DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters.
Nope. Nadda. All of the characters in this story except for Zoe
McKenna belong to JKR/
NOTE: Remus Lupin is my favorite character. Also, I haven't
written a story in a long time. These days I have spent my time
on the computer playing on several RPG games. So it was very
difficult for me to convert the different tenses. So it sucks.
Zoe McKenna was impressed by Hogwarts the minute she first glanced it. It was bigger than any of the other schools she had attended and had much more prestige. The first few days had been hard for her. Adgusting to the hectic world of Hogwarts had been more difficult than I had seemed. Now here she was, a third year Gryffindor already five months into term. She sighed as she ate her breakfeast in the Great Hall. Alone. As usual. Zoe was used to being alone though. Ever since her mother had died, Zoe had been living with her aunt. And Zoe's aunt loved to travel. So far she had lived in New York, Argentina, Ireland and now England. Zoe had, more than once since arriving at Hogwarts, wondered how long her stay here would last. Zoe shoved one last forkful of porridge into her mouth before heading towards the library. On her way out of the Great Hall she passed Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. The three were in her year but she had yet to talk to them. She walked out of the Hall and towards her first class Defense Against the Dark Arts.
When she arrived the only person in the room was Professor Lupin, who was hunched over his desk writing. Zoe entered quietly and took a seat in the back. She went un-noticed for a few minutes until Lupin looked up. He seemed rather startled but quickly regained his composure. "Ah, hello Zoe." He said in a somewhat cheerful voice. "Hello Professor" she said quickly before looking down at her book. Lupin returned to his writing and Zoe glanced up. She was happy to notice that Lupin was looking better than when he had first arrived. But he still was rather pale. She sighed wondering what caused Lupin so much pain when the other kids started to file in. The lesson went well with the class learning about Red Caps. Zoe grew more cheerful as the day wore on until Potions. Her last class of the day. Snape ganged up on her about her Shrinking Solution until she was about to cry. But she kept her feelings to herself and remained indifferent. This angered Snape even more and he ordered her out of his classroom. Zoe packed up her things quietly and started trudging towards Gryffindor Tower. She was near the Charms corridor when something poked her in the back. "Hey" she said jumping around to face the offender. "What is the big...AIDAN!!!!!!!!!" Zoe jumped on the fourth year boy who laughed and spun her around. Aidan set her down and looked into her brown-gold eyes. "Oy. You'd think Ive been dead." He said laughing. Zoe blushed and smiled. "Come with me." She said taking his hand and leading him up towards an empty classroom on the fifth floor. She sat on a desk across from him. "So, how are you?" she asked. Aidan shrugged his shoulders. "How am I always?" he asked quietly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. He bent down and kissed her.
Suddenly there was a disapproving noise from behind them. They broke apart to see Professor McGonagall sitting behind them. "10 points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." She said in a airy manner. "You two should be in class.GO" Zoe bent her head and walked back to the common room. When she arrived the common room was deserted. Zoe sighed. "Ah Hogsmeade Trip." she said to herself, suddenly remembering. "Ah well. Best to the library." She flung her bag in a chair and left for the library. On the way she was stopped by Professor Dumbledore. "Hello, Ms. McKenna. "He said quietly, his eyes twinkling. "Such a nice evening. I suggest you go take a walk on the grounds. Take advantage of the fine weather, maybe have Mr.Leaghy come with you." He winked at her. Zoe gave a weak smile and nodded. "A fine idea, Professor. I think I shall. Though not with Aidan." She looked down . "I already lost ten points for being with him today," She mumbled. Dumbledore nodded. Zoe turned around and walked past the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. "Ms.McKenna could you please come in here for a moment." called a voice from inside. Zoe entered the classroom to find Lupin sitting at his desk, drinking from a smoking goblet. "Your essay on the Red Cap was very well done.May I keepit as an example?" Zoe thought for a moment. "Yes, Professor." Lupin smiled."Very well. That is all. And can you please lock the door on your way out." Zoe did as asked and continued outside.
