Closed In the Dark, the Stars — They Found Me

[Harper Alston]

Over the course of Harper's studies, she'd come across many different methods for becoming an animagus. There were potions and spells and rituals and superstitions and on and on, and it was difficult separating fact from myth. Firsthand accounts were rare, and the literature was awash with debates over the best way to go about the process. The only thing Harper felt certain of was that becoming an animagus was an intensely personal undertaking, one that could vary for each individual.

With the help of various texts, her instructors, and a good amount of intuition, Harper had made it pretty far. But this last step, the one that would allow her to make the leap from human to animal, stumped her. This was where many of the accounts she'd read diverged. Harper had wanted to ask Professor Styx for advice, but the woman hadn't been in class for a couple weeks now. It seemed she would have to take this last step alone.

Well, not completely alone. Harper glanced sidelong towards Professor Abberline as they stepped out into the cool evening air. Thick clouds blanketed the skies, turning the world a dusky blue that made it impossible to tell whether it was day or night. In the distance, lightning flickered. Harper would have preferred doing this earlier in the day, but the text she had read was strict: She needed to wait for the first electrical storm. And now it had come. Years of training had led her to this moment. Harper's mouth went dry as she stopped at a large clearing, and she turned towards Professor Abberline. "I guess this is it then," she said with a small smile, the faintest tremor running through her voice.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles watched the flickers of lightning off in the distance as he accompanied Harper to one of many clearings on the school's grounds. He wasn't particularly fond of being outside while an electrical storm loomed over them but had cast aside his worries. What they were going to attempt to do this evening was more important than his silly worries. Besides, he had other things to worry about than the storm off in the distance. If Harper had done as various texts described and had repeated the incantation from sunrise to sundown until this very moment, then all would be fine and they would walk away successfully. If not, if she had forgotten to chant the incantation even once, well he didn't like to think about what would happen next. He looked around when they stopped and wondered for a brief moment if this was a large enough clearing to commence the final steps of the process. ''It is,'' the Professor said calmly, not wanting the girl to know that he had his worries about this. ''If you've done everything you needed to do, we'll be back inside the castle in a jiffy - you'd be able could fly back even,'' he added with a small chuckle.

 

[Harper Alston]

"That would probably be faster than walking," Harper noted with a smile. She imagined herself flying through her dorm window as a bird before suddenly transforming back into a human, and the thought of her roommates' reactions helped ease the knot in her chest. It was still hard to believe that such an absurd scenario could soon be reality — assuming everything went right during these next few minutes.

Harper took several steps back, trying to ignore the stream of questions running through her mind. Was the clearing big enough? Had she followed all the directions exactly? Had she followed the right directions? Harper tried not to dwell on the possibility that she had placed her trust in the wrong theory. "If something goes wrong, I guess I'll just wave my wings frantically?" Harper asked with far more levity than she felt. One of the worst parts about transfiguring was leaving behind her ability to communicate effectively, and she just hoped Professor Abberline would be able to tell if something went wrong.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Harper knew the time for stalling was over. She didn't want to keep Professor Abberline out here in the middle of a storm. Already, she thought she'd felt a raindrop or two. Summoning all her courage, Harper withdrew her wand. "See you on the other side," she said, refusing to allow her smile to waver. And with that, she brought the wand-tip to her heart.

 

[Charles Abberline]

''And if that doesn't work you can always start pecking aggressively,'' Charles replied. She'd most likely flap her wings about frantically anyway if all would go as planned, so it was probably for the best to make sure that she had other means of communicating with him while in bird form. So far he had always been able to tell if something was wrong though, so he hoped that he could tell if something wasn't right. Charles smiled encouragingly, said, ''You can do this, good luck,'' and then took a few steps back to give Harper enough space for what she was about to attempt. There wasn't much he could do now other than wait and hope that they'd done everything perfectly. They had discussed these steps thoroughly so he had very little doubt that something would actually go wrong now. That didn't stop him from fidgeting as he waited for something, anything to happen, though.

 

[Harper Alston]

A whispered incantation, a bitter sip — the steps were so strange that Harper had very little faith in them. But she did have faith in herself, and maybe that was what mattered the most. Having spent years transfiguring and untransfiguring every part of her body, she knew she was capable of turning herself into a bird. No ritual or potion had given her the ability. Rather, it was a skill held within herself, uncovered by years of meditation and practice.

Yes, Harper knew she could be an animagus. Now she just had to prove it.

