Come little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows

"Come Little Children"
Erutan

LUCY:

September's full moon was beautifully and blessedly simple. Sure, I still felt horrible before and after, but the peace of mind I felt knowing that I'd spend the night sound asleep and comfortable in the Room of Requirement was a tremendous weight off my shoulders. Cedric had volunteered for prefect patrol duty that night, and he timed his route so he'd be able to pick me up at dawn. I headed to the common room, having no need for a wideye potion, and Cedric noticed with a delighted laugh that I almost had a spring in my step.

Hermione was sprawled across a potions essay in the common room, snoring softly. I knew she was taking a lot of classes, too many, hence why I had gotten her a planner for her birthday. Surely enough, I could see a corner of the purple book poking out from underneath her parchment. I woke her up gently before heading up to get ready for the day.

Classes had settled into a predictable routine. Defense Against the Dark Arts would include a discussion about a new creature every week; I was still dreading the werewolf chapter, but I consoled myself with the fact that it was at the back of the book and that I still had six months or so before we'd reach it.

Hagrid seemed to have lost his enthusiasm after the Draco incident, so we spent our Care of Magical Creatures classes working with the incredibly dull flobberworms. I didn't mind that much, though, because every Saturday after early morning Quidditch practice, I would help Hagrid by going around the magical creatures reserve and feeding all of the creatures. I learned that chimeras preferred their steaks still bloody, but that fire crabs preferred to burn their food before eating it. I grew especially fond of the porlocks in the pasture, who always rushed over to greet me with an affectionate rub of their furry heads against my legs. My Care of Magical Creatures education had never been better.

The only class I hated was Ancient Runes. I felt horrible; I loved Professor Babbling, and I really wanted to love her class too. I got perfect marks on every piece of homework and on every single exam, but Draco Malfoy seemed determined to make that class a living hell for me in every way he could. Despite my promise to Professor Babbling that I wouldn't let him get under my skin, he was an expert at making cutting comments I simply couldn't ignore.

"So Cedric's a prefect now, isn't he?" he asked one day while Professor Babbling told us to talk with our partners to discuss mistakes on our homework. Mine, of course, was perfect, but to my chagrin, Draco's was nearly always perfect too. With nothing to discuss, Draco saw this time as the perfect opportunity to tear me down.

No matter what he said, I swore to myself that I'd never let him see how much he upset me. As I braced for whatever was coming, I kept my voice level and cool and as polite as I could manage. "Yes, he is."

"You think Dumbledore will make you prefect?"

I shrugged.

"You honestly don't know?"

"A lot can happen in two years," I replied noncommittally.

"You know why I think he never would?"

"Why?"

"Because the sight of your face would frighten the first-years. Prefects are supposed to show the school in a positive light, you know. Can't have you running around, scaring innocent children. I mean, can you imagine how horrified someone would be if they saw you patrolling the halls at night? Spooky! I mean, it's like you and Cedric aren't even related."

I gave him a thin smile. "You can just admit you have a crush on my brother. I know the whole school thinks he's handsome."

He looked stunned for a second, a flash of red brightening his cheeks, but he quickly composed himself and grinned. "Oh, it takes much more than just good looks, which you obviously don't have, to be prefect. Isn't Cedric top of his class?"

I stiffened. He had struck a nerve. I had to fight harder to keep my voice emotionless. "Yeah, he is."

"Are you?"

I bit my lip. "I know you already know the answer to that question."

"Where are you in the class ranks? Second to last? I mean, you're in this class, so you're obviously not as dumb as Longbottom at least-"

"Neville's not dumb," I snapped. I took a deep breath to calm myself. Don't let him get a rise out of you, don't let him get a rise out of you...

He snorted. "If you think Neville Longbottom has an inkling of intelligence, you're even dumber than he is."

"I know for a fact he performed top of the class in Herbology last year," I replied.

"Yeah, plants. Great. You only think that class matters because of your mother."

"What does she have to do with any of this?"

"Such a shame she turned down the offer of Head Auror just to take care of you," he said with a pretend-sad shake of his head. "I bet she regrets it now."

I clenched my jaw. "How do you-"

He leaned back in his chair and adjusted his bandaged arm. "Father tells me everything that goes on in the Ministry. He makes it his business to-"

"To know everyone else's?" I hissed.

He either missed the anger in my tone or elected to ignore it. He smiled. "Exactly."

Draco was seemingly satisfied with how much grief he had given me that day, so he went silent and left me to my thoughts. I pretended to read ahead in our textbook, but my mind was whirling.

