Chapter fifteen - 'Was it salmon you had for dinner?'
Later that day at about ten to six in the evening Harry arrived at the headmasters door step having had no dinner as instructed and resolved to ask that if whatever Dumbledore tells him, could he go see Sirius over half term.
"Harry please sit down, did you do the reading I asked you to do?" Dumbledore asked sitting down opposite with a careful eye on Harry and his answer.
"Yes, but I found it hard to get my head around a lot of it to be honest." Harry explained pulling the book out of his inside pocket and laying it on Dumbledore's desk.
"I would be surprised if you did, I had intended to explain it more fully but I trusted that you would get the general gist. From what I can gather the last person to get it out was your father." Dumbledore explained pleasantly but this left Harry slightly confused.
"So it is about changing your shape to become and animal. Am I right in thinking it's also about changing your appearance at will, like Tonks does?" Harry asked, having wondered for a while if it made more sense to read more of the book, unfortunately it didn't, but still he found it rather interesting at times.
"You read further than I asked Harry?' Dumbledore asked looking over his spectacles at Harry not expecting him to have tried as hard as he had been doing. This surprised Dumbledore but it quickly vanished as a small feeling of pride began to take its place.
'Well, well, it seems your friend Hermione's hard work and dedication to her homework has finally rubbed off on you. I'm glad, although for today, I think we shall just stick to the animagus section. Please take you shoes and socks off Harry.' He asked pleasantly as Harry did as he was told without even questioning it, he did not believe that Dumbledore would ever teach him how to change into an animal illegally. He may be attempting to teach Harry a variety of skills but still, to become an animagus was something very few wizards bothered to attempt because it was so difficult.
'Do you have something to ask me Harry?" Dumbledore asked having noticed Harry's pondering mind when he arrived despite the fact that, partly from Dumbledore's teaching, Harry had decided to keep his mind quiet firm against anybody even if it was mere empathy on Dumbledore's side.
"I wanted to ask you if I could go to stay with Sirius over half term.' Harry asked quickly feeling bold but then added.
'I promise to do my homework and stuff and not lark about all the time with him, but I really wanted to get anyway from here for a while and he said I could come, but only if I asked you first." Harry finished seeing Dumbledore's slight smile and hoping it wasn't going to turn into a venomous no.
It did change for a flicker of a moment but then returned back to its normal placid self, Dumbledore had been recently concerned about Harry's sudden odd confidence and then quick uncertainty. Some times he was bold and curious, asking questions whenever he felt like it and other times, like now it was timid and shy, full of self doubt and almost ashamed of himself on one occasion for asking a question that Dumbledore felt only natural and normal that he would want to know.
At first inspection Dumbledore had thought it was merely a hormone surge and fall that made the change, Harry was after all in the prime of his last growing stage and physically as perfectly normal as any other lad his age. Then after a particularly odd lesson when he noticed the lengths Harry was going to, to keep Dumbledore out his head he wondered if it was something more serious, that Harry was acting both bold and timid for a reason. He dismissed this though when he caught a glimmer of lipstick on the very bottom of his inside collar, Dumbledore had only noticed it when he was helping Harry stand again after a particularly difficult lesson that he'd struggled with, consequently Harry past out a lot and Dumbledore had chosen to move on from it for a short while and then was intending to come back to the spell later in the year.
Now however Dumbledore believed it was a totally involuntary reaction by Harry that he didn't seem to even realise it was happening but the cause was still quiet unknown to Dumbledore and he had decided to study the curious boy further.
"I'm glad your godfather thinks to ask me first and yes you may go as I believe he will prove very useful in my next set of homework for you. Plus I'm sure he will very pleased to see you again, enough so as to help him control his moods more for the time being."
Dumbledore replied calmly as Harry began whishing he had maybe put some cleaner socks on this evening, before coming up to his lesson in yesterdays.
"Why do I need to take my shoes and socks off Sir?" Harry asked neatly putting them together like his aunt had always trained him to and stuffing the socks down each shoe.
"Because I don't believe you need the added difficulty of changing them back and forth during our lesson. Please take your tie and over robe off as well Harry.' Still not sure why he was being asked to do such odd things as he couldn't believe what his head was telling him, but as always Harry did as he was told and laid them gently on the back of his chair before taking the space Dumbledore had indicated in the centre of the room.
