I live to serve... hopefully this should stop any bickering about the events after the chasm of life...

Chapter 30 - Three Unregistered Animagi

Harry mulled over these thoughts for over a week. He knew he could never break up with Ginny on terms of being angry with her for anything, for he wasn't. Ron had asked one time if he had been angry with her about missing his parents in the chasm of life, but he had come to realise that her life was more important then a chance meeting. He knew he had made the right choice, especially with him being able to talk to the portrait, and read the diary.

He knew he wouldn't be able to do it though. No matter how much he tried to persuade himself that what he was doing was wrong, that he was putting her life in danger for the sake of his own emotions, his head could not over rule his heart.

Still, it wasn't as though he didn't have other things to distract him. Gryffindor were to play Slytherin in just over a week, on the 5th of May, and Harry had the team practising almost every other evening to make sure they were ready. The tension before the Quidditch final was no where near as high as normal though.

Since that fateful day on the train when Harry had saved his life, Malfoy had been quiet and alone. He had isolated himself from his fellow Slytherins, talking little, and he never sent any scathing marks across at the Gryffindors. Apparently he spoke at Quidditch practises, and he had assembled a decent team, but his heart didn't seam to be in it. He constantly had his head in his hands, and Harry had now started to hear the other Slytherins talking about him behind his back, and even insulting him to his face. Crabbe and Goyle were now the bullies of another Slytherin, a seventh year called Lysander Nott, who's name Harry recognised with a jolt as being a Death Eater's son.

Harry even began to feel a bit sorry for Malfoy. He had been "a git" before (as Ron would put it), but he now seemed to be upset about something. Harry could not figure out what it was, but the fact that the change had begun on the day of Harry saving his life meant that Harry thought it must be a good change.

Still, Harry was pleased that the Quidditch build up was not over charged with incidents. In previous years people had been known to end up in hospital before the match even started due to scuffles, particularly between Gryffindors and Slytherins. But the lack of this year meant that training sessions were calm and controlled, with many of the teams best manoeuvres being carried out to perfection.

Apart from Quidditch, Harry also had the D.A, and Animagus training. Harry and Ron had been practising changing in Professor McGonagall's classroom while she had not been able to teach them, although Hermione had said that she thought it was too dangerous and pointless without a teacher. Harry had found, to his joy, that he could already transform into another of his creatures – the sleek black thestral. He had not been able to test that one outside, but Ron had been most surprised when Harry had suddenly disappeared (for Ron had not seen death).

Professor McGonagall had indicated that she would be able to teach them again on the 31st of April, the Monday. The Sunday before that, Harry and Ron were in Professor McGonagall's class, and Harry was working on becoming a Hippogriff. He had decided to ignore the serpent for that time being, and he for some reason wanted to leave the stag until last. The memory of Buckbeak had made him choose the Hippogriff before the lion.

"I'm going to do it tomorrow," said Ron confidently to Harry as they took it in turns to practise. "I know I am." Harry had to admit that Ron was doing very well, he could now transfigure fully into a dog but, like Harry and Hermione before him, he was still the wrong size. Harry on the other hand, who had only just started to become a Hippogriff, had managed to change his wings and his head, although his feet stayed the same.

The two of them headed back up to the Gryffindor common room, and soon settled down in their favourite seats by the fire. A short while later, Hermione came through the portrait hole, looking a bit red in the face, but definitely cheerful.

"Where've you been?" Ron asked in a would-be-casual voice.

"Library," Hermione said unconvincingly, but neither nor Harry nor Ron were feeling up to challenging this answer. Hermione settled down next to Ron on the sofa. She looked over at him for a second, seemingly in deep thought. "Err..." she began edgily, "Harry? Could you give us a minute?"

Harry rolled his eyes: about time to he thought to himself. He grudgingly rose to his feet and left them to it. It did not take long, soon Ron called him back over, looking very pleased with himself, and he blushed as he smiled at Hermione, who was leaning against him. Even Harry was surprised at the depth of the emotion that lay there, though Harry had suspected that Ron had liked Hermione since at least fourth year, if not long before. Harry nodded at them, a small grin on his face. The awkwardness was over.