Mum had been a very successful Auror. The hours were good, the pay was good, and she was happy. But when Patricia Rakepick became a problem, her days got longer and more dangerous, and when Cedric headed to Hogwarts, she said she wanted to take up a career in Herbology. Gardening had always been her escape, and a number of vacancies had opened up in that field. Desperate to make her stay, the Ministry had offered her the position of Head Auror, but she refused, citing taking care of me as a reason to spend most of her days working from home. Obviously, no one knew I was a werewolf, but she argued that with Rakepick on the run, she didn't want to leave a nine-year-old girl home alone all day.

She never talked about her days as an Auror. She never told us that she missed it, but we all knew that she missed the adventure, the adrenaline. She did love magical plants, but it just wasn't the same. But I never really wondered if she regretted her decision.

Was I worth that?

As the bell rang, Draco let one last verbal blow fly.

"What's it like being the inferior Diggory?"

I clenched my jaw and walked quickly to Transfiguration, eager to get as far away from Malfoy as I could. Harry and Ron arrived the same time as I did.

"Where's Hermione?" I asked.

Ron whirled around. "She was right behind us!"

Just as he said the words, she rounded the corner, out of breath and clutching her very-full bag to her chest.

"I'm not late, am I?" She sounded dazed and frantic.

"No, it's okay," I replied. "I just asked the boys where you were."

"You were right behind us," Ron said indignantly. "Where did you go?"

"Oh, nowhere," she said, pushing past us to get into the classroom.

"What is she hiding?" Ron muttered in my ear.

"I don't know," I replied.

He shook his head and stomped off to take a seat next to her. Harry and I slid into a nearby desk and started getting our books out.

"You reckon Ron's been bored while we're at Quidditch practice?" I wondered aloud.

"You mean with Hermione working constantly?"

I nodded.

Harry chuckled. "He does have Scabbers for company, at least."

Professor McGonagall began the lesson at that moment, and for the rest of the period, I actually forgot about Draco's words. Harry and I made quiet jokes the whole time we transfigured cats into cauldrons and back again, and I went to lunch feeling so much better. I kept my distance from Malfoy in Care of Magical Creatures by intentionally partnering myself with Harry, Archie, and Cam, who happened to be three of his least favorite people to be around. But in our next Ancient Runes class, he went right back to tormenting me.

"My hand is cramping," Draco whined. "These bandages make it nearly impossible to write. Will you take notes for me today, Lucy? I mean, it was your hippogriff that inflicted such a ghastly injury."

I nodded and slid his parchment over to my half of the desk without a word. I hated the thought of being his slave, even just for a period, but I hoped that if I did this, it would pacify him to an extent. I hoped wrong.

"You're left-handed?" he asked.

I nodded again.

"Wow, you're even more of a freak than I realized."

I kept my mouth shut and copied my notes onto his.

"Cat got your tongue today, Scars? Or do you just know I'm right?"

I weighed my words carefully before speaking. "I was just thinking... you know, speaking of scars," I said slowly, "it's amazing that your arm hasn't healed yet." I set my quill down and rolled up the right sleeve of my robe. "Madam Pomfrey healed all of these cuts in a little over a week. They cover every single centimeter of my body, and now they're just little white marks. But your arm..." I tugged the sleeve back over my wrist and shook my head sadly. "You must be weaker than I am, for it to still be causing you so much pain."

"I am not," he hissed, snatching the parchment back. "I can take my own bloody notes."

"If you're sure," I said with a shrug. "Just let me know if you want help."

He snorted derisively and started writing again. "Yeah, right," he muttered.

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. I was still enjoying my little victory that night as I wrapped Cedric's gift, a cribbage board in honor of our summer in Tahoe.

"Ooh, is that for your brother?" Parvati asked.

I grinned. "Yeah, it is. Do you still have a crush on him?"

She and Lavender giggled, exchanging a glance.

"Well, I do still think he's handsome," she said.

"He's gorgeous!" Lavender gushed. "Definitely! But she has her eyes on someone more... attainable."

"Ooh, ooh, who?" I asked, hurriedly tying the bow and hopping onto Lavender's bed across from them.

She turned a bright red. "Well, I've been studying with my sister and her friends, and..."

"Terry Boot!" Lavender exclaimed. "I mean, have you seen the way he smiles? Have you seen the way he smiles at her?"

I giggled. "I'll take your word for it. What about you, Lavender?"

She pouted. "The boy I fancy is never by himself. It's not fair! I have to watch Parvati and Terry flirting in the corner of the library by themselves, but every time I try to flirt with Seamus, Dean is always right behind him, just laughing at everything I say!"

