It was now nearing the end of May, which meant the school year was almost over. Sirius, Regulus, Capella, Severus, and James were heading to their next animagus lesson with Arcturus.
"I really hope we find out what our animals are soon," James commented as they arrived at the stone gargoyle.
"I think we will," Sirius said as they headed up to the headmaster's office. Sirius knocked on the door.
"Enter!" Arcturus' voice called out.
When they entered the room, Arcturus led them into the headmaster's quarters. When they were settled, James blurted out, "When are we going to find out what our animals are?"
Arcturus chuckled. "Funny that you would ask, James. I believe that you are all very good at the meditation exercises and you have all read the book. Therefore, I think today would be a great day to find out what your forms will be," he explained.
They looked at each other in excitement.
"Ooh, yay!" Capella exclaimed. "What do you think you'll be, Regulus?"
"I don't know," Regulus said with a shrug. "But I think I know what Sirius will be." He gave Sirius a grin that only Sirius and Arcturus understood the full meaning behind.
"Oh, really?" James asked.
"Really," Regulus confirmed.
"Wanna bet?" James asked.
"What do you want to bet on?" Regulus asked.
"Alright, let's get started," Arcturus cut in. After all, he already knew who would win the bet. "Now, all of you will get into your meditative state you've been practicing since we started these lessons. You will then think about finding your animal. If your magic is ready to show you your animal, you will see an image of the animal in your mind. Do you have any questions about what you're supposed to do?"
Everyone shook their heads no.
Sirius went first. While he already knew what animal he would be, he still felt excited. He closed his eyes, going into his meditative state. He didn't really have to think about what his animal would be, because he already knew. Sure enough, within moments, the image of a big black dog came into view. The dog came closer, and licked Sirius' hand before barking in excitement.
Sirius blinked his eyes open and saw that everyone was staring at him.
"Well? What was it?" Capella asked.
"Yes, what was it?" James asked with excitement.
"It is a…" Sirius started, purposefully making them wait. "A dog! A big black dog!"
"I knew it!" Regulus said knowingly.
James glared at Regulus. "I would have lost the bet then," he conceded. "Well, I suppose it makes sense, that you're a dog, Sirius. I can't wait to see what I am!"
"You can go next, if you want," Regulus offered.
"No, you can," James stated. Everyone was surprised. Usually, James would jump with joy when he was next, so for him to offer to wait was new.
Regulus nodded before doing the same thing Sirius had done. It didn't take long for him to find out what his animal was. He heard a roar, and an animal that looked like a…'
"A lion!" Regulus exclaimed, opening his eyes.
"A lion?" Sirius asked excitedly. "That's a perfect animal for you, Reg!"
"Are you sure about that?" Regulus asked nervously. "I don't feel like a lion."
"I disagree," Sirius said firmly. "You are a Gryffindor. That alone shows that you're brave, you just don't know it yet. Some Gryffindors start out feeling kind of nervous and they feel like they don't belong there, but as they grow, it changes." He was referring to Neville Longbottom. "But no, you're a lion alright! You'll see! And anyway, you know what your star is, right?"
Regulus glared at his older brother. "Yes, I do. How could I not?"
Sirius shrugged. "I was just saying, a lion fits you very well."
"If I may," Arcturus cut in. "I would like to remind not just you, Regulus, but also everyone else here, that your magic knows what animal is right for you. Your magic will not lie to you. If it shows you a lion, then it means that a lion is the right animal for you."
Regulus hesitated, but knew that Arcturus was right. His grandfather always knew what he was talking about. He nodded. "Alright, Grandfather. I understand."
James was next. Sirius was not surprised about his form: a stag. In fact, he had been expecting it. Sirius grinned. James grinned back.
Capella was next. She was nervous. She closed her eyes, and a moment later, she saw a salamander.
"A salamander!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Wow!" Regulus exclaimed.
"That's awesome!" Sirius stated.
"That's a cool animal for you!" James commented.
Severus was last. When he opened his eyes after a few minutes of silence, he had a scowl on his face.
"It's a bat," he sneered.
"That's a perfect animal for you!" Sirius reassured him.
"I don't think so," Severus muttered. "Bats are boring."
"But they can scare people off," Regulus pointed out.
"Yeah, it could be useful," Capella added.
"I suppose," Severus said with a sigh. "We'll just have to see if you are right."
"Now that you all have found your animals, the lessons will consist of researching your animal, and finding out more about them," Arcturus explained. "You cannot learn to transform into your animal without understanding what you're turning into."
Sirius already knew all about his animal. After all, dogs were easy to research. However, he needed to play along.
When they left the headmaster's quarters, they went in search of the others. They found the other Marauders in the library. They started telling them what their animals would be.
"And what is yours, Sirius?" Alice asked.
"A dog. A big black dog," Sirius revealed.
"I knew it! I knew it! I knew that you would be a dog! I was right! You act just like a dog sometimes!" Lily exclaimed. "Sure enough, you are a dog!"
"Woof! Woof!" Sirius joked.
"Oh, hush," Lily admonished. "Do a real bark when you learn how to turn into your dog form."
"Oh, I suppose," Sirius said with a grin.
"And you'll make a great bat, Sev," Lily said softly, embracing Severus. Severus stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed. He was starting to get used to hugs, though it was still a work in progress.
"I cannot wait until McGonagall tells us we can find our animals," Mary said with a sigh. "But she said it'll probably be the beginning of third year before we get to that point."
"Well, we can't wait to see what they are," Capella said.
The Marauders spent the rest of the day talking about animals, and Sirius started researching his dog form. Regulus, Severus, Capella, and James were not far behind. All in all, the day had been productive, and they were now one step closer to transforming into their animagus forms.