“Professor?”
McGonagall took a deep breath. When James Potter called her Professor, he was always sucking up for something. Three months ago it had been Hogsmeade. Last time, it had been Quidditch.
“Yes, Potter?”
“I was wondering how someone would go about becoming an Animagus.”
She let out the breath. No harm in answering that.
“Well, Potter, it is a very long and complicated process, and I would be astounded if anyone in this room ever achieved it.”
She surveyed the all over the rims of her spectacles before continuing.
“A person wishing to become an Animagus must first submit their name for consideration to the Ministry of Magic. There they will go through your personal file to make sure that you are of age and that you have no criminal history. Then you must undergo a series of very difficult magical tests, far beyond anything taught here.
“If you pass this test”and very few do”then the Ministry provides a training room in which you will be observed practicing the necessary spell by Ministry officials who will step in if anything goes wrong.”
Suddenly, McGonagall stopped talking. Her eyes burned into James’, the latter fidgeting slightly under her stern gaze.
“Please see me after class, Potter,” she said carefully. “Now, back to your beetles. Pettigrew, I have enough sense to see that that is not a button. Do assume I have some intelligence, won’t you?”
Peter, who had been poking his partially Transfigured beetle halfheartedly with his wand, gave a start and flushed. He muttered something under his breath, and the beetle went from red to dark blue. McGonagall tutted loudly and demonstrated the proper hand motion and incantation again. Peter’s beetle immediately lost its antennae and flattened into a perfect button.
The bell rang. James shoved A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration back into his bag along with a roll of parchment, ink, and a quill.
“Just a moment, then, Potter.”
James had forgotten to stay after class. He doubled back through the door. McGonagall indicated a chair near her desk.
“Professor, I’ve got Charms””
“I will send a note along to Filius,” McGonagall said, flicking her wand. A piece of parchment flew out the door. “Now sit down, Potter.”
James sat.
“Potter, if you or Black or any of your friends are planning to turn into Animagi, I must remind you that that is illegal. And you will not just get detention”which, I must say, has startlingly little effect on you”you will get time in Azkaban.”
“Professor, it was just an innocent question, honest!”
As his Head of House, McGonagall knew James. She also knew that the chances of him asking an innocent question were about those of a fire crab venturing out in a blizzard. Slim to none, in other words.
But, as she searched his face, she saw that he was either telling the truth or a brilliantly gifted liar. Besides, she reasoned with herself, I could be the Transfiguration teacher of the world’s first underage Animagus.
McGonagall dismissed him.
“Ah, yes, Mr. Potter. I got Minerva’s line,” Professor Flitwick said resignedly. “Since your friend Mr. Black openly refused to pair up with anyone except yourself””
Sirius winked mischievously at James, who grinned back.
“”you two will be partners for Freezing Charms.”
“So, what did McGonagall want?” Sirius asked in an undertone after Flitwick hurried to unfreeze Pamela Hughes of Ravenclaw.
“Asked me if we were going to turn into Animagi.”
“That woman is too sharp for her own good,” Sirius said, shaking his head.
“Yeah.”
They were silent for a few minutes, watching other students’ fruitless efforts to freeze their glasses of water. Sirius made to drink from his, but James muttered the Freezing Charm and a block of solid ice dropped on Sirius’ jaw. He swore quite badly, earning himself a reproachful glance from Flitwick.
“Ow,” he moaned, turning an offended glare on James. “What’re you playing at, anyway?”
“Sorry,” James said, laughing, “couldn’t resist. Your face was priceless.”
Sirius eventually saw the funny side of this, and the two of them were laughing their heads off at James’ spirited imitations of Sirius going cross-eyed and woozy after the blow from the ice by the end of class.
“You know, that could have really hurt,” said Remus, who was hurrying to get close enough to tell them off properly. James and Sirius both flinched; they hadn’t heard him come up behind them.
“Oh, lighten up, Moony,” Sirius chuckled, relaxing. “If I can laugh about it, you have every right to, also.”
“You weren’t laughing at the time,” Remus said, going misty eyed at the recollection. “Nearly gave Evans a bloody heart attack. She thought someone had died or something.”
“I thought no such thing,” Lily said from behind them. James yelled in alarm and whipped around.
“WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE SNEAKING UP BEHIND US, EH?!” he bellowed. Lily was practically paralyzed with laughter.
“You”had to”have jumped”a foot,” she choked. Sirius thumped her on the back, sending her careening into a group of third years.
“Honestly, Sirius, you’ve forgotten how short I am,” she grinned, trying and failing to look angry.
“I hate to interrupt this charming little party,” said a cold voice, “but you lot will be late for Potions if you don’t get a move on, and you know how I’d hate to see Gryffindor lose any more points.”
“Snivellus,” Sirius growled, the grin vanishing instantly from his face. Lily looked petrified. James drew his wand quicker than anyone would have thought possible.
“Don’t!” Lily cried suddenly, just as James was about to curse Snape into oblivion. “Don’t do it, he didn’t do anything to you!”
James shot her a “why-did-you-ruin-my-cool-moment” look. Snape’s lip curled, and he said the first thing that came to his mind, something he didn’t mean in the slightest.
“How kind of you, Evans, but I don’t accept help from Mudbloods.”
