Twinzel

Informative Night

I sat up groggily in the fluffy white bed of the hospital wing. After the whole ordeal in the Potion's classroom, Harry had decided to bring me here. Immidiately, Madame Pomfrey started to fuss over me. Her hands cupped my cheeks and brushes across my clammy forehead before she started to mutter about grumpy teachers. Not a second later had she handed me a vial with a questionable substance. I narrowed my eyes at it and took the lid off, letting the slightly sour smell penetrate my nose. I carefully examined the color before I had drank it. It was a Calming Draught, and so I concluded it was safe to drink. Harry had stayed as long as possible but eventually got ushered out by Pomfrey, who told me I had to stay the night. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair as my piercing green eyes tried to stare through the room's darkness. I wanted to sleep but my mind kept its wheels whirring, and Professor Snape's horrified face floated up in my head. Why did he seem so appaled when my brother told him what happened to me? Or was my mind just having a jest and making the wrong assumptions? I made a loud groan and pressed both of my hands to my temples, rubbing the skin there in soothing circles. A strong, persistant headache was building up and once more I doubted if I could have a peaceful night. Ever since I didn't sleep with Harry anymore, the nightmares and nightly flashbacks got worse, and I felt myself slipping in a dark corner where there was barely any return from. Since sleeping was out of the question, I decided I might as well use this oppertunity to learn more about Animagus' forms. I had seen the subject pass by in one of my books, but hadn't gotten to fully reading it. I took my wand from my nightstand and twirled it between my fingers throughtfully, before I set it back. Perhaps I could try my wordless and wandless magic for this. I stared at my enchanted bag, squinting my eyes as I thought of the 'accio' spell and curled my fingers. Without hesitation, the bag levitated and zoomed over only to land into the tight grip of my hand. I allowed myself to portrait a smug smile for a moment, here in the lonely darkness of the hospital wing, before I flipped the bag open and reached in. My arm disappeared into the enchanted bag up to my elbow, rummaging about before I finally pulled the desired book out. I set the bag aside and turned the book to the first page.

An Animagus (pl. Animagi) is a witch or wizard who can morph him or herself into an animal at will. It is a learned skill, unlike the hereditary skill of a Metamorphmagus. Information on Animagi is taught to Hogwarts students during their third year Transfiguration Class. An Animagus registration exists to keep track of those that have learned this skill.

I puckered my lips as I read the first few lines, before I pressed my index-finger to the agenda. I finally found the passage I was looking for, and quickly skimmed to the right page. I wanted to know how to become an Animagus myself.

The process is extremely difficult and can result in disaster (such as permanent half-human, half-animal mutations) if done incorrectly. A witch or wizard must keep a single mandrake leaf in their mouth for an entire month (from full moon to full moon). If the leaf is removed or swallowed, the witch or wizard will have to start over again. At the next visible full moon (if the night happens to be cloudy one will have to start over) the wizard must spit the leaf in a phial within range of the moon's pure rays. To the moon-struck phial, the wizard or witch must add one of their own hairs, a silver teaspoon of dew that has not seen sunlight or been touched by human feet for seven days, and the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. The mixture must be put in a quiet, dark place and be in any way disturbed. The next thing that must happen is for the wizard to wait for an electrical storm, whenever that might be. During this waiting period the wizard must, at sunrise and sundown without fail, chant the incantation Amato Animo Animato Animagus with the tip of their wand placed over the heart. When, at last, there is a lightening storm, the wizard ought to move immediately to a large and secure place, recite the incantation one final time, and then drink the potion.

I gawked at the information the book had given me, and immidiately slapped it shut. A Mandrake leaf in my mouth for an entire month! ''Preposterous..'' I breathed out in shock, tossing the book back in my bag. And then there was the whole registration thing, where the whole wizarding world was supposed to know you could morph into an animal, and in which animal exactly. How does that help when you truely wish to hide? I let out a snort and shook my head. Maybe I was too young and ignorant to understand, but to me it made no sense to use a spell to become a master or mistress in hiding yourself, only for the whole magical world to know how you hide! If I was going to push through with this, if I was going to become an Animagi, then I would refuse to register despite Wizarding Law. I nodded to myself before finally laying back down in the comfortable pillows, turning on my side. I wasn't sure yet, of course. But I had enough time to think about it. I noticed that the first signs of the morning light simmered through the curtains, and an exhausted breathe slipped from my lips. In a few minutes, Madame Pomfrey would fuss over me and I could go. I recall something about the Potion's classroom being empty this morning, becuase of a prank from Fred & George Weasley last night. When I was cleared from the hospital wing, I was going to go to the empty room, and take a quick nap.