Ron and Hermione were together as much as they could be the next day. Going for walks at lunch, eating breakfast together, even meeting up between lessons when neither was heading the same way. They seemed distraught at the idea of having to leave each other's side while they went to different lessons, and Hermione for a moment even considered Ron's suggestion of skiving.

All in all, this added up to make Harry feel lonely, and he would have been miserable had it not been for Ginny. He stayed with her for most of the day, (outside of lessons), and he realised again with a pang just how much she had come to mean to him. Every moment spent with her was wonderful, every moment apart, difficult. He only left her side that evening with Harry and Ron, to head down to see Professor McGonagall.

She had again arranged to meet them in the Entrance Hall, and they headed outside into the grounds. Harry immediately transformed into a phoenix, and he arched his streamlined body backwards and looped in the air. He hovered in the air, just out of reach of the other three, fully aware of how wonderfully free he was in the air. He taunted Hermione, moving this way and that, until she could resist no longer. Harry watched through sharpened eyes as Hermione swished her wand and yelled the incantation to the night.

"Owl Aniservia!" Harry watched that ethereal transformation, as Hermione's slim form shrank towards the ground, feathers were sprouting, she was turning brown...

And there she was. A sleek, brown owl, perfectly formed and perfectly sized, hooting softly on the ground. It turned its head to admire its own wings, and let out a soft noise of pleasure, before it braced itself, and left the ground.

Harry could immediately see the joy that this new freedom brought Hermione. She had never been a fan of brooms, but now as she soared around above Harry, Harry could see she was happy.

He flew to her, and together they raced off around the grounds, whirling around the turrets, racing each other higher and higher, before diving down towards the ground and seeing who would veer off first. They whipped up and over the Hogwarts buildings, their eerie moonlit reflections shining back at them when they flew over the greenhouses, before the two of them skimmed the lake itself.

The two of them alighted on the ground in front of Professor McGonagall and Ron, who seemed to have shaken off his envy, and who was roaring with laughter as the two of them transformed back.

"Well done Miss Granger!" said Professor McGonagall proudly, and Hermione blushed. Harry took a quick opportunity to show off.

"Thestral Aniservia!" He felt his limbs growing slightly, he felt his body becoming bigger, but somehow leaner, more powerful and streamlined, and his face elongated to become that of a Thestrals. He looked up at Professor McGonagall who, in her time at the Order, must have seen someone die, for she clapped hard.

"Amazing Potter!" she said excitedly. "Can you do any of the others?"

Harry transformed back. "I've been trying to become a hippogriff, and I can get close..." He said breathlessly, and he held out his wand.

"Hippogriff Aniservia!" He'd done it. His arms widened and lengthened, and became covered in the thick feathers of a hippogriff, pale silvery blue. His head again lengthened, (this time into a bird's, with a long beak), and his lower body changed into those powerful limbs of a horse which he had just felt moments earlier, although this time he was powder white.

He looked at Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall, who were clapping, and he bent himself forward in a bow. He heard their laughter, and he offered a wing down towards Ron. He wasn't sure why, but the invitation was clear. Ron stepped back with an odd look on his face, and Harry transformed back.

"Alright then Ron, you have a go instead then!" Harry said, laughing slightly.

Ron took a determined step forward. He swished his wand up and down quickly, with a calm expression on his face.

"Dane Aniservia!" Harry watched as Ron shrank towards the ground, but his body lengthened and became covered with thick brown fur. His ears became large and pointed, and his arms and legs became the limbs of a Great Dane. The dog looked up at Harry and Ron, its tongue lolling out of its mouth, and its tail wagging. Harry couldn't help but laugh, but then he had an idea, which he whispered to Hermione. She nodded, and they both thanked Professor McGonagall, and she bade them good night, before walking back up the steps. Harry and Hermione nodded at each other.

