Chapter Four
As prefect and Head Girl respectively, Albus and Rose were just finishing their rounds of the corridors and passage ways when they heard loud laughter from just down the hall.
"I wonder who would be up past curfew at quarter past ten and making such a ruckus." An annoyed Rose stated.
"I don't know but let's go find out. Okay Rose?" Albus, ever the calm reasoned one, stated with a smile on his face.
As Albus and Rose rounded the corner they found none other than Scorpius and Lily laughing and holding on to each other for dear life. Rose stopped and all of her previous annoyance faded as she looked at the pair with a smile on her face. She then turned and looked at Albus who she expected to look murderous considering the over protective nature of their family about Lily. Instead what she found was a sad and defeated expression on her cousins face.
"Are you okay, Al?" Rose asked, concerned for her cousin.
Albus sighed in response and started to approach Scorpius and Lily. Rose followed in step with Albus, curious to see how it panned out and ready to step in if necessary.
"Scorpius, do you mind if I have a word with you alone for a second?" Albus asked calmly and casually.
When Scorpius and Lily heard Albus' question they immediately parted and calmed their selves. Lily blushed and awkwardly acknowledged her brother and her cousin. Scorpius on the other hand looked nervous and in his discomfort he looked to Rose for some help, only to receive none.
"Sure." Scorpius replied as evenly as he could.
"I have something that I need to talk about to the three of you when you both get back, okay?" Said Lily, finding her voice.
"Okay." Albus replied with uncertainty and curiosity lacing his tones. "We'll be back soon to hear your news." He finished with a friendly smile and continued to walk off in to an empty classroom with Scorpius hot on his heels.
Once they were in the classroom Albus looked up to Scorpius with an expression of amusement. "Will you stop looking at me like I'm about to hex you with an unforgivable curse?"
"I'm sorry." Scorpius replied. "It's just that I know what that must have looked like to you -"
"And it was exactly what it looked like." Albus stated. "Scorpius, I've known for a few years now that you love my sister and while I originally had a problem with it, I accept it now. In fact I'm happy as long as Lily is happy but as soon as you hurt her in any way expect the wrath of the entire Potter/Weasley clan."
Scorpius was shocked as he digested the fact that not only had Albus known about his unrequited love for Lily but he had known for years and accepted it. "How? How did you know? What do you mean 'a few years'?"
Albus chucked a bit to himself. "It's sort of a long story…" He said allusively.
Scorpius gave his long time friend a pointed look.
"I have to give you a summary of the events because I'm interested as to what my sister wants to say to the four of us." Albus reasoned. "I suppose it started when James, Lily and I were young. James and Fred would always be together and Hugo followed those two everywhere. This left Rose, Lily and I to become closer and eventually become the best of friends. When Hogwarts started Lily was left behind because of the age difference and we soon became friends with you instead. Those first two years Lily hated you." Albus smiled in remembrance. "Then somehow you must have made her stop hating you and you were much happier as a result. Happier than I'd ever seen you. It was early last year when I realised that you had already fallen in love with her because all the signs were there. You're popular with the girls in school but you didn't see any of them. You didn't even spare them a glance. You only saw my sister and you are only ever truly happy when she's there. In fact, just then in the corridor is the happiest I've probably ever seen you both."
Scorpius sighed, a long release. "Thank you." He smiled at his best friend. "Thank you for everything Al, you truly are my best mate." He paused and added an after thought. "But don't tell Rose that. I can promise you that I will never hurt her and will protect her with my life. I'd do anything for Lily."
"Wouldn't we all?" Albus smiled. "She's got us all wrapped around her little finger. Speaking of, we should start to make our way back to her. I'm wanting to hear what she has to tell us all."
Scorpius and Albus made their way back to the corridor where Lily and Rose were waiting for them. Rose looked up and saw that everything was okay between the two young men. She was relieved and happy that Scorpius' love for Lily hadn't put a rift between the two.
When Albus and Scorpius reached Rose and Lily, Albus decided to speak up. "So Lily, what was it that you wanted to tell the three of us?"
"Well, I was wondering…" Lily trailed off, uncomfortable with talking about this in their current surroundings. "Can we take this to a more secluded, private area?"
"We can discuss it in the Heads common room, if you'd like?" Rose suggested. "It's easier than going anywhere else."
"Thank you, Rose." Lily smiled up to her best friend and cousin. "That would be brilliant."
Albus, Lily, Rose and Scorpius made their way to the Heads dormitory, entered and started to settle themselves in. Rose chose her favourite armchair by the fire, Albus chose the remaining armchair in the room which left Lily and Scorpius to the couch. Albus and Rose looked at Lily expectantly and Scorpius looked at her supportively.
