The Marauders: Year Four

A Stag Animagus

A Stag Animagus

Minerva McGonagall was waiting in her office for James Potter on their previously agreed upon date for resuming their animagus classes. She was reading a book, her glasses low on her nose, when the knock came on the door and she lowered it to her lap. "Come in, Potter."

The door cracked open and James came in, carrying his copy of Releasing the Animagus Within under one arm. He closed the door and stood before her a moment. "Come have a seat," she said. McGonagall slid a marker into her book and put it down on a shelf. When she turned back, James had taken his seat and the glass deer figurine she'd sent along to St. Mungo's sat on the desk before her. Her eyes raised to meet James's.

"Professor?" he asked.

She looked at the deer, then got up slowly and walked over to the shelf and picked up the teacup from James's first year, carried it over to the desk, and put it down next to the deer figurine. James stared at it - the cup's blue floral pattern was trimmed with gold. He raised his eyebrow. McGonagall tipped the cup onto it's side, showing the bottom of the interior of the cup to him. At the bottom of the cup's curve were two blue deer - a doe and a stag - together in a meadow of grass. James stared at the deer and then looked up at McGonagall.

"I noticed it after your first lesson," she said, putting the cup down.

"You think my animagus form might be... be a deer, then?" James asked, trying to keep his voice level.

"A stag, specifically. A stag is a very interesting animagus," McGonagall said, and she turned and pulled a book from her desk drawer and popped it open on the desk at a place she'd put a marker in and slid it across the desk for James to read.

"A stag animagus signifies a strong personality - indicating speed and pride, a strong will, and strong empathy. The stag is a natural leader, looked up to by his peers, with a courage uniquely his own... The stag is pure-hearted; quick-witted, quick to anger, and quick to protect... A natural care-taker, passionate in love, and unrelenting in defending the ones they consider family, the stag mates for life. A wizard with a stag animagus is courageous, loving, and loyal. The stag is a very noble and impressive animagus form to take." He stared at the text for a long moment, his heart pounding.

Was he all those things?

James looked up at McGonagall. "You think that's me, Professor?" he asked.

McGonagall replied, "What do you think, Potter?"

"I think this sounds like it's describing a pretty good bloke..." James said slowly, hesitant to lay a claim on the description.

McGonagall watched him closely. "Mr. Potter," she said, reaching forward and nudging the tea cup and the figurine of the deer toward him. "I think that it fits you rather perfectly."

He stared at the description for some time. Of course he'd known his form before, but hearing McGonagall reinforce it, to confirm what he already knew, and tell him that all that stuff being a stag meant about him... it touched him so deeply that he felt a lump rise up in his throat and he felt truly proud of himself. Being a stag wasn't just cool, it was noble and impressive form to take.

"Being a stag, however, does mean that you'll be needing to work much harder at your lessons than some other forms," McGonagall said.

James tilted his head slightly, interested, "Is becoming one form of creature... harder than becoming another? Say a stag over... I dunno, a - a dog or ... or a rat?"