Shifter

XIV

The professor watched from behind the two strange girls with his wand ready, but he was rightfully startled as two explosions of silver light roared out from their wands, ripping through the train, cracking and smashing windows, glass exploded, lights that had flickered out because of the cold blazed back to life, flickering in the dark, lighting faces of awe and horror in flashes like lightning reflecting the silvery beasts in their eyes as the glows of power passed them by.

The dark-haired girls' silver of light was in the form of a serpent-like dragon with two sets of eyes and huge head containing row upon row of sharp teeth, with six sets of wings splashing through the train, weighing its power down on every one as its wings moved and it clawed its way forward with two clawed hands, and two clawed feet. It seemed impossible that it would have fit on the train it was so huge. It tore down the corridor roaring its eternal fury with clawed hands and feet tearing at the floor and walls.

Next to it was an equally sized silvery imperial griffin, with the huge eagle head and strong beak and lion's body. It screeched its fury, roaring as it charged at the soul feeding daemons with flapping feathery silver wings that buckled and crushed the wood either side of it with feathers rippling around them.

The dementors scattered in pain and panic as some were hit by the light alone, burning their spectre-flesh. Some were being smashed around by the two angry and powerful patroni, fleeing the train, trying their hardest to get free, screaming in panic, their cries almost begging. The dragon caught one in its mighty maw and sliced it into a whaling cry of multicoloured pyreflies with its rags drifting and fading away.

Lupin almost gasped as many more were torn apart because they were too slow to escape when the last Dementor was trapped in a corner and the two patroni encircled it and literally ripped it to pieces between them, and it burst into ashes, dark grey-green and multicoloured energy erupted from it with screams and wails of torment, soaring around the train like the colours from before had with the dark light, disappearing through the walls and ceiling along with the sound slowly dying out.

The mighty beast gave one final roar that shook the ground before they finally faded away leaving their two summoners exhausted, and breathing heavily while they stood with their mouths hanging wide open and in shock as the lamps finally flickered back into a fully on state.

"Whoa," Senna said sheepishly before putting her wand away and giving a double thumbs up at the massive amount of property damage. "Praise the universe that we have magical powers to fix all of the mess!"

"Err," Ginny mumbled before putting her wand away and giving a thumbs up of her own. "Well… thanks universe…" she said with a wicked grin.

"Well, I can see you two girls will be interesting students," said Lupin chuckling as other students stared out of their cabins at them in shock, and horror.

"Well, we practised really hard," commented Ginny sheepishly.

"Or we're just that freaking awesome!" Senna suggested with a wider grin.

"Yes. I see," he agreed with a kind smile and an amused chuckle. "A couple of old friends of mind believed in giving the universe a thumbs up for magic to fix their messes too. Well shall we head back in," he gestured the cabin that Hermione sat in gawking at them, and it was one of few nearby that weren't damaged. "We're gathering quite an audience."

The two girls nodded and the three entered the compartment, closing the door and reclaiming their seats. "How'd you destroy them?" Hermione suddenly blurted out eager for knowledge. "What were those screams? What came out of them? I didn't know patroni could actually touch things!" she begged hurriedly.

Lupin held up his hand for her to quieten. "Contra to popular belief, a dementor can be destroyed by a patronus. However, it takes quite a bit of power, but even more, your thoughts focused on your happy memory, which is why they all started freaking out and panicking to escape them. It is also the reason the patroni could interact so well with the corporeal world. What those screams and the coloured lights were… maybe you could tell me?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "S-souls being s-set free...? That's terrible."

Lupin nodded in understanding. "Yes, it is. However, those souls are now free to pass over to the other side."

"Wow and we did that?" whispered Ginny, shocked.

"Yes," nodded Lupin. "You also seem to have caused a lot of property damage," he said, chuckling as the train started moving again and he used his wand to repair the glass in their compartment windows that had been cracked a little. "It is lucky that we have magical powers, as you both pointed out, or the ministry would have to pay to repair the train for allowing those monsters onboard," he said before he spotted his suitcase. "Um, w-what's this?" he asked, surprised.

"Oh, um... I'm a mistress of transfiguration," shrugged Senna lying with a huge grin. "Oh, by the way, I'm Senna Nightly, but just call me Senna, and this is Ginny Weasley, my best friend, and Hermione Granger."

"Well, it's nice to meet you all," he smiled. "Did you lock the transfiguration? I was always useless at locking spells. Though, I'm not that great at transfiguration either. However, I make a good defence teacher."

"Um, well yeah, the spells locked," agreed Senna hiding her confusion as she hadn't heard of locking spells before. "It will last forever. I just thought you might lose all your stuff in the state it was in."

"Well thank you," Lupin replied with an embarrassed blush. "Times, unfortunately have been rather harsh of late…"

"No worries Professor," Senna replied, and quickly changed the subject. "So, why did those dementors attack the train?"

