It was January second, and the dentist Grangers were driving Hermione and Harry to Kings Cross. They had partied hard on New Year's Eve and January 1st at Harry's house. Even Grangers had to accept that taking an elevator to work beat a 30-minute drive by car most of the days. Dan was even tempted to take Harry's offer on renting his 14th-floor flat.

Hermione was just reminiscing about the wonderful time she had in the Christmas holidays. Her parents had really appreciated seeing what their daughter learnt in her boarding school, especially if the knowledge was magical. Harry had even joked about Hermione being in advantage by doing magic at home, only if she didn't already know most of the things they would be taught in Hogwarts. She still sometimes wondered how the hell did she landed on someone who adored her that much.

She sighed and looked at Harry with red cheeks, who was still going on to her parents about how brilliant she was.

"-and like I am always second in our year just after Hermione. Our marks are also very similar other than History of Magic and Astrology, where she gets Os and I only scrap EE and A respectively. And still, there is a mountain of difference between our knowledge. I accept that I am a bit better at the practical side of things in Transfiguration and Defense, but Hermione. She does all things that are beyond the NEWTs level, which means your daughter knows more than most of the Final-year students. Not that it is a surprise you know. You should see how Professor McGonagall, the strictest teacher at Hogwarts, is wrapped around the fingers of her favourite student. I mean I can barely brew acceptable potions and she goes on and brew 'Polyjuice' and 'Animagus Revelation' like they are some 2nd year potions and-"

The Grangers also listened part amused part bemused as Harry went on explaining how brilliant their daughter was. They couldn't even feel him trying to butter them up, he was so genuine in his words.

"Haaaaryyyy!", Hermione whined, her face glowing, "Stop it please."

Harry looked at her sheepishly, "Eh sorry? I was only telling the truth you know."

Hermione groaned and pulled him towards herself by his collars and murmured, "Shut up", before shutting him up using her lips.

Dan sighed in annoyance seeing them in the mirror. He had got used to them being very affectionate with each other. Still, as much he liked Harry, he still didn't like to see his daughter getting cosy with her boyfriend.

Dan parked the car as Hermione and Harry unloaded their trunks. They went through the platform 9 and 3/4, and Emma was looking around when she let out a gasp.

"Harry! Is that you?" She pointed at a gigantic advertisement poster that had an animation of Harry in his quidditch uniform drinking a soft drink from a can and giving a thumbs up in the general direction with a smirk on his face. Green lightning seemed to dance through his eyes whenever he took the gulp. The words 'Taste The Thunder!', were written in bold and the slogan was also animated.

Dan and Hermione also looked at the poster with surprise, while Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Isn't that the drink you had lots of in your fridge? I have to say it was great, especially the orange flavour," Dan said producing an orange-flavoured can from his pocket and taking a gulp.

"Yeah, I happen to own 20 per cent shares in the company. Though I am more particular about Chocolate than orange. I guess like father like daughter", Harry replied finishing the sentence and looking at Hermione who just harrumphed.

Emma shook her head "I think coffee is the best, hands down."

After a few minutes of bickering, emotional goodbyes and tight hugs, Harry and Hermione boarded the train back to Hogwarts.

--X--

[Midnight, 5th January 1994]

It was the 7th full moon after drinking the Animagus revelationpotion, so Harry and Hermione were sneaking out on Harry's broom towards the eastern part of the forbidden forest.

"I can feel Apex ready to come out and play. Do you feel the same, 'Mione? " Harry's voice had a growling edge to it.

"I can love," Hermione growled back and attacked his lips a bit aggressively. They spent some time snogging each other wildly when suddenly Harry's eyes glowed green and he bent his head towards grown with a roar-like scream. Hermione went to check on him in worry, but she did something similar and in front of each other they began to change.

Both landed on all fours and began to distort. In moments, in place of Harry a hulking predator of the cat family, that had faced extinction, was present. His eyes were glowing green with power as he let out a loud roar. Other than his striking green eyes and obviously muscular build, his blade-like tusks, coming out of his mouth attracted attention. He stretched on his feet before straightening himself and letting out a louder roar than before as if challenging other predators in that area.

