Disclaimer: If they were mine, I'd die of happiness.
Hermione Granger was reaching for the Gryphon Claw during potions when the answer finally hit her.
Stopping her hand in mid-air, she exclaimed happily. "Of course!"
The class went silent.
Oops...
"'Of course' what, Miss Granger?" Came the drawling voice of Professor Snape.
Hermione blinked. "Oh... S-Sorry sir. I-I just realised why my potion was a shade too light." She lied nervously.
Snape stared at her, contempt evident in his eyes. "Ten points, Miss Granger. For disturbing my lesson," He looked around at the staring students. "Back to work!" He barked.
Blushing slightly, Hermione picked up her next ingredient, and added it. All the while, new possibilities whirled through her mind. All she had to do was collect the materials and then... Then! I could do - be - anything.
She felt awed by her sudden realisation. Surprised that the answer was staring her in the face through a blue-tinted crystal vial.
Severus heard a giggle.
A giggle?
He stopped and glanced around. The 5th floor corridor was empty.
Heheh! There it was again.
Looking in the giggle's general direction, he saw an open classroom door. He slowly moved towards it, walking as quietly as he could.
As he reached the door, he stopped and blinked.
Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't this.
Hermione giggled. I've done it!
She picked up the needle with her right hand.
She couldn't help it. She giggled again.
"Oh, Hermione you are brilliant!" she breathed, suppressing the urge to jump up and dance.
Right... Let's do this.
She stuck the tip into her left arm and push the plunger.
"Ouch!" She gasped.
Severus shook his head, trying to clear it.
He heard her gasp, "Ouch!" and something snapped.
He charged in and grabbed her right arm, yanking it backwards.
"Wha-" She began, before turning and realizing who had her wrist. Her eyes widened.
"What do you think you're doing, Granger!" He hissed, knocking the needle to the floor and pulling her to her feet.
She opened her mouth, "I..."
He shook her hard. "Well? Out with it!"
"I was..."
Granger pulled her arm, trying to get it out of his.
Hermione felt her stomach drop.
Professor Snape was holding her wrist in a tight grip as he shook it. "Well? Out with it!"
"I was-" She stopped.
The serum! She racked her brains for a suitable subject. Deciding on one, she thought about it, hard, willing for something to happen.
Hermione felt her left hand pulsate. She tried to pull it's counterpart out of Snape's hand, but his grip only tightened.
Not knowing how she knew to do it, she touched her chest with her free hand.
Granger touched her free hand to her heart.
That of her skin touching his began to move.
Severus frowned. "What-"
Hermione looked at her hands, smiling slightly as she felt her skin begin to ripple.
"What-" He began, obviously confused.
She continued to think; Cat, cat, cat. Come on! Work!
And it did. The serum that she'd injected had merged with her DNA and got to work immediately.
Snape released her arm and stared, backing away slightly as Hermione landed deftly on all fours and looked herself over, twirling around in admiration.
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
"Yes!"
Severus blinked. "But... But... Animagi can't talk!" He gasped, before clapping a hand over his mouth.
The cat - Granger - looked up at him, and breathed; "Oh, Shit." before shooting under a desk.
Hermione lay under the desk on her belly and placed her head in her two front paws. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
Severus collapsed sloppily in a nearby chair, where he stayed for a few minutes, listening to the repeated 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' being emitted from below the desk.
After a while, a small brown head popped out from under the desk and glanced at the door, before swinging in his direction and disappearing again.
He sighed and sat up, "Miss Granger…" he began, before realizing he didn't know what to say.
Hermione sighed as Snape called her name. She crawled ever-so-slowly out from under the desk, until she could stand up properly.
"I… I'm s-sorry Sir…" She whispered, bowing her head "I… It was… I…" She sighed and slumped down into a sitting position.
Snape opened his mouth as she looked up. "I have no idea how you managed to do what you just did Miss Granger," he said, "But I suggest you start explaining before I drag you off to the Headmaster."
Hermione nodded and began explaining. "Well, I... I've always wanted to be an, um..." She coughed, "An Animagus sir, but I thought that I'd probably not like my sole form. So I decided to see if I could become a Animagus of multiple forms, like a... A shapeshifter of sorts." Snape nodded slowly, "And I found the answer... I made a serum that merges with DNA to make one able to change form at will. I, um... realised it this mor-"
"This morning in class when you exclaimed aloud in the middle of lesson." Snape interrupted her.
