Awakening of the Blood Moon

Chapter 10

Transition

Professor Dumbledore looked back at Reenie. "Slytherin?"

"Yes, sir," said Reenie.

"What brought you to that decision?" Dumbledore questioned.

Reenie shrugged. "The Slytherins are like me and I feel more comfortable there than the other houses."

"I thought you were close to deciding with Gryffindor," said Dumbledore.

"So was I," Reenie said. "But, I've changed my mind."

"I see," Dumbledore said. "Well, I've spoken to each Head of House, and I think you should have an interview with the one you choose."

Reenie's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. An interview with Professor Snape? What a nightmare!

"An interview?" Reenie asked.

"Yes, after you speak with Professor Snape, he will help you with your needs," Professor Dumbledore explained.

Reenie extremely doubted it, but she did not voice it with Professor Dumbledore. "All right. Defense Against the Dark Arts has just started. Might as well meet with Professor Snape now."

"Very well," said Professor Dumbledore, taking a quill and scribbling a note on a piece of parchment. He leaned forward his desk, arm outstretched and Reenie stood up to take it. "Give this to Professor Snape."

"All right," said Reenie, "thank you Professor."

Reenie turned from his desk and Dumbledore spoke again. "Oh, I think your wardrobe is in need of a change."

Thinking that Dumbledore implied that her clothes smelled, Reenie clutched her collar and glared at the Headmaster. "Excuse me?"

Dumbledore smiled, her retort not bothering him in the slightest. "If you have decided to be in Slytherin, then you must look like you belong to it." He nodded at her clothes and Reenie blushed, feeling foolish.

"Oh, right," said Reenie, "I'll stop at the laundry and--,"

Dumbledore waved his wand, changing her tie, sweater collar and cuffs from gold and red to silver and green. The Gryffindor insignia was now the colors and mascot of Slytherin house.

"Thanks," Reenie murmured and she stepped out of Dumbledore's office.

Reenie made the long walk to Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She paused and sighed before putting her hand on the doorknob. She entered the classroom, interrupting Snape's lecture.

"You're late, Shields," said Professor Snape.

"I was talking to Professor Dumbledore," said Serena. She crossed the room and gave Snape Dumbledore's note. Snape unrolled it and read it.

Severus,

Serena Shields has decided to remain in Slytherin. I have asked her to meet with you. She plans to have her interview with you after class.

Albus

"Understood," said Snape. "Take your seat then."

Reenie turned around and went to her seat. She ignored the comments while Snape continued his lecture. Immieately after class, Harry moved to talk to her.

"I can't talk right now, Harry," she said. "I have to speak to Professor Snape."

"What?" said Harry.

"Move along, Potter," said Snape. "Shields, my office."

"Yes, sir," said Reenie, following Snape to his office.

Though Snape's office was of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, it did not look like he taught that subject. There were dark objects everywhere, along with portraits of people being tortured and the remainder of their bodies after receiving the dementor's kiss. Was this really the office of the Defense Against Dark Arts professor, or the office of "In Favor of the Dark Arts" professor? It was hard to tell.

"What made you decide to join my house?" he inquired.

"I didn't like the others," she answered indifferently.

"I see," said Professor Snape. "Now, by witnessing your recent boggart, one can tell that you have experience with the dark arts."

Reenie snorted and grinned cheekily. "Experience? Yeah, I guess I can say the same about you, Professor." She waved her arm around his office. "Do all Defense Against the Dark Arts professors decorate their classrooms and offices like this, or just you?"

Snape's dark eyes narrowed.

"I don't know nor do I care how or why you are here, or if you were some kind of royalty where you came from, Miss Shields," he said.

Reenie's eyes widened at the use of the word royalty. For a split second, she thought he knew who she really was and then she relaxed somewhat when she realized he was only being sarcastic.

"But here you are nothing more than a poor excuse for a student," Snape went on. "Shielded by the mercy of our headmaster. Now you better start acknowledging that and respect your betters. now, I want to help you with whatever measly trouble it is you are in; since you are a student of my House now, the Headmaster has put you under my care and you have become officially my responsibility, but if I have to tolerate anymore of your insufferable attitude, I'll personally make sure your time at Hogwarts is made most unpleasant..."

Reenie was quiet for a moment. She didn't know whether to snap at Snape or cry. She remembered from history books that Severus Snape played an important role in the downfall of The Dark Lord. It was so important and risky, that it cost him his life in the end. Reenie began to feel ashamed.

"I understand," Reenie said softly. "Professor, could you please answer one question?"

"What is that?" said Snape.

