Tannim's blog: "Harry Potter and the Mental War"

Fawkes apparated to over Ginny's bed, dropped the parchment on the bed, and disapparated again.  Ginny came back from the bathroom just in time to hear the second flaming crack.  She saw the parchment on the bed and stared at the Potter crest, a lion and phoenix, facing each other, and a pack of greyhounds below them, all on a shield of red and gold.  She had never seen it before but she understood immediately, and it dawned on her that the dream she had just days ago made sense.

If I was seeing these symbols living in my dream, in pairs, then that must mean there is another one out there, but who?

Wait a minute!  That pairing was with me each, time!

Was that other one ME?

Then who was the first one?

Thinking fast, she activated her coin. "Remus? Can you come in here a moment?"

Lupin's face appeared.  "Sure, be right there."

Moony apparated in with a soft "pop."  "What's up?"

"Have you ever seen this before?" she asked, pointing to the crest.

Lupin gaped at it. "I haven't seen that in years.  It's the Potter family crest."

"That means..."-this is from Harry!-"...Moony, I need to ask you something.  What do the animals mean?"  Ginny asked.

"Well, the lion and phoenix are family symbols that have been in the Potter line for centuries.  It is rumored but never been confirmed that the Potters are direct descendants of Godric Gryffindor himself.  We'll probably never know since those records were destroyed in a goblin rebellion in the 12^th century.  The greyhounds are important to the family as it was the Potters themselves who first developed the breed in England.  Muggles think the breed came from mixing Pharaoh Hounds and wolves, but in fact it was a Potter ancestor that simply did a permanent transfiguration on a pair of cheetahs that a dark wizard turned loose on Muggles for sport.  That Potter ancestor loved their speed, and over time the breed just kept going, and it's still here today."

"What about Salukis?" Ginny pressed further.  She had to understand.

"Ah, that one is easy," Lupin responded.  "The Potters liked to tinker with their greyhounds and one day started playing with different fur lengths.  Out of that came the Afghan hound, Borzoi, also known as the Russian wolfhound, and the Saluki, which came about after a reversing spell didn't quite work on the feet, tail and ears."  Remus blushed.  "Another 'tinker' on coloring and heads led to Dalmatians, and other tinkers on size and shape led to most other sighthounds.  The Potters loved their dogs."  Remus looked at her.  "Why?"

"Moony, the other night I had a weird dream, where I saw a lion, and a greyhound, and a phoenix.  Fawkes was singing.  But here's the strange part:  when I saw the lion, I was a lioness.  When I saw the greyhound, I was a Saluki, and when I saw the phoenix, I was one, too!"  Ginny paused, then continued.  "I looked at the other animals and they each had bright green eyes.  Then I woke up and sneezed, and there was fur in my bed!"

"Ginny, that's extraordinary, but I need to ask you, are you sure you were asleep and dreaming?" asked Lupin.

"What do you mean?  I thought I was," replied Ginny.

Lupin took out his wand and moved it over her, muttering "Animagi Revellus" and then his eyebrows raised in surprised.

"Ginny, I want you to do something.  Concentrate on that lioness.  Then I want you to think about becoming it.  I'll make sure nothing strange happens."

Not sure where he was going with this, she nodded.  She could trust him, she knew.  She closed her eyes and brought up the image of that lioness in her mind.  "Got it," she said.

"Good, now concentrate on being that lioness," Lupin intoned, watching her.  She strained her face and then suddenly she felt something and opened her eyes, only to see Lupin's eyes wide and bugging out at here as if he was Dobby.  "Look in the mirror," he whispered.

She turned and looked and saw a red-headed, golden lioness looking back at her.  She raised her right hand and the lioness in the mirror raised her left paw to match.  She turned her head to the left but kept her eyes on the mirror, and the lioness in the mirror turned her head to her right, but kept her eyes on Ginny.

"Ginny, you just transformed yourself into a lioness! You just became an Animagi!" Lupin looked at her proudly.

"I did?" squeaked Ginny, but it came out as a mew.  She concentrated on herself for a moment, felt something, and saw her human self again.

They tried the Saluki next and then the phoenix, each time with similar results and reactions: amazement and pride.

Oh, the jokes I can pull on my brothers now, for all those years, it's payback!  Well, that explains the fur, anyways!

