The good, bad and ugly

Tuesday November 15 11:12am.

The log exploded shards everywhere, but Harrys shield charm was erected quick enough to protect him from taking any damage. A quiet intake of breath was all that alerted him to the presence of a witness to the speed in which he cast the two charms. Harry knew who it was. After all he had been avoiding her since Saturday.

She was also the only other person who knew that this was his training arena.

Spell after spell left his wand, leaving the clearing void of any and all possible targets. Collapsing to his knees, Harry's first thought was about how he would need to find a new place to train tomorrow. Maybe he could buy some training dummies? He knew there were such things in the muggle world, perhaps magicals would have an equivalent. Once again Harry regretted having such a small understanding of the world that he found himself in.

Aurors. They would have to have something that they trained with. 'If only I knew some Aurors, they could both tell me where to buy one, and help train me. Wait my dad was an Auror, maybe one of his old colleagues would be willing to help me out.' With his next course of action decided, Harry was able to relax somewhat.

"You need to mix up your training Harry. It won't be solely combat magic that they will challenge you with." Harry had to concede she had a point, he had been too narrowly focused so far and that would have to change. He still wasn't ready to talk to her though, so stayed silently facing away from her. "Find me when you are ready to tell me what's wrong." Was all she said as she walked away. He knew that he wasn't handling this well, but how was he supposed to tell Hermione that they had to break up such a short time after they started dating?

/

"Professor? I heard that you don't have a class this period, can I ask for your help?" His stern Professor looked up from the essay she was grading and waved him in. After he was seated she observed him over the top of her glasses.

"Mr. Potter, perhaps you have come to tell me why you have not attended any classes this week? I understand that you are exempt from them as a Triwizard Champion, but I expected better from you." She was happy to see the young man flinch at her tone. She knew the reputation she held with the students, and liked to play up to it at times. It kept them in line, after all.

"Well, um, you see... I came into some unfortunate information during the weekend that will affect Hermione, and I have been avoiding her until I know how best to tell her the bad news." Harry was looking at his hands so failed to notice the frown that crossed her face. "However that is not why I came to see you."

Her raised eyebrow was all that greeted the young Gryffindor and he decided to just soldier on. "How would one become an animagus?" That question caught her off guard, as it was far from what she was expecting. Given that the student he was apparently avoiding could have told him she made a note to keep an eye on the two of them for the next few days as this was more serious then she thought.

"That is a complex piece of magic Mr. Potter, why would you like to know how to become an animagus?" While she wasn't forbidden to teach students the how, generally it was only NEWT level students as it was one of the possible tests that they could choose to undertake in that course. The skill could be used for less than ideal goals after all, so it payed to know who each and every animagus in the school was, and their form.

"My father became one when he was a student here at Hogwarts, so I figured it was a way to feel closer to him. It may also prove to be useful during the tournament, so I figured to birds with one stone and all that." Harry's statement only gave Minerva the smallest shock, after all it was James Potter they were talking about.

"While I was unaware James ever became an animagus, it hardly surprises me that he did. Did it occur during his NEWT year? Such a shame he never told me, he would have been eligible for extra credit, not that he needed it given his results that year." She was curious about why James hadn't told her in his final weeks at Hogwarts, it would have been a brilliant prank after all, and increased his score in his transfiguration NEWT.

Harry had the dignity to look sheepish as he answered her. "Actually it was during his OWL year that him, Sirius and Pettigrew all became animagi I was told." That did take the Professor by surprise. 'In their fifth year? That is unheard of! I know of some sixth years who did it under supervision, but a group of fifth years on their own?'

Taking a breath to centre herself, she asked they question that she was dying to ask. "Mr. Potter, perhaps you should tell me the story from the beginning. How did they become animagi? And more importantly why?"

