Chapter 1:

The Professor

"As I was saying Mr Granger, my name is Razalas Mendax and I am happy to inform you that your daughter has been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I announce with my best official sounding tone of voice as I sat up a little straighter, trying my best to sound eager rather than bored, as I began to recite the same opening statement for what must have been the thousandth time since I took up my post as a Hogwarts professor.

Still, it wouldn't do to let my boredom show and I did my best not let a hint of it leak into my voice. It wasn't every day that your child received their Hogwarts letter after all. To me this may have just been another mundane day at work but to them, this would be the day they discovered that magic was real and that their daughter, the young witch who was the entire reason why I was here, would find herself drawn into a world with a million more like her, and learn that she was no longer alone.

So with as much enthusiasm I could muster, I put on my best smile and continued.

"Do not let the name fool you however; despite what it's called Hogwarts is one of the most premier school of magic in the entire world and is most certainly the best on this side of Europe. I would even venture to say that our instituted is best English speaking magic school in existence. So never fear, I promise you your daughter's future is in the very best of hands and she will be sure to receive the highest level of education possible at our fine institution."

"...Alright." Came the wholly unenthusiastic reply from the balding man sitting across from me in an armchair. Rather, in spite of his answer, he didn't seem completely there. His eyes were glossed over despite being locked on me, and poor chap kept blinking and shaking his head every few seconds as if he was having trouble believing what he was seeing.

Ah, yes, I recognized the symptoms.

It was always hard for ordinary people to cope with the knowledge of magic. That the reality they had lived their entire lives believing in, the laws that they thought governed their world, was nothing but an illusion, a thin veneer that hid the truth. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced such a thing, having been born into a magical family, but I can imagine it was a rather jarring experience.

So I didn't begrudge him for his inattentive state, it was only natural to have some trouble coping. It was for that very reason why the traditional method of delivering the Hogwarts acceptance letter was forgone when it came to muggle born; instead a Professor was to hand deliver it. We couldn't even send a letter warning them we would be coming as it seemed that most parents would toss it away as a hoax.

Clearing my throat I carried on. "I understand why this can come as a bit of a shock to you but surely you must have suspected something. Floating objects, cuts healing over nights, things you were certain you placed in one room only for it to appear in another, those are all common signs of a child born with magic. We call these types of incidents 'accidental magic', and they are rather common occurrences in young wizards and witches who still haven't learn to properly harness their abilities. Often parents would see these clear signs of magic in their child only to dismiss them and try to explain them away. But I'm sure as someone who had spent the last decade raising a witch, unknowingly or not, you must have occasionally toyed with the thought that magic might be real."

"...Yes." Mr Granger tiredly rubbed his face with both hands. "As a matter of fact I have considered it, but it's not the magic part that I'm having trouble understanding." Mr Granger continued to rub his face for a moment before lowering his hands and looked at me.

"It's just…" Mr Granger held his hands in the air, as if trying to demonstrate something, only to give up and slump back into his chair before tiredly waving a hand towards me. "...You're a cat."

"Yes. Yes I am." I replied, cocking my furry little head as I tried to understand his point. "I believe that was obvious. What of it?"

Currently I was sitting on nice comfy sofa in the middle of the Granger's living room, which was part of a cozy little house situated near the center of the city of London. Across from me were the Elder Grangers, Daniel and Emma Granger, while kneeling next to the couch and watching me with eyes that shone as if they held all the stars in the sky was Hermione Granger, the purpose of my visit.

Oh yes, and in case I forget to mention earlier I was, as Mr Granger so aptly put it, a cat.

An Animagus to be precise. I was currently in my animal form, a black cat with smooth glossy fur and green eyes that shone like the leaves of a sunlit forest. Overall I looked like the paragon of a species that has been worshiped as gods in the past should look like, and rightly so.

And in case if it wasn't oblivious I was quite proud of my looks. Meow.

"What of it?" I pressed, raising a nonexistent eyebrow on my feline face.

