First time ever doing this, only read a Harry Potter fanfic the other day and though to myself there aren't enough of these so why not.
Hopefully the first chapter is good, i have a second one in mind but it all depends on weather the readers like this one or not...I really don't know.
Either way hope all who reads it likes it and who knows maybe the second half will be up soon...
Disclaimer...I don't own harry Potter or anything else i may have forgot to mention in this, if i did Hermione would have no way in hell gotten Married to Ron
The great hall was full with students, each filling the four tables by the time Hermione entered. She stood at the entrance to the double doors and scoured the Gryffindor table looking, until she came across the familiar flame red crops of hair that could only belong to the Weasley family, she smiled and began to make her way down the long hall.
'At least they are a hell of a lot easier to find then Harry' she mused as she moved. Remembering the time she and the rest went along to the Quidditch world cup in their first year, she had made the mistake of splitting from them to get food, per Ron's request. She had left them and ended up paying the price come the end after spending almost two hours searching for him when it turned out he had gotten himself lost.
Sitting down next to the boy in question she smiled as they turned to acknowledge her. Ginny smiled brightly across the table on her other side as Neville did the same. Harry nodded his head and Ron repeated the notion. She had to shake her head, when would he learn to stop copying everything the other boy did?
They talked for a little while as the rest of the hall buzzed with chatter and some laughs until a loud coughing had them all quieten as they faced the front to where the professors of the school where situated. From the Herbology teacher to the astronomy all the way up to the heads of the houses and finally the headmaster himself.
Albus Dumbledore was a figure head of authority, standing at the front of the entire school. He radiated power and protection. And being able to tell a hall full of students with a simple cough spoke volumes of the respect he held.
The teachers to, as they all faced the front ready to listen to what he had to say, Snape. Who was the grouchiest teacher Hermione had ever met was well as the most vindictive to the other houses. He had to other teachers divided when it came to his presence. Some was used to his personal demeanour like Dumbledore, and the deputy head. Professor McGonagall those too along with only a few others could put up with ever perpetual smarminess and when he was generally being Snape.
Others like professor Quirall. (When he didn't have Voldemort attached to the back of his head) could hardly be in the same room as him and fleeing whenever he was sin the area.
That was two years ago, the unfortunate darks arts teacher had long since been dead, and so two teacher's later nothing had changed. He was still as angry and feared as ever.
A few kids had started to talk again as the noise level rose slightly only to cease immediately at the very loud almost cat like hiss from the deputy head, along with a pointed glare had them falling silent straight away, something that made Hermione smirk at.
Along with Dumbledore McGonagall or Minerva to only a very select few had almost the same amount of power and authority he did. Fear certainly, as many a time the third year Gryffindor had heard kids as she passed by talk about just how strict the Transfiguration teacher was. And how she kept her classes in line with her no nonsense stance on general idiocy.
The increasing fear factor along with the knowledge that she was essentially the most powerful witch in Britain. Made her quite the formidable teacher and she knew it.
There was also another little fact about the two authority figures at the front. Well a secret, as Hermione was pretty certain no one knew, not even her best friend's though she would have liked to have told them it was better if she just kept it a secret for both Order purposes and personal life inside the school.
McGonagall and Dumbledore where her parents.
Every holiday when the school was cleared as the students went home. All who knew her assumed she was going home to her mum and dad. The Grangers. Or at least that's what she told them.
Only they didn't know that instead of leaving when they arrived at Kings Cross Station after bidding her friends goodbye. She waited until she was sure that everyone was gone before either her mother or father would come and take her to their actual home which was hidden away in a remote part of Scotland. Her mother's ancestral home. Or rather, their ancestral home.
The people who the rest saw her with where of no relation to her but were her god parents. Mark and Jean Granger were in fact squibs who had decided to live in the Muggle world, and by changing their name ensured that no one would come looking or disturbing them it was a perfect arrangement for them as whenever they had to leave the country for business Hermione would stay with them. She didn't mind, as she did love staying with the people who, occasionally treated her as their own.
All in all a win – win.
Facing the front she smiled as her father spoke to the school. It was coming up to Christmas and the snow outside was building up making her excited. She loved the snow, especially in the highlands where she and her mother would take walks around the lake at the bottom of the vast plains of land that surrounded the manor. Something they had done ever since she was a baby. She also loved watching it fall from the window when she was sitting by the fire curled up with a book or engaging either one in a topic of whatever conversation they happened to be broaching.
