Oops I did it again... XD

Sorry guys, but with my vacation and then going straight back to work afterwards, I've just been really busy. But not to worry! To keep on track, I'm giving you guys two chapters again this time! And hopefully now we'll be able to stay on a regular schedule (I always say this but it never works Dx).

Anywhoodles, I'm going to be starting prep for my classroom on the 17th so that's really exciting and also kind of scary. Which also means the 16th is my last day at my current job. I'm hoping that with that job out of the way and being on a normal, solid, unchanging schedule, I'll be able to get in some writing time, because my inspiration is slowly but surely returning to me to write out the rest of fifth year.

After that, who knows XD

Kam, Severus is too much of a grump unfortunately *sigh*. Maybe, if we're very lucky, he might turn around later (doubtful). katiek121, yes, the map's humble beginnings. It's going to take a long time for it to get all put together though.

Alright my dears, that's all for now. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed, and etc. Keep reviewing, it makes me so happy :D And hopefully I'll be on time next tiiiiiiiime! Love ya!

~SXS

FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMER, SEE FIRST CHAPTER AN.


The aftermath of the Festive Costume Fiasco included a long line of students waiting to get their clothes charmed back to normal, as well as a day spent in the Potions lab brewing enough antidote to the hair growth potion for all of the Houses. This being the case, James, Sirius, and Peter didn't have a chance to check on their more important project, the Animagus potion, until the very last day before Christmas Eve.

Thanks to a continually watchful eye on the part of Sirius, there were only a few slight hiccups throughout the brewing. And while it was an…experience to spend so much time with Moaning Myrtle (who was developing quite the crush on Peter), it was well worth it to know that the first step in the process was essentially complete.

The three boys managed to ditch Remus in the library, but they knew they wouldn't have long before he would come looking for them, so they needed to work fast. James was toting the Animagus book under his shirt and the three of them slipped carefully into the girls' bathroom when the hall was empty.

The bathroom had come to smell like a barn thanks to the potion's fumes, and frankly the idea that they had to drink that foul smelling liquid was making all three queasy. At the very least they could take comfort in knowing that they only had to do it once.

Once they were securely inside with the door closed, James pulled out the book. He opened it on the floor and flipped to the page detailing exactly what they had to do with the potion. "Alright, lads. It says here that we have to drink a cup's worth, then we sit cross-legged and close our eyes while we wait for the vision of our inner animal to come to us."

"That's it?" Sirius asked, taking the book.

"What do you mean that's it? We have to drink a whole cup of this…goop," Peter said, swallowing hard.

"Not about that. That's actually rather terrifying. But the whole process seems so much simpler than the professors made it out to be." He was turning the book over in his hands and flipping pages.

"This is just the first step," James pointed out.

"Is that my darling little chubby-wubby?" a high-pitched voice interrupted. Myrtle floated out from one of the stalls and flew directly to Peter. He stiffened and gave a shaky smile to the ghost girl. "I missed you," she said with a smile attempting to be sensual.

"Y-Yeah, um…" Peter turned to James. "Let's hurry up and drink the bloody potion." The two purebloods snickered.

James produced a ladle from up his sleeve and went to the stall where their cauldron was waiting. The potion was thick, bubbly, and a rich scarlet. The trio exchanged disgusted looks. "Well?" Myrtle said, hovering behind them and peering over their shoulders. "You've been at this for weeks. I want to see what happens!"

When James and Peter were more than hesitant to take the plunge, Sirius rolled his eyes and snagged the ladle for himself. "You great cowards. It's probably not as bad as it smells. Just…hold your nose and throw it back."

Sirius stepped in front of his friends and stared down at the cauldron. He closed his eyes, taking a slow breath, and kept repeating to himself that this was for Remus, and that made it all worthwhile. He dipped the ladle into the viscous solution and brought a full scoop up. It dripped down slowly from the curved bottom and he scraped it on the rim of the cauldron.

Just as he was about to bring the ghastly liquid to his lips, the door of the bathroom creaked open. All three boys froze in their spots, but slowly turned their heads as soft footsteps closed in on them. Then a voice that was blessedly familiar said, "I had a feeling that was your potion."

