Rat.
Bloody hell, out of all the animals he could've been, Peter Pettigrew's was a rat.
He never really cared about rodents before, but Peter is forced to accept his animagus form, just to match how James and Sirius dearly loved theirs.
Peter doesn't even know how rats lived in the first place. Is he supposed to know all things rat-related from now on? Know thyself and flobberworms or something.
Oh Merlin, will he start craving cheese now that his animagus traits will start showing? This would totally suck considering Peter has such a bad stomach for anything dairy.
Just thinking about rat droppings makes Peter shudder in disgust.
His animagus form wasn't even one of those big feral rats he saw infesting the sewers of muggle London.
No, he was a little snowball-like furry creature who, objectively speaking, almost looks a bit cute.
If Remus won't be eating him alive once he finds out about the marauders' epic surprise project they've been working on for months then James' animagus accidentally stepping on him is the sure end of Peter Pettigrew's life.
He banged his head on the table and groaned from his unfortunate situation and the pain of hitting his head too hard.
Peter laments how he should've researched the process to become a lion animagus instead of finding ways to remove the taste of mandrake leaf so he could enjoy his meal.
The time Peter spent pestering Professor Sprout was such a waste when he later found out that you really can't do anything about the foul, bitter taste of the leaf without messing up its supposed properties. In short, the mandrake won't work if it doesn't taste like the soil of the Forbidden Forest.
Peter stops his spiralling thoughts and slaps his cheek. Focus Peter, you're here to research rodent animagi. He slaps his cheek once more for good measure.
It will be purely coincidental, he reasons to himself, if the books he happens to read are about reverse animagi transformations and the possibility of changing an animagus form instead of his original intended purpose.
Convinced with his flimsy excuse, Peter goes to look for all the book titles that sound like they might have a connection to the topic he had in mind, while reluctantly picking up a book or two on rodents that he chances upon.
A few hours later, Remus finds Peter hunched over a stack of books and completely engrossed in reading.
Rarely do you see the marauders, aside from Remus Lupin, that is, visiting the Hogwarts' library. The others always acted as if Madam Pince had personally warded it from them three to keep the havoc wreaking marauders out. And also considering Sirius' extreme allergy to boring school stuff.
Peter out of the three was the most likely to pay the good ol' Hogwarts library a visit, so Remus wasn't too apprehensive with this strange occurrence, but you can't blame the poor curious wizard for stealing a peek at the book titles his friend was so focused on.
Is Peter reading books about...rodents?
Remus cleared his throat to make his presence known to Peter, who looked unaware of his table visitor.
"Peter, is there a rat infestation that I don't know about?"
Remus Lupin surprised the wizard, who was so absorbed in his internal dilemma that he made a small jump from his seat in shock.
"Remus! Godric, you scared me. When did you get here? I'm almost done here, let me just--"
Peter tries to discreetly put the books linking to animagi out of the other wizard's watchful eye. Remus Lupin's head tilts in curiosity as to why Peter is acting so suspicious.
Even if Remus' senses aren't heightened, he can smell the bull his friend is spouting. But he decides not to confront the wizard because Peter has been more skittish around him lately after finding out the truth behind his 'sick' days each full moon.
Remus Lupin felt like the weight on his chest lessened now that he doesn't have to lie to the marauders, although telling them was easily the scariest moment in his life. It marginally beat the moment he was cursed to eternally suffer becoming a werewolf. But then again, Remus was just a child so the details were blurry and felt like a nightmarish fever dream when he unfortunately recalls the memory.
"Rat infestation, you say? There's absolutely none or whatsoever. I'll let you know if I do come across one, you'll be the first one to know."
Peter laughs nervously as he quickly packs all the books away and sends them back to the shelf. Remus raises an eyebrow at the shoddy behaviour of Peter.
"R-right! I was just curious about umm...rats. Like have you ever wondered if there are any lactose-intolerant ones? Very fascinating stuff!"
Remus looks unconvinced so Peter decided to switch tactics.
"Bollocks, my back is killing me. Let's go and take a walk right now Remus. I badly need a walk, join me yeah?"