'I don't expect you will manage to achieve much this lesson but we shall have a go anyway. As you are well aware Sirius and your father took several years to work out how to become animagus and although breaking wizarding laws is not something I wish to promote among any of my students, I do feel that you will allow my exception on this one occasion.'
Harry finally believed his head and listened cautiously to what Dumbledore was teaching him and raised an involuntary and skeptical eyebrow as he did. Even by Dumbledore's teaching standards, which were in there own right quiet astounding and Harry's surprising ability at magic, Harry was sure that if it took his father several years it would take him just as long.
'You seem a little skeptical. Do you not feel I am a good enough teacher?" Dumbledore asked quietly pulling his wand out.
"No it's not that, just apart from the obvious ministry regulations that personally I've never been that good at following.' At this Dumbledore couldn't help but smile slightly as Harry looked away.
'Isn't it supposed to be very hard to do?" Harry asked trying to keep his voice clear of any underlining digs at the ministry, it was hard but he thought he did ok.
"You know of many animagus wizards and yet you still doubt your own ability Harry?" Dumbledore asked reminding Harry that he knew of both Peter and Rita Skeeter who were animagus and nether of them came across as particularly cleaver.
"I am a little I suppose but I'm not like Sirius he's too cleaver for his own good and from what I've heard, my dad well, he was very different to me too." Harry explained catching the little smile Dumbledore was holding and hoping he wasn't sounding too foolish.
"Yes I believe you are right on both accounts but you also have a lack of confidence that shows more often these days. As it is, if you could change what sort of an animal would you choose to be Harry? I want you to think for a moment about this while I fetch some of my own rather ingenious potion, even if I dare say it myself.' He explained in his odd self gratifying way.
Dumbledore left Harry to ponder and he soon screwed his eyes up when he saw Dumbledore had climbed the steps into his private quarters. At first Harry thought it would be good to become a stag like his father, that would make him proud and Sirius would say such brilliant things to him.
But then as Harry tried to imagine his patronus he couldn't think how it would suit him. So he let his mind wonder and wondered how Rita would turn into a beetle and what it was about her that made her choose that other than it was good to spy on people with. Then giving up on her, he moved onto what he thought made him tick and tried again to wonder what sort of animal he would turn into because of it.
Hermione always teased him that he behaved like a cat in the way he would lay out in front of the fire and sleep, or curl up and then stretch out when he woke up. Harry had never thought about himself as a cat but he trusted both his friends when they assured him he did resemble a cat when he slept and had an odd way of rubbing the back of his ear when he concentrated.
'You seem to have some doubt Harry?" Dumbledore asked as Harry opened his eyes to see Dumbledore leaning back on his desk watching him. Harry wasn't alarmed as such, his headmaster often appeared when you least expected him it was just part of his nature.
"Sort of, I can't make my mind up." Harry replied honestly still wondering what would be best for him.
"Between two different animals?" Dumbledore asked casually leaning on his desk but his mind was ticking and working away quickly to predict Harry's thoughts.
"No not exactly. It's definitely one sort of animal, I think, but there are so many different varieties and I'm not sure which one." Harry explained frowning slightly as he thought hard about what sort of cat he would like to be before opening his mouth again.
"Have you ever thought about this before Harry?" Dumbledore asked engaging in conversation with Harry to stop him from dwelling on the thought too much, he was sure it would come to him when Harry was good and ready, the best thoughts always arrived like that.
"No, I've never really thought about it before." Harry suddenly explained making Dumbledore again a little surprised, he liked it though, the way after all his time spent watching Harry over the past years he still managed to say or do something that Dumbledore really didn't expect.
"That does surprise me Harry, I would have thought you rather curious by the whole idea having met Sirius both as a man and as a dog." Harry paused for a moment then answered.
"I suppose, I never allowed myself to dwell on it too much before because if I got it in my head that it was something I wanted to do then I would probably keep trying until I manage it. Plus, Sirius always told me it was totally foolhardy what he and dad did and he didn't want me attempting anything so stupid without some proper guidance. Told me my mother would never forgive him if he lead me on and was hoping to win his way back into her good books some how. Not exactly sure what he meant by that but still, it seems very important to him.'
Harry shrugged smiling as he remembering the brief conversation they'd had after Hermione had asked something for her extra homework and although having the perfect answer, Sirius had been somewhat bamboozled as to why he was being asked things. But seeing Dumbledore looking closely at him he wondered if this daft bit of Harry's information was really necessary.
