The Beast Within

Dementors

Armin stood outside my window, tapping. I opened the window letting him in. He was holding a letter. I took it and gave him a treat. He flew over to his cage and began to drink. Opening the letter I recognised the handwriting immediately. It was from Remus.

Hey Phoenix,

I'd thought I should write to you as we haven't spoken in ages. There's also something I need to tell you. I promised Ava that I would get the scratch checked out but I never did in case Madam Pomfrey could tell it was from a werewolf. She got suspicious and when you left for your dorm she questioned me about it. I had to tell her. I did tell her not to tell anyone else. I'm sorry, but I'm sure Ava wouldn't tell anyone. I didn't want to tell you in case you hated me for it. The guilt built up inside me until I couldn't take it anymore, I had to tell you so I decided to write this letter.

Love, Remus

I put the letter on my desk. I heard another tap at the window. I turned to see another owl at the window. It was Whisper, Brendon's owl. Confused, I let Whisper in. I took her letter. It was too tempting. I opened it.

Dear Phoenix,

I decided to use Brendon's owl as he sent a letter to me over the holidays and I thought it would be easier to just return her with the letter instead of using our owl. Remus told me about your secret and I hope you don't mind but I kind of told Aurelia. I didn't tell her it was you though as I know you two aren't that close. I just told her that Remus told me he had been attacked by a huge wolf-like creature. I hope she doesn't realise what I meant. I wasn't thinking when I told her and I made it a bit too obvious. I hope you're not angry at me and Remus. Anyway, I hope you're doing well, I'll see you on the train.

Ava 

I threw it down, confused as to why Brendon sent Ava a letter and annoyed that she had told Aurelia. She knew that Aurelia was friends with someone who hated my guts. I took the letters and Whisper. I took Whisper to her cage in Brendon's room and snuck outside into the front garden. Brendon was out with his friends and my uncle was watching TV in the front room. I waited, making sure the coast was clear and put them in the bin outside. I wasn't going to let Brendon and Lorcan see them. As I went up the stairs back up to my room, a floorboard.

"I wondered when you'd be coming down. You've been in your room all day again." Lorcan's voice said from the front room. I walked back down the stairs again, pretending I had been walking down the stairs. I strolled into the front room and sat down next to my uncle. I rested my head on his shoulder. I remembered when I used to cuddle up to my parents when I was younger. I could see him looking at me and smiling out of the corner of my eye. It was the first time I had spent time with him for a long time. The news came on. I ignored it for a while. Muggle news was usually boring. Then the reporter said,

"Today's top story, a man has been found dead in his home after what appears to be a huge, unknown animal attacked him. The man, was 35 year old and was a loved father was last seen leaving for work by his wife. When his wife returned with her son he was found dead, with claw marks all over him. The back door had been ripped off of its hinges. No DNA found on the body led to any suspects and it is now being treated as an accident." I looked up at my uncle.

"You don't think that's a werewolf attack, do you?" I said. "The same werewolf that killed mum and dad?"

"Perhaps." He said, ruffling my hair. I batted him away. We watched TV for a few hours until eventually the front door opened. It was Brendon.

"Hi." He called. "You got mail. The Daily Prophet. I payed the owl don't worry." He threw the newspaper it hit me on the back of the head.

"Hey!" I hissed, Brendon sniggered. I leaned over the back of the sofa and grabbed the newspaper. I read the headline. "Dementors to be placed at entrances at Hogwarts." I flicked to the page the article was on. "After a student told the Headmaster, Killian Holmes that another student had been attacked by a werewolf on school grounds, the Ministry has decided to use dementors once again to protect the school. As of yet we are unsure of whether the werewolf is a student or someone who has broken into the school, however, when more information is revealed, the full story will be released." I handed the newspaper to my uncle. He examined it. "I thought the Ministry of Magic stopped using dementors." I said, bewildered.

"So did I, but apparently not in this case." Lorcan replied. "You better start learning the Patronus charm." He chuckled. "I doubt they will attack though so really there's no need." I grinned, knowing I had already learnt it. I had looked it up, even a lot of adult wizards and witches couldn't produce a patronus. I longed to see the corporeal form of my patronus. Part of me almost wanted to come face to face, or no face, with a dementor so I could use my patronus against it, but I had heard of what they did to people. They were once used by the Ministry to suck the souls out of criminals, a fate worse than death Brendon sat down next to me. Lorcan explained what the article said and what we had heard on the news and I left to go to back up to my room. It was getting late so I fell onto my bed and sat, looking up at the ceiling, wishing I was back at Hogwarts with Remus and Ava. Armin flew over to me and landed on my pillow. He nibbled my ear affectionately. I stroked his head, burying my head in his soft plumage. I was really tired. I yawned. I looked at Armin who also yawned. I laughed.

"Made you yawn." I mumbled, almost nodding off. "Don't you wish we were back at Hogwarts and you could go with your owl friends and you could hunt whenever you wanted, I would be with my friends again an-" I said, falling asleep mid sentence. The holidays passed quickly, no more news, no more attacks, no transformations. All was well for once.