Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Harry Potter and any of it's characters nor do I own the film series.
Author's Notes: I hope you like my story. Please tell me what you think whether it be negative or positive. I would appreciate your opinion on this story.
The Begining
It was the 1st of September and Platform Nine 3/4 was already filled with parents and students. The older students grouped with friends leaving their parents to talk amongst themselves. The first years stayed with their parents and guardians like they were their bodyguards. However all were filled with happieness at the prospects of going Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Well all but one who sat on her trunk having a staring competition with the concrete floor with the hood of her jacket over her head and her hair hanging in front of her face.
Stood next this girl was Remus Lupin at the age of 28. She was under his guardianship and had been for about two years. Remus looked down at his niece and sighed. He had felt the same way on his first day, like him, his niece was different to other students. Although her difference did not come in the form of Lycanthropy, it came in a different form.
"Trust me it's going to be fine, Ariadne" He said with a reassuring tone crouching down so he was level with his eleven year old niece who was still perched on her trunk.
"No it's not. Did you hear what that lady in the Uniform shop said to her son when you asked the shopkeeper for the clothes to be charmed? She said 'Oh so Dumbledore is still letting their kind come to school, such a shame people with tainted blood like theirs weren't all wiped out'" She said back with anger in her voice.
"No, I didn't hear that. Was that why you looked upset when we came out of the shop?..." He asked. Ariadne lifted her head and nodded. "People like that woman have no right to have such an attitude. Ignore anyone who says such awful things." Remus said. "I'll try to write every week unless there's an...incident"
"Ok, that sounds good. At least I can talk to someone." Ariadne said back. She understood exactly what 'incident' could happen to prevent her uncle from writing. In fact every Full Moon was marked down in a dairy.
Remus looked at his clock. "We better get you on the train."
Five minutes later. Ariadne found herself sat in an empty cabin, looking at her uncle who stood back on the platform by a pillar in the shadows. He nodded to her then Disapparated at once.
The train began to pull away and Ariadne took a deep breath before closing her eyes. She planned to sleep through the journey up the Scotland.
Two knocked came from the door of her cabin, causing her eyes to open quickly and her muscles to instantly tense. Two red headed identical twins stood at the door along with two older boys who looked like their elder brother. The oldest boy pulled back the door. "Could my brothers please sit with you, there no other room and they're not allowed on the prefect carriage?" He asked.
Ariadne shrugged. "Yeah, if they want." She answered.
The twins walked in dragging their trunks behind them. "Right, you two no messing around." The second brother said to the twins with a serious tone.
"Yes, Percy." The twins said in union.
"If there's any problems you get either me or Percy." The first brother said again before leaving.
"Yes, Charlie." Once again the two twins spoke in union.
Their elder brothers walked away leaving the twins to sit down. "I'm Fred Weasley" One of them said putting his hand out to Ariadne with a smile of utter confidence.
"I'm George Weasley." The second twin said also grinning.
"I'm Ariadne Lupin." Ariadne said to them.
Over the next few hours Ariadne found herself very fond of the Weasley twins and their future plans wreak havoc on their brother Percy. She even found herself giving tips on how to use a waterbomb to it's full pranking potential as they walked up the steps the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
They were told instructions few of which she and the twins listened to because they were taking bets on who would be in which house by gambling their new Chocolate Frog Cards.
"I bet my Dumbledore he gets put in Slytherin." Fred whispered in her ear.
"I bet my Sir Richard Charmers, he's in Ravenclaw." Ariadne whispered back as she shook Fred's hand behind her back.
"You two at the back, silence please." Professor McGonagall shouted at the pair who looked at their feet, portending to be ashamed as George sniggered. "The Sorting Hat will call out your name and you will come up and sit on the seat to be sorted. This way now, follow me"
The first year huddled together and began to follow Professor McGonagall through the large oak doors into the Great Hall. Their heads turned up the roof which showed the night sky with faces of utter amazement. "That's awesome. I wonder if you can charm it to be what you want. Fred, we could make it rain" George whispered to his twin who's smile grew bigger.
"Great. Our new target is to charm the roof to do what we want by the time we leave Hogwarts." Fred announced before the group came to a halt.
The Sorting Hat sat on a wooden chair looking as tatty as ever. It's leather was weather beaten and ripped. One of these rips made the shape of a mouth. The hat suddenly sprung to life and began to sing about his job and the houses available to go in.
