Enjoy this. Had it sitting around and didn't realize it.

Harry was a bit worried and slightly upset with Farlan. Not that he was the only one, given the man had yet to tell Ron how his rat was doing. Farlan seemed to almost be avoiding the trio, with Hermione being the only one who saw him recently and it was only to request the use of her cat. What he possibly wanted with the creature was anyone's guess but what bothered Harry the most was the article that had come out Wednesday morning.

Harry knew it was Farlan who was the anonymous source in this, just like with Lockhart. Harry had just thought that—with how they had spoken back in his shed—Farlan would have included them in dealing with Pettigrew. He knew this was a ridiculous notion. What could a trio of thirteen-year-olds possibly do to help catch a criminal who'd avoided persecution for twelve years? But surely Farlan would have at least found them after and explained. He had been so open and willing to talk to them before, but now he was so secretive that Harry felt a stab of hurt.

He hadn't seen him at all after breakfast when Farlan had briefly glanced at him before rushing out after Lupin. Since then, Harry hadn't seen either man and all anyone could talk about was the strange turn of events regarding Sirius Black's innocence and what would happen next. Some were still convinced he was mad and would be taken in anyway, and Harry had to resist the urge to correct anyone.

He didn't know Sirius and obviously, the dementors could seriously affect one's mental health. Sirius could very well be addled and even with his innocence proven, that didn't mean things would change. For him or for Harry, who had gathered a tiny bit of hope that his godfather might take him away from the Dursleys. The man had to have cared for him before or he wouldn't have given Hagrid his motorcycle or asked to take him when his parents were killed. Harry hoped that hadn't changed but the doubts lingered.

Along with those doubts were the ones that bothered him about this evening as he dragged his feet to the History of Magic classroom. Lupin had told him the first day back from holidays that he would show him how to cast a patronus. Harry didn't hear from him since and wondered if the private lesson was canceled but chose to still show up tonight and wait for a bit. There was a chance Farlan would be there too and Harry had so many questions.

He reached the room and knocked before letting himself in. It was dark still and his hope sank a bit more but he lit nearby lamps and stood in wait. Lupin and Farlan weren't known for being on time, after all. There was still a sliver of a chance. A few minutes passed before the door was opened and Lupin stepped in hauling a rather large suitcase that he brought over and dropped onto Professor Binn's desk. Relief flooded Harry at the sight of him and he turned away from the door with a hint of curiosity.

"Is that the boggart?"

Lupin nodded. "Been searching for one since you were interested. Found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real dementor. The boggart will turn into a dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Okay," Harry said as confidently as he could manage, which wasn't as much as he wished.

"There's just… just one thing that might postpone our lesson a bit," he said then with a small smile that made Harry a little worried.

There was a small knock behind him and Harry turned to see Farlan awkwardly poking his head into the room.

"Farlan!" Harry called out, feeling the rush of questions on his tongue and only just holding them all back. "Where have you—"

Farlan pushed the door open a bit further, glancing back at someone who was soon revealed. Harry stared at the slim man who looked nothing like the grim picture that had been published in papers recently. Sirius Black stepped into the room as Farlan closed the door behind them and latched it with a silencing charm.

Harry stared for a while, looking over his godfather and trying to take everything in. He'd cleaned up a bit—hair trimmed, showered, clean new clothes, and a slightly less pale face. He was still unhealthily underweight and dark rings were under his eyes but he eyed Harry with such warmth that the young man didn't know what to do.

"Hello, Harry," Sirius murmured with a small smile. "I… I hope you'll forgive me for not… not contacting you sooner… among other things."

Harry didn't know what to say, dumbfounded by what was happening and why Sirius Black was now standing before him. His gaze shifted to Farlan just behind him as the young man rubbed the back of his neck, though Lupin was the one who spoke next.

"Perhaps we should explain some things."

"H-He should know most of it," Farlan muttered. "Majority of it was in the paper."

"It's okay," Sirius offered, taking a seat and wringing his hands. "I… I want to explain things myself. Harry… You deserve to hear it from me."

