𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗭𝗞𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗡 [𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍]

Chapter Thirty: Dragons and Guinea-pigs

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

The boys cleared the whole 'animagas' situation with Professor Merrythought before telling Remus so as not to give him false hope only to take it away if their solution ended up not working.

Professor McGonagall would have been a better option, what with her being the Transfigurations expert and an animagi herself, but she knew about Remus and would probably put two and two together if they asked her for advice about animagi and werewolves. Then it would be detention for the rest of the year if not Azkaban.

"Werewolves are generally only a threat to humans." said Professor Merrythought when Sirius and James hung back after class to talk to her (Peter was given the mission of distracting Remus). "They might harm other animals if they get in the way but they wouldn't go after them like they would humans or transfer the condition with bites."

"Does the same go for Animagi?" Sirius asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Why are you asking these questions?" Professor Merrythought narrowed her eyes at james and Sirius behind her round glasses.

"Just out of curiosity." answered James with a smile. "We could have searched in books but thought that you'd be more knowledgeable seeing as you're the wisest and most experienced teacher at Hogwarts."

Professor Merrythought sized them up a little before she said, "It does. But only while they are still in their animal forms."

"Thanks, Professor Merrythought." they quickly said and ran out of the DADA class because Merrythought was starting to look a little suspicious.

"She was rather easy to convince." said James with a smile, once out of earshot.

"Telling her she was the smartest Professor at Hogwarts might have done the trick."

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

It may or may not have taken a few unauthorized, Invisibility Cloak assisted night time visits to the library's Restricted Section, but the boys finally found a book on how to become Animagi.

"It's not safe." said Remus after reading the steps of becoming an Animagus from Transfigurations for the Elite. "Look at all the complications you could bring on yourselves."

"Remus, my friend." said James, clapping him on the back. "There's a reason they put the steps of transformations before the warnings about the side effects. It's so you'll be too excited to even consider them. That means we're supposed to ignore them."

"How are you lot still alive?" asked Remus with a smile.

"The world just can't get enough of my beauty, James's sense of humor and Peter's . . . kindness." Sirius explained, hoping the delay didn't hurt Peter's feelings.

But Peter was too busy silently serenading the pumpkin pasty in his hand to notice what was going on around him.

"I can't expect you to go through all this trouble just for me." sighed Remus, putting the book on the burgundy carpeted floor of the dorm room.

"Such high opinion thou hast of thyself, young master Lupin." cried James in a deep voice. "We art not doing this solely for thee. 'Tis for the sake of acquiring new knowledge."

"Forsooth." Sirius snorted and tried to pass it off as a cough. "Listen Remus. There's literally nothing you could do to stop us now. So I suggest you invest your breath and time on something more productive like helping us achieve this."

"This is really hard." said Remus, running his fingers through his hair. "Even the book's name is Transfigurations for the Elite. And no offense but you lot aren't exactly brilliant at Transfigurations."

"Thank you, Remus." deadpanned James. "Now we really want to help you."

"Are you planning on getting registered?" Remus asked.

"No." Sirius said. "What for?"

"It wouldn't be half as fun if we didn't break a few rules along the way." James added.

"A few?" Remus said, frowning at James's comment. "You know this could land you a cozy little cell in Azkaban, right?"

James scoffed at that. "Pfft. Only if we're stupid enough to get caught. And we're kids."

Remus sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes but a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Imagine being a dragon, though." Sirius mused, leaning back against James's bed with a faraway expression.

"Dragons aren't practical." said James. "We have to be serious about this."

"Nobody is more Sirius than I am." Sirius said, putting his hand over his heart and feigning offense.

"Two years, Sirius. That joke is getting old." retorted James.

"You're just mad because you'll turn into a guinea pig or something along that line and embarrass yourself."

"Peter? Remind me why we let Sirius live." said James, turning to Peter for support.

"Peter? Remind me why we let James live." Sirius used the same tone as James.

"You don't have to answer, Peter." said Remus, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Don't get involved in whatever these two start."

Alas! Peter was still busy with the pasty.

"But what if our Animagus turned out to be something like a goldfish or a chicken." said James, suddenly all serious. "We might end up being snack instead of support."

"Even though you have the inner traits of a goldfish, James, it'll be fine. Snack could be support." Sirius said matter-of-factly.

"Let's see if you still think that's funny when you become a guinea pig." James retorted.

"I still don't think you should go through with this." said Remus, looking over the instructions once more.

Sirius cleared his throat dramatically. "Remus Barnaby Lupin."

"Not my middle name." Remus interrupted but Sirius ignored him.

"I'll try to say it nicely. Your opinion. Does. Not. Matter." Sirius said.

"You really have no say in this, mate." added James. "So stop being a prat. A 'thank you, you bloody amazing gits' would be more appreciated if you insist on keeping your mouth open."

"Well." sighed Remus and shrugged his shoulders. "If you can't beat them, join them."

"What?" Sirius asked.

"It's a Muggle saying." Remus answered. "You've never heard it?"

"I'm a very sheltered pureblood raised by Muggle hating aristocrats, Remus. Give me some credit." Sirius said.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

The next few weeks were devoted to discussing where they could find the ingredients, like the mandrake leaf and dew that hasn't been disturbed for seven days, and trying to predict when there might be a full moon and a cloudless sky simultaneously.

It looked like it would take an awfully long time to achieve the complete transformation but the sooner they start, the sooner they'd be able to put Remus out of his misery or at least try their best to do so.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

Stay tuned, you bloody amazing gits.