"In second year they all found out Remus was a werewolf, and my dad had the idea of becoming animagi so they could spend turning days with him without fear of become werewolves themselves. It took the four years to research it all, and early fifth year my dad became a stag animagus. A month later he showed the other two how." That was all of the story that Harry knew, so that was all he could tell his professor.

"I see. Well that makes more sense I suppose. James would have had the skill to self-transfigure himself, and Remus would have brewed the potion for the others, he was more talented then the others at potions. I guess I should explain the the process for you then. It starts with a potion that one ingests that wakes, for want of a better word, the animal inside you. Not everyone has one and can become an animagus, but most magicals have the animal if not the skill in transfiguration to become one. It is impossible to know the animal you will become before your change, but it usually reflects the individual. Your father was a stag? Noble, equally comfortable in a herd or on its own, will protect those in its herd, strong. Yes that all sounds like your father, at least his better qualities that were highlighted as he matured. Next one performs a complex, intricate piece of self-transfiguration on themselves letting the animal come out and you to take its form. After an hour or longer as your animal it is so comfortable that you can change between them at will." It was the simplest explanation she could think of.

"Is it possible to have more than one animagus form? Can it be any animal?" Harry wanted to know what animal was inside him.

"No Mr. Potter, an individual can only have one form, and it is for life, never changing. I am the same cat I was in my NEWT year, maybe a little greyer of fur, but the same nonetheless. A person could be any non-magical animal, but never a magical one. There have been some recorded cases of magically powerful individuals having forms that resemble a mixture between a similar magical and non-magical animal, like a cat and a Kneazle for example. In none of these cases have any of the magical elements of the animal transferred into the animagus form."

"Would I be able to become one then Professor? Please?" While the limitations were annoying, Harry still wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become one. He also could tease Sirius about becoming one a whole year before his godfather did.

"It may not be as easy as that Mr. Potter. The self-transfiguration piece is requires quite a lot of skill. The potion however is not a problem." She would let Harry, under her supervision of course, attempt to become one, but she did not want him becoming discouraged if he were to fail.

"It can't be that hard Professor. My dad did it, and so did Sirius and he is hardly a brilliant student." He loved Sirius but Harry knew the man had his limits, and from what he had heard his father was intelligent enough but far from the top of his class.

"While that may be the case for Sirius Black, your father was one of the most talented transfiguration students I have ever taught. He didn't show it until he last two years, but he was very gifted with a wand. He became an Auror after all, and even during the War they held a strict recruitment policy. I have watched your father use transfiguration during battle in new ways that if rumours be true had Headmaster Dumbledore asking him for training. James got the top NEWT result in the country for transfiguration his final year, something that caught your mother by surprise because while his grades had always been acceptable he did hold back before then. Under his guidance I am not surprised the other two were successful as well."

The look of dejection on the last Potter's face hit Minerva harder than she could have expected. "So I guess it was a pointless idea then Professor, sorry for wasting your time." He had already stood up to leave before she could respond.

"Sit down Harry if you please." She waited for him to comply before continuing. "Yes you are not as skilled at transfiguration as your father, but few are. Your Defence results speak for themselves, and Filius has told my how with correct motivation your charms skill has risen by leaps and bounds. Obviously you are very talented with the 'foolish wand waving' aspects of magic, as Professor Snape would say, and I see no reason why that should not also be the case with transfiguration. You also possess more than enough power, both of will and magic, to overcome minor failings. That is how wandless and silent casting happens, the individual being strong enough to make the world, and magic, warp to their desires even without the incantation or wandwork. I will not guarantee success, but I will not be surprised to see you succeed. Come to my fourth year classroom after lunch on Thursday and we will proceed from there."

Harry recognised the dismissal, even without it being explicit, so stood up to leave. "Thank you Professor. I am looking forward to it."

"And Harry, stop skipping classes. Miss Granger will understand what ever the issue is. Talk to her."

/

"Yes I know girl. I have to tell Mione soon, but how should I bring it up?" A soft hoot and a nip on the ear told Harry what his familiar though should happen. "Yes, but what if she hexes me?"

