Disclaimer: Harry Potter is obviously not mine. I wish it was. But it is J. K. Rowlings.

Chapter 1 - Harry becomes a cat! Maybe?

"Numerous people have said that everything changed just before my fourth year at Hogwarts. That's when I changed. That's when I became something that, while still human, wasn't. Truthfully, that was just the last summer before I began changing my life, and becoming who I am now 'heralded' to be. My life before was filled with situations that pushed me towards that change. Not the least of which was Voldemort's first fall and my reentry into the wizarding world." - Harry Potter

As the train pulled into King's Cross station, Harry pondered his third year. Just about any of his other classmates, if they knew all that had happened, would have thought that his year was horrible. One of the worst years yet. When you considered his first two years and Hogwarts, that was saying something pretty powerful. In each of the first two years, he had almost died. Multiple times. But the third year, he nearly lost his soul. Even Harry himself dreaded that more than a simple death.

However, as Harry thought back, on the whole year, he decided that he completely disagreed with this interpretation. This was the best year yet. Even better than his first year when he learned that he would be away from the Dursleys nine months of the year, and be learning magic. The reason for this was simple. Sirius Black. His godfather. His godfather. While Sirius wasn't his real father, he was still family. The Dursleys weren't family, but Sirius was a father. When he had heard Sirius ask if he wanted to live with him, he had been elated. Which made finding out that he couldn't even worse.

However, Sirius was still alive, he was still his family, and he was still there. Right there. The black dog that was sitting next to Remus as he got off the train. His half crazy, totally reckless, and frighteningly devoted godfather was at King's Cross. That's also what he was feeling right now, fright. His on-the-run convict of a godfather was in one of the most populated and protected magical locations in Britain. Thus it took all his control to yell 'quietly' rather than scream as loud as he could, this;

"What the bloody hell are you two doing here? You're going to get caught!"

It was, of course, Sirius that responded. Or rather, Padfoot. Harry's eyes barely had time to widen before he was bowled over, and he was attacked by tongue covered in dog slobber, just like his face. Padfoot was too big to push off, so Harry was left shouting "Get off, get off! Fine, it's great to see you, I won't complain! Just get off!" Finally, Padfoot got off so Harry could glare at Remus, who had just stood there and watched with an amused smile.

Remus eventually shrugged his shoulders and said, "Padfoot wanted to see you and have a chat away from the, and I quote, 'restrictive influence of the stuffy and responsible professors at Hogwarts.' Since he would have come here on his own anyways, I decided to tag along and make sure nothing too irresponsible happened." He looked up as Hermione and Ron came up behind Harry, having walked more sedately than the shocked godson. Remus hummed and said "I'll let you say goodbye to your friends before we have our discussion. We're hoping to alleviate some of your boredom this summer, but it will still be awhile before you can spend time with your friends again."

Harry turned to his friends and with a raised eyebrow asked, "Where'd you two head off too? I thought you would've taken off after me when you saw Padfoot too." It was Hermione that answered after glancing at a nervous Ron. "Mrs. Weasley called Ron over when we got off the train, I, uh, thought that she wanted to give you and Padfoot some time alone, but..." Ron interrupted here with an anxious glance away, "It turns out we'll be gone all summer, and out of contact too. Mom said that Dad got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, and we were going to invite you and Hermione, but it turns out Charlie found a wild dragon and was able to lead a group of dragon tamers to catch it. They, uh, gave him a bonus and a few weeks off this summer. Since we went on a trip to Egypt last summer, Mom wants us to spend some time with Charlie in Romania. Charlie's coming in for the Cup, and we're going from there straight to Romania. Professor Dumbledore said that you couldn't spend that much time so far away from Britain and the Dursleys without the wards falling. Something about them needing to be strong if you went to live with Sirius."

Harry was a bit shocked, and even overwhelmed. Hermione didn't care about Quidditch, at least not that much. Did she want to go to Romania that bad? No, he wouldn't assume that. They had said something about Professor Dumbledore. Was there something that he knew that kept him from going? What about the wards? He needed to think. He wouldn't toss away a friendship, something he knew about not having, for one incident that he didn't know everything about. Remus and Sirius would know something, they did know something. Remus had said he wouldn't see his friends this summer, so he had probably talked to Professor Dumbledore. He would still get his answers. All Harry did then was blink, and tell them, "I understand, I hope you have a great, and, uh, educational time at the Cup." He was looking at Hermione, just because he wouldn't throw away the friendship didn't mean he wouldn't make his opinion known. "I'll see you next year, we'll talk then." A few more goodbyes, more tense than they should have been, followed, before Ron and Hermione left him with Remus and Padfoot.

