Animagus
Inspired by the animal based body modification program I watched last night and my theory as to the psychological reasons behind some of those who try to transform their body into something else. Harry spent his childhood being denigrated, insulted and abused by his only male role model... that has to have an affect on your body image so I wondered what might happen if Harry succeeded in becoming an Animagus. It's sort of Harry/Draco but it's not romantic/sexual and it's G rated.
Animagus by Marysia
"Harry, stop it!" Hermione finally snapped.
The dog who had just slunk downstairs into the common room growled at her and she knew it was because she had used his real name but she didn't care. She was sick of this.
"I'm serious so don't give me that rubbish, change back right now!"
The dog shook it's head and came over to snuffle at her knee, trying to lick her hand. She pulled it away from him.
"No! You are not a dog, Harry, you are a person. I am not playing this game anymore."
Harry looked at her with deep, hurt, doggy eyes, the turned and ran out of the common room.
"Did you really think he was going to listen?" Ron asked from his seat across the room.
"I suppose not," she sighed, "But just because he's not going to listen to me doesn't mean I have to play along. It's not healthy, you know the teachers are worried."
"I know, and I'm worried too, but he's my friend and I'm sticking by him."
"Even though he never talks to us because dogs can't talk?" Hermione asked sharply. "Even though he growls at us when we don't call him Doggie?"
Ron grimaced at the hated nickname. The only people that actually used it on a regular basis were Ginny and Lavendar, who seemed to think it was cute, and the Slytherins, who found calling him Doggie to be extremely amusing.
Malfoy was inclined to call out in class or in the Great Hall, "Here Doggie, Doggie. Come and get a treat." The shame of it all was that Harry would trot obediently over and let Malfoy feed him table scraps and tickle behind his ears to gales of laughter from the rest of the Slytherins, as if he were just grateful that someone were going along with his role as a dog.
It was then that Ron would stop worrying and just get angry that Harry would let them do that. The human Harry never would have but the dog Harry was determined to play it's role to the hilt. The dog Harry was a pushover, friendly to anyone who would treat him like the dog he demanded he really was.
Before he had stopped talking altogether he had told Ron that he felt more normal as a dog than as a person, as if he could be more open and he liked who he was better. He was more free to express himself, to just be.
Ron hadn't understood and he still didn't. Hermione had, at the time, said she could understand why he might feel that way but Ron got the impression she had just been saying that to look like she understood. She had read a lot of psychology books lately but Ron could tell she didn't get it either, nothing she read seemed to rid her if the intense irritation Harry's behaviour provoked in her.
The only time they saw him in human form these days was during lessons and even then only when he had to take notes or needed hands for something. He still refused to talk even then.
The teachers had thought it was a joke at first, he had gotten quite a few detentions before Dumbledore had started looking worried and Harry had spent a week shut up in the hospital ward being talked at by Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Hagrid, a couple of specialists from St Mungo's... basically anyone they could think of that might be able to help. When they had asked, after he had been let out, Professor McGonagall had only said that it had been decided to see if he could work it out himself. They were 'giving him a little time'.
That had been a month ago. How long was a little time?
-----------------
Harry ran out of the common room, trying to push aside the worry that Hermione and Ron always thrust at him. Dogs didn't worry, he told himself. Dogs don't feel guilty unless they just stole the sausages or had an accident on the kitchen floor.
He headed for the Great Hall instead, hoping to see Malfoy around somewhere. Malfoy would sometimes take him out for a walk round the lake if he caught him at a good time and barked and jumped about and tugged his sleeve enough.
The human in Harry knew that Malfoy got off on having the great Harry Potter on all fours doing whatever he asked but he told himself that dogs didn't care about stuff like that. Dogs were friendly to everyone, even Slytherins, dogs took whatever affection they could get and Malfoy, whatever his motives, was affectionate.
Malfoy didn't tease him outright anymore, didn't try and hurt him. Didn't do anything beyond treating Harry as he wanted to be treated, as a dog and a favourite pet at that. He'd always thought of Malfoy as the kind of person who was cruel to animals but apparantly he was wrong. So maybe Malfoy wasn't so bad after all, or maybe Harry just didn't care if he was anymore.
Malfoy was sitting in the Great Hall reading and he looked up when Harry raced across the room to him barking excitedly.
"I thought you might show up, boy," he said, standing up and ruffling the fur between Harry's ears.
Harry licked at his hand and caught at his sleeve, tugging him toward the door.
"You want to go for a walk, Doggie? Want to chase rabbits?"
Harry barked his assent, racing half way to the door then back to Malfoy's side.
"All right then. But first, I got you a present."
Malfoy reached into his pocket and Harry's ears perked forward as he drew something out of it. It was a collar made of green leather.
"Can't have people thinking you're a stray after all," Malfoy told him. He held the collar out to Harry, showing him the silver tag with the inscription 'Doggie' on it. He turned it round and the other side said 'If found please return to Hogwarts'.
Harry cocked his head at it thoughtfully.
"I could have... I was going to have them put 'Property of Draco Malfoy' but..." Malfoy dropped to his knees and looped the collar around Harry's neck. "I just didn't, okay? So do you like it?"
