An Heir

Part Twenty One- Be the Broken or the Breaker

For the next few days I was fully expecting to be apprehended by one of my Professor’s as I walked between classes; instead, as I walked around with Harry, Ron and Hermione between classes- and at the end of the day I got the feeling that we were being followed. Percy Weasley was almost constantly six steps behind us and Ron told us that Mrs Weasley- his mum- had probably told ‘the smarmy git’-as Ron put it- to follow Harry and make sure he was safe.

I'd also noticed that Professor Lupin seemed to be getting steadily sicker, and we weren’t even that close to the full moon, he was looking paler and the silvery lines of scars had begun to stand out again. I went up to him at the end of our lesson on Wednesday to see if I was right.

“Are you feeling okay Professor?” I asked concerned, he had been coughing gruffly all lesson and he broke into another fit as I spoke to him.

“I’m just feeling a little under the weather, it seems that I've caught that infernal cold that’s been going around and seeing as I didn’t recover as fully from last week it’s gotten to me more than it should,” he smiled wistfully, “And thank you for your concern Imogene.” He added in a soft but hoarse voice and I smiled back at him. When he didn’t say anything else I said goodbye and started walking down to the dungeons and managed to get to the second floor before I ran headfirst into Professor McGonagall, I was going to have to stop reading while I was walking because this seemed to be happening too much.

I looked up and I could tell that the look on my face was one of horror, if Professor Dumbledore had known it was me then he might have told Professor McGonagall and I would be about to get in massive trouble.

“In you get.” She commanded sternly looking like a thunder cloud, I was in trouble.

I stepped inside the classroom she had indicated and followed her to her desk at the front.

“Do you have; any- idea how dangerous becoming an Animagus without the correct supervision is?! Especially for someone of your age, do you know how many adults who have spent years studying transfiguration specifically to become an animagus fail and become horribly disfigured and even get stuck between both forms?!” She was furious, there was no underlying concern and her nostrils had flared angrily. “Well?” she asked. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Professor…” I sighed and realised I didn’t have any excuses or explanations. “I don't have anything to say for myself, I was curious after the lesson we had covering Animagi and after watching you transform in the alley,and in the hospital wing it was obvious what you were doing and really very easy.” I wasn’t trying to show off, I was telling the truth.

“You expect me to believe that you became and animagus by watching me transform?”

“Yes.” I plainly replied, she seemed quite taken aback by my answer and I watched as a range of emotions ran across her face.

“That’s not possible,” she muttered to herself, “well it shouldn’t be possible.” She was frowning and I couldn’t believe her disbelief, surely I hadn’t been the first person to become an animagus without any instruction or further knowledge?

“You realise that for not being in bed after lights out and while a criminal was on the loose you will be receiving a detention for every night of this week.” She informed me before pursing her lips.

“Yes Professor,” I accepted emotionlessly.

“You will come to my office at six every night of the rest of this week and-” I had dropped my head sullenly and was staring at the rim of the desk she was standing behind, not allowing her to see the anger in my eyes.