Hidden Wings - Part I

Full moon

Professor Snape could tell when the full moon had risen.

Not only by the fake, pale moon in the enchanted ceiling, but by how Ms. Mioha shot into a seating position, her eyes opened wide.

Lupin stiffened as well, his eyes snapped open, staring straight ahead without seeing anything.

Professor Snape watched with mixed feelings how both Ms. Mioha and Lupin seemed to experience a great deal of pain during transformation.

He did not feel bad for Lupin.

Ms. Mioha was kneeling in the grass, whimpering quietly, silver streaks of light shining on her body and forming symbols he did not recognize.

The silver light grew until it encased her completely.

Lupin's transformation was accompanied by a lot of growling. Hair sprouted all over his body, his face elongated into a snout, his eyes turned a glowing yellow.
For a moment, these eyes reminded the Potions Master of when Lupin had almost killed him.

He quickly cleared his mind again, wondering instead if Ms. Mioha had experienced this pain when she had run from Hogwarts.

The growling had stopped.

A few meters beside Professor Snape now sat a large wolf, as big as a horse.
Its fur was a dull brown with several streaks of grey. The wolf's eyes glowed, showing signs of humanity in them.

The wolf looked at Professor Snape and tilted his head, before jumping onto all fours and curiously making his way to Ms. Mioha.

Professor Snape put his book aside and stood up, his eyes narrowing at the silver creature laying still in the grass.

The Silverwing remained motionless for another second, before snorting and slowly getting up on all fours. It was the same height as the wolf, its green eyes inspecting the wolf with curiosity.

Professor Snape sat back down, watching how the Silverwing neighed and the wolf answered with a growl.

This is going to be a long night, he thought grumpily and resumed reading.

An hour later, he suddenly received a patronus. The luminous phoenix opened its beak and said in Albus' voice: "Severus, Sirius Black has made it into Hogwarts. Come to the Entrance of Gryffindor tower."

Then the phoenix disappeared.

Professor Snape stood up, pocketing his book and casting a non-verbal Sonorus charm on his voice, since the Silverwing and the werewolf had disappeared sometime into the forest.

"Ms. Mioha, Lupin, I have urgent matters to attend to."

He released the spell and walked towards the door, acknowledging the faint neigh far behind him as a response.

"Albus, how could he have gotten in?", Professor McGonagall asked with a baffled look in her eyes.

The painting of the Fat Lady was completely ripped, and the Lady herself had fled.

"Black managed to break out of Azkaban", Professor Snape sneered, "the few dementors here are obviously not enough to stop him."

Minerva shot him a glare.

"All Gryffindors will sleep in the Great Hall tonight", Albus interrupted, turning to a painting.
"Leonard, please spread the word that a volunteer is urgently needed to guard the Gryffindor tower."

The old wizard in the painting nodded and walked out of the picture.

"What about Ms. Mioha?", Professor McGonagall asked curtly, still upset that her lion cubs were almost attacked.