The two witches left the hall and went to the forest, talking and exchanging ideas about their last project. The younger one wanted to become an animagus.
Minerva was not happy about the idea, her friend was too young but she was intelligent and brave enough to do it and she helped her, training her on their free time and easing her sorrow for her parent's death. She has become her daughter and she was proud of her.
Hermione saw her mentor as the family she had left. Their parents died after their plane crashed over the sea on their way to Australia. It was bad luck that she tried so hard to save them for the Dark Lord to kill them and they died in such a muggle way. She wanted to prevent more death and she saw her opportunity to get involved spying for the order. She asked her mentor for help and after a few hours talking about this, she accepted.
x
It was that the third time we came to the clearing and Minerva was happy about my application and for my progress. Last time, she told me I got a tail and she could see white fur over my back.
"Hermione, it's important for your change, to focus on yourself and forget all the problems and concerns you could have. You have to relax and feel the animal you are calling." Minerva said
I nodded and I sat on the floor crossing my legs and starting to focus on my breath. It was easier each time and I felt powerful. I let my mind follow my intuition and to search inside for the animal who was running from me. It was fast and I could see it was big. I started to feel a tickling over my body and I felt my body changing slowly. I stood and I tried to ask Minerva if she saw something different and I surprised myself growling at her.
"Hermione, you did it! You are so beautiful!" Minerva said
I looked at her puzzled and I tried to walk near her before I realized that I had four white legs.
"Hermione, try to see yourself as a human and you will change back," Minerva said and I did as she asked.
"I did it! Minerva, I did it!" I yelled
"Yes, my child, and I am proud of you" she said holding me, "Your animagus form is a familiar to mine so I'm happy for that too. You are like a daughter to me; you know that, don't you?" she asked
"You are like a mother to me, you were my rock when I lost my parents and you helped me with my project," I told her.
"Now, we have the difficult part convincing my dear Albus that you will be able to help the order. He will try to test you oclumency and legilimens maybe he will ask Severus to test you also," she said. "Now we need to rest and we will talk with him tomorrow."
"Do you mind if I stay a little longer?" I asked her smiling
" I thought you would do it, you can just remember to be tomorrow at the hall for breakfast. After eating we will go to see the headmaster." She said smiling and leaving the clearing.
I saw her leaving and I changed back to my animagus form; I wanted to see what animal it was, she did not tell me and I was curious. I went to the pound and I checked my reflection on the water; I was a white panther. I had some black dots but I was almost entirely white. I purred with joy and I started to run around enjoying the feeling of freedom that Minerva told me this form would give me.
I sat near the pound and I rest my head on my paws. After some minutes, I heard a noise and I was alert. I growled softly warning the intruder and I heard a growl back. Suddenly I saw a movement on the shadows and a black panther came near me. It was big, a lot bigger than I was. It looked at me and growled again. I just kept my head down not knowing what to do. I felt it was an animagus but I couldn't see who could be. It came close to me, circling me and I whimpered afraid. It was an alpha male and it was demanding my submission to his power.
I slowly moved farther from him and he growled again warning me to stay still. It glared at me and I was scared. He bit my nape pinning me down for some minutes before pulling away. I remembered something I read about the wolves and I lied on my back showing him the weakest part of my body, showing my submission and acceptance of his power over me. He came and sniffed me before pushing me, making me lie on my stomach. He lay on the ground near me and put his big head on my shoulder. I calmed down knowing that he accepted me as a member of his pack. He would protect me and I would follow him.
I fell asleep and he woke me up near dawn. He pushed me directing me to the castle and followed him to the hall. he licked my face and disappeared into the shadows. I went to my room and I changed my clothes. I let my hair down and I run to the hall for breakfast. I was starving.
The headmaster made a single table for the staff and the students. We were not many and he said it was useless to have five tables. I sat near Minerva and she asked me if I had a good night sleep. Before I could answer, an owl arrived and I took the letter tied to his leg.
'Do not speak about last night. Go to the room of requirements after your meeting with the head of your house.'
That was all, no name and a meeting. I looked at Minerva and I saw she was waiting for an answer.
"I run and played a little, eventually, I came back to the castle and I fell asleep fast. We will go to see the headmaster after finishing breakfast?" I asked her.