Harry slowly nodded, grasping a chair behind him and falling into it himself.

"I suppose we should start with the fact that we… we were all Animagi," Sirius explained and Farlan looked at Harry, seeing his slight confusion, and stepping in.

"McGonagall is one. It allows you to fully transform into an animal. It's… a complicated and dangerous thing to learn. You remember the names? On the map?"

Sirius brightened. "You have our map?"

Harry hesitantly nodded. "A few friends gave it to me. There was… Moony—"

"Me," Remus hummed.

"Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs."

Farlan nodded. "There was… an incident with Ron's rat. It's why I… haven't dropped by to speak with you all. The situation became complicated and… I'm not sure how to… to explain…"

"It was in the paper, wasn't it?" Remus asked but Farlan shook his head.

"Not that part. The Animagi part wasn't added to prevent people from getting ideas and escaping Azkaban. It was the one thing I allowed to be removed… though, Rita wasn't pleased."

"I can imagine."

Harry was lost and Farlan rubbed at his shoulder.

"I went to check the health of Ron's rat and he transformed into Peter Pettigrew. He was an unregistered Animagus. It was how he escaped and how Sirius found him and got out of Azkaban."

"He was in the paper," Sirius explained. "I'd know that rat anywhere and he had a finger missing."

Harry remembered seeing the missing digit on Ron's rat and his eyes widened, whipping toward Farlan. "It was Scabbers?"

Farlan bobbed his head slowly. "There was… a struggle but it was how we proved Sirius's innocence. I… didn't expect it to happen that way."

Harry could imagine and he eyed Farlan for injuries but he seemed fine enough. Harry wasn't convinced he wasn't hurt but any physical injuries seemed healed. So, he turned to Sirius who eyed him solemnly.

"Peter cut off his finger before he transformed. When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself, and sped down into the sewer with the other rats."

"It was strange that a rat lived with Ron for twelve years when they only live five max," Farlan explained. "And he was stressing to the point of illness ever since Sirius escaped. I…I hadn't put it together and checked something that made him change back to try and escape."

"That cat was the only thing to help me," Sirius said with a small smile. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He knew I wasn't a dog and offered to help me once I could communicate with him."

"Padfoot," Farlan pointed out. "Sirius has a dog Animagus and Wormtail was Peter's nickname for his Animagus."

"Then… Prongs was…"

"Your father," Sirius replied. "A deer. Always complained it wasn't as impressive as he wanted but it wasn't bad."

"Wait, then I saw you," Harry realized in surprise. "At my aunt's house a-and at the Quidditch game."

"You were flying just like James. I couldn't help but buy you that broom."

"I thought it was…" Harry looked at Farlan and Sirius raised a brow at the man.

"You're an Animagus?"

Farlan shook his head. "No, though I am intrigued now. I… I think Harry means… well…"

Sirius jumped when Farlan's shadow shifted and the Grim drifted out of it like smoke, eyeing the group with a bored expression.

"B-But that's—"

"A Grim," Farlan grumbled, waving at the dog as though to shoo the smokey apparition away, unsuccessfully. "He's attached to me for some reason. Trust me, I'm not pleased either."

"Hell, I can see why he'd think your Grim was around," Sirius muttered before Harry spoke up, finding his voice.

"Why… Why did you say you killed them? My parents?" He asked, making Sirius turn his gaze to the ground. "You didn't kill them, so why?"

"Harry… I as good as killed them," Sirius admitted quietly. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret Keeper instead of me… I'm to blame, I know it… The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet, there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies… I realized what Peter must've done… what I'd done…"

"That… That's not your fault though," Harry said, surprising him as Harry eyed the sad man seated before him. "You didn't kill them. Voldemort did. Peter Pettigrew helped him do it. You were just… You were just trying to protect them, right?"

Sirius stared at him in disbelief that Harry wasn't blaming him like he had been all these years. Farlan hesitated before speaking.

