A/N: This chapter is brought to you by my TWSBI Eco 3

Chapter 17: Animagusgusgus

"You're sure this will work?" I eye the bottle of green liquid warily.

"Of course!" Sirius nods eagerly. "Why wouldn't it?" I look up at him.

"You've just handed me a bottle, claiming it's the 'Marauders approved' Animagus potion. Somehow that particular seal of quality doesn't fill me with confidence."

Currently sitting cross legged on my living room floor with me, Sirius decided to 'help' with my 'Animagus journey' as he'd named it.

"It worked for us fine." He says defensively.

"How long has it been since you made this?" I ask him, tilting the bottle and watching the thick sludge move slightly.

"15 years or so?" He scrunches his face up before waving his hand dismissively. "It'll be fine." He says enthusiastically.

"If this is a prank, I swear I'll take you to a shady muggle vet and get you fixed." I take a deep breath, pinching my nose and downing the potion. "Urgh." I cough and drop the bottle. I screw my eyes shut as my ears start to ring. My vision goes blurry as i fall onto my back, gasping for air. Images flicker into my head similar to when I touch something with a colourful history. A forest rushing past me. A lake in a clearing. It feels like a dream as my sight is pulled away from my eyes, looking on in third person.

"...ry. Harry!" Sirius shakes me roughly. "Up you get." He helps me sit up. The living room comes back into focus as he pushes my glasses back on. I blink rapidly, leaning my back against the sofa as I try and get my breathing under control.

"Sirius?"

"Harry?"

"I hate you." He laughs at me. I tilt my head back onto the sofa cushion.

"Well, What did you get?" He asks, sounding excited.

"It was big. Teeth. Fur. A bear? No, no. Not the right shape. Paws, but sleeker. Big, but not found. Not a fox. A wolf?" I swallow heavily. It was so surreal.

"A wolf!" Sirius jumps to his feet. "I wonder if you'll be bigger than Moony." He paces around. "Moony! He can help you with the form, I can teach you the method of course. It's a good thing you can use your wand here." He continues to talk to himself for a while.

"Wand?" I ask, climbing onto the sofa. That was exhausting.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. The first change you learn with your wand, after that it's easy. You just sort of focus on your animalistic side." He shakes his head. "I'm getting ahead of myself – You've still got a lot of work to do."

"If James could do it, I can do it." I shake my head dizzily.

"He wasn't the brightest, but you don't-"

"Not that, you idiot." I laugh, retrieving my wand. "I mean that he could do it, so I can do it." His eyes widen considerably.

"You mean...?"

"It's all up here." I tap my finger on my head. "Luckily my transfiguration is up to scratch." How to become an animagus in 5 minutes. I screw my eyes shut and focus on the dream. "Here goes..."

The air is sucked out of my lungs and the horrible feeling of spinning, much like a portkey, sets into my body. An intense pain blossoms through my body as every bone snaps into it's new configuration. I try and blink or move, but my brain hasn't quite caught up yet. A light appears in front of me, an odd sort of familiarity about it. Not fire, but not electrical either. It's like this was always here, but asleep somehow. I suddenly jolt up. Sirius is looking at me, slack jawed. The angle is wrong, he's either grown or … I did it! A bark escapes my mouth. My mouth! I testily open and close my new jaw, lifting my hand to my face. My new paw! Black fur, I rotate it slowly. I look back at Sirius. Damn the lack of mirrors. I jump of the sofa, it all feels so natural. I run across the room.

"Hey!" I hear Sirius behind me. I dart through my partially open door and into the en suite. I perch my front paws on the sink's edge so I can see myself in the mirror. A big black wolf, green eyes and a white streak across my right eye. The bloody lightning bolt scar. I'd heard that markings on the human body would effect the appearance of ones animagus – I guess I'm never hiding this scar. I run back through into the living room, tripping Sirius over and spinning back into myself on the carpet.

"I did it!" I laugh triumphantly, lying on my back, panting heavily. I rub my hands on the carpet and the customary information flows back into my head. "Sirius! I can't feel anything when I transformed. It doesn't work – It's silent."

"Am I interrupting something?" I tilt my head forwards.

"Tonks!" I grin, climbing to my feet. I'd sent her a key a couple of days ago, perhaps I foolishly thought she'd knock anyway. She drops her rucksack and hugs me tightly.

"Where's your shirt, Harry?" She smirks at me. "And what didn't work?" I look between Sirius and Tonks.

"Tonks … I've got a lot of explaining to do."

Tonks had initially been upset that I hadn't told her sooner, but quickly became enthralled in the story of how I'd helped Scrimgeour, with all the details this time. Sirius had started to pack up his stuff when I started explaining the whole animagus thing.