"You probably would deserve it." A familiar voice said from the entranceway to the owlery. Hedwig's hoot of agreement left Harry unsure if he should laugh, or feel betrayed. "Betrayed it is then' Harry thought to himself as Hedwig took off, only to alight on Hermione and bump her head against the girl's affectionately. "See, even Hedwig agrees. I think, I can't understand her as well as you can."

"Yes she agrees with you. Mione, you have every right to be angry at me, and you will be more angry at me by the time my explanation is finished, but please wait till the end before reacting." At her nod, he continued. "As I'm sure you are aware from our earlier research, if a head of house dies without an heir it automatically gets shifted to the closest blood relative? With some of the less liberal families it has to be a male. This new head has to be a great-grandchild of a previous head of house, or closer, otherwise certain benefits are lost. The Black family is one such family is this position at the moment."

"Okay Harry, but what does this have to do with you? What does this have to do with me? Your Great-Great-Grandfather was head of house Black so you can't inherit it." They had found out his Dad's Grandmother was daughter to the Heir Black when she was married into the Potter Family.

"Exactly I can't inherit it, but there is someone who can when Sirius dies. He would inherit the Heredity seat on the Wizengamot and all the Black fortune, which according to Sirius is a lot. His family never had any scruples using their power to amass a fortune, unlike the Potter's, so they are way richer than my family." Harry was set to continue when Hermione gasped out the name of the individual.

"Malfoy?" The shock was evident in her face as she realised the implications of what that would mean.

"Unfortunately. And as there are no other possibilities to inherit the family, Sirius is unable to cast him out. Stupid house rules designed to protect the Black legacy he said. However there is another way to insure that Malfoy never can inherit a knut from the Black fortune, and even more importantly keeps him and his father out of the Wizengamot." This was going to be the hard part of the conversation.

"Sounds like a godsend! How can Sirius manage that?" The thirst for knowledge was evident on her face.

"Sirius has adopted me! While it is not official yet, and cannot become official official until Sirius is exonerated, we are proceeding with plans that will make it impossible for Malfoy senior to overturn it, no matter how much money he uses to line others pockets."

"That's great Harry!" Hermione's face lit up with joy for her friend.

"Except there is a complication Mione. One that is not so great, especially for us." He had to take a breath to collect himself enough to continue. "The Black family has an open marriage contract with the Greengrass family that didn't met the required terms for the last generation, but will be met now that I have been adopted. She doesn't know it yet, but me and Daphne Greengrass are now engaged to be married." The shock was evident on his friends face, but he pushed on anyway. "While I can have a separate wife for the Potter line, it is in fact recommended that I do, I can't put you through that. You mean too much to me. You are my best friend, and I don't want that to change, but I can't put you through that. If you want me to stay away from you, I understand."

Both of the young teens had tears rolling down their faces. "But we only just started dating Harry."

"I know Hermione, and I don't want to do this but I have to. If I don't get engaged to her, they can legally fight to have Draco named head of house over me, and if they got Lord Greengrass to agree to Draco becoming engaged to Daphne I would have two options; marry Astoria Greengrass and take the dispute before the Wizengamot, which I would lose through Lucy's bribes and jealousy over already having two houses, or let Draco become head of the Black family. I am doing this for our world, not for me. Can you imagine the Malfoy's having a seat on the Wizengamot? They do enough damage without it, I can't let that happen if I can stand in their way." As Much as she wanted to deny it, Harry had a valid point. They could not let the Malfoy's get a seat on the Wizengamot!

"I need to think about all this Harry. I won't abandon you, especially not during this blasted tournament! But I need time to myself to think, so please leave me alone the next couple of days. I will come find you when I am ready." With that she all but fled the owlery. 'Well at least she didn't hex me.' Harry sardonically thought to himself as Hedwig flew back to his shoulder to comfort him.