The pain was almost instant. Even though Harper had known this was coming, she doubled over with a gasp. It felt as if every nerve in her body was being scraped raw with broken glass. The wand and vial slipped from her grasp, and she sank to her knees. As the searing pain swept over Harper's body, her heartbeat picked up, pounding against her chest like a prisoner trapped in a fire. Maybe this is it, she thought. Maybe this is the end.

And then the agony stopped. For a second, Harper thought her heart had stopped with it. Her vision, which had been edged in black, was flooded with an intense blue, and that was when she saw it — the bird from her visions. It was startlingly clear, no longer obscured by a thin haze, and Harper knew immediately what her form was. She knew it in her heart the way she knew her own name. In that moment, mind, body, and soul aligned, and Harper felt as if she had finally unearthed an essential piece of herself.

Moments earlier, a girl had walked into the clearing. She was gone now, no trace of her left behind aside from a wand, an empty vial, and a New Zealand falcon.

 

[Charles Abberline]

The texts had never mentioned that the person attempting to become an animagus might feel pain whilst performing the final step of the process, so he had to stop himself from intervening when the girl doubled over with a gasp and sank to her knees. He had told Harper on multiple occasions to let him know if anything wasn't going as it was supposed to, which was the only reason why he wasn't immediately rushing her to the hospital wing. The electrical storm didn't make things easier, as it seemed to edge closer and closer the longer they were outside. He glanced upwards for a moment to try and figure out how much time they had left before he'd have to deem it too dangerous to be outside for them.

When he turned his attention back to the girl, however, the girl was no longer there. What remained in Harper's place was a small bird with blonde and brown feathers, colours he had become all too familiar with in the months leading up to this final moment. He carefully stepped up to the small bird and squatted down beside the creature to have a better look at it. It definitely looked like the bird he had seen before but it was still a little difficult to tell if everything was alright whilst she was in this form. ''Harper?'' Charles asked with a hint of uncertainty.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper almost didn't dare to breathe as she studied her new form. Wings, talons, a beak — it shocked her how natural everything felt. She took a few tentative steps forward, marveling at the lightness that filled her being. Night had well and truly fallen by now, but even in the dark, Harper could see Professor Abberline clearly. At his question, she nodded, not wanting to speak and accidentally startle him with her shrill bird-cry. Instead, she unfurled a wing and gently touched his arm before tapping the wand laying on the ground. Look after that for me, will you?

Rain had started to fall, and Harper knew the considerate thing to do would be to transform back so that they could go inside. But there was one thing she had to do first. She turned around, spread her wings, and sprang into the air. For a few moments, she was driven by pure instinct and adrenaline, and it was only once she had ascended above the treetops that she paused and looked down. She could see Professor Abberline still in the clearing, and she could see the castle rising up behind him, its windows glowing with candlelight. She could see the massive lake, the individual droplets of rain bouncing off its inky surface, and the lights of Brightstone glittering beyond. She could see the whole world, it seemed, and as Harper took in the view, it finally sank in that she had done it. She had done it.

Harper swooped down and landed in front of Professor Abberline, and in an instant, she was back in her human form. "A falcon," she said breathlessly. "I'm a kārearea. I did it." A thousand emotions swarmed in Harper's chest, and she had to blink back tears. She had started the year on the verge of quitting, terrified of her own skills. For months, she had wondered if she was wasting her time, if she'd found another passion that was simply beyond her abilities. But despite all the plucked feathers and failed transformations and nightmares, she had succeeded. She had become an animagus.

 

[Charles Abberline]

A smile spread across Charles's face when the bird responded to his question by nodding its tiny head. Since it wasn't frantically flapping its wings about or pecking him aggressively, he reckoned that the transformation had been successful. Beaming at the sight of the bird as it was trying to communicate with him, he nodded in understanding and picked up the wand to tuck it away for safekeeping. It was a little strange to see a bird communicating with him in such a human-like way but even then it was clear to him what she was trying to say. He should have known that there was something Harper would want to do first, though wondered if this very moment was the right time to try out her newfound ability to fly. Rain had started to fall now, after all. He did not, however, protest as the bird spread its wings and flew away from him. The thunder was still a little ways off in the distance and Charles was sure that Haper was sensible enough not to seek out any actual danger during her first time as a fully transformed bird.

