Headstrong

Chapter 25

The children nodded their heads slowly, before Amanda left with the twins to go and discuss some of their ideas for Fred and George's prank products.

Not soon after, they heard someone yell, "CATCH THAT CAT!" It was Ron, yelling about Crookshanks.

George dived for the cat, but Crookshanks evaded him. Scabbers, who was running away from the cat, ran under a chest of drawers. Crookshanks tried to grab the rat, but Amanda bent down.

"Leave the rat alone." Amanda whispered to the cat. She understood the cat's grumble as Hermione picked him up.

She reached a hand out gently to Scabbers, gently saying soothing words. Scabbers came to her outstretched hand and she picked him up. She studied the rat. He was missing patches of fur, but he was still recognizable.... He looked like Peter....

That couldn't be right, she was just imagining it.

She passed the rat to Ron and told the twins she was going to bed early. She lay in bed for a while, pondering about Scabbers.

...

Gryffindor Tower was awoken by a scream.

Harry shot out of his bed, as Amanda's cries became louder. The other boys in his dorm were awake, and looked at Harry as they recognized where the sounds were coming from.

Harry and Ron raced from the room. Nobody noticed Scabbers slip past them and back into the boy's dormitory.

The two friends raced down the stairs, where they found Fred, Lee and George waiting at the base of the girl's staircase as Angelina, Alicia, Hermione and Ginny helped carry Amanda down. The four girls laid her on one of the couches and they all crowded around her.

Amanda was still crying out, but some names were now able to be distinguished. "Dad...Leave Harry alone...Mum...No!"

"We'll get Professor McGonagall." Angelina and Alicia said quickly, before racing off.

"Harry, Ron, come with me to get Professor Lupin." Lee said to them.

The three boys raced through the halls to Professor Lupin's office. Luckily, he had stayed up late to finish marking some essays, and he opened the door to three worried looking boys.

"What on earth is the matter?" He asked.

"It's Amanda, sir." Lee said.

Remus nodded grimly and said, "Lead the way."

The four males raced backed to the tower. On the way, they saw Professor McGonagall being led by the two girls.

They got through the portrait hole, where they found Amanda with a huge crowd of people around her, still screaming out. Now, they could hear some comments being yelled as well, "You monster!"

Tears came to Remus' eyes as he realized she was reliving her parents' final moments again and again in her head, trying to stop it as herself now.

McGonagall conjured a stretcher and Remus levitated Amanda on to it. They then walked out of the tower, leading Amanda's friends to the Hospital Wing as Percy tried to control the crowds.

Just as they were laying Amanda in a bed in the Hospital Wing, they heard something that surprised them all.

"Peter! Leave Siri alone!" Remus gasped in surprise and sat in a chair next to Amanda's bed. Minerva looked at him and nodded in understanding, knowing what the names were for, but confused for when she had said them when she was little.

"Man, it hasn't been this bad since she was diagnosed with PTSD." Fred muttered.

"What's that?" Harry asked nervously.

"Amanda has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Madam Pomfrey explained as she walked in. "As I am sure you have realized Mr Potter, you were younger than she was when your parents died. She was four years old, and she remembers it all. She gets a lot of nightmares and flashbacks, and that is why she was diagnosed with the disorder, otherwise known as PTSD."

"You kids go to bed, we'll look after her. She'll be fine in the morning." Remus said kindly to the kids as he stroked Amanda's hair, wishing he could do something.

The kids nodded and left.

Minerva turned to Remus. "Explain the Peter and Siri thing."

Remus nodded and started to speak, "When she was a toddler, she called Sirius 'Uncle Siri', but she always called Peter 'Peter'. She never called him anything else. On the train coming to Hogwarts, she said that one was innocent. I think she may believe that Sirius is innocent."

"That's impossible. Pettigrew died."

Remus nodded. "I know."

Only then do they realize that Amanda was quiet.

...

When Amanda woke up the next morning, she had no idea where she was. When she saw Poppy walk in, she understood.

Soon after, she was let out, only slightly late for her next class.

...

The next day, she received a note from Albus.

Please come to my office at 9pm tonight. See you then, Albus.

So that night she walked into the office and sat down.

"Amanda, Severus and I believe it is time that you start your training so you may start to turn into a Phoenix."

Amanda sat there for a moment, before glancing at Fawkes.

"Why?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

Amanda gave him a look, "No, I mean why not just let it happen naturally?"

Albus tilted his head as if to consider an idea. 

"I believe...that by being able to transform earlier, you will be able to adjust and learn to adapt to the new form rather than being surprised and freaking out one day without any help. We can also monitor you to make sure you transform safely - I have trained people to become an Animagus before, you know."

"You trained Professor McGonagall."

Albus smiled. "That is correct."

Amanda nodded. "Ok then. That sounds like a fair point."

As Severus looked grim, Albus clapped his hands together in what seemed like delight. 

"We will begin trying to transform next lesson, but for now, we believe you should do some exercises every morning to build up your strength. We also believe that after your first transformation, you may need to eat more, as you will use a lot of energy during your transformations. It will probably be because of a higher metabolism."

Amanda nodded. "What exercises do you suggest?"

"We suggest that you wake up earlier for a run around the grounds every morning." Severus stated.

Amanda nodded once more. "Okay."

She then left the room.

Severus looked to Albus. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Albus nodded. 

"I am eager to see her reach her full potential."