Hello all!

It's been a while! I think the last time I updated was likely, what... two years ago? I'm sorry about that!

I just wanted to let you all know that YES, I am continuing this. I should have the full chapter posted very soon, by Sunday if all goes well. Perhaps even later today. In the mean time, I have been revising the previous chapters and I encourage you all to skim through the ones that have been edited. They will have a tag at the beginning of the chapter.

As always, thank you everyone who has been supporting me and encouraging me to continue. I am truly sorry for the wait, but well... life happens. I started this back when I was in the eleventh grade. I am now a Senior in college. (Wow... time flies).

Oh, I would also like to specifically thank Kay Hau on their review of chapter 7. Your suggestion has given me some great ideas!

Please enjoy!

Previously~

"Well," Soul yawned. "It seems it's time for us head out. My bed is calling my name..." McGongall actually chuckled, hardly, but it was something. As the two got up to leave, Hermione called after them.

"Wait!"

They stopped, Maka looked at Hermione expectantly. "Why don't you stay for class? Harry and Ron will be joining us as well, it could be fun."

Soul just stared at her, all hopes of retreating to the warm comforts of his bed were gone. Sure, they still had to talk with Dumbledore, but nothing said he couldn't get a few more hours of sleep first. McGongall pondered it for a moment, glancing over her lesson plans. "That's actually a wonderful idea, Hermione. Maka... Soul, you two can lend me hand."

Hermione and Maka shared a look, each grinning in excitement. This would be interesting, they were sure of it. Next to them, however, Soul look terrified.

Chapter 9: Transfiguration ~

Currently listening to: Various songs by Red

Sitting off to the side, leaning against a raised section of the floor, Maka and Soul were not immediately noticed as various Gryffindor and Slytherin students began to arrive. Hermione was already sitting at her usual desk towards the front of the room, occupying herself by carefully arranging her parchment and quills. She would most definitely be taking notes for this lesson.

It was not long before Harry and Ron came rushing through the back entrance, nearly out of breath from the looks of it. Breathing heavily, they took their seats next to Hermione. She looked over at her friends with a raised eyebrow.

"Why on earth are you both so out of breath. Class doesn't start for another five minutes." Normally, she would be glad they were on time, but this was surely odd.

Ron looked at Harry incredulously. "Harry, I thought you said class had already started?" Harry looked equally as confused. He took out a small pocket watch and glanced at the time.

Harry met eyes with Hermione. "What time do you have?" Hermione quickly read of the time from her own watch and Harry muttered a curse. Ron only shook his head.

"When did you last set that bloody watch, Harry?" Ron asked, his breathing finally slowing down to a normal pace. Harry shrugged and Hermione couldn't help but smirk.

"No matter," she said smugly. "It does you two good to be on time for once. Anyway, we have guest this morning so I would recommend getting out your parchment."

The two boys looked startled. McGonagall was there, sitting behind her desk arranging what they assumed to be today's lesson plans. Behind them, the room was nearly full of students chattering excitedly, some pointing past where they were sitting. Harry and Ron followed the stares and finally noticed the two sitting casually on the small set of steps that lead up to Professor McGonagall's desk. Maka and Soul.

"When did they get here?" Harry asked, surprised. He hadn't seen them on he and Ron's mad dash to the classroom, so they must have already been here.

Hermione chuckled. "They were already here talking to the professor when I arrived this morning. Professor McGonagall asked them to stay and help out with her lesson."

Ron looked equally surprised, eyebrows raised. "Help out?"

Before Hermione could answer Professor McGonagall stood from behind her desk and the room fell silent. It was then that Maka and Soul finally rose as well, Maka carefully dusting off her skirt.

"It appears everyone is here. Good, let us begin," McGongaall said, her voice easily reaching everyone in the room. She gestured towards the newcomers. "In light of recent events, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to have Miss Albarn and Mr. Evans assist in today's lesson."

Soul immediately cast a glare towards McGonagall, only stopped by a sharp elbow to the ribs by his partner. Honestly, she had to stop doing that before he suffered a permanent bruise!

Murmurs started back again, this time stopped by a slight raised hand from McGonagall. "As many of you know, there are varying degrees of Transfiguration. In its most basic form, a witch or wizard might only change the appearance of an object while still maintaining its base identity."

McGonagall moved to grab something small off of her desk, glancing slightly in the direction of Maka and Soul, who looked intrigued. Good, she intended this to be a lesson for them as well. When she turned around, she was holding a small statue of a woman wearing a flowing green dress. In the next instant McGonagall took out her wand and softly said a spell. The dress was now a deep red.

Maka looked on curiously. She was use to varying types of magic, but to use it for something so small and precise was fascinating. She continued watching eagerly. Any information she could learn on the types of witches and their magic here was beneficial.

"Now, of course, I could make a much greater modification with a similar incantation," McGonagall said as she placed the small statue on the floor. She backed up a few steps and then said another spell. Maka and Soul's eyes widened. The statue had grown nearly as tall as McGonagall herself.