Lily knew immediately that Snape had said something extremely insulting. People she had never spoken to were screaming, “How dare you!” and a lot of people she had spoken to and was friendly with drew their wands, each looking as if they intended to murder Snape on the spot.
“What’s all this?” said a silky voice.
James shut his eyes in the pained expression of one doomed without a chance of redemption. Lucius Malfoy was the last thing he needed now. A prefect and a member of Slytherin House, he was one of the few people who could make the situation worse than it already was. Some of the quicker thinking students hastily stowed their wands in their robes and struck up conversations with their friends, determined to act as if nothing had happened.
“Fighting in the corridors?” he drawled. “And”dear me, fourteen against one?”
“Snape called Evans ‘Mudblood’,” a Ravenclaw second year with a drawn wand called out. Malfoy’s lips twisted into a cold smile.
“Well, you can hardly expect him to call her ‘Pureblood’, now can you?” he said in a quiet but yet somehow carrying voice. “Five points from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. If I catch anyone fighting again, it’ll be more.”
He swept away, ignoring the outraged looks on most people’s faces.
“I’m telling you, next time I see that git, he won’t be walking away with that smug smile of his,” Sirius said furiously, pounding his fist into his hand. “Come to think of it, he won’t be walking anywhere at all, if I can manage it.”
“What was so bad about what he said?” Lily said, desperately trying to catch up. Sirius stared at her incredulously.
“You mean you actually don’t know?” he said, raising his eyebrows so high that they threatened to disappear into his long hair.
“No, I don’t, and if someone felt like telling me, that’d be great,” she snapped irritably. James sighed.
“Sure we’ll tell you, Evans, we’re just so amazed that you don’t already know!”
“FOR MERLIN’S SAKE, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT HE MEANT?” Lily yelled at the top of her voice. James and Sirius smiled sheepishly.
“Mudblood is one of the most insulting things our kind can call someone,” Remus explained, not meeting Lily’s eyes. “It means that your blood isn’t as clean as theirs, just because you’re Muggle-born. It’s a load of rubbish, but there you are. Only some so-called purebloods believe that stuff.”
Lily’s face reddened in anger.
“I can’t believe he would do that!” she cried. “He always seemed so quiet, and he’s so good at Potions!”
James shook his head.
“Merlin’s pants, Evans, just because he’s good at Potions doesn’t make him a saint!”
Lily treated him to her most withering glance. “I know that, Potter.”
“I hate him!” Lily stormed. “It’s impossible to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion when he’s breathing down my neck and telling me I ought to have taken the cauldron off the fire before I put in the rat’s tails!”
Lily had had Severus Snape for a partner in Potions, and she was positively fuming about it.
“Calm down, Lils!” said a slightly alarmed Arya. “You’re still one of the best potioneers in the year, that hasn’t changed just because that slimy git made you mess up one potion.”
“You should talk, you were partnered with Sirius! At least he’s a laugh, even if he isn’t that good at Potions!” Lily cried. “All Snivellus does is sit there writing in that bloody stupid textbook of his and he only pays attention to the potion if I’ve done something wrong and didn’t realize it! I’d rather be partners with Potter than him!”
At this, there was much smirking and eyebrow-wiggling.
“What?” said Lily, stopping in mid-pace around the dormitory.
“Oh, it’s just”” Mia began.
“”we thought you’d come ‘round soon enough,” Kat cut in. Lily stared from one face to the next, to the next, looking bewildered.
“He’s crazy for you, Lils,” Arya said.
Lily resumed her pacing. So this was about Potter, was it? Her steps became more clipped, but her friends didn’t seem to notice.
“I mean, you have so much in common! You’re both Marauders, really smart, like hexing people who annoy you…” Arya was saying.
“Shut up before I hex you,” Lily threatened. Arya grinned.
“Case in point,” she said smugly.
“So are you going to go out with him or what?” Mia asked impatiently.
“No,” Lily said, a little too quickly.
“Ooh, she’s considering him!” Kat gasped. Lily rolled her eyes at all of them.
“If I go out with Potter, all he’ll want to do is kiss me in the corridors.”
“And there’s something wrong with that, I wonder?” a voice quipped.
“Potter!” Lily yelled in shock. “How in Merlin’s name did you get up here?”
“Nice to see you too, Evans,” James grinned.
“But how did you get up here?” Lily repeated.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” James winked. “I’ve been listening to your fascinating conversation. Bad luck with ol’ Snivelly, I say.”
Is there ANYTHING Potter cannot find a way to do? Lily’s amazed side wondered.
Yeah, how about shutting up and not acting like such a prat all the time? her irritated side replied eloquently.
“Oh, and Evans? I completely agree with everything you said about Snivellus, and would like to add that he is an ugly git.”
“I concur,” Lily said, struggling to keep a straight face.
“Now that I’ve had my word, I’ll take my leave. Ta ta, ladies,” James said, tipping an imaginary hat. He reopened the window, hopped onto the broom he had pulled from the outside ledge, and flew out of sight.
Actually, it was quite embarrassing that nobody had seen him come in.
“Girls,” Kat said slowly, “we have a problem. James Potter can get into our dormitory.”
“So let’s make sure he never will,” said Lily.
Thanks for the Memories by tiger_lily821
Chapter Notes: I know that this chapter is both rather plotless and a long time in coming. I was going to submit it before the queue closed, but school attacked with projects, so sorry about the delay!