When he turned back to the last two true marauders, he found out that he had lost one of them. Remus gazed back at him, but Padfoot was nowhere to be seen. Harry didn't need to think for even a moment. "Remus, where's Padfoot?" Remus just smiled and said, "I told you me and Padfoot needed to talk to you, Padfoot just went to tell the Dursleys that we'll see you home. He very clearly decided that he should be the one to talk to them. Looks like he's done too. Here he comes."

The thought of what Sirius had said to the Dursleys and the danger inherent in what just happened, not to mention the shock of hearing his friends wouldn't talk to him all summer, made Harry space out. Thus he missed most of the trip to a quiet cafe far enough from anything magical that with only a conversation ward and a glamour, both Remus and Sirius were sitting across from him as they had dinner. After they ordered, their conversation truly began. Harry opened the conversation with a rather simple but serious question. "Sirius, is it really safe for you to be out here?" For the first time since they met up, Sirius answered the question himself. "After the disaster the ministry made of the situation at Hogwarts, Dumbledore was able to keep the protections at King's Cross from getting so dangerous that I couldn't see you off, but your right. It won't be long before the Aurors and other protections get back to searching for me. I can't stay here very long, but after convincing the Weasleys that it wouldn't be a good idea for you to travel to Romania, he thought it was the least he could do."

Remus cut in, "He's right, we can't be long so I'll make Dumbledore's decision a bit simpler. The wards that protect you at the Dursleys need your presence. Being so far away from them as Romania, especially right before you head to Hogwarts would strain them to the point of breaking. Until there is somewhere else secure, that can't be allowed to happen."

Almost like the Weasley twins, with longer winded answers, Sirius began talking right as Remus went silent. "We heard about your friends being out of contact, so we decided a couple things. First, the Dursleys weren't going to overwork you with 'chores' or else they would get another visit from your godfather. Your insane, mass-murdering, most powerful living dark wizard, only escaper of the dark prison Azkaban, and it's demonic, immortal, invulnerable, soul-sucking wardens, godfather." As he was saying this, Harry was watching his slightly demented, gleeful grin. Harry also smiled at the thought of the Dursleys' reaction.

"The second thing we decided," Remus began, "is that we didn't want you stuck in that house with nothing to do, so we brought along something for you to start." After a pause, which Harry couldn't stand waiting through, and said "Tell me, what do you want me to start? Maybe a prank war?" Remus replied, "Nope, your homework!" Harry's jaw dropped as Sirius burst out laughing. After he calmed down, Sirius brought out a small box and handed it to Harry, while saying "This is what we brought you. Inside are three potions, and a instruction manual. This instruction manual, and the potions, will let you become an Animagus!"

Harry's eyes widened as his face exploded in a grin. A grin that dropped when Remus said, "I did mean it that you have to do your homework. The first potion will prepare your body and magic for the path to become an animagus, but they second is charmed so that you can only take it out after you have finished your homework and the meditation techniques that the manual talk about. Once you have taken the second potion and receive the vision that gives an indication of your form, and physically unlocks it, I doubt you will want to work on anything but completing the transformation."

Just then, a series of chimes erupted from Sirius's pocket, and with a muttered curse is said, "We're out of time. The manual will tell you everything that you need to know about the transformation. Take the first potion tonight right before you go to bed. Then get the meditation techniques, and I guess even your homework done. The rest of the transformation will take a lot of effort, but if we got it done in fifth year, with all of our classes and OWLs, I don't doubt that you will complete it with this summer to work on it without distraction. We half to go, Remus will apparate you to Privet Drive, in your room, but he will need to leave right after. The wards and Auror detection grids won't allow anything more." With a quick hug from Sirius, Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, and with a sudden squeeze that left Harry breathless, he was in his room once more. Remus just took the time to say, "Don't worry about Sirius, that alarm was in order to ensure he had time to leave safely, I've got to leave now too. Just remember, if you need anything, you can still contact me and 'Padfoot' with Hedwig. Work on the transformation. Keeping busy will pass the time your here quickly so that you can get back to Hogwarts." With a hug and heartfelt farewell Remus disappeared with a pop.

