Animagi training (Cassandra Logton)

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

Professor McGonagall entered her class-room after regular classes and moved to her desk, pulling out rather many thick books about becoming an animagi. A young third year Gryffindor – Cassandra Logton had approached her about training in this subject and professor Dumbeldore had agreed for this to take place. This morning McGonagall had sent the girl an owl stating that the first class would take place today at 7PM.
Professor McGonagall wasn’t sure of the level the girl would manage to reach, as she was still relatively young, but she would teach her the best she could.

Placing the 4 books on a table in the classroom, professor McGonagall looked at the clock on the wall and sat down behind her desk to start grading essays. Finishing with the essays made by fourth years, McGonagall checked the clock once again to see that the young girl still had about 10 minutes before 7, so she sat back to wait for the ms.Logton to reach her classroom.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass had received the owl that morning from McGongall. The hours had been excruciating! Literally, all she had thought about that day had been her approaching lesson. After getting lost several times that day, and Snape yelling at her after she flubbed her potion twice, the excitement had not worn off. Cass excused herself early from dinner, and began to walk to the classroom where the Professor had said for them to meet.

She waived at a few friends along the way as she approached the room. She had never realized how empty this end of the castle got after classes were over. The only audible sound was her heels clicking against the floor as she walked. With a couple of minutes to spare, she opened the door and saw the Professor. Several large books sat on the desk in front of her. " Good Evening, Professor. Thank you for doing this. I know its taking time out of your busy schedule."

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

Professor McGonagall looked up as ms. Logton entered the classroom and nodded sharply in answer to her greeting: “Good evening, ms. Logton. I’m sure I won’t have to repeat to you that I will expect a lot of dedication and work from you during this training. And first I want to assure you that you probably will not be able for a full transformation this year. You are still growing yourself and it would require more energy and adjustment than your body can share.”<br>
“I want you to take those books along with you after this evening and study them thoroughly. But now – first I want to know if I even have something to work with in you. Tell me why you want to become an animagi and do you understand the work, responsibilities and practicing that are all part of the process of becoming one,” McGonagall stated sternly, crossing her arms on her table and sternly waiting for an answer.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Ever try to find the right answer? That was what Cass was trying to do at that precise moment. She really didn't want to blow this opportunity. The work was going to be intense and probably painful at times, but it was worth it.

Cass blushed and sort of shuffled her feet on the ground. She looked up at the Professor. " I'm becoming more interested in animals, Professor. I would really like to be able to understand them more. You know how it is, you can never fully appreciate something till you gone a mile in their shoes. I also hope to help society in some way. I'm not sure how yet, but I will."

She looked up at her Head of House. " I know how much work it will be. I want to do it. Trust me, I would never waste your time."

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

Professor McGonagall looked sternly at the third year in front of her. She had obviously tried, but McGonagall wasn’t really satisfied with it. In order to become an animagus wishing just wouldn’t be sufficient.
“You can also be interested an animals and work with them without being an animagus. There are careers as dragon-tamer for example. I want to here your reasoning, your feelings in your words as to why you are willing to go through all the work it takes to become an animagus. It is not easy,” McGonagall looked at ms. Logton sternly over her classes and pushing her lips together tightly, “Answer it. You’ll have to look into those books later as well, but for now I want your opinion on the subject.”<br>

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Damn, wrong answer, Cass thought to herself.

How do you explain its worth doing? She really didn't want to sound selfish to the professor, but it was entirely selfish reasons why she wanted to do this. True, she wanted to help people and to understand the mechanizations of nature, and she knew she could learn that how she was. However, the driving goal was to prove to herself that she could do that. Pyro and Kris understood what she was trying to do, but she felt that they were secretely laughing behind her back. Honestly, what mudblood could possibly master the are of becoming an animagus? Cass swallowed deeply, and looked Professor McGonogall in the eye, determined to tell her what she thought.

" I want to prove to myself I can do it, and to anyone else here has thought less of me because of what I am. I've always wanted to pursue this skill, but eveyone told me I wouldn't be able to do it. I can't go through life not trying and letting those people who told me I couldn't do it win." She looked down, feeling a little ashamed. " I know that is completely selfish, but I it's my own personal ambition pushing me to do this."

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

McGonagall still wasn’t completely satisfied with the young girls answer, but she just nodded sharply and sent a stern look toward ms. Logton over her classes. The continuous training and studying it took to become an animagi would quickly show whether the girl was up to the effort or not.