She loved the fact that she had such wonderful and fantastically intelligent parents. It came as no surprise to them or Hooch, the Quidditch teacher. The only other person apart from Poppy the nurse to know who she actually was when she was placed in Gryffindor two years ago.
Both her parents where in Gryffindor before her and so she was proud to carry on that tradition. She had confided in them that the sorting hat wanted to place her in Ravenclaw. She supposed that out of the other choice's that wasn't a bad alternative as she would have had the intellectual stimulation from her housemates but the fact that it would have broken the legacy made her beg to be in her mother's house.
She loved making them proud and by coming up top in near enough every class she had made them just that, of course there were a few subjects that pushed her rational thinking and prodded her tolerance for what she prided herself on having, a lot of patience to their very limits. The patience was something her mother insisted she got from Dumbledore as it didn't come from her making them both laugh.
But what she did inherit supposedly from her mother, was the ability to not tolerate fools and the fact that they both had come across and was instantly irked by Sybil Trelawney on the first time of meeting her just affirmed both their beliefs that divination had no place at a school as academic as Hogwarts.
That was a subject she would rather drop than attempt and fail so she had, much to the disapproval of said Divination teacher who unknowingly went on to compare her to the head of the Gryffindor house, citing the same narrow mindedness and lack of sight the older woman had.
They had both thoroughly enjoyed talking about that particular topic when at home.
And the fact that she passed every exam she took with higher marks than anyone else including those in the years above had them all the more prouder of her, of course there was a few time she had to defend herself when it came to classes. McGonagall insisted that she didn't have favourites but a few times she had heard the kids talk about her different treatment with the brown haired girl.
Hermione laughed it off saying she couldn't help it if she actually read what she was supposed to, and it wasn't her fault if she knew the right answers. That and the outstanding's on every test she took had earned her the title of the smartest witch in her year. Something which didn't go amiss with the staff. Snape had nicknamed her the insufferable know it all when he first heard it causing the head to intervene and save him from the hex that he would have unknowingly received from Minerva.
Incidentally it was that what had spurned her to try and better herself and go for something a lot more riskier than reading from the restricted section. She did love her parents but the fact that they were the smartest teachers around, coupled with the amazing achievements they both had accomplished. Made the younger girl want to start making her own mark on the wizarding world.
She knew she was smart, everyone around her knew she was smart. Her parents knew she was smart and anyone visiting, once they met her knew she was smart. How could she not be when she had some of the highest intellects around to teach her? But as time went on she feared that once people knew who she really was, and the truth about her real parents came out. She feared that people would only take her seriously based on that fact.
They would bypass her actual grades and the fact that she had earned them herself through hard work and most likely she would start whatever career she chose with her employers thinking they could get in the good graces of the head master and mistress of the most prestigious magic school in the world.
She had confided in them about this and both had tried to calm her thoughts saying that it didn't matter who she was or what name she had, as after graduation they said she could tell as many people as she wanted as by than she could go by her actual name which was McGonagall.
She was good enough to do whatever she wanted on her own merits and the fact that she already had the name of the smartest witch since her mother herself walked through the doors, and that was without anyone knowing the truth had soothed her issues somewhat.
But it didn't stop them completely and so with the doubts that she would only be known as the child of the smartest and most powerful two magic users going had decided to try and learn something that though her mother was one. And had been the youngest for it. With the marauders coming in second. She knew this would give her that closure she needed to keep those thoughts away and earn her own accolade.
She may have brewed the polyjuice potion in the second year. Something no one had done and she alone had that accomplishment. She was going one better.
She was going to learn to become an animagus.
Knowing that this was something she had wanted to do ever since she had gotten bored and snooped through her mother's advanced transfiguration notes. She was determined to succeed and so with that and the fact that she only had a few months in which to achieve it seeing as her mother had successfully accomplished it in her fourth year. Made her all the more focused to do that it earlier.
And so when she was sure that she was ready. She began. First off she had copied all of the notes that her mother had. And by reading them studiously and over and over, she was sure that she had gotten them right as all too often she had been told the fatal ways learning to change had gone wrong. With people losing bits of their body or changing without ever being able to change back.
