On the Saturday of the second week of September, Harry donned his Invisibility Cloak over himself and slipped out of the great oak doors of the castle. Walking towards the Whomping Willow, he levitated a stick and used it to press the knot at the base of the tree, just as he had been taught by his godfather. The tree suddenly stopped being violent and Harry crawled into the secret passageway leading towards the Shrieking Shack. He removed his cloak and walked up the stairs. When he entered the room, he saw Sirius cleaning it with several waves of his wand.
"Hey, Sirius," Harry greeted him with a small smile. "I got into the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team!"
Sirius grinned proudly. He moved closer to give the boy a light hug. "Congratulations, Harry! I knew you could do it! Seeker, right?"
"Yes," said Harry, as he took a seat in the armchair. "The first match will be held soon. Shall we get started?"
Sirius nodded as he took a seat as well. After pausing to gather his thoughts, he began.
"The Animagus transformation is not as horribly difficult as people make it out to be," he explained. "The reason it is considered difficult by most is because Transfiguration itself is a difficult subject to master. You are changing the definition of the object in question, and that is significantly more difficult than Charms where you enchant an object. Until now, whatever you've learnt is inanimate or animal transfiguration and basics of elemental transfiguration, am I right?"
"Yes," replied Harry promptly. "Elemental Transfiguration is the process where you change one element to another. It is significantly more difficult than transfiguration within the same type of element. Conjuration is an example of elemental transfiguration because it transfigures air into something else. The vanishing spell does the opposite."
"Excellent, you've understood the theory. Now we can move on to Human Transfiguration, which is significantly more complex. The human body is much different from that of, say, a frog. You need to understand the differences between the animals you transfigure and also the challenges posed to human transfiguration. If you go wrong, it could be disastrous, so you are not to try it without me in the initial stages, understood?"
Harry nodded.
"The first step is to find your centre. This won't be difficult for you since you are a natural at Occlumency. When you're done, we'll start with your fingers and slowly proceed from there. Once you know exactly what your animal form is, you'll be able to complete the final transformation."
"Oh, by the way, I have something important to tell you," Sirius said suddenly, interrupting their session. He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of how his godson would handle the news, and continued, "Amelia and I were planning to get married this winter. What do you think?"
Harry blinked once in surprise, having not expected this. Once his mind processed what he was told, he smiled genuinely. "That's great news! Congratulations, Sirius. I'm happy for you both."
The older wizard looked relieved that his young charge was not upset by the news. "Thanks, Harry. Besides you, I don't have anyone else on my side of the family except Andromeda and Narcissa, so your approval really means a lot to me. We're planning to outsource all the wedding preparations to a well-known event-organising company in Diagon Alley, but we still haven't decided on the place."
"Why don't you hold it at Black Manor?" Harry suggested. "It'll be easier to pull it off, not to mention will provide a beautiful backdrop. The ceremony can be held outside, while the reception can be held inside, in the Grand Ballroom."
"You know, that's actually a good idea," muttered Sirius, staring into the distance. "I'll ask Amelia. Good job, kiddo. I'll keep you updated on any developments. Now, let's get back to our discussion on human transfiguration."
Three hours later, Harry returned to Ravenclaw Tower, exhausted. When Sirius said the process would be draining, he hadn't been kidding. His godfather had not allowed him to transfigure anything more than his fingernails for today but told him to keep practising and also so look deep within himself to know more about his animal form. The more he knew what he was going to be, the easier it would become.
On the thirty-first of October, the traditional Samhain feast was being served in the Great Hall. Harry was strangely in a good mood after another Animagus class, so he decided to be more interactive for the night. His Housemates were all bemused at first, but no one was complaining. Harry was a goldmine of information and the people all around engaged him in conversation for hours until the feast ended. Once done, the Ravenclaws walked together towards the Grand Staircase and after several minutes, one by one they trickled into the Ravenclaw common room.
Downstairs, on the first floor, the petrified forms of Argus Filch and Mrs Norris were discovered along with the message that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.
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