The Shapeshifter (Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them)

Prologue

*Small edit 2020
It was a chilly day in London. But no matter how mild this Autumn could get, a little girl was equally ecstatic and nervous for how the day ahead would play out. Her little feet tapped against the brickwork as the walked, to the beat of the musician's piano a street away, while her father, John hummed rhythmically.

Weeks prior, the letter containing the child's booklist, hung loosely in her father's palm as they weaved through the streets and into various shops. Then the father-daughter duo had collected her school books, robes, wand and owl. Her mother had been baking when they had later arrived home and quickly sat down to listen to her daughter's adventure to Diagon Alley.

The girl's excitement was as contagious as her smile. It shone brightly as she retold her mother of their thrilling adventure to Diagon Alley, and how excited she was to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Being a witch herself, her mother had patiently and attentively listened to Sage's enthusiastic rendition of events.

Although, she was still concerned.

Sage had mentioned a few nasty looks sent their way, but was fairly oblivious to the reasoning behind it. Sage was too innocent to understand why people may disrespect or in turn, act aggressively towards her family. Sage just knew they were different and she was indifferent to what other's thought. That's not to say the comments didn't hurt her, but she definitely tried to keep it that way.

But today was the 1st of September and nothing was going to ruin her mood. Not even the fact that the school had sent home a letter to all parents, notifying them that a shapeshifter would be attending Hogwarts this year, could bring her down.

Born shapeshifters, such as Sage's family from Australia, were only recently not recognised as beasts. Sage's father had often told her stories about a boy being taken from his home for being a monster. A boy who went on to establish how they differed from other shifts, such as the werewolf and metamorphmagus'.

MACUSA's concerns were rarely justified but upon learning how they could shift on will into any animal, much like an animagi but not able to change their human physical appearance, like a metamorphmagus could, the Ministry deemed them little of a threat and took custody of the boy for his own protection. And after extensive research, the boy from Australia was considered a magical being and not a beast.

It was there, Sage's father then went on to work for the Ministry, studying and working alongside other herbologists whilst being the ambassador for shapeshifters, as his skills and understanding in this field, was in high demand. John had once offhandedly visited the bakery down the street from the ministry, where he met the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, his future wife and Sage's mother, Maria.

Interracial relationships were somewhat accepted in the wizarding communities. All but the pure bloods, couldn't care less. Love was love, and nothing anyone said or did could change the way John and Maria felt about each other. And when she was born, it was obvious that Sage was a perfect mixture of her parents, having her mother's nose, cheekbones and temperament, and her father's unruly brunette locks, dark eyes and skin colour.

The love story of her parents was one Sage thoroughly enjoyed, asking for it to be told to her on many occasions when she needed to be grounded. The story had finished as they stepped out of the car and her mother and father dragged her through the gateway to Platform 9 3/4. Maria was gushing, reminiscing the times she spent going to Hogwarts via the Hogwarts Express. It had been many years since she last stepped onto the platform.