She wanted her own goals but being the girl with half a snout or a furry body wasn't on that list and so she went through it until she was ready for the next stage.
In the middle of the night when the rest of the girl's dormitory was asleep, she lay in her bed waiting until she was sure that they had gone quiet before sneaking out and downstairs to the common room. She had to find her inner animal according to the notes, and so had taken to meditating in the middle of the room next to the fire. She knew no one came down once in bed and so gave her the perfect opportunity to relax and focus in peace.
It had taken a while and so she had to keep sneaking around for weeks until that one night she had succeeded. She had found her inner peace as well as the animal inside. To say she was curious was a bit of an understatement but after a while of connecting with the animal, it didn't come as surprising to her anymore.
It was also on that night she was caught.
Harry had come down as he found he couldn't sleep and so slipped out of the rooms without anyone hearing and crept to the rooms below only to stop and stood staring, as Hermione was closed off and was communicating with her animal.
He came and sat on the couch next to her still watching, and wondering what it was she was doing until finally she opened her eyes and jumped when she saw she wasn't alone. After the fear of the heart attack she was sure she was having past, much to his amusement. She had than been forced to reveal why she was sitting in the middle of the common room on the floor meditating.
His eyes widened as she told him what she hoped to try and were shocked she was attempting it, he too had heard the danger's and so after interrogating her for answers had come to learn that she had been studying it for weeks and was actually making good progress. And the fact that she didn't have a teacher had made her all the more prouder for it.
For even the great Minerva McGonagall had a teacher.
Of course she didn't tell him just where she had gotten all this information from as it would have than gone on to explain just why it was she had a hold of McGonagall's personal notes. In the end and after a long conversation Harry had asked if he could try it as well, she looked on a little stunned at his request and smiled in understanding after he admitted that it was something that he could at least have in common with his dad if he did seeing as James was a part of the marauders and was a stag in his form.
She had told him that she would help him, just not that year. He had been puzzled and asked why only to have her shake her head, again it would have led to answers she couldn't give but promised that when the fourth year came she would dedicate any time she had to helping him.
It was a policy that anyone undertaking Animagus training do so in their seventh year and only the very determined one's would be allowed. Even then it was at great persuasion of the ministry and those who succeed had to be registered straight away.
He had smiled and accepted her help as soon as the fourth year approached, he even joined her on the floor and waited as she went and got her mother's notes. It had taken her at least three weeks to go through them and after that countless hours of meditating so there was no risk of him learning anything now and so it came to be on those nights they both spent together as they fell into a shared routine.
He even accompanied her to the forest on the days they had to themselves or free lessons as she. Having moved past her talks with the animal inside, knew that it was time to try and make the change. Both she and the creature where now at the same place and so the timing was perfect, Harry had been curious and so had asked if he too could watch. She didn't see the harm as it would take a good few weeks to actually fully transform and so saw no danger for him not to.
They spent hours at a time past Hagrid's cabin and beyond the clearing, just out of sight in case anyone did come and spot them they had found a quiet place near the lake with Harry finding a large rock to sit on and watching on with avid interest as Hermione began the last and hardest stage of the process.
She had worn loose fitting clothing for the times she had been trying as at least when she did finally make the change, she wouldn't ruin her clothing, as very slowly with each time she attempted. She made progress. It was slow and small to start with but the more energy she put in to making it work. The more she transformed.
Harry for his part of the audience had watched on amazed as his best friend slowly turned into and animal before his eyes, and each time he watched he was more impressed. She was so determined to succeeded it was scary, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked one day what it felt like she had to think and told him that it felt like a rush of magic was warming each part of the body that you focused on.
Her senses had gotten better with every try, as she realized one day when Ron came in and she had asked why he was hiding a bowl of trifle under his clothes. He went beet red as everyone around them heard and had looked to him before he pulled out his loot and mumbled something about it being his favourite before scurrying to the boy's rooms. She was amazed at just how much her senses had increased and though she had even transformed yet. She knew it would only be a matter of time.
Another thing that had her stumped was how after all the time she had spent avoiding her mother and father when it came to lessons or even sneaking to the forest, they had not even noticed what she was attempting. It baffled her and she was sure that they knew and was just waiting for that one moment and like the animagus tabby her mother was and was so found of doing to students when they least expected it. Pounced when her guard was down.