"Is it worth it?" she asked.

"I am growing tired of your silly games, Miss Shields," Snape barked. "What exactly are you asking whether it is worth it, and worthy of what?"
Reenie sighed. "Is it worth it, to give so much of yourself, to sacrifice so much of your daily life...just for other people's safety?
Snape was silent for a while before he spoke again. "And what would an ignorant child like you know anything about that? What is it you're hiding, Miss Shields?"

Reenie smiled and shook her head. "Ignorant...yeah, I guess that's right. You're right about me hiding something too. I've got a lot of secrets."

Reenie sighed and leaned back in her chair, running her hands through her hair. She was at a loss to begin. She didn't really want to tell anyone the truth about herself but she had to tell someone. Professor Snape was now her head of house and the defense against the dark arts professor.

"Professor, I know I may appear sixteen but that is not my real age," Reenie said. "I am actually sixteen hundred years. I come from the future, where my people have longer life spans. Of course...we're not immortal. We can still die, and many, many of my people, friends, family—were killed in a war that lasted for a hundred years. Assaiah and myself are among the few remaining survivors. The the others that stayed behind, may die at any moment. I have no way of contacting them."

"How did you get here?" Snape questioned.

"One of my friends," Reenie said, her voice about to break, "controls time and space. Something like a living timeturner. She sent Assaiah and I here so we can be safe."

"Did you know she would send you to Hogwarts? In this year?"

Reenie shook her head. "We traveled through time and space and we landed in the forest. I'm not sure why she picked this particular time, but I do know about it. I've read about Hogwarts and wizards in history books."

Reenie felt like something poked her brain. Snape narrowed his eyes. "Would this have something to do with one of your boggarts? The black cloak?"

Reenie nodded. "Wiseman...he messed with my mind and turned me against my friends when I was a young child. My parents were able to bring me back and we defeated him. But, the monster he turned me into, well, escaped a little when I was fighting. Now, I hear her in my head sometimes. She tries to make me do things...bad things...and I kind of like it."

"Do you expect me to believe that outrageous idea you're concocting?" Snape demanded.

"I don't expect anything," Reenie said through clenched teeth and narrowed eyes. "It isn't your fight and in any case, it doesn't make any difference to you, does it?"

"It does if you are orchestrating this pathetic charade in order to deceive the headmaster and carry out a task for the Dark Lord. He keeps watch of you. Fooling a powerful and intelligent wizard like Albus Dumbledore isn't as easy as an inane child like you would have thought."

"Deceiving Professor Dumbledore?" Reenie exclaimed, shocked. "If I was trying to do that, then why on Earth would I have given my memories to put in his pensieve?"

Snape looked her dead in the eye. "Dumbledore is fully aware memories can be fabricated as you should know."

"I see nothing I can say can convince you. I don't even know why I told you. Maybe I'm losing my mind."

He stared at her for a while and she groaned. "Can I go now or are you going to keep me from Transfiguration?"

"Yes, Shields," he scowled. "As much as it pains me not to give you detention for that disrespectful way of addressing a teacher, I feel anymore time with you would be trying my patience. Therefore, you're allowed to go."

Reenie left Snape's office in a huff, slamming the door behind her. "Feeling's mutual," she muttered under her breath, crossing the classroom and out into the hall.

The curtain covering the window next to Snape's office moved, a pale face with silver blond hair emerging from it. "The future?"

"Was that informative to your liking, Malfoy?" drawled the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "How long have you been there?"

Draco Malfoy stepped out from his hiding place, looking at the doorway Reenie exited seconds earlier. "Long enough to figure out that Shields is more deranged than Aunt Bellatrix, and that's saying something. Do you think she's lying?"

Snape looked at his pupil with an annoyed expression. "More important than the truthfulness or the lack thereof in Miss Shields oh-so-fascinating tale, is your explanation of why you were lingering at my office without permission, Malfoy. If you're going to test my leniency with such a stunt, you should start telling me what that task is of yours is about."

Draco sneered at his head of house. "And you would do better to finally stay the hell out of it. I told you I would handle it."

Snape tilted his head. "Is that why you here? Has Miss Shields recently become apart of it?"

"No," said Draco haughtily as he made his way to leave. "Pansy and some others have written their parents and we have yet to hear anything. I just wanted to find out more of this girl and now that I have, I'll just be off."

Draco left, leaving Snape to fume on his own.

Luckily Transfiguration was on the same floor as Defense Against the Dark Arts, enabling Reenie to be to class in the nick of time. Draco however, was not. Professor McGonagall was not happy with either of them, and took ten points from Slytherin—each.

