24. MANDRAKE LEAVES MAKE ME SALIVATE

The next day, when it was night-time, Elara stuck the mandrake leaf in her mouth, and after rereading her notes, decided to cast an anti-salivation charm on herself so she didn't salivate all over the pillow and her boyfriend.

And that whole following month, Elara had a nasty mandrake leaf in her mouth. It made talking and eating a much harder task than necessary, and she struggled to make anything taste decent, and so set to eating things with tons of spices and sauces.

The leaf was always causing her to salivate, and so she had to continuously apply the anti-salivation charm. Elara was in a constant terrible mood because of the leaf, and everyone was so confused as to why. Only Theodore knew what was going on, and he did his best to cheer her up.

And so, when the full moon came once more, Elara had never been more relieved. She spat the leaf out into a vial, before leaving it on the Astronomy tower, laced with invisibility and anti-detection charms to ensure that no one could find it. She added to it the teaspoon of dew that she had asked around for, sending letters to experts and doing her research.

She found it in a clearing deep in the Forbidden Forest and added that to the leaf with a grin. The chrysalis she got from her father, who had sent letters to a few of his old friends and managed to acquire it for her. Her hair was the easiest thing to acquire, of course, and she pulled a strand out and added it.

Then, she needed to keep the potion out of sunlight, which was something she had found out just in time, and if she hadn't, then she would need to start over again. So, she brought the vial back to her dorm, and hid it in her closet.

In a letter from her Uncle Moony, he advised her not to wait for a lightning storm, because then she may forget to say the incantation every sunrise and sunset. And so, he sent her a spell that would help her make the weather stormy.

She also had been practicing her Patronus, and had managed to successfully get a corporeal one, but she hadn't told anyone what her form was. Elara was very pleased with what she was going to become, and she knew everyone would be as well.

It was nothing like her father's form actually and was too big to show off in a house. So, a few nights after she prepared the potion, she took it out of the closet, slipped it in her pocket and left the castle. It was night-time, and she made her way to the Forbidden Forest, going all the way in, because if she was successful, and she was sure she would be, then she would easily be able to find her way out.

When she was far enough from the school that no one would wander near her, or see her, she pulled her wand out, lifted it high and recited the spell. "Impetus Facare!"

In an instant, the wind began rushing and howling in the sky. Cloud gathered and began pouring rain as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Elara took a deep breath, pulling the potion out. She recited the incantation one last time "Amato, Animo, Animato, Animagus."

Then she brought the potion to her lips, and swallowed it, cringing at the terrible taste. Her body felt weird in that moment, and she closed her eyes, envisioning her Patronus, imaging the rough texture of her skin in that form. Imaging the colour of her eyes, her teeth.

And she transformed. Her hands morphed into sharp talons, their bronze tips glinting in the moonlight. Her smooth, pale skin changed into rough black scales, and massive, matching wings grew along with that. A pair of bronze horns sprouted from her head, and bronze spikes popped up all over her back and tail. Her eyes were the only thing that stayed the same, grey, but with pupils like that of a cat.

Elara Black was a Hungarian Horntail. She was the single most vicious and dangerous type of dragon. The weather ceased considering she had lowered her wand and hadn't repeated the incantation, being distracted by her beautiful form.

She twisted her giant head around, admiring the spikes protruding from her tail, and she swung it, smacking into a tree and causing it to fall with a great thump. Her lips lifted up, revealing wickedly sharp teeth curved in a deadly grin.

Then, she closed her eyes and imagined her human form again, and she popped back into that form easily, breathing heavily from excitement. "Oh, merlin's balls."

She grabbed her wand from where it had fallen on the ground and tucked it into her boots before looking around. She hadn't tried flying and thought that maybe she shouldn't be doing that around the school. But her vision had greatly enhanced, and she had read that other wizards who had become dragons got the tendency to breathe smoke or sparks whenever they were particularly agitated.

She apparently, she would have an increased affinity for spells involving fire, whether it be conjuring, controlling or anything related.

Elara looked around and through the thick branches of the trees, she could see smoke rising from Hagrid's hut, and was very impressed by how much her eyesight had been enhanced. She walked in that direction and from there, headed back to the castle and towards her dorm.

As soon as she walked into the room, she saw Theodore sat on the massive armchair that was in the corner of the room, beside the mini, marble fireplace. Elara had brought her own pouch of Floo Powder and it was placed atop the mantel piece.

"Where've you been?"

