The vampire slithered over the ground, shuffling around sticks and leaves with its long cloak as it moved towards Aileen and the house elf.

Aileen wrapped around Allister like a cocoon, her heart bashing into the back of the elf's head as she held him close to her chest, both of them staring wide eyed and horrified up at the hooded bloodsucker. It loomed over them, two lines of blood running down either side of its mouth, its teeth clenching, its two differently colored eyes fixating on them...

The vampire held up one of its long fingers to its lips. "Shhh."

Then, something in Aileen's mind clicked, and she gazed in astonishment up at the hooded man as if he'd just fallen from outer space.

She recognized him.

"You..." the hooded vampire uttered in a deep, low, broken up voice. "You... will... tell... no... one."

The voice was familiar to her as well. But it couldn't be... it couldn't be...

Maxwell and Albus could be heard sprinting over the landscape towards them, and they both skidded to a stop next to the mound of fur and scales that was the freshly killed creature. Professor Crowley had swiftly removed the blood from his face by wiping it onto his black sleeve before removing his hood and turning to the boys.

"Out after hours," Crowley growled menacingly, leering between them all. "And venturing through the Forbidden Forest, no less. Do you have any idea what kind of creatures lurk in these woods? This is a Chimera. You're lucky I followed you, or you would have been a late night snack for a very vicious creature. I cannot believe that you first years thought it would be a good idea to explore the most dangerous part of the school grounds, alone at night with no protection. And you!" He spun around and jabbed a finger at Allister, who squeaked fearfully in response. "You escorted these students out here? You are a Hogwarts employee, Allister! I expected much more from you. You think that I can't see the little concealment charm you put on the children? I know they're not capable of that kind of magic yet. You could be banished from Hogwarts for this kind of behavior. Those sorts of charms don't work on me, in any case. My enchanted eye can see all things. Finite, Finite, Finite..."

Mr. Crowley waved his wand over all of their heads, lifting Allister's perception charm from them. He kicked the dead Chimera, just to make sure that it was finished off, then turned on his heel and glared down at the students. As shocked as Aileen had been to discover that Mr. Crowley was a vampire, she still hated the disappointment that was oozing off of him, hated that look of dissatisfaction that he gave them. It made her feel like the scum of the earth.

"A Chimera?!" Albus exclaimed, looking at the gigantic body. "How did you kill it?"

"I used to be an Auror. I know a thing or two," Mr. Crowley replied, gesturing with his wand. "Come now. Follow me. You're in a heap of trouble, all of you."

Professor Crowley began to lead the children out of the forest, and as they all walked in downheartened silence, Aileen and Allister swapped confounded glances. The way Crowley was talking, and the way that Albus and Maxwell were acting - exhausted and scared, but not at all confused - it seemed that neither Albus nor Maxwell had noticed that Crowley had two long vampiric fangs, that he hadn't killed the Chimera with magic, and that he had apparently been keeping a very dark and dangerous secret from everyone in Hogwarts. Aileen and Allister were the only two who knew his secret, and Aileen anxiously wondered what that would mean for them.

When they exited the forest and walked across the field, Professor Crowley brought them to a stop in the clock tower's courtyard.

"Would any of you like to explain to me why you were in the Forbidden Forest?" he demanded.

Aileen, Maxwell, and Albus all traded eyes.

Just when Aileen and Albus were about to reply with a fanciful lie, Maxwell spoke.

"They... took me into the woods... because... they thought I was going to... to..." he stammered, rubbing his tired eyes with his knuckles. "To... transform."

Professor Crowley stared silently at Maxwell.

Aileen and Albus tried to hide their befuddlement at hearing this.

"M... my friends took me into the woods, because... because..." Maxwell murmured. "Because I'm a... a... half breed. I... I got it from my dad."

"A half-breed..." Professor Crowley said, glimpsing up at the full moon, then back. "Do you know how uncommon a half-and-half condition is for a werewolf, son? Usually, a werewolf's child will either inherit the full condition, or none of it. Are you sure you're a half breed?"

Maxwell nodded sadly, and Aileen suspected that - judging by the look on his face - he wasn't simply making up a lie to cover for his friends. He was, at least partially, telling the truth. Was Maxwell's father really a werewolf? Did he really inherit part of the sickness from his father? Why didn't she know any of this about him, even after knowing him for years? Perhaps she should have asked more questions. Now that she thought about it, she'd never inquired about him, his personal life, or his family before at all...

"It's unusual for a half-breed to transform," Professor Crowley told Maxwell. "Why did you think that you would transform tonight? Are you ill? Under a lot of stress?"

