chapter three ; what's an animagus?
1973

"TEMPEST, PLEASE SLOW DOWN," PETER PETTIGREW PANTED AS HE FOLLOWED TEMPEST DOWN THE HALLS LEADING TO THE HOSPITAL WING.  He stumbled slightly as she turned yet another corner, and he debated whether or not to give up in chasing her. The halls were scattered with a few students and the occasional member of staff, but the two Gryffindors were far too distracted for that matter. The look in the thirteen year old girl's eyes was a mix of terrified and angry, which meant the tubby boy struggled to keep up with her fast pace. "Tempest!"

It was seven o'clock in the morning and she hadn't had a wink of sleep, as she was up all night, mumbling to herself about what she had overheard at Hogsmeade the previous day. She hadn't put a thought into what she was wearing or what she was thinking -- she only knew where she had to be at that moment, even if she was parading across the school grounds in her striped oversized pyjama shirt and pants. Her hair was a mess but she didn't care at all, instead focusing on bringing the ridiculously thick advanced Transfiguration textbook to the hospital wing.

Upon leaving the Three Broomsticks yesterday, she had been plagued with worry and a strong sense of purpose. This was because when she was going to the bathroom after accepting Fergus Harrington's challenge in drinking a whole glass of Butterbeer in one go, she decided a trip to the ladies room was needed. But, on her way towards the door she had passed a table containing four of her fellow Gryffindors; James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. She generally avoided them unless she was bored (they happened to be a very entertaining group of individuals), but something James had said caught her ear.

They were speaking in hushed voices, but something she distinctly heard was "we need to figure out a way to help you with your 'furry little problem', Remus. If you didn't realise, full moons happen every month and we don't want you to go through this alone."

First, Tempest wanted to tell them to keep their voices down seeing as they were awful at whispering, but at the same time, a wave of concern washed over her at what he had said. So, she rushed into the ladies room and locked herself in a stall, wide-eyed and unsure of how to act.

There was no denying what James had meant -- furry little problem, full moons? As far as she knew, Remus Lupin wasn't one of the evil bearded warlocks she had read about in stories, so it only meant one thing.

Remus Lupin, one of the kindest, most selfless boys Tempest had ever met, was a werewolf.

It explained plenty. She had always wondered about the scars that adorned his face and the way he tensed up during their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson a few weeks ago when they began the subject of werewolves. Even when she asked him if he was okay from where she sat with Lily Evans at the back, he politely smiled and returned to his detailed work. On the days and nights leading up to full moons he was jumpy and irritable, and showed up late to class the day after.

What did surprise her though, was how concerned James Potter was about the whole ordeal. In the few years she had known him, she'd never heard anything but a joking, uncaring tone escape him. But, upon hearing the seriousness and thoughtfulness in his voice, it only confirmed her theory.

Even after leaving the Three Broomsticks and travelling back up to the castle, she couldn't ignore the extreme subject. She couldn't keep her eyes off him during dinner, how he twitched nervously as kept looking down at his pocket watch, how he excused himself from the table without touching the food on his plate, how his main group of friends watched after him with sorrowful expressions.

So, she waited. It was until after hours that she crept out of the Gryffindor common rooms with wandering eyes and a hopeful heart. She didn't know what she was looking for, but it would possibly give her more answers than she probably needed. Thankfully, she had caught a glimpse of Professor Minerva McGonagall's cloak turning a corner, and she followed eagerly. Keeping in the shadows, she crept behind at a good distance, noticing that beside her was a sweat-covered, anxiety-ridden Remus Lupin, looking as if he were in severe pain and muttering to himself.

It kept her up all night. She knew better not to leave the castle once Remus and McGonagall left, so she once again returned to the room of red and gold, itching to solve the mystery. She wanted to believe that Remus was a werewolf, but she remembered what her father had once said about them.

"They are violent, cruel and hideous beasts," he had snarled over the morning paper."There's no such thing as bloody good werewolf, I'll tell you that. They never get good jobs, seeing as nobody wants to deal with an irritable, rude and dangerous person who could kill them at a moments notice, but that's just my humble opinion."

So, once dawn broke, Tempest had set her mind to finding out as much as she could about helping Remus. It must be awfully sad to be such a lovely individual, but such a lonely creature. She hated how he had to suffer, so across the hours of the night she had scoured her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks after remembering their unit on the beasts, and when she came across a piece of vital information, she sat back and grinned, before realising she had no idea what to do about it. The textbook said that it was uncommon for werewolves to harm other animals, so she had to figure out a way to help him through that.

