Chapter 7: Animagus?

[Animal form: Take the form of an animal you know].

This was a spell Fish had suddenly learned in a moment of desperation, and so he opted to become human, and if he did, those two strange humans would leave him alone, wouldn't they?

Unfortunately, the two humans in front of him didn't seem confused by Fish's spell. After a moment's stunned moment, the white-bearded human, once again raised the small wooden stick in his hand.

A blue glow erupted from the tip of Dumbledore's wand, and struck Fish.

"Meow!"

The light was too fast for Fish to dodge and he was hit squarely, making him jump from his spot in fright.

But he soon realized that the light didn't seem to do him any harm, and after a dazzling flash of light, nothing happened to him.

"Meow?", Fish cocked his head, confused, and then arched his back once more at Dumbledore and Orr, growling, "Ha-!"

"Is it really human?", Dumbledore blinked in surprise with his blue eyes, he couldn't be sure what exactly the cat was, so he had just used a spell that undid the transfiguration and Animagus spell.

What Dumbledore didn't know was that Fish's transfiguration spells were fundamentally different from the wizard's system, so his dispel spell had no effect on Fish.

"So... this boy is also an animagus!", Dumbledore, who had mistaken Fish for a human, looked at Orr, who was also an animagus.

"Why are you looking at me? I'm an animagus too, but animagi don't have senses or anything to distinguish them," Orr waved his hands, he was nothing more than an animagus, an ordinary wizard, he wasn't much help, "If you don't know, I don't know."

Seeing that the two humans seemed to ignore him, Fish took the opportunity to turn and run.

It was very uncomfortable running on all fours in his human form, so after a couple of beats he opted to straighten up and move his legs as a two-legged beast normally would, but since he wasn't very familiar with this way of moving, he stumbled a bit at first, but soon got used to it and waved his short legs as fast as he could.

However, before Fish could get very far, he felt his feet lift into the air and he floated like a balloon.

"Meow! Meow Meow Meow Meow!", Fish flailed his arms and legs wildly, his body morphing between cat and two-legged beast.

"Well, I suppose we'd better take it to Minerva and ask her," A red light erupted from the tip of Dumbledore's cane and landed on Fish, who was still dancing in the air.

He didn't even have time to yawn before his eyelids closed as if with glue.

"Orr, hold my shoulders."

Waving his wand and sending the sleeping Fish flying into his arms, Dumbledore used the 'Apparition' spell that took him and Orr away.

With a deafening 'pop' sound, the three instantly appeared in front of the Hogwarts school hospital.

Hogwarts had always forbidden wizards to use the 'Apparition' spell, but Dumbledore, as headmaster, had the privilege.

"Comey." Dumbledore called to a house elf, "Go fetch Professor McGonagall."

"At your service, my dear Headmaster!" the house elf let out a shrill cry of excitement and bowed deeply to Dumbledore, his head almost touching the floor before disappearing with a snap.

"It's all right, Orr, go and let Madam Pomfrey treat your neck for now, and when Minerva comes, let her talk to the boy.", Dumbledore scooped Fish up in his arms and pushed open the door to the school hospital.

Orr's injuries were not serious and had already been lightly treated by Dumbledore, so Madam Pomfrey merely handed Orr a vial of a somewhat strange tasting healing potion and had him hold his nose and pour it in.

"Who is this child?", After watching Orr take the medicine, Madam Pomfrey looked at the little boy that Dumbledore had placed on the bed.

"At least, he will be a future student of our school? Ah, Minerva, there you are," Dumbledore said.

"Dumbledore, what happened?" asked Professor McGonagall as she hurried into the infirmary.

"I need you to identify this child for me," Dumbledore pointed to the still sleeping Fish and briefly explained his origins, "I suspect that the child may have been born an animagus, and that both of his parents must have died, which is why he has been in the company of wild cats."

Actually there was another suspicion that Dumbledore did not say, that the boy's parents were probably both Muggles, and had abandoned their son for being a monster when they discovered he had been turned into a cat.

Dumbledore had seen many similar things, the most famous of which was probably Tom Riddle.

"An animagus by birth? But... Aren't they just born shifters? (A shifter is a wizard who has the innate ability to change their physical appearance according to their will) A wizard who is born as an animal, I've never heard of that." Professor McGonagall glared at Fish, who was curled up in his bed, sleeping soundly.

"And who can guarantee that we know all the mysteries of magic? There are many things that even I haven't seen, Minerva. And, more importantly now, helping this child get back to a normal human life," Dumbledore said.

"You're right...," Professor McGonagall nodded, whether the little boy was an animagus, or a cat for some other reason, they had to guide him back to a normal life.

Professor McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief at the thought.

Good thing Dumbledore had found him first, because if the dark wizards had found the poor boy first, he would have been in real danger.

To prevent Fish from overreacting, Dumbledore and the others exited the medical room, leaving only Professor McGonagall.

With a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall cast a sobering spell on Fish and she transformed into a silver cat that looked very much like Fish.

Only around the eyes of the silver tabby cat that McGonagall had transformed into, there were lines in the shape of the square glasses she wore.

Waking from his sleep, Fish stretched out on the bed with his eyes closed before jumping out of bed with a start.

As quickly as he could, Fish crawled under the bed, where the light was lower, and looked around with his big green eyes, not finding the two humans.

Instead, there was a tiger-spotted adult cat that looked like him crouched in a chair not far away.

"Meow?" (You were captured by humans too?).

Seeing his own, Fish came out from under the bed and asked the tiger-spotted cat in the chair.

Only after asking did Fish realize that his vision was not up to par and that he was still in human form.

He quickly undid the spell and returned to his original form.

"Meow, meow." (No, I'm an animagus, just like you). Professor McGonagall replied in cat language, and then did the opposite of Fish, changing from tabby cat to human.

Fish: "Meow!!!"