"When… When Harry was picked up, he didn't know anything about you other than your face being on muggle news as a criminal. He asked why I was picking him up early and… I told him the truth. He asked about you and James, about why you may have escaped, and what people thought. I… I'm sorry for never doing anything, Sirius, but he agreed with me. He thought you were innocent too, even after learning that you may have been the Secret Keeper."

"It didn't make sense," Harry added, seeing the uncertainty on Sirius's face. "You and my dad were such good friends. Farlan said you were against your own family who sided with Voldemort. Why would you change all that and… and come to make sure I was safe?"

Tears were welling up in Sirius's eyes. "Y-You believed I was innocent?"

Harry nodded and Sirius stood, heading over and as though he knew what the man wanted, Harry got up and wrapped his arms around the man who let out a choked sob as he clung to him.

"I'm glad you're okay," Harry murmured after a moment and Sirius let out a half chuckle as he pulled away, smiling down at Harry before glancing at Farlan.

"I wouldn't have been without him."

Farlan fidgeted, tugging on his earlobe with red cheeks. "I-It was an accident mostly."

"It was hardly that," Sirius argued, giving him a grin as he draped his arm over Harry's shoulders. "You may have caught Peter on accident but you didn't have to get all those contracts set up for me."

"Contracts?" Harry asked and Lupin smiled.

"Farlan went to great lengths to ensure a few things after catching Peter. Namely ensuring that no matter what happened to the rat, Sirius's innocence was proven and set in stone."

"As well as earning me compensation from the Ministry for my false imprisonment, their help in becoming fully recovered, and…" Sirius looked down at Harry fondly. "…ensuring my rights as your godfather."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked over at Farlan who offered a small smile himself.

"I-I couldn't let you go home to your relatives when there was someone who cared for you properly here. It might take some time but—" Farlan let out a grunt when Harry slammed into him, holding him tight as his own tears fell.

"T-Thank you. Thank you so much, Farlan," he choked out and Farlan hesitated before wrapping an arm around Harry himself and patting his head.

"I… didn't want you to end up like me," he murmured softly. "You deserve to enjoy your time here and at home."

"Speaking of," Sirius hummed. "I'll try to have my home cleaned by the time summer's here. It's a bit rundown."

"Don't forget your meetings too," Lupin reminded him and Sirius wrinkled his nose with a huff.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm only going to the healers for him, you know," he complained as Harry released Farlan and wiped at his eyes. "The Ministry already isn't happy with how things went. I'm sure they'll try to say I'm incapable or something."

"The contract states the mind healers have to be impartial," Farlan tacked on. "They can't claim anything unless you're certified as clinically insane."

"Which you obviously aren't if you're capable of holding a proper conversation," Lupin agreed and Sirius glanced back at Farlan with a teasing smirk.

"Guess I owe you for that one too, eh? Should make you stay with us. Keep us both sane."

Farlan grimaced and shook his head. "M-My circumstances won't allow it. I have to stay here a-and, while I wouldn't mind otherwise… I-I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will inform you I'm hardly capable of caring for anyone."

Sirius raised a brow and Harry cracked a smile.

"He has to be escorted to meals because he forgets."

Sirius snorted as Farlan flushed.

"I-I don't forget! I-I-I just… lose track of time."

"You have a watch," Sirius pointed out as Farlan shrank further into himself in embarrassment.

"I-I get distracted."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter at his shame, earning a mild glare from the man as Harry smiled and Lupin sighed.

"Speaking of time, it's late. Apologies, Harry, for not getting to the patronus."

"It's okay," Harry replied, grateful for what had happened instead. "We can still do it some other time, right?"

Lupin nodded. "Tomorrow. Same time and place."

Harry nodded, excited about that, and glanced at Sirius who smiled back.

"I've gotta head out myself," he said, giving Harry a side hug as they all headed for the door. "I'm expecting you to owl though. I'm looking forward to learning about my godson."

"I will and… I'll see you at the end of term?"

"Course. I promise."