"Y-yes, all of those things, yes," Maxwell replied with vigorous nodding, and Aileen was able to see the clear transition from truth-telling into lying.

"Very well," Professor Crowley sighed. "I will speak with our potions master about having a potion made for you, just in case you have any incidents. That way, if you transform, you will not lose yourself to the wolfmind. But... I must impress upon you all that you cannot be allowed to wander the castle at night, much less run off to the Forbidden Forest. I will be writing to your families tomorrow, and you will all serve a week of detention. Thirty points will be taken from each of your houses. Come on."

Professor Crowley took them all inside, escorted Maxwell back to Hufflepuff House, took Albus to Gryffindor Tower, and then headed for the gigantic statue which would take them to the headmaster's office. Aileen suddenly felt sick. Why did Crowley take Maxwell and Albus back to their houses, but not her? Why was he taking her to Arius's office? This didn't feel right at all...

Allister was still by her side, sprinting with several pitter-patters to keep up with her strides.

After they rode the magic stairs up to the headmaster's office, they found Arius lying on his back over his desk, allowing Zeus the dragon to drop Bertie Bots Every Flavored Beans into his mouth one by one. The dragon was standing on two legs on the headmaster's stomach, but when Arius realized that he had company, he sat bolt upright and sent the dragon tumbling onto the floor, as well as a handful of candy beans.

"You look terrible," Arius said to Crowley. "Is it your time of the month again? Ha!"

He snickered at his little joke, but Crowley frowned in a manner most serious.

"It is, as a matter of fact," Professor Crowley stated grimly, his eyes falling onto Aileen. "The moon stirs my blood on nights like this, makes me restless… and she…"

Professor Arius looked to Aileen as well. "Oh, Aileen, we've got to stop having late night visits from you. What have you done now?"

"She saw me," Professor Crowley informed. "In the forest, she... she saw me. Allister saw me, too."

The color started to drain from Professor Arius's face, making him look almost as pale as Crowley.

"She saw you?" Arius exhaled. "How did she see you if you were in the forest?"

"Because she was in the forest. Her friend has a rare half-and-half condition, a werewolf bisection he inherited from his father. Aileen took him into the woods, just to keep him away from the school in case he were to transform this full moon. That's when... she saw me," Professor Crowley explained.

Professor Arius' gaze rested on Aileen again, though now, he looked much more severe.

For a brief moment, Aileen considered telling them the truth, that she had gone into the forest to find whatever Erika was hiding out there, but she didn't say a word.

"You understand," Arius began, "that nobody else in the school is aware of Professor Crowley's condition, yes?"

Aileen nodded.

"And you understand why such information should be kept secret, yes? It's prudent that you keep this information to yourself," Arius said. "Vampires are not all dangerous and evil creatures. Some of them, like your friend, are just unfortunate enough to have obtained the condition like a sickness, and it's just something they have to deal with. Professor Crowley is a wonderful teacher, but if anyone were to learn about his sickness, well... they would take it the wrong way. Understand?"

"Yeah," Aileen agreed. "So... you knew about this? You knew about him being a..." She peeked up at Professor Crowley, but he wasn't looking at her.

"I did know. I've known him for a very long time," Professor Arius answered, flashing a smile at Crowley. "He was my best friend when we were students here. I've kept his secret for as long as I can remember, and I don't intend to change that. I want you to do show him the same kindness. Can you do that?"

Aileen nodded again.

Professor Crowley was staring rather intensely at one of the books on a nearby shelf, seeming not to pay the conversation any mind.

"Well, good then. Problem solved," Arius said. "Now, there's just the issue of you leaving your dormitory after hours again. I warned you about that once already."

"I've already given her her punishments," Professor Crowley told him without making eye contact. "She will receive detention, and I've taken points from her house."

"Very well, then. And don't forget, young lady. This is a very important secret, and it must be kept secret," Professor Arius said forwardly, narrowing his shiny eyes at her.

Aileen nodded a third time. She wasn't looking forward to detention, and she expected that her fellow Slytherins would be upset about the point loss, but this wasn't as bad as she had expected. It was certainly better than being eaten by a Chimera...

"And you," Professor Crowley grumped, rounding on Allister. "You are forbidden to ever, ever, ever mention my condition to anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-y-yes sir," Allister squawked.

At that, Professor Crowley grouchily nudged Aileen towards the exit. When they left the headmaster's office, Aileen was faintly able to hear Professor Arius singing a tune to himself as he laid on top of his desk again, patting on his stomach and motioning for Zeus to rejoin him. The tune sounded something like "You little wonder, little wonder you..."

