ÍROAS

"You certainly not! It's too risky for both of you." Professor McGonagall warned me and Hermione. Both of us have stayed in her class after it ended and talked to her about being an Animagus.

"But Professor..." We both said in unison, but interjected by the Professor.

"I said no! you're too young for this, you don't realize the danger it could give you in the process." She hissed, emphasizing every word for us to understand. But then an old and husky voice spoke behind us.

"Why not Professor McGonagall?" We looked behind and there stood a tall, thin, silver hair and beard so long that they can be tucked into his belt. "I've been observing the boy ever since, and he certainly could do it despite his young age, same as Ms. Granger here." I restrain myself from giving the Headmaster a furrowed brow. - 'The last time I caught his gaze in the sorting ceremony, it was full of wariness, as if he had seen danger in me, and now he wanted to help me?'

"You're perfectly aware Professor that these two both excelled in your class, by which pretty much needed for the process to be an Animagus, and this young Mr. Olympia here has shown excellency in potions. He could make him and Ms. Granger here a potion that they needed." The old man continued.

"You are correct Professor Dumbledore, but these two are too young for Merin's sake! They don't know how dangerous it is." McGonagall countered back.

"Yes professor, but don't they have you to guide them in the process?" I mentally snorted from his statement, - 'Cunning,' - Dumbledore could get anyone agreeing with him with his smart arse talk.

McGonagall hasn't spoken for a minute until she reluctantly speaks, "Very well"sighing in frustration, and shifts her gaze back to us.

"I need the two of you to get me consent from your guardians. I'll get all the things and ingredients needed. And don't tell anyone about this. I don't need more foolish 11-year-old kids to barge in my room and beg to be an Animagus, are we clear?" she exclaimed in a single breath. Both Hermione and I simply nodded with a foolish smile spreading across our faces.

After McGonagall gave us a whole 10 minutes round of scolding, she signalled us to go back to our dorm but before I could totally leave the room, I caught a glimpse of the expression of the professors, full of caution and familiarly threatened faces.

While me and my friend were walking towards our dorm, I felt a figure behind, exactly 10 meters away and started to charge in my direction. I looked around and saw a red-headed boy running with an evil grin, ready to give me a body slam. I managed to avoid his attack and give him a heavy smack in the head. I then heard someone burst in laughter from an all so familiar voice.

"I told you Ron, that won't work. Iro's good at sensing people." I looked to my left and saw a boy with a lightning scar on his forehead.

"Try something harder next time." I snorted out. Hermione then gave a frustrated sigh and spoke, "Boys." her face with rolling eyes materialized in my thought.

A week had passed since our argument with Professor McGonagall. Hermione and I sent a mail to our guardians, requesting for their consent but they both seemed to be thinking very much about it as they took too long to decide and answer back.

"Well that's pretty understandable considering the danger." I muttered to Hermione. We are currently having our breakfast in the Great Hall, getting paler as minutes gone by, anxiously waiting for the response of our guardians.

Harry and Ron are sitting across us. I sometimes caught my scar-head friend looking at me with a teasing face. Afterwards, owls arrived, holding our morning mails. I then saw Hedwig, Harry's Owl, giving him a rather big package.

I was about to ask him what's inside when I saw a medium size owl with crimson eyes and landed in front me. I smiled at her and untangled the letter and the small package in her foot.

"Thank you, wise girl – here, have some bacon" I said to my owl that my cousin gave to me. I stroked her neck gently while she's eating the food I offered to her.

I then opened the letter excitedly and summoned all my concentration and started to read..

Dear Iro,

I must say, I'm not too happy with what you were planning. I know how complicated the process is and the consequence it could give you the moment you made a mistake.

Nonetheless, I wanted to support you all the way to your journey. I have faith in you dear. Just make sure you keep yourself safe all the time. It's too risky, so don't take the ritual too lightly, okay dear? Tell your friend there to be careful too. And please, follow what Professor McGonagall had instructed you to do, okay?

I'm fine here by the way, thank you for asking. I tried your blue chocolate cookies and I think I'm getting it now. But yours is still better. I sent you the cookies I made this morning along with this letter. I hope you like it.

Make sure you study hard and most importantly, always be careful. Love you!

Your Aunt,

Arabella Figg

I smiled at the letter and glanced at Hermione who's now mirroring my expression as she too received a letter that I presumed is from her parents giving their consent. I then pick up the small jar and excitedly open it.

"What is that?" I heard Ron ask me. I smiled at him and handed him a cookie.

"Oh Merlin! Don't tell me Mrs. Figg made that?" Harry asked with a touch of horror staining his voice and face.

"Err... why is the cookie blue Iro?" Hermione asked quizzically.

"Oh, he's been addicted to that color, that is." Harry began explaining, "You should see his room, you would think a Ravenclaw student is nesting there. But the cookies are good by the way. If... he's the one who bakes it, note that." They just nod and each took a cookie. Harry then told us to follow him to Gryffindor dormitory with the big package that is not yet open, securely clutched in his arms.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry went to the quidditch field with his new 'Nimbus Two Thousand.' A broomstick he got from Professor McGonagall. As for me, I walked straight to the lake, alone. 'I missed walking alone.'

I looked around the lake and absorbed the beauty of it. I haven't visited this place ever since the incident. But I think I could use the scent of it right now. I felt so relaxed as the aroma of the lake rushed through my nostrils.