"Yes, I told him I had some news to tell him. He is already there as he had a meeting with Severus." She said smiling.
We left the hall and we talked while walking to see the headmaster. She said the password and she knocked the door waiting for an answer.
Dumbledore was talking with Snape and he waved us to enter. Snape just nodded and left fast leaving us alone.
"Minerva, Miss Granger, how can I help you?" he asked
"Dear, show him, it will be better." She said and I change my form walking next to him and I nuzzled his hand with my head. He laughed and patted me for a while.
"Minerva, your little cub is just beautiful. Miss Granger change back and we can talk about this." Dumbledore said. "I'm proud of you my dear, become an animagus is not easy and you did it rather quickly. How many times did you try?"
"Three times professor. Minerva helped me a lot," I said smiling
"We need to see how you can help us with your new form. We usually induct the members of the order after graduation but you can help us using your new form. I need you consider my offer and give me an answer as soon as possible." Dumbledore said
"Headmaster, I don't need to think about this, I will do everything I need to help Harry fighting Riddle." I said, "That is why I asked Minerva's help to become an animagus, to be able to spy for the order."
"Are you efficient on oclumency?" he asked
"Yes and also in legilimens, you are free to test me whenever you want," I told him and I felt him trying to break my walls. 'No dear headmaster, it's not polite to do this without asking first, but if you want I can show something to laugh about like Hagrid wearing a pink dress'
"Miss Granger! I'm beyond words, you not only felt me as soon as I tried to enter to your mind but you also were able to talk to me!" Dumbledore said, "How did you do that?"
"A lot of work and it helped me when I was grieving for my parent's death," I said softly.
"I see, I will speak with the rest of the order to organize your induction and I will tell you the date. Is good that this happened over the summer so you can train before your friends arrive for the last year. I also wanted to tell you to call me Albus, you will be a partner of the order now, just remember to call me headmaster or professor when people are around us. Now go rest, Hermione.
"Albus, Minerva, see you at lunch," I said nodding and leaving the room.
I was anxious about my next meeting with the animagus. He was my alpha and I did not know who he was. I walked to the ROR putting my hand on my robe's pockets, finding a note inside.
'Enter the room as an animagus to recognize you before showing myself to you.'
Again not names, he was rather mysterious and I was nervous. I arrived at the room and I pushed the door before changing my body. I entered and I closed the door with my head. I walked into a forest and I found a pound in the middle. I sat near the water and I waited. I heard him growled and I saw him walking slowly circling me again. I lied down putting my head between my paws and I looked down. He took my nape with his jaw and bit me softly. I whimpered but I did not resist. He bit my ear softly and I looked into his eyes. His black eyes.
I gasped and I thought how stupid I was to not realized before. Black panther, black eyes, and an alpha male. There was only one person who fits the role. I nuzzle his neck and he purred softly nodding. I changed to my human form, sitting near the pound playing with the water.
"Miss Granger, are you ok?" he asked
"Yes sir, I'm feeling stupid for not recognized you before, it was easy if I read the signs," I said. "So how this is going to work now?"
"As a member of my pack, you will work with me; Albus told me about your induction so I will be your mentor." He said, "Does this bother you? Being in my little pack of two?"
"No, it rather an honor sir," I said looking into his eyes
"You may call me Severus when we are alone. We will go to see Dumbledore, to explain this situation. I did not tell him about my animagus form and he doesn't know about our pack." He said looking nervous, "did it bother you that I touched you as an animagus?"
"No, it's ok. At least you can understand what could bother me or not. Harry and Ron will be mad about this and the induction so it could be nice to have somebody who can understand how I feel." I told him
"As your alpha, it's my work now to do it. Remember if you need my help, I will be there, just do not expect me to follow you teenager's antics." He said leading me to the door.
Albus stared at us trying to guess what we were doing together.
"Severus, Hermione, how can I help you?" he asked.
"Albus, there is something I never told you and I hide from you all these years. I feel guilty and now I needed to tell you because the circumstances changed.." Severus said
"Are you trying to tell me about your animagus form?" Albus asked
"How do you know about this?" Severus asked
"I knew we had an unregistered animagus on the castle, you just confirmed this now. Ok, show me your animal form." Albus said and Severus changed sitting down. "Ah, nice one, so how this will work for you?"