He tried to keep an eye on the bird as it rose up into the air, but the higher it rose, the more difficult it was for him to spot the creature. Thankfully, it didn't take long before Harper was standing in front of him again. Still beaming, the Professor handed the wand back to the girl and said, ''Well done, very well done, indeed! A falcon! Congratulations!'' Suddenly, he was very glad that she hadn't pecked him whilst in her bird form, as it would have hurt quite a bit. ''How was the transformation? Or more importantly, how was flying?'' he asked excitedly. However tired he may have looked throughout the semester, none of it was visible on his face at the moment.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper was not generally prone to dramatics, but she thought this might be the happiest moment of her life. Her heart was so full she was surprised it hadn't burst. For a few seconds, Harper couldn't speak. She could only take back her wand and wipe at her dripping eyes, grateful for the rain even if she could barely feel it. She could barely register anything about her physical surroundings. Her mind was still stuck on what had just happened.

"I... it... it was incredible." The pain of the actual transformation was a distant memory, overshadowed by the awe of knowing that just a few seconds ago, she had been flying. Suddenly the whole English language seemed woefully inadequate. Mere words couldn't capture the heady rush of swooping through the air unassisted, the unbridled thrill of seeing the entire world stretched out beneath her and knowing that she could go anywhere, the only limit being herself. "It's nothing like flying on a broom. It's so much more.... freeing. And wild. But at the same time, I felt like I was in total control," she rambled. "I thought I'd know what it feels like because of the visions, but it's so much better." Harper knew she wasn't doing the greatest job describing it, but she didn't know how to translate the joy fizzing through her into words. It almost felt like it shouldn't be possible to be this happy, and for moment, she was once again overwhelmed with emotion. "I'm kind of afraid I'm about to wake up and realise this was all a dream," she said with a small laugh.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles didn't think that he would ever be able to fully imagine what flying would feel like and the sensation that it would bring, so hearing Harper tell him what it was like put a smile on his face. He had never been the biggest fan of flying but the way she described it to him made him curious about the sensation. He could without a doubt believe that flying on a broomstick was nowhere near as liberating. So he happily let Harper continue to ramble on, she had earned that right, after all.

''You are not dreaming,'' the Professor replied with a bright smile. ''You have at long last accomplished that which you have been working towards for years. Which I'll have to congratulate you for, as it is not often that someone finishes their animagus training while in school still. Despite your hardships, you've done something remarkable. But we'll also have to lay down some ground rules from now on.'' He did not want to ruin the moment, on the contrary, but there were certain things they had to be on the same page about before he would let her transform again. ''You'll remember that we talked about the Animagus Registry? I am not going to ban you from using your ability to turn into a falcon while you are at Hogwarts. But I will say that you should be careful with it.'' She had worked hard for this so he wasn't going to forbid her from transforming into the falcon until the end of the semester. He could be strict at times but not that strict. ''We wouldn't want to get you into trouble with the Ministry of Magic,'' he added with a wink. ''Now, come on, let's get back inside the castle. The rain's getting worse by the minute and there's something else I want to discuss with you.''

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper drank in Professor Abberline's words with a smile. It felt self-indulgent somehow, but after literal years of hard work, she figured she was allowed a few moments of self-indulgence. "Thank you," she said. She was thanking him for the words of congratulations, of course, but also for guiding her through that one afternoon at the hospital wing, for the hours of lessons, for the unending encouragement, for coming out during a literal lightning storm so that she could complete the process. "For everything."

She nodded at the mention of the Animagus Registry. Even though Harper had her reservations about the list, she couldn't help the small thrill that ran through her at the thought that soon her accomplishment would be official. "If I submit the paperwork now, do you think they'll be able to process it over the break?" she asked, remembering that Professor Abberline had once mentioned having friends in the Ministry who could pull a few strings. "I was hoping to get licensed over the holidays." It was one of the reasons she'd rushed to finish her training this semester. She figured there had to be some sort of grace period before she was officially considered unregistered, but while she could probably justify any falcon transformations this semester as "practice," it would be a lot harder to do the same next term if she didn't get her license over the summer break.

