Without rules we're nothing but animals [Connie]

[Professor James W. Boreal]

Jay found himself immersed in the quiet solitude of his office. Bookshelves lined with magical tomes and academic journals surrounded him, a testament to the years he spent as a student of the art, a skilled practitioner and a dedicated scholar, which had seen him rise as perhaps one of the most tested and accomplished wizards in his craft. The soft glow of candlelight flickered, casting a warm ambiance over the room. The familiar scent of parchment and aged leather filled the air.

Seated behind his polished mahogany desk, James methodically reviewed a stack of parchment, each filled with his neat and precise handwriting. Quills of various colors were scattered across the desk, a reflection of his meticulous note-taking habits. A worn, leather-bound version of Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration lay open, its pages marked with bookmarks indicating passages of particular interest.

Through the window, the filtered sunlight bathed the room in a gentle glow, creating a contrast to the magical illumination. James, lost in thought, absentmindedly adjusted his spectacles and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. The rustle of parchment and the occasional creak of the bookshelves were the only sounds that disturbed the serene atmosphere of his office.

As the minutes passed, James continued his pursuits, contemplating the intricacies of advanced transfiguration, oblivious to whatever went on in the rest of the castle.

[Constance Moody]

Connie shifted in an oversized arm chair by the Gryffindor fireplace, causing the Transfiguration book in her lap to teeter dangerously. Blowing a blonde lock of hair out of her face, she grabbed the book before it could completely slide from its precarious perch and firmly returned it to its spot of her folded legs. With a small growl of frustration Connie grabbed the offending lock of hair, which was yet again trying to find its way into her face, and attempted to stuff it back into the messy bun sitting atop her head. When that failed, she jabbed her wand through it, holding everything in place….at least for the moment. 

A grumble slipped from Connie as she slammed the book shut in annoyance. Sitting still and studying books was not Connie’s style. The fifth year Gryffindor needed to be in action. That was the only way to really learn anything after all. Drumming her fingers on the cover, her mind turned. She had read what she could in her textbook…at least what she could make sense of. She had even gone so far as to visit the library in search of other materials that might throw a bit more light on the subject, but her visit had been a failure, in more ways than one. 

Biting her lip, Connie shifted again in her seat. There was nothing for it. She would have to go to talk to Professor Boreal. And now that she had a plan of action, she could execute. Now this was something she did understand.

* * *

Less than a half hour later found Connie standing in the Transfiguration classroom with her knuckles raised to wrap on Professor Boreal’s office door. Letting them fall in a staccato rhythm, she heard a muffled noise from within. Connie pushed the heavy wooden door open a smidge and poked her head around the door.

“Professor Boreal? May I bother you for a moment?” Pushing the door wider, she stepped into her teacher’s office. “I was hoping you might explain something to me.” Without waiting for a further invitation, she hefted her textbook up so Professor Boreal could see it. “I’ve been trying to understand something.” She paused and her brow furrowed slightly. There was no turning back now. Time to just spit it out. 

“Professor, I want to become an Animagus.”

[Professor James W. Boreal]

James looked up from his notes, the sudden interruption drawing his attention away from the world of thoughts, tomes and theories on transfiguration. A surprised but warm smile appeared on his face as he recognised Constance standing in his doorway.

"Miss Moody, come in. Of course, you're no bother at all.", he motioned for her to take a seat, gesturing to a comfortable chair on the other side of his desk. The family name followed the girl. Her grandfather, one of the greatest aurors to ever live, was a legend already at the time Jay arrived at the Ministry. He had the privilege of working with Alastor Moody before his untimely fall whilst protecting Harry Potter. Probably nobody outside The Order knew Alastor had left behind a daughter and her descendants. All those years later, when he realised, upon accepting a professor position at the School, he would be teaching his twin grandchildren, he felt an increased sense of responsibility.

Constance now stood in his office, the soft glow of candlelight reflected off the different material surfaces and onto the blonde student, creating a calming ambience. "What seems to be the matter?", he asked softly. As she presented her textbook, James couldn't help but feel a bit of déjà vu. How many times had he been in a similar position years ago when he sought guidance from his professors? The nature of her inquiry, however, made him pause.

"An Animagus?" he repeated, half to make sure he'd understood correctly, half to give her a chance to correct herself, a raised eyebrow showing his concern but also his curiosity. The girl's stare seemed quite obstinate, perhaps a front to hide some nervousness. At any rate, James was never the type to dismiss quests for knowledge whichever form they came in, and wasn't about to start even if a fifteen year-old was revealing interest in some deep, difficult dwellings.

