Chapter 44: The Bonding Process

October 12th, 1998

Weeks passed. Harry and Hermione were still wandering out to the plains every day, practising. Harry wasn't sure what exactly it was they were practising, but stargazing with Hermione was never something he would complain about. Until the day Hermione thought of a different approach.

"Alright." She muttered, "We've been doing this for weeks. I think it's time we try something new."

"What do you have in mind?" Harry asked.

"Close your eyes."

And Harry did as he was told.

"McGonagall said that the only way for us to bond with our inner animal is if we bond with the nature that surrounds us first. The outdoors is the true home of every living animal. The sky is their shelter. I think it's time we focus on that."

"But we have been, Hermione. For weeks." Harry answered irritably.

"Have we really though?"

Harry couldn't help but open his eyes to look at her.

"What we've been doing is laying down on grass, looking up the sky and chatting. We haven't really focused on anything. We need to think deeper on it. Feel more of what surrounds us. That's what the book says." She explained.

Harry closed his eyes again. "Alright, what does the book want me to focus on then?"

"In order to feel your inner animal, you must learn to feel the world. You must know the difference between every leaf, every tree and every whist of wind." Hermione quoted, before taking a deep breath.

Harry did the same. And then he started listening. Sure. He could hear the light breeze. He could hear the trees rustle in the background. But there wasn't anything individual to catch on it. It was just like hearing a crowd of people talk. You could hear voices, but nothing really made sense.

That was when he realised what had to be done. He needed to focus on everything one by one. Not all at once. He took another deep breath and allowed himself to relax on the grassy floor.

Suddenly, he could hear a whistle. A very gentle one. It was so majestic and constant. Like a flute. But then he focused on it more. He could hear it curve and change as it progressed through the empty canvas of air. It was an unstoppable force, so strong and yet so peaceful, with only one desire, that being to simply move on. To drift along the plain. Wind. He could feel it. Going through the fabric of his clothes. He could feel it move the hairs on his arm. It was unreal. And then he could hear something entirely different. Something clearly disturbed the wind, because it broke down into parts now. There was something cutting right through the whistle. Something soft, something slow. It was going down from the sky. It was giving up, letting go and plummeting towards the ground. And when it landed, he could hear the soft brushing it made against the grass. It was a single leaf. Harry didn't know how but he could almost tell which tree it was from. The big one just a few metres away from him, it was tall and proud. And it shook so slowly, that only a single leaf fell from its grasp.

Harry opened his eyes.

"Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Hermione asked, opening her eyes.

"I just… I just… that was weird."

He explained the entire thing. How he felt almost one with the wind and with the leaf.

"That's amazing!" Hermione cheered, "You're pretty much done with the first step. Apparently, this is what you'll have to do after you drink the potion."

"A potion? You never told me there are any potions."

"Unfortunately, yes. There's one potion and also an incantation we must recite at sunrise and sundown as well as just before the taking the actual potion. This is going to be a tough process, and possibly quite dangerous. But I believe in you Harry, and I think it's worth the risk."

"I believe in US, Hermione. You're not giving up on this. Remember what our deal was."

Her gaze broke from him, "I don't know, Harry. You're already ahead in this."

"But I'd never get through stage one without you. So right now, you'll have to catch up because I'm not continuing without you either. If I can do it, you can definitely do it too."

She shook her head, "But I don't know how."

Harry smiled, "I didn't either like ten minutes ago. Here, let me try help." He took hold of her shoulders. "Turn around and lay back on me."

She nodded and turned around. Then lowered herself until she was resting against Harry's torso. He kissed the top of her head.

"Now close your eyes."

He placed his fingers on her temples and lightly massaged them.

"That feels nice." She moaned.

"Don't speak. Just focus on the feeling. And once you remember it, move on to something else. Try sounds or smell."

And that was when she started to focus. She furrowed her brows and bit her lip.

"Too tense." Harry informed, "You have to relax. Stop tensing up so much and just let go."

She did as told and Harry could feel her muscles free up. Her body sank against his. Her hands glided onto the grass and her head fell back. He continued to lightly massage her temples until he decided it was enough. And then they laid there for about fifteen minutes. Harry started to meditate again. It was harder as he had to sit up and hold Hermione, but eventually, he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes.

