Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna were highly relieved to be out of the compartment as the train slowed. Ron's presence was almost suffocating. Throughout dinner Harry and Neville sat on either side of Hermione, shielding her from Ron's advances. Harry avoided the piercing gaze of the headmaster throughout the meal. He noticed Hermione getting fidgety next to him, and she wasn't eating.

"I need to hunt," she whispered in his ear. His eyes widened. She had about half an hour before she went wild and involuntarily changed into a lynx, then. Dinner ended in fifteen, with Hermione desperately trying to suppress the urge to break her glamours. Harry announced that Hermione wasn't feeling well, and took her to the hospital wing. He took a slightly longer route because fur was starting to grow on the back of her hands.

Madam Pomfrey wandered over when they came through the doors, noticing the girl's pained expression.

"What appears to be the problem, miss Granger?" Hermione's eyes, pupils now resembling a cat's, zeroed in on the nurse and she let out a terrifying hiss. The woman jumped back.

"She needs to hunt in the forest, I assumed we needed permission of some sort. And we thought you should know of our inheritances, should we fall ill due to them," Harry explained, talking quickly as he watched ears sprout from Hermione's head. "Hermione is part eurasian lynx, and i'm a mix of phoenix and wyvern." Madam Pomfrey had summoned a clipboard and was scribbling furiously.

"What kind of-" he cut her off as Hermione's fingernails lengthened to claws.

"I'm really sorry, Poppy, but Hermione's going to turn into a rabid oversized cat in about two minutes. I really need permission, I can explain the details later." Madam Pomfrey fumbled the clipboard and handed him a slip of paper.

"If anyone questions you, show this." Harry thanked her gratefully and grabbed the slip in his teeth, his hands busy restraining Hermione. Checking left and right, he broke the glamours and sprouted his wings. He left through a window, saluting the dumbfounded woman behind him. Hermione thrashed in his grip as they soared over the grounds but he paid her no mind, touching down in the forest. She jumped from his arms and landed as her lynx, scampering into the brush after her prey. harry became his favourite form - the wyvern-phoenix - but smaller than usual, his plumage just reaching fifteen feet. The slip of paper was still in his jaws, and he tucked it between two rows of feathers in his wing for safekeeping.

They hunted for half an hour, amassing a haul of several rabbits, a hare and an injured boar. Hermione groomed herself, then Harry, who was in his fire phoenix form for convenience. He laughed and squirmed as her rough tongue scraped the remnants of their meal from his wings, when behind them, a branch snapped. Harry immediately became his huge wyvern-phoenix, towering at the usual 27 feet. He looked down to see a rather apprehensive Hagrid. It was rather amusing to tower over the man who usually dwarfed everyone. The man spoke.

"Easy, easy - I don' mean to alarm ye-" he cut himself off with a yelp as Hermione jumped out from behind Harry, snarling. Harry placed a wing over her. Ignoring the indignant meows coming from his friend and the curious eyes of the gamekeeper, he extended his right wing and ruffled through the feathers with his beak until he found the permission slip. He bent his huge head down to Hagrid's eye-level, enjoying the man's dazed expression. He nudged Hagrid's hand and gave a small snap of his beak.

"Wha's tha ye've got there?" Hagrid asked, holding his hand out. Harry dropped the permission slip in Hagrid's hand and Hagrid mumbled it under his breath. "Permission to enter the forbidden fores'- Oh! ye're students!" The mans eyes widened. Harry took the paper from Hagrid's hand gently, tucking it back into his feathers. Hermione sprang out from behind Harry and took a long sniff, before winding between Hagrid's legs, purring like a lawnmower. Hagrid looked almost catatonic.

"Wha' are ye, then? If you don' mind me askin'. I find it all rather interestin' ye see..." He trailed off. Harry became the ice phoenix and flew to perch on Hagrid's shoulder. The man's eyes were wide. "Whoa!"

Harry flew, transforming into the wyvern form in mid-air and landing. His scales were black and green, and he sat naturally on his haunches. The leathery, limbed wings were tucked up on his back and his head had a huge mass of thorn-like horns. Hagrid sucked in a huge breath. Harry changed back to his preferred form. The half-giant seemed to snap back into reality, and blushed slightly.

"So sorry for botherin' ye, shouldn't have intruded," he began, but Harry shook his magnificent head. He bent his head slightly, chirping and clicking. Hermione meowed, still weaving a figure eight around Hagrid's legs.

"I should be off. Enjoy yer huntin', you two!" Hagrid called, still a bit embarrassed for being so intrigued. When the man was out of sight, Hermione changed back. Harry followed suit. She immediately wrapped him in a hug.

"I am so, so sorry for freaking out earlier, it took me by surprise-" she said hurriedly.

"Hey, don't be. It's completely natural. I've still got the permission slip in my wing, it's all good." she stepped back and stretched her arm above her head. A satisfying click came from her shoulder and she sighed.

"You up for a fly? We can go back in through the hospital wing window," Harry said. Hermione scowled.

"Oh, you know how I hate flying... Fine, but I'm riding your shoulders," she said. Hermione changed back to her lynx and climbed Harry, draping her body over his shoulders. He chuckled. Her claws still dug into him as they flew.

"I'm going to have claw marks all over me if you're not careful, 'Mione," he commented. Hermione hissed, clutching on more tightly.