After a moment of silence to get used to being suddenly alone, Harry looked out the window, saw the darkened sky, and decided it was late enough. Ten minutes later, Harry was sitting in bed, grabbed the first potion of the trio, drank it, and lay back to get a good night's rest.

It was July 31st. His birthday. He had stayed up till midnight last night, as was his custom, and opened his presents. However, that wasn't currently on his mind. What was on his mind was the potion he held in his hand. The second potion. It had only taken a couple of weeks to finish his homework, even after reading the whole 'animagus manual' and beginning to practice the meditation techniques. But in his opinion, it had taken far too long to learn those techniques. He had only been able to take second potion out of the charmed box a few days ago. Remus had said, after being contacted by Harry, that the meditation techniques were the most time consuming. After the second potion, combined with the meditation techniques, the actual transformation was little different than learning a new spell. He had spent the last few days making sure the meditation techniques were truly mastered. He had only one shot at the vision induced by the second potion. If he lost concentration, he would have to wait until Hogwarts to try again.

It was late afternoon when he decided to take the potion. The Dursleys wouldn't bother him. They had left to go to a carnival for Dudley and a wine tasting for Vernon and Petunia. They wouldn't be back tonight. He knew it was meant to be an insult, but he saw the time away from them as a gift of sorts.

The meditative state would simulate sleep and have a dream sequence in addition to the initial vision. The visions varied more than anything else from person to person when they were trying to become an animagus. Some remembered the vision perfectly clearly and knew immediately what they were. Some remembered acting as the animal they would transform into, but not knowing what it was. Others quickly forgot the vision, and remembered only that they had one and the vaguest details. But it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that they had the vision. That connected the mind to the inner animal, supposedly. The third potion could only be taken once you had the vision. It would finish preparing the body for the specific animal and 'loosen' the boundary between the two forms.

His musing was cut short by a cry from Hedwig. He smiled, and with a soft murmur, let her out the window. He wouldn't be able to later tonight. After a moment to watch Hedwig fly from the window, he sat down and made himself comfortable. With a deep breath, he prepared to meditate. When he was fully calm and relaxed, he took the second potion and waited with a detachment he wouldn't have managed without the meditation.

After a few minutes, he still hadn't noticed a difference. His eyes were closed, the house was silent. He saw nothing, he heard nothing, he tasted nothing, he smelt nothing. He felt like he was swimming in darkness. Wait, swimming? That didn't make sense. He was still sitting in his room. Wasn't he? A taste. It was like liquid light. A taste of blue? Red? This vision didn't make sense. A coppery tang touched his tongue. He knew that. Blood? Was he a predator? Blind?

His concentration faded. He barely realized that he was now dreaming. He didn't understand the dream, and when he woke, he didn't remember it. His memories were confused. But that didn't matter. What mattered was he had memories. Enough anyways. He had wanted to learn what his form was from the vision. But the manual had said that visions were often so different from a normal human perspective that they made no sense. This way, he would just have to wait until he actually transformed to know what he was. He reached over, grabbed the third potion and quickly drank it before starting his day. Tomorrow he would begin his efforts to transform.

Two weeks. Two weeks and he hadn't even managed to transform once yet. He wanted to be able to repeatedly do the transformation for a couple of weeks before he went to Hogwarts so that the transformation was smooth and near instant. The Dursleys had already left this morning. Vernon went to Grunnings and Dudley to a friend's house. Aunt Petunia had gone to a gardening class that she had signed up for the day Sirius had talked to them. He had been very grateful for that. While the meditation wouldn't have caused problems because he was essentially sitting quietly, the transformation attempts had been a bit more involved. But time was running out before he needed to have the transformation down. He would be just as involved at Hogwarts as usual and wouldn't be able to devote the time necessary to continue the constant attempts like he was now.

