Disclaimer: the characters aren't mine

HIDDEN CHANGES

"Welcome to the pack young cub."

She looked to her hands and realized that they were paws instead. She thought to herself, "What have I done?"

Chapter 3:

Harry stared at her saying, "So let me get this straight, Hermione. You moronically touched a statue and read and the incantation while touching it?"

She nodded quickly.

Ron looked at her saying, "Even I am not that stupid! What were you thinking!?"

"I am not finished with my story yet!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Ron, let her finish and we can work it out." Harry said and nodded for Hermione to continue.

Hermione tried to talk to the jaguar but all that came out were roars and growls.

"Cub, use your mind to communicate. Relax and think the question. I will understand."

Hermione took some deep breaths before thinking, "Who are you? What is happening?"

The larger jaguar approached Hermione saying into her mind, "I am Xavier, and you have been bestowed with the gift of the Kanima."

"Gift?! This is a gift!"

"Depending on how you use it. Let me explain. Kanimas are like werewolves in a way…

"Technically, werewolves are canines and since you of the Panthera taxonomy family, you couldn't possibly…"

"Excuse me, I wasn't finished. Now be quiet before I make you."

Hermione stilled and stared quietly.

"And stop thinking so loud…"

"Sorry…"

"Alright then, now as I was saying, Kanimas are like werewolves in a way. You transform during certain situations. For werewolves, they transform during full moons. We Kanima transform when murders are in the area. There is a potion like Wolfsbane for us, but it only helps if the murder has killed less than five people. If they have killed five or more people, you will feel a strange sensation in your fingernails. This will give you about five minutes to get out of view from other creatures to transform. Then you will hunt them down."

"Whoa, wait a second. I am going to turn around a kill a person for killing others? Isn't that hypocritical?"

"I am talking about people who harm innocent people. Such as… Serial killers and what do you call them? Death Eaters?"

Hermione stiffened and looked down. "What about people who are truly sorry for what they did? Or mercy killing?"

Xavier looked to Hermione softly said, "Dear, your interpretations of murder are your own and that will reflect on your judgment. Meaning, well here is something nice and controversial, abortion, is that murder?"

"I don't know, I never thought about it."

"So women who have aborted children will be excluded from your judgment because you have no stand point on it."

"I can deal with that."

"Alright Hermione, I will…"

"How did you know my name?"

"Seriously, will you stop interrupting me? And I know all of my cubs' names…"

"All of your cubs?"

Xavier just stared at Hermione getting extremely irritated. Hermione quieted down and he continued, "I follow all of the Kanimas in the world. You could say I am the leader." Hermione was about to ask another question, "I am NOT FINISHED. Thank you, anyways, there are about fifty of us at the moment. Creating Kanimas without statues is difficult. We have an advanced form of travel. If one of us is in trouble, I will choose a few who are unoccupied at the moment and teleport them to where they are needed. For example, say you have a bunch of Death Eaters at your door; I will probably send twenty-five other Kanimas to your location to help you. And I don't care if you don't want help. We are a pack and we stick together. Understand?"

"What if we speak different languages?"

"Ah you will be able to all other languages now. That is a big plus."

"Can I speak them?"

"I would assume so, I don't change into human very often. Therefore, I have never tried."

"Well you will be around if I have any questions right?"

"Yes, you must be getting to your family. I have a feeling you will come into contact with a murderer soon so I will talk to you then."

"What? Wait!" Hermione transformed back into a human and the panther disappeared.

"What if I don't want to kill anyone…"

Harry and Ron sat and stared for a few minutes before Harry said, "Hermione, this could be a good thing."
Ron said, "Yeah, you are like a snekoscope now. So if Malfoy senior comes around we will know!"

"Yes but I can't change back into a human unless I kill him."

Harry looked at her, "You have to kill them?"

"Well I have to at least get one good hit on them." Hermione replied.

Ron looked to her, "Have you taken whatever potion you needed yet?"

Hermione turned to look at the lake, "Yes but it wears off in two days and it takes three for the new potion to brew. I need to find a spot to make it now. I need to start brewing now."

"I know," Harry said, "the Chamber of Secrets would be a great place to brew it."

"Sounds good to me," Ron said.

Hermione smiled at their support before saying, "Let's get this started!" With that they all took off for the Chamber of Secrets.

Severus Snape sat calmly in the Headmaster's Office waiting for Albus Dumbledore to reply to all of the information that he had discovered.

Albus turned to a painting and said, "Please find Remus Lupin for me and ask him to head to my office immediately." Dumbledore and Snape sat in silence until Lupin arrived. "Ah, Remus will you please have a seat."

Remus sat in the chair watching Severus sulk in his own before asking, "What is it Headmaster?"

"It seems we have a Kanima on the grounds. I assume you know what that is."

"Yes sir, I know exactly what that is. Do we know who it is sir?"

"Not yet but we have a plan on how to find it out and we need you to help us..."

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were descending into the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione was looking around everywhere amazed. "Harry this is so excellent! Why didn't you tell me how cool it was down here!"

"Well when Ron and I were last here Ginny was dying, Voldemort was coming back, a giant snake was chasing us, and we had an insane DADA teacher to handle. Sorry I didn't notice any 'cool' factors down here."

Ron snorted at the look on Hermione's face as they got to a clearing. Ron looked around, "Blimey, it is dirty down here." Ron began to clean out an area with some spells he had seen his mother doing around the house.

Hermione giggled at Ron, "Aw look, it is a home maker!"

"Sorry I can take messy but not downright dirty."