The grounds were deserted. But Dumbledore had been right:It was a beautiful evening. The sun had almost set and the weather was nice for February. Zoe started for the lake. The Giant Squid was waving its tentacles lazily in the air. Zoe sat down on the edge of the lake and watched him. "You don't have a care in the world, do you, old boy." She sat for a while until it had become totally dark. The full moon shone overhead. Zoe was just considering going inside when a noise came from the bushes behind her. She rose and drew her wand. She approached the bushes carefully. The noises stopped. She shrugged and turned to leave. Suddenly, a creature jumped out of the bushes at her.Its weight knocked her over. Zoe turned onto her back, struggling to get it off her. It started biting at her leg. Zoe pointed her wand at it and shouted Wingardium Leviosa. The creature flew up into the air, but not before biting deep into her thigh. Zoe gave a shout of pain, gritted her teeth and sent the creature far into the woods.
When she was certain that it had gone for good she sank to the ground in exhaustion. She had no idea what the creature had been, but whatever it was, it had strength. Lights came from the direction of Hogsmeade and two students approached. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They had been talking but when they spotted her, stopped. Hermione rushed towards Zoe and sank down next to her. "What happened Zoe?" She said examining the bite. She looked up at Ron. "Go get help." Ron looked at her strange. "Who?" Hermione stuck her hands up in the air. "I don't care. Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, Lupin, Snape. Just someone." Ron nodded and ran off towards the castle. Hermione's face was grim. She took out her wand, muttered something Zoe didn't catch and white bands shot out from her wand. They wrapped themselves around Zoe's leg . "This should help it some." Zoe was about to express her graditude when Ron returned with Filch. "Whats this now?" Filch yelled grumpily. "Injured student sir." Hermione replied. Filch grunted and lifted Zoe up. She gasped in pain but didn't cry. He carried her up into the castle and towards the Hospitol wing with Ron and Hermione in tow.
When Madam Pomfrey saw the state that Zoe was in, her eyes widened. "You." She said pointing towards Ron. "Go get Dumbledore." Ron nodded and hurried off. "And you, Hermione, fetch me the potion bottle from the back with the green letters on it." Madam Pomfreu turned towards Zoe. "Now you. Lets have a look at that wound." She pulled Zoe's pants up until she came to the bite mark. She tsked. "What have you gotten yourself into?" She shook her head. The doors to the hospitol wing flew open and Ron arrived with Dumbledore. The old headmaster did not waste any time getting to Zoe. "What happened?" Zoe told him her story and the twinkle left his eyes. His mouth disappeared into a terse line and he pulled Madam Pomfrey into a corner far from Zoe. They spoke in hushed tones and Zoe wasn't able to catch anything they said. Suddenly, Madam Pomfrey let out a shriek and fainted. Dumbledore looked down at her, shrugged and turned back to Zoe. He motioned for Hermione and Ron to leave and closed the door. Zoe noticed he had gone a bit pale and was avoiding her eyes. "Professor?" she said quietly. Dumbledore sat on the end of her bed. "Zoe, I don't want to have to tell you this. But it is necessary." Zoe watched him carefully. "I blame myself you know, for suggesting you go out to the grounds. But.." he trailed off. He looked into her eyes and for a second Zoe felt as if she had been stung. "Zoe, you were bitten by a werewolf." Zoe paled and her eyes grew wide. "Pr.Professor? Are you serious?" She asked incrediously. Inside her head a million thoughts and emotions were stirring. Overwhelmed, she started hyperventilating. Dumbledore shook his head no, confirming Zoe's suspicions. "You mean.." Dumbledore nodded. "Every month at the full moon, you will become a werewolf too." He sighed. "That makes two at Hogwarts." Dumbledore turned towards Madam Pomfrey, who had awoken and was standing in a corner. "Poppy, please get Professor's Lupin and Snape." he said in a calm voice.