Hermione nodded "Yeah..."
Severus shook his head. A third year had figured out how to become an shapeshifter, without the help of anyone else.
"So after you had this sudden realisation you decided to test it." He said sharply, noting Granger's slight wince, "Giving no regard to the fact that you were probably breaking multiple school rules."
Granger nodded, not taking her eyes off of the floor.
He sighed, "Have you told anyone else?" He asked, surprised at the almost kind tone that was in his voice.
Hermione looked up at Snape, "N-No Sir..."
His eyes narrowed, "Not Weasley? Or Potter?"
She shook her head, "I haven't really had time to. Plus I didn't really expect it to work..." She trailed off.
"Right," He said, "Well Miss Granger, I suggest you change back now."
Hermione's head leaned to the side slightly, "But-"
Snape interrupted, "I doesn't matter whether or not you were planning on telling anyone. The Headmaster needs to know."
Hermione looked reluctant.
"Now Granger." Severus snarled.
Granger closed her eyes slowly and brought a paw up to her chest.
Her fur rippled, as if a wind had blown through it, and then started shrinking back into her skin as she grew. Her school clothes seemed to replace the fur within seconds as her front paws grew into hands and her back into feet. Her ears lowered as her bushy hair grew extremely fast out of her skull, and she was a human again within a minute. She dropped her hand and twiddled her thumbs, glancing up at Severus, and looking sheep-ish.
Snape nodded curtly. "Pack up your... instruments," He gestured at the needles and vials on the desk as he walked towards the door.
Hermione did so quickly and pulled her bag onto her back. She then turned, seeing Snape holding the door open expectantly.
Sighing, she walked past Snape and into the corridor. He started walking in the direction of Professor Dumbledore's office. Hermione followed.
Severus walked purposefully towards Albus' office, glancing over his shoulder every-so-often to check if Granger was still following.
As they reached the office, he called the password out to the statue. "Rainbow Drops." It jumped to the side and Severus gestured for Granger to follow him up the stairs.
"Severus!" Dumbledore said happily as Snape knocked the inner door and entered, "What can I do for you?"
Snape reached back and grabbed Hermione's wrist, pulling her into the room.
Dumbledore blinked, "Miss Granger?"
"Show him." Snape commanded, getting straight to the point. Hermione dropped her bag on the floor, then hesitated.
"Well Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his hands, "What do you have to show me?"
Hermione looked at Snape and said, "What form?"
Snape sighed, "Anything that's a good example," he said, moving his hand around in the air a bit.
Hermione saw Fawkes perched in the corner, she smiled slightly.
Granger nodded and again closed her eyes and raised a hand to her chest.
"What's she-" Albus began.
Severus waved his hand in a shushing gesture. "Just watch."
As expected, Granger's skin began to ripple, and she shrunk slightly as her flesh melted into a bright crimson plumage.
Severus could see the surprise on Albus' face as Granger raised her head and her black eyes rested on him. Her talons clipped the stone tiles as shifted a bit and spread her wings.
Severus realised her new form with a start and sat down quickly.
If Severus was surprised, even after seeing a change before, it was nothing compared to Albus' shock.
Dumbledore stared at her in surprise as she spread her wings and ruffled her feathers slightly, marveling at the feel of having wings.
In the corner of her newly formed eye, she saw Fawkes open his beak, and was shocked to hear him comment on her appearance; "Strange," his words were integrated into his song, "First a human and then Phoenix." He cocked his head slightly, "Impressive."
Hermione pulled in her wings as she turned to him, "T-Thanks..." Her own voice now existed in a bird song tone.
Snape sighed, "Miss Granger..." He drawled as Hermione's eyes flicked over to his, "Please refrain from speaking bird."
"Oh, yeah... Sorry." She looked at the Headmaster, who was now blinking rapidly.
Hermione shifted on the floor. looking down at her now-taloned feet. She braced herself for a verbal bashing.
Severus looked at Albus, willing him to say something, and after a few minutes of almost silence he did.
"Well," he began, "That was certainly... Impressive." Severus saw Granger's head snap up in surprise.
Albus looked down at her, before tapping the desk. "Come up here then. Let's see."