'This, coming from a man who was wondering around the country as a black dog, scrounging food from old dog loving lady as he pretended to be a loveable stray." Harry finished thinking it weird just how hypocritical Sirius was at times.
"He is perfectly correct but also a total hypocrite I see." Dumbledore smiled inwards so Harry barely noticed how amused he was by Harry and Sirius and there odd little relationship. Both can barely admit how fond he is of the other and yet when they're together they make such a set of peas in a pod however mismatched.
"What sort of animal characteristics do you think you have Harry?" Dumbledore continued. He confessed he had his own idea's about what sort of animal Harry may choose to be, having often wondered about it since he made his decision to teach Harry. He however was also very determined to allow Harry the opportunity to think for himself and not be imposed upon by an over enthusiastic teacher.
"I sleep a lot in front of fires." Harry explained suddenly. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but was well used to his students coming out with answers that make sense to them but don't come across totally formed to another adult.
"Will you please explain that a little further Harry. You must feel this is rather important to your own personality."
"I never thought about it until Hermione mentioned it over the summer and then again yesterday but I do like lying out in front of a fire to sleep. I've been sort of catching up with my sleep since I didn't get much last year. And I've developed a habit of napping in the middle of the day as well and then stopping up later at night to get things done when it's quiet. Don't get much chance at the moment though, other than my bed I can't find a warm enough corner that stays quiet." Harry explained then thinking he was totally stupid tried to say something to rectify it but couldn't think what, so stayed silent.
"Am I correct in assuming you imagine yourself as some sort of cat Harry?" Dumbledore mused, seeing Harry's shy nature popping out again as he made a mental note of it, he was determined to see if there was any sort of pattern emerging.
"Yes actually, but I'm not exactly sure what sort." He replied firmly.
"How extraordinary?' He beamed.
'I owe Professor McGonagall a bottle of butterbeer." Dumbledore smiled.
"You do?" Harry asked cocking one eyebrow to show just how green his eyes had become again since the summer when Sirius could barely tell the colour anymore.
"I asked her opinion of my plan to teach you this having taught her myself many years ago. She is the only other person that knows about this and I must admit we had ourselves a little flutter as to what sort of an animal you would choose to think yourself as.' Harry couldn't quiet believe his ears as his headmaster was talking about gambling over him.
'You must have some idea about the sort of cat you want to be which is why you're deliberating. Were you thinking of a little Tabby cat or a larger Turkish Van or maybe even larger than that?" He continued pleased Harry was growing into his own sort of person and not trying to copy his father.
"Larger than that, much bigger, but with long legs." Harry explained clumsily as he thought.
"Are you thinking of something more like a lion Harry?" Dumbledore pressed on quiet curious by Harry's ideas.
"No not a lion they're, erm, too much 'pride of the rock' creatures and I'm sure I'll end up being something more lanky-like.' He stumbled out then decided.
'Let's just say I wouldn't pull it off." Harry explained but he wasn't quiet sure what he'd said.
"You are referring to the popular children's film The Lion King are you not?" Dumbledore broke into a chuckle but returned to a serious manner quickly to ponder on what Harry was aiming for.
"Only film I ever got to see at the cinema and yes, something like that, but I could never see myself as a lion. I know I'm in Gryffindor but it's just never really been me, moving around like a peacock." Harry explained thoughtfully showing his bolder side again.
"Well let's have a look shall we then, your mind has it's own subconscious idea of what animal it is and this potion will allow it to come out hopefully without to much difficulty."
"So my mind's already made its own mind up and I just can't get to it?" Harry asked wondering if he was way off or not now he couldn't quiet think properly.
"Yes just like that Harry, now when I've poured this on you it will change you into your chosen animal for a few moments and then back into you human form. Then I will be able to teach you how to do it yourself. Now understand it won't hurt, however the feeling is really rather peculiar and I won't allow you to stay too long as an animal as just as Sirius warned, you may forget who you are and struggle to return to your own form."
Harry understood that what they were doing could be rather dangerous but he had total confidence in Dumbledore at the moment even when a peculiar foaming blue liquid was poured onto his head.
It trickled down the back of his neck and soon ran the full length of his spine making Harry shiver slightly as it also covered most of his face, but then as it reached just over his chin Harry had a rather peculiar feeling in his stomach. It reminded him of when he'd tried to send only his head through the floo network to talk to Sirius last year. His insides were churning and spinning and he could feel his skin prickling everywhere as every single hair on his body stood on end and forced itself out of his skin.
