FIC: Inevitable 53: Work Like a Dog
Mar. 13th, 2006 12:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mhalachaiNew rule -- I must use the word "incredulous" in every chapter of Inevitable from here on in. Also, what you're about to read is not Harry Stu. It makes perfect sense. Trust me.
Inevitable Fifty-Three: Work Like a Dog
by Mhalachai
Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Only the story is my own.
Note: If I had a subtitle for the chapter, I'd use "Ship Happens", or "Short Attention Span theatre." Take that as you will.
Previous parts here.
~~~~~~~
By the time the sun rose the next morning, Harry was ready to die. His head ached, his tongue was dry, and over it all his shoulder kept having spasms.
It was still too early for anyone else to be awake when Harry dragged himself from the room and down to the showers. The bright room gleamed harshly, brightly, setting the blood pounding in Harry's head.
At least I don't have to go to class today, Harry thought blearily as he undressed. Maybe I'll go up to Madame Pomfrey after breakfast.
The mere thought of food made Harry queasy. I must be getting sick; that has to be it.
The chill spray of the shower made Harry gasp, but he gritted his teeth and grabbed the soap. He closed his eyes against the glare of the lights and washed himself as quickly as he could, wishing that he was back at Anita's house, able to shower in that tiny bathroom near his room, to turn the lights on or off as he wished, able to eat whenever he wanted.
The shower left him shivering as he made his way quietly back up to his dorm room. No one had moved; if things held the same as previous years, no one else would be awake for a few more hours. Harry shimmied into clean clothes, then hesitated for only a few seconds before throwing the Animagus book into his bag over his school books. Vague thoughts of going to the library at some point in the day flitted in Harry's head as he stumbled down the stairs again, and out the portrait hole.
Only a few others were up at this time of day, and all headed in the direction of the Great Hall. Harry made it all the way to the doors of the Hall before he caught the smells of breakfast. The mixing scents of the food, of eggs and sausages and so many things, made his stomach clench. Giving up any idea of food, Harry walked through the castle doors and out onto the drying grass.
He plunked himself down and concentrated for a few minutes on not throwing up. He felt thick and stupid, and wanted the sickness in his head and body to go away.
I'll get over it in a few days, it'll be fine, Harry tried to reassure himself. He flipped open his bag and pulled out the first book that came to hand. Transfiguration. Brilliant. Not that he didn't need the review. He had the suspicion that McGonagall wouldn't let up on them at all this year. Might as well make an effort.
The writing in the book was tiny, and Harry often had to reread whole pages, but he'd managed to work his way through the section on changing inorganic objects like rock and metal into living animals when someone nearby cleared their throat. More than a little irritated at the interruption, Harry looked up slowly.
Reece stood about three feet away, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "What are you doing?" the boy asked in an annoyingly cheerful tone.
"Studying," Harry said shortly, and bent back over his book. His whole body ached and it was now rather hard to breathe without throwing up, but damn it, he wasn't a crybaby, he'd been sick before.
"What subject?"
"Transfiguration."
The one-word answers didn't deter the child. "I like that class. Professor McGonagall's nice."
"No, she isn't." Harry slapped the book closed. "Don't you have something better to be doing with your weekend?"
The boy's happiness was immediately wiped away at Harry's harsh words. Damn it! Harry thought as Reece cast his eyes down. Why did he have to come talk to me?
"Look, it's just a hard subject," Harry said, trying to make up for almost yelling at Reece. "And I'm having a bad day."
"I've had those," Reece said, tentatively glancing back up at Harry. "My mum gave me this for when I feel rotten." He dug in the pocket of his robe, and pulled out a brightly coloured plastic package. He handed the object solemnly to Harry.
Harry had to turn the package over to see that it was a bag of muggle beef jerky. "Dried meat makes you feel better?" Harry asked, wondering if he was missing something.
Reece nodded enthusiastically. "If I feel bad, I eat some and I feel better. Don't you feel like that?" He cocked his head to the side in a very wolf-like action, watching Harry with a stillness so intense he was almost vibrating.
"I'm not..." Harry's voice trailed off. Now he really wanted to kick himself. What was it Jason had said? The lycanthropes needed to eat a lot, to not feel so bad? But Harry hadn't shifted... was he the same way?
"You can keep that," Reece said, bouncing in place. "We're going to practice flying now! Do you want to come?"
"Uh, no thanks," Harry said.
"Okay!" Reece hopped back and then turned to run off.
"Don't you need a teacher or something?" Harry called after him, then winced. Now he was starting to sound like Hermione!
"We've got a prefect!" Reece shouted as he ran in the direction of the Quidditch pitch.
The boy certainly had a different attitude toward flying than he had a few days ago. Harry glanced back at the dried meat in his hand. Breakfast was probably over, and he hadn't eaten anything since noon the previous day. Maybe he just needed to eat something.
And if that solves how I'm feeling, then I'm never going to live this down. Feeling rather silly, Harry broke off a piece of the dried meat and stuck it in his mouth. It was hard and salty, and for a moment Harry wished it was warn and almost raw, fresh off the grill, like Nathaniel used to make.
Lost in his thoughts, Harry ate the entire bag of meat, and had to stop himself from licking the salt off the wrapper. He already felt much better. His headache receded a little, letting him think.
I'm an idiot. Harry bundled the plastic wrapper back in his pocket before scooping his books back into his bag. He stood, and was surprised to see the number of other students out on the lawn. Did I miss this many people around me?
For the second time in two days, Harry was upset with himself. Not paying attention! Snape could have snuck up on me again and I'd never even have heard him!
Ignoring the looks from the other students, Harry hurried into the coolness of the castle. Out of the sun, his headache vanished and he could think again.
Glancing at the clock, Harry saw that he had hours to go before lunch. Briefly, he considered going to the kitchens, but the thought of encountering Kreatcher down there was incentive enough to starve until lunch. His feet moved of their own accord, taking Harry up and through the castle.
I could go find Hermione and Ron, Harry thought. They may be in the library. I'm sick of reading though. The only thing I want to read is the Animagus book, but I can't see reading that in front of Hermione--
Harry came to a dead stop as an idea sprang into his head. What was it Dumbledore said? Accepting the beast is the hardest part? Maybe if I just skip all that boring reading and go right to the incantation...
It was a foolish idea; dangerous. The teachers always told the students to never to try a spell on themselves unless they knew what they were doing.
What's the worse that can happen? I just won't change! Harry argued with himself. He changed course and walked as quickly as he could to one of the unused towers in the castle.
If the spell didn't work, no one would be the wiser. If it did work, if Harry really could become an Animagus, then he'd have another way to defend himself if he lost his wand. That was more important than any hesitations he might have.
Anita said that I have to protect myself, Harry thought as he slipped into a secret passage to climb up to a blocked-off floor. This is the best way.
~*~
It took Harry a while to find a good place to practice changing into an Animagus. Finally he located a dusty room with enough windows for light.
After stripping off his robe and laying it and his wand on the ground, Harry settled on the floor, opened the book and flipped past all the parts on meditation and history of the Animagi, to the chapter on the incantation.
Okay... be at one with your beast, then close your eyes and say the spell in your head, and you'll change into your Animagus form. Harry reread the page, just to be sure, then put the book to the side and closed his eyes. In his head, he said the incantation, and waited.
Nothing.
