Chapter 2:
Hermione was so glad she had come to stay with Harry. She had been having discussions with all her former professors while they stayed with Harry as well. The second night she was there she got into a discussion with Albus and Minerva, as she was instructed to call them, about the animagus transformation. They were both transfiguration masters but only Minerva was an animagus. After the two argued over the advantages of being an animagus they decided that Minerva should begin instructing Hermione in the beginning stages of the transformation so that she could decided if it was for her or not. The reason that there are so few animagus in the world is that it takes a lot of work, concentration, power and most of all it is becomes harder top accomplish with age. The reason Albus never became one was that by the time he had the desire he was already into triple digits in age and it would take more power than he was willing to expend.
The university had an entire semester long class on the beginning stages of the animagus transformation where they learned to meditate and find if they had the capacity for the transformation as well as to understand the process better before making such an important decision. Once a person completed the transformation the animal be3came a part of them and that was why it sometimes seemed that the person acted a bit like their animal form. The person had to spend time in their form on a regular basis as well or they would start to suffer hallucinations of their animal's desires and could loose themselves to the animal within.
So Hermione was spending two hours each morning learning from Minerva and absolutely loved it. She had always respected her head of house but had never gotten to know her. They were kindred spirits, both love to learn and would have been placed in Ravenclaw if it wasn't for their loyalty and tendency to bend the rules when it was called for. She knew she was going to miss her teacher and new friend when she left.
"You know Hermione there is a potion that will reveal your animal form to you," Minerva told her one day after they finished meditating. "I would normally discourage anyone from taking that route since they usually think they can skip strait to transforming once they know. But since you know better as well as are probably the only student I have ever had that was capable of brewing it, I thought you could try it."
"I have thought about it, I am sure I could brew it but there are two ingredients that are only available to masters." She told her friend sadly. "Do you think professor Snape would get them for us?"
"Well you could certainly ask him," Minerva told her, although both women were skeptical. "Perhaps we should ask him in front of Albus?" They both laughed as they knew Snape had a hard time saying no to the headmaster.
Two days and a few hundred glares later she was beginning the brewing process for the animagus potion. Professor Snape had insisted upon supervising her brewing to make sure she didn't waste the ingredients. The two spent the next few hours in the potions lab in the basement of Harry's house. Severus was jealous of her equipment; the caldron she brought out to use was of the finest quality. He may have been able to purchase master level equipment but there was no way he could afford such quality on his teaching salary.
To try and repay his unlikely kindness in assisting her with her ingredients she decided to let him in on her secret of how she got the equipment. She could tell he wanted to ask but refused to. "This set was from Orion Black, the last potions master in the Black line before the lien became known for the dark arts." She told him with a smile. "There is another set up there from another Black relative, it's very nice but I needed the complete set and the remaining one is only a standard set. You are welcome to it."
"I do not believe Potter extended the same invitation to me," Severus said trying to keep the longing out of his voice.
"Nonsense, you were sitting there with everyone else when he offered," she told him with a smile. "I'll show you where they are when we're done."
When they had finished the first stage of the potion and left it to simmer Hermione dragged him up to the storage room. Severus only put up a token protest as she led him to the nicest caldron set he had ever seen, it was even better than the one she had! They were of the highest quality he had ever seen. He saw that she was correct and that it was only a standard set but that was all he really needed in this quality, for how often he used the rest of the equipment he could use his lower quality instruments. "I hate the idea that I have to thank Potter for these," he told her as they searched for any other good finds in the room.
"Do you realize there was almost no spite in that sentence? I think you don't actually mean that anymore." Hermione told him teasingly.
"Unfortunately true," he admitted. "After everything he has done for me I can not justify my hatred… even if he does resemble his father."
"How noble of you," she deadpanned.
Severus snorted, taking a lot of effort not to laugh. "At least I can still torment all the Weasleys."
They were both amazed that they were enjoying each others company. Severus was impressed that she was not one of those women that chattered non-stop and that when she did speak it was intelligent and insightful or witty. Hermione was surprised at how differently he was acting than when she was in school. She wondered if his spiteful personality was a front for the students or if he was finally starting to relax now that Voldemort was dead.