"That's rough," I said sympathetically. "They are rather inseparable, aren't they?"

"They are!" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Come on, Lucy, your turn. Who do you fancy?"

I felt my cheeks begin to burn. "Oh, I... I don't know."

"Ooh, she's turning red!" Parvati squealed. "Who is it? Come on, you can tell us!"

"What? No! I don't-" I giggled, trying to stop blushing so furiously. "I don't fancy anybody."

"Alright, that's fine," Lavender said vaguely. "We'll just have to figure out who it is for ourselves."

"No!" I yelped. "Honestly! I don't fancy anybody!"

"Maybe not yet," Parvati replied, "but we'll be the first to know when you do, right?"

I nodded, relieved. "Sure."

Lavender sighed. "I'm sure you fancy somebody. At least a little bit."

"I don't honestly think so," I said, feeling a pinprick of sorrow beginning to blossom in my chest. I smiled. "Well, I should probably shower and head to bed, since Cedric's gift is done. And Lavender, I think I overheard Ron challenging Seamus to a game of wizard's chess, so now might be a good time to try to flirt."

She and Parvati giggled and hurried out of the room. I let my smile fade as I grabbed my pajamas and disappeared into the shower.

I had told the truth. I didn't fancy anybody. But I didn't want to admit why. Not to them. Not even to myself.

Brandon Richardson was attractive. I had seen him without a shirt a fair amount of the time I was in Tahoe, and I had to admit that his tanned Beater body was muscular. I liked the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed, and the way his short black hair stood up when it was wet. But I didn't let myself have a crush on him.

With a face that would frighten first years, it seemed only logical that my face would frighten away anybody who might otherwise love me, too.

As the water washed over my body, I thought back to what I had told Draco. I was covered from head to toe in small white lines. They had faded slightly with time, but they would always be a part of me, in addition to whatever new scars I happened to acquire over the years.

When I got out of the shower, I studied my reflection in the mirror. My hair now reached quite a bit past my shoulders, but it was still thin and shapeless, especially when it was wet. And my eyes... oh, how I wished for Cedric's grey eyes still.

I tore myself away from the mirror and shuffled off to the dormitory. I climbed into bed and cast a silencing charm on the curtains that surrounded me. I had gotten into a habit of doing that my first year, when my nightmares first started waking the others up. After the dementor on the train, I had taken up the habit again, just in case. I dropped off into sleep that was, thankfully, free of any dreams, nightmares or otherwise.

Harry and I had agreed to let Hermione and Ron go alone to Hogsmeade the first time, to make sure it was in fact possible for us to be there without being spotted, so we woke up early on Halloween morning (rather, he woke up early --- Halloween was also the night of the full moon, so I never even went to sleep) and headed to the Quidditch Pitch.

"You know, I've actually grown to love Wood's early morning practices," Harry commented.

"Me too," I admitted. "I love being up before everyone else, and getting to see Hogwarts so..."

"Still?"

I smiled. "Yeah. That's a good word for it."

"I can't wait for our first match- Oh! Wait! It's next week, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, it's Saturday! Let's hope this match goes better than last year's first match."

Harry laughed. "Well, I don't see how it can be any worse."

Harry and I stayed on the Pitch for hours, only stopping because of how hungry we were. After lunch, Harry and I were at a loss for what to do. Neither of us wanted to head up to the common room, but we didn't really feel like going to the library to do work, either. I was feeling worse and worse as the day wore on, but I tried to be as upbeat as possible for Harry's sake. I knew that not being at Hogsmeade was eating at him. We wandered the castle aimlessly, trying to think of something to do.

"Hello there!" called a portrait of a girl with a parasol and a white dress.

"Hi," I replied with a smile.

"You're that sleepwalking girl, are you not?"

I blushed furiously as Harry doubled over with laughter. I swatted his arm and turned back to the portrait.

"I am," I admitted. "Have we met?"

"We have now. I don't believe you've wandered down this corridor before."

"I'm sorry, I'll try to add it to my routine," I replied, making her giggle and Harry laugh even harder.

"You're a legend, Lu," Harry said between bouts of laughter as the girl in the portrait hurried away to the next portrait over and pointed at me.

I giggled a bit. "So it would seem."

"Harry? Lucy?"

Professor Lupin's head was poking out of his classroom door. "What are you doing? Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade," Harry replied, trying to sound casual. "We've been trying to think of something to do other than homework."

"In that case, why don't you two come in? I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

"A grindylow?" I repeated. "Wow!"

"What's a grindylow?" Harry asked as we followed Professor Lupin into his classroom. Surely enough, a moderately large grindylow was pressing its face to the glass of its tank in the corner, leering at us all.