The three boys whipped around fully, finding themselves face to face with Anjanette. Sirius's panic about being caught by someone who would rat on them was quickly replaced by panic about how to explain away the situation to their friend. The intelligent girl wasn't going to be fooled easily. He didn't let his anxiety show on his face, however, looking back at the potion as if he were seeing it for the first time. "This? This isn't ours. We're just as curious as you are."

Anjanette crossed her arms over her chest, lifting a blonde brow. "Right. And you just so happened to stumble upon this potion when you decided to go into the girls' loo." Dragon turds.

"We were…visiting with Myrtle!" James quickly supplied, throwing his arm around Peter.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "Pete here has a bit of thing for her." The pudgy boy paled, the words causing Myrtle to giggle wildly and snuggle as close as possible without passing through his body.

The Ravenclaw looked at the group, still not convinced. It was then that she noticed the still open book lying on the ground. Sirius followed her line of sight, stomach dropping when he realized what she was about to do. He dropped the ladle that was still in his hand, spilling potion all over the floor, and lunged forward. But ever quick, Anjanette moved at the same moment and snatched the book up before he could grab it. Her violet eyes scanned down the pages, widening marginally as she realized what they were up to.

"This seems like a lot to go through for a prank," she said, finally looking up at the three of them. It was clear that the clues weren't adding up just right, and she was seeking out the last bit of the puzzle. Sirius and James exchanged a desperate look (Peter too busy trying to shimmy away from Myrtle), both hoping the other had come up with something to throw her off, but realizing that she was closing in. This wasn't lost on the observant girl. "You know you can trust me."

Sirius looked back at their female friend at these words, and for once her usually unnerving gaze was soft. She was right, they could trust her. She had been nothing but loyal since they had met, most especially to himself and Remus. He had no reason to believe that that would change.

"Alright," he said, and James and Peter looked at him as if he were crazy. "I'll tell you what's going on, but everything I say stays in this room, got it? No one but the four of us-" Myrtle made an insulted sound at this, and so he corrected himself, "-five of us can ever know we had this conversation." Anjanette was intrigued, but gave him a serious nod, while the other two boys stared on in disbelief that he was actually spilling the beans.

Sirius sighed. "First of all, and please don't let this change anything because there's really no reason that it should…Remus is a werewolf."

Anjanette shrugged. "I know that." The Gryffindor boys balked.

"How could you possibly know that?" James asked.

"Not hard to figure out when you have all the pieces," she said with a light smirk. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

Sirius opened his mouth, then closed it again, then shook his head. It was better to just accept the fact that she knew and was perfectly alright with Remus's lycanthropy. He stepped forward and took the book out of her hands. "It actually has everything to do with this." In a way, he was excited about telling his plans to someone new. "I did a little research into werewolves after I found out about Moony, and apparently the full moon is a lot easier when the wolf is in the presence of other animals. But since any normal animal would be too scared to stay with a werewolf…"

"You thought an animal with a human mind would be the only way," Anjanette finished with a smile. "Clever." Sirius practically beamed, proud as always of his brilliance.

"This is the first step of the process," he said, reaching down and picking up the ladle where he'd dropped it earlier. Thankfully the wasted bit of potion was only a small fraction of what they'd made, so the most they had to worry about was cleaning it. "After we drink this potion, we'll find out what our inner animals are."

Anjanette nodded, absorbing the information. "Let's do it then," she said.

One dark brow disappeared into Sirius's fringe. "Pardon?"

"I want to help Remus too," Anjanette said.

"You know you could get in huge trouble, right?" James said, and Peter nibbled nervously at his lip thanks to this reminder. "This isn't just harmless charms and hexes. We're doing something completely illegal."

Anjanette was quiet, and for a moment, they thought she was simply going to silently convince them. But she surprised them with a very soft, fond smile that none of the boys had ever seen on her face before. "Remus is the first person that was nice to me, and if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have any friends. This is the least I can do to repay him."