Professor Crowley walked in silence as he led Aileen and Allister back to the Slytherin dungeon. To Aileen, this was very strange and different; usually, whenever she was in the company of Professor Crowley, she was in a good mood. Crowley would be teaching her how to use her favorite spells, and she'd be eagerly practicing them, sometimes utilizing them in the dueling club and getting praised for it. He was her favorite teacher in the whole school. Now, however, he wasn't talking to her, looking at her, or even acknowledging that she was there. When they reached the wall that led to Slytherin's common room, he didn't even wait to make sure she went inside. The moment that Aileen and Allister stopped in front of the wall, Professor Crowley had stormed down the hall and disappeared behind a corner, leaving them by their lonesome.

Aileen spoke the password and entered the common room with Allister, taking the guidance compass from her pocket and glaring at it.

In the forest, she had asked the compass to lead her to a secret.

Perhaps she should have been more specific.

The week of detention was far worse than Aileen had expected. She, Maxwell, and Albus were stuck in Hendon's room for three hours after the classes were over, writing lines until six in the evening, which was the exact time that the dueling club began. Every afternoon that week, the three of them would have to bolt across the castle just to arrive to the club meeting ten minutes late. In the classes and in the dueling club, Aileen and Professor Crowley didn't speak directly to each other if they could help it. Aileen wasn't talkative in his class anymore, and she didn't ask for help on her assignments the way she used to. Although Professor Binns was strangely absent from the History of Magic room during detention (Hendon was praying that he had finally crossed into the afterlife), Professor Hendon was not much different from Binns in any way, apart from the fact that he had a pulse. Hendon was a wrinkled old man with a drawling voice, a boring method of teaching, and a dreadful insistence to keep his lessons as painfully uninteresting as Binns' had been. When Aileen, Maxwell, and Albus finished their lines, Professor Hendon would give them an assignment for History of Magic for extra credit. But, in their opinion, no credit was worth the deadly boredom they were forced to endure.

"Are you... are you really a werewolf?" Aileen finally managed to ask Maxwell on the first weekend since their forest adventure.

Maxwell, who was more or less back to his old self, smiled, shrugged, and took a chicken leg from the large plate in front of him. This conversation took place during Saturday night dinner in the Great Hall.

"I'm a bisect," Maxwell told her. "That's what my dad told me. I'm not really a werewolf, but... I have some traits in common with a werewolf. I'm a half-and-half."

"Can you transform?" Albus asked interestedly.

"Sometimes," Maxwell replied. "I've only transformed once. It happened when I was five."

That was all the information about Maxwell's condition that they would get out of him, because Maxwell became far too interested in his dinner.

The next week, nothing exciting happened. Allister continued to wake Aileen whenever Erika would sneak out in the night, but Aileen had given up on following her for the time being. The last thing she needed was to be tempted to make another late night visit to the forest. The Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, interesting as they were, remained less exciting than they used to be, as Aileen wasn't able to look Professor Crowley in the face anymore. The same could be said about the dueling club. Many times, Aileen would consider telling Maxwell and Albus about Professor Crowley's secret, but each time, she decided against it. She was sure that they would keep the information to themselves, but she didn't want to break the promise she had made to Professor Arius. After learning that Professor Arius was a close friend of Crowley's, and that he had been keeping his vampiric nature a secret for many years, she had a newfound respect for the headmaster.

Although, despite her desperate attempts to shrug off her feelings of discomfort caused by Professor Crowley, Aileen found it difficult whenever he would give her a low grade on an assignment, or when he would correct her spelling or verbal incantations. Each instance reminded her of that look of disappointment he'd had strewn along his face that night in the forest, and she despised that memory. All of them could have been killed by a Chimera, and it would have been entirely her fault if they had. That disappointed visage of his reminded her of that fact more than anything else. The scolding letter that her father had written to her didn't help her to feel better, either. These feelings of guilt kept her from showing interest in Erika for weeks. It wasn't until the month of December when she decided that she would investigate Erika's secrets again the next chance that she got.

In the second week of December, Aileen got her opportunity.

On a Thursday afternoon after the last class of the day had ended, Aileen, Maxwell, and Albus were on their way to visit Hagrid and to play with Maxwell's pet bear, Julie. When they crossed their favorite courtyard, they found themselves walking under a flurry of snow, and someone was standing in the middle of the clearing, waiting for them. Aileen immediately recognized the big ears and the three-foot-tall stature.

