Transfiguration's Office

"I was wondering..." Diana hesitated. It seemed to be silly asking the Professor for animagus lessons especially since You-know-who was around.

"I was wondering if the offer of animagus lessons were still open. I mean I know there are more important things on your mind, Professor, but...if it is possible to just point me in the right direction... I'm sure study it on my own..." she trailed off.

"Animagus lessons?" Eglantine repeated, staring at the Diana as if she sprung a second head. She did not remember anything to do with animagus lessons.

Diana nodded. "Yes, it was a few nights ago... my cat Cassie got stuck under your cabinet... you changed... and I asked you if I could perhaps be taught on how to be one... Do any of these ring a bell?, Professor?"

"No." she stated honestly. "But I trust you enough to believe you. And I agreed to it that quickly?" Eglantine shook her head. She was going mental.
"Animagus training is very arduous and dangerous. It takes a great deal of power and con..." She froze.

She had had this very conversation with her youngest nephew. Severus had begged her, literally to help him train.
"When would you like to begin?"

"Well, Professor, if you're not busy or have any objections, I'd like to start now." Diana said daringly.

"I am afraid that now is not a good time. Come to my rooms tonight, with your friend and I'll begin then." She paused to think of a good time. "22:00 will be fine."

((sorry I have to go now... urgent problem needs my attention.))

((Okay, see you! ))

"Alright Professor, I'll see you then." Diana said stepping out of the Office.

Eglantine then moved to the door, and made her way back into the chaos that her classroom had become.

((she is in class now))

Diana knocked timidly on the Professor's Door.

"Come in!" Eglantine stated, looking up from a stack of essays she was grading.

"Hello Professor," Diana walked in. "I was wondering if I could have those lessons and the last time we tried it, well it really didn't go as well as I had hoped."

"Ah yes." Eglantine motioned for Diana to be seated. "As soon as I finish marking this essay." She returned her eyes to the parchment. Her shaking hand made it impossible for her to grade papers by hand, so a floating quill guided by wandless magic was scribbling away. Commas... terrible sentence structure... run-on sentences... total lack of punctuation... spelling errors... first year essays were always an interesting collection. The quill reached the bottom of the page much sooner than Eglantine had intended it to and it quirted ink on her desk as it wandered from the paper.
"Desist." she stated, ordering the quill. It died and fell lifeless on her shaking palm.

"Now shall we begin Miss Casillas?"

Diana gripped her wand. "Yes." She said determined.

"Very well. Now we will begin by having you study this list of transfiguration books that I have prepared." She handed a fairly long list to Diana. "Whenever you have free time, try to fit in a chapter or two."

Eglantine rose from behind her desk. "I will tutor you on what you have learned from your reading and help you understand the material either here in my office or in my chambers at 21:00 on week days and 20:00 on weekends. Hopefully by next year you should be a animagus."

Diana was a little bit put down to hear at it would take a year. She brushed it away though. She was willing to do whatever it took.

"Alright Professor," Diana said.

Eglantine did not miss the disappointment that flashed in Miss Casillas' eyes. She had taught several of her students, over the years, to be animagi, and she knew that the time it took was often difficult for an anxious pupil to accept.

"It may take less time, but it would be best not to rush." Regina LaRepolon, one of her students at Beauxbatons had rushed...she was now living out her life as part of her parent's carpeting. Brushing the past aside, Eglantine waved her wand.

"Now for your first lesson, we will begin by informing you about how to become an animagi..."

Diana straightened up and prepared to listen with rapt attention.

~An hour later~

"Well, I believe that covers the basics." Eglantine sighed, seating herself once more. "We will continue this tomorrow night." Offering Diana a rare smile, she glanced over at the yet ungraded essays.
"I believe you have shown great promise. It will take less than a year. But try to be patient."

Viper approached Eglantine's office somewhat hesitantly. If there was one thing Viper hated more than anything in the world it was asking for help. Unfortunetly, she had no choice. This area was not her forte so she had no choice but to ask for assistance. Biting her lip, she knocked on the door, hoping the head of Gryffindor was in.

"Enter." Eglantine called out. If it was another student, Miss Casillas was finished for that day, anyway.

Viper entered slowly, smiling slightly. "Good evening, Professor Delanquar." she greeted pleasantly.

"Good evening." Eglantine returned. "May I help you?"

Viper nodded. "Yes, do you recall the students in my potions classroom earlier who were headed for third base?"

"Third base?" Eglantine asked, wondering what students could have been playing baseball in Viper's classroom. "Oh, you mean Mr. Vaight and Miss Casillas!" It clicked in her mind seconds after baseball did...

Viper nodded. "Indeed..." she made a face at the memory. Sighing, she replied. "I really don't understand what is so amorous about my classroom!"

Shaking her head, she got back to the topic at hand. "Anyway, I need your advice on what to do with Mr.Vaight now. You see, after you left, Mr.Vaight was rather cross with me and lost control over his animagi form and tried to attack me." she paused, gauging Eglantine's reaction.