I woke up in my bed with the distinct feeling that something was wrong. I frowned, curling into my blankets with a soft grumble as my mind tried to process what had woken me. Had I forgotten something? Was someone knocking on my door? I strained my ears with a frown but didn't hear anything and begrudgingly reached over to my nightstand, picking up the watch McGonagall gave me. It wasn't too early. It was nearly breakfast time, in fact, which meant trying to go back to sleep now would potentially end up with McGonagall getting upset for me missing a meal. Groaning, I pushed myself up and sat on the edge of my bed, running a hand through my hair and putting the watch back only to freeze.

My knuckle had bumped into something warm and my eyes snapped to the steaming cup of coffee on my nightstand. A chill went up my spine as I stared at it, knowing now what had woken me up. Someone was in my room.

A loud pop made me launch to my feet with a yelp and I whipped around with my hand rushing to my hip… where my wand would've been if I was wearing more than just my boxers. What I found was a smiling house elf wearing a white handkerchief around his neck, which was very much not what I expected to wake up to. I opened my mouth to question Dobby, brows furrowed, before closing my mouth and dragging a hand down my face.

It was too early for this. I was not a morning person, much less after the late nights I'd had with Remus and Harry practicing his patronus. It put me behind on other things which I then took to my bedroom to work on. McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey would get on my case if they noticed, but they hadn't yet because I managed to get a few nights' rest every so often.

"W-What are you doing here, Dobby?" I finally managed to say.

"Dobby has returned to repay Mr. Daggrow for freeing him."

"You don't need to do that."

"Dobby must!" He declared, determined.

I groaned, sitting back down on my bed and begrudgingly taking the coffee he made, sipping it, and pulling the cup back in surprise. "Did you add something to this?"

Dobby bobbed his head, his ears flapping as he did. "Invigoration draught, Mr. Daggrow. The elves in the kitchens told Dobby you are often tired."

I eyed him as he smiled again and I drank more of the coffee. I didn't like this situation at all. While I understood the house elves' need to do things and serve others in order to… stay sane, I knew that a majority of their treatment was poor. They were another creature or Being to me that didn't deserve it and I wanted nothing to do with them. Not in a bad way, I just… didn't want to be put in the position of having one serving me. It didn't feel right. So, I finished the coffee and got up, getting dressed and pulling on my robes.

"I don't need you to serve me, Dobby. If you need a job, you should ask Dumbledore."

He shook his head. "Dobby doesn't want to serve anymore. Dobby wants to be paid."

"I'm sure he would pay you."

"Dobby must repay Mr. Daggrow first," he insisted.

"You don't need to repay me. It's fine," I grumbled, moving past him and ignoring that he'd swept up my discarded clothes and put them up to be cleaned. "Stop messing with my things. Just… Just go ask Dumbledore for a job."

I didn't wait for an answer, just leaving my room and heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Needless to say, Dobby didn't take no for an answer. In the days and weeks following his initial appearance, I very quickly became paranoid and on edge. Every slight popping sound had me whipping around thinking he was there to offer me another drink or more food. I had only just managed to convince him not to touch anything in my shed. It was organized chaos that I didn't need him messing up. That didn't stop him from cleaning anything else he could get his hands on. My clothes, my bedroom, the desks I used. It was driving me crazy and everyone else, of course, found it highly amusing.

McGonagall told me to just hire the elf since he was doing a better job taking care of me than I was. Remus even cracked a smile whenever I complained about the insistent creature. Dumbledore was of no help, though after what I'd done to upset him, I wasn't surprised. I wouldn't even consider sending Dobby to Harry, as much as the house elf would probably want to, but it did give me an idea.

"Dobby."

I flinched violently when he appeared in my room, clenching my fists to try and relax as I forced a tight smile on my face. He was haunting my dreams too and I hadn't slept well in ages since I saw him everywhere.

"Yes, Mr. Daggrow? You have something for Dobby?"

"Y-Yes. I… I found a job for you."