It was Allister, standing shaking like a leaf with his feet buried in snow and hugging a rather large book in his arms.

"A-A-Allister has s-something for you, Miss!" the house elf squeaked. "It-it is a book, Miss, a book that might help your curiosities, Miss!"

"What are you doing out here? You must be freezing," Aileen said.

"Indeed, y-y-yes, Miss!" Allister nodded. "Allister w-waited for you out here, Miss. Allister noticed that you occupy this courtyard a lot, Miss!"

"What book is that?" Aileen asked as she, Maxwell, and Albus gave the elf a curious overlooking.

"It is a b-book that Miss Erika once used, Miss!" Allister told her. "She t-t-took this book from the restricted section all those weeks ago, Miss! And she only recently returned it, Miss! So Allister t-t-took the book when nobody was looking! Here you go!"

Allister held the big book up to her, and she took it. This book was extremely new and in wonderful condition, and the cover was decorated with colorful drawings of swords, wands, and other items that looked to be magical in nature. The curly lettering on it read; Mystical Magical Artifacts.

Aileen flipped the book open, and it fell onto page 465 instantly, revealing that a folded piece of parchment was wedged on this page to serve as a bookmark. Aileen removed the bookmark and read over the page thoroughly, first examining the picture (which seemed to be a photograph of a very long, beautiful sword), then reading the title aloud.

"The sword of Godric Gryffindor?"

Aileen faced the boys, and they both looked just as lost as she did.

Erika had used this book, and she'd left a bookmark on a page that was dedicated to the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Why was she interested in the sword of Gryffindor? What did this have to do with the boggart in the school, or her sneaking off at night, or her trip into the Forbidden Forest?

"Thanks, Allister," Aileen said. "Go into my dormitory and warm up, okay?"

"Thank you, Miss!"

Allister darted into the castle, and the trio went to Hagrid's hut. While Albus and Maxwell were talking, Aileen was skimming over the book.

Hagrid was behind his hut, teasing Julie - and a couple of other large creatures that none of them really recognized - with a slice of dragon meat. Maxwell wrestled with his pet for a while, and Albus carried on a conversation with Hagrid about his father's work. Aileen sat with her back against the hut and the book open on her lap, and she read the page in full.

Fashioned over a thousand years ago by the finest Goblin silversmith of the age, Ragnuk the First, the Sword of Gryffindor is made from pure silver, and is ingrained with rubies. This sword was created to Godric Gryffindor's own particular specifications, and it contains a variety of magical properties, many of them seen throughout history, some of them still undiscovered. Despite claims of ownership made upon the sword, this magical relic holds a sense of sentience, and will usually present itself to any worthy Gryffindor in need of its services. Being one of the most powerful Goblin-made artifacts in the world, the sword has the ability to take on anything that will make it stronger after coming into contact with it. It has been confirmed to take on the magical properties of anything it has slain, and it is rumored to have inherited part of its temperament from a slain werewolf in 1769. Like few other magical artifacts, the Sword of Godric Gryffindor is said to be one of the only magical weapons in the world capable of destroying or countering many of the darkest forms of magic. It is capable of repelling an unforgivable curse, resisting attempts to break it, and destroying items infected with dark magic. The ability to destroy items containing dark magic came about after it adopted the properties of basilisk venom...

The more Aileen read, the more confused she became. If Erika was in league with a dark wizard, then why would she show any interest in this sword? The Sword of Gryffindor sounded like the very opposite of what a dark wizard would desire. It seemed to be designed specifically to combat dark magic, certainly not to aid it in any way.

Without speaking to Hagrid, Maxwell, or Albus, Aileen wracked her brain about Godric's sword. After some time went by, they all headed off to the windowed chamber where the dueling club was held. Professor Crowley was also lost in a book, and most of the students in the dueling club had already arrived, though the duels hadn't started yet.

Aileen looked up from her book, and rather than meeting Scorpius with a competitive glare like she usually did in the beginning of the club meeting, her eyes went immediately to Erika, who stood near the elongated table where the duels took place, gazing upward at the ceiling of the chamber. She seemed to be staring up at the stray bat, which was hanging upside down near one of the huge windows. Aileen had seen the bat in that same spot many times by now, and she'd long given up on recapturing it. Her attention was on Erika, and the longer she glared at the back of her head, the more frustrated she became.

Erika was up to something. That much was obvious. But to Aileen, nothing that Erika was doing made any sense. Where could she have been going on the nights that she sneaked out of the dormitory? She couldn't have been going to the library every night. She would have been caught by now if that had been the case. Why was she reading about the Sword of Gryffindor? And why did she visit the Forbidden Forest at nighttime?