He had to manage it today. Remus had bought his school supplies and would deliver them tonight. He had already sent a message to Remus and to Sirius that the vision had come, but that he didn't know his form. He didn't want to wait any longer to find out. The first transformations would only last a moment so Remus was the only chance to know his form before he could hold it long enough to look in a mirror or he arrived at Hogwarts. Two weeks with nothing but attempting this transformation would be very long if he didn't even know what he would be becoming. He knew that already from the frustration he had felt these last two weeks.

His repeated attempts hadn't been without progress. He could feel the other form inside him now rather than just knowing it was there. He even knew how to reach for it with his magic. He was so close, he just hadn't quite reached that other form yet. But he would soon. He was determined to do so before Remus arrived.

He went back to the yard behind the shed. It was much easier to attempt the transformation outside in the sun than trapped in his room. He had learned years ago where in the yard he could be without being seen from the house or the neighbors. He sat and began to meditate. As the last two weeks went by, he had become more frantic in trying to find his form and transform the first time. He knew intellectually that that state of mind would only hinder his attempts, but that didn't make it any easier to be calm. But today that didn't matter. Spending the day making dozens of attempts to rush a transformation wouldn't help. He only needed to make the transformation once. Or rather twice. Once to figure out how to do it, and another so Remus could tell him what his form was.

He let his mind fall into a meditative state. He objectively realized that it took him longer to attain this state now than two weeks ago. He would need to meditate just for the sake of meditating even couple of nights so that his ability to reach this calm wasn't lost. He had already found it easier to think calmly and control himself and his magic better while he meditated. He didn't want to lose that.

He felt his form. It was there in the quiet of his mind. It felt like he could reach out and touch it. He knew it wasn't that easy. That is what he had tried that many times already. He just let himself sit in meditation for a time. Time had less meaning while he was meditating, the calm he felt had been disrupted by his repeated attempts to force his form out. All he had to do right now was wait, and let this calm state settle in his mind. He would find his form eventually, of that there was no doubt. Trying to force his form out before he reach Hogwarts wasn't helping. Maybe he should just leave his form alone until he reached Hogwarts? If he just meditated the next two weeks he was sure he would be ready to try again when he reached Hogwarts. That way Ron and Hermione could see his form and tell him what it was then. But he didn't really want that. He wanted to become a full animagus this summer. Ron and Hermione had gone to the Cup, had gone to Romania and seen a dragon preserve. All he had worked on was the animagus transformation, and he did want to master it before he went back to school.

The realizations about himself that he had learned while meditating were surprising. You never knew just what you would learn about yourself while meditating. Your thoughts were clearer and more insightful. It always surprised him just how much he could think through while meditating. The form that he had tried so hard to reach out too was one of those things. As he sat there and thought about Ron and Hermione, their summer and his, he was shocked when he mentally went reeling.

He was gasping and barely able to breathe when he realized what happened. He hadn't reached his form, but while meditating away from it, about his efforts on the animagus transformation, his form had rushed to him. He knew he was transformed, just as he knew he wouldn't be transformed by the time he opened his eyes and fell out of his trance. Not that he had a choice, the sudden shift in thought and form had shattered his trance. He was on his face blinking in surprise before he knew it. The fact that he had managed to transform and was thrown out of his trance wasn't the only thing that surprised him. It also surprised him how long his meditations lasted when he wasn't there just to try transforming. And the delighted laugh of Remus, who was standing over him, told him just how long it had been.

Harry couldn't help it. After spending more than two months essentially alone, he sprang up and cried "Remus!" His response was an enthusiastic hug and a returning cry of "Great job Cub! I knew you'd be able to get the transformation before you had to go back to Hogwarts!" They were both all smiles as they went back to the kitchen and sat down for tea, though Harry found it far harder to walk than it should have been and would have half staggered there if he wasn't being held up by Remus.

As they sat down, Remus drew up the tea and started the conversation. "I bet you don't feel that great right now. From what James and Sirius told me about their first transformations, your body's changing and adjusting to the new form. Did you know that they both skipped class the day after they managed the transformation because they felt so sick?"

Harry, who had been so excited when he first saw Remus, could barely sit up straight and drink his tea, let alone join in conversation. His response could hardly be called a groan, even if they both knew he was listening intently.