He opened his eyes and looked down at his very human body, feeling slightly foolish. That didn't work. He thought about what he'd done, then realized he'd forgotten to be "one" with his beast. Whatever that meant.
Harry closed his eyes again and tried to feel his beast. All he felt was human.
Maybe I'm too hungry. No, that couldn't be it. Sirius had changed into his dog form often when he was on the run, without too much to eat.
Harry's determination faltered as he thought about his godfather. Would Sirius have been mad at Harry for trying this? Harry couldn't see why; Sirius was a huge fan of breaking the rules, and this was about as rebellious as Harry would get without actually causing damage to something or somebody. Sirius wouldn't only understand; he'd get a kick out of the whole thing.
Don't think of Sirius, think of the beast. Harry tried to think of times that his beast had threatened to overwhelm him. In St. Louis, fighting with Jamil, or when he was scared of losing Anita. Neither memory sparked the beast.
Harry let out a groan. This had to work! What would Richard think of? Or Jason? How would they interact with their beasts? How did it feel when they shifted, under the light of the full moon, at the Lupanar?
The Lupanar. Harry cast his mind back a week, to the night of the full moon at the Lupanar, of throwing his head back and howling defiantly at the moon, surrounded by others of his kind, werewolf and wereleopard and Anita, feeling for the first time in his life like he had a place to belong, a home.
Deep in his chest, the animal stirred. This time it wasn't just in his chest, but in every cell in his body. The wolf uncurled, feeling for the first time as if it truly belonged in this skin.
Reveling in the sensation, the animal heat in his body, Harry let his head fall back and whispered the incantation.
Lost in the feel of his body, Harry forgot what he was doing. Eventually, he remembered that he was supposed to be trying out a spell. It must not have worked, Harry thought, and opened his eyes.
The world had changed.
Harry yelped and tried to jump to his feet, but everything went screwy and he ended up lying on his back, limbs in the air.
My hands are gone! He flailed around for a moment, trying to understand what he was seeing. Instead of hands, thumbless paws waved in the air in front of him. There was also something on his face interrupting his view. Crossing his eyes, Harry focused on... his nose? His nose wasn't that long!
Harry stopped moving. I did it! I'm an Animagus! He tried to move, but just flopped onto his side. Now what?
Harry twitched a paw. It moved the way his brain wanted it to. He tried stretching out his whole arm, and that worked too. Next, he tried moving his legs. They felt shorter than before, and loads more powerful. A wave of joy swelled up in Harry. Then something else moved at the base of his spine. I have a tail! The thought alone was enough to freeze him in place. He tried to lift his head to see, but it was a bad position. First job, figure out how to stand up.
The joints in his arms... well, his front legs, didn't have the range of movement that his elbows did. Pushing himself up from his side like this was impossible. Feeling like the most uncoordinated wizard ever, Harry eventually rolled into his stomach.
Very self-consciously, he tried to stand. He managed to prop his body up on his front legs, but his mind wanted to go into a kneeling position, and the legs he had wouldn't move like that.
Frustrated, Harry tried to swear, and all that came out was a low growl. He flopped back to his stomach, resting his jaw against the cold stone floor. Mentally, he counted to ten while he tried to let the frustration bleed away.
While he lay on the floor, he took the chance to look around the room. Things weren't as colourful as he was used to, but everything looked much sharper, crisper. The wall looked both closer and farther away. Harry really wished he could stand up to investigate.
Maybe I'm thinking too hard. None of the other werewolves had this much trouble in moving. Harry took a deep breath, smelling dust and the musty book and the faint meaty smell of the plastic wrapping in his robe's pocket. Stop thinking about how to stand up, and just stand.
It took him two tries, but he finally got to his feet.
This is so strange! Harry looked down at his paws, pressed against the floor, then glanced around at the back of his body. Sure enough, he had a bushy grey tail, wagging behind him. He concentrated, and the tail stopped moving.
What am I? Harry thought. Am I a dog like Sirius? Looking around, Harry couldn't see any mirrors in the room, or any shiny surfaces. I guess I'll figure that out later. It didn't really matter, at this point. Harry felt great. It didn't even seem strange to be on all fours, rather than standing up straight like a human.
Gleefully, Harry paced across the room. The world was full of new smells to investigate. Harry had never realized how much his schoolbag smelled like books and ink and parchment and all kinds of things. Moving on to his robes, Harry tried to paw open the folds of cloth so he could get to the plastic. It was really weird, not having hands!
His wand, sticking out of a pocket, was the most familiar smell in the room. The wood was overlain with the smell of hands, and the indescribable sensation of magic. It tickled Harry's nose, and he sneezed.
Harry jumped and turned, getting used to moving with four legs and a tail. Once he stopped thinking about how strange it was, he quickly became accustomed to the way his tail stretched out behind him for balance. I bet I could run even faster with this tail to help me not fall over!
A distant noise sounded, and Harry froze. He pointed his whole body toward the windows, where the sound had seemed loudest. Is something wrong?
Moving with purpose, Harry stepped his front paws up on the windowsill and looked out the window. Far below, tiny black-robed students were making their way into the castle. They weren't moving as if they were scared. Must be lunch!
Harry jumped down from the window. I'm starving. All I need to do is change back to human and--
He froze again. Change back? How was he supposed to change back?
A steady stream of growls came out of Harry's mouth as he cursed himself. Stupid, stupid! He dashed back over to the book. Can I even read like this?
His paws were not suited at all for turning pages. He finally had to lick the bottom of his paw to be able to turn a page. The letters on the page made sense to him, but he had to concentrate very hard on the words.
The incantation to reverse the Animagus spell didn't seem so hard, although the book recommended that the wizard hold his wand at the same time.
I'd like to see how a bird Animagus would do that! Harry hurried over to where he left his robe and wand. He managed to use his jaw and tongue to pick up his wand, ignoring the peppery taste of the magic. When he was once more in front of the book, he sat back on his haunches, wand still in his mouth, and closed his eyes.
I sure hope this works. Harry recited the words of the incantation, praying the whole time that this would work.
The taste of the wand in his mouth changed, to boring wood. Harry snapped his eyes open, and spat his wand out, rubbing at his mouth with his hands. Hands? Harry jumped to his feet, staring at his fingers and his very human body.
"It worked!" he exclaimed. The words sounded strange in the dusty room, but he was too excited to care. He'd done it! He was an Animagus, like his dad and like Sirius! Although his shape was more like Sirius's, something with paws and a tail and rather sharp teeth. Something dangerous.
Once the elation dimmed slightly, his head felt as if it was wrapped in cotton; all sound was muffled, things looked slightly fuzzy and less bright. For a fleeting instant, Harry wanted to change back to the animal he had been a few minutes before, and it was with a supreme force of will that he made himself gather up his belongings. Soon, he promised himself. Soon I'll change back and practice more, so I can actually run when I need to.
He couldn't wait.
~*~
"Where have you been?" Hermione hissed when Harry slipped into a place next to her at the Gryffindor table. "You missed breakfast! We couldn't find you!"
"I was just studying," Harry said thickly, mouth already full of food. "You know I need the practice."
Hair flying every which way, Hermione sat up straighter and glared at Harry. "That's not the point!"
Harry washed down his mouthful with some water, and put his hand over Hermione's. "I promise, everything's fine. Now."
"Now?" Hermione asked, perking up. "Did something go wrong last night, with Professor McGonagall?"
Harry shook his head, and leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear. "You know how we're not supposed to try to transfigure anything if we don't know how to end the spell?"