Dobby looked hesitant. "Dobby serves Mr. Daggrow."

"It's to… to help me. I-If you do this, then it'll be a big help."

Dobby perked up, given this was the first task I'd actually given him.

"I have a… a friend who needs his house cleaned. He's trying to make it good enough for Harry to live with him," I explained, hoping that mentioning Harry would convince him further and his eyes lit up.

"Harry Potter?"

I nodded, hopeful. "Yes. Harry is going to live with his godfather, Sirius Black. I've been told his house is a bit of a mess though, and his house elf isn't quite helping as much as he could. You helping him fix the place up and setting aside any cursed objects for me to look at would be very helpful. You're welcome to make friends with his house elf too."

"And this will help Mr. Daggrow?"

"Yes!" I said quickly, wincing with the amount of eagerness I'd had in my voice but Dobby didn't seem to notice.

"Then, Dobby will go! Dobby will clean the house very well and do what Mr. Black says. Then, Dobby repaid Mr. Daggrow."

"If you do that, then you'll have definitely repaid me," I muttered, forcing my grimace of a smile back on my face as Dobby puffed up proudly. "Do I need to explain how to get to Grimmwauld Place?"

Dobby shook his head, ears flapping again. "Dobby can find it. Dobby will go."

"Ah, wait," I stopped him, taking a letter from my desk and handing it to him. "He might ask why you're there. Just give this to him and it should be fine."

Dobby took the letter and vanished with a snap of his fingers; the pop making me flinch until my shoulders sagged and I fell back onto my bed. A heavy breath escaped me and then a hint of a mad cackle.

"H-He's finally gone. Thank Merlin."

Things calmed down after that; for me, anyway. With Sirius's innocence proven though, things at the castle had relaxed as well. The dementors were gone—though Harry had finally been able to create a corporeal patronus; a stag, much the Remus's surprise. Once he was finished with his lessons though, I took the time to ask Remus about the Animagus ritual.

Sirius had sent me a letter about the bare basics of the ritual as thanks for helping him with the Ministry. Of course, a list of ingredients and the mention of a full moon and thunderstorm weren't very useful so I needed to speak with someone who might have a clue. Remus did, thankfully, though he saw what Sirius sent me and sighed.

"He may have been very smart but this is why Sirius wasn't left in charge of the finer aspects of the pranks we did as students," he commented, giving me a look as I stared at the parchment with furrowed brows. "There's a lot more to it than the weather and a few potion ingredients."

"I assumed as much, otherwise there would be far more Animagi," I grumbled, placing the paper on the desk. "You didn't have to do it because of your condition but how much do you know about it?"

"I know enough to get you started. It took James and Sirius three years to get it all worked out and everything gathered. I was there for some of the process but… are you certain? It's highly dangerous and if done wrong could cause permanent injury."

I hummed. "I believe it may help with my studies." I glanced up at him curiously. "Being an Animagus gives you some insight into how creatures think and it allows them to lower their guard. If I could use legilimency while in that form then perhaps it could allow a better understanding of the creatures I can work with."

Remus considered that for a moment before humming himself. "I suppose that's a logical assumption. I haven't heard if legilimency can be used while being in an Animagus form. Though, I must admit I don't have quite the handle on the skill as you do. However, if you're certain then I will help. You may need to request McGonagall's assistance though."

I grimaced at the thought, knowing she would probably disapprove of my attempting it in the first place. Or would require me to register it with the Ministry, who aren't pleased with me at the moment. Still, I didn't want to risk doing it wrong so Remus walked me through what I would need to do. The initial steps were easy. Holding a mandrake leaf in my mouth from one full moon to the next wasn't a problem. Sure, it made my meals taste a bit off, but it didn't bother me much.

The real problems occurred with acquiring the ingredients for the next step and ensuring that I was keeping up to date with the weather patterns. It took time to find what I needed for the ingredients and quite a few trips into the deeper sections of the forest. The centaurs weren't pleased about this, approaching me at least once to warn me that they wouldn't take kindly of me wandering too far. Strange thing was, that's all it was. A verbal warning.