"Water demon. We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

I held my hand up to the glass for reference, making Harry laugh. "Your hands are so small in comparison."

I shrugged. "Big enough for Quaffles and Golden Snitches, and that's all I care about."

Professor Lupin laughed. "Cup of tea? I was just thinking of making one."

"Alright," Harry agreed with a shrug.

But my stomach was beginning to churn with pre-full-moon anxiety. I doubted I could keep anything down. How was Professor Lupin doing it? "I'm alright, but thank you."

Professor Lupin studied me for a split second before tapping his tea kettle and drawing a tea bag from a tin. "Go ahead and take seats. I've only got teabags, I'm afraid, but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves, Harry?"

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked, smiling slightly when he saw the knowing look on Professor Lupin's face.

He handed Harry the tea cup. "Professor McGonagall told me. You're not worried, are you?"

Harry shook his head, his smile fading. "No."

I looked from Harry to Professor Lupin, then back to Harry. He might not have been worried about the Grim, but he was very obviously thinking of something else.

"Anything worrying you, Harry?" Professor Lupin asked.

"No... well, yes. You know that day we fought the boggart?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you let me fight it?"

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," Professor Lupin replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Why?" Harry asked again.

"Well, I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort." He paused and studied Harry, who was looking rather surprised. "Clearly, I was wrong, but I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."

I cracked a smile. Harry looked as if puzzle pieces were clicking into place in his mind. "I didn't think of Voldemort. I... I remembered those dementors."

"Then I brought one out," I said softly. "Sorry, Harry, I didn't think about it affecting you, too."

"Not your fault," he replied. "I know you couldn't have been happy to see it, either."

Professor Lupin turned to me. "You, Lucy, did something that day I've never seen. I still must admit I don't understand how you managed it."

I cocked my head. "What do you mean, Professor?"

"Well, I have never seen someone's boggart change forms the way yours did, first of all. Did you do that on purpose?"

I shook my head fiercely. "Not at all. Not at first, anyway. I just... couldn't decide on my greatest fear, I suppose. But when I saw the dementor..." I shuddered. "I don't remember what I did, but I guess I changed it somehow, to the-" I stopped myself, wanting to navigate carefully. I realized with bitter humor that Harry was the only person in the room that wasn't a werewolf. "I realized that puppies weren't all that frightening, whereas the dementor very much was, so I focused on that and it changed."

Professor Lupin was about to say something else, but a knock at the door distracted all three of us. "Come in," he said.

Professor Snape entered, carrying something that was unmistakably wolfsbane. I swallowed back the instinctive bile that crawled up my throat at the thought of it.

Professor Lupin smiled. "Ah, Severus. Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Snape's eyes darted between Harry and Professor Lupin and me, obviously confused.

"I was just showing Harry and Lucy my grindylow," Professor Lupin explained pleasantly.

"Fascinating. You should drink that directly, Lupin."

"Yes, yes, I will."

"I made an entire cauldronful, if you need more." Snape's eyes turned to me, and I silently begged him not to say anything about me, and to my relief, he didn't.

"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."

"Not at all." Snape's eyes flickered once more around the three of us, then he swept out of the room.

Harry turned toward the goblet, looking terribly curious. I very determinedly focused on the grindylow, trying to hold my breath so I couldn't smell it.

"Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me. I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex. Pity sugar makes it useless," he said as he took a sip.

"Why...?"

"I've been feeling a bit off-color. This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

Harry considered this for a moment, glancing briefly at me. I offered a weak shrug. He looked back at the goblet suspiciously.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," Harry said suddenly.

"Really?"

I tried not to gawk at how casually he was sipping the awful potion.

"Some people reckon... some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

He downed the last of the potion bravely, wincing as he set the empty goblet down. "Disgusting. Well, you two, I'd better get back to work for a bit before the feast begins. See you there?"

Harry and I nodded. Part of me wanted to stay and talk to Professor Lupin longer, but if he was already drinking wolfsbane, I needed to leave. And soon.

Harry brightened considerably when he saw that the sun was beginning to set outside.

"They must be back now," he said cheerfully. "Let's go see if they're in the Great Hall."

I swallowed hard. "Actually, I-I don't feel that great. You head down without me."

He turned to me, his smile slowly giving way to an expression of concern. "What's wrong?"

"I-" I was drawing a blank. I'd never really had someone ask before. "I don't know. I just feel hot."

He reached forward and laid a gentle hand on my forehead. "Oh yeah, you're burning up. I'll go to the Hospital Wing with you."

