Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Any characters or situations that are unknown in the HP series are the author's intellectual property and should not be used without permission.
Author's Note: This fic is written for Full Sail Nate's Challenge on Portkey involving Harry in an Animagus transformation gone wrong. The genre is drama/ romance with H/Hr as the pairing. Warning: there will be humor as well...All Animagus background information used here is simply the humble author's own invention.
After much agonizing, I've split a very long chapter (which I'm still refining btw) so that the readers have something to read.
Enjoy and Please Review! More Than Human Chapter Four - The Morning After
Harry found himself moving through the jungle he had envisioned in McGonagall's class once more. The low snarls and soft footfalls of the spirit-jaguar sounded through the lush vegetation. He could feel his ears pricking to attention and started to follow the sounds.
The trees and brush seemed taller this time, until Harry realized his point of view had changed. He looked down and saw his large dark paws moving over the leaf litter with barely a whisper of sound. The spirit animal's calls began to move away, and Harry rushed to catch up. He needed to find the creature to complete his change fully.
Bursting through the tall grass, the young wizard found himself in a remarkably lovely clearing with a waterfall grotto. Orchids and verdant tropical flowers bloomed under the protective eaves of the trees, and the cheerful chatter of the small shallow brook over it's rocky bed was soothing. Even the air seemed sharply clear and clean, causing Harry to inhale deeply. As he admired the grove, all sound suddenly stopped.
Remembering the events of his last excursion, Harry turned about, hoping to locate his jaguar spirit so he could finally confront his fears, but there was no animal to be seen. Frustrated, Harry let out a yell that sounded more like a feline growl.
Great, he thought, now I can't even yell properly when I want to.
A sudden flash of light from the streambed distracted him from his momentary flash of anger. Creeping closer to the stream, he cautiously peered down into the clear rushing water to see a round silver disc on the bottom. A mirror.
Wondering what the mirror could be about, Harry moved closer and stared down into his altered image. Now the feline changes were even more apparent in his eyes and face, though the dark brownish-black pelt put the gemlike color of his now-larger eyes into even further prominence.
He had only stared for a moment when a glowing amber light reflected on the edge of the mirror. Harry raised his head to see a brilliant reddish amber glow behind the sheer curtain of falling water at the base of the falls. The globe of light seemed to pulse as it began to grow. As he watched, Harry felt a sudden pounding in his chest.
His heart was beating in time with the pulsing of the light, becoming heavier as the light grew. Icy fear coursed down his spine. What was happening to him now?
Suddenly, sound returned with a starling rush and the light flared to a blinding brilliance that encompassed Harry. The sounds were indistinct and echoed as if coming from a deep well. The light began to bleed into a deep crimson and Harry felt heat from all around. Frightened now, Harry began to struggle to win free of the dream state. The heat and pressure began to intensify, and Harry began to feel weak. His heart was slowing its beat and the red light was continuing to deepen into darkness. The only thing remaining constant was the sound.
Am I dying? He wondered, still struggling feebly against the tide. Is this what death feels like? A single sweet note sang bove the mounting background noise, both familiar and unknown at the same time. The sound was swallowed by the surrounding noises became sharply louder, and then Harry recognized Hermione's voice, raised in anger.
"Ron, NO! Leave him alone!"
The smothering darkness retreated in a rush, and Harry struggled to pry open his eyes, which felt sticky and gritty from sleep. Crookshanks shifted against his chest, and then lunged sharply and spit.
A bellow of pain came from just above Harry's head, causing adrenaline to surge through his awakening body.
"Bloody cat scratched me!" Ron's voice registered dimly in Harry's brain, as Crookshanks' weight suddenly disappeared from Harry's chest. A yowl of feline pain was followed by Hermione's incensed tones.
"How dare you strike my cat? Leave Crookshanks alone, Ron, or I'll hex your nose right off your face!"
