Here's the latest installment of In Control! I hope you enjoy. As always, thanks for the reviews, and don't forget to leave your comments on this chapter as well!

I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 13: Transformation

The week that followed Harry's receiving of his OWL results was spent in intense study. Nearly all his energy was focused on studying for his Ancient Runes and Arithmancy OWLs, which he hoped to take that weekend at the Ministry, and mastering his animagus transformation. He was so close he could almost literally taste it. Harry finally managed to fully transform his head the Tuesday after receiving his OWLs, eight days before the full moon, and he managed to acquire his tail the next day—though he couldn't make it go away for several hours, and it took some quick spell work from Tonks (who was laughing almost to the point of tears) to keep Remus from seeing when he walked in unexpectedly when he was supposed to be resting.

Aside from the animagus transformation, Harry was studying feverishly for his two OWLs. It got to the point where his dreams were often intertwined with rune sets and arithmatic equations. Both Tonks and Remus were helping him study and prepare, but Remus soon became indisposed as the full moon quickly approached. It was worse than the previous moon. Five days beforehand he more or less took ill, and the ache in his bones made it hard for him to move. Watching his surrogate father struggle only increased Harry's determination to master his transformation before the day of the full moon.

Finally, the Friday Harry was to take his tests arrived. Remus was laid up, so he was only able to wish Harry luck. Tonks escorted Harry to the Ministry at nine in the morning and led him to the appropriate place. It was up on the fifth floor, the same place Apparition tests would take place—a skill which Harry had finally mastered after a week of constant practice, though he had yet to get his license.

The room was completely unadorned, the only furniture being about thirty individual desks like the ones that had filled the Great Hall during the normal OWL exams at Hogwarts. There were several other kids about Harry's age there as well. He recognized a few from his year at Hogwarts, plus one or two students a year older than Harry who apparently had had to repeat fifth year and retake their OWLs. There was even a student who appeared even younger than Harry, taking his OWLS early. The rest Harry didn't recognize and assumed they were homeschooled for some reason.

At the front of the room was a ministry wizard who Harry recognized had administered the tests at Hogwarts. Tonks wished Harry luck and said she'd pick him up after he was done, and that in the meantime she'd try to get some work done. Harry nodded and found a seat after she left, feeling butterflies in his stomach.

"Welcome. You are all here to take or retake one or more of your OWL exams. As very few of you are taking the same test, there is no point in attempting to cheat. You will be provided with anti-cheating quills and you will be silent. When you finish the written exam, raise your hand and I will collect your written test and take you to another room where you will do the practical, if one is required." The wizard was very strict, and Harry's stomach clenched. "If you are taking more than one test, you will be allowed a twenty-minute break to refresh yourself before returning for the second test. Any questions?" There were none. "Then you may begin."

Harry jumped slightly as his exam appeared on his desk, with two quills and a jar of ink. Swallowing hard, he flipped the test over. Ordinary Wizarding Level for Ancient Runes, it read across the top. Harry took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He could do this. He picked up one quill and dipped it in the inkpot, then wrote his name on the top. Then he started working slowly through the questions, checking and double-checking each answer. He was pleased to find that most of the translations came easily, and many of the rune sets he was asked to either create or dissect were ones he had studied recently. He was stumped by a number of the problems, but did the best he could.

An hour and a half later, Harry set his quill down and flexed his wrist, which was sore from all the writing. He looked up and saw that three of the students were already gone, either doing their practical or completely finished. Harry took a deep breath and raised his hand. The examiner came and collected his test, then directed him to a door to the front right of the room that he had previously not noticed. He hesitated, not sure if he should knock, but before he could make up his mind, the door opened on its own. His heart thudding against his ribcage, Harry entered.

"Harry Potter?" the examiner inside asked, seeming completely uninterested that the Boy-Who-Lived had just entered.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered, swallowing—his mouth had gone dry.

"Create a rune set to lock this chest with at least four separate components. You have as much time as you need. When you are finished, bring it to me and we will test it," the other man said, conjuring an ornate jewelry box on the desk in front of him.

"Yes, sir," Harry said again, and took the box to the other desk in the room. There was also a stack of parchment and a quill. Harry worked through three possible combinations before settling on one and refining it. He showed it to the examiner, who told him to carve it into the jewelry box. Harry did so, more confident now than he'd been before—for the last two weeks Tonks had drilled him on proper rune carving techniques and showed him how to make it subtle and part of the design rather than an obvious rune pattern. Harry carved the rune sequence in a repeating pattern all the way around the lid and once below the latch. He then powered it with a tap of his wand and handed the box back to the examiner. He studied it briefly, then dismissed Harry through a door behind him after telling him to return in exactly twenty minutes to take his second test.