“I am not going to lie. It is very hard to become an animagi and it is very likely that you won’t succeed. At least not in this year as your own organism is still growing. You might not succeed the following year or the year after that either. So it you are only doing this to impress people, then you will be gravely disappointed I’m afraid,” Minerva said with a level stare before nodding towards the books she had placed on a table before, “Before anything else I want you to understand all the dangers that accompany animal transfigurations. I’m sure you’ll need some helpful information from the books on the first table. I want you to write at least 500 word free-style essay for me about what makes such transfiguring dangerous as well as time-consuming and difficult to study.”<br>

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Finishing the essay, Cass presented it to Professor McGonogall. " Sorry this took so long, but I had to do a lot of research. By the way, the books you gave me are very interesting. I didn't realize there were so many regulations for animagi." She smiled at the Professor. She handed McGongall the essay, which went as follows:

Transfiguration can be dangerous magic if not approached with caution. With human transformation, the effects can be debilitating and irreversible.
The pain that comes with the first few attempts of an animagi transformation should be a stolid reminder of what could happen. Incorrect incantations could easily lead to the effect becoming permanent. With most transformations, bones bend, flesh mutates, and bodies contort into animal bodies. Not only could the effects become permanent, bones could become brittle from the constant morphing.
Mages who have stayed in their animal forms for long periods of time have been known to take on characteristics of that animal in their human forms. Normally, animagi have markings that identify them, but the animal features normally do not manifest in their human forms. Mages have been known to keep whiskers, claws, and even pelts after going back to their human form. These conditions can sometimes be reversed with modern magical remedies, but most often than not, they are permanent. According to Fatih Witteman, a healer from St. Mungo’s, “Animagi take a risk every time they transform. There is always a possibility that they will not come out of the transformation, and be stuck that way indefinitely.”
Even if the danger of permanent mutations is not enough, there are threats from other animals and humans. Animals in their natural habitats tend to be very territorial, and may become violent if confronted with an unknown adversary. Animals can normally tell if a mage is in disguise, and this normally makes them more disconcerted. Like animals, a mage can tell if someone is in a animagi form, but muggles cannot. Muggles have been known to harm mages in their animal forms while hunting or trapping. Local animal catchers are also a hazard for animagi. For example, Cyrus Coker, a wizard who can turn into a dog, liked to roam a muggle suburb in Birmingham. One day, a local housewife spotted Cyrus roaming the streets and called the local dogcatcher. Cyrus was held at the dog pound for two days before local wizards realized he was missing. He was rescued by ministry officials who set up a mock adoption.
There are regulations in the wizarding community that help protect animagi from getting into trouble. The Ministry of Magic makes animagi register as soon as they accomplish their first transformation. Animagi must report to the Ministry their animal form and any distinguishable markings that they have. This not only protects the wizard, but it also protects the community from rogue wizards. The Wizengamot are working on stiff penalties for mages who use their animagi forms to commit crimes.
Animagi should take every precaution when transforming into their animal form. Members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad suggest always letting someone know your whereabouts if you are going to travel in your animal form near a wood. They also suggest letting people know what your form and any identifying features you have as an animal. Taking this step could easily avert disaster for a mage.

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

Setting the girl to work McGonagall returned to correcting and grading essays doing quite good progress. Years of teaching experience had given a lot of insight as to which students were just trying to get an easy grade, who were just trying to get homework out of the way and those who had put real work and effort into their work.
Raising a finger towards ms. Logton when she was finished with her essay McGonagall let her eyes roam over the rest of the essay she was checking and put it a big red F on it. The boy had most certainly copied his homework – something McGonagall didn’t allow.

Putting her quill down McGonagall picked up ms. Logtons essay and starting to read it. There were a lot of facts in the essay but McGonagall had expected something that would mirror ms. Logtons personality traits and strong and weak points as well. The work was dutifully done however, so professor McGonagall put the essay to the side and stared at the young girl in front of her sternly.
“I hope you do understand that the ability of being able to transform is not simple nor are everybody wishing to be one, able to do the work needed for it. Tell me – what makes you worth of the time I’m spending on teaching you and what makes you think you will be able to do it, when so many famous and powerful witches and wizards have failed? Your own words and ideas please. There is right or wrong answer here, ms. Logton.”<br>The question was put up not only because McGonagall wanted to hear the answer – it was rather because she wanted to get an insight of the girl.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass twitched a little as McGonogall placed a very large F on a person's homework. She had seen her fair share of her F's since she came to Hogwarts, but it was always really nerve racking watching someone get one. Cass raised an eyebrow as McGonogall asked her question. She didn't really know the answer to it. Pursing her lips, she thought on the idea. What made her worthy to study such an art? She could feel McGonogall's eyes boring into her,waiting for the answer. Truth was, she didn't think she was worthy to study it. She was a mudblood after all, and it was hard to get this type of training being what she was.