"Professor, I was here on time," Reenie said through gritted teeth.

"You made into the door," said Professor McGonagall not bothering to look at her, "but not your seat."

Reenie's hands curled into fists. 'That's stupid,' she screamed in her mind, wanting so bad to voice them directly with Professor McGonagall. 'You only deducted points from me because I'm in your opposing house, you pathetic woman! What's wrong, are you upset because I chose Slytherin over yours?'

Reenie almost laughed out loud, trying to envision what her interview with Professor McGonagall instead of Snape. She honestly couldn't tell if it would've been worse, or better. Reenie took out transfiguration notebook, pretending to record Professor McGonagall's words when she was actually drawing the happy times of Crystal Tokyo. She was afraid it would never be that way again.

Harry, who sat next to her, noticed her drawing. He recognized some of the pictures from the memory he saw on accident. He took his eyes away from Reenie's notebook and tried to pay attention to the lecture. Following the transfiguration, Reenie had half a mind to linger after the other students to have words with McGonagall. She enough people gawking at her already. She didn't need it from Professor McGonagall too.

She went dinner , though she did not quite feel like it. She did not have much of an appetite but she didn't want to leave to the common room just yet. When she The Slytherins were surprised by her decision, and did not quite like it. They refused to give her a seat.

"Hey you know that only purebloods belong in Slytherin, don't you?" questioned Daphne Greengrass.

"Oh please," Reenie said, rolling her eyes. "Not this again."

The Slytherins always ragged on Reenie about her blood status. They did not believe she was a pureblood because of her last name and suspected her to be a blood traitor from America. It was common knowledge (at least to prejudiced pureblood families) that American wizarding families were all blood traitors.

"So Professor Snape want to talk to you about?" Pansy questioned. "Did he tell you to leave?"

"No," said Reenie, trying her best not to lose her cool "And don't you know that our head of house isn't a pureblood? He's actually a half blood."

"That's a lie!" exclaimed Millicent Bulstrode.

"Actually it is true," said Draco. "And you're a halfblood too, Bulstrode."

Millicent Bulstrode glared at Draco for making her blood status public to the Slytherin table.

"Well, even if that is true," said Roger Yaxley, a seventh year boy who's pure blood lineage went back several generations, "Professor Snape is a great potion master and everything. He's earned his place in Slytherin, but not you, Shields. But it's not too late for you to change your mind to Hufflepuff. You can be with your mudblood sister—plenty of mudbloods there."

"She's not my sister!" Reenie hissed, her fists tightening. "And who do you think you are, telling me which house I can or can't be in?"

"Someone who's blood is purer than yours, of course," Roger snarled..

Reenie stepped forward, sneerring. She was about to lose it. She heard Wicked Lady's voice in her head. It looks like we need to teach this boy a lesson, don't we, Reenie?

Reenie's hand twitched, reaching for a knife but before Reenie could do anything, Draco stood up, preventing Reenie from attacking Pansy or anyone else stupid enough to get in her way.

"Her heritage is still not clear, but she clearly does have some abilities to make one wonder, doesn't she?" Draco said with a meaningful tone, "Keep angering her like that and she might delight us with another demonstration".

Reenie lowered her hands, unable to understand what Draco was saying. He had once been giving her a hard time about her blood status. She had handled it different then. Reenie remembered the demonstration that she had given Draco when he had pushed her too far. Wicked Lady's hold on her was very strong, and she made her to do something crazy. It was on her third day in Slytherin and Reenie was minding her own business in the Common Room when Draco came to give her a hard time.

FLASHBACK

"I've looked up your name, Shields," Draco drawled to her, a book of wizarding names in his hand. "And there is no wizarding family in this name. Now you're either a half-blood or a mudblood. Unless," he snickered, "if you are a pureblood, then your family is a bunch of blood traitors. Maybe you're from America...and that country's full of blood traitors.I wonder just how pure your blood is."

This boy is really trying my patience, Reenie, said Wicked Lady's voice inside Reenie's head. If he wants to know about our blood, then let's show him! I want to see if his face can get any paler!

Reenie looked at Draco with a mixture of a sneer and a mad smile. She couldn't really argue with Wicked Lady's words. An idea came to her. It was crazy, but Reenie didn't care. Reenie had to make Draco Malfoy shut up.

Reenie started to roll up her sleeve. "You wonder how pure my blood is, huh? Well, let's just find out, shall we?" Reenie grabbed her wand, pointed it at her arm and exclaimed "Diffindo!"