Fairly confident that he'd done well but still nervous about his results, Harry made his way to the cafeteria, taking a moment to step into a loo and morph his appearance just enough to deflect attention. He found Tonks in the cafeteria and she came to sit by him, inquiring how his first test went.

"All right," Harry answered with a shrug. "It was Ancient Runes. I'm fairly confident it will be at least an E."

Tonks grinned. "Great job, Harry. I'm sure you did great, and you'll do just as well in Arithmany,"she said.

"Thanks," Harry replied. He ate the last few bites of his turkey sandwich then stood up. "I'd better get back. They only gave me twenty minutes."

"Good luck, Harry," Tonks said, waving. "Come find me if I'm not there already when you finish."

"Will do. See ya," Harry said, waving back as he left.

He returned to the testing room almost exactly twenty minutes after he left, feeling rejuvenated, though still a bit nervous. His Arithmancy test went much the same, though there was no practical as one of the only applications of Arithmancy, besides in rune patterns, was spell creation and that wasn't something that could be tested directly. So it went faster than the last test. Harry was finished in just over an hour. He was informed he would receive his results within two weeks' time and was then dismissed.

Tonks wasn't back yet, so Harry went to the Auror Department to find her. He met her on the way and they left together. Once outside the ministry wards, they apparated back to Harry's cottage.

Harry was eager to share his experience with Remus, then he took a break from his studies for the rest of the day. Tonks heartily approved, stating that Harry studied too much. Harry shrugged and retrieved his Firebolt. It had been some time since he'd been able to fly, as focused as he'd been on his studies, but he decided he deserved it now. The wards would make it impossible to see him should anyone happen to look, so he was more than happy to take his broomstick out about a half mile from the cottage. He could still see it, but he had plenty of space to fly.

Harry mounted his broomstick, feeling it thrumming with energy and eagerness to be in the air once more. Then Harry kicked off. The Firebolt soared into the sky, and the rush of wind through his hair was a wonderful feeling. It cleared his mind of any lingering worries or doubts and simply gave him the feeling of freedom he'd missed for nearly a year.

As he swooped and dived through the air, Harry let his mind wander, paying just enough attention to where he was going to avoid any accidents. He considered how far he'd come, how much he'd learned in the last two months and the family he'd found with Remus and Tonks, a father and a sister. Then the thought entered his mind, If only Sirius were here. The sting of grief, not as painful as he'd expected, brought tears to his eyes, but Harry didn't bother to fight them or conceal them. They burned on his cheeks, cold in the wind. Rather than crippling him, though, the tears were almost cleansing. He was finally beginning to move on.

Harry stayed out, flying and reveling in the feeling of freedom, until the sun began to set. As dusk fell, Harry brought his Firebolt down until he was flying about six feet in the air and cruised leisurely toward the cottage. About a hundred feet away, Harry tilted the broomstick down, slowing gradually, and landed softly. He entered the cottage to find it quiet. A plate of food, warmed by Tonks (but thankfully not cooked by her), sat on a counter in the kitchen. Harry ate it ravenously, having worked up an appetite with all the flying he'd done. Then he washed the dishes and put them away before retiring to his room.

The rest of the weekend went by quickly. Tonks finally mastered her own animagus transformation at the beginning of the week and so was able to coach Harry through the final steps. He finally made his first complete transformation on Sunday evening, just two days before the full moon. Tonks conjured a mirror, a proud expression on her face, and Harry stared in awe at the powerful russet wolf that stared back at him.

He was the express image of the form he'd seen in the potion-induced trance almost exactly a month ago. Standing nearly three feet tall at the shoulder, bright green eyes stared back at him above a reddish muzzle, a patch of black fur between his eyes resembling the lightning bolt scar that adorned his forehead in human form. His ears were larger than a normal wolf's, looking actually quite foxlike. His fur was a mix of black and dark reddish orange on his back, lightening to white on his belly. His tail, bushy and mixed red and black, swished behind him.