It wasn't the norm for centaurs and I mentioned it to Hagrid during one meal and even he was surprised. He then heavily patted my back, nearly slamming my face into my stew, and claimed they must've liked me for some reason. I couldn't exactly ask them why—for obvious reasons—so I settled for assuming it was because of the creatures I worked with in the forest.

Eventually, though, I had what I needed and hated how hard it was to determine if a bit of dew had or hadn't seen sunlight for a week. A month passed faster than expected though, and my mandrake leaf was placed in the vial the final evening and then sealed in a runic box I'd made to ensure it would be in a dark, silent, undisturbed place until the next thunderstorm. Said storm was some weeks away and begrudgingly I did the arduous task of remembering to say the ritual chant every sunrise and sundown.

As someone who was more than forgetful and unaware of time, this was the hardest part. I ended up creating a runic device that would make an alarm when it was sunrise and sunset. Then came the problem of remembering to bring it with me. I frequently left it on my nightstand and forgot to bring it to lessons or out to my shed. When I'd nearly missed saying the ritual phrase twice, I adjusted the runes on the alarm to come to me at the designated time if it wasn't already on my person.

It was a harder task than it sounded. I was left with welts and a concussion one time because of the speed it would come flying at me. Then, I managed to tweak its enchantments to act more like apparating than just flying toward my person, but with that came a new problem. Much like with Dobby randomly appearing when I least expected, the alarm would do the same. I nearly had a panic attack trying to find the device one evening only for Remus to walk in, finding the Dark Arts room torn apart and me halfway out a window in search of it.

It had appeared in the hood of my robes and had been blaring for half an hour.

Thankfully, none of the students seemed to care about my alarm nor the muttered grumble of "Amato Animo Animato Animagus" I would say whenever it went off. The only curious ones were the expected Hermione and Harry. I informed them both what I was doing when they asked, but made sure to tell them both how dangerous it was and that they shouldn't do it without proper guidance or they'd end up permanently injured. They looked moderately discouraged and against my better judgment, I may have mentioned that if they impressed McGonagall with their Transfiguration skills they might have a chance to learn from her in their later years at Hogwarts.

Said professor wasn't pleased when I informed her of what I was doing. I didn't have to tell her but when I finally found out when the thunderstorm would happen, it was on a full moon and Remus wouldn't be around. I could have done the last part alone but he suggested otherwise because the transformation would undoubtedly be an awkward change and he wasn't sure how well it would go if I was alone. This meant speaking to McGonagall about it after I was quite a ways through the ritual. The scolding was harsh but deserved. Remus wasn't exactly an expert in this skill and McGonagall should've been the first person I spoke to. Still, she wouldn't leave me to do things on my own now, which I was grateful for.

Before I could do the final step though, I had students to take care of. Easter holidays were full of overwhelmed students studying for their Newt and Owl exams, and even the new third years were swamped with homework. This meant I set up my after-class study sessions a bit earlier than usual and had to keep my eye on some of the more studious students.

Hermione was one who I needed to work out a proper schedule with. She had taken more electives than anyone and was quick to get overwhelmed, so I worked with her to set up a study schedule to prevent her from going too far and having a breakdown over the amount of work she had. Neville Longbottom had anxiety anyway and needed reassurance when I could offer it to him, along with calming draughts. The Ravenclaws were usually studious though, and became worse when exams came up so they were often around for their own studying. Madam Pomfrey wasn't thrilled to provide me with so many calming draughts but agreed to, so long as I took note of who had them and made sure that no more than one was offered daily. She would get the report back the following morning and then inform me of who needed less to prevent addiction or other issues, and who I needed to send to her for a discussion on their mental health.

Thankfully, my efforts to assist the students with their work helped mitigate some of the tension that came up with the Quidditch finals. Not much. I still had to send a Slytherin and Gryffindor to Madam Pomfrey for a scuffle in the hall and ended up with corridor patrols added to my things to do. Needless to say, I was more than glad when the match finally happened—I avoided going to catch up on sleep—and once it was over things became peaceful once more.