I shook my head. "It's okay, Harry, really-"

"Lucy, it's right on the way. C'mon, let's go."

I couldn't protest, because he grabbed my shoulder and steered me in the direction of the Hospital Wing. I felt my cheeks grow even hotter at his touch, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and scrambled to find some kind of explanation for him.

Before I could say a word, however, he dropped his hand and looked at me.

"Is this what happened over summer, too?"

I nodded. I wanted to tell as much of the truth as I could.

He bit his lip. "And you don't know what it is?"

"Not really," I said in a soft voice.

"Fred and George told me once that you just get stressed and need to cool down from time to time," he said, "but if it happened even over summer-"

"Wait, what?" I squeaked.

"Oh, don't worry, I know now that's not it. I just wish I knew what it was so I could help."

I opened and closed my mouth without saying anything. Fred and George? Did they know? No, they couldn't have known, Cedric never would have told them. But they had the Marauder's Map, and they weren't stupid...

Harry glanced at me again. "Are you sure it's just a fever? You look queasy."

I swallowed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I promise I'm not contagious," I said, forcing a smile. "Cedric took care of me over summer, and he didn't get sick once."

"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about you, Lu."

"I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning," I said as we slowed to a stop in front of the Hospital Wing door. I swallowed again, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach. "Thanks for walking with me. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"If you're not at breakfast, I'll come say hi before class. Try not to wander off, alright?"

I laughed, a genuine laugh. "Trust me, the last thing I need right now is the Forbidden Forest. Hopefully I don't get any ideas while I'm asleep."

He grinned. "Better not. Bye, Lu."

I waited until he turned a corner, then I spun on my heel and sprinted up to the seventh floor, cursing myself for letting it get so late. I launched myself up the last few steps and sprinted toward where the familiar doorknob always was, but it wasn't there.

I looked around wildly, making sure I was in the right place. Surely enough, Barnabas the Barmy was beaming at me, but the door wasn't there.

Anxious tears rose to my eyes. Tonight of all nights, I didn't have time for this.

I turned on my heel again and hurtled myself down the stairs. I didn't have time to get to the Shrieking Shack. I just needed to get to the Forbidden Forest.

With my ears as sharp as they were, mere minutes away from the full moon, I was able to choose the least crowded hallways. I burst outside and immediately kicked it up a notch, sprinting toward the Forbidden Forest with all I was worth.

I reached the forest just in time. I hadn't gone ten steps into the trees before the pain began. I was too out of breath even to scream as the first moonbeam struck me right between the eyes.

At 9:00 PM, Lucy was running deeper into the forest, following the scent of rabbits. She didn't know who she was or where she was or even really what she was doing, so all things considered, she was feeling better than she had been a couple hours prior.

At 9:00 PM, Harry was still enjoying the Halloween feast. He helped himself to a pumpkin pasty and laughed as Ron very confidently bit into a dirt-flavored jelly bean that Fred had sworn was chocolate. His eyes wandered to the hole between Fred and George that was always occupied by Lucy, and he wondered if she was feeling any better.

At 11:00 PM, Lucy had settled on the edge of a clearing, tired of running, and was just about to close her eyes when a mournful howl pierced the quiet Halloween night. But it wasn't a werewolf; she would have known if it was. This was the howl of a dog.

At 11:00 PM, Harry jumped out of his sleeping bag, rushing over and tapping the tall Hufflepuff prefect on the shoulder, hoping it was Cedric. "Lucy was in the Hospital Wing. Did someone make sure she's okay?" It was in fact Cedric, and his face grew paler in the moonlight even though he nodded. "She should be okay."

At 1:00 AM, a man stepped into the clearing. Lucy's eyes snapped open, and she lunged toward him with a snarl. The man leaped back. "Remus! Don't! It's me!" When the wolf still snapped at his legs, the man held his hands up. "I know you take wolfsbane now, so you know who I am. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I can explain, please let me explain." Lucy lunged at him again, but the man sidestepped, not even trying to attack. "Y-You're not Remus. At least, not the Remus I knew and loved." He sighed. "I suppose I'm not really myself anymore, either." Lucy jumped again, this time reaching for his throat, but the man had disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

At 1:00 AM, Harry rolled onto his side and saw that Hermione was still awake, too. He was surprised to see tears sparkling in her eyes. He asked what was wrong, and she swiped at her eyes before lying, "I'm just scared, Harry." He suspected there was more behind her tears than that, but he didn't push her further. She inched closer to him, and he closed his eyes, though he knew sleep was still far away.