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You didn't!"
Harry shrugged. "I fixed it, in the end."
He didn't know why, but he didn't want to tell Hermione or Ron about his adventures as an Animagus right yet. He wanted this to be his own, if only for a little while. When he told them, they'd want to try, and if his experience was any indication, Hermione would be able to change in no time at all.
"You know better than that," Hermione whispered. She gave him a tiny smile, as if she was trying to soften the chastisement.
"Yeah, I probably do." Harry smiled back. He wondered what Hermione would smell like, if he were still in his Animagus form. Like ink and parchment and books, no doubt. I wonder if she'd smell like a girl.
I wonder what a girl would smell like.
Sitting back, Harry turned back to his plate, hoping that no one would notice his sudden blush.
"Anyway, what are you planning on doing after lunch?" Hermione asked in a normal tone.
Harry plucked two sandwiches off the platter in front of him. "I don't know. I'm not allowed to fly, so maybe nothing."
"Not nothing," Hermione corrected. "I'm going to go to the library, you should come too."
"Why?"
"Have you finished your Charms homework yet?"
Harry's chewing slowed. "We have Charms homework?"
Hermione sighed. "Were you paying attention at all in class?"
"Apparently not."
Hermione patted his arm. "We'll go to the library after lunch, and you can work on it," she promised. "It'll be fun!"
Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh really?" He licked a bit of mustard off his thumb and went back for another sandwich. "Where's Ron and Ginny, anyway?"
"I don't know where Ginny is. Ron and Seamus are up to something." Hermione sounded disapproving, which was no surprise.
"Anything interesting?"
"We'll find out when they get detention, won't we?" Hermione toyed with the crust of her sandwich. "Did anything bad happen last night?"
Harry's chewing slowed. He couldn't tell Hermione that Snape wanted him expelled, because then he'd have to explain about the werewolf curse, and why it had affected him. Of course, then he'd have to explain about the Horcruxes and Voldemort.... "No, nothing bad happened. They just wanted to talk to me."
Hermione frowned. "But..." She looked past Harry to the front. "Snape wasn't here at breakfast, either. I wonder where he is."
"I don't care," Harry said with feeling. "If I never have to see him again, it'll be too soon."
"But we've got class again on Friday."
Hermione's comment was met with Harry's silent chewing.
"You can't skip class!"
"I never said I was going to." Harry grabbed two apples off the table and shoved them deep in his book bag. "Are you done? Let's go study."
Shaking her head the whole time, Hermione stood up and gathered up her large bag. "You do realize this is the first time you've voluntarily gone with me to the library when we haven't been breaking school rules?" she pointed out as they left the Great Hall.
"Maybe spending the summer in America made me appreciate the quality of Hogwarts books," Harry teased.
"Did you bring anything fun back from St. Louis?" Hermione asked curiously as they climbed the stairs.
"A lot of clothes," Harry said. "And I also borrowed a college textbook on preternatural biology from Anita; it's got some fascinating information on the physiology of--"
"You borrowed a textbook?" Hermione repeated. "Really?"
"Come on, Hermione! The stuff in the Defence Against the Dark Arts texts don't have anything remotely current on werewolves! This at least has some stuff on DNA and the virus transmission. I thought.... Well, I thought if I read it, when I talked to Remus next, I'd have something to say."
"He misses you, you know," Hermione said softly.
Harry stopped so suddenly he almost tripped over his feet. "Did you see him recently?" he demanded, heart pounding in his chest. "Is he okay? What did he say?"
Over the last year, Harry had found it extremely hard to talk to Remus about anything. After Sirius died... Harry had blamed himself in part, and he suspected that Remus had also blamed him. The man never came out and said anything, but he didn't have to.
Now, what would Harry say to Remus? That he had been clawed up by a werewolf but he didn't change, wasn't that wonderful? That he was an illegal Animagus after one day of trying? That he was sorry his actions had killed one of Remus's best friends?
"Harry?" Hermione came up to Harry's side, and when he didn't move, rested her hand on his arm. "Are you going to be okay?"
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and gave her a tiny squeeze.
She squeezed him back. "It'll all be okay," she promised. She rested her head against Harry's shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "Remus is fine, Tonks told us so. He's doing something important, and she doesn't know when we'll see him again."
"Remus was talking to Tonks?" Harry asked, letting Hermione guide him down the hall. "Why?"
"Very funny," Hermione said.
"No, really. Was it because of Sirius?"
Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "Are you joking? You know that Remus and Tonks are together, right?"
"Together how?"
"Together! As in a couple?"
"You are having me on!" Harry exclaimed, attracting the attention of a passing gaggle of Ravenclaws.
"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "They've been together since last April."
"Last April, I was sort of busy not dying!" Harry raked his hand through his hair. "When did you find out?"
"Tonks told us this summer, but we'd all seen it at the end of last year..." Hermione's voice trailed off. "Sorry."
"No one tells me anything!" Remus and Tonks? Wasn't Tonks too young for Remus? Well, probably not, she was old enough to be an Auror, and that was a really hard job. She was really smart too, and funny. Harry had just never thought about anyone being interested in Remus like that. "Weird."
"It's not weird, it's good," Hermione said. "We like Remus and want him to be happy, right?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course." He linked his arm through hers and turned in the direction of the library. "Come on, let's go up to the library and you can tell me what else I missed this summer."
~*~
Harry let out a groan and let his face fall forward into his Charms book. He was going to go mental if he had to read another word about levitation spells.
"Are you being attacked by a Harleekork?"
Harry rolled his head to the side and opened one eye. Luna bent over the edge of his study carrel, gazing down at him with concern. "A what?"
"A Harleekork." Luna pulled over another chair to sit beside Harry. "They nibble at your ankles and suck your energy out through your toes. They're native to Madagascar, but there have been some sightings in Oxford."
Harry propped his head up on his fist. "No ankle-biters here."
Luna shrugged. "As long as you're certain."
Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you," Luna said, pulling her feet up onto the chair. "You're here by yourself?"
Harry shifted his chair over to give Luna more room, once again smelling a hint of that spicy incense in her hair. "Hermione was studying with me, but she had to go take care of a Head Girl emergency."
"That's too bad." Luna looked down at Harry's notes. She looked very serious.
"Is everything okay?" Harry asked, laying down his quill.
"Oh yes," Luna assured him. She glanced around. "So, did you hear that there's a Hogsmede weekend in a couple of weeks?"
Harry shook his head. "I missed breakfast."
"They told us at supper last night. Are you going to go with anyone?"
Luna was moving way too fast for Harry to keep up. "Huh?"
"Are you going to Hogsmede with anybody?" Luna propped her chin up on her knees and looked at Harry with huge blue eyes.
"No..." Harry hadn't really thought about Hogsmede weekends. There was that disaster with Cho, then the non-event with Susan Bones.... Mostly, he just wandered about with Hermione and Ron.
But with the two of them being so close these days, would they even want him around?
Harry looked again at Luna. She was interesting, nice to be around, and made him laugh. Had he ever seen her at Hogsmede on the weekends? He couldn't remember. "Do you want to go to Hogsmede with me?" he said without thinking.
Luna's eyes grew even bigger. "Oh! That's not what I meant!" she said, flustered.
"It could be like friends," Harry said. "Just to get away from the castle for a bit. Unless you've got other plans?"
"No, but..." Luna bit her lip.