They both transformed, (Harry into a Phoenix), and gently, Harry took a grip on the dog's right shoulder, and Hermione the dog's left. Between the two of them they lifted him off the ground and swished off into the night.

The three of them desperately wanted to miss their first lesson the next morning but, with Harry and Hermione having potions, they forced themselves to try and stay awake for it. The three of them had stayed out the previous night until the early hours of the morning, with Ron being carried by Hermione and Harry for parts of it, or Hermione gliding beside Ron and Harry with Harry in thestral form. No one had again mentioned Harry's offer to Ron of letting Ron ride while he was a hippogriff, and Harry could see now that Ron might have thought it would be a little bit weird.

So, bleary eyed and yawning, Harry and Hermione had had to endure the day of triple potions. And for Harry, the day wasn't over after that. As he had been busy on the previous evening, he had been forced to arrange a Quidditch practise that evening. He and Ron were getting slightly nervous now at the impending Quidditch match, especially as some clever Slytherin had suddenly decided to make the others attack various Gryffindors.

But on the Friday morning, none of the Slytherins, (at least the sixth years), were bothering the Gryffindors. At first Harry wondered why this was, and why they were all huddled together talking, but then two things drew his attention. The first arrived in the claws of an owl for Hermione. She had kept up her subscription to the Daily Prophet, although all year there had been no threat from Voldemort.

However, finally, there seemed to be some news. The front-page headline stood out above a short article.

Dementors Roaming Freely Across Country

An army of Dementors were seen yesterday moving across the hills of the lake district, writes Lisa Baardman. The horde of Dementors were spotted by numerous witches and wizards at the annual ministry creature conference. One wizard said he was "terrified" as the black fiends of Azkaban soared past him, and guessed that there were "at least a hundred of them."

Dementors, former keepers of Azkaban prison, are now in the service of he who must not be named. Where these Dementors are headed nobody is sure, although some wizards said they had "a fair idea. For more information about Dementors, please turn to pages 45-46."

Harry sidled a glance next to him at Hermione, who had also finished reading.

"What do you make of that?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," she said, frowning, "but if they were in the Lake District... I mean, we don't know where Hogwarts is but I think it must be in the north..." She broke off, looking edgily at Harry.

"They're coming for me." He said it quietly, and he tried to keep the bitterness and fear out of his voice, but Hermione picked up on it.

"I'm probably wrong," she said, in a falsely cheerful voice, but Harry knew Hermione. She was rarely wrong. However, he was then distracted again, this time by Professor McGonagall. She had just given a bit of paper to Ron, and then she looked through a small pile of cards in her had.

"Well done Potter," she said, smiling at him as she handed him one. It was a small piece of white card, which had his name on the top, and then a table, with two columns on it; subject and mark.

Subject – Mark

Potions – A Herbology – O DATDA – O Charms – O Transfiguration – O (I could give you no lower mark after last nights occurrence).

The last comment was hand written, obviously by Professor McGonagall, but Harry was still marvelling at his grades. "O" meant "Outstanding..."

He saw Hermione glancing at his card, beaming. "Oh well done Harry!" she said, looking extremely pleased, and Harry looked at hers: six "O's," including Arithmancy.

"Well done yourself," Harry said, grinning as he nodded in the direction of her card. She blushed, and they both turned to Ron, who was looking at his contemplatively.

"It's not bad," said Ron quickly, but his ears were turning slightly red, and he refused to let them see his card.

The rest of the day passed very quickly, and so it was that that night, the night before the match, Harry let the Gryffindor team members have a break from practises and rest in. He didn't tell that this was as much out of concern for their safety as it was for resting them, but he confided in Ron that their safety had been an issue in his decision.

The three of them sat around the fire, talking quietly about their marks, the impending Quidditch match, becoming Animagi and the Dementors. It was this last event that drew their discussion most, but half way through Ron and Hermione's mini-debate about Dementors being in Hogsmeade, Harry checked his watch. Seeing it was quite late, he rose to his feet.

"Team, bed!"