The Bonds of Spirit are stronger than the Bonds of Blood

Chapter Eleven

The trio looked at each other in silence, trying to figure out what their next step would be. There were completely committed to this path, but they needed to decide how they should begin. If they started asking questions, others might interfere. Or worse! Remus could find out what they were up to! Sirius closed his eyes, running through all that Professor McGonagall had told him and James earlier, searching for some sort of hint as to what they should be doing. They already had the leaves, even if they didn't know what they could be used for. She had stressed the training and... Of course! Sirius opened his eyes and said "Of course! Human transfiguration!" The other two looked at him, confused by the sudden outburst. Sirius rolled his eyes and said "We need to work on transfiguring ourselves to become animagi right? So maybe we should be starting by just growing or shrinking ourselves! Starting out small of course, maybe just start with our fingers?" Digging out the old, battered copy of the Guide to Advanced Transfiguration they had taken from the Transfiguration classroom, Sirius flipped through the index until he found what he was looking for. Swiftly turning to the page he needed, he began skimming the text, looking for any clue as to how humans could transfigure themselves. Finally, he found the section he needed. Sirius read the passage aloud. "Here it is! Human Transfiguration takes a great amount of concentration. Unlike other forms of Transfiguration, there is no wand motion or set incantation to help channel a wizard's focus. Instead, the wizard must focus on the magic within them, send it flowing to the part of their body they wish to change, and concentrate! Concentration is key! Even the slightest hesitation could lead to some disastrous results."

Closing the book, Sirius turned to his friends and said "Well, here goes nothing!" He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he felt the magic flow through him. Slowly, he began to picture the magic moving towards his fingers. He could feel the bones shift, stretching until they were nearly double in size. James and Peter gasped, prompting Sirius to open his eyes. Looking down at his hands in shock he muttered "I can't believe that actually worked...." He wiggled his fingers, surprised how easy it was to manage these odd yet familiar appendages. Concentrating again, this time keeping a careful watch on his fingers, he slowly, but surely, managed to return his fingers to normal. With a bright grin he said "Well, this isn't too bad! If we practice enough we'll be animagi in no time!" Sirius was relieved. Not only did they have a plan, but it was working brilliantly so far! Soon enough they'd be able to tell Remus and help him properly! Sirius watched as both James and Peter attempted to do as he had done. James had closed his eyes and seemed to be doing alright. He looked like he was meditating as he sat calmly on the floor, hands out in front of him, fingers splayed, as if he were trying to cast some grand spell upon the room. His fingers began to grow, ever so slowly, but at least he was properly transfiguring himself. Peter, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling. He kept twitching at odd intervals, hands shaking as he attempted to concentrate. Sirius put a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder, smiled at the mousey boy, and said "Just relax, take a few deep breaths, and concentrate. You can do it!" Giving a timid smile in return, Peter followed Sirius' advice. Taking a few moments to breathe and relax, he began to properly concentrate, and soon enough his fingers had doubled in size. Sirius smirked and said "See! I told you!" The trio continued practicing shifting their fingers for a few hours before returning to the tower, satisfied by their progress.

Lily had been growing concerned. Sirius and his friends kept disappearing during free periods, only returning when curfew was in effect. This kind of disappearance was normal; they did spend their time lost in their own world. But this was different. They left Remus behind, finding an excuse for him to remain. More often than not Remus would make the excuse, needing to grab more supplies for a class, or diligently working on his homework and ignoring the world around him. Each time the trio would vanish down a corridor, and return with those stupid grins plastered to their faces. While she and Sirius still spoke often, she didn't have the heart to ask him what was going on. She had promised not to pry after all, and he seemed a lot happier than he had been the night he asked her for help. But she couldn't help but worry that they were up to something dangerous. Lily watched as Sirius left the Common Room, their eyes meeting as Sirius gave her a reassuring smile. He seemed to have some idea of what he was doing, but Lily couldn't shake the feeling that he was putting himself in danger. Though they had only really gotten to know each other this year, they had become incredibly close. Lily couldn't explain it, but their bond felt like the one she had shared with Petunia before she discovered her magic. Lily was determined not to lose this bond. Even if Sirius was confident, she wanted to make sure he wouldn't end up getting hurt! She didn't want to contact any of the Professors, that'd be rather drastic and could result in losing this new found kinship. She couldn't turn to Professor McGonagall, even though she was their Head of House. So who could she possibly turn to? Her eyes fell upon Remus, as he wrote yet another essay, and her mind was made up. Stepping over to the quiet boy, she said "Hello Remus. I know we don't really talk, but I'm worried. Sirius and the others keep disappearing. I think you should go check on them."