Biting her lip, she turned toward McGonogall. " Um, that's a really hard question to answer." She stammered a bit. " Honestly Professor, I don't think you would be wasting your time doing this if you didn't think I could. I mean, that is a bit of confidence booster to me." She blushed as she continued to stumble for an answer. " Sorry, Professor, I just don't really like to toot my own horn, but I've always been the type to work for whatever I want. I don't like to have things just handed too me. Many wizards who attempt this type of magic just want to attain it instantly. You just can't expect instantaneous results. Many don't understand that the real achievement is not the transfiguration itself, but what you learn in accomplishing it."

Cass looked down at the floor. Even though there was no right or wrong answer, she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't good enough. Waiting for the Professor's response, she raised her eyes shyly to meet hers.

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

Of course the question was something you could answer from your sleep. It wasn’t supposed to be that easy – questions that didn’t require any mind-work or thinking and concentration often weren’t even worth asking. Ms.Logton was stating the obvious, but McGonagall just tapped her quill and listened patiently to her answer.
“I am not teaching you just yet, ms.Logton, only making sure you would be worth the time and effort that would go into teaching such an advanced art,” McGonagall answered sharply pursuing her lips into a tight line – she would allow absolutely no slacking or goofing off in her presence. But Minerva had picked up some character from the young girls answer.

“Alright, ms.Logton, we will see. Once again – I can not stress how dangerous it is for a growing organism – like yourself – to be studying the art of Animagi. But now tell me whether you have ever had some unusual happenings? Like growing your hair suddenly? Or lengthening your fingers or arms as a child to reach some toy? Anything in resemblance coming to mind or not?” Minerva asked with one more tap of her quill on the parchment, before placing the lavishing quill into an ink-well.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass sighed a breath of relief when it seemed her answer had satisfied the Professor. Relaxing a bit, she always hated being put on the spot. However, she so wanted to impress the stern faced witch. She had since the day she met her. She still remembers her first day at Hogwarts, watching the woman open the large doors to the school as she was beginning to untangle herself from the boat she had just taken over the cold, dark, scary lake. The woman had exuded a power she had never seen or felt before, and she respected it the moment she felt it. Being in this room alone with Professor was different than being in class. Here, it was just the two of them and the ghosts, and there was no one else to break the woman's attention on her.

Scratching her head, Cassandra tried to remember any moment that she had noticed sudden augmentations to her body. She had never really noticed anything as a child, but she had noticed many things since she came here. " Well, I never noticed much as a child. Unless most muggle borns, I never remember anything wierd happening or any unusual circumstances. Most recently, I colored my hair red when a bunch of us girls in our house got together. I get really angry a couple of days later and it changed back to black very suddenly. Like, literally, it was red one moment and I looked in the mirror and it had gone back to black. Um, I've noticed my hair has grown really fast from when I had it cut. I had it cut to a bob around my ears not less than a couple of weeks ago and its already down to my shoulders."

Thinking hard, she tried to remember anything else that would give the Professor a semblence that she had some sort of talent. " Well, there was that one time in my first year when I was running from the Queens, and I had dropped my wand. Even though I know it couldn't afford me any protection, I still held on to it for dear life hoping it would. I just remember lying on the ground reaching for it, but, of course, it was just out arm's reach." She blushed a bit. This was kind of a personal subject. " Then I suddenly looked up as I felt in my hands. Just a few moments earlier I couldn't reach it, and then there it was in my hand. I couldn't move at the time so it was a shock for me to reach it."

[Professor Minerva McGonagall]

McGonagall nodded as ms.Logton talked about her hair-colour transformations. Colouring charms were often unreliable like that – when feeling a very great emotion the colour changed. Colouring charms and even partly muggle colours that were available in Hogsmead and Diagon Alley had magic in them as well, which resonated with feelings.
“I do not know what you mean by these ‘Queens’ but I assure you that if someone has been giving other students problems, then they culprits will be dealt with,” McGonagall said nailing ms.Logton with a stern glance.

Looking at the girl Minerva thought what to tell her. Due to being at such tender age her organism would not be ready for the hard work and the transformation of cells taking place during an animagi transformation. And McGonagall still wanted to make sure that the young girl had the will-power and character for such a big task.
“You may borrow these books until the end of school-year. I want you to study them very carefully and think over whether you actually are ready for starting the complete training of an animagi or not.”

Minerva picked up her quill and nodded at the girl dismissively: “If you decide that you are up for the challenge, write me about your favorite animals, why you like them, about your own personal traits – good AND bad and you may not use your friends help and tell me whether you do any activities. Doesn’t matter whether it’s free-style, poem, essay to be handed in at the beginning of the next school-year. You can go now.”
Nodding to the girl one more time, Minerva pulled a stack of essays closer to her once again and started correcting them.


((I'm ending the class for this year.))