"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall began, "I hope we aren't keeping you."
"Sorry Professor." Harry said pulling his sleeve over his watch so he wouldn't be tempted to look again.
"Now, I want you all to transfigure your animals into large armchairs and write at least seven centimeters on what occurred during the process."
Harry and Hermione went straight from Transfiguration to the Room of Requirement where the others were waiting.
The potion was in a large vat. Apparently they would need some for their first couple of transformations before they were able to do it on their own.
"Everybody ready?" Hermione asked looking around the room at unsure faces.
Everyone nodded, not willing to admit their nervousness.
"Alright, once we take the potion we'll have to say the incantation... Oh, if we don't fully transform... It is our first time so... er... Just don't scratch anything or... Right then, everybody get a cup and sit down."
Hermione handed off the potion to everyone and they all sat facing each other.
"When you say not fully transform, do you mean like what happened to you with the Polyjuice Potion our second year?" Ron asked.
"Similar, only this will wear off on it's own."
"How long?" Ron asked
"Only a couple of hours. Cheers..." Hermione said half heartedly as she drank the thick potion.
"Aperio Bestia," everyone said in unison.
The others followed suit, but after a moment deeply regretted they had. A pain started from the inside out, like a thousand needles were punctured through every inch of their skin and internal organs.
Harry looked down at his hands to see red feathers coming out from his palms and arms. He looked over to Ron, whose hands had at least quadrupled in size, and hair started to grow from his face.
Hermione seemed to be growing the same red feathers as he did, but a beak had replaced her mouth.
"Hermione?" was all Harry could muster through the pain.
"I'm fine..." she almost squawked through her beak.
Harry turned to look at Ginny who surprisingly grew a bushy tail. She was comforting Neville, who had grown white ears that pointed up and a snout with a black nose.
Luna seemed to be enjoying the process, which scared Harry, but at the same time he found it oddly comforting. Luna's eyes were growing bigger by the second while she too began to get some plumage.
Hermione gave the signal and they forced themselves back into their human form.
Harry pulled out a few remaining feathers from his arms, then he got up and helped Hermione with some of her feathers. Hermione looked to the small gashes in Harry's arms for a moment longer than was comfortable for Harry.
"I've just got the most brilliant idea," she finally took her eyes off Harry.
"What?" Ron asked.
"The way we can make sure we are always alright, we can use our blood to activate it, no one else has our blood so we could be the only ones to get it..."
"Hermione..."
"Yes Harry?" Hermione smiled at her own brilliance.
"Voldemort has my blood."
"Oh... Right, well there are always a few kinks in great plans..."
"Exactly..." Harry smiled.
Ginny's tail had finally disappeared, along with Ron's ears, while Luna's eyes were still shrinking.
"That was -er- interesting... Is it always going to hurt like that?"
"No, the next time when we fully transform it's going to hurt a hell of a lot more, but after time, when your body gets used to the transformation, it's only a little sore afterward." Hermione plucked her last feather.
"Oh no... Quidditch!" Ron jumped up.
"Go on, we'll clean up here." Hermione said.
Ron, Ginny, and Harry ran out of the room towards the Quidditch pitch, it was the first time the new team would practice together.
"Accio Firebolt!" Harry waved his wand in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
Trying to get to the pitch while classes were just ending turned out to be a feat, they were being sworn at in three languages, and elbowed by the massive amount of students.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I don't think there's room enough in this castle for three schools." Ron said as he got hit in the side.
"Oh quit complaining King Weasley and hurry up!" Ginny said.
"Hey I wouldn't be saying that to the person that got you to be a chaser on the team!"
"You did not! I-"
"Do I have to separate you two? I hope not every practice is going to be like this..."
"Right, stand up for your girlfriend, what about your best mate?" Ron said as they finally got to the locker rooms.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing."
Surprisingly enough Ron wasn't a bad Quidditch coach, he was no Oliver Wood, but he was a bit better than Angelina. They didn't have a bad team this year, either. The two beaters were from Durmstrang, which was no surprise to anyone, and the other two chasers were from Beaubatons.
After practice they were sure they would beat Hufflepuff in two weeks. That reminded Harry that next week there would be another Hogsmeade weekend. While he'd love to go he knew Hermione would most likely have their seconds planned to a tee. They had Animagi things to complete, as well as homework, and then there was Harry's own personal homework Hermione gave him. Harry sighed. The next time he would have anytime to himself would probably be after his graduation from Hogwarts.
As he walked off of the Quidditch pitch he bumped into Professor Snape.
"Potter. Just the person I was looking for," Snape sneered, "Professor Dumbledore wants to speak with you."
His teammates mumbled behind him, but Ron spoke out clearly.
"I'll bring your broom back, mate."
"Thanks." Harry said handing his broom over to Ron.
Harry made his way up to Dumbledore's office and was thankfully not followed by Snape. Surely there was a harmless first year he had to petrify.
Harry knocked, and was allowed to enter. Dumbledore sat at his desk in a solemn pose, which was the last thing Harry wanted to see.
"Sit down Harry. What I have to say concerns your winter holiday. The problem is you didn't spend enough time at home during the summer. I'm sorry Harry but you must go back."
Harry's eyes began to burn, "I... But you... They wont..."
"It won't be for the entire Holiday, once you've spent a few weeks there Professor Lupin will come by and pick you up. We've already made the arrangements with your Aunt and Uncle. I'm afraid I have to ask a favor of you."
"What?" Harry said although he didn't care. The numbness he let overtake him before was coming back with a vengeance now.
"You are quite aware that Mr. Malfoy is in grave danger, and because his mother can just walk into the castle anytime, I feel the only safe place for him is Grimmauld Place. Is it alright with you, Harry?"
"Sure." Harry said.
He got up, not being dismissed by Dumbledore, and left the office to get back to Gryffindor Tower. Surely there was studying that needed to be done.
Harry tickled the tapestry, when he saw no one was in the uncommon room he went to bed.
"Finally..." He could hear himself think.
Although he was sure it wasn't him, it didn't feel like him. He didn't think about that. He got dressed and went downstairs. He didn't know what he was doing but he smiled all the same. He went to the Herbology greenhouses, and then he went and stood way too close to one of the Australian Goat-eater plants.
* * *
The Great Hall was loud with chatter, but Hermione couldn't eat. She saw that the absence of Harry wasn't just affecting her because Dumbledore didn't seem in spirits either. Each time a student walked into the Great Hall they both looked up hoping it was Harry.
A scream rang throughout the castle. The teachers immediately got up and went to see what happened. They urged the students to stay put, but Hermione Granger would take this choice time to blatantly not follow the rules. Ron, of course, followed her. They ran quickly after the teachers to the greenhouses.
"Oh no, Albus!" they heard McGonagall say.
Once they turned the corner they saw three teachers trying to pry open the jaws of the Goat-eating plant while the others tried to pull Harry out.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed.
She didn't know what happened. Hermione just took out her wand and said, "Carnem Inflamare," which made the goat-eater combust into ash as Harry fell to the floor.
Hermione shook her head.
"Albus, it's Potter's handwriting," McGonagall held up a small piece of parchment. "It says 'The boy will die.'"