Harry smiled what he hoped was a winning smile. "Come on, it'd be fun."
Luna looked at him, so solemn. "Okay."
Harry's smile widened into a grin. "Great!"
Luna got to her feet. "I have to go now," she stuttered, and took off.
"Bye," Harry said as loudly as he dared. He frowned as he watched Luna go. "I didn't mean to scare her off."
Already, he was wondering if he'd done the right thing, in asking Luna to go with him to Hogsmeade. She seemed upset. I'm not that bad company, Harry thought, his pride slightly wounded. I'll talk to her about the next time I see her. She doesn't have to go with me if she doesn't want to.
Harry stared at his Charms book, thinking about the look in Luna's eyes. She'd changed a lot in some ways over the last couple of years, but in other ways she was still the same dreamy girl who had been in the carriage on the train in fifth year.
Only prettier, especially when she bites her lip like that...
Harry pushed that thought away. If he started thinking about pretty girls, he wouldn't be able to get any work done at all. No thinking about girls' lips, or the way they smelled, or their hair, or the magic that seemed to radiate from their skin at time--
Harry buried his head in his hands. He wasn't going to be able to get any work done if he kept up like this! Had he been this bad before he had been clawed up by a werewolf? He didn't think so.
I need to think of something else, Harry told himself. Like cold showers, or Dementors, or Snape--
The moment Snape's greasy face crossed Harry's mind, a wave of anger surged up in his chest, so strong it surprised him. I can't believe he wanted to expel me! Harry thought, furious. And now he thinks, I'm a werewolf!
Harry closed his Charms book. Snape thinks he's so smart, with all his Dark Arts. He's probably going to keep trying to kill me in class, just to show everyone how smart he is.
Harry wasn't going to let that happen. Grimly, he pulled out his Defence Against the Dark Arts book. Even if he failed every other class this year, he'd be the best in Defence, no matter what.
I'm an Animagus now, Harry thought, opening the book to the section on voiceless spells. If I can do that, I can do anything.
... to be continued
Inevitable Fifty-Three: Work Like a Dog
by Mhalachai
Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Only the story is my own.
Note: If I had a subtitle for the chapter, I'd use "Ship Happens", or "Short Attention Span theatre." Take that as you will.
Previous parts here.
By the time the sun rose the next morning, Harry was ready to die. His head ached, his tongue was dry, and over it all his shoulder kept having spasms.
It was still too early for anyone else to be awake when Harry dragged himself from the room and down to the showers. The bright room gleamed harshly, brightly, setting the blood pounding in Harry's head.
At least I don't have to go to class today, Harry thought blearily as he undressed. Maybe I'll go up to Madame Pomfrey after breakfast.
The mere thought of food made Harry queasy. I must be getting sick; that has to be it.
The chill spray of the shower made Harry gasp, but he gritted his teeth and grabbed the soap. He closed his eyes against the glare of the lights and washed himself as quickly as he could, wishing that he was back at Anita's house, able to shower in that tiny bathroom near his room, to turn the lights on or off as he wished, able to eat whenever he wanted.
The shower left him shivering as he made his way quietly back up to his dorm room. No one had moved; if things held the same as previous years, no one else would be awake for a few more hours. Harry shimmied into clean clothes, then hesitated for only a few seconds before throwing the Animagus book into his bag over his school books. Vague thoughts of going to the library at some point in the day flitted in Harry's head as he stumbled down the stairs again, and out the portrait hole.
Only a few others were up at this time of day, and all headed in the direction of the Great Hall. Harry made it all the way to the doors of the Hall before he caught the smells of breakfast. The mixing scents of the food, of eggs and sausages and so many things, made his stomach clench. Giving up any idea of food, Harry walked through the castle doors and out onto the drying grass.
He plunked himself down and concentrated for a few minutes on not throwing up. He felt thick and stupid, and wanted the sickness in his head and body to go away.
I'll get over it in a few days, it'll be fine, Harry tried to reassure himself. He flipped open his bag and pulled out the first book that came to hand. Transfiguration. Brilliant. Not that he didn't need the review. He had the suspicion that McGonagall wouldn't let up on them at all this year. Might as well make an effort.
The writing in the book was tiny, and Harry often had to reread whole pages, but he'd managed to work his way through the section on changing inorganic objects like rock and metal into living animals when someone nearby cleared their throat. More than a little irritated at the interruption, Harry looked up slowly.
Reece stood about three feet away, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "What are you doing?" the boy asked in an annoyingly cheerful tone.
"Studying," Harry said shortly, and bent back over his book. His whole body ached and it was now rather hard to breathe without throwing up, but damn it, he wasn't a crybaby, he'd been sick before.
"What subject?"
"Transfiguration."
The one-word answers didn't deter the child. "I like that class. Professor McGonagall's nice."
"No, she isn't." Harry slapped the book closed. "Don't you have something better to be doing with your weekend?"
The boy's happiness was immediately wiped away at Harry's harsh words. Damn it! Harry thought as Reece cast his eyes down. Why did he have to come talk to me?
"Look, it's just a hard subject," Harry said, trying to make up for almost yelling at Reece. "And I'm having a bad day."
"I've had those," Reece said, tentatively glancing back up at Harry. "My mum gave me this for when I feel rotten." He dug in the pocket of his robe, and pulled out a brightly coloured plastic package. He handed the object solemnly to Harry.
Harry had to turn the package over to see that it was a bag of muggle beef jerky. "Dried meat makes you feel better?" Harry asked, wondering if he was missing something.
Reece nodded enthusiastically. "If I feel bad, I eat some and I feel better. Don't you feel like that?" He cocked his head to the side in a very wolf-like action, watching Harry with a stillness so intense he was almost vibrating.
"I'm not..." Harry's voice trailed off. Now he really wanted to kick himself. What was it Jason had said? The lycanthropes needed to eat a lot, to not feel so bad? But Harry hadn't shifted... was he the same way?
"You can keep that," Reece said, bouncing in place. "We're going to practice flying now! Do you want to come?"
"Uh, no thanks," Harry said.
"Okay!" Reece hopped back and then turned to run off.
"Don't you need a teacher or something?" Harry called after him, then winced. Now he was starting to sound like Hermione!
"We've got a prefect!" Reece shouted as he ran in the direction of the Quidditch pitch.
The boy certainly had a different attitude toward flying than he had a few days ago. Harry glanced back at the dried meat in his hand. Breakfast was probably over, and he hadn't eaten anything since noon the previous day. Maybe he just needed to eat something.
And if that solves how I'm feeling, then I'm never going to live this down. Feeling rather silly, Harry broke off a piece of the dried meat and stuck it in his mouth. It was hard and salty, and for a moment Harry wished it was warn and almost raw, fresh off the grill, like Nathaniel used to make.
Lost in his thoughts, Harry ate the entire bag of meat, and had to stop himself from licking the salt off the wrapper. He already felt much better. His headache receded a little, letting him think.
I'm an idiot. Harry bundled the plastic wrapper back in his pocket before scooping his books back into his bag. He stood, and was surprised to see the number of other students out on the lawn. Did I miss this many people around me?
For the second time in two days, Harry was upset with himself. Not paying attention! Snape could have snuck up on me again and I'd never even have heard him!
Ignoring the looks from the other students, Harry hurried into the coolness of the castle. Out of the sun, his headache vanished and he could think again.