"I know you'll feel horrible tomorrow, so don't try to practice the transformation. Take the day off. Now that you have transformed once, you'll be able to do it again. The day after tomorrow, just transform a few times. You'll find that it is one of the most natural forms of magic you'll ever perform. I doubt it will take more than a few days to completely master the transformation. Let's get you up to bed. You won't want food until you finish adjusting, so make sure to get plenty to eat the day after tomorrow." With that Remus pulled Harry up from his seat, and took him up to his bedroom. Harry barely noticed the want flick that reversed the locks on his door, letting it only be locked from the inside.

After Remus had put him to bed, something that had equally comforted and embarrassed Harry, he turned to leave. He was at the door when he stopped and said, "I doubt we'll see each other until it's time to take you to King's Cross. I will see you then though." As he turned to leave, Harry managed to croak out "Remus, wait! Wha, what am I?" Remus turned around, smiled and stepped back into the room. With a flick of the wand, the door was locked. "I thought you would never ask!" Remus began, "We'll have to wait to give you a name until we can get together with Sirius. I don't know what kind of name we'll give you, considering how different you are from Padfoot." Remus just stood there tapping his chin until Harry let out a cry of "Remus!" Remus, finally looked at him, smiled and said "You're a cat Harry, though at your age you look more like a kitten." With a smile, a murmured farewell, and a spin, Remus was gone.

Harry, smiling to himself, even while he felt awful, realized that Remus never meant to leave through the door. His entire act had been a prank about leaving without telling Harry his form. Harry couldn't stop smiling though, and his last thought before slipping into a deep sleep was, 'so I'm a cat huh? I wonder what kind?'

Harry hated it. Remus had been right. The day after his first transformation, he felt worse than he ever had. But Harry also hated that Remus had been wrong. He had felt bloody horrible the day after the transformation, yes, but also the day after that. His transformation had occurred three days ago now, and he still wasn't back to feeling well. After the Dursleys had left, he had finally eaten, though he hadn't been nearly as hungry as he should have been. Including today, the 19th, he had only thirteen days left before he left for Hogwarts. That was now less than two weeks. If he didn't start practicing the transformation soon, he wouldn't have it down before he went to Hogwarts. He would start practicing again today. At the very least, he would meditate again. It would probably help get rid of the last of the ill effects from the first transformation.

It was just after noon when Harry sat down out in the yard. He would meditate for a time before trying the transformation just once today. The meditative trance came easier than it had three days ago. It wasn't long before he was once more in the quiet of his mind. His form was still there, but now rather than being separate from himself, it felt like it was wrapped around him like a cloak. From the manual that he was given, he knew that when he mastered the technique, there would be no difference between himself and the other form in his mind. Harry's other form, which was still mostly separate, wasn't being idle either. Harry could feel the slow movement of the form wrapping tighter around him, and sinking inward. He knew his body and mind were still adjusting, and that was why the form was still merging with him. For now, Harry just observed what was happening in the stillness of his mind. There was nothing more that was needed.

In the stillness of Harry's mind, something eventually changed, Harry's form was still there, wrapped around him, but something was different. Harry eventually realized that his form was waiting, for lack of a better term. It was time for the second transformation. There was no need to reach for his cat form, part of it was already part of him. He, and in a way, they decided to change, and so they did. The change was still abrupt. It was still rough. Harry's mind was still thrown into barely controlled chaos. But this time, he wasn't immediately thrown from his trance. It was difficult, but he held the trance, and his form just a bit longer. He felt his form wrap more fully around him, and sink in more, before the transformation and his meditation failed.

Harry was suddenly once more sitting in the back yard. Just like last time, he felt incredibly nauseous. As he stood up and staggered, he cursed to himself. "Bloody hell, it wasn't suppose to feel like this. After the first transformation I shouldn't have felt worse after any transformation. Why is my body taking so long to adjust? If it doesn't change soon, I'll have to contact Remus and Sirius."

Harry staggered back to his room. Any appetite he might have had by that time was once again gone. He wouldn't be able to do anything else today. Harry decided that he would just go to bed and see what tomorrow would bring.

Harry was sick. That was what 'tomorrow' had brought. Now, it was the day after. The 21st. He had wondered if something was wrong with the transformation that he was getting sick for so much longer than the marauders, but he hadn't felt sick at all today. Once the Dursleys had left, he had also eaten more than he had most of the last five days combined. The best guess Harry had come up with was that he was only 14. The marauders were well past 15 when they first transformed, and most animagi transformed only after they were adults. Maybe he was young enough that it just took longer for his body to adjust?