The exams weren't bad either. I had to help Remus get his set up when some of the creatures were being a bit rowdy and once they were finished it was only a few days before I needed to take the Animagus potion. I was a bit nervous that day and even the students noticed. Hermione reassured me it would go well with McGonagall around and since I had done everything I needed properly. Still, I was uneasy about it even when I met with her in her classroom to get it done.

"You may feel a bit odd at first," she explained as thunder rumbled outside and she ensured we had our privacy. "Mentally you will be a bit scrambled but just give it a minute to settle and you should be alright. I recommend using it frequently when you're alone the first week. Just to get used to the movements and process. Doing it with Remus or I would be best if you can, just to ensure you don't end up in an awkward position should something happen."

I eyed her hesitantly. "Like?"

She considered it for a moment. "I do believe I got carried away initially and almost got myself caught under a desk. It takes getting used to and sometimes you miscalculate what you can and cannot get into. In your own time then."

I hummed, eyeing the potion hesitantly as she waited, before gathering the courage to say the spell one final time and drink it. I grimaced at the bitter taste, coughing a bit once I finished. Then, I felt a slow buildup of warmth pooling in my stomach and spreading to the rest of my body. I clenched my eyes shut as the warmth built to a burning point, curling in on myself before it faded. I breathed hard, relishing in the coolness of the floor before relaxing and opening my eyes.

It was strange to be so small and as McGonagall said, my mind took a moment to sort itself out. I went to speak and instead, a small bark and whine escaped me, earning a smile from her as I frowned.

"I told you it was different," she said, eyeing me as I stumbled to my feet awkwardly. "Though, it suits you. Most Animagi match their caster's patronus from what I've been told."

I wrinkled my nose at my small black paws but stretched and shook out my fur to try and ease some of the tension from the initial change. McGonagall conjured a mirror for me and I hummed, tipping my head curiously. As she said, my animagus form had matched my patronus and I was a lithe red fox. My feet were splashed with black fur—as were the back of my ears—and my cheeks, chest, inner ears, and underbelly were white. I flicked my tail around to cover my front feet to see a bit of white on the tip of my tail as well, but the rest of my fur was a rusty-reddish hue with some darker reds and blacks mixed in. The only real identifying markings I had were the scars from the creatures I dealt with. In particular, the four long lines across one of my shoulders from an old incident with a nundu.

It was strange though. I half expected my mind to be far less coherent. I knew that Animagi could retain some of their thought processes but never bothered to ask how… human they were while in the form of an animal. As it was, I felt mostly the same other than the new perspective of being lower to the ground. Still, there was something in the back of my mind that felt off in a way I didn't quite understand. Something more primal, perhaps; instinctual.

I shifted back a moment later, blinking hard as my mind and body tried to adjust back to being human. McGonagall helped me up and lightly brushed off my robes as I faced her and my thoughts caught up with me.

"Do you ever get the urge to groom yourself as a cat?"

She gave me a look before sighing. "You will have more animalistic urges while in and out of your animagus form. You can overcome those urges if you wish to, given your mind stays intact. Now, I do suggest you ensure you register your form with the Ministry—"

I wrinkled my nose in distaste, knowing they already didn't like me and that might come back to bite me later if I wasn't careful. Plus, the Minister isn't exactly someone capable of much. The Dark Lord could be right under his nose and I get the feeling he'd just look the other way.

"—However," she continued, giving me a knowing look. "I understand if you… postpone doing so. I will hardly say anything to the Minister about it."

I cracked a small smile as we headed to the door and she undid the spells so I could leave. "Thank you, Minerva, for helping."

She offered a small smile. "Of course, though I expect you to come to me before starting up dangerous things like this. I may not be so willing next time."

I agreed and left, heading back to my room with a million thoughts running through my head about my new ability and how useful it could prove to be.