Harry's knees buckled and he fell forward on to all fours as his eyes watered and his jaw went ridged. He looked at Dumbledore who was stood away from Harry to give him room to change but was watching him intently. Harry looked down again to his hands but they weren't as he remembered, his long nimble fingers had become short and stubby until the palms of his hands were the largest part of it. But they were steadily turning furry, black and wider.
Harry scrunched his eyes up, he felt sick and hot as his mouth began to push away from his face like it no longer wanted to be so close to his eyes. Then he felt his legs shake and soon he was no longer Harry he was padding around on four powerful paws in fort of Dumbledore who seemed to have an odd aluminous glow to him, he could feel a tail just below his back as it swished from side to side as this powerful creature jumped up onto it's back legs to growl and roar at the headmaster before falling back to his front and collapsing onto the floor.
"Harry would you like the bucket?" Dumbledore asked as Harry opened his eyes and without even thinking stuck his head in the bucket to be sick, it wasn't much but still, he wiped his mouth on the cloth and rolled over onto his back hot and panting.
"That was really rather weird professor, bit like floo." Harry muttered putting his glasses back on straight and wiping sweat from his face.
"Yes I imagine it would be, but was the growling really necessary Harry?" Dumbledore asked flicking his wand to empty the bucket and helping Harry back on to his feet allowing him to lean back on the table to rest for a moment as his heart rate slowed down to normal.
"Sorry professor I tried to talk." Harry replied now realising how stupid it would be to talk as an animal. Like Snuffles did anything other than bark and growl.
"That was really quiet something and I never expected it from you Harry. Up until your back turned black I was quiet sure you would become either a lion or another animal that was totally different."
"Did you wonder if I would turn into a snake, since I have some weird tendencies in that direction at times?" Harry asked not sure if he was over stepping the line but having pucked in front of his headmaster he didn't really mind at the moment.
"I had wondered but just as you didn't feel a lion was really you, I believed the same with a snake."
"Snakes are like most of Hagrid's pet's professor.' Harry explained always willing to defend some snakes.
'Some are just totally nuts and others well, once you get past the predigest against them, they can be really friendly and interesting to talk to. I just never really understood why people were so frightened of them until I met Nagini." Harry explained quietly, comfortably and honestly and in a very Harry like fashion.
"I must confess I have never held a proper conversation with any snake but as you say they must vary, just like people do. How are you feeling now? I altered the recipe a little to help with the violent vomiting that my last pupil had to cope with."
"Ok really, just a bit shaky that's all." Harry explained sitting up again from his hairless lower back.
"Well, well Harry a Melanistic jaguar is quiet interesting. How did it feel to be a rather large, black cat?"
"Erm, weird I suppose, not bad as such, just changing in to one was like sticking my head in the floo network and then some and padding about like that was not exactly familiar, but more comfortable apart from the garish bright lights." Harry explained standing up properly again feeling almost normal and wondered if Dumbledore was going to do it again to him.
"Well it would feel comfortable because you do seem quiet comfortable in yourself and that is just another version of your own personal appearance. How did you feel as a cat, was it like the animal was controlling you or were you controlling it?" Dumbledore continued a little worried by Harry's sudden jumping up and growling at him.
"I didn't feel out of control at all and it wasn't like having someone else inside of me, just rather fun padding around like that. The room looks totally different though, I can't put my finger on how mind you." Harry explained as Dumbledore nodded along pleased with the results so far.
"Good, now I think we should try it without the potion. I doubt you will be able to do it just yet but we shall see. Please stand in the middle of the room and close your eyes." Harry did as he was told and stood as he normally did before Dumbledore, who began to walk slowly around him.
"I want you to remember how it felt when you first started to change, when your skin started to grown thick black hair and I want you to imagine that it is happening again.'
Harry stood perfectly still and imagined the way the hair on his back stood on end and then suddenly began to push itself through growing fatter and longer as it did. He felt a warm shiver run down the back of his spine and lent his head forward feeling his shoulders stiff and sore.
'I want you to feel your hands and imagine what it would be like to have paws there instead of fingers?' Harry did as he was told and with his right hand felt the palm of his left and imagined what it would be like to have short hairy fingers and hard rough palms like a paw.