At the mention of rain, Harper blinked and glanced up in surprise, as if noticing it for the first time. It was pouring now, and she quickly cast a large shield charm to cover the both of them. "Okay..." she said, giving him a curious look as she wondered what he wanted to discuss with her.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles smiled when Harper thanked him and nodded politely to show his appreciation. It had been an incredible learning experience to teach this kind of magic to her, especially because he had been so worried at the beginning that he might mess things up and make things even worse. But things never got as worse as they had gotten back in the hospital wing, in fact, things had only gotten better and better with each lesson. The trust she placed in him was something he wouldn't have dared to dream of, and it was because of this trust that he strived to improve himself, to understand the magic behind the ability and teach her the best he could. Her success made him feel confident enough to pursue the ability himself but also to continue teaching others to master it. ''I think that's doable, yes. I shall contact the Improper Use of Magic Office in the morning. There might be a slight chance that you'll have to wait until a week or two after the Christmas holidays - the holidays are always a hectic time at the Ministry of Magic - but it will be done quicker than is usual,'' Charles was fairly confident that she'd be on the Registry by the end of the year, though. ''You should receive a letter from the Ministry if all has been processed correctly and you've been added to the Animagus Registry.'' Charles, who had apparently forgotten to summon a shield against the rain, thanked Harper once more and guided them through the dark by illuminating the tip of his wand.

***​

Once in his office, Charles dried their clothes with a simple flick of his wand, and with another made the correct paperwork appear on his desk. ''I reckon you want to get started on it right away? Go ahead while I'll check on Speckles.'' With a smile, the Professor turned to his blue-speckled bird and summoned a tiny bag full of insects.
This is something... yeah

 

[Harper Alston]

Despite Professor Abberline's assurances that she was not dreaming, Harper was pretty sure she'd just floated her way into the castle. During training, she had tried not to get carried away with daydreams about what she would do once she became an animagus, but now she indulged in them since there was a good chance she could be registered before the start of the next semester. She couldn't wait to fly and talk to the school owls and (if she was being completely honest) maybe terrify a few of her friends. Harper had to suppress a grin, already planning how she would break the news to them.

Professor Abberline's office had become a familiar spot in the castle by now, and Harper automatically made her way to his desk, eyes widening in delight when he summoned the paperwork almost immediately. "What gave it away?" she joked as she reached for one of his quills. Name, birthdate, residence — the demographics section was easy enough to fill out. It was the section on her new form, especially the part about special markings, that gave her pause. Visions aside, Harper hadn't actually seen herself in falcon form yet. She'd avoided mirrors since that one training when her reflection had triggered a flashback to the time she got stuck. However, she had a feeling that would no longer be an issue. Harper conjured a mirror before turning to Professor Abberline. "Do you still have those bird encyclopaedias from your grandfather? I'm working on the special markings section and wanted to see a photo of an actual falcon for comparison." Harper thought her own feathers might be a lighter colouring than what was normal, but she couldn't be sure. Her gaze fell to Speckles, and she was reminded of one of her goals. "Can I try talking to her sometime? As a bird, I mean." Jobberknolls were famously silent creatures, but Harper figured they had to have some way of communicating with other birds.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles chuckled softly at Harper's comment. ''You'd rather have a cup of tea first and talk about the weather, then?'' he replied jokingly. He put a few insects from the tiny bag in the palm of his hand and let the Jobberknoll eat from it, scrunching his nose as the bird affectionately. He looked around the room for a moment when Harper asked about the encyclopaedias and then pointed his wand at the bookshelves behind his desk. With a flick of his wand, one of the encyclopaedias from his grandfather landed gently in front of Harper on the desk. ''That one should have the different types of falcon species in it,'' the Professor said as he watched the bird eat up the last of the insects. Charles had spent a reasonable amount of time combing through them in an attempt to find whatever bird species Harper could turn into, so now knew exactly in which book to find which bird species. ''Of course you can. She has all these little tells that make it easier to communicate with her. I'll tell you all about them when you want to talk with her.'' Naturally, the most interesting thing about a Jobberknoll was its inability to make any noise whatsoever until the moment before it dies. And ever the clever species, Speckles had found ways to communicate with him on a very, very basic level. Things like food and wanting to fly around his office or the classroom had quickly become apparent to him.

Charles straightened up and cleaned his hands by brushing them off against his jeans. ''While on the topic of transforming into animals, there's something I wanted to talk with you about. He paused for a moment before he continued. ''You and I made it work, wonderfully, if I might add, but I'm also guiding younger students through the same process, students with far less experience than you. It'll be considerably harder to teach them the right skills, skills I do not possess. I would therefore like to become an Animagus as well, to help guide future students without the feeling of potentially bringing about their doom.'' He then turned towards Harper. ''The problem is that I would need someone who could guide me through the process. Now, I would have gone to Professor Styx for this, but she's occupied with private matters still, meaning that she does not have time to take me on as a student while also teaching Transfiguration. And with no other Animagus around... I would greatly appreciate it if you would want be my instructor in this. Feel free to decline, of course, but I figured that I might ask before I look elsewhere."