Lupin chuckled, amused with her. "I don't believe that was an attack. That was more likely the ministry searching for a lost prisoner."

"Well, they're idiots," said Ginny angrily. "How dare they think our safety is so unimportant as to send foul soul devouring monsters?"

Lupin nodded in understanding. "Yes, I quite agree. Give most people a choice between facing a convict or dementor they'll take the former."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, not very amused as she subconsciously took her girlfriend's hand. "And they made the train cold and dark," she shivered at the memory. "If I was part kitty it wouldn't have been that bad, and they have those things around the school."

"Oh. I could make you part kitty," giggled Senna amusedly as they had something's to show off, and what better opportunity. "I'll give you the tail and ears; it'll make you look super cute."

Ginny snickered. "Only if you give yourself, um… foxy ears and tail," she giggled remembering how cute she was as a vixen.

"You're on," Senna grinned evilly. "Well, we need to get our robes on anyway," she smirked inwardly as she and Ginny dug in their trunks, pulled out their robes and sped off to the nearest toilet.

"You don't really think they'll be able to transfigure tails, and ears, do you?" asked Hermione worriedly as she dug out her uniform.

Lupin chuckled. "Um… I'm not too sure, err, um… it's possible," he nodded. "I heard once it was kind of a fashion trend before my days to add a tail or ears. But animal transfiguration is near impossible to lock so it only lasted maybe a day or so and they got bored of doing it every day and the fashion ended.

"However, with their power I wouldn't be surprised... but still, they won't have the animals' senses or anything… well I don't think they will."

Hermione shook her head, amused, wondering whether Senna really was good enough at transfiguration. She laughed at the thought as she left the compartment to go and change.

Hermione arrived back to the compartment in her uniform and started as she only saw Lupin sitting there.

"They're not back yet?" she asked, speaking her surprise as she took a seat.

Lupin shook his head. "No," he agreed with a frown. "Maybe they did try transfiguring themselves and went wrong?"

"Or..." Senna interrupted in an amused voice from the doorway. "I could have done a perfect job because I'm super awesome!"

Hermione and Lupin looked over, startled as both wore their black school robes undone over their uniforms, however, what startled them were their ears. Ginny's cat ears were long, and wide with dark black fur with little dark red tufts on the end. They poked through her short dark red hair at the sides to the top of her head. Senna's fox ears were slightly wider and higher up, deep red furred with dark black tips.

They grinned as they removed their robes, dropping them to the seat, revealing their tails seemingly sticking out of their skirts. Ginny's tail was long and a thin dark black cats' tail with specs of dark red throughout, swishing around playfully behind her. Senna's long and fluffy red fox tail had a dark black tip, also swishing around gently behind her.

"So, what do you think?" asked Ginny while grinning in amusement

"Wow," smiled Lupin, amused. "That's rather interesting. Do your ears work fully?" he asked curiously.

Senna nodded. "Yeah, so no using a dog whistle around me," she giggled as she and Ginny pulled their robes back on, and hopped down onto their seats together.

"You might get into trouble if you're not careful?" Hermione reprimanded, but none of them seemed to be listening to that as Lupin continued speaking.

"You should be careful, Miss. Nightly, or you'll have the other girls after you to do the same for them," he said jokingly.

Senna shrugged. "Then maybe I'll have to help them all out," she smirked knowingly. "Unless you mean you want a fuzzy tail and ears?"

"No no," he shook his head laughing.

"You might get into trouble about this," Hermione interrupted again.

Senna and Ginny gave each other amused knowing looks before Ginny spoke up questioningly. "We won't get into trouble will we, Professor?" she asked, her ears playing the part and folding down sadly.

"Don't worry sweetie," cooed Senna wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and the kitty witch melted into the embrace.

"Well, I don't think there's any rules against it," said Lupin a bit nervous at how comfortable the girls were holding each other, as girls were always like that. "Though, I have no doubt you're both going to get lots of weird looks?" he said as the train finally started slowing down.

"That's okay," said Ginny brightening. "They'll just be jealous looks!" The two girls giggled.

Hermione was still quite shocked as she looked at the kitty witch and foxy witch. They seemed so comfortable and happy together. She had to wonder though. There was something going on, and she wanted confirmation.

It seemed like they were a couple to her. However, this was the wizarding world and gay couples were rare to non-existent, let alone two pure-bloods – well one pureblood and a half-blood. Most mage didn't even realise that they had a choice, and even if they did most families would not allow that and demand for their child to marry someone of the opposite sex, just for a child to carry on the family bloodline.

Though, Hermione was almost sure that using magic two girls could probably have a child together. Though, with boys she was not sure how that would happen.

Hermione sighed, confused as the train had stopped, and followed the other two girls off the train. They were both holding hands with fingers interlocked, and for a moment, Hermione felt jealous that they were that close and she was alone.

to be continued…