But as time went on she realized that not only did they not know what she was learning, her mother didn't even notice that her notes had slowly been going missing the more Harry read. It was times like that she wondered if her parent's where losing their touch.
It was on a sunny Thursday afternoon when their double Herbology was cancelled, professor Sprout had been having trouble with some baby devil snare which had been growing out of control and so as to avoid any messy accidents of deaths so unsuspecting students who might get to close. She had told them to go and study in the library. Normally Hermione would but it was that day that she had been feeling increasingly...Would she dare say, animalistic.
And so after telling Harry that today might have been the day. They both made their excuses and quickly left to the safety of the forest as Hermione got ready to make the change.
Half an hour later and Harry was staring wide mouthed at a fully transformed Hermione. He hadn't actually expected her to go all the way but didn't want to miss it and so had gone with her only to now find himself staring eye to eye with a very large animal.
Hermione for her apart was elated; she had finally done it, and with two months to go before the holidays even begun. She internally laughed at the fact she had beaten her mother at the one thing she prided herself on as a movement to her side had her looking over. Harry had jumped rather quickly away as his friend looked at him; he smiled nervously at the animal that was now his best friend as he tried to work out what to do.
He couldn't run as he knew she could easily catch him but he was getting more antsy with each step she took. Finally he decided to just stand still. He had watched a programme once and most animals went on sight to catch their prey and so he hoped that by standing as still as he could, Hermione wasn't in the mood to eat.
He swallowed nervously as she sniffed him and moved around as to try and familiarize him it was a few minutes later and he had just broken out into a rather heavy sweat when she nudged him with her head before moving away and once over in her spot changed back into his very human best friend.
She jumped into his arms squealing as he stumbled at the sudden weight he was baring before steadying them as he gripped her tighter. After four very hard and strenuous months she had finally done it, of course she knew as it was the first it would take some time before she could change on a whim and so the more she practised the easier it would become but she had done it, she had broken out of the unknown shadow of her parents image and had made the first in what she knew was going to be a long line of achievements she was going to reach.
Harry had muttered how proud he was of her and after the initial excitement wore off, she had calmed down and said that as he had been reading just as hard as she had and by going over each page. It would soon be his turn. Something which had him sporting his own grin.
The clapping broke her out of her reverie as her father had stopped speaking, she joined in with the applause frowning slightly not actually knowing what it was that he went on about but didn't want to get a scalding. Not by her dad of course but her mother always knew…She strongly suspected the animal traits she had.
She had to smile slightly as she to know possessed them.
It was only after the food appeared and everyone was busy getting back to their conversations that Hermione saw the perfect opportunity. She was going to sneak to the forest and have a little time to herself after the stress of the exams they had. Plus she had found she liked the forest at night, it was peaceful and she enjoyed the different smells that could only be found at night.
She very carefully looked over to the teachers table where she could see the staff in conversation with each other and then her parents who were in deep talk to notice her before she decided to make her move. Very carefully she wiped her hands and with another final glance at the table to make sure she wasn't being watched or spotted. Nudged harry who gave her a small look and nodded back.
He was to be her cover, a condition to her helping when he was going to be trying to learn and so as she faced the door waiting for the perfect opportunity, he watched he table. She spied a group of Hufflepuffs moving to the large doors and knew that if she went now she could slip in unnoticed. She looked around and making sure she didn't leave anything behind. Felt Harry poke her back.
She stood up and started making her way immediately to the doors as she smiled at the group and smiled as she fell in line with them. They smiled as Hufflepuffs did before making it out of the doors. She looked back to see Harry very carefully reach behind him and put his thumb up signalling that it was ok before smiling and leaving the hall, she slipped to the double doors and snuck outside into the courtyard.
She made her way silently down to the grounds where Hagrid lived as she made sure to avoid his window before reaching he trees and with a last look back to make sure that she wasn't seen. Disappeared into the shadows of the forbidden forest.
Sometime later as the feast was still in full swing the double doors and in typical Filch fashion the caretaker started running up the long path in-between the tables puffing as he did. The students watched him and started laughing as he puffed and panted his way up to the teachers table.
"…Mister Dumbledore…Sir" The bearded man stopped talking as the chatter settled down following the new arrival. The teachers to had stopped their talks and had looked to the caretaker as he rested on the table.