"You did it, Harry," Tonks said, kneeling beside the wolf and wrapping an arm around his neck. Harry whuffed softly, knowing Remus would hear if he wasn't careful. He could smell her now, a mix of coconut and wood smoke. He could also pick out another scent which he assumed to be his own, grass and spice and wind. He could smell the wood of the floor, the fabric of the furniture, the hint of fresh outside air through an open window. He could also hear Remus's soft snoring from the other room, Tonks's heartbeat, and the rush of wind outside. His sight wasn't as colorful as Harry was used to, but he could see more detail—the grain of the wood flooring, the stitching of the rug he stood on. He felt the faint urge to hunt, to explore. But he also felt completely at home with Tonks's arm draped over him, and with a wolfish grin, he plopped down with his head on her lap. Tonks chuckled softly.

"Very funny, Harry. Now, can you change back?"

Change back? Harry wasn't sure, especially considering how comfortable he felt in this form. He tilted his head to the side inquiringly, and Tonks smirked.

"Picture yourself as you were. And please don't forget to picture your clothes. I did that the first time and it was rather uncomfortable."

Harry gave a low growl of acknowledgement and pictured what he looked like usually. He made sure to picture the red shirt and jeans he'd been wearing as well to spare Tonks and himself a very uncomfortable situation. It took some time, in which Harry made a few partial transformations, but he finally managed it about a half-hour later.

Harry felt himself grow back to his normal size, felt the fabric of his clothing, his hair brushing his chin. Then he opened his eyes to find himself kneeling beside Tonks, staring at himself in his natural form in the mirror.

"Huh. I'm going to have to work on transforming back still morphed, just in case," Harry said. Tonks smiled.

"That's amazing, Harry. Really. How many people do you know who managed to achieve an animagus transformation in under a month?"

Harry felt his cheeks grow warm, partly in embarrassment yet pleased by her praise. "I think you're the only one," he answered.

Tonks scoffed. "I hardly count. I've already done the process once before, even if I didn't carry it through to the end. Technically speaking, counting from the first time I tried, it's been four years for me."

Harry flushed deeper. "I guess," he said.

"You realize you need a name now, right?" Tonks said after a moment.

"What?" Harry asked.

"A name. You're technically joining the ranks of the Marauders, so you need a Marauder nickname."

Harry couldn't help a smile. He liked the sound of that, liked the idea of being connected to his father and godfather in a way other than just blood and friendship. "All right. Any ideas?"

Tonks adopted a thoughtful expression. "Hmm…Red?" Harry shook his head, giving her an are-you-kidding-me? look. "Uh…Crimson Claw?"

"Did my fur look crimson to you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No," Tonks admitted. "It was more a rust color. How about…Rust Snout?"

Harry snorted. "You're getting worse at this," he said.

Tonks huffed. "At least I'm trying. You could at least try to come up with something yourself."

"I doubt the Marauders named themselves. Who would choose the name Wormtail for themselves anyway?"

"Fine. Give me something else, then."

"I'd consider…Blaze, Fire Claw…"

"Fire Crab," Tonks offered with a perfectly innocent expression. Harry glared playfully.

"Not a chance."

"Fine. How about Russet?" Tonks offered sarcastically.

Harry was about to protest the name, then realized he kind of liked it. "Actually…that's not bad," he said slowly. "Russet…" he tried it out. "I like it, actually."

Tonks looked half pleased, half incredulous. "Russet it is, then." She stood, motioning Harry to stay down. "I now dub thee Russet," she intoned formally, tapping his head with her wand. Harry almost scoffed at the strange formality, then he noticed the strange sensation traveling through his body that meant she'd cast a spell on him. He glanced in the mirror and growled, sounding remarkably like his animagus form. She'd turned him completely red, skin and all! Harry tackled her from below, knocking her to the floor, and it quickly evolved into a wrestling match. She even transformed after a few minutes, giving Harry only his second look at her form.

"No fair!" he protested. "I only just got it!"

The tawny lynx just gave him a look that told Harry she was laughing at him. Growling again, Harry called up the feeling he'd had when he transformed, and a few moments later the russet wolf was back. He tackled her, amused and slightly surprised to find that their animal forms were almost exactly the same size. He'd thought the lynx was bigger, but it was just the thick fur.

After a short while, they both transformed back, cautious about waking Remus, and called a truce. Harry managed the return transformation quicker this time, a fact which pleased him. It was already late evening by that time, so after a few minutes they both retired to bed.