"So, Scorpius already knows what I'm about to tell all of you and Rose partially knows so I guess that I'll just have to explain all of this to Al, who has unfortunately been left in the dark." Lily looked at Albus apologetically. "Last holidays James, Albus and I learned of my grandfather and his friends being animagi. I was intrigued by it all and attempted to become one. In attempting it for the first time Scorpius arrived and wanted to become one too and in the process he told Rose of our plan. What I want to ask all of you three now is if you'd like to become an animagus with me?" Lily finished looking and feeling happier and lighter.
After a bit of silence Scorpius was the first to speak up. "I'm still up for turning in to an animagus with you Lily. It's just up for Al and Rose to decide." He smiled at Lily then looked at his two best friends to hear their decisions.
Rose was the next to speak out of the group. "I must admit, after Scorpius told me of his plan with Lily, I became rather interested by the concept." She stated informative as always. "However, I do realise that if we do undertake this we will be breaking not only school rules but we can be penalised by the Ministry of Magic for being unregistered."
Lily sighed, looking hopeless until her eyes lit up. "So what if we break a few school rules? All of our parents broke plenty more in their time and look at where they've ended up. Besides you and Scorpius have the highest power in the school other than the Headmaster and our professors. So if both of you don't tell, we wouldn't have a problem in Hogwarts. As for the Ministry of Magic, what if we register as animagi after we leave Hogwarts? We will all be of age so it wouldn't be seen as illegal. Only I would have to wait three years, the rest of you will only have to wait one." She finished victoriously.
Rose considered this new information and took her worries in a different direction. "But what about the pain, Lily? And our inability to choose what we become?"
Rose picked up the book she had been reading to learn more about animagi and began to recite her findings. "The transformation takes two months to complete and that in that time, one undergoes the painful transformations at the same time once a week for eight weeks. The pain is said to rival that of the Cruciatus Curse. Only after then the transformations would come as easily as walking or breathing; The witch or wizard just has to will themselves to become their animal or to will themselves to turn back in to their human form. Also, once the witch or wizard have turned into a certain animal, that is their animal for life. Witches and wizards don't get to choose which animal they become."
She stopped reciting and stated more. "Also, it is irreversible. Once you become an animagus, you will always have the ability to turn in to your animal, regardless of whether or not you want be one anymore."
"I know about the pain, Rose." Lily tried to calm her cousin. "When I tried to do it the first time, I was only in pain for about five maybe ten seconds before Scorpius interrupted. I know that we will be in that level of pain for about an hour and that most people have been known to pass out and then give up which is why animagi are such a rarity. Also, I too have worries of what my animal will be but finding out is part of the adventure."
Albus who had been sitting in quiet contemplation, absorbing all of the information and weighing up his options, decided that it was finally time to talk. "I'm in. I don't really care much for the legal side of things, especially after Lily's reasoning. I am concerned about the pain but I am more interested in finding out which animal I'll be. I also see this as a way of bringing us closer together as a group of friends and to be part of something unique that no one else is a part of. It's historic, in a sense." He finished with a resolved grin.
Lily smiled at her brother, glad to have his support and that he was going to be a part of this with her. Albus, Lily and Scorpius all looked to Rose who had yet to answer. It all depended on Rose now.
"I guess that I want to be a part of this too." Rose said after much thought. "I, much like the rest of you are curious as to what animal I'd be. Also, this is a once in a life time opportunity and like Albus said, it's something unique that no one else is a part of. I must admit that it would be nice to have you all here to help with the pain and the process." Rose smiled. "Which brings me to my questions, where can we do this? We will be in pain for a good hour and we can't have any interruptions. Also, what day or night shall we do this? Will we need the next day for recovery? If so, we cannot have this interfere with our studies."
"We can have it in here, in the Heads common room. Only you and I can enter and other people can only come in with us." Scorpius replied. "As for the recovery, I think we might need the next day off to gather our strength and so it doesn't interrupt with our studies, that makes it either Friday or Saturday. It would be easier to do this at night with all of our different commitments getting in the way."
"Good point." Albus agreed. "But with the nights, I think it should be Saturday night because Hogsmeade is on Saturday and Friday night is the first night of the weekend and deserves to be pain free."
"I agree." Rose stated. "Saturday night it is. I'll have to rearrange the patrol roster so that none of us are on Saturday night. I also think that the time when we do all of this should be nine to ten o'clock. If that's okay with all of you?"
Rose looked at the remaining three who all agreed and parted ways. All four were incredibly excited and nervous for what will transpire in a weeks time.