At 3:00 AM, Lucy had still not seen the man again. She was about to give up the hunt and go to sleep for what was left of the night when a massive black dog stepped in front of her. She cowered backward, unsure of what this new beast had in store for her. When it began to twitch, she turned and ran with her tail between her legs.

At 3:00 AM, Harry was still awake, but feigning sleep. He could hear a whispered conversation taking place a few paces away from him.

"Headmaster? The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?""All searched."
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?"
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before the start of term?"
"I do, Severus."
"It seems almost impossible that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it."

At 5:00 AM, Lucy still had not gotten a wink of sleep. She was still running around the forest, terrified of coming across the massive dog again. It had followed her on and off for the past two hours, but every time it had tried to corner her, she had gotten away. But this time, the dog caught her by surprise. It jumped in front of her and growled in frustration. Having had enough, the werewolf attacked. It was faster, but the dog was stronger; much stronger. The dog knocked the werewolf unconscious with a single well-placed blow to the back of her head, and the werewolf crumpled to the ground.

At 5:00 AM, Harry had finally fallen asleep, but his dreams were far from peaceful. A massive black dog, a Grim, raced back and forth in front of him like a shadow. He tossed and turned in his sleeping bag fitfully, and Ron and Hermione, both awakened by his jerky motions, exchanged a concerned look, silently debating whether or not to wake him up.

When I opened my eyes, I was on the edge of the Forbidden Forest closest to Hagrid's hut. I massaged my aching temples, trying to remember how I had gotten there. I froze when I remembered the night's events.

The man in the forest was Sirius Black. And the dog was the Grim.

My first thought was of Cedric, who was probably checking the Room of Requirement for me at that exact moment. My second thought was of Harry, who was in terrible danger with Sirius Black so close. I pushed myself to my feet and began to run in the direction of the castle as quickly as my shaky legs would allow.

Cedric was just leaving the castle as I rushed toward it. His shoulders relaxed in relief when he saw me, and I launched myself at him, nearly knocking him over with the ferocity of my hug.

A rapid flow of words tumbled from my mouth. "The room didn't open for me so I had to run all the way to the Forbidden Forest. I'm so sorry, I probably scared you half to death."

"You did, but it's okay, I'm just glad you're okay." He tried to push me away to see if I had any noticeable cuts or bruises, but I locked my grip around him even tighter. "Lucy, what's wrong, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Cedric, I know it sounds crazy, but... but I saw... he was in the... I..."

"Lucy, breathe." Cedric gently but firmly grabbed my shoulders and pried me off of him. I took a deep breath and released it in a shaky sigh. "It's okay. What did you see in the woods?"

"I-" My voice cracked, but I cleared my throat and tried again. "I saw Sirius Black last night, we need to warn Harry that he's so close to the castle!"

Cedric sighed heavily. "He already knows."

I staggered backwards. "What?"

"Not about you," Cedric corrected quickly, "don't worry. But he knows Sirius Black is close because he tried to break into the Gryffindor common room last night."

My hands flew to my face. "Oh my- is everyone okay?"

Cedric nodded. "No one was hurt. Everyone's okay." He pulled me back into a hug and held me close. "If you don't need to go to the Hospital Wing right away, Lucy, we need to tell someone what you saw. Professor McGonagall's office is closest."

"Okay. I'm alright, let's go." My voice trembled, but I tried to steady myself as Cedric and I navigated the dark corridors. When Cedric knocked, the door opened to reveal a very careworn-looking Professor McGonagall.

Her tired eyes widened at the sight of us. "Cedric? Lucy? What's the matter?"

"Lucy saw Sirius Black in the Forbidden Forest last night," Cedric said in his best prefect voice. "Your office was closest, and I thought a teacher needed to know."

She nodded, opening her door and ushering me inside. "Take a seat, please, Miss Diggory. Mr. Diggory...?"

"I'm sorry to have to leave, Professor, but I ought to head back to the Great Hall before everyone wakes up," my brother said apologetically.

"The Great Hall?" I echoed, confused.

"Everyone slept there after word spread of Sirius," Cedric explained. "Just as an extra safety measure."

I nodded, feeling numb. After the night I'd experienced --- the night everyone had experienced, apparently --- I wasn't surprised.

"Go on then, Mr. Diggory. Your sister is in good hands." Professor McGonagall sent a cup of tea flying onto her desk with a flick of her wand and shut her door after Cedric left in the same motion. "When you're ready, Lucy, please tell me as much as you can about what happened last night. I trust Cedric already informed you of the break-in?"

I nodded, gripping the tea cup with shaking hands. I managed a couple of sips before I had to set it back down. I drew a deep breath.