Glancing at the clock, Harry saw that he had hours to go before lunch. Briefly, he considered going to the kitchens, but the thought of encountering Kreatcher down there was incentive enough to starve until lunch. His feet moved of their own accord, taking Harry up and through the castle.
I could go find Hermione and Ron, Harry thought. They may be in the library. I'm sick of reading though. The only thing I want to read is the Animagus book, but I can't see reading that in front of Hermione--
Harry came to a dead stop as an idea sprang into his head. What was it Dumbledore said? Accepting the beast is the hardest part? Maybe if I just skip all that boring reading and go right to the incantation...
It was a foolish idea; dangerous. The teachers always told the students to never to try a spell on themselves unless they knew what they were doing.
What's the worse that can happen? I just won't change! Harry argued with himself. He changed course and walked as quickly as he could to one of the unused towers in the castle.
If the spell didn't work, no one would be the wiser. If it did work, if Harry really could become an Animagus, then he'd have another way to defend himself if he lost his wand. That was more important than any hesitations he might have.
Anita said that I have to protect myself, Harry thought as he slipped into a secret passage to climb up to a blocked-off floor. This is the best way.
It took Harry a while to find a good place to practice changing into an Animagus. Finally he located a dusty room with enough windows for light.
After stripping off his robe and laying it and his wand on the ground, Harry settled on the floor, opened the book and flipped past all the parts on meditation and history of the Animagi, to the chapter on the incantation.
Okay... be at one with your beast, then close your eyes and say the spell in your head, and you'll change into your Animagus form. Harry reread the page, just to be sure, then put the book to the side and closed his eyes. In his head, he said the incantation, and waited.
Nothing.
He opened his eyes and looked down at his very human body, feeling slightly foolish. That didn't work. He thought about what he'd done, then realized he'd forgotten to be "one" with his beast. Whatever that meant.
Harry closed his eyes again and tried to feel his beast. All he felt was human.
Maybe I'm too hungry. No, that couldn't be it. Sirius had changed into his dog form often when he was on the run, without too much to eat.
Harry's determination faltered as he thought about his godfather. Would Sirius have been mad at Harry for trying this? Harry couldn't see why; Sirius was a huge fan of breaking the rules, and this was about as rebellious as Harry would get without actually causing damage to something or somebody. Sirius wouldn't only understand; he'd get a kick out of the whole thing.
Don't think of Sirius, think of the beast. Harry tried to think of times that his beast had threatened to overwhelm him. In St. Louis, fighting with Jamil, or when he was scared of losing Anita. Neither memory sparked the beast.
Harry let out a groan. This had to work! What would Richard think of? Or Jason? How would they interact with their beasts? How did it feel when they shifted, under the light of the full moon, at the Lupanar?
The Lupanar. Harry cast his mind back a week, to the night of the full moon at the Lupanar, of throwing his head back and howling defiantly at the moon, surrounded by others of his kind, werewolf and wereleopard and Anita, feeling for the first time in his life like he had a place to belong, a home.
Deep in his chest, the animal stirred. This time it wasn't just in his chest, but in every cell in his body. The wolf uncurled, feeling for the first time as if it truly belonged in this skin.
Reveling in the sensation, the animal heat in his body, Harry let his head fall back and whispered the incantation.
Lost in the feel of his body, Harry forgot what he was doing. Eventually, he remembered that he was supposed to be trying out a spell. It must not have worked, Harry thought, and opened his eyes.
The world had changed.
Harry yelped and tried to jump to his feet, but everything went screwy and he ended up lying on his back, limbs in the air.
My hands are gone! He flailed around for a moment, trying to understand what he was seeing. Instead of hands, thumbless paws waved in the air in front of him. There was also something on his face interrupting his view. Crossing his eyes, Harry focused on... his nose? His nose wasn't that long!
Harry stopped moving. I did it! I'm an Animagus! He tried to move, but just flopped onto his side. Now what?
Harry twitched a paw. It moved the way his brain wanted it to. He tried stretching out his whole arm, and that worked too. Next, he tried moving his legs. They felt shorter than before, and loads more powerful. A wave of joy swelled up in Harry. Then something else moved at the base of his spine. I have a tail! The thought alone was enough to freeze him in place. He tried to lift his head to see, but it was a bad position. First job, figure out how to stand up.
The joints in his arms... well, his front legs, didn't have the range of movement that his elbows did. Pushing himself up from his side like this was impossible. Feeling like the most uncoordinated wizard ever, Harry eventually rolled into his stomach.
Very self-consciously, he tried to stand. He managed to prop his body up on his front legs, but his mind wanted to go into a kneeling position, and the legs he had wouldn't move like that.
Frustrated, Harry tried to swear, and all that came out was a low growl. He flopped back to his stomach, resting his jaw against the cold stone floor. Mentally, he counted to ten while he tried to let the frustration bleed away.
While he lay on the floor, he took the chance to look around the room. Things weren't as colourful as he was used to, but everything looked much sharper, crisper. The wall looked both closer and farther away. Harry really wished he could stand up to investigate.
Maybe I'm thinking too hard. None of the other werewolves had this much trouble in moving. Harry took a deep breath, smelling dust and the musty book and the faint meaty smell of the plastic wrapping in his robe's pocket. Stop thinking about how to stand up, and just stand.
It took him two tries, but he finally got to his feet.
This is so strange! Harry looked down at his paws, pressed against the floor, then glanced around at the back of his body. Sure enough, he had a bushy grey tail, wagging behind him. He concentrated, and the tail stopped moving.
What am I? Harry thought. Am I a dog like Sirius? Looking around, Harry couldn't see any mirrors in the room, or any shiny surfaces. I guess I'll figure that out later. It didn't really matter, at this point. Harry felt great. It didn't even seem strange to be on all fours, rather than standing up straight like a human.
Gleefully, Harry paced across the room. The world was full of new smells to investigate. Harry had never realized how much his schoolbag smelled like books and ink and parchment and all kinds of things. Moving on to his robes, Harry tried to paw open the folds of cloth so he could get to the plastic. It was really weird, not having hands!
His wand, sticking out of a pocket, was the most familiar smell in the room. The wood was overlain with the smell of hands, and the indescribable sensation of magic. It tickled Harry's nose, and he sneezed.
Harry jumped and turned, getting used to moving with four legs and a tail. Once he stopped thinking about how strange it was, he quickly became accustomed to the way his tail stretched out behind him for balance. I bet I could run even faster with this tail to help me not fall over!
A distant noise sounded, and Harry froze. He pointed his whole body toward the windows, where the sound had seemed loudest. Is something wrong?
Moving with purpose, Harry stepped his front paws up on the windowsill and looked out the window. Far below, tiny black-robed students were making their way into the castle. They weren't moving as if they were scared. Must be lunch!
Harry jumped down from the window. I'm starving. All I need to do is change back to human and--
He froze again. Change back? How was he supposed to change back?
A steady stream of growls came out of Harry's mouth as he cursed himself. Stupid, stupid! He dashed back over to the book. Can I even read like this?
His paws were not suited at all for turning pages. He finally had to lick the bottom of his paw to be able to turn a page. The letters on the page made sense to him, but he had to concentrate very hard on the words.
The incantation to reverse the Animagus spell didn't seem so hard, although the book recommended that the wizard hold his wand at the same time.