Zoe sank back down onto her pillow. "A werewolf!" she said quietly. She looked towards Dumbledore. "What do you mean by two? There is another?" Dumbledore nodded solemly. "You will find out soon enough" he said quietly in a choked voice that suggested he was battling two emotions. Suddenly, the doors to the hospitol wing flew open and Aidan came rushing in. "Zoe, are you all right? What happened?" he said as soon as he saw her. Dumbledore turned his back. "Just pretend Im not here."
"Er, right." Aidan took Zoe's hand. "What happened?" He asked quietly. Zoe shook her head. "Oh come on. You can tell me. Its me, Aidan, remember?" Zoe took a deep breath. "I..I was bitten by a werewolf, Aidan" She said in a tone filled with disgust. Aidan went pale and started to back away from Zoe. "oh." he said quietly. His look became that of fright and he ran from the room. Dumbledore turned around. "Prejudice. An evil I have been fighting all these long years." He sighed and got up from her bed.
He walked over to the fireplace, took a handful of glittery powder out of a box on the mantle and threw it in the fire. The flames turned green. "Professor's Lupin and Snape, would you be so kind as to come to the hospitol ward for a moment." he said in a tired voice. Though tired as it was, it still commanded a certain respect and reaked of strength and courage. Suddenly, two shapes appeared in the fire. They spun faster and faster until finally Snape stumbled out of the fire followed by Lupin. Both shook the ash from their robes and bowed to Dumbledore. "Yes, Headmaster?" Snape said in his oily voice. He glanced past Dumbledore and saw Zoe. His eyes turned steel. Lupin didn't say a word. Dumbledore looked at the two men and then at Zoe. "I have called you two here because a very tragic thing has just happened." He stopped for a moment, seeming to have forgotten what he was there for. "Ah yes. Ms. McKenna was walking the grounds this evening, at my suggestion, and was bitten. By a werewolf." The corner of Snape's mouth started twiching uncontrollably and Zoe could tell he was fighting the urge to smile. Lupin had gone paler than usual and gave a look of pity to Zoe. Zoe cast her eyes downward, not wanting this to go anymore, not wanting to be a burden on anypne. Dumbledore continued. "Professor Snape, this means that I will be needing you to make more than the usual amount of Wolfsbane potion. Do you understand?" Snape nodded but gave Zoe a look that cleary stated he would rather eat rat dung than do this. Snape turned on his heel and left the room. Lupin stepped forward to where Lupin had been. "Professor Lupin, I will need you to work with Zoe. As this is your er expertise I feel that you would be able to explain things best." Lupin turned to face Zoe. He looked her over for a moment and turned back to Dumbledore. "Yes, Professor. Does she know who the second one is?" he said in a whisper. "No, Remus. The time will come when they have to expose their secret. But not now." Lupin nodded. "I am very sorry about what has happened Ms. McKenna. I will meet you in my office tomorrow at 7." Zoe gave a weak smile and Lupin left.
Dumbledore spun around once more to face Zoe. "I must go Zoe. You must stay the night in the hospitol wing and your exscused from classes tommorow." He smiled and left. Madam Pomfrey tsked. "I hope this doesn't get out to the students." She looked at Zoe. Her face was pulled into a tight line. "I will have to tell the teachers. Some of them, not naming any names, may act a bit er different towards you." She turned and busied herself with straightening up shelves. Zoe sighed, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
The next day Zoe spent in the hospitol wing until 5. Madam Pomfrey, following Dumbledore's orders, let her out with much reluctance. Zoe went straight to Gryffindor Tower. She was greeted by Hermione, Harry and Ron. Hermione rushed up to Zoe and gave her a hug. Zoe was a bit startled by this and quickly pulled herself away. "Oh Zoe, are you all right? After last night and the way Dumbledore talked, it made it seem as if you were dead." Zoe struggled to smile. "Im alright now. Thank you though." she said quietly. Hermione smiled and left throught the portrait hole followed by Ron and Harry. Zoe shrugged and started working on the homework she had missed. At quarter to 7, Zoe packed her things and left for the DADA classroom. The walk took longer than normal and by the time she got there it was 7:45.Zoe