Sirius felt his chest swell in affection for Anjanette. It always made him feel good to know that people liked and accepted Remus (he couldn't deny that he was more than a bit protective over his best friend's feelings), and he himself had feelings akin to hers about the werewolf. He smiled at her and nodded. "Just don't tell Remus anything. If he knew what we were doing, he'd have a hairy conniption and try to stop us."

"My lips are sealed," she promised.

"Good." With the crisis avoided and explanations out of the way, Sirius let out a gush of breath. "Well. I suppose it's about time to get back to old red and nasty." The group gathered once more around the potion and Sirius had to work up his nerve again to get another spoonful. But he didn't waste any more time, not wanting to risk another person walking in on them. Pinching his nose closed, he brought the ladle up to his lips and threw his head back to take it all down in one shot. Peter gagged. Sirius swallowed hard, eyes squeezed shut, and started smacking his lips. His tongue darted out a few times as well, lapping up the remnants that were around his mouth. "Actually, that wasn't so bad. Tasted like roast beef."

"No way," James said, taking the ladle. He scooped himself a portion and did the same as his friend, but his reaction was much worse. He shivered violently and stuck out his tongue with a retching sound. "That does not taste a thing like roast beef! I feel like I just ate my front lawn!"

Peter was turning green by now, and he made a soft moaning sound. "Isn't there any other way to do this?" he asked as James passed the ladle into his shaky hand.
"It's this or nothing, Peter," Sirius said, still licking his lips. "Maybe it'll taste different for you too."

Peter was certainly hoping so as he served himself a shallower spoonful than the others. He lifted the ladle to his mouth but couldn't force himself to open it for delivery. Myrtle could see that he was in need of a morale boost, and she wrapped her cold, ghostly arms around his shoulders. "You can do it, chubby-wubby," she encouraged, causing him to open his mouth in a gasp. James took the opportunity to tip the ladle and spill the potion in, most of it dribbling down his face and onto his shirt as he nearly choked.

After a coughing fit, the dirty blonde boy actually smiled. "Hey…that tasted like cheese!" He went back for more to make up for what he'd lost to his clothes. He sucked down the rest of his cup's worth and handed the ladle to Anjanette.

The Ravenclaw took her portion and pondered the flavor. "I tasted trout."

Sirius clapped his hands together. "Alright. All we have to do now is sit cross-legged and let the potion do its stuff." He moved away from the cauldron and to the center of the bathroom floor where there was more open space. The others followed him and they formed a small circle. Sirius closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen. But after a few minutes, he didn't feel any different from usual. "Anyone find out anything yet?"

"Nope," James replied. "Are you sure we did everything right during the brewing?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I happen to be fabulous at Potions, thank you very much," Sirius said, flipping his hair back without opening his eyes.

"That doesn't mean you can't make mistakes now and then," James retorted.

"I think I drank a little too much potion," Peter whined.

"I'd never make a mistake on something so important!" Sirius countered.

"Um, blokes?" Anjanette cut in, but was ignored.

"You never know what could happen. It wasn't exactly an easy brew." There was a gentle sound of something flopping on the floor and a shrill scream. Both Sirius and James opened their eyes and turned to see Anjanette and Myrtle kneeling over Peter who had passed out.

"Pete!" they cried simultaneously, moving towards him. "What happened?"

"It could be the potion," Anjanette said. "Maybe he…Oh…" She clutched at her head and closed her eyes, swaying before collapsing on top of Peter.

Sirius's heart was plummeting to his stomach. What had they just done? "James, we need to get Madam Pomfrey quick-James?" The messy-haired boy's eyes were practically rolling back into his head and he fell on top of the growing pile of bodies. "Oh Merlin's balls!" Sirius stood up, but suddenly a dizzy spell hit him like a rogue Bludger. He grabbed his head and tried to steady himself, but instead he dropped to his knees and fell forward onto the floor, blacking out.

.:~I~S~S~:.

The first thing he could smell when he woke up was grass. Grass and fresh, crisp air, and somewhere not too far away the musky scent of a small animal. He let his senses come to him one by one, the next being the physical feeling of lying on the ground. Whatever was beneath him was like a firm cushion, and some of it tickled his feet in the gentle breeze. Focusing on his ears, he analyzed the nearby sounds. The wind rustling through leaves, a chirping bird, running water somewhere close. He was remarkably thirsty now that he thought about it. He opened his eyes so that he could go looking for the source of liquid nourishment, but was met with two surprises.

