The Forest - R.L.

Chapter 23 - The Tail

"What in the.... I have a tail!?"

Grace spun quickly in a circle, trying to get a better look at the long furry appendage that had just sprouted from her lower abdomen, poking out between the dark blue jeans and green jumper that she was wear. She then gave up, deciding instead to just grab it with one of her hands and hold it in front of her. She held it in front of her and ran a hand through its thick light brown fur, before letting it go and wiggling it around behind her, just as she would if it were an arm or a leg.

It was a rather bizarre sensation, Grace thought, to suddenly have a whole extra part of your body that you could move and feel.

"You... you actually have a tail," Remus choked out in surprise. "I this is kind of weird, but can I... can I touch it?"

"Yeah, sure," Grace replied instantly, turning around so that it was in front of him. Feeling someone else's hands on the tail was even weirder than feeling her own, Grace decided. Soon the others wanted to touch it to.

"That's so cool, Fel," Sirius said. "I can't believe you did it, though. We're so close to become fully fledged Animagi."

"We still have a fair bit to go, Pads. I'm only partially transformed, and that's just one of us," Grace sighed. "It's still going to be a while before we're ready to actually start joining Moony on his monthly adventures."

"But we're closer than we were a few years ago," added Sirius.

"So what now?" Peter asked. "How do you get rid of... it?"

"The tail? That's a good question, actually. I'm assuming the same way I got it, but instead of trying to become an animal, I'm trying to become human. Except I am human. Or I just have to try to imagine myself without the tail..."

"What does the book say?" Remus asked, cutting her off.

"The book! Right, uh...." Grace trailed off as she bent down and picked up the book up again. "Okay. The book says that to change back from animal to human... you have to reverse the process. I was right! Although it doesn't say anything about partial transformations. Hmmm..."

She trailed off again, flicking through the pages as the others waited in anticipation.

"Actually," she said, suddenly snapping the book shut. "I could use that reversal spell. Dissu... Dissuo Animatus.... Dissuo Transformo... something like that. It was in one of the other books that I borrowed and I thought it might be helpful in the future so I wrote it down on a spare piece of parchment. I should have it somewhere..."

Grace knelt down beside her bag and began to rummage through it.

"Wait a second, was that the piece of paper that James doodled Lily's name all over?" Remus questioned. "Because you gave it to me last week to use as a book mark."

"Oh, Merlin's beard, I did too," Grace remarked. "Did you bring it with you?"

"Yes, it's back at the house," Remus said, holding out a hand to help her up from the ground. "But I can go back and get it if you want."

"We should all go back. It's getting late and my parents are going to start wondering where we are soon," James suggested.

Grace groaned, picked up her bag and began the long trek back to the house, her new tail swinging above the grass with each step she took. The others followed, making sure not to leave behind any of their potion making equipment from earlier.

Once they reached the house, Remus suggested "How about I go inside, grab the piece of paper and then we'll all go inside and pretend that we just got back?"

"Sounds like a plan," Peter said, as Remus began to enter the house as quietly as he could, making sure no to close the door too harshly behind him.

He was halfway up the stairs when Euphemia Potter called out "James, is that you?" He instantly froze, not wanting to add to their suspicions that someone was home. He waited nearly a minute before continuing up the stairs, making sure to be extra careful this time.

He headed for James's bedroom, which was miraculously large enough that they the five of them could sleep in there. Grace was originally supposed to sleep in the guest room next door, however, after a long discussion with Euphemia, it's was decided that Grace would join the boys in James' room. It's not like she hadn't shared a room with them before.

Upon entering the room, Remus had to climb over several mattresses (sleeping five people in one room meant that empty floor space was scarce) until he reached his own, where Grace's copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was sitting. It belonged to a series of muggle books, one of Grace's favourites, and she was currently forcing Remus to read them as well.

He picked it up and flicked it open to the page he was up to, where he found a piece of parchment with the name Lily Evans scrawled all over it. He unfolded it to reveal the words Dissuo Transformatus written in Grace's familiar handwriting. The counter spell, he guessed.

Remus grabbed the piece of parchment and headed back the way he had come, as quietly as he could.

"Did you get it?" Grace asked, the second he had closed the door again.

Instead of answering, Remus just held the piece of towards her.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Grace cried, before pulling out her wand and uttering "Dissuo Transformatus."

Her tail immediately began to shrink, until it had completely disappeared.

"Great, now let's go inside," James instructed, opening the door.

"James! You're back! I was just about to go out and get you," Fleamont greeted them as they entered. "Dinner's ready."

James and Sirius practically bolted for the table.

---

GUESS WHO HAS A NEW LAPTOP

ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE VOTES IVE BEEN GETTING ON THIS :)

Anyway, now that I have laptop, I'm going to try to publish a new chapter every couple of days (maybe three or four idk) until the school holidays are over but we'll just have to wait and see.

Also what is with the weather at the moment it's like 20 degrees one day and 40 the next??? (why am i talking about the weather im sorry)
- Grace