"He kept trying to talk to me, as if he recognized me. I think..." I swallowed hard, looking away from her intense gaze before continuing. "I think he thought I was somebody else," I finished, staring at my shoes. "I kept trying to attack him, because I... well, it's instinct, I wasn't myself..."

"I understand," she said, in such a gentle voice I glanced up at her from my shoes. "It's alright. Did he attempt to attack you?"

I shook my head. "No. He didn't. Maybe I frightened him," I added in a small voice.

"It's more likely he has no wand," she said, "which is good for us all to know. If he had been in possession of a wand, he likely would have been more confident attacking you. But we can all be very glad that he did not attack you, wandless or otherwise."

I managed a small smile. "I guess."

"Is that all, Miss Diggory? How long was the encounter?"

"I think that's all... it was no more than a minute," I said with a shake of my head, "assuming I remember everything."

"What you have been able to remember will be very helpful moving forward. Thank you for sharing what you learned. I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling right now."

I managed another small smile. "To be quite frank, Professor, I'm just hoping Harry's alright. Do you know how he's doing?"

"You can ask him yourself," she replied. "Everyone should be waking up soon."

I nodded. "Alright. Thank you for the tea, Professor."

"Thank you for the information, Miss Diggory. I will pass it along to the headmaster immediately." I rose and started to head toward the door, but as I laid my hand on the door handle, Professor McGonagall called after me. "And Lucy, dear? Please try to get some sleep today. You look like you need it."

"Will do, Professor," I replied with a smile, stepping out into the hall and closing her door gently behind me. I made my way to the Hospital Wing quickly, knowing Harry would surely come looking for me soon enough. I downed my wideye potion in two swallows and assured Madam Pomfrey I was alright. I hadn't gone three steps before I saw Harry leaving the Great Hall.

"Harry," I gasped, running toward him and jumping up to throw my arms around his neck. "I heard about Sirius Black breaking into the castle last night. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he replied, holding me tightly for a couple of seconds before setting me back on my feet. "How about you? How are you feeling?"

I laughed. "Harry, you're asking me if I'm okay?" He made no reply, so I smiled as best I could. "Yes, I am."

"Feeling better?"

"Just a bit tired," I admitted. "Do we still have classes today? Wait, never mind, of course we do."

"Wishful thinking," he teased. "So I take it you're feeling well enough to go to classes?"

I nodded. Truthfully, I would have welcomed the chance to stay in bed all day after the night's events, but I couldn't.

I needed to talk to Professor Lupin. What a shame that DADA was last that day.

Sirius Black was all anybody could talk about in all of my other classes. I kept my mouth shut, knowing there was no way to explain what I had seen in the Forbidden Forest. Saying I was sleepwalking wouldn't cut it; there was no way Sirius Black would have let a human live. And I didn't want to tell anybody else what he had told me, not even Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore or Hermione or Cedric, until I had talked to Professor Lupin.

He must have been the Remus that Sirius was looking for. The Remus he claimed to have once known and loved.

I needed to talk to Professor Lupin. But when I got to DADA, he wasn't there.

Professor Snape stood in his place, looking rather smug about it.

"Good afternoon, class," he said with an oily, self-satisfied smile. "Take a seat. We have much to cover today in Professor Lupin's absence."

Harry remained standing, thoroughly confused. "Where's Professor Lupin?"

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today." Ah. I realized he must have had a rough full moon, even with the wolfsbane. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

"What's wrong with him?"

I held my breath as Snape considered what to say. Surely, he wouldn't dare tell the truth... right? "Nothing life-threatening. Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Harry dropped into the seat next to me, looking equal parts baffled and concerned.

"He wouldn't have poisoned Lupin right in front of us," I whispered, but Harry still looked worried.

Snape sighed. "Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far."

Hermione sat up straighter. "Please, sir, we've done boggarts, red Caps, kappas, and grindylows, and we're just about to start-"

"Be quiet. I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

Anger surged through me. I clenched my hand into a fist around my quill.

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean said, and the class nodded in emphatic agreement.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you. I would expect first years to be able to deal with red caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss... werewolves."

It was suddenly impossible to breathe.

Hermione nearly jumped out of her seat. "But, sir, we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"

"Miss Granger, I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394. All of you! Now!"

I opened my book with a shaking hand, hazarding a glance at the mood ring on my finger. Both halves were messes of scarlet and purple --- anger and fear. Hermione looked at me out of the corner of her eye, mouthing, "You okay?" I shrugged ever so slightly and returned my attention to the front of the room, trying to force away the emotions burning in the pit of my stomach.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Snape asked.

Hermione raised her hand tentatively. I continued to hold my breath.