The young Gryffindor girl had tapped on the shoulder of one of the older sixth years, asking if they could read over their Advanced Transfiguration book for a bit of light reading, and since it was a Sunday morning and the sixth year she had asked was already screwed in the subject, there was no objection to her borrowing it for the day.

"Tempest, he's not even in there!" Peter insisted as Tempest walked through the final corridor, before stepping into the hospital wing. Pettigrew was a good distance behind her, so when she walked through the medical centre to see Remus curled up on the bed covered in blood and scratches, she managed to block out the stout boys pleas.

Remus was accompanied by James and Sirius, who were staring down at their friend solemnly, already dressed for the day. So, when Tempest approached them, unannounced, in her pyjamas, they nearly jumped out of their chairs in surprise. Tempest shifted the book in her arms, forcing a smile. "Morning."

"Nice pyjamas, Pest," Sirius snickered, eyeing her up and down. Tempest shot him a glare, to which he grinned in response. He prided himself in finding ways to annoy her, but sometimes she blindly handed him the opportunity, one of those times being now.

"What are you doing here?" James demanded almost instantaneously, and Tempest shrugged, wondering what excuses they were going to make on Remus' behalf. "Didn't Pomfrey tell you to leave?"

"Madame Pomfrey didn't see me come in, strangely enough. She was far too focused on telling Peter to stop wheezing, as he'd wake up all her patients," Tempest responded easily, before glancing down at Remus. He looked awful -- he was pale and shivering, sweat beading his forehead and a scowl on his face as if he were experiencing an eternal nightmare. It was dreadful to see such a warm and loving individual so weak and broken, which was what drove Tempest further. "I'm well aware with what's wrong with Remus."

The two boys looked across at each other, before back at her. Sirius forced a chuckle, shaking his head. Tempest could see him wringing his hands below his seat. "He was sick last night, he caught the flu."

"Madame Pomfrey would have cured him by now, Sirius," she retorted, smiling in displeasure. Sirius cleared his throat and let his eyes flicker back to James. Tempest leaned forward a little, somewhat unimpressed. "You need to keep your voice down when you're talking about Remus. I overheard some of what you said yesterday when I was going to the loo, so I decided to take matters into my own hands."

Sirius grew furious. "You have no right-"

"Remus is my friend too," Tempest snapped, before composing herself and sighing a little. "I care about him, alright? And I know you want to be able to take care of him when he doesn't have control as..."

James hesitated, before understanding that there was no way to weasel his way out of this one. "Continue."

"I borrowed this from a sixth year," Tempest handed him the large transfiguration book, pointing to the bookmark. "In our Dark Arts lesson, we read that they only harm humans, not other animals. So, I thought, what if there was a way to become an animal so that he wouldn't have to be alone? That's when I remembered -- Professor McGonagall can change into a cat whenever she pleases. Wouldn't it be great to be able to do something like that? I know that learning about transfiguring yourself at your own will is extremely advanced magic, but I couldn't recall the name until I got this book."

"Animagus?" James inquired, his eyes squinted behind his glasses. Sirius' eyebrows furrowed and he marched around the bed to peer over their shoulders at the small text. "-is a witch or wizard who can morph him or herself into an animal at will. It is a learned skill, unlike the hereditary skill of a Metamorphmagus. Isn't that in our syllabus?"

"Yes, but we only learned about it briefly," Tempest nodded, rocking back and forth on the heels of her slippers. "It doesn't say how to become one, though."

"It says here that it's dangerous, and that if the potion isn't brewed correctly there are fatal side effects," James read, his eyes widening after each word. Then, he looked up and met Sirius' stare, both of them unsure. "Bloody hell."

"It was just an idea. Remus won't harm other animals, so I thought-" Tempest began, though she was interrupted by Peter, who finally joined the group.

"I tried to stop her, but she was too fast," he muttered, his face bright red and chest heaving up and down. "Sorry boys."

Tempest opened her mouth to speak again, but couldn't get a word out before she was cut off again.

"Just stay out of it, Grover," James huffed, slamming the book shut and giving it back to Tempest, who frowned deeply. He nodded over to Remus, who shifted and whimpered slightly in pain. "This is none of your business."

Tempest's jaw clenched even tighter and she snatched the book from his hands. "Fine, but when you three fall short of ideas to help Remus, don't come running to me."