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper grinned. "Absolutely not." She thanked Professor Abberline as one of the encyclopaedias landed in front of her. Looking back, her form seemed so obvious, and she wasn't sure how she and Professor Abberline had failed to figure it out. At the same time, Harper was glad she hadn't learned about her form until tonight. It had been the best kind of surprise. As she flipped through entries on various falcon species, she listened to Professor Abberline with interest. "Do you think she can understand you?" Magical creatures often gave off the impression that they were more intelligent than their muggle counterparts, but Harper had never been able to tell if it was just that, an impression.

It didn't take long for Harper to find the section on New Zealand falcons. She readjusted the mirror and was getting ready to transform again when Professor Abberline straightened and started to speak. Harper glanced up at him with curiosity. He explained that he wanted to become an animagus, something he had mentioned to her at the beginning of the year. However, he was speaking as if he hadn't started the process yet, which surprised her. After all, it had been months since they'd had that conversation.

The reason for the delay soon became apparent. For the second time that night, Harper was speechless. "You... you want me to be your instructor?" she finally stammered, still not sure she had processed his words correctly. "But... I... I don't have any teaching experience." She barely had any animagus experience, though technically that wasn't a requirement for guiding someone through the process. Case in point, Professor Abberline. "Shouldn't you find someone who hasn't almost permanently disfigured themselves?" Surely it would be safer for him to seek help from a more competent animagus, someone less reckless.

The problem was that there were very few animagi around. It finally dawned on Harper that she and Professor Styx were literally the only animagi at the school. She took a deep breath. Harper wasn't sure how comfortable she was saying yes, but she knew for a fact that she couldn't say no. Tonight — finally transforming into a bird, taking her first flight — had been one of the best nights of her life. How could she stand in the way of someone who wanted the same? Plus, Professor Abberline had done so much for her; this was the least she could do. "I mean, I'll do it," Harper said, looking him directly in the eye. "But only if you're completely sure."

 

[Charles Abberline]

''She knows when I'm about to feed her or when I'm letting her out of her cage. She also knows when I'm moving her from my office to the classroom or vice-versa. So I'm inclined to say that, yes, she does understand me.'' It hadn't always been that easy, though. Speckles didn't want anything to do with him when he first acquired her from the Magical Menagerie, and it had taken a couple of weeks until he was allowed to stroke her feathers without getting his finger bit in return.

Charles could not blame Harper for questioning what he asked of her. Teaching someone the skill she'd only just acquired herself would be no easy feat, but then again, he already knew the process and what was required of him, already knew about the Mandrake leaf, the potion, reciting the incantation, and triggering the final steps of the process during a lightning storm. So she wouldn't have to teach him much, just what he needed in order to fully grasp the skill of turning himself into an animal. ''I think that you will agree with me that my teachings lacked experience? While it's true that I know most, if not all, of the steps one must take in order to become an Animagus, I do not have any experience when it comes to transforming myself into an animal. I do not know the sensation of transforming parts of my body into that of an animal, I do not know what that feels like, and I only have the vaguest idea of how to actually trigger the transformations. That is why I need someone who does know that. Someone who can guide me through it and tell me when something should feel right or wrong. So, yes, I am sure that I want you to be my instructor.'' He walked towards her and seated himself on the edge of his desk, deciding to fully ignore the comment about almost permanently disfiguring herself. ''And it is not as if I had that much teaching experience when I took over from Professor Styx. You may recall that I used to hunt dark witches and wizards until a few months ago,'' he said with a smile. ''I would like to start with this sometime after the break if that's alright with you. That should give you plenty of time to change your mind.'' NEWTs were coming up, after all.

 

[Harper Alston]

Despite her hesitation, Harper had to admit that Professor Abberline had a point. One of the most difficult parts of training this past year was not knowing what was considered normal and what was not. She had managed to piece things together with intuition and a good deal of cross-referencing written sources, but the process would have been made easier if she'd had a chance to talk to an actual animagus. "So you want me to be a sort of guide," Harper said, finding that word less intimidating than "instructor" for some reason. "And describe what it feels like to have a vision and what it's like to transform into an animal and back, and maybe give you tips based on my experiences." She supposed she could do that. After all, it wasn't like she could describe her own personal experiences incorrectly. If Rosemarie or Felix were to come to her seeking advice on becoming an animagus, she wouldn't think twice before giving them tips. Wasn't Professor Abberline basically asking the same?