"Yes Argus" The head asked in his kind manner, waiting for the squib to get his breath. After a few minutes Dumbledore spoke again.
"What is the matter Argus?" The angry squib glanced up seeing the other man peering at him as well as the other teacher's shrewd looks and gulped before speaking.
"Cat sir, out in the grounds" The headmaster didn't say anything merely observed the man resting on the table as no one spoke for a minute before Snape cut in.
"Of course there are cats out on the grounds you silly man. There are small cats everywhere….Like your excuse of a cat." Filch shot him a death glare at the mention of his beloved pet as Dumbledore raised his hand.
"I'm sure what Professor Snape was trying to nicely say…" The irate potions master snorted.
"Was that there are a lot of small wild cats out on the grounds who roam the forest even. Perhaps you saw a few of them maybe." He smiled kindly at the other man who shook his head.
"No…..headmaster sir…This was a –" He was cut when the double doors at the other end opened once more and in strode Hagrid with the half giant smiling cheerfully at the students before stopping in the middle of the archway.
"Evening all," He smiled happily as the students all turned to face the second arrival of the night and immediately the talking ceased as once again for the third time that night the hall fell deathly silent.
The teaches on seeing the gigantic man reacted immediately, with both Dumbledore, McGonagall and Severus standing alert as Hagrid who still didn't see anything wrong moved further into the room.
"Don't come any closer" Snape snarled as the keeper stopped in-between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables a little shocked at the man's harsh words.
"Why not?" He asked as the Slytherin head snorted.
"Good lord Hagrid" This time Minerva spoke up as they eyed the cargo in his large arms. "What on earth"
He stared at them and then realizing what it was they was looking at smiled cheerfully again and shook his arms.
"Oh this? Found it outside the back of my hut," He looked down at the creature in his arms and mused. As by now the animal he was holding, not impressed by the shaking it was suffering had started to fidget and squirm in his hold.
"Think it came from the forbidden forest. Must have picked a fight with the centaurs" He frowned "Can't imagine why though"
"Really" Snape drawled as they eyed the increasingly struggling creature Hagrid didn't seem to realize was slipping from his grip. Filch pointed to the creature in his arms and spoke out loud.
"Cat…On the ground sir" The teachers who was all now standing as now the cat, feeling rather annoyed had decide to start scratching the leather dragon coat the huge gamekeeper was wearing.
"You idiot" Snape seethed, Minerva is a small cat…..That is a bloody tiger." The animal in question was now snarling in its captors arms as it wriggled and batted at the large man's arms as it got more worked up, much to the eyes of the teachers who could see its anger and Minerva, who could sense it as they all moved from the table as the snarls had now reverberated around the hall echoing.
"Tiger" Hagrid reached for the struggling cat as he pulled it from his body pulling its claws from his now ruined coat. Not that he knew as he looked the furious creature up and down.
"But it's tiny…..How is this any different from Professor McGonagall." He held the cat underneath its front arms as it kicked out and was clawing at whatever it could reach as the students that hadn't already ran at the first sight of it, all but jumped over the table in a bid to get away from the angry feline.
"Blimey and I thought McGonagall was scary" Ron muttered to Harry as they watched Hagrid handle the roaring tiger. The other boy gulped knowing that it wasn't a tiger. But couldn't find the words to speak up as he knew that if he told Hermione's secret, she would get punished.
"You wouldn't of course you blundering buffoon." Severus said, "You thought it was a good idea to keep a dragon as a pet."
"Now ang on a minute" The half giant said, a little angry at the mention of Norbert. The tiger feeling the grip on it loosened took its opportunity to break free.
"HAGRID KEEP A HOLD OF IT!" Minerva shouted but it was too late as the tiger used its back legs to beat viciously on the large man's chest. Hagrid feeling the sudden attack let go in surprise as the large cat dropped to the floor finally having successfully freed itself. Much to the horror of the teachers up at the top.
The next minute the hall was filled with screams as the students all started scrambling to get away from the now mobile animal, one who still looked very angry as it glanced around the room. Albus shouted for them to calm as Minerva moved to try and apprehend the larger cat. She knew it was no good to try and communicate with it in her form as it may just very well try to eat her and so did the only thing she could.