Though the Sorting Hat made a rather rude comment about a certain Slytherin student named Alfie Wican who had tried transfigured the Sorting Hat into a pair of underwear, the Hat was not stopped. Even Dumbledore was chuckling at the Hat's comment.
Tom Alder was first to be sorted and was placed in Hufflepuff. Ariadne looked across the teacher's table, judging the faces of her new teachers. One teacher seemed to be constantly scowling. Another was a rather small man who kept checking his plate for food and at the end was a ghost who was fast asleep in the chair which he hovered above.
"Lupin, Ariadne." Professor McGonagall called out.
Ariadne took a deep breath then squeezed through the group until she was face to face with Professor McGonagall who gestured to the chair. Ariadne walked quickly to the chair and sat down before the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
"Hmm... This is interesting... Let me think." The Sorting Hat said. The hat thought for a long time. It debated with itself in a quiet voice. "You'll do well in Gryffindor!" The Hat exclaimed causing Ariadne's ears to ring as the large shout fired into her eardrums.
The Gryffindor table broke into large cheers upon hearing yet another first year had joined their house.
Ariadne hopped on the chair then placed the Sorting Hat on the seat. She walked towards the Gryffinfor table, her eyes scanned up and down the table in search of a place to sit.
A Prefect girl with jet black hair who was sat next to Charlie Weasley moved up one. "You can sit here if you want." Charlie said gesturing to the space.
"Welcome to Gryffinfor, Ariadne. I'm Susanna MacFusty" The prefect who had moved for Ariadne said with a very prominent Scottish accent, the moment Ariadne had sat down.
"Thanks." Ariadne said before looking up at the rest of the students in her year who still waited to be Sorted into a House. A few more students passed until it was the twins turn.
"Weasley, Fred."
Fred strode confidently onto the stage and plunked himself on the chair. The hat hadn't even touched his head before it shouted. "Gryffindor! Most certainly Gryffindor!"
Charlie and his friends cheered loudly and Percy only clapped his hands and gave a nod of aproval.
George was next to go up. The sat turned to George. "There's not two of you is there! Oh Merlin! You're in Gryffindor lad, I can tell you that from here." The Hat said.
George laughed and then charged after Fred. The Weasley twins sat across from Ariadne and next to Percy who didn't looked to pleased about them sitting next to him.
Most students were given Houses until it finally came to David Zechariah who was placed in Ravenclaw.
"I win the bet." Ariadne said when the boy took his seat among his new fellow Ravenclaw students.
"But...fine..." Fred dug his hand into his pocket and handed over the Chocolate Frog card to Ariadne.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like you to welcome back Professor B. Waterbury, who will be taking over the post as Defence Against The Dark Art's teacher!" Dumbledore said as a tall lanky looking man at the end of the head table stood up.
The new teacher had sandy hair and wore a grey business suit, rather than the usual robes worn by Wizard. His nose also looked like it had broken at someone point in his life. He was in his mid thirties.
Professor Waterbury smiled slightly as the students clapped for their newly acquired D.A.D.A teacher then quickly sat back down again.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. Mr Filch, our school caretaker also wished me to remind you that no magic is too be used between lessons in the corridors and now for the food." Dumbledore flicked his wand causing food to appear on the tables in stacks and pyramids of deliciousness.
"I heard he's an ex-Auror." Charlie said to Susanna.
"I did too. My cousin says he came out of the job to help teach after Dumbledore asked him to. He also said Professor Waterbury is a Shifter and a dangerous one at that." Susanna said back.
Ariadne shifted nervously in her seat and glanced at Professor Waterbury who was now talking to Professor Flitwick, the Charms master.
"You won me at the bet so, here's the card." Fred said digging his hand into the back pocket of his trousers although Ariadne was not listening, she had seen this Professor Waterbury before.
He had been one of four Auror's to arrive at her home after the murder of her parents two years ago closely followed by her uncle and three Healers. He had also been at the trial last year.
Fred followed her gaze. "Do you know him?" He held out the Chocolate Frog Card.
Ariadne quickly turned her head and created a lie as an excuse. "I've seen him before, probably in Diagon Alley." She lied. "You can keep the card. I think I have one at home."
"Yeah, you probably did." George added before kicking Fred under the table raising his eyebrow at his twin.
