We go about the rest of the day grinning, and when dinner is over we run up to our dormitory and talk about our plans for the following night. I've memorised the castle and all its shortcuts and passageways, so I know the shortest way to the library that will rule out any chance of us being spotted even under the Cloak. Peter will unlock the doors with a simple alohomora, James, Remus and I will look for the book and Peter will stand guard. By around midnight, we have a detailed plan and can't wait for tomorrow night.
The next day is incredibly tedious as we wait for school to finish. I can barely concentrate through our last class, Herbology with Sprout, so I almost set James' notebook on fire while trying to defeat a slug. Ah, slugs. Clearly the biggest threat to wizard-kind. After Herbology we all head up to the Common Room, discussing the details of our plan. Dinner passes quickly and we go up to our dormitory and wait. When the Common Room is almost empty, we huddle under the Cloak and creep through the portrait hole to the library. Peter unlocks the library entrance and sneaks into the Restricted Section, as per our plan, and stands lookout. James, Remus and I split up to look for the book, The Fine, Advanced Art of Transfiguration. I comb the front two rows of shelves, nothing appears. After another few minutes I hear a whisper from James, saying that he's found it. He pops his head out and comes to us holding a thick, dusty book. I signal to Remus who comes over to us and glances at the cover.
"We've got the book!" James whispers triumphantly. "The only question is, now what? We can't very well steal it, Pince would notice and we'd be dead meat," He raises a valid point. We were so preoccupied with getting the book that we hadn't made plans on what to do with it once we got a hold of it. There is silence for a few seconds before I interject.
"Wait - I have an idea!" I exclaim, while whispering of course. "We can put the Gemino curse on the book! It'll duplicate, we can take the fake and nobody will be any the wiser." My idea gets nods of approval from James, Peter and Remus, though reluctantly. "Remus, you know how to cast the Gemino curse don't you?" I ask. Remus nods nervously and casts it under his breath, another dusty book appears in James' arms. James hurries to replace the real book on the shelf, and all of us regroup with Peter out the front. We hide under the Cloak and creep back to Gryffindor Tower, clutching the duplicate book. James hides it in his trunk with the Cloak, and we fall asleep discussing our plan to find out how to become Animagi.
~
The next morning, a Saturday, James nudges the group awake and we examine the book. The Gemino curse seems to have done its job, as the book is identical to the original. It's huge, too, almost two inches thick. Ugh, I can't imagine reading all that tiny print. Luckily, Remus dictates most of the content to us and we discuss it.
"So, becoming an Animagus -" Remus scans over a couple of pages. "Aha! Part of the process by which one becomes an Animagus is holding the leaf of a mandrake in their mouth for an entire month, from full moon to full moon." Peter tries (and fails) to hide the grimace on his face.
"If the leaf is removed or swallowed, the witch or wizard will have to start over again. The same leaf must be used for the creation of a potion, reciting the incantation Amato Animo Animato Animagus on a daily basis, and drinking the Animagus potion during a lightning storm.
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 not 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 lightning storm, the wizard ought to move immediately to a large and secure place, recite the incantation one final time, and then drink the potion. Amato Animo Animato Animagus is the incantation used in the process of becoming an Animagus. While the incantation is necessary for the process, it is not sufficient. The incantation has to be recited at sunrise and sundown, every day before the consumption of the Animagus potion.
The incantation is also recited just prior to the consumption of the potion, which has to take place just after a lightning storm starts.
The incantation is recited while placing the wand's tip over one's heart.
As the potion can only be consumed during a lightning storm, prospective Animagi may have to recite the incantation for weeks, months, and even years. Becoming an Animagus also requires skills in Transfiguration and Potions, and also a remarkable amount of patience. Failure to adhere to the daily recitations of the incantation will result in failure of becoming a fully functional Animagus, though the precise consequences are unclear. However, once the initial training is successfully complete, an Animagus can change at will, with or without a wand. " Remus reads out the whole page.
"Shit," James whispers. "How're we gonna get mandrake leaves, untouched dew and moth chrysalises? We're gonna need to pull off some intense stealing from Slughorn, not to mention sneaking out during a lightning storm. 'Course the sneaking will be a breeze, but still..." he trails off.
"Well, let's make a plan then!" I announce after an awkward pause. "First, we need mandrake leaves, three at least. Sprout would have those, Slughorn might as well. We ought to check his private stores."
Peter, Remus and James nod in agreement. We plan for James to sneak out to Slughorn's stores later today under the Cloak, while the rest of us distract him.
~
After lunch, we put our plan into motion. Remus, Peter and I walk down to Slughorn's office in the dungeon while James scopes out his stores. Remus knocks on the door, Slughorn looks through the peephole and flings the door open, beaming jovially.
"Ah, Mr. Lupin! Glad you dropped in! And Black and Pettigrew- to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks. I see Remus start to fidget with his wand in his pocket. I speak up.
"Well professor, Remus and I were wondering... How much detail should we go into in our essay on the effects of the Wiggenweld Potion? I know you said a foot of parchment, but we were wondering if there was a specific limit?" Peter mumbles something about big handwriting, but Slughorn waves his hand and tells us not to worry. He's about to direct us out, but Remus starts up a conversation about the unethical sourcing of graphorn hide and horn, which buys us an extra 10 minutes. We thank Slughorn and head down to our rendezvous point, the statue of Gregory the Smarmy on the first floor, where James stands. He's beaming, and holds three large mandrake leaves.
"Let's get to it then!"
YOU ARE READING
Wolfstar✨
Fanfiction"Want a bean?" For the Wolfstar shippers! Please tell us what you think and leave comments! ~ Cover Art Credit: @upthehillart