Harry started pulling out the shrunken cauldron and began to set everything up as Hermione began to pull out all of the ingredients and read the recipe over again.

Harry looked over and said to Hermione, "You never said if you met that murderer."

Hermione froze and took a deep breath, "I did meet him. It was awful. I saw every face of his victims when he walked past me. Every child was crying out for their parents."

Hermione was walking through the marketplace in Peru when she passed a large man with a grey goatee. She felt a burning sensation in her nails and she ran into an alleyway where Xavier appeared.

"It is time Hermione."

"I don't want to kill him."

"Are you sure about that?"

All of a sudden visions of mangled bodies and crying children were flashing before her eyes. A six year old girl, "Please don't hurt me!" An eight year old boy, "Mommy help me!" A five year old screaming, "Daddy," invaded her mind. Then a woman holding a four year old girl, "Take me instead!" Cries, screams, and desperate yells filled her senses as she felt herself willingly change into her jaguar form. Mangled bodies were appearing in her mind and then a clear picture of the man who murdered them. She felt herself fill with rage and a scent of death invaded her nostrils. She took off in anger chasing after the culprit and he came into view. He turned and saw her. He began to run into the jungle and she began to catch up with him. She pounced and slashed him across the chest. In her fury she began to hear his cries only angering her more. She ripped him apart and transformed back into a human and spoke to him before he died.

"How many children begged for their lives you piece of scum?! How many?!" He stared up at her and murmured, "Fourteen…" before his eyes rolled back and he died.

She looked at her hands and stared at the blood before she felt tears come to her eyes. She collapsed to the ground and cried curling up into a ball. Xavier appeared and nudged her with his head urging her to get up. She just pushed him away crying.

"Cub get up."

"I can't, I am disgusted with myself."

Xavier sighed and she turned to him only to see him transform into human. Xavier stood about 6'1 and had long black hair that came to the middle of his back and light green eyes with tan skin. He reached down and picked her up in his strong arms and carried her away from the body. She wrapped her arms around him and cried into the crook of his neck. She felt a tingling sensation as she was teleported to her hotel room. Her parents were out so she didn't have to worry about them. Xavier laid her in her bed and walked to the bathroom to run the shower. Hermione laid in the fetal position until he got back.

He looked at her, "If you expect me to bathe you, you are sorely mistaken. Don't mope around, get up and move on cub."

"Does it always hurt that much after you kill someone?"

He sighed and stroked her hair, "No it doesn't. The first one always feels like you have harmed yourself. You will feel better soon. Go take a shower."

Hermione got up and headed into the bathroom. "You know you are more attractive as a human than as a jaguar."

Xavier glared, "I'll have you know I am perfectly capable of getting ladies in all forms. I also don't need a cub's approval anyways."

Hermione snickered softly and said, "Learn how to take a compliment."

Xavier proceeded to cross his arms in his manly way of pouting. "Hurry up, I have other cubs to watch."

"Yes Mother."

"Watch it, cub."

Ron said, "this Xavier guy sounds like a stalker to me."

"Yeah, does he just follow you around like a creep."

"Guys, he is actually really sweet and kind."

Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and asked, "So do we get to meet him?"

"I am not sure if you guys could see him."

Ron yawned, "Let's call it a night we have class in the morning."
They agreed and left the potion to brew and walked to the Gryffindor Tower. When they got to the common room they parted ways and headed to their beds.

Hermione changed and climbed into her bed pulling the curtains closed for her privacy. She hated it when people watched her sleep. Hermione rolled over to go to sleep when she felt weight on her feet. She looked up to see Xavier sitting on her legs in his jaguar form.

"You should go on a diet you fatty. Why can't you be a cuddly kitten or something?"

Xavier changed into a human saying, "Don't give me that you smartass, and if you ever describe me as sweet and kind I will string you up by your toes. You are ruining my reputation."

Hermione scoffed and sat up to talk to him. "So you were spying on me again?"

Xavier laid on the bed saying, "I wouldn't call it spying… more of guarding."

"Xavier get out of my bed… you are a cover hog."

"That is a big lie. I sleep on your feet occasionally. I never touch your stupid covers."

"Xavier, you never show up without a reason. What is it?"

"I have a feeling you may encounter a murderer soon. So I brought you a potion since I know the other won't be made in time. With the potion you will feel tingling in your nails so you know who it is, but it won't be burning. If it is burning, get as far away as possible. I don't want you exposed here."

"Aw Xavier cares!"

"Hermione don't be a smartass."

"I don't see why I can't tell Dumbledore."

"I don't want you kicked out of school."

"He won't kick me out."

"Well he will tell that Death Eater dungeon bat you told me about."

"If they know a Kanima is here. They are going to want to know who it is."

"I don't have time to argue with you. Someone is exterminating us. The other leaders have been divided up to watch 5 cubs each. I only have you since you are the only wizard."

"So you are going to be around 24/7?"

"Yes, I have to watch my favorite cub."

"You only call me that because all the others are bat shit insane."

"Yes well, you are the only interesting one."

"Can I go to sleep now?"

"You may." Xavier changed back into a jaguar and padded down to the bottom of the bed and curled up on her feet.

"Night Xavie-poo," Hermione kissed his fur and he popped her upside the head with his tail.

I hate it when you do that Hermione.

She giggled and laid to go to sleep.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW:

Also I need suggestions on who to pair Hermione with... one of my friends said Snape another said I should develop Xavier's character and make him the pairing. What do you guys think? Sorry it took so long for this one to come out.