A/N: Yup, I'm back! And I have an all-new chapter with me! Fans, thanks for being patient and enjoy. Oh, and disclaimer, diclaimer the majority of characters belong to J. K. Rowling.
At 1:30 p.m., the seventh years had a study hall period. That just means they had a period to do homework or other things if they were done. Harry, Ron, and Hermione met outside of the library, where they were going to spend their study hall. Hermione seemed rather confused when they met since she had a stumped expression on her face. For some time, the trio was completely silent. Finally, Ron decided to break the ice.
"Hermione?"
"Yes?" she replied, her voice a reflection of her expression.
"You, uh," Ron stumbled, "seem…stumped."
"That's because I am."
"Er, what about?"
"As I was coming here, I was unfortunate enough to find Malfoy. He said, 'Hey, Granger, I think you should get caught by Lupa Furens.' I decided that it would be best to ignore him. I'm glad I did."
"Um," Harry answered, "who's Lupa Furens?"
"Well…" Hermione began, realizing that she didn't know the answer. "I…think we'd better look her up."
"Wait a moment," Ron interjected. "How to you know that this person is a woman?"
"Ronald, her name sounds Latin. Latin words that end in 'a' are usually feminine."
"Oh," said a slightly mortified Ron. Hermione got up, went over to a section in the library, and scanned the books.
"Hmm," she said quietly, pulling out a book entitled Mythical and Legendary Witches and Wizards. "Wonder if this is the right one?"
"Let's check it out," Harry suggested. So they looked in it and, surprisingly, found a section one Lupa Furens! Hermione read the article out loud.
"'Lupa Furens- (date of birth unknown)- Furens was born to a moderately rich family in a town near to Rome under a different name. Though the exact year isn't known, according to legend, it was at least 50 years before Pax Romana. Her name at birth is also unknown. She was born with striking red hair.
"'At age seven, Furens was bitten by a werewolf. Deciding it was too dangerous to let anyone else know about this incident, she remained secretive about it and secluded herself to a secure room during the night of the full moon for ten years. At age seventeen, she discovered that she had magical abilities and that she was capable of using wandless magic. It was then that she decided that she could reveal the truth to her family. Unfortunately, they did not take the news very well and kept their distance. As a matter of fact, one of her brothers told the officials about her, and their reaction was to capture her. However, the news spread like fire on dry wood throughout the town. Therefore, a homicidal mob of angry townspeople chased her out of her home and out of the town. She was able to get away from her pursuers, and they gave up. When they were out of sight, she began to plan for the future.
"'Knowing that she was now considered an outcast by her city, family and possibly humanity, she decided that she would use her powerful magic to get her revenge on them for shunning her. First, she stopped her transformations during the full moon but not her "internal wolf." Second, she made herself immortal if not killed by a human. Third, she made herself impervious against hunger, thirst, fatigue, and disease. After that, she changed her appearance to make her look terrifying. The last ability she gave herself was to call unfortunate girls to her so she could knock them into unconsciousness, steal their bodies' energy, and become stronger when she did.
"'It was then that she realized her flaw. She had not said how she would let a girl go. There is much controversy between believers on how she fixed this flaw. Some say that she only lets girls go by her own choosing. Others say she can let them go that way or by being hit by a certain object. There are still others that say if she just has to be defeated to free the girl. The believers cannot decide amongst themselves what is true.
"'She then decided that she should have a name that would both scare her enemies and hide her old identity. She immediately came up with "Lupa Furens." This translates to "raging she-wolf." She chose this name because it was what she was inside.
"'Many dark witches and wizards (as well as evil Muggle knights) were said to go looking for her. Those who found her learned that she was attracted to promises of power and authority, so they dueled to find out which one had the most power. She would always watch these duels passively, not caring who fell dead. When the duels were done, the one who prevailed would then bribe her with great authority and power if Furens joined him or her. She often captured the lovers, wives, or daughters of the enemy of her ally. However, many times the girls and women were freed from her grasp, and every time she allied with an evil witch or wizard, they would eventually die or fall. She would then leave that person and move on.
"'There are many ways that she can be identified. The following are the most noticeable. Her skin is pallid, having no color at all. Her eyes are poison green. Both her fingernails and toenails are long and sharp; moreover, they look more like claws. Her apparel is a toga, armor underneath, and Roman sandals. The most notable feature, however, is her red hair that is always on fire but never being consumed by the flames.
"'She is said to still be around today. She is often said to be spotted in places across Europe. She can travel day and night without stopping to rest. In addition, many have claimed to have seen her in the United Kingdom, which suggests she is also able to travel over the Strait of Dover. The overwhelming majority of disappearances of young witches were blamed, sometimes jokingly, on Furens. She also can and sometimes does call young Muggle women, who can be captured as well as witches, but they do not give her as much power as witches. Additionally, her magical power is claimed to be able to get past even the toughest-to-beat magical protection enchantments. Any girl who was called and captured by Furens is said to have heard "the call of the Raging Wolf.'"
There was a momentary silence after Hermione was done with the article, then the three began to talk about Lupa.
"So you think Ginny was captured by Lupa?" Harry asked, still worried about Ginny.
"Wh-what?!" Ron guffawed loudly. "Harry, you've gotta be kidding!"
"Mr. Weasley," said a disapproving voice behind him. He sat up straighter and almost jumped in shock. He turned around and saw Madam Irma Pince, the librarian, standing behind him, arms folded. "Why were you talking so loudly?"
"S-sorry, Madam Pince," replied a rather embarrassed Ron. "I got a little…carried away."
"Please keep it under control next time," she responded. Ron nodded, and she strutted away. He turned back to Harry and Hermione.
"Sorry 'bout the outburst," he told them, "but what you said, Harry, just seemed…well…unlikely."
"It's alright, Ron," was the answer. "Anyway, what are the odds of Vol—"
"Oi!"
"Okay, You-Know-Who finding Lupa and gaining her allegiance?"
"One in a million, maybe?" Hermione reasoned.
"Duh!" said Ron quietly. "It's so unlikely 'cause she has to be in the U.K. and You-Know-Who would have to find her."
"If," Hermione added sharply, "she is real."
"Yeah, it's just that unlikely like…like…"
"Like a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt." Hermione rolled her eyes when Harry said this. Harry, meanwhile, checked his watch. "Well," he added, "it's 1:46. Still…" He paused here to do a little mental math. "…about twenty-four minutes until Potions."
"What?!" said a startled Hermione in a near whisper. "I forgot! We have a test today!"
"Wha…oh, yeah!" responded Ron. "Should we go over our stuff, just to make sure we know it?"
"Brilliant idea, Ron," said Harry, and after a little searching in their bags, the trio began to review. But in the back of his mind, Harry was wondering.
Could Lupa Furens be the reason behind Ginny's disappearance? And also, how did Malfoy know about her?
A/N: Okay, fans. You may still answer the Chapter 1 question. Please answer it in your reviews. I'd really appreciate it if you did. Thanks!