In a moment a less loud roar, but with equal intensity joined his. Anyone in his place would have thought it to be a roar of challenge, but Apex instinctively knew it was a show of support. His mate's attention was that she would be standing by him to jealously guard his area and raise his children when the time came.

He looked back to see a white Siberian tigress, her eyes brown with golden flecks in it, looking directly into his eyes. They closed towards each other, and Regina leaned forward giving Apex a lick on his face in show of affection. They proceeded to smell each other, exchanging licks and nips in the process. They would have continued it for longer, but they stopped hearing clicks and small screeches, that seemed threatening to them. They broke apart to see themselves surrounded by gigantic spiders who seemed to think they could prey on Lord of Jungle.

A loud roar and both Apex and Regina clashed with spiders. Unfortunately for the Acromantulas, their poison and webs weren't a match for the Powerful and flexible Claws of the new King and Queen. Apex and Regina tore through the pathetic army of gigantic spiders, without any scratch on them.

After killing them all which may have taken quite a bit of time as, unlike the big cats, spiders were ambushers, Apex put his paws on the corpse of the biggest spider among them and let out a very loud roar, signifying their victory. Regina's roar joined her mates in the declaration. Many of the other occupants in the jungle bowed towards the source of the sound, while the other apex predators acknowledged the new contenders of the unoccupied part of the forest.

When they transformed back, they were in a safe distance from Hogwarts. To both of their surprise, Hermione wasn't at all bothered by the massacre of the gigantic spiders. Hermione mused that either it was due to their first transformation, when they were completely instinctive or that Regina's personality was bleeding into her making her more possessive and protective. Harry scoffed inwardly. He always knew Hermione had a very ruthless side to her. Her trapping of Rita Skeeter, leading Umbridge to centaurs and a giant and her fight at her final moments when she tore through more than half of the inner circle of death eaters like a hot knife through butter showed it. Regina would have only consolidated and channelled it at most.

Passing the shrieking shack, they heard the aggressive howls of Remus, in his werewolf form. It made Harry wonder, if Snape was somehow messing with the Wolfsbanepotion, he was providing Lupin. Harry wouldn't put it past him. Snape may have deflected from the dark, but he had not left his behaviour behind, especially his hatred towards the Marauders. He doubted that Snape from a different dimension would be much different. Harry shook his head and escorted Hermione back to her dorm through her window. They snogged for few some time in Hermione's bed, going a bit more intimate than other times, with Harry massaging her breasts while their snog session making Hermione moan in acknowledgement.

Harry left after fixing Hermione's window to the dungeons. He still hadn't got hold of Padfoot, to offer some help. He didn't approach Sirius as that might have scared him off. He was confident, he would be able to take care of all hurdles including Snape, Wormtail, Dementors, Werewolf and the Ministry, when the time came. He closed his eyes thinking of Hermione and the World Cup session that was going to start in less than 10 days. The Indian team wasn't particularly strong, in comparison to the Irish or Bulgarian team, but they were still better than the English team, which was a victim of bigotry in Wizarding Britain. His teammates other than one of the beaters, Indira Choudhary, weren't quite the cream of the crop and left much to be desired. Their seeker was actually the weakest among all teams of the World Cup. He didn't know how the inbred moron was supposed to compete with prodigies like Krum and Cybele Peltier. He sighed as he strengthened his decision to change the wizarding Britain soon. It was still his 2nd priority. After all nothing in his life could beat Hermione.

--X--

[9th January 1994]

"-well Professor Flitwick would be able to offer better insight on it. He was undefeated Dueling champion for two decades, you know." Lupin explained to Cassius Warrington from Slytherin, who was interested in duelling. The lessons had gone fabulous today, even after class had consisted of 3rd years from all houses.

'It was probably due to Mr. Potter, who didn't tolerate any slight against his girlfriend. Many of his housemates had to be admitted to hospital wing, for using demeaning slurs near Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy's situation nearly made me pity him.' Lupin thought to himself.