rushed in to find Lupin standing in the middle of the room. "Your late." he said mildly. Zoe nodded. "Sorry Professor." He nodded and sat down in his desk. He motioned for Zoe to take a seat in the chair in front of him. She walked over and sat down, feeling intimidated by being alone in a room with a teacher. She was surprised to see, however, that Lupin looked like he was going to faint. She raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. Lupin cleared his throat. "Mhm, yes. Now where do we begin." He looked Zoe in the eyes, his slate blue meeting her brown-gold. "What you have is called Lycanthropy. It is a condition that few people have. The people who have it are called werewolves." He said nervously. "Werewolves are feared most places. And many wizarding schools wont accept werewolves. But Hogwarts does. Because Dumbledore is a kind and generous soul." Lupin said nervously. He paused and looked around. "It is rather akward for me to be talking about this with a student." He sighed and rose to close the door. It locked and he sat back down. "I will tell you this only because I have the distinct feeling that I can trust you." He pursed his lips. "I share your condition. I also am a werewolf. I have been ever since I was 4." He smiled weakly. "It pains me to have to tell you all this. To have to explain to you about being a werewolf. But keeping it from you would be wrong." He sank back into his chair. A thousand thoughts flooded Zoe's brain at the same time.Dazed she couldn't find words. But after a few minutes they did come. "Professor, if you're a werewolf then were you the one who.bit me?" she asked quietly, both anticipating and fearing the answer. "No. I didn't. When you came into my office last night, I was drinking the Wolfsbane potion. It allows me to keep my head when I change. Then I am able to curl up in my office a simple wolf." Zoe nodded.
The next few days went by in a blur. Each night Zoe went to visit Lupin. Some days they talked about werewolves. Others they sat in silence. It varied depending on each day. Then came the week of the full moon. Zoe's stomach felt as if it had butterflies in it. She was nervous with anxiety and couldn't concentrate. The first two days Snape sent the Wolfsbane Potion for Zoe up to the Hospitol Ward. And Zoe had to walk down from Gryffindor Tower when everybody was asleep to take it. Madam Pomfrey wasn't too thrilled about this and suggested that Snape keep it in Lupin's office, which was closer than the Hospitol Ward. So on Wednesday night, the night before the full moon, she went to Lupin's office. "have you decided where you are going to go tomorrow night?" he asked her as she strode in. "No. Professor. I was thinking the Hospitol Ward but Madam Pomfrey said that that was out of the question. Lupin nodded. "Why don't you come here. I usually go to sleep right after.. But you are welcome to stay here." Zoe's heart jumped in a mixture of fright and happiness. "All right. Thank you." Lupin started digging around in his desk, speaking as he went. "You need to make sure you come here before the sun sets. I take the day off but I doubt you can do that. Can you?" he asked looking up. "I suppose I could." She said quietly. She sighed. "See you tomorrow then." He waved and she left.
The next day Zoe conjured up a sleeping bag and dragged it down to Professor Lupin's office. She sat it in a corner as far from sight as possible. That, along with a few school books she had brought, would keep her company til night. At 3 Snape brought the potion down for Zoe and Professor Lupin, who had yet to arrive. Zoe drank the bitter tasting concoction reluctantly. The sun was setting in the horizon when Lupin ran in. He was slightly out of breath and his pale face was flushed. "Oh, I am sorry Zoe. I had some business to attend to before I came here." He gulped down his potion, made a face and went into a back room. Zoe dug down into her sleeping bag and sighed. Ten minutes later the full moon appeared in the night sky. A horrible pain hit Zoe in the stomach and she cried out. Bones twisted, organs moved. Soft fur covored Zoe's body, until finally it was all over. It doesn't take away pain. But it doesn't make me a horrible monster either Zoe saw the world through a wolf's eyes. It was different, unique. The sense of smell was perfect, Zoe could smell the area on her Potions book where she had dripped Shrinking Solution. Finally, Zoe curled up on her sleeping bag and went to sleep.