But Snape ignored Hermione's hand. "Anyone? Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"

"We told you, we haven't got as far as werewolves yet," Parvati piped up. "We're still on-"

"Silence!" We all sat back slightly at his harshness. He smirked. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are."

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. "Please, sir, the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

I opened my mouth to defend her as she lowered her head, tears glittering in her eyes, but Ron, who was sitting right next to her, beat me to it. "You asked us a question and she knows the answer!" he yelled, glancing from her face to Snape incredulously, his own face red with anger. "Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

Snape slowly approached Ron, and bent down so close their noses were almost touching. "Detention, Weasley. And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

I clenched my hand so hard around my quill it snapped in half. Harry glanced at me, a surprised half-smile on his face. He nodded slightly, as if he were egging me on.

When I realized what he was getting at, I reached into my bag to grab another quill, and my hand grazed the note we had passed all those months ago in Lockhart's class. I stealthily pulled it out and slid it onto Harry's lap beneath the desk when Snape's back was turned.

His smile widened when he read the note, and he nodded in Snape's direction. "He deserves it," he mouthed.

I nodded, but I found it hard to be angry anymore. Seeing Harry impressed, amused by my anger rather than afraid of it made me feel better, somehow. I glanced at the note briefly before tucking it back into my bag, where I had kept it all this time.

I pity the poor soul who receives your full unbridled anger one day.

I pity them too. Don't worry, I don't plan on exploding at anyone.

Unless they deserve it?

The rest of the class period was spent in silence as we took notes on werewolves. I had to stop periodically and take a silent deep breath to calm myself. It seemed so obvious to me that Professor Lupin was a werewolf; I hoped that nobody else would see the signs and that this horrible lesson would be forgotten as soon as the period ended. However, my hopes were mercilessly squashed as the bell rang.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

With that, the class was finally over. But I sat in my chair, frozen. Recognize and kill?

"Yeah, I can't believe he gave us homework either," Harry remarked, getting up and tossing his bag over his shoulder.

I blinked hard, trying to snap myself out of it. "Yeah. That's not cool." I rose to my feet and grabbed my bag. I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't breathe. I needed to get out of that room.

Hermione came to my rescue, as always. "Come to the bathroom with me, Lucy?" It was more of a statement than a question, and she gripped my elbow so tightly it felt like a padlock.

I nodded, glancing once more at Professor Snape with horror before leaving the classroom. The expression on his face was unreadable, except for a slight upward turn at the corner of his mouth.

"Meet you in the Great Hall, Harry," Hermione said, practically dragging me from the room and not stopping until we were safely in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, ignoring the OUT OF ORDER sign on the door.

I leaned my back against the wall and sank to the floor, cradling my head in my hands. Myrtle's mournful sobs echoed around the tiles, and I thought for a second I might join her.

Hermione knelt in front of me. "Are you alright?"

"Are you?" I asked weakly.

"Lucy, everyone calls me a know-it-all except for you and Harry," she said with a humorless laugh. "I'm used to it by now."

"And I thought I was used to..." My voice trailed off. "I mean, everyone should know how to kill... for their own safety... but I never thought..."

Hermione sat beside me and rested her head against my shoulder. "I doubt anyone will actually write the essay, Lucy. He's not our real teacher, he can't give us homework."

"But what if Professor Lupin doesn't..." I swallowed my words, forcing the thought away.

"He will. You're never ill for very long, Lucy, I'm sure he'll be back soon. Besides, he can take wolfsbane, and you can't. That must be what Snape gave him yesterday, no?"

I nodded. "It was." I sighed shakily. "You're right. I'm probably worried over nothing."

"Are you ready to head to dinner?"

I managed a nod.

"You don't look terribly convinced."

"I'm not terribly hungry, but I need to be more careful now that... well, just in case people do actually write the essay. I need to act as normal as possible as much as possible. Besides, being around people just makes me feel better," I added with a shrug, remembering how Harry had taken my anger from 100 to 0 just with a single amused look. He had a unique way of making me feel better.

"Alright," she relented, and we pushed ourselves to our feet. "Let's go see how our boys are holding up."

I grinned. "Our boys?"

She nodded and shrugged. "I mean, they are."

I laughed. "If you say so, Mione. I like the sound of that."

A/N: So... what did you all think? I really hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to comment your thoughts down below! Is Draco being too mean, or does he have a point? Will Lucy ever actually let herself have a crush on somebody? Why was the Room of Requirement closed? What will Lucy say when Professor Lupin's back? Will Harry be the next person to figure out Lucy's secret?

Thank you so much for reading! I love you all!