It All Began With Dwarfing Draco

"This is ridiculous," Hermione grumbled under her breath. "And here I though Dumbledore was supposed to be the most intelligent wizard who ever lived." Ginny and Hermione peered out from the safe boundaries of the forest, waiting for Dumbledore’s signal. He had disappeared into the night a moment ago, leaving the two Gryffindors with their instructions. Hermione was fuming.

"Oh come on," Ginny urged, her voice slowly returning. "It’s not that bad and besides, haven’t you always wanted to know what your animagus form is?"

"Yes but we are acting just like that bloody Skeeter woman!" Hermione exclaimed. "Dumbledore knows that we aren’t allowed without proper training! We don’t even have licenses! He didn’t even think about the kind of consequences that could happen! Imagine if we get caught… ""Too late ‘Mione," Ginny interrupted and pointed up to the sky. Fawks flew silently above, creating the signal Ginny and Hermione had been waiting for. "All’s clear. It’s time."

Ginny muttered the spell that would change her into an animal and prayed to any gods listening that it wasn’t a weasel. She was not disappointed. As she watched, her hands became large, powerful paws while the rest of her body began sprouting sandy fur. She was turning into a lioness.

"Ginny…" Hermione whispered in awe, her eyes widening in awe as her friend became the powerful beast. "I definitely won’t doubt you again when you say you can handle something." Ginny cocked her proud head to the side and lifted her chin before sitting back on her hind legs, patiently waiting for Hermione to make the change. With a deep breath, Hermione quietly said the spell and closed her eyes. Dark feathers suddenly sprouted from her arms and began covering her body. A menacing beak exploded from her face and her eyes became fierce looking as they reopened.

‘A hawk,’ Ginny thought, rather impressed.

‘And proud of it!’ Hermione replied happily. ‘Wait, I just heard what you said! Sirius never said anything about this.’

‘Is it really that surprising?’

‘Well yeah, a little anyways.’ Ginny snorted while gracefully rising onto all fours and turned to the shack from where she had come not ten minutes before. The thought speaking wasn’t that surprising to her but did make things interesting.

She crept stealthily through the night, feeling the strength of the lioness every time she moved. Her new senses were intense. She could see like it was day and the smells…wow. It was like having every scent you knew strengthened by a million, to put it in human terms that is. And then there were the sounds. Ginny felt herself getting distracted, slipping into the background and letting the lioness inside her take over. She forced herself to stop and focus on her mission. Apparently she had come back to reality just in time. Hermione had a problem.

‘Uh Gin, I can’t see very well.’ Ginny stopped and looked up, watching as Hermione swooped down to land on a still frozen Death Eater’s head.

‘You’re a hawk, how can you not? Aren’t hawks supposed to have the best eyesight around?’

‘Hawk eyes are accustomed to the day, they’re useless at night. What do I do?’ Ginny’s mind raced. Time was ticking and they still hadn’t gotten inside the building.

‘How far can you see?’ Ginny asked. If they could get inside the building, Hermione would be fine. The corridors had torches all along the walls so Hermione could surely see well enough in there.

‘Not very,’ Hermione replied sadly. ‘I can see you and to the door but that’s…’

‘Great! If you can see the door then we are still in good shape.’ Ginny started forward again, weaving in and out between the Death Eaters while Hermione flew overhead. The slowly made their way to the open doorway and carefully walked inside.

‘This is much better,’ Hermione said, perching on one of the rafters.

‘Okay,’ Ginny muttered, remembering Dumbledore’s plan. Her golden eyes scanned the room that she had run through earlier, picking up every detail. She sniffed the air, instantly picking up Draco’s scent. She remembered it from before, strong even to her human nose, a spicy smell that lingered on him and she loved it. If she followed her nose, she would be led right to him. She turned back to Hermione who was still on her perch.

‘You go find Harry and Ron,’ she said. Even in thought speech, her voice was worried. ‘I’ll get Draco, he may need my help.’

‘Right,’ Hermione agreed. ‘Be careful Gin.’

‘You too.’ With that, Ginny turned and trotted down the corridor. Her ears were perked up, listening for any sounds and easily picked up the voices that were not too far off.

"You read my mind old man. Let’s get this over with." It was Draco’s voice but then there was another, a deeper and more sinister sounding one.

"Why so eager to die? You know you can’t win." Lucius. It was not hard to recognize that voice, even without lion ears. Ginny flattened herself to the ground, cool stone grazing her underside as she crawled to the doorway. Peering around the corner, Ginny saw Lucius raising his wand arm.

