I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good: An idea

[alt_terry]

I've been thinking...

The Headmistress had me shelve a lot of her advanced Transfiguration books at her place in London. I guess since she isn't teaching any more, she thought she might as well get the books in her collection out of the way if there's also a copy in the library. Anyway, it was my first chance to see some of those really advanced textbooks up close. Master always kept the most advanced Transfiguration textbooks that he uses locked up so I couldn't ever look at them.

She has a whole load of books on the Animagus transformation. Which makes sense, of course, since she's an Animagus herself. It was while I was paging through one of those books that I discovered something I'd never realised before.

You can actually learn to become an Animagus.

Did you know that? I guess I really never thought about it, but I just supposed it was sort of like being a metamorphmagus, an ability that you're born with. And if you're not born with it, you're out of luck.

But if I could actually learn to become an Animagus....

I could escape, couldn't I? And if Master ever got custody of me again, he couldn't keep me. I mean, if I could figure out how to turn into the right sort of animal. Not something big and noticeable like, um, a tiger or anything, but something that's ordinary, that people wouldn't maybe notice. Something that could outrun him, or maybe even fly away! And I could get away and hide, and he'd never ever be able to find me!

Most of the Headmistress's more advanced books about it are in Latin, I'm afraid, but I'm hoping there's something here at Hogwarts I can use, either in her collection or maybe in the library. Would it be in the Restricted Section? I hope not. I mean, she does send me to get books from the Restricted Section pretty often, but Madam Pince would know.

Anyway, what do you think?

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

I'd always heard you don't exactly get to PICK what animal you learn to be. So you might study, and then turn into a tiger or a crocodile or something else really noticeable.

But it's a good idea. If you can figure it out. It's also supposed to be really hard.

I'd love to learn how to do an animagus tranformation. The Headmistress is an animagus? Really? Have you ever seen her transform?

[alt_terry]

Yeah, she is. I'm not surprised if you've never heard about it from Master, since he hates her, but she can turn into a tortiseshell cat.

She doesn't do it too often. Mostly when she's upset about something, I've noticed. Maybe things don't bother her so much if she's an animal.

I wonder what kind of animal I'd turn into? If I could figure out how to do it.

I like to go away and hide a lot. Maybe a mole or something like that.

[alt_sally_anne]

Moles and rats and squirrels and mice would all be easy prey for a school owl, but only if they caught you. They're all small and good at hiding, they can squeeze into tiny spaces and they're pretty fast when they need to be.

[alt_neville]

Wow, that's brilliant, Terry. I don't have any ideas, because I don't know much about it. But if you could do it, yeah, that would be amazing!

Dunno what sort of animal I would be. Maybe a sloth. Not that I like to hang upside down or anything! But I guess I'm sort of slow and clumsy.

[alt_ron]

What if it turns out you turn into a Bundimun or something that can't move anywhere? Or just something really small and, y'know, something that's easy to hurt? Like a rabbit or something.

Carrow's not an animagus is he? Think what he'd turn into!

[alt_neville]

Yeah, if you turned into a rabbit, it'd be real easy to be caught by one of the school owls. That'd be dangerous.

[alt_terry]

Well yeah, a lot would depend on what kind of animal I'd be. And if it turns out not to be anything useful, at least I would have tried.

No, Master's not an Animagus. It's scary to think what sort of animal he'd be. Maybe a rabid wolverine or something like that.

He's bad enough as a human.

[alt_ron]

Well, yeah. I guess it can't hurt trying.

And if anyone could help you do it, it'd be the twins. I mean, they can figure out any kind of magic they set their minds to. It would sure be a slap to the school, though, if you could do this without ever being allowed to take a single lesson here. I mean, what are they about, pretending we all need to spend all day sat in lessons, listening to Carpenter and Binns and Carrow going on and on?

[alt_lee]

Actually it can hurt. To try I mean. It can be awful dangerous. People have killed themselves trying to do it because they get it wrong and they get stuck between human and animal and they can't live. That's why the Ministry regulates it so much.

[alt_neville]

Whoa.

Are you sure you really want to try it then, Terry?

[alt_terry]

Well, I guess I want to start out my learning everything I can about it. You have to start somewhere, don't you?

Maybe there are some preliminary steps I can figure out, and that'll give me a clue as to whether I'm any good at it.

Hermione, do you know any books in the library that would be good to try?

[alt_sally_anne]

I've heard a story about someone who tried to do a transformation and turned into a fish and couldn't change back, and died because they weren't anywhere near water.

Admittedly, I think the point of the story was that Ravenclaws are clever but not necessarily about the right things, so take it for what it's worth.

[alt_terry]

Wow. Good point. Hadn't thought of that.

Guess if I figure it out, the first time I try transforming right at the lake shore.

Just in case.

[alt_gredforge]

Thanks, Ron. We're rather touched by your faith in our prowess. Pity that Professor Carrow doesn't agree.

But maybe we can undertake a little independent study on the subject this year. Who knows? We might end up helping our Professor while impressing Professor Carrow at the same time. Wouldn't that be ironic?

We'll start with nicking Percy's Transfiguration book. The prat's so busy with his Big Head Boy duties that he probably doesn't have time to study Transfiguration anyway.

[alt_gredforge]

We're all for it, Professor. There isn't anything about the transformation in our Transfiguration textbook for this year. But we'll try to pinch Percy's textbook and see if it's mentioned in the 7th year text.

And you've been an animal, actually. Remember? Maybe that will make learning the transformation easier.

[alt_lee]

Hey I think it's brilliant too.

If you manage to pull it off you'd better be dead sure not get caught doing it though. Animaguses are suppposed to register with the Ministry. No idea what they'd do to a muggleborn animagus but I bet it wouldn't be good.

[alt_terry]

If you could check the 7th year textbook, I'd appreciate it.

Wow, I hadn't even thought of that! I hope you're right, but I don't have very clear memories of that week.

Except for one thing...I was happy. Isn't that odd? I was really happy being a dog. Well, being your dog. I got enough food to eat, and a warm place to sleep beside the fire without worrying that Master was going to be creeping up on me in my cupboard in the middle of the night and seizing me out of a sound sleep and--well, never mind. And people laughed at me because I was so ugly, yeah, but they treated me nice and petted me and...

Wow, it feels really weird to say it. But that week was just about the first time I ever got treated kindly.

I really liked it.

[alt_pansy]

That's the saddest thing I think I've ever

Maybe Fred and George are right. Maybe it would be easier for you because you've already lived it.

[alt_terry]

Hope so.