Regardless, Harry wanted to make the transformation several times today. He needed to get to the point where he could transform outside of meditation, and hold the transformation as long as he wanted before Hogwarts. As was seeming to become his tradition, Harry made his way to the yard where he meditated. He fell into his meditative trance more easily than he had since just before his transformation. His cat form had nearly fully disappeared now. Drifting in his mind, he knew he was already prepared for the third transformation. Remus had been right. As soon as he tried to transform, the part of him that had represented his cat form just shifted, and he had transformed. It would be far harder when not meditating, but Harry had no more worry about not mastering the transformation before Hogwarts.

The transformation still didn't last very long. So several moments later, he opened his eyes knowing the last separate parts of his cat form were slowly sinking into himself. He got up slowly, the nausea had returned, but it was significantly less now. He would wait a few hours before trying again. Once the last of his cat form was assimilated, he would no longer be affected by the transformation.

Just after lunch, eaten with delight after the last of his nausea had faded, Harry had once more seated himself in the yard. As he fell into his meditative trance, he didn't find any trace of his cat form. It was like it had never existed. If he hadn't already quieted his mind, Harry would have been delighted. All he could feel right now was a deep sense of satisfaction. Back to the matter at hand, Harry transformed. There was no effort to it. It was just like a different form of breathing. Several moments passed before he felt the transformation fade. This time, unlike the three previous times, Harry hadn't fallen out of his meditation. After a few moments to resettle himself, Harry transformed again. Each time the transformation fell, Harry would wait several moments before attempting the transformation again. Each transformation was longer than the last. In the end, it hearing the Dursleys return that brought Harry out of his practice. Harry didn't want to deal with them on a day where he accomplished so much, so he slipped to the kitchen after they had eaten for some dinner, which he brought up to his room to eat. Tomorrow, he would spend the day the same way had had today, transforming into a cat and back while meditating. The day after, he would try to transform without meditating.

Harry sighed as he looked to the cloudy morning sky on the 24th. He had attempted to transform without meditating for some time yesterday, but by the afternoon had made no progress. He spent the latter part of the day transforming while meditating once again. He seemed to have a problem with transforming while 'conscious.' It wasn't necessarily that he couldn't do it, the transformation just didn't feel right. Every time he tried to reach inside himself to the part that was a cat, he came up empty. "No, not empty." Harry said to himself. "It feels like I'm looking in the wrong place."

Yesterday, he had decided that he would spend today trying to transform while meditating, and then coming out of his meditation without reverting back. He knew if he could just get the feeling of what he should be without meditating, he would be able to transform. It was raining, so he decided that going outside to transform was silly. With a smile Harry turned to Hedwig and said, "Cats don't like getting wet after all."

So he sat down on the floor and fell into meditation. The transformation was easy now. Slowly, he tried to bring himself back. Just as he could begin to open his eyes, he felt the transformation slip. "Bloody Hell," Harry cursed, "But it's the closest I've been yet!" Thus began the 8th to last day he would spend at Privet Drive.

The entire morning he spent transforming while meditating before slowing pushing himself towards awareness. By the time he ate lunch, he was at the very edge. Just a little more and he would be able to transition to being aware while transformed. After a short time just meditating without trying anything, he tried once more in the afternoon, and for the first time opened his eyes in what he knew to be his cat form. It didn't last long. For an instant the world had looked huge to small eyes before shrinking in a blur. "I did it!" Harry cried to Hedwig, in celebration, "Just a little bit more and I'll be an animagus!"

It took several more attempts before he was successful again, but by the time he went to bed he could maintain his transformed state for a few seconds after falling out of meditation. The next morning Harry woke up hours before he normally did, he was too excited to continue sleeping. The first thing he did was sit before the cracked mirror he had propped up on the floor of his room. As he fell into meditation and made the transformation, he felt enough anticipation that when he opened his eyes to see his cat form for the first time in the mirror, he was shocked. Harry was shocked because he was still sitting on the floor looking the same as he always did. He had fallen out of the transformation before he could open his eyes. Harry sighed and turned to Hedwig, "I should know better than assuming I was meditating while still feeling that much anticipation. I may be able to hold my form while aware for several seconds now, but I still need to meditate to transform."