"Quite an extraordinary want. Not something many students express an inclination for.", he continued, knowing quite well he spoke out of experience, as one out of a handful of registered animagi in the whole country. "May I ask what sparked this particular interest?" James leaned back in his chair, giving her a curious but encouraging smile.

[Constance Moody]

Connie settled into the cozy chair facing Professor Boreal’s desk and plopped the textbook in her lap. Well, he hadn’t laughed her out of the room, so she figured they were off to a relatively good start. Though she couldn’t quite read his expression across the desk. Was it paternal-ish concern? Intrigue? She wasn’t sure but either way she wasn’t sure she liked it, no matter how many times she had seen it on the faces of her professors. 

They always seemed to think that she was out of her depths when she came asking for help, or that she was some delicate little girl who needed protecting and they couldn’t quite decide which one it was. She knew most of them had met, if not known, her grandfather, which was both a blessing and a curse. Alastor Moody’s legacy was a double-edged sword hanging over her. Most everyone who met the Moody twins seemed to be caught in a paradox of how exactly to treat them. Handle them with kid gloves or with extreme caution, given their grandfather’s reputation. Connie preferred the latter. She was no damsel in distress and regardless of her youthful blonde looks, she was going to take down the worst dark wizards plaguing the wizarding world. She supposed there are worse things than being underestimated. You can use that to your advantage sometimes. 

However, it seemed that Professor Boreal was underestimating Connie now…at least not exactly. Given the inquiring look on his face. This was not the first time that Connie did not rise to the bait.

“I don’t know what you have heard about my brother and I, Professor, but I am not most students.” She squared her shoulders in her chair and looked Professor Boreal back dead in the eye, any sign of nerves completely vanished from her countenance. “I am going to be an auror after Hogwarts. I plan to finish the work that my grandfather started and put every dark wizard I can in Azkaban.” She didn’t blink once during her delivery. “Being an animagus would be helpful wouldn’t it? Allowing me to sneak in and out and catch dark witches and wizards where they would never suspect.

I just need your help.” Connie waited on pins and needles for his response. If he wouldn’t help her, there are always other ways. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to explore them.

[Professor James W. Boreal]

Connie's determination shone through her words as she addressed her professor, her resolve unwavering despite any doubts he might have had about her capabilities. James honestly admired her spirit, her determination reminding him of his own youthful ambitions and dreams.

As he listened to her, James couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. The passion, the drive to make a difference in the world, it all reminded him of himself at her age. Hopefully she would keep that optimism longer than he did. Yet, he also saw a hint of vulnerability in her eyes, a desire for guidance and support in her quest to become an Auror and follow in her grandfather's footsteps. She hid it well, though, as James assumed she had to: it wasn't hard to deduce that the weight of expectations on her and her twin.

He leaned forward slightly, meeting her gaze with a mixture of respect and understanding. "Miss Moody, I have no doubt about your potential," he began, his voice gentle yet firm, his typical discrete smirk appearing through the dimple on his cheek. "Your determination and courage are commendable, and I have every confidence that you will achieve your goals.", he confessed. He wasn't in the business of bringing anybody down, or destroying their dreams for the sake of prudence; as he saw it, teaching was precisely the opposite.

James paused for a moment, considering her request for help in becoming an Animagus. It was a serious and complex process, one that required careful guidance and mentorship. He knew the risks involved better than most, of course, but he also saw the potential benefits it could bring to her future career as an Auror, if she so desired. At her age, any step she could take towards it would be beneficial, even if she wouldn't finish her process until she graduated, at the least.

"Turning into an Animagus is not a decision to be taken lightly," he explained, his tone serious. Indeed, she also needed to fully realise what it entailed, with no sugar coating, as he figured she would want. "It requires dedication, patience, and a deep understanding of Transfiguration magic.", she certainly had some of those characteristics, but perhaps not others. It would certainly be helpful in a career such as the one she wanted to undertake, but were those really preoccupations that one should have at such a young age?

The more serious look Jay's face had presented relaxed for a moment, before she became too concerned. "But if you are truly committed to this path, then I am willing to assist you in any way I can.". He offered her a reassuring smile, his eyes reflecting his genuine desire to help her succeed. "Well, let it be our first healthy disagreement then", he retorted to her last remark, "You'll neither need just my help, nor is my help something to be given and taken lightly.", if she thought she had confidence and sureness of herself, then she would find a whole new level of it in him.