★☆

"The difference between transfiguration and the Animagus transformation ability is that an Animagus can change into an animal whenever they want, without a wand or an incantation. Being an Animagus is an ability, and Transfiguring requires a spell. An Animagus still thinks as a human does when they are in their animal form, however, an Animagus' feelings are not as complex when they are in their animal form," Professor Durmills explained from the front of the classroom, his voice droning on and on like it usually did. The students all followed along from their textbooks, though not many of them seemed to be paying attention -- hell, even Lily Evans was falling asleep.

"Professor, how are Animagi different from werewolves?" The voice of James Potter interrupted, surprisingly nearly everyone, as he had never been the type to ask questions, rather disrupt the class by giggling too loudly. Professor Durmills paused for a second, his curled eyebrows furrowed curiously at the spectacled boy's question. Tempest shifted in her seat, her eyes cast on her classmate, a deep frown on her face. So now he was interested.

"Mr Potter, werewolves are fundamentally dissimilar from Animagi. Lycanthropy is caused by a blood infection transmitted through the bite of a werewolf, whereas the Animagus skill is learned. The werewolves cannot keep their minds after a transformation, nor can they control themselves when they transform, while Animagi can do both. However, as werewolves only harm humans, Animagi, while in their animal forms, are safe to be in the company of werewolves," Durmills answered the inquiry easily, and Tempest felt the eyes of Sirius and James fall onto her when the lesson resumed.

She blankly stared back, before casting her eyes back down to her textbook, sighing slightly as she realised there was still another half an hour until lunch time.

★☆

"Tempest, can we speak with you?"

James, Sirius, Peter and Remus had waited for the common room to clear out before they cornered Tempest, who was curled up in the armchair with a hot chocolate and a novel. She didn't bother looking up from the words on the page below her, as she had expected them to come over (she had seen them hesitating by the stairwell for over an hour).

"Do you know how I know when you want something from me?" She asked, her voice soft and monotone. She turned the page as she took another sip of her drink. "You call me Tempest. Not Pest, Temper or Grover. I'm not an idiot, and I saw you looking at me during our Dark Arts lesson this afternoon."

James huffed, dropping to the floor in front of her so that he was in her line of vision. She glanced over when he place his hand on her arm. His eyes were wide and his lip was jutted out, which made him look amusing and slightly pathetic. "You were right."

"I know," she muttered, returning to her book. James groaned softly, before nudging Sirius' leg and urging him to join him on the floor. The long-haired boy wasn't crazy about the idea, as he thought Tempest was a bit too smart for her own good, but he still sat down next to his best friend. "Oh good, Sirius is here too."

"We need your help," he responded, his voice holding truth and an ounce of hope. "You're one of the smartest witches in our year, and I'm sure we can figure out a way to...you know."

"We just don't want Remus to be alone," James continued, and Tempest lifted her head to see Remus shifting from foot to foot, an anxious expression on his face. "Especially if there's a way to be with him when he's in a bad place."

"Are you comfortable with this, Remus?" Tempest asked softly, watching her friend with careful, observant eyes. Remus' eyes dropped to the boys, who were pleading and almost desperate.

The tall, exhausted student sighed gently. "I'm aware it's a dangerous process, but if you were willing to help us find the formula for the potion, I'd be forever grateful."

Tempest hesitated, before closing her novel and exhaling deeply. "Fine, I'll help you. But I have one condition."

"What is it?" James asked suspiciously, his dark eyebrows knitting together. Tempest finished her hot chocolate and set it down on the table beside her. "Well?"

"Stop acting superior to me," she gave him and Sirius a tight-lipped smile. They seemed slightly taken aback at her words. "I know I can be a bit annoying sometimes, but that doesn't mean either of us is better than the other. I get that you're all popular and funny, but you're a bunch of pricks, except you, Remus. If we're going to sort this out together, we're all going to try and get along. Does that sound fair?"

All the boys exchanged glances, before James held his hand out in Tempest's direction. "Do we still get to call you Pest?"

"Fine," Tempest sighed softly, before something of a smile appeared on her lips. She grasped James' hand and shook it, solidifying the union they had finally established. After a few seconds she pulled away and adjusted herself on the armchair, clapping her hands together. "So, when do we start?"

★☆

this is gOD awful but whooOoOoO cares?? not me

i really wanted to update this cause i love the story so far and i'm gonna be away for the next couple of days so idk when else i would've gotten the chance to write!!

so please tell me what you thought, the feedback on the last chapter was wonderful!! also sorry tempest's got a few hermione vibes, but my girl's wicked smaht so oH well

and i got the facts about animagi from the harry potter wikia so disclaimerrrRrR