Trying To Cope
As the day drew by, rumors of a certain Transfiguration class’s happenings began to spread around Hogwarts. Every turn he made and every corridor he crossed, James heard a different story.
“I heard he kissed her and then she suddenly turned into an owl,” said one pale fourth year.
“I saw it with my own eyes! The wands connected, a strange liquid came out of the girl’s wand and with a pop, she transformed into a red owl,” said an intimidating seventh year.
A crowd was formed around a small first year who swore that Lily had been turned into a big blue giant.
Meanwhile, James was trying to cope with the truth. Lily had been turned into a completely normal looking owl, by him, and there was no discernible way of turning her back to her usual self.
Now, James was forced to attend every class with an auburn owl that continued to glare at him with the eyes of an assassin. To make his life even easier, Lily would often wander about, occasionally to go see her friends, and it usually fell to James to find her.
Try as he could, he could not think of any possible way of turning her back to normal. Although at first he had been a bit happy about the outcome of the transformation, he soon realized Lily was only a nuisance, and he much rather preferred to be around his friends.
Unfortunately, being around Lily twenty-four hours a day was not the only thing he had had to become accustomed to. Lily refused to constantly eat bread and biscuits, so she forced James to prepare her breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner every single day. He also had to stand her friends asking him, twice per every hour, whether he had found a way to “cure” Lily.
His own friends, who were supposed to stand by him at all times, were being quite critical of him. If James was hoping to find sympathy, he was better off with Snape than with Sirius, whose favorite choice of words for James were “such a git.”
“I know you’re in love with the girl, Prongs, but did you have to go and turn her into an owl? Isn’t that a bit extreme, even for you?” he constantly asked, shaking his head at James.
In simple words, the very much awaited visit to Dumbledore came slowly to both seventh years.
Every day they went to McGonagall’s office (probably the only thing they could both truly agree on), but they were curtly told that the Headmaster was away on one errand or another.
Lily was continually thinking about how she had gotten into this incredible mess, and how long it would be before she could finally get out of it. She couldn’t stop thinking about all the problems this posed, including all the extra work she would have to do to catch up with the rest of her class.
Another, more curious and less rational side of her, was glad this had happened. It was a way to get out of her structured routines, and, more importantly, a chance for her to meet the real James Potter, one without any Snape to bring out his malicious side, or any crowds of people to bring out his sly remarks.
The worst reminder of what had happened occurred a few days later, when they attended Transfiguration once again. The same people were partnered up, meaning that not only were Lily and James together again (for obvious reasons), but Sophie and Sirius were also partners.
Lily’s green owl eyes became rather startled when girls began asking her what she had done to avoid being turned back to her normal self. The realization that someone would want to get into that mess intentionally was clearly a surprise.
As McGonagall finished repeating the assignment for the second time for the dim-witted in the class, she called Lily and James up to her desk. Those who dared snicker when she said Miss Evans were silenced by one look from James’s eyes.
“The Headmaster would like to see both of you in his office. I trust you know the password, Mr. Potter?” she asked.
Many smart retorts came to James’s mind, but he thought this situation to be too serious for such mannerisms, and contented himself with a “Yes, Professor.”
Relief and anxiety showed in two pairs of eyes as legs and wings traveled numerous halls on the path to Dumbledore’s office. Thoughts raced at amazing speeds, measuring all possibilities, their probabilities, and their consequences.
Lily dreamed of being back into her regular human form, being able to walk once again “ flying was all very well, but she could barely carry herself by the end of every day. Talking was now high on her list of privileges: she had never realized how much she used dialogue to communicate in a normal day. She felt as if she were all bottled up, ready for all her feelings to simply explode.
James would be glad to finally have time to himself, and he would have to be out of his friends’ mocking radar “ although not completely. Gossip would still be flying about Hogwarts even weeks after the incident, and James just hoped that Lily would not hold such a grudge against him.
They finally arrived, and both paused at the marble staircase, trusting that within an hour they would be back to their regular lives. Lily was waiting expectantly, but James would not budge. In an attempt to remind him that he was the one to be emitting words from his mouth, she began poking him in his arm. He looked in her direction and grinned.
“I just want to tell you, Evans, that I apologize for everything I’ve done. I know it has not been the, well, ideal, way to start the term. But you can’t say that it lacked originality! I swear, that when I transformed you, I never thought this would happen. If people have convinced you that it’s one of our pranks, then I can probably do little to make you believe otherwise, but I want to tell you that it was not a prank, and it happened completely accidentally,” he said in a serious tone.
Changing the mood, he said, “You know, I think this is the first time I’ve ever talked to you for such a long time, without you calling me a prat. It’s really a refreshing experience.”
He laughed when Lily poked him once again.
“Just remember, this is Dumbledore we’re talking to. If he doesn’t know how to solve this, no one else will. We’ll have to figure it out with our humble little brains.”
With that, he said “Lemon drops,” and looked up as the staircase moved.
As they approached the wooden door that led to the Headmaster’s office, they gave a start when they saw it being opened by a wrinkled hand.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans. Come in, come in,” he said as he opened the door widely for them.
“I trust you have been having a good beginning of term, and that you are enjoying your Head quarters,” he said calmly.
“We have been, sir, yes. The quarters are splendid, really, thank you,” said the Head Boy, stealing a quick look at the owl perched on the mahogany table.
“My dear Professor McGonagall tells me you have encountered some inconveniences in her Transfigurations class, and that neither she nor any of you were able to solve it,” said Dumbledore, as if he were speaking of a harmless cold.
“Well, yes, Professor, you see, we were doing human transfigurations. Unmistakably, I turned Evans “ Miss Evans, that is “ into an owl, and I was unable to turn her back, despite my many efforts. That’s really all there is to it,” said a restless James.
Dumbledore uttered only two words: “I see.” Then he entered a pensive state, with James and Lily observing him for any change in his expression. When he seemed to be about to speak, both students held their breaths.
“Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter,” he said with a nod at Lily’s direction, “I am afraid I am not able to amend your current condition.”
Lily’s eyes became wide as plates the moment these words left Dumbledore’s mouth.
“Oh, do not worry, Ms. Evans, we can solve this in a very simple way. You see, since Mr. Potter was the one who cast the spell, he will have to remember exactly what he was thinking of the moment he uttered the incantation. Until that memory is recalled, you will stay an owl. I would advise you to enjoy it while you can. The feeling of the wind beneath your wings is one of the greatest I have ever experienced. So don’t be daunted! I am sure Mr. Potter here will remember in no time!”
We have to figure it out with our humble little brains, thought both Heads.
Why Potter? by JaneA
Chapter Notes: Lily and James attempt to live with their new roles.