[Constance Moody]

Connie watched her own determination reflected back at her in the face of her professor. There was a tension in his jaw, but patience in his voice. Although there was a twinge of something else…annoyance? Listening to his unspoken warning as he warned her that his help was not given lightly. 

“Apologies, Professor.” Connie’s posture relaxed slightly. “I do not take your help lightly. Most people take one look at me and assume that I can’t handle complex magic. That I shouldn’t be chasing dark wizards. Then they hear who my grandfather was and they seem to think that I need to be sheltered away. As if my grandfather’s enemies will come after me too and therefore I need to be protected.

I want your help, Professor. I don’t take it lightly. I don’t think I could do it alone, but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t try. It just probably wouldn’t turn out very well. I don’t want to do this without your help, Professor.” Connie looked down at the textbook in her lap and the pages that she had dog-eared. “I can be a bit…. pig-headed at times, Professor. My apologies. I just really want to become an Animagus.”

Connie raised her chin and met Professor’s Boreal’s eye. “I have determination in spades. Patience…” She tipped her head to the side for a split second and her eyebrows shot up for a moment, as if to say maybe not as much of that. “That isn’t really my strong suit, but I think I can do it if it means being an Animagus. It’s the deep understanding of Transfiguration magic that I don’t have.” Connie broke her gaze with Professor Boreal and lowered her gaze slightly. “Grandpa Mad-Eye used to say that I would run blindly into battle but that Virgil was the strategist. I’ve never been great at making a battle plan, but I know I need to get better at that. Can’t be an auror and catch dark wizards without a strategy. It seems like this would be similar to becoming an auror. I mean, both take immense patience, right?” She looked at her teacher to see if she was being successful in trying to help him understand her own tendencies. 

“If you really will help me become an Animagus, can I ask one more thing of you, Professor?” Her eyes searched his face. What she was about to ask was a very big ask and it may be one that he couldn’t give her. “Will you stay at Hogwarts until I become an Animagus?” She didn’t want her mentor to leave her in the middle of such a transformation. But leaving wasn’t always something that someone had control over. Just look at Grandpa Mad-Eye.

[Professor James W. Boreal]

The young witch's words revealed a depth of determination and vulnerability that resonated with James. She might not even have realised it. And hopefully she wasn't faking it mischievously. One way or another it wouldn't matter, he himself was genuine in wanting to help, and if she was indeed being false about it, the process would uncover it rather painfully. He listened attentively, recognising the weight of her request and the responsibility behind it. Her apology caught him off guard, the and for now he decided it was coming from an earnest place.

"Miss Moody," James began, his tone softening as he met her gaze, "I appreciate your honesty, and your determination is admirable." He obviously couldn't help but see a bit of himself in her, the drive to prove oneself in the face of doubt and adversity. It reminded him of his own struggles and the mentors who had guided him along the way. He reckoned even Minerva would let out a smirk if she could see the irony of James being in the opposite side of this conversation now. "But I wouldn't be doing my job, or be honest with my own feelings, if I wasn't warning you of every danger at every step of the way."

James paused for a moment, considering her comparison between becoming an Animagus and the challenges of being an Auror. There were certainly similarities, he acknowledged, but also crucial differences that required careful consideration and preparation. "Becoming an Animagus does require patience and discipline, much like the skills needed to be an Auror," he agreed, "and indeed many other métiers", he admitted, "and I certainly have no doubt that with your determination, you will excel in whatever you decide to tackle.", he did emphasise you a bit, making sure she understood that however much he or others could help, the process was always deeply personal. "The strategy will come, don't worry", he reassured her, "I'd consider more what you are than what you lack, Connie.", she was eager to know everything at once, he understood. But the animagus process took everything from you, no need to worry what skills one needed to get a job at the Ministry for the moment.

"As for your request," he continued, his expression thoughtful, "I cannot promise to stay at Hogwarts indefinitely, or rather I would be lying if I did.", he explained, "but I will do everything in my power to assist you in your journey to becoming an Animagus." He understood the importance of Connie having a mentor to guide her through such a significant undertaking, and he was determined to offer his support however he could, even if he was away.

He gave her a reassuring smile, his eyes reflecting his genuine belief in her potential. "You have my word, Miss Moody," he assured her, his smile widening to comfort her. It wasn't something he offered easily.