"And you teach." Granger leaned forward, trying to press his point. Though what exactly that point was, I had no idea.

"Yes," I nodded. "I am a Professor, I believe I have mentioned that already."

"To children..." He paused, his brown eyes boring into me as if imploring me to understand. "...human children."

"Yes." I said slowly, as if speaking to a particularly slow-witted child. "To human children, what else am I supposed to be teaching? Owls?" Twitching my noses distastefully at the thought. Owls, horrid creatures.

"But you're a Cat!"

"And you're a human." I answered back, cocking my head again. "Is that what we're doing now? Stating the obvious? Because in that case, I have to tell you, you're not fooling anyone with that comb-over."

"But you can talk!" Granger finally snapped, pointing at me in accusation.

"Hey that's rude!" Narrowing my eyes I tried my very best to set my feline face into something approaching stern rather than adorable, "I don't go around pointing out how you can talk, now do I? Do you have any idea how insulting that is? No? Then here, let me show you. Look everyone," I mimed looking around and waving invisible people in before pointing, "Look, look at the talking human. Look at him talk, isn't that amazing? Everyone clap your hands now, lets clap for the talking human, clap everyone."

Then I proceeded just to that, sitting back on my hind legs before I slowly and sarcastically began to clap my two paws together.

At my words Mr Granger just groaned in frustration and cupped his head in his hands. Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, I gave him up as a lost cause and turned to look at the other elder Granger, Emma I believe she was called, who must clearly be the brains of the family because how else would this household be able to function if Mr Granger was considered the bright one.

"Mrs Granger, as I was trying to explain to your husband your daughter is witch, a person born with the gift of magic. And like all gifts it is something that must be trained and harnessed at a young age least it be wasted. Which is why it is imperative that she attends a magical school such as Hogwarts."

I paused, waiting for a reply, but all received was utter silence as Emma started at me with wide unblinking eyes. And I do mean unblinking, as in the last ten seconds her eyelids hadn't so much as twitched.

"...Okay." I mouthed before looking away awkwardly, feeling my ears fold flat on my skull. Well that wasn't creepy at all. Clearly I was mistaken when I dubbed her the brains of this outfit.

Fortunately there remained one more occupant in this room, and they do say third times the charm. Besides, being a witch I have no doubt that she's having an easier time accepting the existence of magic than her parents were, it was in her blood after all. And being a uniquely bright young lady, a child prodigy by all reports with an IQ level nearing the two hundreds, I had high hopes I could maintain an intellectual conversation with her in spite of her young age.

Turning to the young witch in question, whose face was barely a meter away from my own, watching me with eyes filled with wonder and awe – which was only a proper response when someone gazes on the splendor that was my feline form. She was kneeling on the floor next to the sofa I was currently resting on, her hands held tucked under chin twitching as she resisted the urge from reaching out and petting me.

Clearing my throat, I was about to speak, my mouth already open and halfway through forming a word, when young Hermione beat me to it.

"Kitty!" The bushy haired young girl exclaimed. "I'm going to school full of magical kittens!"

...I'm surrounded by morons.

Lifting my paw off my face from when I had facepalmed – or was it facepawed – I mentally cursed every deity and god out there for the existence of prepubescent girls. Here was a young lady with an IQ to rival Einstein and thirst for knowledge that would make Rowena proud, but put a cat in front of her and what happens, she reverts to a gushing squealing schoolgirl.

Sigh, still, this was better than the alternative I supposed. Matters would have probably gone a lot less smoothly had I arrived in my human form. Children tend to take it much better when a magical cat breaks the news to them rather than a tall strange man. The same applied to the parents too; I supposed it was easier to believe in magic when it came out of the mouth of a talking cat rather than a man in a robe.

"No Miss Granger, you are not going to a school of magical kittens. I believe I'm the only one currently residing in Hogwarts." I told her as I rubbed my forehead with a pawn, feeling a headache brewing.