Harry's eyes finally opened to a dark blur of robes too close for comfort to his face. Instinctively, Harry lashed out with a loud snarl at the figure stooping over him.
"Ahhh!"
"Harry! No!"
"Mister Potter, control your…"
Dumbledore's voice sounded over the cacophony. "Everyone move back, quickly."
Harry sat up slowly, still blinking rather sleepily. What was going on?
Dumbledore stood in front of a group that included his best friends. McGonagall frowned at him from beside Hermione, while Madam Pomfrey moved around the cot to Harry's other side, her wand raised to the ready. Ron was examining the front of his robes where there were now four parallel rips across them at waist level and then glaring at Harry from just behind Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's expression was stern with no trace of a twinkle. "Harry, are you in control?" Shamefaced, Harry realized he was the cause of the rips in Ron's robes.
"Yes, sir. I was just…startled when I woke up."
Dumbledore's eyes began twinkle at that. "Very well then. I expect to see you before dinner this evening to continue your Occulmency studies." Harry nodded solemnly, as the headmaster called Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall aside for a private word, as Harry said earnestly, "I'm so sorry, Ron. I didn't mean to…"
"Didn't mean to? Ballocks, you did mean to!" Ron's face was suffused with red, which was never a good sign in Harry's experience with his volatile friend. He backed a few steps further away from Harry as he continued, "You're becoming feral, I'll bet."
Hermione shook her head with annoyance, "Honestly, Ron, just because an Animagus change is a little off the first time doesn't always mean the witch or wizard automatically goes feral. Did you listen to anything I said last night?"
Harry smirked at that remark. He felt surehe could guess the answer to that question with dead-on accuracy. As the pair began their usual descent into a row over Ron's lack of attention, a small pain-filled mew sounded from under Harry's bed and he hung his body precariously over the side of the cot to see Crookshanks curled up into a defensive ball with his left front leg held unnaturally stiff beneath the bed.
"Hermione," Harry looked up from his position to his bickering friends, "Crookshanks is hurt."
Hermione stopped her harangue about Ron's lack of attention to her mid-spate and knelt down to try to call her familiar to out to her, but Crookshanks refused to move. Ron looked a little shame-faced as well as worried as Hermione shot a hot glare in his direction. She reached under the cot, but the cat was having none of that. He hissed and scratched Hermione before she could touch him.
"Ouch! Crookshanks, I'm trying to help!"
Harry slid out of bed and crouched on all fours beside Hermione and found the position was much more comfortable to him than standing or sitting. Boy, what Malfoy could say if I had to go round on all fours, he thought wryly.
He nudged his female friend gently aside and called to Crookshanks. The cat painfully limped out from underneath the bed and into Harry's grasp. He carefully lifted the injured cat to the bed. Hermione was staring intensely at him as he turned back toward her and Harry felt a moment of discomfort at her inscrutable expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Hermione opened her mounth to answer but then just shook her head and sat down beside her familiar. Harry shifted back as the school nurse came round to the other side of the bed to examine the tomcat. He turned back toward his other best friend and Ron's quick backward movement both surprised and hurt Harry. Fear tainted the air, and Harry breathed shallowly to avoid responding to the emotion his male friend exuded.
"Er -- I really am sorry, Ron, but you startled me pretty badly."
Ron just looked away toward his feet and said nothing. A muscle jerked beside his jaw, betraying his tension. With a sad look and a sigh, Harry turned back to the cot instead of trying to force Ron to talk to him. Dumbledore and McGonagall finished their discussion and rejoined the group.
Pomfrey and Hermione huddled over the injured familiar as Harry straitened his back as best as he could, but now there was a definite hunching in his spine. Ron kept a distinct distance between them, but also moved forward to watch the two females fussing over the tomcat. Pomfrey cast a quick mending spell, and Crookshanks began to purr in his normal chainsaw buzz. Hermione gathered him up quickly and shooting another condemning look at Ron, which caused him to shuffle his feet and grimace, she asked McGonagall, "Should I show Harry his temporary quarters before breakfast, Professor?"