She sent a binding spell at it but in the pandemonium missed, as it hit the table next to the tiger that hissed at the assault before roaring at her and moved. It jumped on to the table next to it and started knocking off the silverware that was in its way as the screamed from the students got louder now it was fully on guard. It roared at the mass of people keeping to the sides of the room pressed as far back into the wall as possible.
Hagrid took a few steps forward ready to try and pick the cat back up but it could sense him as the large giant bent down. Hermione moved and leapt gracefully onto his back. He stumbled as the large cat landed on him and stood up making the cat hiss before jumping again and landed heavily on the Ravenclaw table where it lashed out again.
The teachers had begun to slowly move away from the top with Dumbledore trying to keep the frightened students quiet as to try not increasing the cats fear anymore.
"Where on earth do you think it came from Albus" Minerva muttered as the tiger seemed to settle on the blue table as it sniffed out a large chicken and stalked up to the cooked meat.
"I have no idea my dear" He replied, the students seeing the tiger rip apart the food on the now wrecked table became less scared once they saw it sit down and was now watching the large shaggy feline with careful eyes.
The teachers' seeing it now eat and was solely focused on the food in front of it, had slowly started to make their way around the hall. If they could box it in or keep it on one table then they had more chance of subduing the temperamental creature. The kids watched the teachers make their way wands drawn to different parts of the table.
The tiger was to focused on the food in front of her to notice the teacher's presence. Hermione had taken a back seat once the animagus was chased by the centaurs from the forest. Something on its primal part took over and the basic instincts it acted on as it defend itself. Once it had been run out of the forest it sat down to take a break only to be picked up suddenly by Hagrid and locked in a death grip as he started fawning over her cuteness.
The animal quickly took over all aspects of control and now as it finished off the entire chicken. Only now could it sense the approaching danger, Hermione looked up to see the teachers try to corner her and the natural reaction to lash out came back as she stood up straight. The students at the sides gasped out slightly as the tiger eyed the threat that was the teachers as it growled.
They all stood still as a silent stand-off between the teachers and tiger occurred as each waited for a moment to strike. The students all watched with wide eyes some having replaced some of their fear with excitement and interest as they waited to see what happened next. Harry with nervous anxiety and worry for his friend, mixed with concern as to what happened to make her lose control like this.
It happened a few seconds later as all four teachers sent binding spells at the large cat. Who was anticipating the attack. Hermione had fought back some control and on seeing the combined attack ducked low as they hit each other before jumping to the Gryffindor table. The professors all watched stunned as the big and seemingly clever cat dodged their attacks as Dumbledore looked on.
Hermione looked around the red and gold table which was her house as she looked to her attackers and roared in warning making them take a few steps back she watched as they lowered their wands on command of Minerva and once she was semi satisfied that the threat was gone for now, she started moving to where she could smell more food as the tiger slowly took back over.
Coming upon the pork she could smell, she lowered her head before looking around seemingly scanning the area or any that may want to take her food before lowering herself down on the table and started ripping into the food once more.
"Albus what do we do" Minerva asked as she made her way slowly to stand next to him still eying the tiger on her table. The head master was watching the large cat with a thoughtful pause before speaking.
"I don't think its intention is to do any harm." He said making her look at him.
"What do you mean, have you seen the way it came in."
"…..I think it was more of a shock to its system. Being on a place surrounded by so many people." She turned to look at him.
"…..So"
"Did you see the way it dodged your attacks" He said suddenly changing topic as she eyed him.
"Albus what's that got to do with the act that it is still a problem." She asked a little exasperated. She was a little miffed that it had outsmarted them, she didn't understand how a tiger that seemingly was out of control somehow knew what was happening, Dumbledore watched as she seethed slightly as she went over the fact. Before coming to a realization as she turned to face her secret husband who now had knowing look in his eye.
"You surely can't think that it's an animagus" She asked as he nodded. She looked over to where the large cat was settled before back to him.
"Come now my dear, I know these creatures a Muggle kind but just how many of them do you see around here" He asked as that got her thinking. A few minutes of silence passed before she spoke.
"Who do you think it is?" he deliberated for a while as he went over on who he knew to be an animagus and those who were thinking of learning before shaking his head.
"That my dear I have no clue" He muttered before looking back out across the hall. He smiled slightly as he remembered that Hagrid was at the other end as he now held his ruined coat in his hands having only just seen what damage was done to it.