The next two days were tense. Harry was both excited and anxious to show off his animagus form to Remus and help him during the full moon, but at the same time he was worried about his surrogate father, who slept most of the day on Monday and all day on Tuesday, the day of the full moon. Tonks was anxious, too, and wanted to be there for him in her form as well. However, Harry managed to convince her to let him do the first moon alone. It wasn't that he didn't want her company. Rather, he just wanted the first full moon to be special. He said they could go together during the August moon, and then, with a cheeky smile, said that she would have him all to herself once Harry went back to school. The young auror flushed but for once didn't bother to protest it.

Finally it was near dusk on the evening of the full moon. Remus was weak, and Harry was half-convinced he ought to allow Tonks to come along in her form as well, if only to help him half-carry the older man to the spot in the woods where he would transform. But Harry decided not to. Tonks wished them both luck, though spoke to Harry out of Remus's hearing. It was clear she was anxious, though not as much as she had been during the first moon of the summer. She made sure Harry was stocked with first-aid items and anything else they might need. He accepted it all graciously and shrunk it into his pockets. Then she finally allowed them to leave.

Harry pulled Remus's arm around his shoulders and put his own around the man's waist. He was unsteady on his feet. The evening air was chilly and damp as it had only just stopped raining. Harry noticed Remus was shivering slightly in his threadbare robes, so he withdrew the blanket from his pocket and unshrunk it to sling around Remus's shoulders. Knowing the moon would be rising soon, Harry tried to pick up the pace, and Remus, demonstrating a strength of will Harry hadn't realized he had, matched him stride for stride even though his breathing was labored.

After about twenty minutes of walking, they reached the clearing Remus had gone to the previous month. Harry respectfully turned his back while the werewolf undressed, in order to preserve his clothing. He turned around some minutes later to see Remus shivering under the blanket. Harry cast a warming charm around his surrogate father and knelt beside him.

"You sh-should go," Remus said, glancing nervously at the sky. Clouds mostly obscured it, and by now it was almost fully dark.

"There's still a few minutes left. I'll leave when it starts, I promise," Harry said. His plan was to momentarily leave the site to stow the supplies he'd brought, then return already transformed, and save the explanations for the morning. Remus tried to protest, but Harry stood firm.

After some minutes, Harry sensed a subtle lightening behind the clouds and he sensed Remus stiffen beside him. A moment later he started shaking, pre-transformation tremors, Remus had called them.

"G-go. Go now," Remus said forcefully, even summoning the strength to push Harry away. Taking that as his cue, Harry squeezed his surrogate father's shoulders briefly once before getting to his feet and jogging away.

Harry went just far enough to be out of sight and upwind of the transforming werewolf and stowed the first aid kit, and Remus's robes, in a tree under a few protective enchantments and a sticking charm. Then he heard the first of Remus's screams. Wincing, Harry centered himself and mentally went through the transformation process before making the change. It went faster now, even being only his third complete, successful transformation. A moment later, a large russet wolf stood where Harry had been.

Cautiously, the wolf crept back toward Remus, following the sound of his screams. He cringed at each one, especially as they became less and less human and more and more beastlike. The wolf paused on the outskirts of the clearing, staying out of the way. The older man was writhing and screaming in pain, only partially transformed so far. Harry's human mind cringed away from the sight, and the wolf responded by putting its paws over its ears. If wolves could cry, Harry would have been. He'd known the transformations were difficult and painful, but he'd never imagined just how much. He only had one thing to compare it to—Remus's transformation outside the Shrieking Shack in third year—but that had only been the first few moments before he'd been distracted by Dementors.

Finally, a tawny werewolf, its muzzle shot through with silver, lay shivering in the damp grass. Only once it stood did the russet wolf begin to creep forward, moving slowly and staying low to the ground, wolf instincts overriding Harry's human desire to run at his surrogate father's werewolf form and assure himself that he was all right.

It took only a moment for the werewolf to sense the other presence. His hackles raised, feral golden eyes scanned the shadows for the threat. Russet crept forward on his belly, head down. The approach was to be nonthreatening, but eventually, Harry knew, they would fight for dominance to determine who was the alpha wolf.

Several tense moments passed in silence save the faint rush of wind through the trees and the shuffle of Russet's paws in the grass. When he was four feet away, he stopped. The wolf was calm, but Harry inwardly was frankly terrified. He realized the werewolf was bigger than he was and could easily tear him apart should he be so inclined. Up close, he caught the scent of damp fur and cocoa. The werewolf's golden eyes were fixed penetratingly on Russet, assessing the new arrival. Harry felt the werewolf step closer, and froze. Then another step. Then another. Harry chanced a glance upward. That was a mistake.