Rise Of House Cason

Once Artland got back from holidays, he spent his time with the twins and Cedric. Fred and George were wearing knitted sweaters that their mother made them with an F and G on the front. The common room felt homely and warm as laughter filled the room. Art felt Harry was around less, often sneaking off while everyone else enjoyed themselves. Art decided to follow him once but much to his surprise Harry suddenly disappeared.

'Disillusionment Charm? No he is too young. Invisibility Cloak?'

Art silently casted the Disillusionment Charm on himself and followed Harry. It was difficult with his heightened hearing. So they found themselves in an abandoned room in front of a mirror but Art knew they were not alone.

"So- back again, Harry?"

Dumbledore appeared sitting on the desk, looking at Harry kindly. Harry looked like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I- I didn't see you, sir."

"Strange how short-sighted being invisible can make you." Dumbledore said, giving Art a glance that Harry didn't notice. "So you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, sir."

"I expect you've realised by now what it does?"

"It- well- it shows me my family-"

Art had stopped listening as he entered his own thoughts. Mirror of Erised? He read about the ancient mirror in a book. Apparently it shows what your heart most d.e.s.i.r.es.

Soon Harry left and Art cancelled his charm, appearing in front of Dumbledore.

"Socks? Really?" Art said, a little harshly.

Dumbledore smiled sadly, "What do you see Artland?" he asked.

"I don't need a mirror to tell me my hearts d.e.s.i.r.e." Art said, refusing to stand in front of the mirror.

"Do you want your parents to be alive or do you d.e.s.i.r.e revenge for what happened to them?" Dumbledore asked, looking at him deeply.

"Death is permanent, professor. To d.e.s.i.r.e something that is impossible is pointless." Art said, looking Dumbledore in the eye.

"Yes… death is permanent." Dumbledore said quietly, "If you achieve your revenge Art, what will you do after?"

Art shrugged his shoulders, "Travel the world, meet some interesting beasts, get married, have kids, maybe even teach. Who knows?" Art said with a smile, a beautiful blonde girl flashed across his mind.

Dumbledore gave Art a bright smile, "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

Art nodded and headed out of the room.

"Art?"

"Yes professor?"

"I'd prefer it if you stop searching the forest." he said seriously.

Art paused at the doorway. "Do you know what is killing the unicorns?"

"Something evil Art, killing such a pure creature puts a curse on the person or creature. Something a third year shouldn't face." Dumbledore warned.

Art looked at the ground and said, "True but I'm not a normal third year."

Art left the room and headed back to the common room. He saw Harry there, laughing with Ron and Hermoine. Art silently took out his wand and put a tracking spell on Harry, in case he needed to find him while he was using that pesky invisibility cloak.

Feeling the spell worked, Art put his wand away and joined Fred and George, who were making a few first years laugh.

Hermione saw Artland and eagerly ran up to him, asking him questions.

"You know it's a holiday, you don't have to work so hard?" Art said, lightly laughing.

"I have to push myself. There is so much magic to learn." she said, puffing out her cheeks.

"Alright." Art said, shrugging his shoulders. He answered many of her questions and even pulled out his wand to perform a few spells. Soon other first years gathered around and asked their own questions. Art asked Fred and George to demonstrate for him a couple of times, earning some admiration from the crowd.

"Though we can't compare to Art, we are still at the top of our year." Fred said, raising his chin a little pridefully.

"Yeah, if you even knew the things we are capable of." George said pridefully.

Art grabbed the two of them and dragged them away before they said too much.

"Okay okay sorry. Jeez Art you don't know your own strength." Fred complained.

"Actually we wanted to talk to you Art. We nicked something from Filch's office." George said, taking out an old piece of parchment.

Art grabbed the parchment and looked it over in his hands. Though it looked ordinary he could feel magic from it. He took out his wand and muttered a few spells which turned up nothing. He frowned and gave it back to George.

"I don't know what it is used for but there is something special about it."

Fred and George gave a c.o.c.ky smile before they took out their wands. "I solemnly swear that I am not up to no good."

Suddenly lines appeared on the parchment, creating a map.

"It's a map of-"

"Hogwarts." the twins said together. "Not only that though."

Art looked closely and saw little footprints with names hovering over them. "It shows where everyone is in the castle." Art said amazed.

The twins nodded, clearly excited. "With this we will never have to worry about sneaking out." Fred said.

Art looked at the front of the map and saw it was called the Marauder's Map. He looked through it some more before handing it back to Fred and George.

"You two make good thieves." Art teased, looking at them.