"I'm afraid that there is only one way to do this and it won't be pleasant to the tiger unfortunately." He spoke as the teachers got ready to try and subdue to large creature once more. The bearded man signalled to the half giant to get ready as the tall man looked at him from the other end, it took him a few seconds to get it but nodded once he understood.
Hermione was happily eating, this was wonderful. It saved her from having to go and hunt for food later. She would finish eating here and then go run it off in the forest. Before coming back and get in just in time for bed.
Now if she could only get the rest of this pork out and hide it somewhere than she could come back for it later. Actually she would go hide it now before anyone followed and found it.
She stood, lowering her head and grasped the large chunk of meat in her mouth. The rest now seeing her move got ready as she was about to move Dumbledore signalled to Hagrid to do his part as the man nodded.
Hermione had just gripped the meat in her mouth when a large crash sounded out and she felt the vibrations under her paws making her drop the meat in shock as she flared up, her defences raised as she spun around ready to attack. Another nod from the headmaster and as the tiger was distracted by Hagrid who she came to see was the culprit, Snape fired another spell.
He had seen the headmaster write the words of a spell in the air as they took shape and he read the charm. He gave the older man a quizzical look but complied. The students at the side saw the shape of words that Dumbledore wrote with his wand as Ron nudged Harry.
"Something's happening" He muttered as Harry looked on slightly panicked, now that Dumbledore had a plan he knew that it was bad news for Hermione who was still blissfully unaware of what was happening as she still kept a wary eye on the half giant man who was now to her the biggest threat.
Before she knew what was happening, a large burst of magic hit her as she roared out in surprise making some of the students jump as it echoed as she reared around to see who hit her, her eyes fell on Snape who had his wand held out in front of him and made to move forwards only to stop as the spell took effect.
The teachers around the room as well as the both the heads at the top stood still and watched as the tiger started mewling as it suddenly started to change shape, it backed up knocking things to the ground as it panicked due to the spell making the teachers hold their ground as they stood in front of the students. Suddenly the tiger let out a long roar before stumbling off the side of the table and to the floor.
Everyone waited to see whether it would get back up, no body hardly dare to breathe as all eyes was on the centre of the middle tables. Minerva was about to move seeing as it was still near her table but a hand stopped her as Albus looked at her to wait. A sudden small moan was heard as now everyone re-fixed their attentions to the middle as very slowly a hand slid on to the table.
Very slowly and much to the shock of everyone who could eventually see. The hand was followed by an arm and then a body as in place of the tiger that had fallen to the floor, a girl with very messy hair pulled herself up, the surrounding body watched on in amazement until it was replaced by shock when the girl suddenly lifted her hand and swept her hair out from her face causing them to gasp as they saw who it was.
Minerva couldn't see the face and was waiting to see only for her to gasp out loud when the sudden voice of Draco rang out.
"It's Granger"
The head of Gryffindor took a step from the table as the students started to mutter.
"Hermione" She muttered and due to her newly acquired heightened sense of hearing, the younger girl looked at her head of house, her transfiguration teacher and mother as the other woman let out a gasp at seeing her daughter who was only moments ago, a raging and out of control wild cat.
Hermione for her part felt drained, she looked away from the wide eyes of her mother and around the hall seeing everyone's eyes on her, she didn't know why but her head hurt and she took a small step away from the table before her energy was all but gone and she collapsed back to the floor unconscious.
Nobody moved. They were all still shocked that the tiger was none other than Hermione Granger. Book smart, rule abiding, teachers favourite Hermione Granger. Minerva immediately rushed over and bent down seeing to the knocked out girl, everyone just assumed that she was tending to her as her head of house but only Hooch and Albus knew different as the head master coughed to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone…..Student's…..LOOK AT ME PLEASE!" That did it as all eyes moved from the two in the middle to the head at the top as he coughed again and ordered the head of house to escort them to their dormitories as very slowly they started to move. Harry, Ron Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindor's could only stare at their friend who was by now what they had come to realize as an animagus with only harry knowing that already as they were bustled forwards by the heads and with one last look back at the still motionless Hermione who was now in Minerva's lap as Dumbledore moved forwards. The students along with the rest of the teachers left the hall as the large double doors shut behind them.