Summary: Josephine Potter has lived her entire life in second place. She may be funny, but her older twin brother could always make people laugh. She has learned to live with it, though and goes through life with a 'What the hell?' outlook. That is...
As Christmas break was rapidly approaching the Marauders had added three more mischief makers to their group. Under Josie's careful and watchful tutelage: Pandora, Marlene and Regulus had all succeeded in becoming Animagi. And just in time too, as they would be leaving for Christmas break the very next day, and wouldn't be able to work on their forms over the break as it was the Potters' turn at hosting the annual Christmas Gala. Regulus would also be moving in with his grandparents Lord Arcturus Black and Lady Melanie Black after he'd written to them about what his mother had been pressuring him to do. To say they were displeased was an understatement. The Blacks bowed to no one. Also during the last month Dumbledore had been tracking down Salazar Slytherin's locket as Josie had a vision of Voldemort wanting to use one of his followers so he could test his protections on where he wanted to hide it.
They had a feeling said followers would not survive the encounter with these protections. Josie was just thankful it wouldn't be Regulus who fell prey to them. At first they had been coming up empty, but Dumbledore assured her he was getting close and wouldn't rest until he had found out where it was hidden and had destroyed it like he had the Diadem. So in the meantime Josie put all her efforts into getting better, studying for her O.W.L.s at the end of the year and helping her friends finish their Animagi transformations.
***
"Okay, when you're ready, cast the spell to turn into your Animagi forms. It'll be easier this time. Your magic and your body will remember what your form is and the shape of it. The more you do it the easier it'll be." Josie instructed Pandora, Marlene and Regulus. The four of them were practicing in the R.O.R, while James, Sirius and Remus caused a distraction via pranking so no one would notice the missing students. Once they had succeeded they would join the others out on the grounds for a snowball fight. The three teens took a deep breath and let it out slowly before they cast the spell and transformed. Where her three friends had once stood, there now stood three animals. Where Pandora had once stood now stood a light brown doe with white around her nose, ears and mouth; in Marlene's place now stood a light brown and white Niffler which Haku was looking rather curiously at; and in Regulus's place now stood a Black Dog.