"I'll have to go and register of course." I say as Sirius drags the trunk out of his room. "Yu'd probably end up arresting me in a couple of years anyway." Tonks smirks at this.

"Ok, that's the last of it." Sirius says dramatically. "I'll head off now, hopefully my house won't kill me when I get there." He laughs drly.

"Thanks for the potion." I say, hugging him. "And if it looks evil, fr God's sake – Don't touch it." He laughs.

"I'll find Mooney and get him to help clean the place up, my save me a finger or two." He grins. "Oh, and best keep the potion method to yourself. Strictly speaking it should take months of work even before you know your form." He winks at me. "If I was a responsible adult, I'd know better than to leave you two here alone."

"Just leave, you old perv." I say, pushing him towards the door.

"Alright, alright!" He laughs, letting his trunk fall down the stairs. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He calls.

"You put up with him for a whole week?" Tonks smirks.

"He's not so bad." I shrug. "Between the dirty jokes, moping and bringing women home at two in the morning – He made for good company." I yawn sleepily. "Make yourself at home, I'm going to bed now." She nods and I head for my room.

"Wait a sec, This touching thing you do."

"What about it?"

"If I gave you my wand, would you know about all the below the belt stuff?" She grins lecherously.

"Goodnight, Tonks." I close my door as she starts to laugh.

"Tonks." I knock on her door. "I'm going to register, you coming?" A negative sounding groan. "Alright then." I turn and leave the flat.

Now July 10th, about a week since I became an animagus, I've decided to take the dive and register it. Part of me wants to keep this talent a secret, but a 10 year Azkaban sentence is attached to being found out and as my best friend is going to become an Auror, I don't think it'll work out well. I'd prefer not to have Azkaban staining my soul.

The Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley is severely lacking in the non-magical creature department. They have extensive tomes of all kinds of magical creature, but apparently normal animals are too mundane for them. This means I had to go into the normal parts of London to try and figure out what my form is exactly. I don't fit the look of a gray wolf, and I'm way too big to be any other kind of wolf I'd found. When I'd attempted to explain scientific animal classifications to Tonks, she'd instructed me to stop 'being an egghead' and enjoy being a giant wolf. One of the best perks is the complete cut-off from my abilities – No touching and no whispers. Sleeping as a wolf is infinitely better because of it.

"Morning, Mister Potter." I blink. My feet, or my stomach, has carried me to the bar of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Mornin', Tom. A couple of bacon sandwiches please." I fish a galleon out of my pocket and he already has 7 sickles of change waiting.

"Coming right up." He smiles. I turn and survey the room, spotting a suitably secluded table in a corner. Although I've resigned to the 'smile and wave' technique when it comes to well wishers, I don't want them interrupting my breakfast.

"Here we are." Tom switches the dirty plate that was here for my order. "Looks like you've had a growth spurt." He comments. Being half-adolescent wolf has had very welcome changes to my human side. I suppose the transformation works both ways.

"Good food I guess." I smirk.

"Must be." He winks. "Enjoy." He heads back to the kitchen, a stack of plates floating behind him.

"Please state your name and business." The telephone box asks politely after I dial '62442'.

"Uh, Harry Potter. Here to register as an Animagus." I state clearly. Nothing happens. Should I have used the phone? A slot clicks open and a badge drops down.

'Harry Potter. Illegal Animagus' is embossed onto the metal. Very subtle. I watch the street ascend as I fasten the badge to my t-shirt. The Ministry Atrium slides into view as I'm lowered. It's much more grand in person. The cliché of 'people of all shapes and sizes' really fits here. Some of these people are the same height as Flitwick – Either a Goblin or partly a Goblin. The great green tiled arches loom over the enormous space.

"Watch where you're going!" A man scolds me as he bumps into me.

"Sorry." I mutter. Maybe if I'd not been dropped into a moving crowd, this wouldn't have happened.

I take off in a brisk walk, eager to be free of the river of people. I flatten my hair over my forehead – If anyone gets a glimpse of the scar, this will quickly become impossible to navigate. I break free of the swarm and find the oval space that houses the many lifts. I enter an empty one and look at the multitude of buttons. Somebody else comes in.

"Lost?" He asks.

"I'm looking for the Animagus Registry Office."

"Three across, Five down." He says, I hear him take a sip of his drink. Coffee.

"Thanks." I glance over my shoulder. I double take. It's Scrimgeor. "I didn't recognise you, sir. You look a lot better when your organs aren't being melted." He looks amused.

"Thank you, Mister Potter." His eyes flick down to my badge.