"With more advanced magic, I could also take this statue and, with the right skill, turn this statue into something entirely unrelated to its original form," the professor said, flicking her wand once more. Maka gasped as the statue shrunk and then turned into something she most definitely did not expect... a mouse!

The small creature scurried away towards the door before it was levitated and returned to the professor. Before it reached her hand she had already turned it back into the small statue with the blue dress.

"Would anyone care to tell me another variation of Transfiguration?" McGonagall asked. She placed the statute back onto her desk as several students raised their hands, all eager. She called on a dark haired girl whose robes were lined with a deep green.

"One could also be an Animagus, like you professor."

"Very good," McGonagall said. "Five points to Slytherin." The girl who answered grinned in satisfaction, much to the chargin of the Gryffindors who had also raised their hands.

"Animagus?" Soul asked. Neither he or Maka had heard that term before.

McGonagall smiled. "An Animagus is a witch or wizard who has gained the ability to transform themselves into an animal," she answered. Before Maka and Soul could react, she began to shrink, quickly becoming a small brown tabby. The two gaped at her. Soul couldn't help but think of Blair... his face immediately became crimson.

McGonagall stared at them with slow, blinking eyes. She waited just a moment before returning herself human.

"We've seen that before," Maka said. "Although... it was a little different back home. I assume you have always been human, Professor?" McGonagall gave her a curious look, but nodded confirmation. "My partner and I once thought we were chasing a witch... but it ended up being a cat, one with a ridiculously large amount of innate magic. She could make herself human, but she was a cat by nature."

This caused a great deal of a stir. "A cat with actual magic?" Someone asked. Another commented with, "But that shouldn't be possible, a feline transforming itself into a person..."

Soul couldn't help but scoff. "Are you guys really in the position to say what shouldn't be possible? I mean, magic can do all kinds of weird stuff, can't it?" He shrugged off the glances that were now directed at him.

McGonagall cleared her throat. "Let us continue. Along with Transfiguring an object, it is also possible to perform Conjuration and Vanishment." At that, she turned her wand towards an empty chair. It vanished without a trace.

Soul grinned. "Cool". He could think of many uses for that kind of magic. After a moment, McGonagall recited another spell and then the chair reappeared. She turned towards Maka and Soul.

"Have you any questions? Now would be the time for them," she said, giving them a kind, but cautious smile. She knew the value of understanding each other better, but that in no way meant she wished to divulge all of their secrets.

Maka nodded enthusiastically. "Is there a limit to what can be conjured or made to disappear? Or to what can be transfigured?"

McGonagall nodded briskly. "Of course," she replied. "What can be achieved is ultimately decided upon by the skill and concentration of the witch or wizard casting the spell. However, it should also be noted that difficulty, even for an experienced user of magic, can increase based on the size of the object as well as what is being done. For example, it would be easier to transfigure a rocking horse into an actual beast of the same nature than it would be if you started with a broom in its place."

"I see," came Maka's thoughtful reply. "It's so diverse."

A few hands around the room shot up. McGonagall nodded towards a Gryffindor.

An eager looking boy motioned towards Soul and Maka. "Can we ask questions to them?" McGonagall looked towards the two questioningly.

"Go for it," Soul said.

"Can you do any magic, then?' the boy asked. Soul frowned. What would give anyone the idea that they had magic?

"No," Soul replied. "We can't. Or at least, we've never tried before." The voices immediately rose, more questions thrown their way.

"You've never tried before?"

"So you are all muggles, then?"

"Why are you here if you can't use magic?"

Maka looked towards her partner. She could tell he was becoming impatient. He glared at them. "We aren't here to learn about magic, or whatever," he said. "We're here to collect kishin's eggs."

A brief silence and then Hermione raised her hand. McGonagall nodded acknowledgement. "Can you tell us more about these kishin's eggs, as you call them? Professor Dumbledore said they were a threat... but what exactly are they?"

McGonagall sucked in her breath. She did not wish to discuss this here, but before she could interject Maka stepped forward.

"They are humans, or at least they were originally," Maka explained. No one spoke at their surprise. "Humans who have fallen into corruption become, after a time, Kishin's eggs. Their souls are tainted by madness, and they become extremely dangerous. Often, they are mutated into something beyond that of a normal human, and they do not hesitate to murder anyone who gets in their way."

For once, even Hermione was shocked into silence. Humans? These kishin's eggs were still human? Not monsters, as she imagined, or what was described in the book she previously found. Human.

Once the shock had faded, new curiosity surfaced. A boy sitting towards the back, platinum blonde hair and green lined robes, raised his hand. Before McGonagall could even urge him to speak, he said, "They can't be all that dangerous then, these humans. You said yourself that you don't use any magic."

Maka frowned, but Soul only smirked. "Magic doesn't seem to work on them, actually. If you came across one and tried to cast a spell it wouldn't even flinch before it ripped you in half."

The boy immediately stood up from his seat, face red with rage. McGonagall snapped her gaze towards him and said, "Take your seat, Mr. Malfoy."

Maka locked eyes with the one named Malfoy. "Kishin's eggs resist magic, but they do have a weakness. Demon Weapons."

"This is a joke," Malfoy retorted. Soul glared at him.