The next day Zoe woke up late. She was exhausted and she had to struggle to get up. Her bones hurt, and she was barely able to think. She looked around the room, but couldn't see Lupin. She sighed and took the sleeping bag out of the room and up towards Gryffindor Tower. There, she went back to sleep.
Zoe McKenna was impressed by Hogwarts the minute she first glanced it. It was bigger than any of the other schools she had attended and had much more prestige. The first few days had been hard for her. Adgusting to the hectic world of Hogwarts had been more difficult than I had seemed. Now here she was, a third year Gryffindor already five months into term. She sighed as she ate her breakfeast in the Great Hall. Alone. As usual. Zoe was used to being alone though. Ever since her mother had died, Zoe had been living with her aunt. And Zoe's aunt loved to travel. So far she had lived in New York, Argentina, Ireland and now England. Zoe had, more than once since arriving at Hogwarts, wondered how long her stay here would last. Zoe shoved one last forkful of porridge into her mouth before heading towards the library. On her way out of the Great Hall she passed Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. The three were in her year but she had yet to talk to them. She walked out of the Hall and towards her first class Defense Against the Dark Arts.
When she arrived the only person in the room was Professor Lupin, who was hunched over his desk writing. Zoe entered quietly and took a seat in the back. She went un-noticed for a few minutes until Lupin looked up. He seemed rather startled but quickly regained his composure. "Ah, hello Zoe." He said in a somewhat cheerful voice. "Hello Professor" she said quickly before looking down at her book. Lupin returned to his writing and Zoe glanced up. She was happy to notice that Lupin was looking better than when he had first arrived. But he still was rather pale. She sighed wondering what caused Lupin so much pain when the other kids started to file in. The lesson went well with the class learning about Red Caps. Zoe grew more cheerful as the day wore on until Potions. Her last class of the day. Snape ganged up on her about her Shrinking Solution until she was about to cry. But she kept her feelings to herself and remained indifferent. This angered Snape even more and he ordered her out of his classroom. Zoe packed up her things quietly and started trudging towards Gryffindor Tower. She was near the Charms corridor when something poked her in the back. "Hey" she said jumping around to face the offender. "What is the big...AIDAN!!!!!!!!!" Zoe jumped on the fourth year boy who laughed and spun her around. Aidan set her down and looked into her brown-gold eyes. "Oy. You'd think Ive been dead." He said laughing. Zoe blushed and smiled. "Come with me." She said taking his hand and leading him up towards an empty classroom on the fifth floor. She sat on a desk across from him. "So, how are you?" she asked. Aidan shrugged his shoulders. "How am I always?" he asked quietly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. He bent down and kissed her.
Suddenly there was a disapproving noise from behind them. They broke apart to see Professor McGonagall sitting behind them. "10 points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." She said in a airy manner. "You two should be in class.GO" Zoe bent her head and walked back to the common room. When she arrived the common room was deserted. Zoe sighed. "Ah Hogsmeade Trip." she said to herself, suddenly remembering. "Ah well. Best to the library." She flung her bag in a chair and left for the library. On the way she was stopped by Professor Dumbledore. "Hello, Ms. McKenna. "He said quietly, his eyes twinkling. "Such a nice evening. I suggest you go take a walk on the grounds. Take advantage of the fine weather, maybe have Mr.Leaghy come with you." He winked at her. Zoe gave a weak smile and nodded. "A fine idea, Professor. I think I shall. Though not with Aidan." She looked down . "I already lost ten points for being with him today," She mumbled. Dumbledore nodded. Zoe turned around and walked past the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. "Ms.McKenna could you please come in here for a moment." called a voice from inside. Zoe entered the classroom to find Lupin sitting at his desk, drinking from a smoking goblet. "Your essay on the Red Cap was very well done.May I keepit as an example?" Zoe thought for a moment. "Yes, Professor." Lupin smiled."Very well. That is all. And can you please lock the door on your way out." Zoe did as asked and continued outside.