I'd like to see how a bird Animagus would do that! Harry hurried over to where he left his robe and wand. He managed to use his jaw and tongue to pick up his wand, ignoring the peppery taste of the magic. When he was once more in front of the book, he sat back on his haunches, wand still in his mouth, and closed his eyes.
I sure hope this works. Harry recited the words of the incantation, praying the whole time that this would work.
The taste of the wand in his mouth changed, to boring wood. Harry snapped his eyes open, and spat his wand out, rubbing at his mouth with his hands. Hands? Harry jumped to his feet, staring at his fingers and his very human body.
"It worked!" he exclaimed. The words sounded strange in the dusty room, but he was too excited to care. He'd done it! He was an Animagus, like his dad and like Sirius! Although his shape was more like Sirius's, something with paws and a tail and rather sharp teeth. Something dangerous.
Once the elation dimmed slightly, his head felt as if it was wrapped in cotton; all sound was muffled, things looked slightly fuzzy and less bright. For a fleeting instant, Harry wanted to change back to the animal he had been a few minutes before, and it was with a supreme force of will that he made himself gather up his belongings. Soon, he promised himself. Soon I'll change back and practice more, so I can actually run when I need to.
He couldn't wait.
"Where have you been?" Hermione hissed when Harry slipped into a place next to her at the Gryffindor table. "You missed breakfast! We couldn't find you!"
"I was just studying," Harry said thickly, mouth already full of food. "You know I need the practice."
Hair flying every which way, Hermione sat up straighter and glared at Harry. "That's not the point!"
Harry washed down his mouthful with some water, and put his hand over Hermione's. "I promise, everything's fine. Now."
"Now?" Hermione asked, perking up. "Did something go wrong last night, with Professor McGonagall?"
Harry shook his head, and leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear. "You know how we're not supposed to try to transfigure anything if we don't know how to end the spell?"
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You didn't!"
Harry shrugged. "I fixed it, in the end."
He didn't know why, but he didn't want to tell Hermione or Ron about his adventures as an Animagus right yet. He wanted this to be his own, if only for a little while. When he told them, they'd want to try, and if his experience was any indication, Hermione would be able to change in no time at all.
"You know better than that," Hermione whispered. She gave him a tiny smile, as if she was trying to soften the chastisement.
"Yeah, I probably do." Harry smiled back. He wondered what Hermione would smell like, if he were still in his Animagus form. Like ink and parchment and books, no doubt. I wonder if she'd smell like a girl.
I wonder what a girl would smell like.
Sitting back, Harry turned back to his plate, hoping that no one would notice his sudden blush.
"Anyway, what are you planning on doing after lunch?" Hermione asked in a normal tone.
Harry plucked two sandwiches off the platter in front of him. "I don't know. I'm not allowed to fly, so maybe nothing."
"Not nothing," Hermione corrected. "I'm going to go to the library, you should come too."
"Why?"
"Have you finished your Charms homework yet?"
Harry's chewing slowed. "We have Charms homework?"
Hermione sighed. "Were you paying attention at all in class?"
"Apparently not."
Hermione patted his arm. "We'll go to the library after lunch, and you can work on it," she promised. "It'll be fun!"
Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh really?" He licked a bit of mustard off his thumb and went back for another sandwich. "Where's Ron and Ginny, anyway?"
"I don't know where Ginny is. Ron and Seamus are up to something." Hermione sounded disapproving, which was no surprise.
"Anything interesting?"
"We'll find out when they get detention, won't we?" Hermione toyed with the crust of her sandwich. "Did anything bad happen last night?"
Harry's chewing slowed. He couldn't tell Hermione that Snape wanted him expelled, because then he'd have to explain about the werewolf curse, and why it had affected him. Of course, then he'd have to explain about the Horcruxes and Voldemort.... "No, nothing bad happened. They just wanted to talk to me."
Hermione frowned. "But..." She looked past Harry to the front. "Snape wasn't here at breakfast, either. I wonder where he is."
"I don't care," Harry said with feeling. "If I never have to see him again, it'll be too soon."
"But we've got class again on Friday."
Hermione's comment was met with Harry's silent chewing.
"You can't skip class!"
"I never said I was going to." Harry grabbed two apples off the table and shoved them deep in his book bag. "Are you done? Let's go study."
Shaking her head the whole time, Hermione stood up and gathered up her large bag. "You do realize this is the first time you've voluntarily gone with me to the library when we haven't been breaking school rules?" she pointed out as they left the Great Hall.
"Maybe spending the summer in America made me appreciate the quality of Hogwarts books," Harry teased.
"Did you bring anything fun back from St. Louis?" Hermione asked curiously as they climbed the stairs.
"A lot of clothes," Harry said. "And I also borrowed a college textbook on preternatural biology from Anita; it's got some fascinating information on the physiology of--"
"You borrowed a textbook?" Hermione repeated. "Really?"
"Come on, Hermione! The stuff in the Defence Against the Dark Arts texts don't have anything remotely current on werewolves! This at least has some stuff on DNA and the virus transmission. I thought.... Well, I thought if I read it, when I talked to Remus next, I'd have something to say."
"He misses you, you know," Hermione said softly.
Harry stopped so suddenly he almost tripped over his feet. "Did you see him recently?" he demanded, heart pounding in his chest. "Is he okay? What did he say?"
Over the last year, Harry had found it extremely hard to talk to Remus about anything. After Sirius died... Harry had blamed himself in part, and he suspected that Remus had also blamed him. The man never came out and said anything, but he didn't have to.
Now, what would Harry say to Remus? That he had been clawed up by a werewolf but he didn't change, wasn't that wonderful? That he was an illegal Animagus after one day of trying? That he was sorry his actions had killed one of Remus's best friends?
"Harry?" Hermione came up to Harry's side, and when he didn't move, rested her hand on his arm. "Are you going to be okay?"
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and gave her a tiny squeeze.
She squeezed him back. "It'll all be okay," she promised. She rested her head against Harry's shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "Remus is fine, Tonks told us so. He's doing something important, and she doesn't know when we'll see him again."
"Remus was talking to Tonks?" Harry asked, letting Hermione guide him down the hall. "Why?"
"Very funny," Hermione said.
"No, really. Was it because of Sirius?"
Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "Are you joking? You know that Remus and Tonks are together, right?"
"Together how?"
"Together! As in a couple?"
"You are having me on!" Harry exclaimed, attracting the attention of a passing gaggle of Ravenclaws.
"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "They've been together since last April."
"Last April, I was sort of busy not dying!" Harry raked his hand through his hair. "When did you find out?"
"Tonks told us this summer, but we'd all seen it at the end of last year..." Hermione's voice trailed off. "Sorry."
"No one tells me anything!" Remus and Tonks? Wasn't Tonks too young for Remus? Well, probably not, she was old enough to be an Auror, and that was a really hard job. She was really smart too, and funny. Harry had just never thought about anyone being interested in Remus like that. "Weird."
"It's not weird, it's good," Hermione said. "We like Remus and want him to be happy, right?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course." He linked his arm through hers and turned in the direction of the library. "Come on, let's go up to the library and you can tell me what else I missed this summer."
Harry let out a groan and let his face fall forward into his Charms book. He was going to go mental if he had to read another word about levitation spells.
"Are you being attacked by a Harleekork?"
Harry rolled his head to the side and opened one eye. Luna bent over the edge of his study carrel, gazing down at him with concern. "A what?"
