True to their promise, Ron and Hermione cleared up any work they might have the next evening and they hadn't even walked downstairs to sit on the comfortable sofa when Harry sprinted ahead in front of them and sat down on the sofa. "Took you long enough," he grinned good-naturedly. "Come on, let's get started." And together, Harry, Ron and Hermione opened the first page.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present
The Marauders' Guide to becoming Animagi
Hermione smiled fondly at the nicknames of the Marauders, and Harry turned a page to see the large, messy scrawl he recognized as James's handwriting:
Chapter One: Introduction
Hello my fellow Marauders! It is nice to see you have embarked on a quest to become Animagi like us. In this booklet, you'll find all the steps, tips and things NOT to do to become an Animagus. All four of us will guide you along the way. I'm Prongs, by the way.
The paragraph below had different handwriting:
Only special people are allowed to view this booklet, though. If you are Snivellus - you should be experiencing a stinging pain in your left shoulder right now. Haha. Don't worry, it gets worse. And I'm Padfoot.
Then it changed again.
Becoming an Animagus can be helpful for several reasons. Padfoot and Prongs use it for causing mischief. Some people, like Professor McGonagall, use it for simply knowing more about how to do it. Call me Moony.
The next paragraph was written in a different handwriting.
It is a very hard process, and very few wizards and witches actually attempt it. However, the Marauders hope that you shall accomplish this! By the way, this handwriting belongs to Wormtail.
Harry recognised Sirius's handwriting on the next page.
Right - now we've introduced ourselves. You probably don't need to know what an Animagus is - if you don't, you shouldn't even have picked up this book! Instead, I'll colour code our handwriting -
Silvery-blue belongs to Moony.
Dark peach belongs to Wormtail.
Deep violet belongs to Padfoot.
Bright red and gold belongs to Prongs.
Just as Harry, Ron and Hermione finished reading that, every text in the whole book got colour-coded; Hermione gasped, as this was a very advanced spell. Purple writing continued:
Right, now that THAT'S done, Moony will talk about Registered vs. Unregistered Animagi.
Thank you, Padfoot. Well, everybody who wants to become an Animagus AND follow the rules has to register themselves at the Ministry. Not doing so could land you in Azkaban. So it is absolutely necessary to register yourself if you want to stay sane. Besides, if you're registered, the Ministry can help you if anything goes wrong with your transformation. Wormtail will now talk about the formatting of this book.
Tiny, peach writing started off from where Moony left:
Thanks, Moony! Well, this book has one chapter for every step. In the end there are some notes. In the end of every chapter, there are things NOT to do written in red and tips and tricks written in green. We also describe what each of us did in that step, so that you can take inspiration. Prongs, talk about Animagus forms, please.
Wonderful. Well, your Animagus form can either be the same as your Patronus form or something completely different. So in one book we read that there was a bloke who became a rabbit as an Animagus. But he had a cat in Patronus form. And you can have magical creatures as your Animagus form too, but many people haven't gotten that.
Suddenly, Padfoot wrote underneath Prongs, almost as if he was interrupting him.
Woah, woah, woah! Sorry to interrupt, Prongsie, but Wormtail didn't mention the Story, did ya, Wormtail?
Sorry, Padfoot! I forgot. So, uh, every chapter will also include a story that one of us Marauders found while searching for a 'How to become an Animagus' book. Some of the stories are sad, and some of them downright hilarious. Over to you, Moony.
'Course, Wormtail. You have to be VERY careful while making the Animagus Potion. One step wrong and you'll be stuck in a half-human, half-animal form forever. I advise school children not to try this out - this journal only marks what we did so that future Marauders can use it for good. When I say careful, I MEAN careful. Think twice before doing anything. Read the whole chapter before attempting even an inch of movement. Please.
Because if you do, all of the blame will be put on us :)
It's not only that, Padfoot. Somebody could die. And when the ministry finds them, they could go in prison too.
Alright, alright.
Prongs, explain where Animagi are mentioned in books.
Why me? Ugh, okay. Well, in Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling Stump, Babbity Rabbity (why is it so hard to write that?) was an Animagus. She turned into a rabbit. And then there's a book on Maledictuses - 'The Maledictus' which talks a bit about Animagi. And... ugh, Moony, you continue, I can't write this anymore.
Fine. Animagi were also mentioned in a list of Potions ingredients, because some are necessary for the potion. Oh, and speaking of Maledictus, Padfoot will explain the difference between a Maledictus and an Animagus.
On it. A Maledictus is a curse - an Animagi is a choice. You get the idea. If you're a Maledictus, you are FORCED to turn into an animal at some point during your lifetime. And you lose your memory too, you know. But if you want to become an Animagus, it's basically like a Transfiguration. Transfiguring yourself into an animal. Wormtail, does an Animagus transformation hurt?
The first few times, it does. But after that, the pain goes away and you can do it effortlessly, without a wand. Is that all we need to say, Moony?
Yup. Dear reader, move forward to see the first step of becoming an Animagus. Good luck!
"That's all?" said Harry, confused.
"I think so, yes," nodded Hermione, inspecting the chapter. "Well, want to read ahead?"
"'Course," said Ron. "I think I like the Marauders now."
Hermione wiped her forehead, looking worried. "But now... but now I have the idea that this could be dangerous."
"Hermione," said Harry grimly.
Hermione looked up.
"We tackled a three headed dog and a set of wizard's chess when we were 11. You got petrified and Ron had to face his fears the next year. Then Ron got his leg nearly chopped off and you got surrounded by Dementors in third-year. We fought Death Eaters. Do you really think we can't survive becoming Animagi, too?"
"Well... no."
"So there you have it. Let's move on, then."
A/N: Hi! Happy birthday, Harry! I'm updating today because it's Harry's birthday. Anyway, here's going to be the format for most of the next chapters"
What the Marauders have written in their book
Divider
How the trio reacted
Divider
What Harry did for that step
Divider
What Ron did for that step
Divider
What Hermione did for that step
End of chapter
