July 19th, 1973, Thursday.
Not long after the full moon, the three little Gryffindor lions finally found time to gather for the first time at Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Sirius had clearly already shared the story of The Invisible Book of Invisibility with James and Remus. The moment they met, James enthusiastically suggested going to Flourish and Blotts to search for the "inheritance of invisibility," which made Regulus laugh uncontrollably.
To keep a low profile (at Regulus's firm insistence), the four of them brought snacks and held their meeting in Sirius's room instead.
James, sitting by the window, seemed to have an endless stream of things to say—it was obvious how bored he'd been in Godric's Hollow.
"Thanks for the energy tonic, Regulus." While James was pulling Sirius into a story about nearly crashing into an airplane on his broom, Remus took the chance to thank Regulus.
His warm eyes were full of sincerity, though his complexion was still a bit off—he had only just recovered from the full moon.
As soon as he finished speaking, the room suddenly fell quiet. James scratched his head a little awkwardly—he had nearly forgotten that the real purpose of their visit was to talk about Remus.
"I'm just happy I could help!" Regulus certainly wasn't going to tell them now that a few of the potions had actually been brewed by Severus at his request.
Snape making potions for Lupin—how heartwarming.
With three pairs of eyes on him, Regulus cleared his throat and said seriously:
"Let's discuss that furry topic together today. Personally, I want to focus on the Potions side of things, since our Head of House in Slytherin is a Potions Master (and the future one too). Also, I know my brother already has a few good ideas—"
Three pairs of eyes turned to Sirius.
He paused, then spoke in his usual pleasant voice, quietly: "What I was thinking about is the essence of this 'furry issue'—that is, human transfiguration. Along that line, I found some information in a book about Animagi."
"Ani…ma…gi?" James frowned, repeating it uncertainly.
"Yes, Animagi," Sirius nodded and continued, "It's a type of human transfiguration. Once a wizard successfully masters it, they can switch freely between human and animal forms. And after an Animagus transforms into an animal, they can't speak human language but retain human thought and reasoning—that's the fundamental difference between being an Animagus and simply transfiguring oneself into an animal!"
"Animagi… like Professor McGonagall, right?" Lupin said softly. "I've seen her turn into a cat."
"I get it! Like Babbitty Rabbitty from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, who could turn into a rabbit whenever she wanted?" James quickly connected the concept to the stories he'd heard as a child. "But turning into a cat… or a rabbit… how would that help Remus?"
"A cat or rabbit definitely wouldn't work. Based on what I've researched, the animal an Animagus becomes depends on a lot of things—weight, personality… and even desire," Sirius said seriously. "I think… if we can transform into large animals, preferably the kind that can fight, we could stay with Remus in non-human form during his furry times. Like… a big bear."
James and Remus still looked a bit confused.
"As far as I know, werewolves in their transformed state prefer to attack humans. Other animals are rarely their targets," Regulus added.
Young Lupin nodded seriously.
Sirius had clearly done his homework.
He continued, "There have been only seven registered Animagi in this century. Professor McGonagall is one of them. Becoming an Animagus is, well, fairly difficult and risky—the Ministry of Magic requires all Animagi to register their animal forms and distinguishing features with the Improper Use of Magic Office."
"But there are plenty of people who manage it and don't register," Regulus added from the side. "As Professor Dumbledore once said: 'For those engaged in shady, secretive activities—or even outright criminal acts—this kind of magic is undoubtedly very useful.'"
"Only seven in this century…" Remus said uncertainly. "'Fairly difficult and risky'—just how hard is it?"
"Very hard. It could take… several years," Sirius said, his gaze carrying a quiet, unwavering resolve. "Like Professor McGonagall says, 'Transfiguration is the most complex and dangerous subject you'll study at Hogwarts,' and human transfiguration is the most advanced form of it. During practice, things can go wrong—like only your ears turning into a cat's and not being able to return to your normal human self…"
"Human transfiguration is generally taught in sixth year, and Professor McGonagall's N.E.W.T. class only accepts students who scored well on their O.W.L.s," Regulus added again.
"Bloody Wicked!!" After a brief silence, James suddenly exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's so cool—being able to switch freely between animal and human form! Only seven people in the whole century!"
"I'm learning this!" he said decisively, looking at little Lupin. "And we'll be helping Remus!"
With his idea now supported, Sirius seemed to breathe a bit easier. His voice was firm and proud: "Me too. If others can do it, there's no reason we can't. We're good at Transfiguration."
"Agreed. Hogwarts has the two greatest Transfiguration masters ever—" Regulus immediately raised both hands in support. "I mean, of course, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. And they're both from your House."
The little lions nodded enthusiastically—Gryffindors had always been top-notch at Transfiguration!
Even without Remus's situation, he'd still dream of learning how to transform into an animal—Animagus? To a gaming nerd like him, this was basically a Druid from World of Warcraft!
Back then, he used to play a bird Druid too. Druids—classic jack-of-all-trades.
And anyway: the forces of nature, animal forms—how Hufflepuff was that?
Watching everyone's reactions, Sirius smiled and solemnly stretched out his hand in front of him. "Then it's settled—Animagus, for Remus—"
Regulus placed his hand over his brother's. "Animagus, for Remus—"
James quickly put his hand on top. "Animagus, for Remus—"
Remus's tightly pressed lips finally relaxed into a smile, and he placed his hand on the very top. "..Animagus—thank you, my friends…"
…
The young wizards then discussed Potions, spells, and future plans before drifting into casual conversation.
"Cousin Andromeda had her baby—with that Muggle-born wizard," Sirius whispered. "It's a girl. I heard she's already showing signs of magical talent. A Metamorphmagus."
Nymphadora Tonks—Regulus's face lit up with a smile.
"Mother would never let me go see them," Sirius said. "I need you to cover for me."
Andromeda Black, Sirius's favorite cousin, had been blasted off the family tapestry after marrying Ted Tonks, a wizard of Muggle-born heritage.
"No problem. Let me think of an excuse," Regulus said, glancing over at little Lupin.
Hey, your wife just got born!
Technically speaking, that was his future nephew-in-law.
Regulus, in a moment of mischievous amusement, patted Remus on the shoulder and cleared his throat: "This baby's a Metamorphmagus—a prodigy born with the ability to perform human transfiguration. So… how about we all go take a look?"
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