"Mr. Potter, will you please tell me, are you or are you not an Animagus," McGonagall said. She looked at him sternly. He pondered the consequences for a moment, before speaking again.
"It is true professor, my sister and I are Animagus."
"Are you registered?" McGonagall asked. "There are serious risks involved when you become an Animagus."
"No," Kari said, not believing her ears. She couldn't understand why Jes hadn't lied to her. "We're not registered, Professor."
"Professor," Kari tried again, "I can explain, you see…" But she was cut off when Professor McGonagall held up her hand for silence.
"If you will please change into your animals, I want to make sure that this is not some sort of scam," McGonagall said looking them up and down. Jes and Kari looked at each other and turned into their animals. Jes was a timber wolf, as usual, but this time, Kari was a small rust-colored dog.
"Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall said sternly, "I thought you said that Kari turned into a swan when she transformed. Kari, do you have some explanation?" Neville gulped at the stern look on he face. He of coarse had no explanation. They had now turned back into humans, and Kari decided that since she was going to be asked anyway, provided an explanation.
"Professor, I'm a shifter. That means that I don't have a certain animal. As far as I know, I'm the first that has been able to do this, but it is true professor.
"We shall go see the headmaster about this," McGonagall said. "I think he will understand this better then I can." They followed her to the statue of a stone gargoyle. Kari thought to Jes. What do you think will happen to us? He shrugged as they climbed up the staircase into Dumbledore's office. They were in a circular room lined with paintings of past headmasters. The people who occupied the paintings looked up as they walked in. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. They walked over to him and sat down in the chairs that sat in front of his desk.
"Hello Minerva," he said, "What seems to be the problem?"
"Headmaster, I was just notified that these two are Animagus. They are not registered, and Kari has told me that she is a shifter. What a shifter is, I am not sure." Dumbledore looked at Kari with the utmost amazement. Then he spoke.
"Miss Potter, would you mind explaining to me what a shifter is?"
"Well Professor, " she began, "a shifter is an Animagus who doesn't have a certain animal. At will, I can change into any animal I think of." Dumbledore looked into her eyes and they turned a bright purple. He smiled and said.
"I have no reason not to believe her, Minerva. A person is innocent until proven guilty. Kari, would you please transform into a… cat?" She nodded and turned into a cat, then back again. McGonagall's eyes widened in amazement "Now would you turn into a rabbit?" Once more she obeyed, and once more Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. "Alright Kari, you have proven that you are a shifter. Jes, are you also a shifter?"
"No," Jes answered quickly.
"Alright then Jes, what animal do you turn into?"
"Timber wolf." He answered again.
"Alright, now all that is left to do is to have you two registered," Dumbledore said. Although, I'm sure that the ministry will like to investigate what exactly a shifter is."
"Why do we need to notify the ministry?" Kari asked nervously. "I mean, what they don't know won't hurt them, will it?"
"Kari, I'm surprised at you," McGonagall snapped. "I thought that you were more responsible then that. You know that we are required by law to register you upon discovering that you were Animagus." Kari then did something completely unsuspected. She turned and ran out of the room. She ran so fast, that there was no hope in catching her. Not knowing or caring where she was going, she was surprised when she found herself in a room. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she gazed around. There was a fireplace on the far side of the room, by the biggest stained glass windows she had ever seen. She glanced around, and noticed a door, although curious, she dared not open it. Sitting down in one of the chairs, she checked her watch. Although it was almost time for bed, she didn't care. Kari felt that she needed some time alone, to sort things out. She snapped her fingers and suddenly, there was roaring fire in the grate. The shadows grew sat this, and it gave the room an eerie glow. She stared into the fire, her vision blurring from the tears that were running down her cheeks. After about an hour, Kari finally drifted off to sleep.