Chapter 24

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this fiction belong to JKR, except for those which belong to me.

Author's Notes: Kudos to noybate for ironing out my mangled grammar and wrangling my stampeding commas. Britpicking was done by the incomparable SlytherinsHeirx, but all mistakes are my own.

Chapter Twenty Four

Newest Animagus Is An American-Bred Cat

by Rita Skeeter

Correspondent, Daily Prophet

Sources at the Ministry for Magic today reported that Hermione Granger, the newest professor at the well-known Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and close personal friend of Harry Potter, The-Man-Who-Lived-Twice, is the newest Animagus of the wizarding world. Her form is reported to be a spotted cat bred in the United States to resemble a small leopard and called an Ocicat.

This reporter has been assured that Professor Granger's form is that of an ordinary house cat and not an actual wild leopard-type feline, but this reporter must admit she has never heard of the breed. This reporter must also wonder what is wrong with becoming a more patriotic British breed of cat rather than an upstart breed from a breakaway colony. Is Professor Granger preaching rebellion in taking this particular form? Keep reading as your intrepid girl reporter investigates these rumours.

* * *

"Oooh, that witch."

"Oh dear," Filius twittered nervously. "You've seen the article."

"How could I miss it?" Hermione asked angrily. "It's right on the front page. Preaching rebellion, indeed!" She balled up the newspaper and threw it across the Great Hall. The paper ball bounced twice before skittering to a teetering halt on the Slytherin table, where it burst into flames from a wandless Incendio.

"I think perhaps it is time to ask Miss Skeeter to visit Hogwarts," Severus said silkily, waving his hand airily and putting out the flames. "After all, I shall be the only one here besides Filch, the house-elves, and the ghosts. Intrepid girl reporter, indeed!" He snorted at the epithet the reporter had given herself.

"And do what, Severus?" asked Minerva. "Certainly you wouldn't hurt her, would you?"

"I would certainly impress upon her the facts of the matter." Severus sneered. "If that doesn't work... there's always threatening her with a jam jar." He smirked at those seated with him at the table.

Hermione giggled. "Thank you, Severus. I needed a laugh. But seriously, what can I do about it? She hasn't out-and-out said anything except she thought, in her opinion, I shouldn't have become an American breed of cat. I don't have any choice in my Animagus form, and she knows it."

"Indeed," agreed Minerva. "What self-respecting witch or wizard would actually want to become a beetle?" She shuddered with disgust. "I, for one, happen to think your form is exceptional. From what we've discovered, it suits you splendidly."

"How so, Minerva?" Pomona Sprout asked. "What is it about that particular spotted cat that suits our Hermione?"

"The actual cat itself is reputed to be intelligent..." Hermione began.

"Of course." Severus smirked at her. "You couldn't be anything else."

"Hush, Severus, I want to hear this," Filius shushed him.

"It's also considered athletic, loyal, and a very social animal," Minerva continued. "The breed began approximately forty years ago when an American breeder wanted to produce a Siamese cat with Abyssinian points, I believe is the word?"

Hermione nodded. "Points being the face, ears, feet and tail for a Siamese breed. However, I read..."

"Of course you did."

"Severus!" Several voices rose in protest.

"Ahem." Minerva cleared her throat, effectively silencing the teachers. "Continue, Hermione, if you please."

"Thank you, Minerva." Hermione looked down at the table in front of her. Once again, it was covered in letters from readers of The Daily Prophet voicing their opinions of Rita Skeeter's article, both pro and con. "I read that the first cat was a total surprise. It was an ivory colour with brownish all-over spots, much like a leopard's. It wasn't what the breeder was looking for, so it was neutered and sold as a house pet.

"But a Muggle news reporter did a story on this beautiful spotted house cat living in his city, and a geneticist saw the article. He challenged the American cat breeders to do it again if they could, so there would be house cats that emulated the look of cats in the wild. Within two years, the breeders had developed an entirely new breed. And one I had never heard of until I Transformed."

"Indeed," Minerva said in agreement. "It was quite a shock. You all saw her last weekend. Here stood a house cat that resembled a leopard. If I hadn't been there to witness Hermione's first Transformation, I wouldn't have believed it."

"I will admit you put on a lovely show Saturday night at dinner, Hermione," Rolanda Hooch said. "You even impressed the Malfoys and the Minister of Magic. Minerva, I wonder...?"

