Chapter 3
"Squwwwwechhh!" Hermione's muttered obscenity came out as a piercing squawk instead. Why am I back in hawk form? she wondered. There was nothing for it—she'd have to seek out her professors and have them perform their magic yet again. And hopefully determine why it hadn't lasted all that long in the first place.
She flew partway to the door before remembering that she wouldn't be able to open it anyway. She executed a graceful turn and flew to the window, but it was shut tight. Uh oh. Both she and the ever-present hawk's mind began to panic, her fight-or-flight instinct exaggerated by the hawk's nature. Hermione flew one, two, three loops around her room—there was no way out. Damn, damn, damn.
After slamming into the door once, Hermione determined not to do that anymore. So she began screeching, again and again, as loud as she could, hoping that someone would come to investigate.
It took nearly thirty minutes, but eventually Professor McGonagall flung the door open and ran in, looking around the room until she spotted Hermione, limp on the floor and hoarsely squawking. The professor scooped her up and tutted, but she stroked Hermione's feathered head reassuringly as they sped down to the dungeons. When Professor Snape yanked open the door to his private quarters, he scowled but waved them in.
McGonagall set Hermione gently on a couch cushion with a little bowl of water beside her, then she and Professor Snape whispered worriedly in the corner. Both occasionally shot her troubled glances, although Professor Snape's were a bit more on the How did I become entangled in this side. Hermione was too weak and frightened to try to listen in, although with the hawk's enhanced hearing she could understand them clear as day.
It didn't make any sense! They had freed her from her Transfigured animal form. And she had been asleep—how could she have performed the magic to change back? Her wand had been on her nightstand, in the vicinity but certainly not in her possession at the time. There must be something she was missing. If only she could get her hands on her notes...
Sighing inwardly, Hermione got herself upright and flew over to land on Professor McGonagall's shoulder, trying to be very careful with the placement of her talons. Both professors abruptly stopped talking, and Hermione attempted to pantomime 'writing' with one foot while bobbing her head encouragingly. At least, she thought she was being encouraging. Judging by Professor Snape's dour countenance, she was probably just looking ridiculous.
After a moment where both professors stared at her, confused, Hermione gave up her charades. McGonagall, however, seemed to understand her defeated posture.
"We must change her back again," McGonagall said to Snape.
"I am concerned that we are fooling with magic we know nothing about," Snape replied, his black eyes boring into Hermione's orange hawk eyes. "It was one thing to simply release the girl from what amounts to an Animagus form, but for her to have spontaneously changed back..." He shook his head and looked to McGonagall.
"We can't just leave her!" McGonagall cried.
Professor Snape exhaled very slowly through his nose, looking murderous. "Fine. We shall change her back—again—and then Miss Granger will accompany me to her lab where we will comb over every last notation, memory, and nuance until we determine what has happened. And I will not hear any opposition to any of my methods, from either of you."
Hermione drew herself up to her full hawk height and glared at Professor Snape. He wanted to paw through her memories? How rude! And untrustworthy! They had all reviewed her thesis; surely he knew that the theory was sound. She waited for McGonagall to object, but to her surprise, the older woman simply nodded and said, "As you wish, Severus."
Hermione ruffled her wings agitatedly. Two sets of eyes turned back to her and McGonagall added, "Just remember what she's been through, if you please. A little kindness would go a long way, I'm sure."
The women turned and exited the room before he had a chance to respond, but Hermione's hawk hearing told her exactly how he felt about that.
A/N: Some explanations for Hermione's problem coming in the next chapter!