Harper nodded. "After the break sounds good." She would hopefully be licensed by then, and that would give her even more time to do research into the animagus process. She might know enough to transfigure herself into a bird and back, but she still didn't feel as if she were an expert in the topic. If she was going to give advice to Professor Abberline, she wanted to be as informed as possible. After all, this process could be dangerous. "I'm not going to change my mind," Harper said, shaking her head. She wasn't one to break promises. "As long as I get my license, I'll do it." She paused. "I know you mentioned looking into the process for yourself at the beginning of the year. Have you tried any transfigurations yet?" she asked, trying to gauge how far along he was.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles nodded as Harper seemed to understand what he was asking of her. A guide, someone who could help him get through the process without the constant worry that he was messing things up and doing it all wrong. ''That is exactly what I am looking for.'' He was grateful that she wanted to help him despite her initial hesitation, as he really did have anywhere else to go with this.

He smiled when she said that she wouldn't change her mind. Perhaps she wouldn't think of doing so now but would think differently once she'd need to study for the NEWTs. There was no doubt that she would be smothered in long study sessions soon what with all the classes she was following in order to become an Auror. He definitely didn't want to distract her from her studies. He crossed his arms across his chest and said, ''I've been so occupied with classes and private matters this semester that I haven't had time yet to try any transfigurations.'' It didn't surprise him that he was busy with classes and homework and everything else that came with teaching, that was to be expected now that he had more than one class to teach. What was a surprise for him was that he would break up with his girlfriend after almost a year of dating. Thankfully, he could throw himself into his work and not think about it. He let out a heavy sigh. ''Anyway, Professors Carter and Miller have provided me with the all ingredients necessary for the various rituals, so I can start acquiring the skill whenever I want to.''

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper was a little surprised to hear that Professor Abberline hadn't tried any transfigurations yet. She still remembered clearly the restless anticipation that had filled the early days of her training, when she'd waited anxiously for Professor Summers to finally deem her ready practical work. She had been so eager to get started that she'd taken Felix Felicis to try and speed the process along. Professor Abberline clearly had a lot more self-restraint than her. Or maybe he really was just that busy. After all, he was teaching three times as many classes this semester, and it was hard not to notice just how exhausted he looked these days.

It sounded like he had everything ready to start actually practicing. "And you already know the theory," Harper pointed out. It was this fact that gave her the most reassurance in agreeing to be Professor Abberline's guide throughout this process. At least she knew he wouldn't be entirely dependent on her. "If you have time over the break, you could begin meditating. It's good practice for the visualisations you'll need in order to start the transfigurations. I didn't really do any rituals until the end, after all the self-transfiguration practice." Harper still wasn't completely convinced the rituals did much except perhaps provide a sense of security. Animagus training, in her experience, wasn't so much about learning a new skill as it was about uncovering an innate ability buried deep in one's soul. "Have you thought about what your form might be?" she asked curiously. Of course, it was impossible to choose one's form, but she was pretty sure that didn't stop most aspiring animagi from wondering. It certainly hadn't stopped her.

 

[Charles Abberline]

Charles nodded when Harper pointed out that he already knew the theory. After doing extensive research and reading book after book, over and over again, he had indeed become rather familiar with the theory behind becoming an Animagus. He had become so familiar with it that he reckoned that he could teach it even whilst asleep. ''I have,'' the Professor answered, ''I was thinking that it might be cool to transform into some sort of sea creature. A dolphin, for example. I have always been intrigued by dolphins and it would be nice to see what lives in the lake without putting myself in danger.'' While it would be nice to be able to breathe underwater without the use of magic, he didn't think that it was a particularly useful animal to transform into. Perhaps a land animal might be the better choice. Naturally, only time would tell which animal he would turn into.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper's eyes lit up. Back in third year, Professor Summers had asked them to write an essay about which animal they would be if they were animagi. Harper had written hers about being a dolphin, and for a while, she had thought that she might end up as a sea creature. She knew now that a falcon was a much more fitting form for her, but she still thought an aquatic form would have been fun. "Oh, a dolphin would be so cool! You could scare students who swim too far out in the lake," she said with a grin. It occurred to her that if Professor Abberline's form was indeed an aquatic creature, they would likely eventually have to move their lessons to the lake. "Training might be harder though, especially once winter comes," she added as an afterthought. Of course, Harper could always hover nearby on a broom or shout instructions from the shore. But Professor Abberline would have to practice in the water, which would be less fun in the winter. "Hopefully you'll finish your training before then." It was an ambitious goal, but Professor Abberline already had a major head start with animagus theory. Besides, Harper graduated in the winter, so they kind of needed to finish before then.