"Actually," I paused for a second before amending, "there is one other professor that can transform into a cat. Minerva McGonagall, the current Head of Gryffindor and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. But I'm afraid she only goes around as one part-time and only rarely at that – seems to prefer her human form for some odd reason I could never comprehend. Everyone knows it's better to be a cat." Shaking my head at Minnie's foolishness, I refocused my attention on the girl. "Other than your first lesson with her I doubt you'd ever see her in her cat form, so I'm afraid for all intents and purposes the only talking cat in Hogwarts would be me."

"Oh." The little girl mouthed, all but physically deflating and slumping forward, obviously crushed by the news.

Rolling my eyes at the obvious disappoint I decided to try and cheer her up. "But never fear Miss Granger for I too am a professor at the school, so I'm sure you'll have plenty of chances to see me as you will no doubt be attending my classes. You may even end up in my house."

"House?" Mr Granger asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. Though I couldn't tell for sure if he was actually speaking or was just repeating what I said, I decided to take it as a good sign.

"Yes, upon arriving to Hogwarts students are divided up into one of four Houses, each one named after one of the founders. I have already mention Gryffindor, the house of courage and chivalry." Deciding to put on a bit of a show, I pulled on my magic, drawing it to me with but a thought and bending it to my will as I used it to conjuror a set of knightly plate amour around my body, kitty sized of course.

Pulling up the visor that covered my face with one paw, I said. "If you have the courage to face the unknown and the heart to stand up for what you believe in, then it is here in the house of lions where you be most welcomed." Letting the visor go, I allowed it slam shut with a clang.

With another twist of my magic I dismissed the amour and replaced with a pair of round wire-framed glass that I set it on my nose.

"Then there is Ravenclaw, the house of wit, intelligent and knowledge." I lifted one paw to daintily shift the glasses while in my other paw I held a tiny tome – a tricky thing when you had no thumbs. Or arms for that matter. "If it is knowledge you seek and the secrets of the world you wish to discover, then there is no better place for keen mind then the raven's nest."

"Next is Hufflepuff, the House of the dedication, honestly and loyalty." Again I dismissed the props and this time conjured a bee suit around my body along with a hairband with cute little antennas on my head. "Helga was said to have moved mountains whole with nothing but her own two hands and hard work, and a truer friend than her you shall never find. And so her house welcome those who are the same; to those who seek friendship that will never break, comrades that will never betray, come, for it is here where you will find them."

Once more I dismissed my creation, the bee suit disappearing around me like a cloak of mist.

"Then there is Slytherin, the house of the cunning, ambitious and resourceful." I didn't bother to conjure anything; instead I projected an illusion of the globe before me that steadily spun on its axis. "To those who wish to make the times rather than be shaped by it, if you have the ambition and will to leave you their mark upon the world, then come to serpents' nests. For it is there where you would find the tools needed to succeed."

Having finished, I dismissed the globe and just sat there, puffing my tiny chest out in pride and waited for the enthusiastic response that my little show would no doubt elicit.

Unfortunately the parents still seen to be trapped in a stupor, because they continued to stare blankly at me, jaws hanging slightly open. Though the girl seemed appropriately impressed with the display and broke out in a delighted applause, so I called it a win.

Puffing my chest a little more, I extended my claws from one paw and buffed it on my chest before I holding them out before me to admire. "Coincidentally, I'm a Slytherin. The Head of the House actually, in addition to being the History of Magic professor."

"Would…" I looked up in mild surprise at the elder female Granger, who sounded a little strained as she spoke, "would you like me to get you something to drink?"

Ah, so she speaks at last. Not much, true, but at least its progress. At this rate I might be able to pull out full paragraphs out of her before it was time to leave. And it looks like they might be civilized after all, something I hadn't been sure of when they rather rudely failed to offer me anything to drink when I arrived earlier.

"Honey," Mr Granger looked up to his wife and waved a hand towards me, "what are you doing? He's a cat."

"And you're a human," I cocked my head to the side as I watched the man. "I thought we had established this already. Human," I pointed at him with a paw before placing it on my chest, "cat. Now say it with me until you get it right. Human, cat, human, cat."