A long gash appeared on Reenie's arm. Anyone else would be yelling in pain, but Reenie just continued to grin. She looked down at her arm as if she was looking at a lost artifact. "Hmm, it's red. I don't know what that means, Draco. You're a pureblood, right? Maybe you can tell me how pure my blood is!" She shoved her bleeding arm at Draco.

Draco stepped back, horrified and sickened. "Shields, are you out of your mind?"

"But you're the expert on wizard lineage, aren't you?" Reenie demanded. "I want to know. Is it pure or not? You see any mud in there? Am a mudblood like half of the students here? Should we cut everyone and compare?"

"No," said Draco. "You're crazy!"

"I know...how about I cut you instead!" Reenie said, her eyes wild. "Then we'll know for sure!"

"No, forget it!" Draco exclaimed, pushing her arm away. "All right, I'm sorry! Now would you do something to your arm? You're bleeding all over the carpet!"

"What was that?" Reenie asked. "Did you just apologize?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry!" Draco yelled, much louder. "I'm sorry, Shields! I won't bother you again about how pure your blood is or isn't, just fix your arm, for Merlin's sake!"

Reenie smiled, but it wasn't the wild and crazy smile as before. It was actually a sad smile. "You see Draco, it doesn't matter if we're all halfbloods, mudbloods or purebloods. We all bleed red when we get cut."

Draco nodded, though he didn't quite understand what she said. He was still staring at her arm. "Shields...your arm!"

Reenie pointed at her arm and muttered, "Purgo."

The cut stopped bleeding. Reenie cleaned the excess blood off her arm and the carpet. She rolled down her sleeve, still looking at him with the sad expression on her face.

"I hope you have learned your lesson," she said. "Don't be so concerned about a person's wizarding heritage, but their skills and character."

FLASHBACK

Reenie blinked away the memory. What she had done was indeed crazy, but did it actually work? Did it teach him a lesson? It seemed like it. He didn't bother her about her heritage again, but it didn't stop him from being rude to her before she left. Now it seemed that Draco was defending her heritage.

The Slytherisn looked at Draco for a moment in silence surprised at what he had just said. They glanced at Reenie and remembered the "demonstrations" of her abilities: throwing Draco across the wall, picking two girls up by the throat and flipping gracefully in the air before twisting Pansy's arm.

Blaise smirked and leaned toward "Wow Draco, you almost had me fooled," he said. "Thought you were backing her up there for a second".

Draco, who was looking at Reenie with an infuriating smirk, didn't turn his gaze away while addressing Blaise. "Of course not, Zabini. I was just watching out for the wellbeing of a fellow housemate"

His statement appeased most of the other Slytherin students with the only exception of Pansy, who was left frowning, and Reenie, who wondered whether the 'housemate's wellbeing' Draco was speaking of was that of the boy who had taunted her, as almost everyone else seemed to think, or if it'd been her own, and if he hadn't actually meant to defend her in that underhanded manner..

"Well, Shields," said Draco, "are you going to eat or not?"

Reenie frowned and she sat down to eat. Draco and none of the other Slytherins talked to her. Reenie was glad for that. She didn't want to have any more of their pathetic attitude. It bothered her, slightly, why Draco 'stopped' the argument. Did he expect something in return? Her friendship? She doubted it. She ate slowly because she wanted to wait for Draco to finish. She had to talk to him, though she hated doing it. Reenie didn't want Draco to think she was staring, so she kept her eyes on her plate. When she heard the tinkling of a fork and knife being laid down on the plate next to her, she looked at Draco.

"Draco are you finished?" she asked him softly.

"Yes," he said, folding his napkin.

"I want to talk to you," she said.

"Do you?" asked Draco, twisting to look at her. He had a sort of sly smile on his face. "I've got some things I'd like to talk to you about too, Shields.

"You do?" Reenie whispered, surprised.

" Come with me." He stood up, followed by Reenie.

"Draco, where are you going?" Pansy Parkinson demanded, she glared at Reenie. "With her?"

"We're just going to have a chat," said Draco. "Nothing to worry about."

Reenie followed Draco to the first empty classroom. Draco shut the door and put a silencing charm on it, so that no one would hear them. Draco pocketed his wand and turned to Reenie, smiling.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I know you weren't really backing me up at dinner," said Reenie. "So what was all that about?"

"I just think that nobody wants to see blood all over the table while they're eating," said Draco with a shrug. "Now it's my turn—I heard the interesting tale you told our Head of House."

"How do you know about that?" she demanded. "Snape told you, didn't he?"