Harry licked Malfoy's cheek wetly and raced off for the door again.
"Great," said Malfoy grimacing and wiping his cheek on his robes. "Now let's go for that walk."
Animagus by Marysia
"Harry, stop it!" Hermione finally snapped.
The dog who had just slunk downstairs into the common room growled at her and she knew it was because she had used his real name but she didn't care. She was sick of this.
"I'm serious so don't give me that rubbish, change back right now!"
The dog shook it's head and came over to snuffle at her knee, trying to lick her hand. She pulled it away from him.
"No! You are not a dog, Harry, you are a person. I am not playing this game anymore."
Harry looked at her with deep, hurt, doggy eyes, the turned and ran out of the common room.
"Did you really think he was going to listen?" Ron asked from his seat across the room.
"I suppose not," she sighed, "But just because he's not going to listen to me doesn't mean I have to play along. It's not healthy, you know the teachers are worried."
"I know, and I'm worried too, but he's my friend and I'm sticking by him."
"Even though he never talks to us because dogs can't talk?" Hermione asked sharply. "Even though he growls at us when we don't call him Doggie?"
Ron grimaced at the hated nickname. The only people that actually used it on a regular basis were Ginny and Lavendar, who seemed to think it was cute, and the Slytherins, who found calling him Doggie to be extremely amusing.
Malfoy was inclined to call out in class or in the Great Hall, "Here Doggie, Doggie. Come and get a treat." The shame of it all was that Harry would trot obediently over and let Malfoy feed him table scraps and tickle behind his ears to gales of laughter from the rest of the Slytherins, as if he were just grateful that someone were going along with his role as a dog.
It was then that Ron would stop worrying and just get angry that Harry would let them do that. The human Harry never would have but the dog Harry was determined to play it's role to the hilt. The dog Harry was a pushover, friendly to anyone who would treat him like the dog he demanded he really was.
Before he had stopped talking altogether he had told Ron that he felt more normal as a dog than as a person, as if he could be more open and he liked who he was better. He was more free to express himself, to just be.
Ron hadn't understood and he still didn't. Hermione had, at the time, said she could understand why he might feel that way but Ron got the impression she had just been saying that to look like she understood. She had read a lot of psychology books lately but Ron could tell she didn't get it either, nothing she read seemed to rid her if the intense irritation Harry's behaviour provoked in her.
The only time they saw him in human form these days was during lessons and even then only when he had to take notes or needed hands for something. He still refused to talk even then.
The teachers had thought it was a joke at first, he had gotten quite a few detentions before Dumbledore had started looking worried and Harry had spent a week shut up in the hospital ward being talked at by Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Hagrid, a couple of specialists from St Mungo's... basically anyone they could think of that might be able to help. When they had asked, after he had been let out, Professor McGonagall had only said that it had been decided to see if he could work it out himself. They were 'giving him a little time'.
That had been a month ago. How long was a little time?
-----------------
Harry ran out of the common room, trying to push aside the worry that Hermione and Ron always thrust at him. Dogs didn't worry, he told himself. Dogs don't feel guilty unless they just stole the sausages or had an accident on the kitchen floor.
He headed for the Great Hall instead, hoping to see Malfoy around somewhere. Malfoy would sometimes take him out for a walk round the lake if he caught him at a good time and barked and jumped about and tugged his sleeve enough.
The human in Harry knew that Malfoy got off on having the great Harry Potter on all fours doing whatever he asked but he told himself that dogs didn't care about stuff like that. Dogs were friendly to everyone, even Slytherins, dogs took whatever affection they could get and Malfoy, whatever his motives, was affectionate.
Malfoy didn't tease him outright anymore, didn't try and hurt him. Didn't do anything beyond treating Harry as he wanted to be treated, as a dog and a favourite pet at that. He'd always thought of Malfoy as the kind of person who was cruel to animals but apparantly he was wrong. So maybe Malfoy wasn't so bad after all, or maybe Harry just didn't care if he was anymore.
Malfoy was sitting in the Great Hall reading and he looked up when Harry raced across the room to him barking excitedly.
"I thought you might show up, boy," he said, standing up and ruffling the fur between Harry's ears.
Harry licked at his hand and caught at his sleeve, tugging him toward the door.
"You want to go for a walk, Doggie? Want to chase rabbits?"
Harry barked his assent, racing half way to the door then back to Malfoy's side.
"All right then. But first, I got you a present."
Malfoy reached into his pocket and Harry's ears perked forward as he drew something out of it. It was a collar made of green leather.
"Can't have people thinking you're a stray after all," Malfoy told him. He held the collar out to Harry, showing him the silver tag with the inscription 'Doggie' on it. He turned it round and the other side said 'If found please return to Hogwarts'.
Harry cocked his head at it thoughtfully.
"I could have... I was going to have them put 'Property of Draco Malfoy' but..." Malfoy dropped to his knees and looped the collar around Harry's neck. "I just didn't, okay? So do you like it?"
Harry licked Malfoy's cheek wetly and raced off for the door again.
"Great," said Malfoy grimacing and wiping his cheek on his robes. "Now let's go for that walk."