Harry traced a finger around his palm and concentrated really hard, after a while he began to feel his hand change his skin was getting harder and changing shape. He didn't dare open his eyes to look but had such a peculiar feeling that Dumbledore had stopped circling him, to watch carefully from afar as Harry's hand became black and hairy on the back and his fingers began to shirk into what he knew must be a paw.
'I want you to imagine it as a paw Harry, really will both your hands to become paws.' Dumbledore whispered from what felt like miles away to Harry. He did as he was told and began to think of his hands as paws, he whispered to himself that it was what he wanted, he really wanted to have paws. It took quiet a while but then his second hand began to change and he felt his palm become small and hard as thick black hair pushed itself out of his skin crawling up his arms.
'I want you to imagine that feeling all down your back now and see if you can remember what it is like to have a black hairy back Harry." Dumbledore continued watching on in slight awe although he had the tact not to ever mention it.
Harry lent his head forward imagining a cold and then suddenly hot shiver running down his back. This too took time but eventually he felt it shiver properly and his skin began to slowly prick around his spine and tingle as his hairs stood on end. Harry thought about his paws and gently felt them trying to imagine the feeling of black hair slowly pushing its way out of his skin and growing fat and long down his back.
Finally after almost twenty minuets it began to happen and around his spine from the top of his neck to the top of his bottom, he felt thick black hair pushing its way out his skin. With this however came the horrible lurch of his stomach and he keeled forward on to all fours feeling hot and sick as his stomach and insides span in hundred different directions all at once.
He wanted it to stop, he wanted to be sick but couldn't make it happen, he tried to control this awful feeling of panic rushing up inside but he couldn't. He wanted to either go back to being a human of finish changing but he couldn't make his mind up. Harry began to feel dizzy and cold before finally, collapsing on the floor and finding his hot sweaty body being helped back up easily by his supposedly old frail headmaster.
"Sorry professor I sort of panicked a bit and wanted it to stop." Harry muttered shamefully as he was set to lean against the table again.
"No need Harry, although you took your time about it you did better than I was expecting for a first try.' Harry relished this compliment thoroughly having expected something along the lines of 'you have to try and concentrate more' or 'what did you panic for you foolish boy?'
'I guess you stopped when you reached the point where your insides began to change rather than your outside?" Dumbledore asked calmly while Harry debated puking again. He was so glad he'd skipped tea otherwise he would be humphing up a few helpings of pudding now as it was treacle sponge night.
"Something like that, I was ok until my knees buckled and well half of me wanted to go on and half of me just wanted to through up!" Harry explained wiping sweat from his face and putting his glasses back on.
"The only way is to trust you won't through up and will yourself through it Harry. That's enough for now, I'm pleased with what we have achieved, but before we end our lesson I would like you to have a good feel of what it's like to be an animal. You said you seemed to have a good control over yourself last time and I would like you to have more of a chance to experience it this time.'
Harry pushed himself back up to stand in the middle of the room and waited for Dumbledore.
'This time I'd like you to think clearly about what it feels like to change then it will help you the next time we try. I will be watching carefully and if I think you are loosing control I will change you back but I would still like you to get a good feel for you body first if it's possible.'
Dumbledore explained taking out another bottle and pouring it on top of Harry. It soaked into his hair and ran down his back again giving Harry the rather gruesome feeling as his body fell forward to change into a huge black cat.
This time however Harry shook away the peculiar feeling, shaking in turn from his head down all four of his limbs and even his odd tail that seemed to swoop about at the back. He turned to look at Dumbledore and wondered if it really had worked he tried to say hello but instead he heard a half meow half growl come from his voice.
Deciding that however strange, he must really be a cat and his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Harry started to pad forward to his headmaster who stepped aside and watched him closely with his wand held out to see how Harry behaved.
But Harry wasn't interested in him at the moment, although he found the sight of him rather odd and almost amusing he wanted to feel his feet as they moved and what it was like to have four sturdy legs instead of two. But they were bouncy, not stiff like he'd first imagined.
Turning around the back of his headmaster who turned quickly with him, Harry speeded his pace up to allow his legs to move much quicker and padded quickly around the back on the headmasters desk and chair to see if he could get used to the way his tail swung about behind him and what it was for. It definitely helped him balance but to be fair he did have four legs and he was only on the floor, it wasn't as if he was jumping up or anything.