Harry's Head of House nodded sharply before she and Dumbledore left the ward. Pomfrey had already retreated to her office as Ron dithered at what he deemed a safe distance as Harry questioned, "Quarters? I can't stay in my dorm?" Hermione shook her head sadly.
"McGonagall wanted to reassure the rest of the House that you wouldn't be a danger, so you'll have to stay in a special suite off the Common Room. Ron and your other roommates have already moved your things there."
Harry flopped back down on the hospital cot, dejected.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but until the change completes, it was the only way you could stay in Gryffindor Tower." He glanced up at Ron.
"Thanks for moving my trunk, mate. I'm sorry for, er, your robes. I'll buy you a new set."
Ron looked over at Harry, his features betraying mixed emotions before muttering, "Don't need to, I'll mend them later." Harry grinned at that, causing Ron to flinch back and pale. His friend's negative response caused the smile to slip from his face.
"C'mon, Hermione, hurry up and tell him where the room is so we can go to breakfast." Ron's voice was coldly impatient.
Hermione raised a brow and responded tartly, "If you're that hungry, go ahead and go down. Harry and I will meet you there after we stop at his room."
"I'm not leaving you alone with him! He's dangerous!"
Hermione was having none of that. "More dangerous than a Mountain Troll? Harry is our best friend, even if you've seemed to forgotten that fact! I'm not going to abandon him no matter what happens!"
Ron reddened and spat out, anger making his fear even more acrid and biting to Harry's nose. "Even if he eats you? I'm not going to wait around to find out. You're on your own!" He stormed out of the ward, chuntering under his breath until the swinging doors closed behind. Harry sighed and buried his face in his paw-hands. Now his best friend was an enemy again, as he'd been during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Why did this need to be?
Hermione's hand gently rested on his shoulder as Crookshanks purred deeply. "He just afraid of the horror stories he's been told, you realize. He come round, like always."
Harry lifted his head. "Why aren't you afraid of me, then? You should be…"
"I trust you, Harry. With my life."
Harry felt emotion welling up, choking his voice. Hermione slid her arm around hois shoulders and hugged tightly. He buried his head against her shoulder. After a short time, Hermione started to giggle, causing Harry to raise his head to question her with his eyes.
She reached out and touched his cheeks softly, causing the most amazingly pleasant sensation to shoot through him.
"Your whiskers are ticklish." Harry, curious now, went to his bed table and picked up the hand mirror. His body had felt heavier, but as Hermione had pointed out, his nose had altered further and now sported a complete set of whiskers.
Hermione went to Pomfrey's office as Harry changed into his robes. His feet had also shifted, making wearing shoes now impossible. His voice had also shifted in timbre and he found some sounds were now difficult to pronounce completely.
As He and Hermione climbed the staircases to Gryffindor Tower, many students stopped to stare or whisper to their friends as the pair passed. Harry felt a surge of discomfort and anger at the attention, but knew that until the change completed, he was in for another bout of scrutiny and gossip from his fellow students.
The Gryffindor Common Room was deserted when they passed through the portrait hole. Hermione lead him over to a tapestry of a lady witch and knight and pulled it aside to reveal a door now in the formerly blank wall. The door glowed briefly as Hermione used the password "Seeker" and opened with an audible click.
The room was exactly similar to his dorm room, except for the furniture, which all began to alter as Harry entered. Legs shortened, pillows shifted and the bed broadened as Harry watched.
"McGonagall said that might happen. The room is enchanted to adjust itself to your body's needs as the change continues." Hermione set Crookshanks down as she went across the room to another door in the opposite wall. It lead to a wooded, wild looking area about half the size of the Great Hall. "This courtyard is to allow you to express any animal impulses safely."
Harry raised a brow at that, but before he could really think of a question, his stomach rumbled in hunger.
Hermione cut short any other description and they headed down to the Great Hall to join the rest of the school.