Mischief Not-Quite-Managed (Currently being revised and edited to the extreme)

Chapter Four ~ Stella

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Chapter Four ~ Stella

Standing outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom had never felt so... terrifying for Stella before.  Just a little bit ago she had been given her timetable, to see that she had Defence first, to her utter delight - note the sarcasm.  Thankfully, she had all of her classes with Rose and Kat, as they usually did, so they were there for her support even though she tried not to act like she needed it.

Rose patted her on the shoulder and nodded towards the door and Kat gave her an encouraging grin.  Stella took one more deep breath before entering the classroom.  Students were filing in, and Lupin was nowhere in sight, to Stella's embarrassed relief - she didn't quite think she was ready to face him yet with her new-found knowledge.  Despite the comforts of what Kat and Rose had told her, she wasn't sure if he had actually recognized her, and if so, her anger was fueled even further - why hadn't he talked to her about it?  Sure, it was the first day of actual classes, and they had only arrived the day before, but he hadn't even looked her way!  Wasn't abandoning her bad enough?

As though he knew she was thinking about him, Lupin opened the door and emerged from his office, making Stella's stomach churn uncomfortably.  She shifted slightly, anther discomfort must've shown on her face, as Rose and Kat each gave her another smile.  Taking deep breaths, she managed to keep her face cool and composed, thinking of her usual self.

"Vampires," Lupin stated.  "You'll find them on page 367 in your book."

Pausing patiently for them to flip to the correct page, he continued, "Can anyone tell me what a vampire is, exactly?"

Stella raised her hand, and he nodded towards her.  "A vampire is an undead human, but with a constant thirst for blood.  When they are changed, they still are the same person, but they always go mad, and the ability to think clearly slowly deteriorates until they are no longer themselves - at least, there is no record of anyone strong enough to keep their sanity in spite of their new-found condition."

Lupin beamed at her with what looked like... pride?  Stella quickly shook the thought away, reminding herself that he abandoned her and it was stupid to get her hopes up only to be disappointed later on.  "Fantastic - 10 points to Gryffindor.  That is precisely what a vampire is, aong with the fact that they are nearly impossible to kill, as they are already dead, and their heart is no longer beating.  Paired with the fact that they are relentless, as they are mad, and do not understand the concept of being hurt as a problem for them, then it becomes understandable how the rates of vampire killings are so high.

"However, there is a known way of destroying a vampire.  As you may have expected, it is not the Killing Curse, which has no effect, as they are already dead.  The incantation for this particular spell is 'Aeternum Somnus' - now you say it."

"Aeternum Somnus," the class repeated, following his instructions obediently.

"Very good," beamed the worn-looking Professor.  "Now, this spell will work on any undead creature you come across, as it is basically the same situation spread between all of them."

He took a glance at the clock and then turned back to them.  "I'm going to let you go early, as I have things to get done.  We will talk about vampires in more depth next class - no assignments, so enjoy the free time!"  He called after them, as Rose and Kat had leaped out of their seats and practically dragged Stella out the classroom door.

When the door eventually shut behind them, Stella couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.  Some part of her had wished that he would call her back into the classroom to talk, but it was more false hope on her part.