The Raven's Call

Lumos

"COME WITH ME." Alex calls over the chatter of students being led to their dorms as Asteria and I are grabbed by our collars. I nod quickly before climbing over the table, making use of my 10-year-old smallness. "What's going on?" I ask, my voice almost being drowned out by the crowds. "Are we gonna go fight the troll?" Asteria asks, a mischievous grin on her face. "No, I'll explain when we get there! It's very important!" Alex barks, leading us up to the seventh floor. I can hear him mumbling to himself, but I can't quite make out what he's saying.

The room of requirement opens for us, the room being mostly empty, bar for one dark cupboard in the middle of the room. There are no windows, and the room is dark. Very dark. Have I mentioned I was afraid of the dark? Well.. I am. I quickly grab onto the nearest person's arm. Asteria's. "Lumos." Alex says in a whisper as the tip of his wand illuminates dimly. I watch as Alex walks toward the cupboard, and opens it, taking out a small, blood-red potion, of only about a mouthful encased in a crystal vial. "What's that..?" I ask, letting go of Asteria again before casting Lumos with my own wand. "Close the door, and whatever you do, don't let me out." Alex ignores my question. "I'm about to do something either really cool, or really stupid. " He announces, quickly following up with; "When it's done, take my wand and hold onto it.. Please." I nod, still not sure what's going on as I watch him open the vial shakily. He points his wand at himself, drinks the potion and then recites the words: "Amato Animo Animato Animagus!"

My eyes widen as I quickly pick up the wand that had rolled my way before instinctively putting my arm out in front of Asteria, leading her backwards as we back towards the wall. "He's becoming an Animagus!" I announce, watching the events unfold. "Wicked..!" I hear Asteria exclaim. I can't even begin to explain what I'm witnessing; the boy I knew as Alex was now a ball of fluff, he was.. A.. dog? Maybe a bit bigger than a puppy.. a small malamute dog. I hear him howl out, seemingly in pain. He tries to stand on his hind legs, but to no avail. "Alex..?" I finally speak up, taking a step forward as both of our wands shine in my hands, allowing me to get a more detailed look. He was mostly black, with white paws, and a mask like pattern across his fluffy face, bar from two white looking eyebrows. The small Alex pup waddles over to us, panting heavily. "AURAHORORRURURURR" He barks happily as my face lights up. "Aww!" Asteria exclaims as she and I get on our knees and begin petting him. "What a cutie!" I gush before watching him chase his tail. I can't help but giggle as I watch him. 

He then stops chasing his tail to paw at his wand, which was in my hand. I giggle again. "I don't think you'll be able to hold this in your paws, bud." He points to the ground with his nose, to which I lower his wand, the illuminated tip facing him. Alex then sits like a little panda bear, holding the wand between his paws and points it towards his belly. We watch as his small, fluffy body grows and contorts back to his usual wizard self.  "Well, that was bloody brilliant." He exclaims excitedly. "Sorry if it scared you a bit!"  I shake my head. "It's no problem, I just wish you'd told us."  He put his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly, "Sorry, it's just, really time sensitive. Didn't want to miss it and have to have a mandrake leaf under my tongue for a whole 'nother month, you know?" He explained apologetically. "I completely understand." I nod with a smile. "Fair enough." Asteria nods

Alex spent the next hour or so practising transforming back and forth, he said it was to get used to the transformation process. I stuck around, reading through the "Mystifying Charms and Curses" book using my Lumos'd wand for reading light. By the time we were ready to head back to the common rooms, Alex had asked me only one thing; that I place his wand in his mouth after transforming once more, before he bolts out of the room. Asteria had left before us to go to sleep early, so I head back to my common room alone. I take the 'Mystifying Charms and Curses' book under my arm and make my way back down to the fifth floor, then up the spiral staircase.

"Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?" The bronze eagle knocker asks. "Mt. Everest." I respond. "It just wasn't discovered yet." I finish with a grin, the door opening up in front of me.

I head into the common room and up to my dorm, but I quickly return with a blanket I had brought from home, It was Cedric's before it had been passed onto me and I will cherish it forever. I climb onto one of the sofas before lighting up the fireplace with my wand, hugging my knees, cuddling up under the blankets. And I read. Time ticks on and on, and I eventually find a reasonably interesting spell, but my eyes can barely stay open. I open up my blanket, lay the book on my lap and close both the book, then my blanket before promptly falling asleep right there on the couch. The fire crackles, soothing the busyness of my brain.