Dumbledore followed as Harry felt restless, this padding around was all well and good but he had four large legs and he wanted to test drive properly.
Pacing up and down the main space in front of the desk Dumbledore moved to one side to watch him confident now that Harry really was in control and just wanted to know what it felt like. Harry however, had a sneaky idea and was debating how much trouble he would get in to for doing it and weather it would be worth it in the long run. In the end, true to his shape Harry's curiosity got the better of him and pacing the room slowly he eyed the desk carefully.
It wasn't that high a table with a bit of effort on two legs he could probably jump on to it. But with four he should manage it quiet well and maybe even with a bit of grace.
Waiting for a good moment when his headmaster was positioned further to one side, Harry pelted across the room, right around the back of the desk and ran head first at the side of the desk jumping at the last moment up on to it. He managed it, all four paws left the floor but he'd under egged himself and nearly toppled off the other side. With his tail as an extra limb though he steadied himself and stood firmly on the desk to look at his achievement down towards the ground and the fire.
It wasn't that high up and when Harry looked down at the floor he wasn't surprised he almost over jumped it but something else had happened to his front paws, they seemed different and Harry couldn't understand why.
He lifted his right one up and started to have a look at it closely. At first he was aware of how his eyes were different, they didn't seemed to be in focus, he wasn't having any trouble seeing things clearly, it was like he could see both long distance and short distance at the same time clearly. Another thing that was different were the colours, it wasn't that things had a green tinge it was more of a vibration than a colour, it was like been able to sense something was actually in front of him and have it register in his eyes.
Harry looked down at his paws and saw what was different, as he'd jumped and landed little long nails had come out of his toes to steady himself and unfortunately dug into the desk. He looked at his paw then put it down, then he picked it up and looked at again and this time as his paw had relaxed the nails had disappeared back into his furry odd toes.
'Harry.' He heard a noise and realised his headmaster was coming towards him as his ears twitched to a different angle he could hear the vibrations of Dumbledore's feet as he walked across the wooded floor board. It was quiet something and Harry wanted to have a closer listen, he wondered if he could hear it then maybe he would be able to feel it with his toes as well.
With one semi-graceful leap he jumped off the table and landed one foot at a time on the floor to begin slowly pacing towards his headmaster with his head down to let his ears get closer to the floor and his legs crooked. At first glance Dumbledore thought that Harry was crawling towards him asking his master for forgiveness but when he moved his feet and saw Harry's intent gaze follow it he realised Harry was doing nothing of the sort and he felt much better.
'Harry I would like to change you back now, please stay still.' Harry heard his headmaster's words and at first they didn't make sense but then it became clear and he sat down on the floor before Dumbledore and looked up with bright green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark light that fell in from the window.
As Dumbledore flicked his wand Harry felt the odd feeling of his body shrinking and although he didn't quiet pass out this time he was struggling to keep his eyes open as his insides lurched back into place. Within moments Harry was being pulled back on to his feet and set against the desk while Dumbledore retrieved a book from his shelf.
Harry couldn't help but notice the distinct claw marks three quarters of the way along the desk where Harry had landed from his leap of fate. He felt guilty now but was sure Dumbledore would have been more aggressive if he was cross with Harry, he just couldn't help being curious sometimes (it was no wonder he'd turned into a cat) and Dumbledore had said he should get a proper feel for what it was like as a cat.
'I suppose I did say you could wonder around the room and get a feel for what it was like as a cat, as it is I will ignore your attempts to claw my very fine old desk and commend you on your ability to stay in control." Dumbledore explained coming back to face Harry who was beginning to feel some where between embarrassed and rebellious at his little leap.
"I'm sorry professor, curiosity got the better of me." Harry mumbled hoping his headmaster wasn't too annoyed with him but as it seems he wasn't and was actually quiet amused by it all.
"Having said that, it was quiet a leap and given some practice on SIRIUS's tables and not MINE, I do think you will get the hang of landing properly." Dumbledore explained quietly letting a small smile flicker across his features.
"Sirius's?" Harry wondered, when was he ever going to get a chance of jumping around in London? He could barely change his hands and fore arms never mind become a fully fledged cat. And although Sirius's was a rather accomplished animagus dog, Harry was sure Dumbledore was hardly going to hand his teaching over so easily to someone with such a reckless reputation.
