Ever since I heard the word "Animagus" I had this question: Is it the abbreviation of animal-magus or anima-magus?

I mean come on Sirius, with his bark-like laughter and loyalty, is a dog and Pettigrew the traitor is a rat in every aspect of the word!

Summary: Animagus does not mean animal magus, which would obviously be translated animal-wizard, but anima magus, which means soul-wizard. So what would happen if a certain young wizard had the soul of a girl?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and the soul of the wizard

Chapter one: The shape of Harry's soul

Privet Drive was a normal street with its normal houses with normal people, living in them. Every identical-looking house had the same garden fence and perfectly trimmed front garden. The only differences on the outside of the houses were the house numbers next to the door. Nobody seemed to want to draw any attention to themselves and number four made no exception in that. On the contrary, the residents of number four were believed to be the most normal family of Privet Drive and they were very proud of it.

Tragically though they had to hide a terrible, dark secret and their worst fear was somebody might uncover it. Once a year in summer their pleasant, normal lives were destroyed by something completely abnormal that they were forced to give shelter to, from the goodness of their hearts. Yes, their kindness was shamelessly used against them. At least this was what the Dursleys thought. The "abnormalty" didn't quite share their opinion.

His name (because the "abnormality" was actually a person) was Harry Potter and at the moment he was practising the reason, why his relatives thought he ruined their lives: magic, which, after spending five years at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, was very normal thing to Harry.

Usually he wasn't allowed to practise magic during the holidays let alone this particular kind of magic, but since it didn't require the usage of his wand, he didn't have to fear the penalty of going against this particular rule.

The young wizard was nervous, because, after two years of practising, he would finally try to turn into his animagus form; up until then all he had done had been mostly theoretical.

He hoped he'd turn into a stag or a dog, because it would have made his father and father figure proud. Thinking about his godfather, who had given his life for him, he couldn't help but smile at the bittersweet memories. He had originally started his secret animagus training to try to understand his father a little better, but now he was working so hard and making great progress, because he used his fury, regret and even grief after his godfather's death to achieve his goal.

"Well, no sense in delaying this any further," Harry murmured to himself.

Relaxing like he had practised many times before, he tried to find his core, where he knew his animagus form was waiting to be released. When he finally found the blazing white light that he had long come to the conclusion must be his soul, he hesitated. This was the most dangerous part of the transformation and the most difficult transformation he would ever make, because he had no idea, what he would have to turn into. Yet he just glared in determination at the warm fire-like substance in front of him. He had not studied for years to give up now. Channelling his magic and reaching out, he touched the flame.

He registered, with a mind still focused on the magic in charge of what was happening to him, a tingling sensation on his skin and uncomfortable shifting of flesh, similar to the Polyjuice-Potion. "Strange the books all made this sound much more dramatic."

When it finally stopped, he opened one eye hesitantly. "OK, I'm tall...And feel almost normal...In fact I feel too much like I always feel." He lifted what was supposed to be paws, wings, something, other than hands.

Heaving a disappointed sigh, Harry got under the covers of his bed. "I can always try it again tomorrow." Trying his best to clear his mind like Snape taught him to, he drifted off.

"Potter!" a screech, accompanied by loud rattling on the door forced Harry out of his dreamless sleep. "Potter! Wake up and do something useful, you ungrateful brat! Breakfast has to be ready before my sweet Duddidums has to go training!"

Contemplating going back to bed, Harry listened as the steps retreated, but in the end he decided against it and wobbled sleepily and still a little light-headed towards the door. He to made his way to the bathroom slowly, because he felt quite sick.

Shutting the door behind himself, he was about to take off his clothes, when he finally noticed a certain part of anatomy that certainly didn't belong there.

He bit back a scream, with practised ease from all those years he had had nightmares as a child and only been reprimanded and rediculed by the Dursleys. Trying to think rationally he concluded, "OK, I'm a girl. No denying that. Could have been worse. Who could be responsible? Voldemort? Why would he turn me into a girl, when he could kill me instead?...Malfoy? Maybe. He would certainly love that, but I doubt he has the brains and even if he could do that he probably wouldn't. If someone found out it was him, there would be no telling what rumours they would come up with. Snape? Nope. Too scared to be suspected as a deatheater by the Order. Well, if it wasn't my three worst enemies who could it be?" Confused Harry shook his head. There had to be someone left, but who would go through the trouble of turning him into a girl? "The Weasley twins?... No..., they wouldn't pull a prank of this magnitude where they couldn't see it. Dear gods!" Sighing he looked out the window, when he suddenly noticed his half-transparent new reflection. It looked almost like himself. Well, his normal self. Short black messy hair that stuck up in the back and green eyes hidden behind thick glasses. "But who did this?" he asked his reflection, which just stared back.

Suddenly Harry realized which person was the most suspicious. "The idiot, who had been training to become an Animagus for two years! Of course!" Hegaped, but slowly it turned into a superior smirk, which he gave his reflection, like a muggle detective that had just proven someone guilty, before breaking into fits of laughter.

With a small effort Harry found himself in a boy's body again. He was just glad that turning back was much easier, since the form was so familiar.

A week later at two o'clock in the morning Harry had packed his things. He just couldn't take it any more. Having spent almost a month caged inside the house he finally knew how his new ability could be of use to him.

He was about to throw his Invisibility-cloak over himself, when he had second thoughts. "Why am I doing this? To show Dumbledore just how immature I really am? Sirius was able to endure months of being imprisoned in Grimmauld Place."

The boy sighed. He still couldn't let this opportunity of freedom pass, besides if he was careful, nobody would ever find out. The Order had sent him a letter that day informing him that he couldn't come, because it was far safer at Privet Drive, but Harry knew he'd snap if he had to spent the whole summer with the Dursleys.

Sneaking down the stairs he was quite grateful that the Weasleys had cast a featherlight-charm on his trunk, as he carried it down the stairs easily.

He made his way to the back door slowly. As he stood in front of it, he turned around one last time, before shoving his doubts aside, as he opened it, slipping outside. He knew that the watchers (tonight it was Dung, which was an additional factor in his favour) were always observing the front door.

A few hours later the once again normal Dursley-family was happy to note that the abnormality had left their house again. In its freakish way of course: in the middle of the night of course, without any warning whatsoever. Well, at least it was just one summer left, until they were free of this menace forever and could live happily ever after in number four Privet Drive that looked so remarkably like every other house in the neighbourhood.