"Forest. Theo, I did the transformation!" She exclaimed excitedly, bouncing over to him and sitting in his lap, with her legs thrown over the arm of the chair. Theodore grabbed her hand in his.

"I suppose that's why the weather was stormy minutes ago?"

"You assumed correctly."

"Why couldn't I come with you?"

"I didn't know how much control I would have over my form, and considering what I am, that would not have ended very well for you. But it turns out I've got complete and full control, although I may have underestimated my power." She grinned, thinking of the tree she hit with a simple whack of her tail.

"What is your form?" His eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.

"It's a bloody Hungarian Horntail Theodore. I'm a dragon."

"You're bluffing." Theodore dropped her hand and stared at her; eyes wide. "No fucking way."

"Yes fucking way. I'm an actual, massive, Hungarian Horntail. And it felt brilliant being one."

"Wow. I mean I should have expected it. You're essentially a dragon in spirit. I'm not really that surprised, but still wow. When can I see it?" He took her hand once more.

"We could sneak away one Hogsmeade weekend, I could fly us away, considering we can't Apparate on grounds, and we're underage." Elara mused, bringing her free hand to her hair, and running it through her silky black locks.

"Sounds like a plan. But how about not this Hogsmeade weekend, but the one after. I want to save this one for our date."

"Wonderful idea Theodore."

While their plan for a Hogsmeade date had been made a month ago, they hadn't gotten the chance to go as Elara had been trying to complete the transformation, and now that she had, they were free to go the next weekend.

And so the following weekend, after they had their breakfast, the pair retreated back to their dorm, and Elara grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom, letting Theodore get changed in the bedroom.

She changed out of her lazy clothes and pulled on a grey jumper and some black trousers, then she walked out and headed right for the vanity, running a brush through her hair and getting it slightly neater before pulling a grey beanie on top of it.

She sat down on the bed and slipped on a pair of black boots, before standing once more, applying some red lipstick and adding her black coat to the outfit. Then, she turned and looked at Theodore, who was adjusting the beanie on his head. He saw her looking and sent her a beautiful smile.

"Ready?"

"Whenever you are." Came her simple response, and he linked their fingers before pulling her out of the dorm, the common room and towards where McGonagall was waiting at the entrance to Hogsmeade, overlooking students that were leaving. Elara shot her a mischievous smile as they walked by, mouthing one word.

One word that caused a look of complete surprise and shock on her professor's face. All she mouthed was "Dragon."

And that was enough for McGonagall to know what she was talking about. The Transfiguration professor had caught her reading Animagus notes, and keeping the disgusting leaf in her mouth, along with answering any 'hypothetical' questions the young girl may have had.

As soon as they walked past McGonagall and were on the path to Hogsmeade, Theodore turned to Elara, "Why'd she look so shocked?"

"I told her what my form was. Don't think she was expecting it." Elara grinned. They continued the walk with both of them telling jokes and making the other laugh, arriving at Hogsmeade with the pair in tears, with cheeks flushed from the cold and laughing.

"Oh merlin, it's cold." Elara gasped out, her cheeks a bright red, stark against her pale skin.

"Let's get something to drink." Theodore suggested, pulling her towards The Three Broomsticks. When inside, the black-haired girl sighed in relief at the warmth that rushed through her, and she sat down at the closest booth. "I'll go get us some drinks."

He came back with two foaming tankards filled with a golden liquid, and as soon as it was placed on the table, Elara grabbed it and momentarily savoured the warmth it provided her before taking a massive gulp of it and placing it back down.

"You've got foam on your lip." Theodore pointed out, trying not to laugh, before pulling a napkin from another table and handing it to her. She wiped it off and took another gulp. She laughed when Theodore pointed at her upper lip once more.

"I'm not even going to try and wipe this one away." Elara grinned, shaking her head and gulping another mouthful down. Theodore shook his head and drank some of his as well. Elara leaned back in the booth, still holding the warm drink in her hands and looked around.

The black-haired girl liked observing people, and when Theodore saw what she was doing, he sat back and observed her. His eyes glazed over her silky black hair that dropped to her shoulders and was covered in a grey beanie. Then they trailed down to her manicured eyebrows, and her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. The most beautiful thing about her in his opinion.

Elara noticed him staring and turned back to face him. She caught him looking and raised an eyebrow, causing him to smile. "Sorry Lara, I couldn't help myself."

Elara grinned. "I do the same to you sometimes. You just never catch me, because I'm too good."

"Glad to know that." He replied.