The first was the fact that, while he could see everything around him clear as crystal, it was all in grayscale. The second was that one of the crystal clear, grayscale things that he could see was a long, furry snout sticking out of his face where his nose would normally be.

"Bloody hell," he attempted to say, but it came out as barks. His face wasn't the only thing that had changed. His entire body was covered in dark fur, his arms and legs thinner and ending in paws instead of hands and feet, and somewhere squished beneath his backside, he could feel a tail struggling to wag.

"I'm a dog!" he barked.

Sirius immediately flipped onto his four new feet, mouth hanging open as he panted excitedly. A dog was a perfect companion for a werewolf. He couldn't wait to find Remus and tell him. He charged off through the everlasting field, feeling a freedom of soul that dared to compete with flying.

After a few solid minutes of running, Sirius found himself at a small river. He sat down and bent to get a look at himself. He was rather large but definitely cute, with shaggy hair, floppy ears, and a face like a Springer Spaniel. Surely Remus couldn't be mad at a face like this when he found out what they'd done. Sirius lapped up some of the water and then hopped into the river to have a swim. Somehow his new dog body felt just as natural as his human one, as if he'd stepped into a well-worn set of robes.

Eventually Sirius heard a howling in the distance, and his ears perked. He responded with a howl of his own, though it wasn't anywhere near as strong. Seconds later, pounding pawsteps were coming in his direction, and a large wolf appeared at the river's edge. Sirius's tail wagged under the water and he paddled himself over to climb out. His whole body shook to remove the excess water, then he looked up at the wolf with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. The wolf bent and licked his face, and Sirius did the same.

The two canines padded over to a sunny spot and Remus circled a few times in the spot before laying down. Sirius copied him, curling against the other creature and closing his eyes as he and his friend drifted off for a nap together.

.:~I~S~S~:.

With a gasp, Sirius sat straight up, looking around wildly. He was back in the girls' room, sitting on the floor, and when he touched his body, he found himself to be human again. "Great Godric's socks…" he mumbled, trying to gather himself together once more. Nearby, his friends were waking up as well.

"I hadn't realized the potion would work that well," James said, rubbing his eyes. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah…Just a little-" But Peter didn't get to finish as Myrtle came flying towards him, trying to hug the tangible boy.

"I was so worried! I almost had to go and get help, my poor chubby-wubby! I never leave this bathroom for anything, but I would for you!" Peter was trying his best to be nice, but he was glad that she couldn't actually hold onto him when he stood up.

"Did everyone find out their animal?" Anjanette asked, seeming to be the most lucid of the bunch after the hallucinogenic experience.

"Yeah!" Sirius was suddenly bursting with energy. "I'm a dog!"

"We didn't need a potion to tell us that," James teased, earning a swat from Sirius. He dodged easily and then put a hand to his chest. "I'm a noble and majestic stag."

"Too bad. I was hoping you'd just be a pair of antlers," Sirius said to add to his retaliation.

"I'm a cat," Anjanette told them with a shrug. "Not that surprised."

Peter was pouting a bit. "You're all big, cool things. I'm a rat."

"Hey, that's great! You'll be able to sneak around without getting caught," Sirius said. The other boy's lips turned up faintly.

"I hadn't thought of that," he said, imagining the useful possibilities of his newly discovered inner animal.

Sirius grabbed the book and examined the page. "It says here that as long as we all had visions where we were in the bodies of our animals then the first step is complete." He paused, reading further. "It also says that we might have random incidents of acting like our animals."

"That could potentially be bad for you lot," James said. "But I highly doubt that my acting like a stag could have any negative repercussions." Anjanette's lips twitched up a bit as she thought about how wrong he was.

"Either way, we need to be careful," Sirius said. "We can't let anyone get suspicious, especially not Moony." The other three nodded in agreement, and he grinned. "Now, onto more important business. Who wants to be in charge of clean up?"