This time he wanted to focus his efforts on smell. At first, it was tough. There were distinctive scents in the air, like Hermione's hair, always amazing. Once he got past that he could smell her fragrance. He knew in order to smell other things he would have to reach further. That's when the air in his nostrils got thinner, he could smell the grass. He could smell the earth below them, almost taste it at the end of his tongue. It was such a strange feeling, and yet so peaceful. To become one with everything around you. For the first time, he focused on moments. Not thoughts and feelings but moments. This particular moment. Everything he could smell and hear. That was the only thing important. Nothing else. And he could feel his lungs expand and then close up again. He could feel the oxygen enter his body. The air leaving his nostrils. Everything working in perfect unison.

"Wow." Hermione gasped, sitting up. "That was insane."

"Did you feel it?" Harry asked, excited.

"Feel it? No, Harry. I felt everything! Like… everything! That was amazing!"

She explained how she could feel the wind and smell Harry along with the tress and the grass.

"I didn't know meditating was this fulfilling." Harry confessed, "You just feel so… full and aware, but at the same time so absent and muted."

"It's the strangest feeling… I did it!" She cried out and hugged him.

"Of course you did," Harry answered, smiling. "So what's the next step?"

Hermione nodded, "Well… we must continue doing this daily. And I think we can start doing the incantation starting tomorrow. We must do it at every single sunrise and sunset until we're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"The change. The book states that our inner animal will only emerge when nature's power wakes it from its endless dream." Hermione quoted.

"What in the world does that mean?"

"A thunderstorm," Hermione answered, simply.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "McGonagall said she cannot help us too much otherwise the ritual won't be self-made and truly enacted. Whatever that means. But she did hint that it has to be during a specific weather condition. Nature's power is most likely portrayed through a thunderstorm… or an earthquake. Seeing as that would be too rare, a thunderstorm must be good enough."

"I feel like half of this process is just guessing what to do."

"Well, that's why animagi are so rare. You have to be smart and quite skilled to do it. Makes it kind of exciting in a way."

Harry chuckled, "Oh no you have that look in your eye, Hermione."

"What look?" She asked innocently.

"The look of determination."


October 26th, 1998

Halloween was fast approaching and the bonding process was almost over. Hermione turned up to their dorm one night with a flask full of black liquid.

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"I need a bit of your hair," Hermione informed.

"You're not making a polyjuice potion are you?"

"Don't be silly. Here let me cut a little bit off." She took out a pair of scissors. "I'll be gentle I promise. In fact… would you like a haircut?"

Harry laughed "ugh… sure?"

"Take off your shirt and grab a chair."

"The first part of that sentence was very nice." Said Harry as he removed his shirt and sat in the centre of the room. "Why now?"

"I don't know… I have a spare minute, might as well trim that hair of yours. I actually prefer it short. Makes you look more handsome." She smiled.

"I won't protest then. So what is that potion?"

"It's an animagus potion," Hermione explained as she dropped a piece of Harry's hair into the flask, making it turn dark blue. Then she corked it. "Alright. We have the potions."

"When did you make those? And why didn't I get to help?" Harry asked.

"Professor Slughorn was very nice and let me use his classroom during brakes. And well, you've been busy with Quidditch practice. Your next game is with Slytherin, and we all know that's going to be the biggest game of the season, so I decided to just work on it myself. You know I work best when I'm alone. Anyway, how's the new keeper?"

"They're alright. Not as good as Maria. But I couldn't force her to stay on the team after she asked to leave. She even gave up her broom and gifted it to Ginny."

"If you're about to try and make me feel sorry for her, I will make you bald," Hermione warned.

"I won't. I just don't like being the reason for people feeling like shit." Harry explained.

Hermione moved to the front so she could face him. "Look at me."

He looked into her eyes.

"She is the reason. Not you. She made herself feel that way. And I'm still considering telling McGonagall. And YOU, are way too lenient on her. I don't know if you've forgotten-"

"I know what she did, Hermione. And it still makes me sick, alright? But I just wish we could all live happily in peace. I hate how even after the war there's still conflict between people. I just want it to end. I'm tired of it all."

"I know you are, love. So am I. But that doesn't mean bad deeds shouldn't be punished. What she did was horrible, it was inhuman. And I think we are in the wrong for letting her off so easily. I won't decide for you because you are the main victim here. So I'll respect your decision. But I don't agree with it."

