Hello luv... A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

chpt 2

I had spent my first few days at Hogwarts meeting all the teachers, finding out how much leave they were all planning on taking that I would have to cover, and swimming with the Mermaids in the Black Lake. (The last part was so much fun, as soon as you got past the- I’ll chop your head off- part of the day.) Dumbledore had reacted well to my problems and I had been right about Minerva we were getting along great.

On the fourth day after my arrival I received a message to meet Dumbledore in the courtyard, I went immediately. He was standing perfectly still just looking at the stone steps that shone like gems from the rain; his back was to me and I couldn’t see his face but I didn’t fail to see his wand clutched in his hand. "I thought it would have taken you longer to turn me over, I guess I should be going then," I too pulled out my wand, if this was going to be a fight I was not heading into it unprepared. But when he turned he was smiling, "Oh no that isn’t the reason I called you here, I merely wish to test your magical abilities, I do the same with the rest of my teachers, and I wouldn't want to make you feel special." Okay well this was unexpected, I didn't want to hurt Dumbledore, I mean he looked so old, and fragile, so I put my wand away. One of his eyebrows shot up, "What's wrong? Not up for the challenge?" He grinned, and I shook my head as a ripple of laughter broke through my lips, "Oh no I'll fight you. I just don't think that it would be fair for me to use my wand." His left eyebrow joined the other and his grin grew wider, "If you're sure then we will begin."  

He knew I could use magic without my wand, but I don't think he realised just how bad the outcome would have been had I used it, at least this way my magic was less channelled.  

We walked from the opposite sides of the courtyard, to the centre, where we saluted and paced back to our sides of the makeshift arena. No words were spoken from then on, only looks of concentration, the air was so full of it, so much so it was tangible. There were flashes of blinding light and my body convulsed as the magic exited through my hands, and struck the barrier hastily erected by Dumbledore. The next second, there was an ear wrenching tear as the stone arches were torn apart and began to form a troll-like shape, if he was going to start using physical substances then so was I. The stone troll reached out with one of its giant hands and grabbed me around the waist, when it touched me it began to recede and it imploded in a flash of white light. We were both breathing heavily as we rose from the rubble that now littered the ground, I was up first and I reached out and drew on the water in the fountain, I was aiming to make a mermaid but it came out as a snake, that always happened when I tried to make things with magic, an automatic glitch that pissed me off more than I cared to admit. It spoke to me, "What do you command mistressss?" Its tongue flickered out and left my face damp.  

"Kill the old man." I answered; it turned in recognition and surrounded the headmaster in a huge spiral of scales. Seconds passed and suddenly the snake became a cloud of mist, blasting outwards from the headmaster. When I lifted myself from the floor I was dizzy and there was blood dripping down my face in a cold, crimson trail from my impact with a large stone from the troll. "I hadn't realised you were a parselmouth."  

My eyes became foggy and I could feel my mind receding into darkness in co-ordination with my sight, I could see nothing and everything I heard was blurry. When I finally managed to open and see through my eyes I was standing a few centimetres away from a twisted form on the ground, wand in hand, the wind blowing through my curly chocolate hair. I fell to the right of the headmaster and rolled him onto his back, he was breathing fast, his heart was beating erratically and his robes were torn in several places. I got him to the Hospital wing pretty rapidly- even with the look terrified look that Minerva gave me as I pushed her aside.

The students were arriving in two days and this was marked only with the arrival of several dementors (which couldn't see me because of my inhumanity), and my realisation that there was no Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher present as yet. Dumbledore had made a full recovery- thankfully nothing had been broken just a few scrapes and burns. He had forgiven me for going feral and almost potentially killing him, assuring me that everything was fine and that I still had my job. Needless to say I was feeling the pressure to make up for what I did.   

But the days passed and I found myself sitting in the Great Hall staring down at my plate full of food, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat, I would just occasionally pick at it.

There was a cheerful buzz in the hall as the students ate and chatted about what they had done that summer. One group caught my eye however, well caught my nose more like. I looked directly at the boy with the lightning shaped scar and realised that my pupils had dilated telling of my thirst for his blood. No, not his blood, I found myself actually pulled towards him, or something in him. I knew that Harry would be potentially dangerous for me to make contact with because of his connection with Voldemort. He looked at me then and I saw straight through to the monster on the other end, my betrothed, Lord Voldemort. I was torn away by Dumbledore clearing his throat as he prepared to address the assembly of students.

The room fell silent.

"Welcome all to a new year at Hogwarts! I hope you are all well and that you are ready to learn," he paused, “You have no doubt noticed by now that there are Dementors circling the grounds in search of Sirius Black but not to worry I have been assured by the ministry that they will not interfere with your day to day activities." He stopped to allow a small muttering buzz to come from the throng of students. "This year there has also been a few changes to the teaching staff, Professor Remus Lupin will be taking up the post of Defence against the Dark Arts." He stood and bowed, my face nearly fell off I was that shocked. I had met Lupin years ago while he was still at school, he was a werewolf with particular kindness, and he also didn't have that characteristic bad smell. Well he hadn't then, but I was definitely getting a whiff of something wolfish from the other end of the table now. Then it was my turn to be recognised. "Also this year we will be introducing a teaching aid, Professor Robyn Mira." That was the name on my resume so I suppose he was right to use it. I stood as a polite applause was issued from both staff and students then retook my seat. The rest of the speech went seamlessly and I was too busy trying to get a look at Lupin, who was unfortunately sitting at the other end of the table. I gave up in the end only to find Harry Potter blatantly and suspiciously staring at me. I could feel Voldemort's pull and I started to feel that sane part of my brain, unhinge and the feral part reach malevolently closer to the surface. I had to get out of the hall or I would start killing people. Minerva touched my hand lightly with hers, "Are you okay? You don't look too good, maybe you had better go before something happens." She whispered, her eyebrows were raised and she tapped at her cheek gesturing to her eyes. I looked down. She had watched Dumbledore's test and I guess my eyes had given me away. I pushed the chair back and it scraped on the floor as I stood and walked out of the Great Hall, ignoring the questioning and shocked looks of the students as I closed the door to the teacher's lounge. I crumpled into the corner and leant there for a few moments, I could still feel him watching me and it felt as if I was being passed through one of the muggle car washes. I ran to the door heading outside and stumbled through it, my vision going blurry again and tinting with red. I had been through blood lust before and the outcome wasn't pretty, then again killing people was never a pleasant thing.

I heard the snarl curl out of the back of my throat and I cried to the heavens as my upper canines elongated. I heard the door shut and collapsed to the sodden ground, where I forced myself to lie motionless. I became aware of a smell a long time after then and I sprang to my feet- crouching and ready to kill, I was about to pounce at the foul smelling thing when suddenly he was around me, his smell was overpoweringly rank and I became nauseous from the stench, the red tint to my sight faded and I could feel the twinge as my teeth shortened back to normality.

“Thank you Remus."