"Yes, Rolanda?"

"Why is it that someone can study to become an Animagus, yet never attain the ability?"

"I believe..."

"Yes, Minerva." Severus sneered with a teasing glint in his eye. "Tell us your theory."

"Severus Snape, you're insufferable this morning!" Minerva scolded. "Whatever is wrong with you?"

"By the end of this week, there will be no one in this castle for six weeks except for myself, Argus Filch, several hundred house-elves, and the castle ghosts." Severus grimaced. "What do you think is wrong with me?"

"But that's not true," Hermione protested. "Poppy and I'll be here for the entire month of August, as will Minerva."

"Indeed?" A quirked eyebrow.

"Yes. Since you still aren't allowed to brew for the Infirmary, I told Poppy I'd do it again this year so she doesn't have to go outside for her supplies."

"And grateful I am too," the mediwitch said quietly from her place on the other side of the Headmistress. "Until last year, the cost was almost prohibitive and wreaked havoc with my Infirmary budget. Last year, if you remember, it was a race for Hermione to have all the potions I needed finished before the first of September."

"Therefore, Hermione suggested...and I agreed...that she should take at least the entire month of August to brew," Minerva said.

"So I have something to look forward to?" Severus sneered. "Where, pray tell, is Professor Granger supposed to do her brewing?"

"I won't be disturbing your private lab, Severus," Hermione told him. "I can use the classroom for what I have to do."

"And I intend to use the next two weeks to purchase the potions ingredients needed," Poppy said, an irritated tone in her voice. "I know I am capable, and I believe Hermione is quite capable, as a Potions mistress, to purchase the best ingredients available, if need be. Or do you not believe someone you trained is capable?"

"And if you're finished with feeling sorry for yourself," Minerva said, "I should like to see you in my office right after breakfast." With that, she rose from the table and sailed majestically out of the Great Hall, her robes billowing in a fair imitation of Severus at his worst.

Severus managed a chagrined look at his colleagues. "My apologies," he said. "I can only think that I have five interminable months yet before I can leave Hogwarts without breaking my probation."

"It's enough to drive anyone to pique," Poppy said, patting his arm in a motherly fashion. "But just think, by this time next year, you can look forward to your own holidays away from the castle."

"Look at it this way, Severus," Filius said cheerfully. "Once the students return, the term will just fly by and, before you know it, we'll be into the Christmas hols. Then you'll only have two weeks to go before you're finished."

"Thank you, Filius." Severus said drily. "What would I do without your cheer?"

"Think nothing of it." Filius said, flipping his hand in an airy good-bye as he too left the table and the Hall.

"Believe me, I won't."

Hermione snickered from her seat beside him. As he looked at her, eyebrow quirked, she cleared her throat and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Best not keep Minerva waiting," she reminded him.

"Indeed."

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" He stood in the doorway and waited for her invitation to enter.

"Don't be so formal, Severus," chided Minerva, waving him into the office. "I've got some good news for you from Kingsley."

"I sincerely don't believe Shacklebolt could have any good news for me he couldn't tell me himself," Severus said, sitting down in the chair she indicated in front of her desk.

"He didn't want to be seen to be too lenient with you by the Wizengamot," Minerva explained. "However, he did manage to convince them to be... shall we say... a little more tolerant towards your 'parole'. Thus the chaperoning of the students at the train station the first of this month."

"Get to the point, Minerva."

"Yesterday, Kingsley told me that you'll be allowed to leave the grounds of the school for a two-week holiday this year." She held up her hand as he started to speak.

"The caveat is that you must spend that two weeks in my company."

"Acceptable."

"And Hermione's."

"Pardon?"

"Hermione and I will be spending the next two weeks on her Transfiguration training...in short, stabilizing her Animagus form...before she returns to Hogwarts in August to begin brewing for Poppy."

"I suppose if it will get me out of this damnable school for even a short period..."

"Excellent." Minerva beamed. "If you wish, I will help you determine if you can become an Animagus as well. If so, we can work on attaining your form during the next term."

Severus glanced over her shoulder to the portrait of Dumbledore that hung on the wall behind her desk. Albus nodded silently and quietly clapped his hands in delight, indicating that Severus might actually enjoy himself.

"That might be acceptable," he said dryly as Dumbledore twinkled and beamed at him, although the former Headmaster had closed his eyes and was feigning sleep by the time Minerva turned around to look.

* * *