I slumped down on the ground and tucked my arms under my head. As I closed my eyes, images flashed in my head. About my first day here, the sorting, the three headed dog incident, and my time with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

I released a long sigh. "It's been almost two months but Harry and Ron are still wary of Hermione. Honestly, if they set aside their ego, and looked through her bossy know-it-all attitude, they'll learn more about her." I told myself.

I rested on the ground for almost an hour. Away from all the people. Suddenly, I heard trotting of hooves from a distance, and it kept growing closer to my location. I opened my eyes and pushed myself off the ground. I checked my surroundings, and as I looked to my right, I saw a four-legged creature with wings. It's as black as the night sky, with its deep torso build, long slender and masculine legs, and elongated face. It keeps marching towards me until the winged figure's face is a meter away from me.

"Woah!" I said from disbelief to the creature.

"Are you.... Are you a Pegasus?" I asked the creature who just neighed that sounds like a 'Yes'

"It's so cool... I mean you're so cool bud!" I said excitedly.

I carefully step forward to get closer to the creature. I stretched my right arm towards its neck and let myself stroke it gently. The Pegasus then to my surprise deepened his head to my chest and sniffled me. - 'What!?'

I let the Pegasus do whatever it's doing. Afterwards, it walked backwards and bowed down his head to me.

I gasped in disbelief to what it just did. "Did you just... bow to me!?" I asked skeptically, and it gave out as sound that looks like a 'Yes'

"Cool!" I muttered excitedly, "You can understand me? – do you have a name?" I asked. The Pegasus then neighed again.

"Okay... even if that's a yes, I can't understand you buddy. So, I don't know what name you just gave." I said with a puzzled tone of voice.

"How about this, I'll give you a name and give me a sign aside from neighing if you like it, okay bud?" I thought for a moment, I narrowed my eyes with a pouty lips.

"Hmmm... how about Silhouette?" I check its reaction, but nothing.

"No? Err... Blacky? – not that either... Luke? – No! Sounds wrong."

I think again, I feel like there's a name on the tip of my tongue but I don't know what. I looked at the Pegasus in front of me, still enjoying its life. I then notice the glittering tears from its eyes. It looks like it just came from a deep grief and sorrow.

'Did its last owner die?' I asked myself. Suddenly, the name in the back of my head resurfaced to my thoughts. And this time I feel like it's the right one.

I stroked Pegasus's neck once again and smiled. "Blackjack" I whispered to the Pegasus, then I felt a sudden sadness within me. A burst of wind engulfed my skin as the Pegasus stretched out its black and sturdy wings.

I smiled "Well, blackjack, that is!" I said.

For an hour, I talked to the Pegasus, I told him, which I discovered that it's a he by the way, I told him my whole life. It just listened to me just like a normal person. While being with the creature, I have this sudden longing and urge to hug him.

When it's time for dinner, I stood up from the ground and looked to the Pegasus to my left.

"Hey Blackjack, I'm going now, see you next time." It neighed again and stretched out his black wings as it soared up in the air and flew straight to the Forbidden Forest. I smiled at the direction it went. I then retreated back to the school.

The following days, I keep coming back to the lake to visit blackjack and read more about how to be an Animagus. It's been a week now ever since I met him. For that time, Hermione and I have been using Snape's laboratory for teaching her and making the necessary potion for the Animagus. One Friday evening, Professor McGonagall summoned me and Hermione to her office.

"It's full moon now, we need to start the ritual immediately. I collected all the necessary ingredients for both of you" McGonagall said. She gave each of us a leaf of mandrake, dew, death's-head Hawk Moth Chrysalis and a small glass bottle that is called 'Phial'.

"Now, the first thing I wanted you to do is to hold a mandrake leaf in your mouth. You must not swallow or remove the leaf until next month you understand me? – but don't worry I'll put a Sticking Charm in the leaf so you won't accidentally remove it."

Hermione and I both nodded and placed the leaf on our tongue. Professor McGonagall then pointed her wand to me and muttered the incantation for sticking charm. I tried to remove the leaf and to my amazement it didn't move even in an inch. Then McGonagall did the same spell to Hermione.

"Okay, now recite the Incantation." She reminded us. And we both nodded.

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus" Hermione and I both muttered in unison and I felt a sudden prick inside me.

"Very well, you will recite that enchantment everyday for the next 30 days. On the next visible full moon, you will spit the leaf in your phial within the range of the moon's pure rays. Then add one of your own hair, a silver teaspoon of dew that has not seen sunlight or touched by human feet for seven days, the chrysalis of a death's head hawk moth and the potion Mr. Olympia has made.." Professor McGonagall carefully instructed us to understand.

"Afterwards, the mixture must be put in the dark and quiet place and cannot be disturbed in any means, you understand me?" she said, eyeing both of us as we both nodded diligently.

"After that, you'd wait for a lightning storm before you drink the potion. While waiting for the storm, you must at every sunrise and every sundown without fail, chant the same incantation, with a tip of your wand placed over your heart."

"When the lightning storm happens, you shall immediately move to a large and secure place, recite the incantation for the last time then drink the potion."

After she finished her instruction, silence erupted in the entire room, Professor McGonagall then continued, shifting her strict expression to a worried one.

"If you fail... it will result in a permanent half-human, half-animal mutation, so better be careful at all times." Even if we're both aware of the side-effects, it still surprises us.

"When the mixture is done, just give it to me immediately and I'll make sure to place it in a dark and undisturbed room."

We then left the office afterwards, with a taste of salt from the leaf on our tongue and rapid beats of our hearts evident in our body.