Lupin took his leave after she had changed shapes and back again, and in between animals, a dozen times.  She had it down, he was sure, so he gave her a last congratulations and disapparated.

Ginny turned to her letter and opened it and began to read.  By the time she was done, she was weeping openly.  Oh, Harry!  I do forgive you!  She buried her face in her pillow, sobbing with joy.  I've finally got him!

At that point she didn't notice the white light that had surrounded her, glowing as brightly as it ever had, then enveloping her and absorbing into her.  It came from the letter.

After a few minutes, she knew she had to tell someone.  Bloody Hell, I need to tell everyone!  She rolled the letter back up and noticed it resealed itself.  She left it there and went down to the kitchen.

Molly looked up as she came in.  "Ginny, what's wrong?  You're crying!"  She put down the potatoes she was peeling and came over to hug her.

"Nothing, Mum.  Everything's fine, and I'm so happy!"  Her face was glowing despite the tears.  "We need to have a Weasley Family Meeting, right now.  We have the best birthday party in Burrow history to plan, for Harry!"

"Well, can it wait an hour for your father to come home from work?" asked Molly.

"Yes, it can wait that long.  It's going to require me explaining some things, and I'll need that time to figure out some plans and freshen up."  She skipped out of the room.

Skipping?  She hasn't done that in years! thought Molly.  What has gotten into her?  Shrugging her shoulders, she returned to the potatoes.

An hour later, the Weasley Family meeting began, with all Weasleys present, except Percy, plus Fleur, who came with Bill, as well as Hermione, Tonks, and Moony, who Ginny had called via the coins.  She explained that she had received a letter from Harry in which he renewed his determination to defeat You-Know-Who and that she wanted to do something for him.  She explained what she had in mind for the party, and everyone readily agreed.  She then looked at Remus, who nodded.

She took a deep breath.  "What I'm about to say does not leave this house.  Especially you, Dad."  Arthur looked at her in surprise.  "Three days ago I thought I had a dream.  It turns out it wasn't.  Earlier today I was talking with Moony about Harry's letter, and I did something I never had done before."

"Don't tell me," began Fred.

"You kissed a werewolf?" continued George.

"What will Tonks say-" asked Fred.

"-When she finds out?" finished George.

"WHAT?" cried Tonks, giving Ginny the diversion she needed.  Tonks wheeled on the twins in mock outrage.  Moony headed her off.

"Calm down, dear.  They were joking.  Ginny didn't kiss me," Remus told her, noticing that Ginny had transformed while everyone was watching Tonks, Fred, and George.  "She did do something extraordinary, though.  Tell them, Ginny."

Tonks, who knew what was coming, suppressed a grin and turned around, whispering, "You sneaky man, you!"  Lupin blushed and grinned.

The rest of the group began to turn around and jumped backwards at the loud roar that came from Ginny.  Molly and Fleur fainted, Arthur catching Molly and Tonks catching Fleur.  Charlie actually wet his pants.  Ron and the twins fell over themselves into a heap, taking Hermione and Bill with them. Arthur tried to revive Molly by waving a pot lid over her face, fanning her.  Then he remembered his wand, and he waved it over her. "Envenerate".

Molly awoke with a start.  "What hap-GINERVA WEASLEY! DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

Bill untangled himself from everybody and revived Fleur.  Hermione was helped up by Tonks, looked at the lioness shakily, and asked, "Ginny? Is that you?"  The lioness shook itself, walked up to Hermione, and licked her hand.  She then sat on her haunches and looked up at Hermione, waiting for her to figure it out.

"What-?  When-?  How-?" Hermione stammered as she tried to get her brain back into first gear.  Then it hit her.  "You became an Animagus?"

Ginny got up and became human again.  "Sorry, I didn't expect that much of a freak out."  She looked over at the heap of brothers still looking at her in shock.  "Close your mouths, dear brothers.  You're getting your tonsils sunburned."  Then she looked at Molly.  "I'm sorry Mum; I didn't mean to make you faint."

Molly looked at her weakly.  "Next time, warn us, please?"

Ginny then showed the other forms and explained the seal's symbols.  She deliberately didn't mention the rest of the letter; that was personal.

"-and Harry doesn't know, either, and I want to surprise him at the party." Ginny finished.

Hermione smirked. "Have you ever heard about what Muggles sometimes do at stag parties?" The rest of them looked at her with a mixture of interest and embarrassment.  "Here's what we're going to do..."