As a warning: (SPOILER) Harry will be undergoing tests and I have no idea how they would really do these tests, so I just came up with crap. Don't hurt me :D

The following day turned out to be the most stressful game of Quidditch Harry had ever played as he had to make sure they were fifty points up in order to win the Cup. With Marcus Flint screaming at him the entire game and the Gryffindors playing rough and constantly trying to aim the bludgers his direction, Harry was surprised he managed to stay on his broom long enough to catch the snitch.

When the game was finally over, Harry felt as if he could have produced the world's best Patronus, partially because they had won the Quidditch Cup and partially because he was still alive.

Then, the week before exams, he was called into Transfiguration only to find McGonagall, Professor Snape, Dumbledore, and Theodore Nott standing there. McGonagall looked grave, Snape with indistinguishable features, Dumbledore ever-cheerful, and Theodore with a gleam of something mischievous in his eyes. Harry had already figured out what he was doing here for.

"Nott here has informed us that it appears you can muster your magical energy together within you." McGonagall said in a tone suggesting her tiny bit of anger, but there was also a hint of excitement.

"We would like to see this." Dumbledore encouraged with a smile.

"We shouldn't be encouraging him to..." Snape began, but Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him.

Harry did as he was asked and the magical build within felt like it'd burst any moment. Picturing a falcon made it even more painful to keep the magic from consuming him and he was sure, if he wanted, he could turn into a bird right that instance.

"Well," McGonagall gasped in amazement and Harry opened his eyes, the magic dimming in the process. "He honestly is ready for all the tests."

"Should we really be encouraging him..."

"Severus." Dumbledore chuckled. "This is a magnificent skill. I think it would do Harry well to learn it."

Snape sighed his consent.

"Then you will begin your testing this evening." McGonagall finally grinned. "Here at eight. We will see if you can't catch up to Nott."

Harry felt almost as if he could and Theodore explained later during dinner while they were huddled away from the others that it had looked like Harry was about to transform right then and there.

That night, in the Transfiguration classroom, Harry was informed that McGonagall would be turning Harry in several different types of animals, most importantly a falcon. If he endured the constant transfiguration and was able to put himself right after becoming a falcon than he was already far ahead of Theodore.

The transfiguration into animals was the strangest feeling Harry had ever experienced, not just because it made him sick in the stomach and dizzy, but also the constant height changes and sight changes as each animal saw differently from other animals. These transfigurations were very dangerous as well as McGonagall had to be sure not to turn his mind into that of an animal as well, which of course she did splendidly. Finally, he was turned into a falcon and asked to turn back.

To the surprise of McGonagall and the pride of Theodore, Harry did.

"You're definitely a falcon." McGonagall nodded surely. "A Peregrin falcon."

She mused for a long moment and then she finally, in a slightly shaky voice, told Harry to let his magic build until it was about to burst and then turn into the falcon he had been just a moment before.

He did as he was instructed, feeling his stomach churning with excitement, and finally let the magic bubble over. He felt the transfiguration move over him, somewhat painfully at first and then washing through him like icy cold water.

Gazing up at his professor with keen eyesight, he spread his wings, stunned by his own abilities. Then it hit him. He was an Animagus! He was an Animagus!

"Very good, Mr. Potter." McGonagall was wiping at tears in her eyes. "Oh, very good. We will have the Ministry send someone and they'll identify your markings and register you. Oh, how wonderful."

Theodore than took up the rest of McGonagall's attention while Harry practiced flying. As a bird with wings, he found flying did not come as naturally for him as a broom, but he recalled flying on Buckbeak and tried to mimic what he remembered. This helped and soon he had achieved liftoff and was flying about the classroom. He was having so much fun enjoying his new form, he didn't even notice that Theo had managed to become an animal as well.

By the time Harry had realized, Theo was already galloping around the room in a flighty pattern, barely giving Harry even a glimpse of the streak of tawny brown. Finally, Theo stopped and Harry caught sight of the most unusual small deer he had ever seen. Well, he'd read about them and he was sure he saw a couple in a park a long time ago, but he had never actually honestly known for sure seen one.

Theo had become a water deer, also known as a vampire deer because of the downward pointing canine teeth protruding its mouth, which also had no antlers. The water deer wasn't a native to Britain, but it had been released there some time ago. For its solitary, quiet, and small please-don't-see-me nature it really was a perfect fit for Theodore, who would rather the rest of the world not see him and leave him alone for the most part. Harry landed on the top edge of the chair and cocked his head at the deer who looked up at him pleasantly.

McGonagall was crying she was so happy and she called through the floo to have Severus Snape join them in the Transfiguration classroom. He seemed almost appalled by the idea of them already becoming Animagi, but he gave them praise regardless and then asked for them to turn back to ensure they had not gotten themselves stuck permanently.

Of course, they hadn't. They turned back perfectly fine and celebrated with the two astonished professors with Butterbeer and some candy McGonagall happened to have in her desk, not that Professor Snape took any.

"This generally takes about a year or two with proper training." McGonagall informed them. "So for you, Mr. Nott, this was perfectly normal. As for you, Mr. Potter, this was exceptional, though I'm sure the Patronus training was a huge help. At your age, using a full bodied Patronus reveals your animal form and enables training in Animagi to be much much easier. The older a person gets, the harder it is to learn to become an Animagus, but less problems arise during training due to it."

"It was still risky." Snape muttered, but even he seemed proud at this point.

Harry and Nott went to bed feeling like they could soar to the stars if someone asked them to.

The following week exams started.

And that's what I decided the training should be...well, it's just the tail end of such training anyways...lame, I know. Hope you liked. Review if you want.