"Oh yeah." I look down. "Only one week. That's why I'm here – To scrub the 'Illegal' part off." He frowns.

"You have completed the transformation?"

"Yessir." I smile. "There's not really enough room here, but you're welcome to join me as I register." He stares at me for a while.

"I shall." The door slides open. "This way." He glides out of the lift, I have to walk quickly to keep up with his gait. "I apologize for not thanking you in person." He ducks to avoid some low flying papers. "We have a minimum height for a reason!" He barks at them.

"I figured you were busy trying to get the charges to stick on Nott." He says nothing and drains his mug.

"You will need to relinquish your wand during the aptitude test. To ensure you are not cheating if I recall correctly." He holds a door open for me.

The Animagus Registry Office task force consists entirely of one old, overweight man, currently sleeping at his desk. A single filing cabinet in one corner and a potted plant that looks like it's seen better days.

"Reginald." Scrimgeour shoves the man's feet off the desk.

"Bwah?" Reginald rubs his eyes sleepily. "Oh. Piss off, Rufus."

"You don't get paid to sleep." Scrimgeor sets his mug down.

"Tell that to accounting!" Reginald laughs obnoxiously. "Hah!" He seems happy with his joke. He sort of looks like a worn out Santa Claus. "What can I do you for?"

"Mister Potter" Scrimgeor points at me. "Is here to register."

"For what?" Reginald peers over his desk at me, frowning. "An animagus?" His face shifts as he seems to remember his job. He grudgingly hefts himself off the strained chair and he opens the top drawer of the cabinet. "Animagus Registry form .. Last revision 1893 … All set!" He slumps back into the chair. A quill comes to life from his desk and poises itself over the form. "Harry James Potter. Age ..."

"Eleven."

"Eleven. Birthday..."

"July 31st. 1980." I look at Scrimgeor, he seems to be enjoying himself.

"Dum dee dum." Reginald scratches his beard. "July 10th – New entry." He looks away from the quill and back to me. "Well, kid. This is pretty simple, just a few tests. Show me what you've got, Animagus." I set my wand down on his desk and transform into the wolf. He looks incredibly surprised. "Merlin! A real one!" He jumps out of his chair, a feat I'd have thought impossible. He paces around me, eyeing me intensely. "Initial assessment: A large black wolf." His quill dutifully writes. "Very large, jet black fur. Identifying features: Green eyes. A white, jagged streak across the right eye – Possibly the scar from the human body. Heavy scaring on the back along with the hind legs. No effect on fur density, well hidden. Thick fur coverage, especially around the neck." He scratches his beard again. "But what are you?" I spin back into a human.

"I think I'm too large for-"

"Lupus." He nods. "Note: Not Canis Lupus. Canis Rufus also not fitting. Again, please." I transform again. "Lupus Lupus and Lupus Dingo snouts are not a match." He draws his wand and mutters a few spells. "Yes, yes." He mumbles. "High bone density. 106CM shoulder height. 200, perhaps 220lbs. Teeth." I open my mouth. "My my." He turns and plucks the quill form the air to write some words manually for a couple of minutes. "Canis Dirus." He says. "The Dire Wolf."

"A dire wolf?"I ask as I become human again. "I didn't see any reference to a 'Dirus' in my search."

"They're extinct." Reginald says happily. "You're the lucky bugger that managed to get one."

"The paperwork, Reginald." Scrimgeor reminds the man.

"Hmm? Oh, yes." He hands me the quill. "Sign at the bottom." I do. "Congrats, kid. Nobody's been thick enough to register in years."

"Reginald." Scrimgeor sighs.

"I apologize for Reginald." Scrimgeor says as we get back in the lift. "He is extremely knowledgeable in his field, many animals are known to him. He is perhaps unparalleled in his field, but there isn't much call for his services."

"I don't think we'd be finished yet if you'd not been there." I laugh. "Oh, If you ever need help with anything like Nott again, I live at 221B in Diagon Alley, or pull me out of school, I'll be glad to help."

"I'll keep that in mind."

A/N: And there we have it, a wolf! He's big and it's also altered his human body as his human body altered the wolf. Let's say it's aged him a year or so for the time being. The big thing for Harry is the silence from his ability.

I think the wolf fits Harry nicely, he's a sociable person inside his 'pack' of friends.

I think the next chapter will be delayed a fair bit, but i'll try and deliver it as swiftly as i can.

The 'time-skip' will take a while to work out, so i'm not sure when that will be ready, it might end up being chapter 18. It's going to be tricky, but i hope i can do it justice.

As ever, i love your feedback, Enjoy!