Hogwarts Is My Home

12: Drennan's Office

That Friday, Calliope returned to Professor Drennan's office, as he had directed. She knocked on the door and a moment later, Drennan pulled it open and invited her in. He indicated the chair for her to sit in, and when he himself was seated, he steepled his fingers together and looked over them at her.

"I must congratulate you, Miss Everard," he began. Calliope tilted her head curiously. "I have it from Professor Fairbrough that you tried out for the position of Ravenclaw Seeker, and that you won it. She was positively crowing about it. Seems to think Ravenclaw has the Cup in the bag."

"I don't know about that, sir," she said nervously.

"Well, when Gryffindor and Ravenclaw play each other in the last match, we shall find out." He smiled at her, and her tension broke. "Now Miss Everard, tell me what you know about Animagi."

She hadn't been expecting that, but she had studied it in depth before she had ever approached him, and she felt strong about her knowledge. "An Animagus can transform into an animal at will, without the need of a wand," she began. Drennan nodded for her to continue. "They have to register with the Ministry of Magic, I suspect to keep track of witches and wizards who might otherwise engage in unscrupulous activity in animal form." A hint of a smile appeared on the professor's face. "You can't choose what animal you become; the animal you turn into reflects your personality traits. Your animal appearance will also usually have some kind of markings to indicate the appearance of the witch or wizard who has transformed. So if the witch wears glasses, for instance, the animal she turns into would have markings around its eyes."

Calliope took a breath, and carried on. "The process can take years, depending on the ability and dedication of the witch or wizard undergoing it. I know that it involves reciting an incantation on a daily basis while holding a mandrake leaf in your mouth for a full moon cycle, and then creating a potion from the same mandrake leaf, as well as the chrysalis of a Death's head hawkmoth, which I already have, by the way." She had spent the summer digging in gardens around the neighborhood before finally finding the rare moth's chrysalis. She had her mother verify it with an entomologist who worked at the same university.

Drennan raised an eyebrow at that. "Indeed," he said softly. "And as we established during our last interview, you feel that your potions skills are...subpar."

She shook her head determinedly. She'd had a feeling it would come to this, and pulled the bottle of her relaxing potion out. "My potions skills are only lacking in the classroom because Professor Volkov is...erm...intimidating," she said. A mean old bully is what she meant, but of course she couldn't say that to another professor. Drennan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "This is a potion I brewed this summer. My father helped me create the recipe, but I brewed it myself, Professor, just this past weekend."

He held out his hand and she placed the bottle into his palm. He held it to his eyes and peered at it. She had put a label on the bottle this time. All it said was "Everard's Elixir." Professor Drennan smiled in amusement. "And what does this elixir of yours do, Miss Everard?"

"It's a stress reducer," she said. "It's not terribly complex, I'll be the first to admit. But it works rather well. I've been using it every day to help combat the anxiety of our O.W.L. year, and I have never felt better."

"Hmm." She was surprised to see Professor Drennan's look become stern. "Miss Everard, I need to confiscate this potion. I will have Professor Volkov examine it. If it is what you say it is, very well. But if this is some kind of mental stimulant you've invented and you've been using without authorization—"

Calliope was shocked. "But Professor!"

"I am sorry, Miss Everard, but I'm afraid I must insist." He put the small bottle in his pocket. "Now, let us return to our discussion. As you yourself have indicated, the process is very complicated. Most adults do not even attempt it. What makes you think that you have enough magical skill at the age of only fifteen?"

Calliope had to take several deep breaths this time. She was badly rattled after losing her potion. What if Professor Volkov lied and said there were unauthorized ingredients in it? She shook her head. She couldn't worry about that now. "I know that I possess an aptitude for Transfiguration, sir, and I also know that it's not impossible for teenagers to accomplish. There is another school, called Uagadou, where the majority of the students become Animagi by the age of fourteen. That's a year younger than I am, sir, and that's when they've completed the process."

"True," Professor Drennan said, looking impressed despite himself. "But Uagadou specializes in self-transformation. It's a part of their culture."

She was quiet. She had no further arguments. She had been so sure that Professor Drennan would not be able to deny her this chance once he'd let her speak. Calliope looked down at her hands.

Professor Drennan sighed. "Very well, Miss Everard. I can see that you want this very much, and I cannot deny that you have proven yourself most adept in Transfiguration. I will begin to instruct you in this process on the basis of two contingencies." He held up a finger. "One, that this potion does indeed prove to be of your own invention and does not contain unauthorized ingredients or uses." He held up a second finger. "Two, that you continue to apply yourself in your classes and in your extracurricular activities without falling behind. If I see that you are struggling, Miss Everard, we will not continue. It is more important that you succeed at your O.W.L.'s than it is that you become an Animagus." He dropped his hand. "Do we have ourselves an accord?"

She beamed. "Yes, sir."

"Very well, off to the Great Hall with you."

She jumped out of her chair and started heading to the door. Before she got there, she paused and turned around. "Professor? Err, are you going to tell Professor Volkov where you got the potion?"

He blinked owlishly at her. "I had planned on it."

"Well, I wondered... can you maybe... leave that part out? It's just... Professor Volkov doesn't like me very much and I'm afraid he might say it's prohibited to get me in trouble," she said uncomfortably.

Professor Drennan's expression grew stern again. "Miss Everard, are you suggesting that a Hogwarts professor would be duplicitous?"

She shrugged helplessly.

He sighed, taking the bottle out of his pocket and pulling off the label. "I suppose I shall say that I found it in one of the bathrooms. Perhaps one near the Slytherin common room..." He gave her a meaningful look and Calliope sighed with relief. Volkov was sure to be honest if he thought it was something a Slytherin had been using. Even though Volkov himself was from Durmstrang, he gave preferential treatment to Slytherins.

"Thank you, Professor," she said, hurrying out and down to dinner. Now it would just be a matter of time.