"Yes, Sirius has quiet a collection of tables in his house and I'm sure he wouldn't mind too much if you clawed around on them from what I've seen of Remus Lupin's little midnight wonderings.' Dumbledore explained seeing Harry's amazement.
'I would like you to come back here on Sunday afternoon, without any dinner if you don't mind Harry, and we will have another go at changing. Then again on Tuesday evening, after that I would like you to spend your Thursday and Friday evening after dinner with Professor McGonagall to practice some more. Given that you work hard at this and try your best in these next few lessons you will managed to change yourself just about I think, by the time you go to visit Sirius where I will expect for about an hour a day you practice some more.' Harry couldn't help but think how pleased Sirius will be at this 'homework' he'd been set.
'However Harry, that will only be if you manage to change yourself by then. Now, this next bit is important Harry, I don't want you attempting this without either myself, Professor McGonagall or Sirius with you. It can go dreadfully wrong even under supervision and I would prefer you to have someone to change you back if things get out of control." Harry started to put his shoes and socks back on.
"I understand and I will practice sir. Can I ask you something professor?" Harry asked pulling his outer robes back on and stuffing his tie in his pocket.
"If you wish Harry." Dumbledore replied although he already had some idea of what Harry was about to ask.
"What do you turn into?" Harry asked hoping this wasn't going to turn out quiet as offensive as when he asked what his professor what he saw in the mirror of Erised but still, he was going to ask all the same and knew it.
"I think Harry it would be a rather fun game for you to go away and guess and tell me next time where I may reveal what I can turn in to for you, if you manage to guess correctly." He explained. This was fair enough Harry decided and would probably show more to Dumbledore about how Harry saw him than Harry could ever imagine.
"Ok I will." Harry pushed his glasses back straight and waited quietly.
"Now off to bed Harry I believe your faithful friend Dobby has left a spot of tea for you tonight. I will see you at about half past one on Sunday." Harry turned to go but then turned back to ask something that was nagging in the back of his mind.
"Professor, was it salmon you had for dinner?" Harry asked carefully but he was merely met by a smile.
"Yes it was Harry, could you smell it?"
"Yeah, you didn't have any lemon on it though did you, only lime?" Harry asked pleased that what he'd smelt was right and not his imagination going into over drive.
Harry turned to go with a slight smile in his step by what he'd achieved in his lesson and made it all the way to the common room wondering about what animal Dumbledore would become before he spotted Ginny and let his mind wonder to more basic things.
Over the next few days Harry kept well out the way of everybody including Hermione and although he didn't quiet end up sneaking off under his cloak to the shrieking shack, he nearly did on several occasions. Although he tried his best to get around Ginny she often had other people talking to her and Harry was still being swamped by allsorts of people wanting to talk to him or whisper loudly about him. Even his partial refuge in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was interrupted by two first year girls that didn't realise why it was normally deserted and having spotted Harry were chased off by Myrtle herself.
On top of all this his sense of smell had gone into over drive, every time he turned into a cat he could smell something different and when he woke up in the morning he was sure he could almost taste Ron's old sweaty socks from the previous day. When he mentioned how he could smell things more clearly Dumbledore merely smiled and replied that.
"Sirius hadn't always barked so much when he laughed Harry."
Harry was however getting much better at changing and in his very next lesson managed to get himself stuck with the front end of a cat and the back end of a human give or take his hairy spine and still rather flat face. It took some doing and thankfully as he'd been working hard at his school work to keep him from company he was able to go to bed sooner than the other boys in his dorm and be fast asleep by the time they came up.
Once or twice though he heard the distinct mutterings of Ron getting ready for bed at gone twelve, it was clearly something about Harry getting extra help from Dumbledore leaving him to struggle through his classes alone. This annoyed Harry that his once so close friend was muttering like this and at first he thought to get up and explain and even offer to help but then, when he heard his friend mutter.
"Well at least I've got more than one half crazed convict to visit in the summer holidays." Ron grumbled and although rather annoyed that Ron would be muttering like this, he kept his cool and decided Ron was just fed up with the work load and wanted to take it out on something. This became quiet clear a few moments later when he kicked his case shut and swore under his breath as his big toe began to sting. Harry decided he was already tired and waking up to argue with Ron was only going to make things worse for everybody.
Harry couldn't wait to get to see Sirius now, even if he had to come clean with Ginny on Thursday afternoon that he wouldn't be around over half term. He could see even in the dimly lit passageway she was disappointed he was going away but she seemed to understand that Harry wanted to get away and Sirius would really want to see him so barely said anything but encouragement.