Mr Granger just watched me numbly, not responding to my prompts.

Turning to the young Granger I raised a paw to cover my mouth as I spoke in a staged whisper, "Not very bright this one, is he?"

Hermione giggled before clamping her hands over mouth and turned to stare wide eyed at her father. But Mr Granger just groaned and dropped his head into his hands, obviously overwhelmed. Poor chap.

"If it wouldn't be too much of a bother," I turned to look at Mrs Granger, "I would really appreciate something to drink. I'm afraid I'm feeling a tad peckish."

"Of course, it's no problem at all." Mrs Granger seemed to regain a little more life in her, no doubt taking comfort in the familiarity of formality and made her way to the kitchen. She paused right at the threshold, freezing in place with indecision just as she was to step out of the room. Taking a hesitant glance over her shoulder at me, she awkwardly asked. "Would some milk do?"

"Madam, I am not an animal." I told her in my most posh tone of voice as I placed a paw on my chest. "I'm British. As such, tea will do nicely."

She didn't look like she knew what to say to that so just nodded weakly before heading back to the Kitchen.

"Though I would appreciate it if you could serve it in a bowl please." I called out to Mrs Granger before she disappeared. I held up by paws in explanation. "I never got the hang of drinking from a cup. No thumps you see."

She just nodded numbly and continued on her way, not saying a word.

"Well, things are going splendidly. Far better than my usual visits." And it was true, I haven't been called a spawn of Satan and smacked with a Bible yet, which was always a pleasant surprise. You wouldn't believe how much getting thumped on the head by a book that thick hurts until you experience it yourself.

I felt my kitty sense tingling and without so much as turning to look, I firmly pushed away the hand sneaking up behind my head and held it down, trapping it against the sofa with my paw.

"Now Miss Granger," I turned to look at the owner of the hand. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to touch someone without permission?"

"But I just wanted to pet you." Hermione explained, the hand that I had trapped under my paw betraying her eagerness as it twitched.

"And rightly you should want to," I nodded in understanding, truly, I couldn't blame the girl for wanting to feel my fur, it was rather fabulously soft, "but I'm afraid that now is not the time for it. I need to get you parents up to date with the situation as soon as possible. If not, I'm afraid we won't be able to get your school books before the morning rush hour."

At the word books, Hermione lost all interest in my fur and I found myself staring into her large eyes as she somehow managed to teleport herself right before my face, "Books? We can buy magical books in London?" She asked, her eyes all but blazing with an unholy light at the very thought.

"Yes, yes we can get books in London." I said as I pushed aside her face with both paws. Well, at least I knew which house she belonged in. If this girl wasn't a Ravenclaw, I'd eat my tail. "Quite nearby actually."

"Where?" She asked.

At that, I couldn't help but smile.

"Diagon Alley."

*Chapter End*

Author's Note: This little plot bunny had been jumping around in my thoughts for a while now, and refused to let me go until I typed it out. And so when I had enough I sat down and typed this out in more or less than a single sitting. And while I am busy with my other stories - which are a priority - I wanted a story that I can right for fun and unwind. So if this chapter is well received and I decided to continue with the story, I plan to release several small chapters that I type out in my spare time rather than the twenty thousands word behemoths like my other stories that takes weeks to finish at a minimum.

As for Warning Tags: AU with the history of the HP world greatly altered, along with magic system. No Slash. Non-Canon plot.

Oh and this is NOT an OC story and NOT A Self-Insert. The main character is based on a character in the canon verse. As for who it is, well you have to figure that out for yourselves. And yes, the main character will be spending most of this fic as a cat.

And I think that's it. I'm not as familiar with harry potter verse as I am Fate/stay or Naruto (I've read the books but it was a long while ago), so it will be a nice challenge to write.

Be sure to leave me a review on your way out and tell me what you thought of the chapter. Loved it, hated it? Should I continue? Any and all reviews would be appreciated, so please tell me what you think.

And as always, thanks for reading.