Hogwarts was perpetually busy for Haidee - being in her fifth year - and it seemed that she was constantly doing homework. The further into the term she advanced, the more on top of her work she thought she would become, however, she was proven quite wrong for it seemed the second she handed in one piece of work she would receive another to replace it. Advanced Potions was presenting to be difficult and she would constantly be reading her textbook, along with Arithmancy and Transfigeratiosn, which seemed to be the subjects she struggled with the most that year.
It was their last class of the day, which had been Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, a constantly exhausted and pale looking man with kind eyes and an even kinder personality. He spoke gently and with a smile, which seemed quite opposite to how he appeared. Most of the time he appeared to be worn and tired, with scars that scraped his face and clothes that were ripped, but nevertheless, she would always find him with a broken smile.
They had covered some defensive curses in that lesson, which Professor Lupin demonstrated very well before the students were asked to practice amongst themselves. It was an interesting class indeed, and she was eager to start the homework that Professor Lupin had requested from them as it seemed that the amount of work the fifth-years were getting was tremendous.
She kissed Fred goodbye as she packed in preparation to head towards the library, begging him not to follow her as she actually needed to get her work done.
"Fine, but I'll see you at dinner," Fred insisted, knowing that Haidee sometimes lost track of time when she studied and skipped meals on accident.
"Of course," she smiled, still packing her things as the rest of the class had left eagerly. Fred left as she continued to pack, leaving Professor Lupin and herself left in the classroom.
"Goodbye, Professor," said Haidee as she departed, feeling awkward and rude if she were to say nothing at all.
"Goodbye, Haidee. Well done today." She smiled to herself at his reply as she made her way to the library where she spent an hour going over her Defence Against the Dark Arts homework which had been twelve inches of parchment describing common defensive curses and what they are used for.
She had finished it quite quickly, earlier than she expected, which gave her hope that she would have a large amount of time to spend in the kitchen. It was not often, being in her fifth year, that she got more than two hours or so in the kitchen per day and she was awaiting a moment such as then where she found herself with some extra time.
With this, she thought she would travel down to the greenhouse to harvest some ingredients for a special antidote for the Weasley twins before dinner. It had seemed that she had somewhat fallen behind in the making of the antidotes, as she would rather spend her time in the kitchen making sweets for others to enjoy. However, she was eager to make a soothing antidote for burns caused by the fireworks Fred and George had brought to school that year.
She ventured her way outside and stood in the cool breeze. The forbidden forest didn't look so scary when the world was a shade of yellow and pink and the lake glistened from the shine of the sun. She wrapped her arms around herself and stepped forward, further into the breeze. The land was beautiful, she couldn't help but wish she was on the broom with Fred at that moment, holding onto him and admiring the view.
Abruptly, the breeze got rougher quickly, and with that, it got colder. She rushed a little further to make it inside the greenhouse before the weather turned worse, but as she moved, a cloaked black figure drifted menacingly towards her. It flew past her, the gush causing her to stumble backward. It circled her, slowly and stalkingly. A Dementor, chilling her to the bone, had cornered her.
The huge smile that covered her lips faded to a frown, a chill replaced the warmth in her body and her fingers and nose became numb. It towered over her, advancing at her paralysed state as she was too scared to move, scared to even breath.
It moved forward, the skeleton opened it's mouth and sucked out her happiness in long drawing breath. The sensation was crippling as it left her body a cold shell of existence. It caused her knees to buckle and she fell upon the ground, a freezing chill covering her body
She wasn't sure what was happening, she didn't know what to do. She heard someone call her name but it was almost a dream. She panted when she let go of the breath she was holding, finally starting to feel a bit of warmth cover her body. She sat on her knees, her watery eyes unable to make out who was standing in front of her. She blinked furiously as a force covered her body, but it was warm and she was addicted to it. She didn't know what it was but she embraced it, letting her head rest on the force.
It brought her to her feet and towered over her, holding her steady. Her eyes saw a blur of orange and the touch made her warm and happy.
"Fred," she whispered, barely able to speak. Her eyes adjusted to the light but her body barely had any strength.
"Yeah, I'm right here," he smiled, holding her close to him as he pulled her in for a hug.
"Take her to the hospital wing, she should be with Madam Pomfrey for a few hours. Here, take this," a man said, who Haidee had barley recognised as Professor Lupin, handed her some chocolate. She took it hesitantly as she felt herself being lifted from the ground. "Eat it, you'll feel better."