The only times Harry saw Ron now was in lessons where he was never rude as such but the two didn't have the same banter as friends that they used to. Hermione had also spent a lot of time working hard on her NEWTs and although she wasn't giving Ron any help with his work load and rarely shared her homework she at least had conversation at times with both of them. Harry was annoyed with Hermione but merely hated her sighs of how ridicules she thought Harry and Ron were behaving so started to keep away from her too if he could.
This however only left Neville as any sort of friend, one who wasn't ever going to just use him for homework help, even if he did joke that he was. Harry had started having the odd very good conversation with him until Ginny had wondered past and Harry noticed Neville's blushful looks at her, this didn't make Harry dislike him, only uncomfortable that confiding in Neville about Ginny wasn't going to be the best idea he'd had recently.
In the end it was only late on Friday evening that Harry was packing his things and Dean wanted to know about Quidditch training over half term did it come out that Harry was going somewhere for the first time at half term.
"You're leaving for half term, why?" Neville asked just as surprised to see Harry folding his things away as both Dean and Semous.
"Yeah well, I could do with a break its getting a bit OTT for me here." Harry explained folding up his uniform and tucking it in the case.
"I suppose, you can cut the air with a knife most nights between you and Ron but you don't have to leave Harry." Neville explained passing Harry some books from his bed.
"Yes I do. But when I get back hopefully the bad air will have pasted with the break and me and Ron will be fine. All day everyday for months when you're stressed, it can get you a bit down you know, we spent most the summer together as well ya know."
"But where will you go Harry. I mean not to bring up unpleasant history but you haven't exactly got a family to go home to." Dean asked cautiously but honestly and fortunately Harry was both too tired and too placid at the moment to care.
"I do sort of. Well, friends of the non-existent family let me come and stay now and then. It's the same person that got me the coat. Anyway as for Quiddich, you can go out and practice a bit yourself if you think you want to, just don't have any accidents, I can't be doing with anymore tryouts I want the team to stay as it is seen as we seem to be going along quiet nicely now.' Harry explained, this wasn't exactly true but encouragement was his only asset at the moment in Quidditch so he had to use it. Harry shoved the last of his school bag in the case and checked around the room for anything he might have missed.
'And as for Ron, the break will do him some good and I will really make an effort to clear the air when I get back. As for the mysterious person I'm going to stop with, it'll just have to stay mysterious and as for getting extra help from homework it's just not true. Can you really imagine McGonagall giving anyone extra help to just one pupil, when most people could do with it? I mean it's not as if I ever get out of detention with Snape is it?"
He grinned seeing Neville and Dean laugh in an understanding way, as Harry had so far nearly reached Fred and George's level for the most detentions with one person and it wasn't even Christmas yet.
"I know but why do you keep disappearing off to see Dumbledore. Or is that some big mystery we aren't aloud to know about?" Neville asked carefully.
"It's just some stuff Dumbledore wants me to do that to be honest, usually results in me vomiting in a bucket." Harry explained having been asked about all these things once already since he stepped in though the portrait earlier.
"Yeah well you got a point there and whatever it is, you look totally knackered Harry when you get back, even pastier than normal considering you're such a weakling and all." Dean laughed tossing a cushion in Harry's direction and flopping on his bed before pulling out his homework.
"Who you calling weakling anyway, I'm just a bit on the underfed side that's all?" Harry replied closing his case and chucking the cushion back over two beds to hit Dean's rather boring charms book.
"Yeah well you may have put on half a stone since September but you're still the skinniest bastered in the room." Dean laughed lazily with Neville.
"You planning on going to bed soon Harry?" Neville wondered, pulling his shoes off and rubbing his feet.
"Yeah but if you lot wanna sit up I don't mind." Harry added pulling his jumper off and sitting crossed legged on his bed.
"Nah, you go to bed Harry, give me an excuse to leave this till morning. Besides, I wanna be in a deep sleep by the time Ron gets up and starts snoring again." Dean sniggered pulling out his pyjamas and sorting out his stuff before getting ready for bed.
It was only ten past ten but Neville, Harry and Dean all felt like giving in to go to bed, leaving Seamus to sit up reading and Ron sat downstairs trying to do last minuet homework that he had to hand in by tomorrow morning or face yet another detention from Snape.