As he fully prepared himself before this attempt, Harry was successful. This time, he opened his eyes and looked and the reflection of a small tabby kitten in the cracked mirror before blurring back into a human. Harry smiled as he once more turned towards Hedwig, "I'm a Tabby, huh? Won't Professor McGonagall be surprised? Now that I know what my form feels like and even what it looks like, I bet I can transform without meditating. No matter how wrong it sometimes seems to feel. That probably fades, just like the nausea after the first few transformations, and Sirius didn't tell me because of how long he's been Padfoot." With a risen eyebrow, and a confused glance at the animagus manual, Harry kept speaking aloud to Hedwig. "I do wonder, the manual said that after you can transform aware, you should continue practicing the transformation back and forth rather than trying to stay transformed for a long time. I bet that's so the weird feeling that comes with the transformation fades. Wormtail, the bloody traitor, held his transformation for more than a decade. He probably never held it for longer than a few hours before that too."

Harry turned back to the mirror and stared into his own eyes. He used his magic, and felt within, for the same feeling he felt just a few moments ago, while looking into a Tabby's version of his own gaze. Eventually, the world around him blurred, even as the eyes stayed locked on each other. Harry was a cat. Then he wasn't. Harry shook his head, the rapid loss of the transformation had disoriented him. Once more turning towards the second friend he ever had, Harry said to Hedwig, "Today through the 30th Hedwig, six days. For those six days I'm going to follow the manual and transform back and forth as often as I can. But on the 31st, before I need to pack for Hogwarts, I'm going exploring in my cat form. I can't just work now can I? Sirius would be horrified if I didn't do any marauding with my new form."

Harry had been tempted. He had been tempted many, many times. If it hadn't been for the short meditation he had been doing most nights, he would likely have spent all sorts of time as a cat exploring the park and the neighborhood. But he had done as planned. He had only practiced transforming for the last five days. He almost regretted that now, for several reasons.

The first was that the weird feeling he always got stayed, but he wasn't entirely sure it was the transformation itself. Though he couldn't figure out what it actually was. The second was that the Dursleys had finally cornered him to 'talk' this morning. That talked had lasted far longer than he would have like on his last day before returning to Hogwarts, and had focused far too intently on assuring his godfather that they had left him alone than he was comfortable with. The fact that afterward they made him pack immediately and had him check to make sure he had everything a dozen times just made it worse. Today was the 31st. It was already late afternoon and he hadn't transformed to go exploring even once yet. But they finally all left, going out for an early dinner before not coming home tonight. They didn't want to see him anymore. Harry shared that opinion, the only one they shared for years.

But now was not the time to be thinking about the Dursleys. Harry stood in front of the same cracked mirror, and transformed. It was a simple thing now. It took no effort to stay in his Tabby form for the short time he had been staying in it. This would be the first time he saw just how long he could stay as a cat, or if Sirius was right, if he even needed to change back to a human unless he wanted too. For the first time, he turned side to side in front of that mirror. Fully seeing his form. With a quiet meow, he lay on his side before rolling over, delighted and content with this more simple form of existence. Or he had been.

Hedwig hooted down at the suddenly frozen cat. She watched it roll over again. She watched as it angled itself away from the mirror while seemingly examining itself intensely. If she was not mistaken, her master had just found out something unexpected. When she saw the face he wore when he blurred back into his normal form she decided that whatever he had seen, wasn't just unexpected, it was horrifying.

With a cocked head she listened to him yell, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL! WHAT DID I DO THAT TURNED ME INTO A GIRL CAT!" That ruffled her feathers, what was wrong with being female. His cat form had never been male. She decided to ignore him as she settled down to sleep, tomorrow would be a big day after all. They were going home.

AN: Don't have much to say. This is my first story, so I can't guarantee its quality.

I don't have a beta, so grammar problems and mistypes are probably present. I did try to keep that from happening, but what can you do?

I am not a fast writer, I can get a storyline planned, but the actual writing takes a while.

I will try my hardest to finish, even if it takes awhile. However, I won't guarantee it. I have seen too many guaranteed stories inactive for years to do something like that.

This is NOT a femHarry story.