Personal Project

The good thing about having less responsibility than Lucy and Teddy (although she still had plenty to do) was that Audrey had some little time to do something purely for herself. She'd been thinking about it quite a lot over the break, and she decided that there was no better time than now to put her plans in motion. Even better was the fact that now Teddy's dad was a professor. Surely he'd have to help her, if only because she was Teddy's friend. That wasn't ideal, but it would get her foot in the door and would just have to do.

For Audrey had decided that she was going to become an animagus.

Making sure her uniform was neat and tidy, she knocked on the door to the new professor's office and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Professor? Do you have a moment?" she asked, not nervous as such...but perhaps a little anxious about what the response would be.

Edward sat behind his desk reading through first year assignments, his brow furrowed as he read the work. Some students had submitted good essays, but others were riddled with spelling mistakes, factual errors, and in a few cases, incomplete work. It was a stark contrast to the adults he'd once mentored. Those recruits were already skilled and had chosen their career. But working with young students, some of whom struggled to grasp the basic theory, was proving to be a new challenge for the new professor.

He rubbed his temples in frustration. Teaching at Hogwarts was not like he had imagined. And in truth, Edward wasn’t used to feeling out of his depth like this. A knock on the door was a welcome distraction and when he saw Audrey standing in the doorway, he smiled, recognising her as a friend of his son. At least it wasn’t another first year he thought briefly.

"Ah, Audrey," he said, offering a warm smile as he set the assignments to one side. "Of course, come in. What can I do for you?" He gestured to the chair across from him, inviting her to take a seat.

Audrey had prepared a full spiel but quickly set it aside, figuring she could just work out what she wanted to say on the fly. The professor reminded her a fair bit of Teddy, Audrey thought idly, which only made sense. Just older and a little bit more sensible. Audrey sat down in the chair opposite, crossing her ankles and wondering if she should have brought some sort of welcoming gift. No, she reasoned. That was a little too on the nose.

"Thanks, Professor. I hope you're settling in alright," she said, since that was only polite. She rested her hands in her lap, carefully considering. "I'm hoping you might be able to help me. I..." she took a deep breath. Here goes, she thought. "I know you might be pretty busy with the younger students, but if you're wanting something a bit more interesting, I'd like to become an animagus and I need a professor to help me." Audrey lifted a hand to her chest, clutching at her sweater to hide the slight tremble of her hand. "I'm very good at Transfiguration, sir, and my grades speak for themselves, plus it'd be fun, wouldn't you think?" She couldn't even scream and wear him down to get her way, she had to do this properly. Perhaps she should've beat around the bush for a bit first, but she didn't want to waste his time or hers for that matter. She looked down at her knees, her other hand fiddling with the hem of her skirt, already formulating what she'd do next if he said no. She thought Professor Pirrip was a better shot than Professor Potter, but if he wasn't...

Edward leaned back in his chair with an expression that was neutral and thoughtful as he weighed Audrey's request, it surprised him how easily she had asked, perhaps that showed her determination. But determination alone wasn’t enough. He had little to go on but her word, and while her grades were impressive, he had not taught Audrey and they told him nothing about her discipline, her emotional resilience, or her ability to handle the risks involved.

Yes, she was a great friend of his son, but that didn't count for much either. After all, it had been only days since he’d found Amodeus, another one of Teddy's great friends, hanging upside down from a tree. And then there was the telling comment that the process might be “fun.” That single word lodged in his mind, solidifying his doubts.

He frowned and drew a slow breath before speaking. “Becoming an Animagus is not a whim, Audrey. It is an advanced, dangerous, and often unforgiving process. It’s not something you undertake because it sounds fun.” His tone softened slightly, but his eyes didn’t waver. “The demands are immense, physically, mentally, and magically. It’s not a skill suited for everyone, even those who excel at Transfiguration.” He allowed the words to sink in before continuing. "So I need to know in all earnest, why do you want this?”

Audrey clutched at the hem of her skirt a little tighter, more out of frustration than anything. Of course she knew that just asking for something so complex wouldn't work right away, but part of her wanted to hope it might. She considered her words carefully. Really, she'd hoped to appeal to a more fun loving nature she suspected he might hold if he was anything like his son, but that wasn't the right option.