The grounds were deserted. But Dumbledore had been right:It was a beautiful evening. The sun had almost set and the weather was nice for February. Zoe started for the lake. The Giant Squid was waving its tentacles lazily in the air. Zoe sat down on the edge of the lake and watched him. "You don't have a care in the world, do you, old boy." She sat for a while until it had become totally dark. The full moon shone overhead. Zoe was just considering going inside when a noise came from the bushes behind her. She rose and drew her wand. She approached the bushes carefully. The noises stopped. She shrugged and turned to leave. Suddenly, a creature jumped out of the bushes at her.Its weight knocked her over. Zoe turned onto her back, struggling to get it off her. It started biting at her leg. Zoe pointed her wand at it and shouted Wingardium Leviosa. The creature flew up into the air, but not before biting deep into her thigh. Zoe gave a shout of pain, gritted her teeth and sent the creature far into the woods.
When she was certain that it had gone for good she sank to the ground in exhaustion. She had no idea what the creature had been, but whatever it was, it had strength. Lights came from the direction of Hogsmeade and two students approached. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They had been talking but when they spotted her, stopped. Hermione rushed towards Zoe and sank down next to her. "What happened Zoe?" She said examining the bite. She looked up at Ron. "Go get help." Ron looked at her strange. "Who?" Hermione stuck her hands up in the air. "I don't care. Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, Lupin, Snape. Just someone." Ron nodded and ran off towards the castle. Hermione's face was grim. She took out her wand, muttered something Zoe didn't catch and white bands shot out from her wand. They wrapped themselves around Zoe's leg . "This should help it some." Zoe was about to express her graditude when Ron returned with Filch. "Whats this now?" Filch yelled grumpily. "Injured student sir." Hermione replied. Filch grunted and lifted Zoe up. She gasped in pain but didn't cry. He carried her up into the castle and towards the Hospitol wing with Ron and Hermione in tow.
When Madam Pomfrey saw the state that Zoe was in, her eyes widened. "You." She said pointing towards Ron. "Go get Dumbledore." Ron nodded and hurried off. "And you, Hermione, fetch me the potion bottle from the back with the green letters on it." Madam Pomfreu turned towards Zoe. "Now you. Lets have a look at that wound." She pulled Zoe's pants up until she came to the bite mark. She tsked. "What have you gotten yourself into?" She shook her head. The doors to the hospitol wing flew open and Ron arrived with Dumbledore. The old headmaster did not waste any time getting to Zoe. "What happened?" Zoe told him her story and the twinkle left his eyes. His mouth disappeared into a terse line and he pulled Madam Pomfrey into a corner far from Zoe. They spoke in hushed tones and Zoe wasn't able to catch anything they said. Suddenly, Madam Pomfrey let out a shriek and fainted. Dumbledore looked down at her, shrugged and turned back to Zoe. He motioned for Hermione and Ron to leave and closed the door. Zoe noticed he had gone a bit pale and was avoiding her eyes. "Professor?" she said quietly. Dumbledore sat on the end of her bed. "Zoe, I don't want to have to tell you this. But it is necessary." Zoe watched him carefully. "I blame myself you know, for suggesting you go out to the grounds. But.." he trailed off. He looked into her eyes and for a second Zoe felt as if she had been stung. "Zoe, you were bitten by a werewolf." Zoe paled and her eyes grew wide. "Pr.Professor? Are you serious?" She asked incrediously. Inside her head a million thoughts and emotions were stirring. Overwhelmed, she started hyperventilating. Dumbledore shook his head no, confirming Zoe's suspicions. "You mean.." Dumbledore nodded. "Every month at the full moon, you will become a werewolf too." He sighed. "That makes two at Hogwarts." Dumbledore turned towards Madam Pomfrey, who had awoken and was standing in a corner. "Poppy, please get Professor's Lupin and Snape." he said in a calm voice.
Zoe sank back down onto her pillow. "A werewolf!" she said quietly. She looked towards Dumbledore. "What do you mean by two? There is another?" Dumbledore nodded solemly. "You will find out soon enough" he said quietly in a choked voice that suggested he was battling two emotions. Suddenly, the doors to the hospitol wing flew open and Aidan came rushing in. "Zoe, are you all right? What happened?" he said as soon as he saw her. Dumbledore turned his back. "Just pretend Im not here."