"Avada…" he began but could not finish. Ginny had lunged at him, claws spread wide, and dragged him to the ground. Lucius cried out and his wand fell from his hand as he dropped to the floor, a close to 425-pound lioness on top of him. Ginny batted the wand in one direction and grabbed the neck of Lucius’s cloak in her mouth before tossing him the other like a rag doll. She growled at Pettigrew who immediately pushed himself into the closest corner.

‘Teaches you to mess with a Weasley,’ Ginny thought victoriously and snarled. She then turned to Draco. For the first time, she saw how scared he looked. His wand was lowered but he stared at her with amazement and fear. Purring, she slowly approached him.

‘It’s me, Ginny,’ she cooed but he didn’t look relaxed. ‘Draco, it’s okay.’ Still, no change. She gently nuzzled his hand, trying as hard as she could to make him see that she would not harm him.

* * * * *

Draco flinched as the lioness touched her muzzle to his hand. He felt stiff, afraid to move or even breathe. She could take his hand of in one snap of her jaws if she wanted to and Draco didn’t want to test her. He had watched her throw his father across the room and wasn’t particularly keen on having that done to himself.

She butted his hand again, a deep purring coming from inside her. Draco slowly ran his hand down the side of the lioness’s face. Why did she come to him? Why she protect him from Lucius?

He knelt down on one knee slowly, coming to her eye level, and set his wand at his side. She was beautiful, this lioness. Her courage sort of reminded him of Ginny but he brushed it aside, thinking it was stupid and Ginny was already outside and safe. He didn’t know how the lioness got here or where she came from but she appeared to be on his side and he was glad for that.

* * * * *

Ginny could’ve jumped for joy. He trusted her! She had been so afraid that he might turn his wand on her.

Her happiness was short lived however. Movement caught the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw Lucius crawling across the floor to fetch his wand.

‘Now Lucius,’ she mocked in her head. ‘When will you learn.’ She pounced and growled. Lucius stopped dead in his tracks, staring up at her with wide eyes that were full of fear. He scampered back to the wall and trembled.

"Get this damn beast away from me Draco!" Lucius hissed, not taking his eyes away from Ginny whom was mentally smirking. With a flick of her tail, she bent her head and snatched the wand up in her mouth.

"Put that down!" Lucius commanded. "Don’t touch that!"

‘To late.’ With one snap of her large teeth, the wand was bitten into three pieces. Lucius yelped as he watched the splinters fall to the ground.

"NO!" he screamed, losing all his so-called Malfoy control.

"Shouldn’t have tried to order her around I guess," Draco said nastily from behind. Ginny cocked her head again with pride before strutting over towards Pettigrew. The rat was too scared to even move, let alone use his wand. Ginny easily took it from his hands and mentally laughed as he tried to shrink back against the corner where she had done so hours before. She walked back to Draco and nudged his hand, urging him to take it. He slowly slid his fingers around the thin rod and pocketed it.

"Well," he said, looking down at her curiously but with kindness. "I think we have got ourselves a couple of prisoners here haven’t we girl?" Ginny purred and rubbed up against him like a house cat.

"I think the situation would be the opposite actually," a raspy voice said. At that moment, a tall hooded figure walked through the doorway. "Well done Virginia but I’m afraid you cannot fool everyone and of course this animal could not stand a fighting chance against the Dark Lord himself."

"V-Voldemort," Pettigrew stuttered before flinging himself at his master’s feet and kissing the hem of the black robes and muttering words of praise as well as begging for forgiveness.

"What do you mean master?" Lucius asked, also bowing. "Virginia Weasley escaped, no thanks to Pettigrew, and surely could not be here."

"You question me Lucius?" the Dark Lord sneered.

"No master," Lucius immediately replied. "Of course not."

"It is not wise to doubt what I say but I will ease your disbelief, if not for my own pleasure." He turned to Ginny, his face still hidden. "Oh my Virginia. I thought you would be something more tame." A sinister laugh came from under the hood as he slid his wand out from his robes.

"Ginny?" Draco asked so quietly that only she could hear. Not taking her focus off of Voldemort, Ginny pressed herself against Draco’s legs and purred softly to comfort him. "I told you to get out of here!"

‘I couldn’t leave you!’ she tried to reply but knew he couldn’t hear. Her mind raced, panicking to form a plan but not really coming up with any. Voldemort blocked their only real escape and had more experience with curses then Ginny and Draco combined.

Ginny snarled. They were in big trouble now.