"I was curious," said Draco, avoiding the question. "But trust me, if I knew that your story would be so farfetched as being a sixteen hundred year old bird in a sixteen year old body, then I would've stayed out of it."

Reenie bit her lip and tightened her fists. She was so furious she couldn't come up with anything to say.

"So that was the best you could come up with?" Draco asked. "Though I would think some gryffindorks would buy it, why do you feel you have to tell Professor Snape the same convoluted lunacy?"

You shouldn't have told Snape about our secret, Reenie, hissed Wicked Lady in her mind. Now he's bound to tell every body! We will have destroy Snape and everyone he's told...starting with Malfoy!

Draco laughed, turning to leave. When he touched the doorknob, it burned him and he yelped in pain.

"Augh! What the hell?"

"You are not leaving," Reenie hissed in Wicked Lady's voice. "I can't allow you to spread my secret to everyone."

"Are you doing this, Shields?" Draco asked, turning back to her. "Stop it!"

Reenie's crimson eyes flashed. Her hair soared up and the walls and floors began cracking. Draco stared in shock, backing up against the wall. Words—magical or otherwise—failed him.

Things began to swirl around in the room. The large window behind Reenie broke into a million pieces. Draco stood frozen in bewilderment and fear. He realized that Reenie's story wasn't just a story after all. It was true.

He opened his mouth to tell her so when Reenie's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell to the floor. The items that were flying around also fell down. The smashed window, cracked floors and door was what remained of Reenie's "enchantment." Draco stared at her for a second and then bent down to her.

"Sheilds, wake up," he said. He pushed her with his hand. When that didn't work, he pulled out his wand and said, "Ennervate."

The charm didn't work and Draco remained sitting there feeling helpless. Then he thought of one other way to get Reenie to wake up . Draco shoved his wand back into his pocket, and bent down to scoop up Reenie. --

Reenie woke up on a soft couch with a strong smell entering her nose. She saw the blurred face of Draco Malfoy.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he said.

"What happened?" Reenie said.

"You made a mess out of classroom thirteen," he answered. "Then you passed out."

"Oh, what is that smell?" she said, her nose crinkling.

"Candles," said Draco. "I needed something to get you to wake up."

Reenie moaned and sat up, grabbing her head. "Where am I?"

"The Room of Requirement," Draco answered. "It's a secret room on the seventh floor.

"You carried me up to the seventh floor?" Reenie asked, surprised.

"Yeah," he said. "Well, when you weren't waking up downstairs, I decided to take you to the Room of Requirement. You see, it can change into any room you need. Just walk by the wall outside three times, thinking of what you need and the door appears. I thought of a place where you could wake up. Listen, about the whole time-traveling thing, as bizarre as it seems, I believe it now."

"T-thanks," said Reenie, "but I guess now you're going to run off and tell Snape about this, huh?"

Draco shook his head. He didnt' want anyone to know about this, because he most likely would get in trouble for angering Reenie.

"No, I won't say anything if you don't say anything, Shields," Draco replied. "It'll be our little secret...well, yours, mind and Professor Snape."

"Deal," said Reenie, holding out her hand.

Draco gave her hand a quick shake and stood up. "Well, maybe you should go to the dormitory and sleep whatever happened downstairs off."

"Can I just, stay here for a little while longer?" Reenie asked. "Alone?"

Draco paused. Now that he was here, he had hoped to use the Room of Requirement to work on his task for Voldemort. He had to get the vanishing cabinet fixed as soon as possible. Draco groaned, looking in the corner where he worked on it at each spare moment he had. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"All right, I should go try to fix the damage to classroom thirteen anyway," said Draco. "I'll see you later."

Draco stepped out of the room of the requirement. Reenie rubbed her head and blew the strong aroma candles out with an exasperated puff of air. She had come so close to blowing her cover, again. She could've taken out the whole floor, let alone the classroom she and Draco had been standing in.

"I've got get this under control," she said. "Can't let it over take me." Reenie sat back, memories of Crystal Tokyo flooding in. She thought of Helios, and what he might say to her in this situation. Her eyes fell on her engagement ring and she pulled it off.

"No, I don't want to remember," she said, trying to will the memories away by shaking her head.

She reached into her pocket, leaving the ring inside. She withdrew the small vial of forgetfulness potion.

"I want to forget the war," she said, "Crystal Tokyo, even Helios."

Reenie took a long swig of the potion, corked it and set it back into her pocket. Within seconds, she felt the same blissful feeling of nothing. No memory of Crystal Tokyo, Helios, the war—she was just Serena Shields, the new girl at Hogwarts.

TO BE CONTINUED