Severus' eyes widened, was he tolerating this?
Hermione was shocked to hear Dumbledore's invitation onto his desk, but she complied, spreading her wings and flapping them a few times, in order to reach the desk's level.
She stepped forward and a nearby candle burst alight. She reeled sideways, away from the candle as Dumbledore laughed, "As I said, Impressive!"
"That's exactly what Fawkes said..." she said to herself, before snapping her beak shut and looking down at the desk.
Hermione could hear the laughter in Dumbledore's voice as he said; "Ah! So, you can talk to other animals as well?" She looked up as he nodded, "Dazzling..."
A few moments passed as Dumbledore stared at her intently, "When you said 'what form'?" he asked questioningly.
Severus cut in, "She is not an animagus Albus, as you can tell by her speech. Nor is she a Metamorphmagus, as that is solely inherited. She is..." He fumbled around for the correct word, "New. And able to change into anything."
Albus considered this, "Then tell me, Miss Granger, how you came to be..." He smiled at Severus, "'New'."
Granger started to recite her story to Albus as she had for he, but still he listened intently.
Hermione told Dumbledore of the story, starting in potions that morning and continuing until she reached the present. She noticed both men staring at her, hanging on her every word.
When she had finished, Dumbledore smiled, "That's quite amazing Miss Granger. It may well be a useful skill... And maybe you can even talk some sense into Fawkes," He leaned towards her slightly and whispered; "He's always asking for attention."
Hermione heard Fawkes' quiet, singing voice, "Liar," and almost failed to stop herself from laughing.
Dumbledore quirked a brow as his smile widened.
Hermione smiled back.
Severus shook his head, "Albus." he said, "Please do not tell me that you're going to let this go unpunished."
Albus looked at him, "Severus, don't you know me well enough by now?"
Severus blinked, "Is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?"
Dumbledore's eyes fixed onto hers, "Now Miss Granger, as much as I find this very impressive, you have broken quite a few school rules." He sat back in his chair, "You will receive a week's worth of detentions, Severus will arrange that. You may not tell anyone about this." As Hermione's beak opened he continued, "Anyone, Miss Granger. That includes Misters Potter and Weasley. Understood?"
Hermione nodded, "Yes sir."
"Good." Dumbledore glanced at a clock on his desk, "It is high time you went to bed. Please return to your original form and Severus will escort you back to Gryffindor tower."
She nodded again and jumped off the desk, landing on the floor and tripping slightly.
Snape muttered, "And I thought Phoenixes were supposed to be graceful..." as she stood up to her full height and nodded at Fawkes.
"Goodbye," he said, "Come again soon?"
Hermione chuckled, "I'll have to ask the Headmaster."
"Okay."
Severus watched as Granger nodded at Fawkes, who then proceeded to say something. Granger chuckle as she replied, and then spread her left wing and touched her crimson chest. Her feathery plumage began shrinking into her body and was replaced with her clothes as she grew and stood up to full height.
"Professor Dumbledore, Sir?" She said, "Fawkes asked if, um... If I could come again sometime..."
Albus smiled, "I think that can be arranged." He nodded at Severus who in turn looked at Granger as she lifted her bag, swinging it onto her back.
Snape walked over to the door and pulled it open, walking down the stairs without waiting for Hermione.
She nodded at the Headmaster, "Thank you Sir," before turning around and heading for the door.
"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore called.
She looked over her shoulder, "Sir?"
"Be sure not to be seen when you change form."
She nodded, "Yes Sir."
Authors Notes:
*Edit* I noticed a few typos and such, so I've fixed them, but If you see anymore, feel free to let me know.
The perspective changes between Hermione and Snape, you should been able to tell which is which, but if not, I goes:
Hermione
Snape
Hermione
Snape
... etc etc
and ends with Hermione.
The way Hermione is able to change is my own idea, I thought of it while watching a firework display 2 weeks ago [The same way the character changes in my random story on FictionPress, written after said firework display [Account: Snuffles-Smith]].
I chose Snape to find Hermione, probably because I've been reading a load of Grape [Granger/Snape] Fictions lately. I know this isn't that kind of Grape fic, but they just had to be there!
Hope you enjoyed the story, please leave me a review, and they help me improve my work.
~HPA