"A Harleekork." Luna pulled over another chair to sit beside Harry. "They nibble at your ankles and suck your energy out through your toes. They're native to Madagascar, but there have been some sightings in Oxford."
Harry propped his head up on his fist. "No ankle-biters here."
Luna shrugged. "As long as you're certain."
Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you," Luna said, pulling her feet up onto the chair. "You're here by yourself?"
Harry shifted his chair over to give Luna more room, once again smelling a hint of that spicy incense in her hair. "Hermione was studying with me, but she had to go take care of a Head Girl emergency."
"That's too bad." Luna looked down at Harry's notes. She looked very serious.
"Is everything okay?" Harry asked, laying down his quill.
"Oh yes," Luna assured him. She glanced around. "So, did you hear that there's a Hogsmede weekend in a couple of weeks?"
Harry shook his head. "I missed breakfast."
"They told us at supper last night. Are you going to go with anyone?"
Luna was moving way too fast for Harry to keep up. "Huh?"
"Are you going to Hogsmede with anybody?" Luna propped her chin up on her knees and looked at Harry with huge blue eyes.
"No..." Harry hadn't really thought about Hogsmede weekends. There was that disaster with Cho, then the non-event with Susan Bones.... Mostly, he just wandered about with Hermione and Ron.
But with the two of them being so close these days, would they even want him around?
Harry looked again at Luna. She was interesting, nice to be around, and made him laugh. Had he ever seen her at Hogsmede on the weekends? He couldn't remember. "Do you want to go to Hogsmede with me?" he said without thinking.
Luna's eyes grew even bigger. "Oh! That's not what I meant!" she said, flustered.
"It could be like friends," Harry said. "Just to get away from the castle for a bit. Unless you've got other plans?"
"No, but..." Luna bit her lip.
Harry smiled what he hoped was a winning smile. "Come on, it'd be fun."
Luna looked at him, so solemn. "Okay."
Harry's smile widened into a grin. "Great!"
Luna got to her feet. "I have to go now," she stuttered, and took off.
"Bye," Harry said as loudly as he dared. He frowned as he watched Luna go. "I didn't mean to scare her off."
Already, he was wondering if he'd done the right thing, in asking Luna to go with him to Hogsmeade. She seemed upset. I'm not that bad company, Harry thought, his pride slightly wounded. I'll talk to her about the next time I see her. She doesn't have to go with me if she doesn't want to.
Harry stared at his Charms book, thinking about the look in Luna's eyes. She'd changed a lot in some ways over the last couple of years, but in other ways she was still the same dreamy girl who had been in the carriage on the train in fifth year.
Only prettier, especially when she bites her lip like that...
Harry pushed that thought away. If he started thinking about pretty girls, he wouldn't be able to get any work done at all. No thinking about girls' lips, or the way they smelled, or their hair, or the magic that seemed to radiate from their skin at time--
Harry buried his head in his hands. He wasn't going to be able to get any work done if he kept up like this! Had he been this bad before he had been clawed up by a werewolf? He didn't think so.
I need to think of something else, Harry told himself. Like cold showers, or Dementors, or Snape--
The moment Snape's greasy face crossed Harry's mind, a wave of anger surged up in his chest, so strong it surprised him. I can't believe he wanted to expel me! Harry thought, furious. And now he thinks, I'm a werewolf!
Harry closed his Charms book. Snape thinks he's so smart, with all his Dark Arts. He's probably going to keep trying to kill me in class, just to show everyone how smart he is.
Harry wasn't going to let that happen. Grimly, he pulled out his Defence Against the Dark Arts book. Even if he failed every other class this year, he'd be the best in Defence, no matter what.
I'm an Animagus now, Harry thought, opening the book to the section on voiceless spells. If I can do that, I can do anything.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2006-03-13 08:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 11:08 pm (UTC)Harry has a history of charging in blindly. In book 6 (for purposes of this discussion), he used that Stabbity curse in Malfoy, and all he knew was that it was for "enemies". While the circumstances are different, it's indicative of his disregard for thinking things through.
It's like I'm making this into an academic study. Oh well. Fills the time
I too love Luna. She's a very good opposite to Ginny; Harry sees very different things in those two girls. Luna's more like Harry; in being the outcast in the eariler books, she fills the role that Harry himself was in at primary school with Dudley and the bullies. So Harry can empathize.
Plus she's always believed him (which is a nice touch).
We'll see how it goes with them all. I'm not planning on doing anything remotely predictable with these guys :)
Wonderful
Re: Wonderful
Date: 2006-03-13 11:11 pm (UTC)At least when Harry doesn't eat, he doesn't start killing people around him. Oh man, can you imagine the angst? Tee hee.
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Date: 2006-03-13 09:03 pm (UTC)lol I knew the second Harry decided to try that he wasn't going to think ahead about turning back into a human...oh Harry. *smacks him* And needing to be told by a first year to eat; he's worse than Anita. Okay, well ALMOST worse than Anita.
I'm so excited to see the confrontation between Harry and Remus...can't wait. And I really want to know what's going on in Luna's head!
*two thumbs up*
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:19 pm (UTC)I needed the humour in this chapter. And frankly, Harry not reading ahead -- that's funny. And you're right, he's almost as bad as Anita. But not quite.
I'm so excited to see the confrontation between Harry and Remus
That's the most accurate way of putting it I've heard from anyone yet :)
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Date: 2006-03-13 09:28 pm (UTC)What really got me thinking was Harry's animagus form. If he is a wolf which would be likely with his inner beast being one, he will be much smaller than a werewolf so it would look pretty funny at the Lupnar. Just imagine all the big wolves and then Harry like a little baby. If he is not a wolf I wonder what he will turn into. Please let me know soon in an update;)
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:21 pm (UTC)Updates will be available soon. I'm glad you're enjoying :)
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Date: 2006-03-13 09:29 pm (UTC)I can't see anything else in thc chapter that could possibly be taken that way. Maybe I'm missing something?
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:25 pm (UTC)But no, that's all I was thinking about. I tend to be overly sensitive about writing Merry Sue/Harry Stus.
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Date: 2006-03-13 09:41 pm (UTC)The wolf uncurled, feeling for the first time as if it truly belonged in this skin.
I thought it was a riot that Harry managed to change and then realized he didn't know how to change back. And Harry being so sick and Reece being the one to tell him why. That was great. I do love Reece. He's really embraced being at Hogwarts and I think that's terrific.
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:30 pm (UTC)The wolf uncurled, feeling for the first time as if it truly belonged in this skin.
Really, what happened is that Harry's finally starting to accept the beast. As Jamil said back a while ago, he was fighting it too hard. To accept his beast was really to stop fighting that aspect of himself. I could insert some pop psychology here, but I think I'm being sort of clear.
This story needed some more situational humour. Harry being unable to stand up, and being so excited he forgets to read ahead, that's funny.
And Harry.... he starves for almost a day and he can't figure out why he feels so bad. Goofball. I think it's good for Harry to be chastized by an eleven-year-old. Good for his ego.
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Date: 2006-03-13 09:52 pm (UTC)Reece is just wonderful. A younger, lighter counterpart to Harry's darker, more serious character. Reece shocks Harry away from his big broods, and is a little piece of St. Louis home, which he is probably very thankful for.
About previous chapters:
Loved the letters from St. Louis. Each note held the perfect voice for the characters, especially Anita's, Richard's and Jean-Claude's. Jason was just so Jason, as was Nathaniel. You've got the voices of these characters just down pat. I loved Harry's discomfort with his strange dreams about Nathaniel, though I can't blame him. *grin*
Can't wait for more.