The Weasley twins could tell she was hiding something. They wondered why she had never mentioned her parents yet had mentioned a uncle called Remus who seemed to get ill or have accidents a lot by the sounds it.
A week later, Ariadne was enjoying her schooling but avoided her D.A.D.A teacher, fearing he would bring up what happened two years ago.
"Oi! First year!" A Slytherin student shouted as Ariadne sat drawing alone on the grass embankment that faces Hagrid's little hut.
Ariadne looked up then gulped. It was the boy who had heard about her need for her uniform to be charmed and behind him were a group of four grim looking Slytherin students in their sixth year. She had learnt from Charlie Weasley that he was Wallace Redbird and was reknown for being a bully. They walked over, Wallace took the book from Ariadne's hands and looked at it.
"A note book full of animal pictures? So it's true you're one of those Faye freaks?" Wallace said.
Ariadne quickly got to her feet and began walking away, her book could easily be replaced. One of the boys grabbed her by the elbow and twisted her around then pushed her to Wallace.
"Come on, show us." Wallace teased. "You're a monster, you know! I don't care if that Professor is one. You're both monsters. The whole lot of you are. It's a shame your sort didn't get wiped out. You don't belong here or anywhere." He hissed with a harsher tone.
"Come on, Shifter! Change!" Another shouted, nipping her arm so hard that it would leave her with a nasty bruise on her bicep.
"No. Leave me alone" She said back but she could feel it. Her Faye lineage had been triggered. It had happened before when the Death Eaters came. Her eyes changed red like freshly spilt blood and the colour left her skin. Like this her magic would easily triggered, uncontrollable in fact.
"Why should we, changeling?" Wallace pushed her backwards.
Ariadne could feel the air getting hotter as her skin became colder. She had to get anyway to calm herself down. She had to find somewhere where there was no people.
A flash of grey light radiated off her skin, temporally blinding those around her. Ariadne then showed her true colours and shape shifted into the form of a kestrel.
She flew into the air, leaving the group of bullies shouting and running for any teacher to expel her for blinding them. She circles the school, looking for a place where she could not hear the voices of other students or even teachers.
After a minutes of so, she flew onto the rim of the west tower's roof. Here she became her human form and sat down with her knees hanging over the edge. Her fists were still curled and her eyes remained crimson as anger still surged through her.
Ariadne knew what she was and that was a Shifter. She knew by now the whole school would know what she was and Professor Snape would be trying to get her expelled for supposedly hurting his students.
Her father had also been a Shifter along with many of her ancestors. Shifters could change into any animal, whether it was from the Wizarding World or from the Muggle. Being a Shifter was something that was inherited down a family where someone had a child which was half Magic Born and Fay. The gene that caused Shifters sometimes skipped a generation or more in a family but it would live on as a dormant gene until it decided to awaken again. However Shifters were a rare occurrence in the Magic Community. Shifters were looked down upon by many 'pure bloods' due to their so called 'tainted blood'. After the Wizarding War, their numbers were dwindling and Ariadne was the youngest known Shifter alive.
Not only could they change into animals, they also had enhanced reflexes, agility and balance. These were what were stopping her from falling from this great height. Then again even if she did fall all she would have to do is change into an animal which could fly.
When she found herself calm once more, Ariadne stood up and changed into a kestrel again and flew towards, Gryffindor Tower. She counted the windows as she hovered.
When she came the number 123 on the left side, she flew towards the window that was left open. Ariadne was soon tumbled onto the wooden floor of her dorm room.
Luckily, Angelina, Alicia and Selene were out and so was the majority of Gryffindor.
Everyone at school did find out. Though it was only a few in Slytherins who dared to call her a monster. However the school's staff believed it would be a good idea if she received lessons specialised to her talents after her ordinary lessons. These ones were simular to the ones taught to Nymphadora Tonks, only Ariadne's were taught by Professor Waterbury and not a metamorphmagi from Hogsmead and she was taught to control her Shifter abilities.
Over the next five years, Ariadne partook in a few of George and Fred's pranks such as stealing the Marauder's Map. She became their best friend and spent many summers with them and their family. She was at the top of classes and was a Chaser for her house. Her excellent reflexes, agility and balance made her a risk taker when it came to flying. Being knocked to the ground in Quidditch almost was impossible to her. If she fell off her broom all she had to do was become a bird. However once she had done this and recieved a Bludger to the left wing.