"Oooh, Professor look at these, they are gorgeous." Hermione said reverently running her hands over the polished wood of two beautiful boxes. They were beautiful mahogany boxes with hinged lids. Even Severus appreciated their aesthetic qualities. "These would make wonderful letter boxes." She told him, wondering if he would consent to write to her as well.
"What type of letter boxes do you mean?" He asked her realizing she meant something more than just to store old letters in.
"Albus has made letter boxes for me and a few friends that are linked so that we can keep in touch with me being so far away. They were smaller than these but I would love to be able to have a larger one that could transport small items as well." She explained that she most likely would not be back to visit the entire length of her schooling.
"4 years must seem like a very long time to be away from home," he told her wondering if he should ask Albus for a charmed box as well. The young woman was fascinating and he always enjoyed intelligent discourse.
"Actually I am pursuing two masteries so it will take between 5 and 7 years, depending on how involved I want to become." She told him with a small smile at his shocked look. She knew there were very few who had the fortitude to pursue multiple masteries as one was difficult enough. "I am planning on sitting for both Transfiguration and Potions."
Severus was shocked that she was going into his field. He had been hearing Minerva brag for weeks about how her star pupil was following in her footsteps and that she was giving her private tutoring. "If you are pursuing potions perhaps you would not mind if Albus charmed a letter box for me as well. It may help you to have an outside expert to consult on some of your work." He wondered if she would even wish to keep in touch.
"I would greatly appreciate that sir," she told him with a huge smile. "I had been hoping to ask you but was unsure how to broach the topic. Let's take these wonderful boxes to Albus and have him charm them. This will let me be able to give my original box to Minerva as it is much more suited to her. Albus decided I needed a Gryffindor themed box to remind me of home."
"Too flashy for you?" Severus smirked thinking of all the 'colorful' presents Albus had tried to give him over the years.
"Yes, although it is very delicate engraving with repeating griffins and a large Gryffindor logo on the top. It is both cherry wood and a golden maple and very pretty and almost subdued for what the headmaster usually comes up with but it will look wonderful on Minerva's desk and I just love these boxes." She said as they made their way to the office Albus was using for the summer.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Harry asked her once again as they were all gathered around her in the living room. She was going to take the animagus potion and Harry was worried.
"You know it's brewed properly so there is nothing to worry about," she laughed at him. "Besides, all it does it put me to sleep for a few moments and then I wake up and nothing is different. I won't be transforming anytime soon!" She grinned at everyone gathered which consisted of Harry, Tonks, Remus, Minerva, Albus and Severus, and then downed the potion in one go and laid back carefully on the couch. She felt herself fall deeply within herself and was pleasantly surprised when she encountered her inner self. What most people did not realize is that everyone has many potential forms to choose from. There are different forms based upon the power it takes to become them. Weaker wizards may have the potential for a large form but not enough magic to effect the change. She suspected the reason Rita Skeeter and Peter Pettigrew were so small was that they had limited power.
Hermione quickly dismissed the very large Griffin form as she could never be comfortable in that large a body and wanted something more useful. She also dismissed the smallest form which was a tiny grey mouse as she didn't want to be accidentally exterminated. She was much more careful in her observations of her other form choices. As much as she loved the look and feel of the chestnut mare she could not see herself spending time as a horse on a regular basis. She did feel the kinship with the animal and vowed to learn to ride.
She smiled at everyone when she came out of her trance. "That was great. I would recommend the potion method to everyone as it is very simple to see all your available forms and see which one suit you best."
"So what are you?" Harry asked excited, he really wanted to become an animagus like his dad and was hoping to have Albus help him or Minerva over the next couple years.
"It will be a surprise if and when I decide to become one," she told them with a grin, "but I will tell you that I will not be using my two largest forms or my smallest. The largest was a griffin and the smallest was a tiny grey mouse. My second largest form was beautiful but not practical as a chestnut mare." The seven of them spent the next few hours discussing the benefits of different animal forms and what they each wish they could be or if they could have multiple forms which they would choose.