Peter stands up, wraps an arm around the other wizard, and forcefully ushers Remus out of the library. He distracts the wizard by asking about his defence in dark arts homework.
The wizard's face lights up at his friend's interest in Remus' favourite subject, and he is just glad that even if he is cursed with lycanthropy, their bond as friends is stronger than prejudice.
Peter was internally berating himself for the close call. If Remus finds out about their surprise, Sirius and James are going to flip a broomstick and be so pissed.
Morgana, please help him.
If everyone finds out that Sirius and James are cross with him, it'll be an open invitation for the people that the marauders' pranked to finally get their revenge on a marauder.
They'll probably curse Peter Pettigrew six ways from Sunday.
"You bloody idiots! Are the lot of you barking mad? Who in their right mind would become an unregistered animagus?!"
Remus was in full McGonagall-level lecture mode with his friends. Especially with the full moon just an hour away, Remus was getting grouchier and grouchier by the second as his wolf self slowly started surfacing.
Peter and James were sheepish in front of the big angry werewolf, while Sirius was grinning with his inborn smugness.
The balls of goblin-forged steel that Sirius Black has while facing a pissed-off Remus Lupin was a skill he developed all thanks to his unlovely mother. Sirius doesn't really like talking about that hag, but he has to give credit where it's due.
Remus growls at the absurdity of the situation and starts to pull at his hair due to stress. He wanted to bite his friends' heads off, and it wasn't only the wolf talking.
Shit.
Remus didn't know whether to cry or maul his friends and is honestly torn between the choices. He blames the wolf hormones messing with his feelings.
The angry boy let out a defeated sigh, who had unwillingly accepted the situation.
"You absolute wankers! If my wolf looks like it'll h-hurt you...I want you guys to run as far as possible immediately and stay the fuck away from me."
Sirius senses the grim expression on Remus' face and turns somewhat sombre. It was very odd to see Sirius Black acting like his homophonic namesake, and it made Peter dread more.
Merlin, please save everyone's balls.
James slaps a steady hand on the distressed Peter and a crestfallen Remus. He nods at Sirius, and the disgraced Black nods back at him. A telepathic conversation is going on as Sirius hangs an arm around both Remus and Peter.
"I don't want to hurt you guys or anybody at all."
James nods at Remus to show that he understands and Remus continues talking feeling less angry because his usually devil-may-care friends are taking this seriously.
"Accepting me after finding out about my situation is all I could honestly ask for. I know that you guys became animagi for me and I'm grateful even though it's such a foolish thing to do,"
"I'll let you guys give it a try—"
"YES!"
"I wasn't done talking Sirius." The wizard sulks at being scolded and Remus coughed to get everyone's attention.
"But if it doesn't work, promise me that you leave."
The three nodded their heads. Sirius begrudgingly complied to his condition and Remus smiles for the first time since finding out about his friends becoming unregistered animagi.
"I always thought I had shitty luck but maybe all my luck went to finding me friends like you mad lads."
Sirius starts gagging at his friend's sharing sickening sweet words. James starts teasing Sirius' intolerance for affection and starts spouting more cliche and cheesy ones at the expense of a miffed Sirius Black.
Peter, who couldn't make himself look at Remus, gathered the small sense of courage he has and flashed a shaky smile at the wizard. Remus returned the smile, laughing with Peter at how they were all acting.
James and Sirius, who watched the exchange between their two friends in respectful silence, tightened their hold before releasing everyone.
Sirius started egging on James in retaliation and James, as expected, never backs down. Everyone's mood lighter but anxious for what's to come.
The four of them waited till the moon started to show. They were all extremely nervous but chose to hide behind small banters and their inside jokes for comfort.
The marauders might've started out as four 11-year-old boys who only had their house name in common. But the bond they've forged through the years of pranking the whole school body only strengthened through their years at Hogwarts.
Tonight’s full moon was the start of many long nights the four Gryffindors will share together.
When the moon finally showed its face, a silver wolf can be seen running in the forest and playing with a black dog at its heels, a stag with a rat perched on its back can be also seen close to the odd scene the four paint.
This night also marked the start of a brotherhood between friends that felt like it would never be broken.