"Er, right." Aidan took Zoe's hand. "What happened?" He asked quietly. Zoe shook her head. "Oh come on. You can tell me. Its me, Aidan, remember?" Zoe took a deep breath. "I..I was bitten by a werewolf, Aidan" She said in a tone filled with disgust. Aidan went pale and started to back away from Zoe. "oh." he said quietly. His look became that of fright and he ran from the room. Dumbledore turned around. "Prejudice. An evil I have been fighting all these long years." He sighed and got up from her bed.
He walked over to the fireplace, took a handful of glittery powder out of a box on the mantle and threw it in the fire. The flames turned green. "Professor's Lupin and Snape, would you be so kind as to come to the hospitol ward for a moment." he said in a tired voice. Though tired as it was, it still commanded a certain respect and reaked of strength and courage. Suddenly, two shapes appeared in the fire. They spun faster and faster until finally Snape stumbled out of the fire followed by Lupin. Both shook the ash from their robes and bowed to Dumbledore. "Yes, Headmaster?" Snape said in his oily voice. He glanced past Dumbledore and saw Zoe. His eyes turned steel. Lupin didn't say a word. Dumbledore looked at the two men and then at Zoe. "I have called you two here because a very tragic thing has just happened." He stopped for a moment, seeming to have forgotten what he was there for. "Ah yes. Ms. McKenna was walking the grounds this evening, at my suggestion, and was bitten. By a werewolf." The corner of Snape's mouth started twiching uncontrollably and Zoe could tell he was fighting the urge to smile. Lupin had gone paler than usual and gave a look of pity to Zoe. Zoe cast her eyes downward, not wanting this to go anymore, not wanting to be a burden on anypne. Dumbledore continued. "Professor Snape, this means that I will be needing you to make more than the usual amount of Wolfsbane potion. Do you understand?" Snape nodded but gave Zoe a look that cleary stated he would rather eat rat dung than do this. Snape turned on his heel and left the room. Lupin stepped forward to where Lupin had been. "Professor Lupin, I will need you to work with Zoe. As this is your er expertise I feel that you would be able to explain things best." Lupin turned to face Zoe. He looked her over for a moment and turned back to Dumbledore. "Yes, Professor. Does she know who the second one is?" he said in a whisper. "No, Remus. The time will come when they have to expose their secret. But not now." Lupin nodded. "I am very sorry about what has happened Ms. McKenna. I will meet you in my office tomorrow at 7." Zoe gave a weak smile and Lupin left.
Dumbledore spun around once more to face Zoe. "I must go Zoe. You must stay the night in the hospitol wing and your exscused from classes tommorow." He smiled and left. Madam Pomfrey tsked. "I hope this doesn't get out to the students." She looked at Zoe. Her face was pulled into a tight line. "I will have to tell the teachers. Some of them, not naming any names, may act a bit er different towards you." She turned and busied herself with straightening up shelves. Zoe sighed, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
The next day Zoe spent in the hospitol wing until 5. Madam Pomfrey, following Dumbledore's orders, let her out with much reluctance. Zoe went straight to Gryffindor Tower. She was greeted by Hermione, Harry and Ron. Hermione rushed up to Zoe and gave her a hug. Zoe was a bit startled by this and quickly pulled herself away. "Oh Zoe, are you all right? After last night and the way Dumbledore talked, it made it seem as if you were dead." Zoe struggled to smile. "Im alright now. Thank you though." she said quietly. Hermione smiled and left throught the portrait hole followed by Ron and Harry. Zoe shrugged and started working on the homework she had missed. At quarter to 7, Zoe packed her things and left for the DADA classroom. The walk took longer than normal and by the time she got there it was 7:45.Zoe rushed in to find Lupin standing in the middle of the room. "Your late." he said mildly. Zoe nodded. "Sorry Professor." He nodded and sat down in his desk. He motioned for Zoe to take a seat in the chair in front of him. She walked over and sat down, feeling intimidated by being alone in a room with a teacher. She was surprised to see, however, that Lupin looked like he was going to faint. She raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. Lupin cleared his throat. "Mhm, yes. Now where do we begin." He looked Zoe in the eyes, his slate blue meeting her brown-gold. "What you have is called Lycanthropy. It is a condition that few people have. The people who have it are called werewolves." He said nervously. "Werewolves are feared most places. And many wizarding schools wont accept werewolves. But Hogwarts does. Because Dumbledore is a kind and generous soul." Lupin said nervously. He paused and looked around. "It is rather akward for me to be talking about this with a student." He sighed and rose to close the door. It locked and he sat back down. "I will tell you this only because I have the distinct feeling that I can trust you." He pursed his lips. "I share your condition. I also am a werewolf. I have been ever since I was 4." He smiled weakly. "It pains me to have to tell you all this. To have to explain to you about being a werewolf. But keeping it from you would be wrong." He sank back into his chair. A thousand thoughts flooded Zoe's brain at the same time.Dazed she couldn't find words. But after a few minutes they did come. "Professor, if you're a werewolf then were you the one who.bit me?" she asked quietly, both anticipating and fearing the answer. "No. I didn't. When you came into my office last night, I was drinking the Wolfsbane potion. It allows me to keep my head when I change. Then I am able to curl up in my office a simple wolf." Zoe nodded.
The next few days went by in a blur. Each night Zoe went to visit Lupin. Some days they talked about werewolves. Others they sat in silence. It varied depending on each day. Then came the week of the full moon. Zoe's stomach felt as if it had butterflies in it. She was nervous with anxiety and couldn't concentrate. The first two days Snape sent the Wolfsbane Potion for Zoe up to the Hospitol Ward. And Zoe had to walk down from Gryffindor Tower when everybody was asleep to take it. Madam Pomfrey wasn't too thrilled about this and suggested that Snape keep it in Lupin's office, which was closer than the Hospitol Ward. So on Wednesday night, the night before the full moon, she went to Lupin's office. "have you decided where you are going to go tomorrow night?" he asked her as she strode in. "No. Professor. I was thinking the Hospitol Ward but Madam Pomfrey said that that was out of the question. Lupin nodded. "Why don't you come here. I usually go to sleep right after.. But you are welcome to stay here." Zoe's heart jumped in a mixture of fright and happiness. "All right. Thank you." Lupin started digging around in his desk, speaking as he went. "You need to make sure you come here before the sun sets. I take the day off but I doubt you can do that. Can you?" he asked looking up. "I suppose I could." She said quietly. She sighed. "See you tomorrow then." He waved and she left.
The next day Zoe conjured up a sleeping bag and dragged it down to Professor Lupin's office. She sat it in a corner as far from sight as possible. That, along with a few school books she had brought, would keep her company til night. At 3 Snape brought the potion down for Zoe and Professor Lupin, who had yet to arrive. Zoe drank the bitter tasting concoction reluctantly. The sun was setting in the horizon when Lupin ran in. He was slightly out of breath and his pale face was flushed. "Oh, I am sorry Zoe. I had some business to attend to before I came here." He gulped down his potion, made a face and went into a back room. Zoe dug down into her sleeping bag and sighed. Ten minutes later the full moon appeared in the night sky. A horrible pain hit Zoe in the stomach and she cried out. Bones twisted, organs moved. Soft fur covored Zoe's body, until finally it was all over. It doesn't take away pain. But it doesn't make me a horrible monster either Zoe saw the world through a wolf's eyes. It was different, unique. The sense of smell was perfect, Zoe could smell the area on her Potions book where she had dripped Shrinking Solution. Finally, Zoe curled up on her sleeping bag and went to sleep.
The next day Zoe woke up late. She was exhausted and she had to struggle to get up. Her bones hurt, and she was barely able to think. She looked around the room, but couldn't see Lupin. She sighed and took the sleeping bag out of the room and up towards Gryffindor Tower. There, she went back to sleep.