"-ssor, Professor?" Lupin looked at the girl from Ravenclaw, Sue Li, who was trying to get his attention.

"Ah, forgive me, Miss Li. Please ask your question?"

"I asked is there any charm to get rid of dementors?" Sue Li asked.

"Hmm, they had been recorded to be destroyed by Fiendfyre before. Other than that, one can use the Patronus charm to drive them away. It's a very difficult charm to do, with many adult wizards being unable to produce a corporeal patronus." Lupin explained.

"Can you tell us the incantation professor?" Padma Patil asked from beside Sue Li.

"Can we try the spell, Professor?" Parvati Patil followed her sister with her own question.

Lupin seemed thoughtful "Well it wouldn't hurt. The incantation is Expecto Patronum!with no particular wand movement. The trick is to use a happy enough memory to power the spell. Why don't we all practice the incantation first?"

"Expecto Patronum" The students repeated a few times.

"Alright, I want you all to think about some memory that makes you all very happy", he gave them a few moments observing how Mr. Potter had shifted close to Miss Granger and whispered something in her ears, "Now everyone in the front row, think about the memory and say the incantation."

"Expecto Patronum" Everyone incanted and as expected not many could produce even mist. He was surprised though when he saw the mist from the wand of Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom.

"Expecto Patronum!" Remus heard a feminine voice and the whole class watched in awe as a silver doe shot out of Miss Granger's wand.

Many of the bigots looked like they had been slapped and even a few other students were jealous, Neville Longbottom included in them. Though Mr. Potter gave most peculiar reaction. He looked at the doe with wide eyes, which seemed to be a bit watery.

"Well done Miss Granger. 50 points to Ravencla-" Lupin chocked on his words as Harry had wrapped his hands around Miss Granger's waist and proceeded to kiss her deeply.

It went on for nearly a minute before Lupin could even find any word to reprimand Harry for his behaviour. Until then Harry had released Hermione from the kiss and was looking at her with adoration in his eyes. Miss Granger herself seemed in a daze as she touched her lips with her finger and looked back in Harry's eye.

"Not that I minded, but what was that for?" Hermione asked breathing heavily.

Harry didn't look away from her eyes. He answered her question indirectly by pointing his wand in the general direction and calling upon a soft but strong 'Expecto Patronus!'.

From his wand, shot out a magnificent silver Stag patronus that pranced around proudly before joining Hermione's doe patronus, bringing out many awes and gasps from students all around.

Harry took Hermione's hand and started to lead her out of the classroom. He stopped before Professor Lupin and said "I think my girlfriend deserves to be showered with some love and be snogged thoroughly. We will be leaving. Thank you for today's lesson."

And before Remus could process his words and respond the power couple of Hogwarts were already out of class.

"10 points from Slytherin for leaving the class before time," Remus grumbled but had a touch of a smile on his face.

The class started to wolf-whistle, with a few girls awed at the pair of patronuses that tried to follow their caster before being dispelled.

"What was so special about it?" A grumbled voice asked belonging to Ron, who was very confused by Harry nowadays. On the one hand, he was a Quidditch player, a very good one and a Hero of the English Quidditch team. But on the other hand, he was also a slimy Slytherin and in Ron's eyes the only good snake is a dead snake.

Lupin sighed and explained "A patronus is your spirit guardian and it takes the form of an animal either you connect to or the person you expect to protect you connect to. A Patronus may sometimes change if the caster has gone through some big change in their life. Falling in love is one such event. For all we know, Miss Granger's patronus might have taken the form of some different animal, but because she feels so strongly for Mr. Potter, her patronus might have changed to compliment his Patronus. So yes Mr. Weasley, there is indeed something special with their patronus."

Many of the girls had stars and hearts in their eyes. Remus knew he was in trouble if they started asking questions. Fortunately, the chime indicating the end of class sounded and Remus was saved. He quickly excused himself.

The students left the classroom with various degrees of awe or jealousy on their faces.

--X--

Author's note - Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley are twins in the story.