"But you've seen how she's been acting. She's stopped talking to people. She's alone all the time. I hardly see her in the halls. She only seems to be around Ginny these days. And that's on a good day."

"Well consider that part of the punishment. It's better than being excluded and getting a criminal record in the ministry." Hermione reasoned.

"I just hope we'll all be behind it soon," Harry muttered.

"Me too." Hermione agreed and returned to cutting his hair. How's your memory, by the way?"

"That's the thing. I can't remember it anymore. All I remember is that she put the spell on me, but I can't remember the dream… at all. I just remember feeling weird. And then waking up." Harry explained.

"The spell has worn off completely. And so the dream and memory of it faded. She's lucky it didn't affect any of your other memories."

"That's why it's hard for me to stay angry. Because I can't remember it anymore. All I see is a depressed girl, full of remorse."

"And yet what she did will stay with you forever. In one way or another. Which is why we cannot forgive her so easily." Hermione informed.

"I know."

They remained in silence for a while. The only sound in the room was hair being cut. The blade striking every couple of seconds.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Harry asked, smiling.

"Hmm?"

"The tent… the last time you cut my hair."

Hermione laughed, "I was so bad at it back then."

"You did alright. Come to think of it, I'm so lucky. I don't need to spend money on a barber."

"Such a humble millionaire," Hermione muttered.

"So what's the plan for Halloween?" Harry asked.

"I think we should go back home… to Beamey. She would like that."

"Yeah. Come to think of it. I miss home. I miss our afternoons on the couch."

Hermione leaned down to kiss his neck. "Me too Harry. And I think I just got hair in my mouth."

They both laughed.

"Alright. All done." Hermione informed and with a flick of her wand, all the hair disappeared. "Are you off to shower?"

"Yeah, I hate having hair in my clothes." He answered.

She nodded. "Okay."

Harry smiled, "Want to join me?"

"Yes."

It never took long to persuade Hermione.


October 30th, 1998

Harry was packing a small bag of clothes for their return home. He was excited to leave the castle for a couple of days. That was when Hermione burst in. She looked excited and slightly out of breath.

"Alright, Harry. I think we're ready. I have all the mandrake leaves."

"The what? Why do we need that?"

"You'll have to swallow it along with the potion during the whole turning process."

"Sounds yummy," Harry answered, bitterly.

"Well, you should be grateful because apparently back in the day, wizards and witches had to keep them in their mouth for an entire month to mix it with their saliva and make the potion. Luckily they've managed to find other alternatives since then. And don't worry, I'll have it too so if it's gross, at least we can share the experience." Hermione tried to encourage him.

"Right. I guess the question is where do we do the actual turning?"

"How about the Potter Garden? It's big enough… out in all the nature."

Harry nodded, "Yeah that sounds good. I also feel slightly more comfortable doing it at home. Now, what about the thunderstorm?"

"We're in luck. It seems like fate is in our favour. There is a thunderstorm being predicted for tomorrow night."

"Wow. A thunderstorm on the night of Halloween. That's awfully cliché." Harry laughed, "And slightly creepy."

"Well, at least it will be memorable."

"And what if it fails? What are the consequences?" Harry asked.

Well, there are a couple. But I've stocked up with cleansing potions. They will wear off the effects as long as we do it quick enough. It should be safe but need to do it properly and carefully. I've been monitoring our progress and I think we're ready for the final step.

"Alright then. I guess we'll go ahead once we arrive home. How long will it take?"

"I don't know. The book says that once the potion is consumed, we must recite the incantation for the final time as nature awakes our inner animal, and then revert back to step one and clear our mind."

"Sounds simple enough once you remove all the puzzling keywords," Harry added.

"Well, we've already triggered the incantation weeks ago so stopping now would be a terrible waste of our efforts. Besides, you can't deny that this is really exciting." Hermione informed.

"You really do scare me sometimes." Harry chuckled.

"Yeah but you love it. Now get ready, sunset is coming. We should go meditate one last time and throw the incantation."

Harry knew they were getting close. Soon enough, they'd meet their inner animal. Harry couldn't help but wonder what he might turn into. Sometimes he imagined it would be something cool like a lion or a tiger. But then he'd worry he'd be a snail or an ant. Time would tell.


A/N: I bet everyone is hella confused right now. WHAT? Another chapter so soon. I know, I'm shocked myself.