It was summer vacation.

A howl cut through the night, through the small home of third-year Remus John Lupin. It was a chilling, eerie sound, which would have family his mother and father, if he'd had any. As it was, the ginger thirteen-year-old woke up in a cold sweat, shaking with fear. As the pawsteps of the wolf receded into the forest, Remus breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing...oh no. Remus looked down to find the bed sheets soaked in blood. Was it a wolf? Was it really JUST a wolf? The thought burned itself into Remus's mind as he lost consciousness, holding his bitten chest.

When Remus awoke, the first thing he felt was a splitting pain in his chest. Looking down, a wave of lightheadedness swept over him as he saw his throbbing, bandaged chest. Groaning, he tried to get up, but, gagging, he found he didn't have the strength. Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps coming towards him. A girl with frizzy black hair stood over him, face concerned and worried.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Remus tried to get up again, but collapsed, gagging and coughing. The girl watched him worriedly, and then softly propped him up on pillows.

"Thank you." Remus said. "I thought I was done for."

"I thought you were too." the girl answered. "But I searched every book I could until I found a spell that could help you."

Remus looked around the small room, and glimpsed an open book on the floor, a spell circled in it. Squinting to read it, Remus could make out Vulnera Sanentur, a spell which could apparently replace lost blood. Looking at the other side of the room, he saw a desk, a small lantern, and...a SLYTHERIN ROBE?!

"Y-You're in Slytherin?!" Remus yelled, though the effort made him lightheaded.

The girl looked down. "I saved you're life!" she said quietly, though forcefully. "I didn't choose my house."

Remus realized he had upset her. "I'm sorry. I'm just in Gryffindor."

"I know! Who cares?!"

The girl's eyes flashed with fury. She grabbed a tray that had been sitting on the desk, and, thrusting it towards Remus, ran out of the room.

A half an hour later, the girl came back into the room. Taking the empty tray gingerly out of Remus's hands, she gently set it on the table, and went to fix Remus's covers; Remus shivered underneath the down comforter, and his forehead glistened with sweat. Closing his eyes, Remus asked,

"So, you don't care about houses?"

"No!" she girl said, looking at him weirdly. "Do you?"

Remus looked into her dark, almost black eyes. "No. Not really, I mean, but Lucius-"

The girl cut him off. "That bastard is a disgrace to Hogwarts itself."

Remus grinned. "You said it."

The girl laughed, a bright, musical sound. Suddenly, though, she frowned.

"Oh! I didn't even tell you my name!" she said. "You must think I'm so rude!"

Remus shrugged. "Not really. But what is your name?"

The girl took Remus's right hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you...

...My name's Bellatrix Lestrange."