Severus came next to me and glared at me, asking me to change into my animagus form. After I change I lied down looking at the floor and he lied near me putting his head on my shoulder showing his dominant position over me.
"So, you are the alpha of the pack. Change back and we will talk about this and how to use this to our profit." Albus said smiling
We change bask and we sat near the hearth drinking some tea with the headmaster.
"Did you know that as a pack you will have a connection? Maybe you will be able to use it." Albus said
"We need to research about the possibilities of this connection. Are we going to tell the order about this?" Severus asked.
"We will have to do it; if there will be a mission for the two of you, the order needs to know in order to protect you. We will have to deal with Harry and Ron reaction, so we have to do this carefully." Albus said, "now, it's time for lunch, my friends and after you need to start working on your partnership and Severus you need to prepare her for the meeting tomorrow."
We ate together again and I went to my room to change my clothes for something fitting for training. We meet on the ROR again and he started to teach me how to defend myself without magic. It was hard and he did not relent telling me that I need to be efficient in order to help him on the field. After three hours, I took a shower and I sat on the couch waiting for him to finish his shower.
"Hermione, wake up; we need to go to the hall for supper" I heard Severus telling me.
"Five more minutes please," I muttered and he chuckled, making me sat up quickly "Were you laughing at me?"
"You sounded like a five years old whining for more sleep when you slept all the afternoon." He said and he pulled me up. "If you want after supper we can go to the clearing"
"That could be nice, but what are we going to say if Minerva asked me?" Severus said.
"After supper, we will talk with her and explain what happened, try not to relay too much in the alpha aspect. She would get mad about this," He said pinching this nose.
"Maybe it could be better if we show her. I can tell her to come with me to the clearing and you could join us. She will understand as she is an animagus too." I said and he nodded.
We sat and I started to talk to Minerva about a project I have combining potions and Charms. She was interested and she gave me some good ideas. I saw Severus glaring at me and I sighed.
"Minerva, would you like to go to the clearing tonight with me?" I asked.
"Of course dear, I do not like you to go alone; we can leave after dinner." She said smiling and I nodded to Severus.
Tonight was warm and the clearing was hot so I was thinking of swimming a little after we show her our pack. We run together as animagus, she was trying to keep with me until I told her to sit on my back and I took her quickly to the pound. We changed to human form and she transfigured a bench asking to sit near her.
"Hermione, I know you are worried about the meeting tomorrow, your friends will come around and they will help you." She said smiling.
"I think that they will have too much to take tomorrow. Please, I need you to stay by my side please." I told her
"I think there is something you wanted to tell me tonight." She said, "do not worry; I will be there for you always."
There was a noise and she stood up quickly. She got her wand on her hand and searched for a potential danger.
"Minerva, it's ok, just look over the shadows," I told her and a big black panther entered the clearing.
"What? Who is this?" she asked.
I changed and I ran to my alpha, running and jumping around trying to make him play. He growled at me, telling me that we had better things to do and I look down appalled. Minerva came next to us and looked at the connection between us.
"So Hermione, did you find a pack? How do you know if you can truth him?" She asked.
Severus growled and changed, startling Minerva.
"I thank you for your confidence, Minerva, I will never hurt you little cub." He sneered.
"Sorry Severus, but I did not know you were an animagus. Are you her alpha?" she asked
"Yes, and she will be my partner in the order. You know how this work when you found a pack like an animagus." He said, "I will protect her in our missions."
"I know Severus. Tomorrow in the meeting, will you show your animagus form and we will induct her into the order. Harry and Ron will be mad and we will have to deal with that. Try to stay quiet and not show too much about the alpha thing." Minerva said
"Minerva, I will try but you know that the animal instinct is strong. I will try for her sake." Severus said petting me. "She is an unusual panther."
"Is the first time I saw one like this. Ok, I will leave you, just take her to her room later." Minerva said leaving.
He changed back and growled playfully at me, he wanted to play. I looked at him and I walk to the pound jumping into the water. He followed me and we played and swam. After some minutes, he lied onshore and curled next to him. He lapped my ears and put his head on my shoulder falling asleep quickly.