"It's not a whim, Professor," Audrey said, measured in her response as she looked up to meet the professor's eyes. She hoped her determination would show through, even if she wasn't exactly used to adults taking her seriously or listening to her at all. "But mastering dangerous, unforgiving, complicated magic is fun. It's...what I love most." It would've been childish to compare her love to that of hot Quidditch players and bands, so she decided against it. "If I'm not pushing myself, then I might as well not be breathing. The least I could do is try, right?" Maybe she still sounded a little too blase. The hand at her chest reached for her collar, clutching it tightly as though to give herself more room to breathe. "No, it's not the least I could do. I have to. Nobody's ever going to care what I do, but I care. Please. Let me prove I'm worth it."

The professor listened to Audrey's words and tried to understand as much about her as he could from what she was saying. The determination was unmistakable, but so was the frustration and the desperation to prove herself. He felt sympathetic as he wondered what had shaped this belief that her achievements might go unnoticed or unvalued by anyone but herself. However, he couldn't make such a decision based on emotion alone. "I don't doubt your potential for greatness," he replied, "But this isn’t something to rush into without thought."

Edward sighed, considering his options. "Look, I’m not saying no. Not yet. But I need to know that you’re truly serious about this. Becoming an animagus is challenging, dangerous even. It will push you to your limits and demand more than you might expect. And as such, I'm going to set you an assignment." Edward drew his wand from his sleeve and lent forward, he tapped it against the edge of his desk. His quill sprang to life, dipping itself into a nearby inkwell before beginning to scrawl notes on a fresh parchment. He continued to speak, dictating to the quill as he went.

“Here’s what I need from you,” he said. “Research and write a detailed report on the animagus transformation process. I want everything in it, the history, the risks, the magical theory. Include examples of well known animagi throughout history and the challenges they faced." He said, "But most importantly, I want you to reflect on how you would handle the emotional and physical demands of such an undertaking. What safeguards would you put in place? What strengths do you bring, and what weaknesses will you need to confront?” Edward tapped the table with his wand again. The quill stopped writing and floated back to the desk as Edward picked up the parchment, reviewing its contents briefly before handing it to Audrey. "If you can convince me with this report that you’ve thought this through and are prepared for the responsibility, we’ll talk about the next steps. Agreed?”

Audrey couldn't help but wish she had a time-turner, or better yet a mastery over time travel magic, so she could go back to the start of this conversation and do it over. Waste more time with pleasantries and butter the professor up some before hitting the vital points. Maybe not get so emotional, even if that maybe helped at least a tiny bit. But she could fix this, she could make it work. Somehow. She'd come up with a plan, because that's what she always did. She'd have just started trying herself if she thought she could get away with it, but even Audrey was aware that that was quite foolish for a fifth year to do. Even one as clever as she was. Maybe she'd even go to Professor Potter, though Audrey doubted she'd care to help someone who didn't have as recognisable a surname.

Audrey did perk up a little bit at the assignment, however. This meant there was a chance, and this was where Audrey could excel. She even knew where to start, with Proteus (she'd have to thank Professor Moncrieffe later), and she could find her way from there. Although she wasn't sure what to do about the whole personal part of it. She knew it was part of it, but Audrey wondered if she'd made a mistake having to essentially present her heart to Teddy's dad and essentially give her best friend an easy window into her weaknesses. Of which there were none, she'd insist. But that wasn't true at all, and despite appearances Audrey knew that fact quite well. "Agreed." She relaxed a little in her seat, reading over the parchment solemnly and nodding. This was just what she needed. "Only..." she hesitated for a moment. "Would you mind...not telling Teddy about this? Not yet, anyway." She felt a little guilty...but only a little. "Not until I've wowed you with my report and you'll have no choice but to help me, of course, Professor." She gave a cheeky grin at that. "I won't take any more of your time. And...thank you. For at least hearing me out."

Edward watched Audrey carefully as she looked over the brief and noted her reaction. Others might balk at the idea of burying themselves in research before embarking on something as practical and exciting as animagus training, but not a Ravenclaw who appeared to perk up a little, and Edward admired that. He did hope she had grasped the heart of the assignment though and confirmed one detail, "Cleverness alone won’t cut it. I’m looking for depth, understanding, and personal insight,” he added. He smiled faintly, curious to see what Audrey did with this opportunity, “Come and see me once you've exhausted the library resources and I’ll arrange access to the Restricted Section. Consider that another part of the test too, trusting you to handle delicate material responsibly.”

Audrey’s request not to tell Teddy brought an understanding smile and a gentle nod from Edward. For all his love for his son, he understood her hesitation. Teddy had a way of pulling at people’s strings, for better or worse. “I shan’t say a word,” he promised, his tone light but sincere. Straightening up, he also signaled that the conversation was at its end and that he must return to grading first year assignments. “Yes, well enjoy the process because you were right, there is fun to be had learning how to become an animagus.”