Fred snorted and put the map away. They left for their rooms shortly after calling it a night.

Soon school started again and Art found himself busy. In the Room of Requirement, Art was teaching the twins and Cedric about Dueling.

"Dueling is about outsmarting your opponent or overpowering. Since your strength is about equal that latter is out of the question." Art said, talking to the twins and Cedric.

Cedric glanced at the twins before a c.o.c.ky smile appeared on his face. The twins saw this and started to fume.

"Okay pretty boy, let's go." Fred said, standing across from him.

Cedric lined up and raised his wand. Nobody moved for a moment before Fred sent a stunning spell at him. Cedric wasted no time, reflecting the spell and sending his own. He didn't stop there though, his wand movement was fluid and he cast multiple spells at Fred.

Fred was able to ward most of them off and even said a couple of his own back at Cedric. Art smiled and saw what Cedric was up to. Soon Fred took a step left to avoid a spell and his foot suddenly sunk to his knee. Looking down he saw the ground had been turned into swamp. Seeing this opportunity, Cedric hit him with a disarming spell, sending his wand flying.

Art clapped loudly, "Good job Ced. Good fight Fred."

Fred finally freed his leg from the swamp and cursed about his wet foot. Retrieving his wand from the ground, his dried himself off and sent a glare at Cedric who smiled broadly.

"You see how planning ahead works? Ced transfigured the ground early in the duel and continuously attack your left side, forcing you to step towards it." Art explained Cedric's strategy.

Fred gave Cedric another glare but he understood what Art said. Dueling wasn't all about the spells you knew but how you used what you knew. The four of them continued to practice, Art even took three of them on at once, defeating them easily.

Soon April came around and McGonagall summoned the twins, Cedric and Art to her classroom.

"Last year I told you that I would take you to the Ministry to register as animagus. I have already asked the Headmaster for permission to take you four to the Ministry." McGonagall said, giving them stern looks.

They all nodded, not arguing with her. She handed them each a pinch of floo powder and gestured at her fireplace. Art went first, stepping into the fireplace and saying, "Ministry of Magic."

After a flash of green fire, Art coughed and stepped out of the fireplace, dusting himself off.

"Welcome to Level 8 of the Ministry of Magic, the Atrium."

Art remembered what Amelia told him, the Atrium was an area that serves as a lobby and reception room to the visitors and employees. The Atrium is a very long hall with a highly polished dark wood floor. The ceiling is peac.o.c.k blue and is filled with golden symbols that keep moving like a notice board. The walls on each side are covered in gilded fireplaces: the left-hand side ones serving for arrivals and the right-hand side ones for departures. Halfway down the Atrium lays a statue, the Fountain of Magical Brethren.

Soon Cedric, the twins and Professor McGonagall appeared behind Art and stepped out of the fireplace. A guard came forward and asked for my wand and name.

"Artland Cason." he said, handing over his wand. The guard placed his wand on a scale before returning it to Art.

The others had to go through this as well. McGonagall guide them towards an elevator and asked for the 2nd level, Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

'Magical Law Enforcement? I might see Aunt Amelia.'

Soon they arrived and stepped out of the elevator. McGonagall asked for directions to animagus registry which an Auror directed her to a small cubicle where an Auror was sitting.

"Can I help you?" the Auror asked.

"These four are here to register as animagi." McGonagall said, giving them an intense stare.

"Yeah register, like good law abiding citizens." Fred said, joking lightly.

"Artland? Minerva? What are you doing here?"

Art turned and saw Amelia in her black robes with the Ministry logo on the front walk towards them looking worried.

"Madam Bones." the Auror said respectively.

"Madam Bones." Professor McGonagall said. "We are just here to register these students as animagi."

"Animagus?" she said, looking at Art. "They are a bit young."

"Against my advice, they became animagi. Thankfully with no side effects." Professor McGonagall said, giving them a stern glare.

Amelia nodded and gave Art a piercing look. "Well let's see your forms." she said.

The twins went first and both shifted in magpies. The Auror casted a couple of diagnostic spells and found nothing wrong with them. They soon shifted back and signed a paper. Cedric soon did the same, shifting into a beautiful large white and grey wolf. After the Auror finished his spells, Cedric shifted back and signed his name.

All eyes shifted to Art as Amelia tapped her finger waiting for him to shift. Art scratched the back of his head before shifting. Amelia gasped as she saw Art's animagus.

"Wampus…" she muttered.

Art shifted back, "Just a mountain lion." he said, shooting Amelia a look.

The Auror looked at Amelia who nodded her head. Art smile and signed his name, finishing his registration for being an animagus.