Fred carried her to the hospital wing where she was to rest. Fred made sure she ate the chocolate Professor Lupin had given her before he was ushered out of the wing by Madam Pomfrey, who insisted that she needed to rest and rest Haidee had. She hadn't realised that had fallen asleep until she woke the next day by the commentary of the ongoing Quidditch match. Rubbing her head and sitting up, she realised this meant she was missing the game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
She was eager to see what was going on, but a sceptical Madam Pomfrey was keeping an eye on her as she knew she was anxious to leave the hospital wing. However, there was no need to leave, for the next moment, Harry was hurried into the hospital wing and in the bed beside Haidee, his eyes closed and his skin pale, just as Haidee had been when she was sent into the hospital wing.
The Gryffindor team, as well as Ron and Hermione, followed suit after Harry had been treated and surrounding both Haidee's and Harry's bed as if joining Haidee into the conversation. "Is he all right?" Haidee asked, looking up at Fred who stood beside her bed.
"Well, I hope so," stated Fred. "He fell off his broomstick. Must've been - what - fifty feet?" Haidee gasped as she listened, looking over at Harry to inspect that he was okay.
"Those damn Dementors," George huffed. "Dumbledore was furious when he discovered what had happened to you, Haidee, and had ordered them to stay off the school grounds and only guard the entrances. Well, guess that didn't happen. They got to Harry just now."
Harry's eyes opened at the noise of the conversation. He had asked what happened and they had to explain to him how he fell, that Gryffindor had lost and that his Nimbus was smashed to smithereens as it collided with the Whomping Willow.
Haidee was allowed out that day, due to her fifth-year responsibilities, but Madam Pomfrey insisted that Harry stayed the entire weekend. It was Saturday night dinner and Fred had managed to convince Haidee to sit at the Gryffindor table with him and his fellow Gryffindors in which gave her the chance to ask him some questions that she had pondered over in the hospital wing.
"How did you find me?" she asked, as she sat beside Fred.
"Well, I was going to find you cause you hadn't shown up to dinner and I thought you had forgotten," Fred explained and Haidee smiled at the through, before looking back up at him.
"You know, that doesn't really answer my question. Surely, you would think to look in the library or the kitchen," replied Haidee.
He looked down for a moment, a smirk on his lips as he fiddled with a piece of parchment that was in his pockets. He held it out to her and she stared at it for a moment, for it looked like a simple piece of parchment. He watched her expression dull as she stared at the paper in his hands, only making his smile widen.
Little did she know that he carried a map that held the secret to his and George's success. She didn't know it was a map that told him where everyone in the castle was or that this parchment was the reason why Fred would always find her in the days she would hide from him, even with the help of the stairs, Fred always had a way to get to Haidee. It was the only reason she got to Haidee in time.
"What is it?" she asked, staring at it suspiciously. It must be something quite extravagant to have Fred smirking quite that large.
"A map," he smirked, pulling out his wand from his pocket. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
He tapped the parchment and watched as ink appeared on it. She didn't have time to read the cover of the parchment before he opened it, unfolding the neverending paper until he got to where he wanted. She watched as he fiddled with the paper that seemed to never end, ending at a room titled 'Great Hall' where many names were plastered, and sitting there, were their own names, at the Gryffindor table.
"This is us," he said, pointing to the footprints, making sure to hide the map from other's view as she observed it. "Watch my name," he instructed before he did a quick strut before sitting back beside her. She watched as his name moved where he moved, following him.
"This is amazing," she awed. "Where did you find it?" she asked.
"Knicked it from Filch's office, first year," he laughed, taking it back and hiding it in his pocket before another could see.
"Is this how you used to find me when I would hide?" she chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
"You can thank the map for that, as well as knowing all the secret passages in and out of the castle. That's how I took you to Hogsmeade," he continued. "That's also how I found you."
"Thank you," she whispered. "I never said thank you for saving me."
"It was my pleasure," he smiled softly, kissing her on the forehead before taking a happy bite of food and they continued to eat their meal, sharing conversations with each other and their friends.
It was nearing the Christmas holidays and Haidee had just finished some homework that had been set for her by Professor Lupin revolving defensive spells, one of which she had further questions about that she could not find in her textbook as it seemed to be more advanced than her year. However, the charm intrigued her - for personal reasons - and she dashed off to find Professor Lupin, in hope that he could shed some light for her.
She sought him through the halls as she ventured towards his office. She dashed to avoid Peeves, who was screaming and thrashing about in a connecting hallway and knocked on the Defence Against the Dark Art's door.
"Come in," a quiet voice called from behind the door. Slowly, Haidee pushed her way into the classroom (to which his office was attached) to see a light shining from the office. A pale and sickly looking Professor Lupin appeared from the back room, again, with a small smile and welcomed her inside.
"Haidee, what can I do for you?" he asked her. They had become more acquainted after he had saved Haidee from the Dementor. After she thanked him meekly in their next lesson, which she thought was merely subservient after what he had done for her, they started to bond further. Frequent hello's and goodbye's had become the usual and she would even stop and speak to him sometimes in the corridors if they were to pass.