"What did you say? You want me to come over there and eat your soul, kid?"

Maka sighed, and McGonagall stiffened. "That is quite enough," the old witch said as she looked from Malfoy to Soul with hard eyes. "I believe I will take this opportunity as a chance to remind everyone that our customs could be no further apart. However, that is no excuse to behave as children. Mr. Malfoy, do not force me to take away the five points I have already awarded your house."

Malfoy sat back in his chair angrily, but he continued to glare at Soul. Professor McGonagall turned her attention towards Maka, who was still regarding Malfoy with a level gaze. "Miss Albarn, perhaps we should take this from a different approach?"

Maka nodded. "If it is alright with you, I would like to perform the demonstration that Soul and I normally give to freshmen students at Shibusen."

"Very well," McGonagall said, stepping back to sit behind her desk. Maka walked towards the front and center of the classroom, Soul following just behind. He had already regained his previous casual posture. To everyone else, his red eyes seemed board. Only Maka could see the mischief in them.

"At Shibusen, students are categorized into two different types. Meisters, like myself," Maka said, giving the smallest bow before continuing. "And Demon Weapons."

Soul flashed his teeth in a grin as he pointed towards himself. "That would be me."

Murmers started between the students, although not as loud as before. They were confused. How could a person be a weapon? There were only four others in the room besides Maka and Soul themselves who knew the answer. The trio had witnessed first hand just just, and McGonagall had been fully briefed when the Aurors finally reported to Dumbledore after the fight yesterday afternoon.

"Typically, a single meister and weapon will form a team, "Maka continued. "Although it should be noted that in order to actually fight together and be effective the souls of each partner must be compatible. Otherwise, resonance is impossible."

"Did she say souls?"

"Isn't that white haired bloke also named Soul?"

"Shhh!"

Maka looked at her partner, who said, "There are many different weapon types that a person might take, some more useful than others in direct combat. And each weapon has to learn how to properly control their abilities. It's not something one can just do automatically. And a single person generally only has one weapon form. Although once they learn to control it..."

Soul lifted his right arm into the air, his grin widening. In a flash of blue light, it was replaced by the head of a black and red scythe. "They can can use it in a lot of different ways."

Gasps and soft cries of alarm immediately broke the silence. A few students even scooted back harshly out of reflex, some crashing to the ground as they toppled over. The trio watched with grave interest. The blade was gleaming in the light, deadly sharp.

"However, while some weapons can fight on their own, ultimately," Maka continued, reaching her hand out towards her partner. "A Demon Weapon is most powerful when partnered with a compatible meister."

In the next breath, Soul's entire body glowed with a soft blue light, growing brighter until the silhouette of a full scythe appeared. The light dispersed and Maka caught her partner effortlessly.

She held him completely still for a moment, letting the students accept what they just saw. The trio gaped. The blade itself was several feet long and curved. The grip was taller than Maka herself. There was no way someone could use this kind of weapon without killing themselves...

"With the basic connect between partner and weapon, it's possible to fight effectively even if the teamwork isn't perfect." Maka let out a deep breath. What happened next was nothing short of impossible. The scythe in her hands, with Maka's guidance, began an intricate and deadly dance. She moved her partner over her head, behind her back, in patterns that some couldn't even follow. Faster, and faster in a blur. She added sudden stops, catching the grip with her boots and changing directions, sweeping out with an extended reach.

She stopped, holding Soul up with her right hand so that he was perpendicular to the floor. "Once partners have bonded and achieve resonance, a weapon can even move on their own."

Maka shifted her hand so that her palm was facing the floor as well. Immediately, Soul began to twirl and spin as if tethered to Maka's hand by a cord.

Then, Maka shifted, gripping her partner once more. In an instant she sprung forward, propelling herself into the air with enough force to put her right over several desk. With a clean sweep she landed just in front of Malfoy. He stared at the two with a horrified expression as his desk fell away, spit in two. Wordlessly, Maka walked back towards the front of the classroom. She could feel her partner's satisfaction.

Maka looked towards the professor and spoke calmly. "Unfortunately, I can't fix your desk. I apologize."

Soul's weapon form glowed once more and he appeared next to Maka once more. "I guess there's a spell for that, right?"

Stiffly, McGonagall nodded. From the Gryffindor's, cheers, applause, and laughter erupted. Even some Slytherin joined in, casting apologetic glances towards Malfoy.

He. Was. Furious.

Author Note: Afraid I will have to end it here for now. There is more that I wanted to include but I wanted to post something so that it would start sending out alerts again and letting everyone know that this fic has is not dead yet!

I will hopefully put up more soon, possibly tomorrow. If not, then later on in the week. I wish I could write more but honestly... I just don't have a lot of free time. I am taking 13 credit hours, two classes of which are 4000+ level courses while also working 20 hours a week at a project heavy job. So expect updates to come on the weekends more often than not.

I can try to do one of two things, and this will determine how often I update. So please leave your vote attached to a review if you like!

A) Update more often, but shorter chapters.

B) Take my time to construct larger chapters, but update less frequently.

Hope y'all enjoyed, Until next time!