong?"
His queen comes over and lays a hand against his face, "You've done nothing wrong. You've just done something that I thought was impossible. You've joined my hive. Now, go and play with the girls while I discuss things with Minva."
Feeling pleased that he hadn't done anything wrong, he leaps off into the forest to tag one of the girls.