She respected him very much. His knowledge, his wit, his clever and suggestive jokes. She liked that he was some sort of an outcast, in a sort of subtle way - different from the other teachers she had had - just as she was. In a similar way, he resected her. Although timid to the point of awkwardness, she was bright and clever - at least in his class - and he respected her quirky qualities.
Their relationship grew to a sort of mutual bond she had never formed with another adult before. That was why she was perfectly content with going to ask him a couple of questions.
"Well, I have come to ask you a few questions, if that's all right, Professor?" she asked as she neared him. He smiled and nodded, gesturing for her to take a seat before his desk as he sat behind it.
"Of course," he replied looking at Haidee, who look at the seat questionably, not thinking she would be there long enough for a sit-down conversation, but sat anyway.
"I've finished the homework you set, Professor, and I came across something we have not covered in class," she began, not really sure where she was leading, but she spoke just to break the silence. "The Patronus Charm," she said suddenly as if unable to hold the words back any longer. A smile lingered on Lupin's face.
"I can see why you, of all people, would be interested in that particular charm," said Lupin. "I'm assuming you know what it does?"
"Well," she began, "that's actually why I came. I read that it could protect one from Dementors but . . . "
"You don't know how."
"No, I don't," she admitted. "I assume it was whatever you did that day I was attacked?" she asked.
"You would be correct," he smiled. Haidee nodded slowly. He was about to continue when there was a rap at the door. "Come in."
Professor Snape, her Potions teacher, had snuck his head around the door to see who he had been interrupting and when he saw it was Haidee, a strung smile slithered onto his lips as he pushed himself into Professor Lupin's office.
Haidee's eyes immediately went to the cauldron that was in Snape's hands, which had a faint blue smoke coming from it. Snape's eyes did not move from Haidee as he entered as if expecting a certain reaction. He, unlike Professor Lupin, knew that she was extremely advanced in potion making and differentiating for her age; she knew very well what the potion in his hands was just by the mere sight of it and Snape knew that she knew.
Haidee's breath quickly sucked in and she turned immediately from Snape, who had only widened his smile. "It should be taken directly," said Snape, as if adding an extra clue to the puzzle Haidee had already pieced together. Without another word, he left, leaving Professor Lupin and Haidee once again alone. He moved from his desk to pour a glass of the potion and then moved back to sit before her, awaiting her next question as he drank.
She watched him, looking for any sort of disgusted reaction as he drank and to only further confirm her suspicion, he shuddered as he swallowed. Haidee, lost for words, looked down in fear, her urges arguing with her. Her body, that had stiffened in terror, urged her to retreat but her logic told her otherwise.
"This Patronus charm is a protection charm. It is not only useful against Dementors but also Lethifolds, which are level 5 Ministry of Magic Classification." Haidee nodded as he spoke, looking up just once to see him continuing to drink. She had many more questions, but she had a jarring feeling that pushed her to flee, so with quick departing words, she bid her farewell to Professor Lupin and dashed off to her dormitory.
Haidee was walking down an empty corridor by herself, her books stuffed in her hands, her mind rapidly going over the events she had just encountered.
Professor Lupin was a werewolf.
Professor Lupin was a werewolf.
A level 5 Ministery of Magic Classification dangerous creature was her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and just happened to be the teacher she bonded with.
An internal struggle infested in her. She questioned her trust and faith in him, causing her to bite her nails as she wandered, down to the skin, where blood began to drip from her fingertips. She knew he was harmless and she would never judge him for something he could not control, but fear, although somewhat illogical, still writhed within her.
Her mind was consumed with horrible thoughts when she heard voices come from a closed room. Instinctively, she ignored it and kept walking, but as she grew closer, she realised the voices were familiar to her.
"No, no, you're right. Harry needs it more than we do," Fred's familiar voice whispered from inside the room. Haidee peered through the door, unaware that it would creak at her touch. The twin's voices grew silent and suddenly the door flew open and Haidee stumbled backwards.
A large hand gripped her wrist and kept her straight, stopping her soft body from falling.
"Were you eavesdropping?" Fred smirked, pulling her towards him. She crumbled into his chest.
"What were you talking about?" she asked innocently, looking up at him from behind her fringe. With his hand in hers, he smirked and spun her away from his chest and she laughed as she stopped spinning.
"We're giving the Marauders Map to Harry so that he can go to Hogsmeade. We've memorised all the secret passageways in Hogwarts anyway," George said as he flicked the blank parchment. "This one here was scared that you'd get lost again."
Haidee looked to Fred, his eyes laced with worry as the deal to give Harry the map became confirmed. He smiled softly and wrapped his arm around her shoulder before walking off with her.
"I'll just have to keep a closer eye on you now."