Now, Aileen was sick and tired of side-stepping Erika and investigating from the shadows. She wanted more than anything to get an answer out of the girl, rather than secretly playing detective only to drum up no leads and find no answers. Her quest to uncover Erika's suspicious activities hadn't given her any answers at all. It had only raised more questions.

Was she frustrated at being left in the dark, her attempts at discovering the truth all having failed so far? Or was it perhaps because Erika was, apart from Scorpius, the only first year who might have been stronger than her? Neither answer was particularly comforting, and every reason that Aileen had to be angry at Erika melded together, fusing into a whirlpool of envious fury, making her next move an entirely subconscious one.

Before Professor Crowley even bothered to start the official club meeting, Aileen climbed onto the table, her wand drawn, her eyes changing into a wicked crimson color as they burned into Erika. Many of the students peered up at her curiously. Erika gave her a look of intrigue.

"Come on," Aileen said to Erika. "Come up here. Let's practice."

Erika obliged.

The two girls took stances, not bothering to bow. Professor Crowley had only just looked up from his book when the duel started.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

They took turns deflecting disarming spells, and at once, the entire chamber went quiet, all of them watching the duel.

Aileen hadn't dueled Erika until now; Erika seemed to be a prodigy, someone who had learned a thing or two before even attending school, someone who's cunning and instincts would put even some of the best Slytherins to shame. But Aileen was done avoiding her. Now, she would give it everything she had.

"Ambustum!" Erika called out. Her wand sent an almost invisible streak of power across the room, and Aileen wasn't able to see it until it was too late.

The curse hit Aileen directly in the left forearm, and at once, she felt a terrible searing sensation eating at her skin. Her robe had been singed as if it had recently caught on fire, and her arm now harbored a rather severe-looking burn mark.

A couple of embers flickered out of the end of Aileen's Sycamore, and she glared heatedly at Erika.

"Where did you learn that one?" Aileen yelled. "A burning spell? That's not something a first year should know how to do. Who taught it to you? A dark wizard?"

Erika, visibly irritated by the question, shot off another spell.

"Confundo!"

"Protego!"

Aileen deflected the spell, shooting it off to the side and taking a chunk out of the wall. A few nearby students ducked for cover.

"Where did you learn how to duel? Who taught you that?" Aileen continued to pester. "Seems pretty weird for a kid like you to have combative training already."

"Shut up!" Erika hissed. "Obscuro!"

Erika's next spell made everything go black - or at least, that's what Aileen was able to perceive. A blindfold had materialized around her head, blocking her vision, and Erika seized her chance to catch Aileen off guard.

"Ambustum!"

Another agonizing pain erupted on Aileen's body, this time on her shin. Erika was about to cast the burning spell a third time when Aileen finally managed to yank the blindfold off.

"Ambus-"

"INCENDIO!"

Aileen blasted a wave of fire at Erika. Furious and impatient, Aileen saw no reason to withdraw the attack or to try to control the fire; the flames licked half of Erika's body, and she sprinted away several steps before she could be too seriously scorched.

"Why don't you tell everyone where you're going when you sneak out at night? Huh?!" Aileen screamed, tears forming in her eyes as her third degree burns felt to be eating through her body. "Why don't you tell everyone how you learned all those spells? Why don't you tell everyone why you're so interested in the Sword of Godric Gryffindor? Why don't you tell everyone WHY YOU'RE WORKING FOR XYLER!"

Everyone was listening with rapt attentiveness. Many mouths dropped open, gasps could be heard, and whispers broke out.

Professor Crowley had leaped to his feet, ready to stop the duel, but he took in everything Aileen said, looking troubled.

Erika, aware of everyone's lingering eyes and not at all happy about being confronted in front of all of them, attacked again.

"Immobul-"

"INCENDIO!"

Again, Aileen's wand exploded with fire. This time, the wave of flames engulfed Erika completely.

"ENOUGH! FINITE INCANTATEM!" Professor Crowley bellowed, making all of the fire disappear with the flick of his wand.

Erika's robes held small, charred burn marks, but she was relatively undamaged. It was Aileen who had suffered the real injuries. But, with everyone in the chamber gawking up at Erika as if she had just been announced the heir of Slytherin, Aileen figured that she had accomplished her goal well enough. Now, Aileen wouldn't be the only person who knew about Erika's misdoings.

The entire school would know before the day was over.