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:37 pm (UTC)I loved writing those letters. It was fun to get back to a character not Harry. It's making me want to write some missing scenes from other people's POVs.
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Date: 2006-03-13 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 11:39 pm (UTC)Harry's Animagus form isn't a cat, it's some form of canine. What kind? well, all in time.
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Date: 2006-03-13 10:04 pm (UTC)Great chapter!
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:42 pm (UTC)Thanks!
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Date: 2006-03-13 10:11 pm (UTC)I loved the whole transformations scene, and the grey bushy tail sort of leads me to think wolf, since my brain wants to tell me that leopards have long skinny tails (like the giant cats they are). It could be a dog, though...since he'd be kinda...little?...for a wolf...or maybe he's bigger than you're letting on? Gah, so many questions! LoL
Reece is adorable, I want one. Giving Harry beef jerky was genius. I didn't see anything very Harry-Stuish about this chapter at all; forgetting to know the incantation to change back, not realizing he'd need to eat a lot (even after spending all that time at Anita's) and being fairly kinda clueless.
I'm all excited for the next chapter, can't wait till you post! <33
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Date: 2006-03-13 11:44 pm (UTC)It was hard for him to gage size in his new form; no mirrors or anything, and he wasn't looking to see how big he was at that point.
Harry's a total goof, true. Maybe if I made his Animagus form a Chimera or something. Oh, that would have been fun ;)
Glad you enjoyed!
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Date: 2006-03-13 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 11:05 pm (UTC)♥
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Date: 2006-03-14 12:58 am (UTC)Luna's safer than Ginny; she doesn't have a big brother confusing Harry. But we'll see how that goes, too :P
Thanks!
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From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 11:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 01:00 am (UTC)Yes!
Very interesting.
No, he was feeling all out of sorts because of the curse and because his blood sugar was dipping to dangerous levels. The full moon happend about a week ago, story time. Harry only just finished his first week of school. I should get that calender straightened out. Anyway.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 11:46 pm (UTC)Oh.. do we know if Harry is a "normal" wolf.. what if he a honkin huge were-wolf?? won't that just go over really well
Harry:Hey Ron, Mione.. check this out I am an animagus.*changes*
Ron: *faints dead away*
Hermione:.....
Harry:*realizes he is looking Hermione eye to eye...* Woof?
seriously though.. if he is a huge honkin wolf people will FLIP.. *Snape anyone?*
I also love how Harry is mentally rambling like he did on the way to the Lupanar the night of the full moon, really really good.
Reece will KNOW that Harry got all wolfie.... Love the Hufflepuff were-wolf I would bet Hufflepuff would be a good place for him. I would Imagine the prefects pay more attention to the firsties than the other houses. I think the 'puffs get a bum wrap but I bet Reece would get more touchie-feelie (good touch, not bad) there.
thanks for the pick me up..
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 01:29 am (UTC)Harry can mentally ramble with the best of them. It's also the easiest way to write these scenes, without having to resort to "Harry thought/felt/realized..."
I'm glad you liked the chapter. Feel better soon :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 01:39 am (UTC)I love you!
::runs away like a good fan-girl::
I love everything that you've been doing with this. When I see an update, I get so excited because it's like I get to read a chapter of a new book. And I love to read, and until Danse Macabre comes in June, I'm stuck for material.
But with you, it's like there's a new HP AND AB story out almost every other day!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 03:30 am (UTC)When is the last HP book coming out? Long time from now. Oh well. We'll just have to write fanfic in the interim :)
surmise
Date: 2006-03-14 02:03 am (UTC)I'm glad that we'll be seeing more of Luna and Remus. Those two being my favorite characters. I love the way they both respond to misfortune and cruelty with a quiet dignity, albeit in different ways. How can you not respect that? Of course, I'm guessing Remus will be not-quiet at some point in the near future.
As to the animagus, not unexpected, but very cool. I'm sure there's something I'm not seeing of course. If he had done it without having spent the summer in America, then I would have called it a Harry Stu, but as he started the school year a lot closer to his 'inner beast' than your average wizard, it's not far-fetched at all.
I look forward to more installments, and to Ron in detention (hopefully.)
Re: surmise
Date: 2006-03-14 03:33 am (UTC)Two thumbs up. Hence the "That's not what I meant!" comment. But she'll sort it out with Ginny. I suspect that might have to be one of the missing scenes I write.
GINNY: *pounces on Luna* What did he say? Is he going with anyone?
LUNA: Funny thing....
Yes, more Luna and more Remus. Loads more Luna. She's going to be playing a much larger role coming up.
Ron... well, only time will tell. He and Harry won't be skipping off to Hogsmeade together any time soon :)
Re: surmise
From:Re: surmise
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 02:27 am (UTC)Hmmm...I wonder why Snape wasn't at breakfast? Or for that matter, what else he has in store for Harry in DADA? That could go really bad really quick if Harry gets angry enough to change in class...*wanders away to ponder*
As usual, I can't wait for more. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:47 am (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 03:24 am (UTC)Great chapter!!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:44 am (UTC)Thanks!
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:40 am (UTC)(What are you thanking me for again?)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:what a good day
Date: 2006-03-14 06:03 am (UTC)its really good
thanks again
Re: what a good day
Date: 2006-03-14 06:12 am (UTC)o'O
Date: 2006-03-14 07:36 am (UTC)I <3 your story, m-chai!
It'd be cool if Harry was present when Reece transformed.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 04:32 pm (UTC)Loved everything about it, really. It was nice to see just Harry and Hermione together, Ron bugs me these days. And love the inclusion of Luna in this story, she is one of my favorite characters...ever! And the animagus scene was excellent as well, very believable and well written! Well done!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:43 pm (UTC)And that Animagus scene was a riot to write. How very like Harry, to get caught up in the moment and forget how to *undo* the illegal spell.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:44 pm (UTC)This made me chuckle. Yep, being able to stand is always good.
[insert standard "Good chapter, more please" review here]
-Sonya
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 08:18 pm (UTC)A general comment on your writing and this story in particular: I blame you entirely for my current HP obsession. I had read a few of your stories and really enjoyed them, especially the AB/BtVS crossovers. I really, really wanted to read Inevitable but figured I needed to read the HP books first. So I did and am now sucked into another fandom. Thanks :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 08:24 pm (UTC)Snape could have snuck up on me again and I'd never even have heard him!
I just died laughing to the image of Snape in all his black-cloaked, greasy, glory sneaking up on Harry, Mission Impossible style, in the middle of the sunny yard surrounded by students. :P
The Animagus scene was very funny, especially the image of a Harry-puppy rolling uncoordinatedly around on his back.
"Ron and Seamus are up to something." "Anything interesting?" "We'll find out when they get detention, won't we?" = love
I can't help but think Ron would dissapprove in a violent way about how touchy-feely Harry's being with Hermione. Attributed to hormones and werewolf touchiey-feelie-ness I suppose.
Snape thinks he's so smart, with all his Dark Arts. He's probably going to keep trying to kill me in class, just to show everyone how smart. I think you ment to add "his greasy ass is" to that. :P
Frequent updates = love
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 09:41 pm (UTC)Ooh, much love. That would rock so hard.
Thanks about the missing words.
Glad you're enjoying the story :)
(no subject)
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