When I was sure the crowd wasn't paying attention to me, I leapt out the window and transformed. I didn't necessarily need to turn into a swarm of bats, I could turn into a singular bat, although I was significantly more vulnerable in this form.
I started by watching the courtyard. The students all looked inconspicuous enough. Well, as inconspicuous as any Hogwarts student could. I spotted a couple scarfing down some of Weasley's puking pastels to get out of class, which may have been against the rules but wasn't inherently wrong.
I spotted Malfoy breaking off from his little friend group, which was strange. While Malfoy wasn't a particularly social animal, he did like the attention, and he did like how intimidating Crabbe and Goyle were.
I decided to follow him for some, and he walked and walked through the halls, right up until The Room Of Requirement opened for him. I slipped in behind him, while he tossed his little apple in his hand.
Draco moved through the clutter, and I found it odd that the room turned into a storage space of sorts for him. There was a black cabinet in the center he began fiddling with, putting his apple inside.
It was strange behaviour but I certainly didn't think it was particularly menacing. No, this wasn't what I was looking for. As much of a little git as Draco was, his fascination with old boxes wasn't quite the devious plot to kidnap me I was looking for.
I slipped out behind him, and flew through the castle some.
Making my way towards the ground floor, I saw Colin holding on for dear life, seemingly being held in place by a suspension charm. I circled around, and there I found Crabbe and Goyle.
The two of them were levitating Colin partway through an open window. Without Draco to reel them in, the two had nothing to do but get up to trouble. I sighed, feeling slightly annoyed to be distracted from the task at hand but it seemed like Colin needed my help once more, and I had promised him.
I rematerialized into myself and stood, watching the two, then announced my presence with a good natured ahem.
The two of them paid me no attention.
Increasingly annoyed, I used the Periculum charm and sent red sparks flying right into Crabbe's unguarded behind, and he got such a fright it broke his hold on the spell and Colin fell, luckily still holding onto the windowsill.
Crabbe and Goyle turned to me, decidedly unhappy, but I shook my head and gave them a glare. For good measure, I let my eyes turn red and snarled, showing my fangs.
The two of them took a moment to measure if a fight would be worth it, but then pushed past me with a "Whatever." and I went to pull Colin up.
"You must really get under their skin for them to target you like this." I said once he was on solid ground again. I sighed, letting my annoyance fade, and I put on a reassuring smile for Colin.
"I really don't go looking for fights! Personally I'm more of the sit-in-the-corner type."
"Oh, I believe you. Perhaps they're particularly annoyed with how little you're involved with anyone else's business. Look, I'd hate to see you get into more trouble. Let me walk you back to the Hufflepuff dorms. Wasn't really finding what I was looking for anyway." I smiled.
"Oh, thanks. And, uh, thanks for, you know, scaring those two off."
"You're welcome, Colin." I smiled.
Walking the halls to the Hufflepuff dorms was pleasant. Colin might be a tad meek but he's still good company. It felt strange, like… Well, like I'd finally made another friend.
For a second I thought the year might proceed peacefully from here on out.
Then two students stepped out in front of me, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff. They had their wands out, and I could see the malice in their eyes. I didn't recognize them, there were too many students to no everyone's names and faces but what struck me as odd was the manner in which they held their wands.
Like experienced duelists.
"Avada Kedavra!" The Ravenclaw yelled and pointed at Colin, and I produced a protego charm in the nick of time.
I knew something was wrong then and there.
"No witnesses." The Hufflepuff hissed, and they tried to overwhelm me with spells. I began deflecting them, but I knew this couldn't go on.
"Get to your feet, Colin! We'll have to fight them together!" I barked, swatting off spells as fast as I could.
"I've never duelled anyone!"
"You'll have to learn fast!" I yelled.
Colin scrambled to his feet and fumbled with his wand. I felt annoyance flicker up at his clumsiness but then focused my attention to the fight again.
"Expelliarmus!" Colin yelled, his spell missing my own head slightly, but going in the right direction. I glared at him quickly before returning my focus to the fight, and they dodged the spell. However, I was no longer on the back foot and fired off a spell of my own.
"Stupefy!" I yelled, and the Ravenclaw swatted it away. The Hufflepuff transformed into a snake, and went out the archway beside us. Colin turned, and saw the snake, and put his back against mine.
"What now?!" He yelled.
"Keep your guard up, and follow my lead!" I yelled.
I started trading spells back and forth with the Ravenclaw, and Colin tried to stun the Hufflepuff snake to no avail. I listened closely for the snake, and then as soon as it was close enough, I dematerialized into bats, encircling Colin, then whisking him above the snake. The Ravenclaw fired off spells at us, missing me and Colin in the confusion and through my flying.
The snake was confused, and at the apex I rematerialized into myself mid-air.
"Levicorpus!" I yelled, lifting the snake into the air in front of me.
The Ravenclaw stunned the snake, turning it back into the Hufflepuff. Colin landed on his bum, but scrambled to his feet as soon as he could.
Then it was two against one. The Ravenclaw, recognizing the odds, grew somewhat nervous.
"Incarcerous!" The Ravenclaw yelled, and I turned into a bat beneath the spell, flying low. Colin, who hadn't expected it, was hit full blast, and subsequently tied up.
I dematerialized into a swarm and surrounded the Ravenclaw, who didn't know where to aim.
I aimed a bat for the wand and it connected, sending it flying, and then I materialized in front of the Ravenclaw, my wand pointing at their throat.
"Who are you and why are you attacking me?!" I began interrogating. The Ravenclaw said nothing.
"The Dark Lord wants you. There's a war brewing, and you're a valuable asset." The Ravenclaw said.
"He sure is a brave man, sending students to do his dirty work."
"Oh, we're not students." The Ravenclaw said, smiling, then swung a silver dagger, catching me full in the hand. I screamed, and my flesh and innards began burning and I dropped my wand in the process.
She came at me again, swinging wildly, and I jumped back and out of the way. But now I knew that I didn't need to hold back.
"Silver. So, you know what hurts me." I hissed.
"Like the cutlery? We know all about you, Ebony Ravenway." She smiled
"That, I sincerely doubt."
I grabbed the blade with my bare hand, anger flairing as it burnt my palm and fingers, then with my other hand, with full force, I grabbed her by her fringe and pulled her face into my knee.
She stumbled back and my bloodlust and rage was at an all-time high, and I didn't even think, I rushed her, fangs out grabbing her by the collar and bit into her neck.
She screamed something awful, and for a moment I heard nothing, and saw nothing. I was lost in the euphoria of drinking blood right from the neck, the tart taste on my tongue, the satisfaction of tearing into flesh with my teeth, the rush of a predator biting into their prey.
"Ebony!" I heard Colin yell, and I was brought back to the moment.
The Ravenclaw had gone limp. I dropped her to the ground, a rabid smile on my face. I never get to let loose, I never get to dig in, I never get to enjoy the blood of my enemy. I'm always composed. I'm always restraint. But it felt so good to just…
Do what came naturally.
I wiped the blood from my mouth, and licked it off my fingers. I meandered over to my wand, and pointed my wand at Colin's ropes.
"Reducto." I said, and he was free.
"Ebony, trouble." Colin said, and pointed behind me.
Britney had witnessed the entire ordeal, eyes wide and full of horror. I knew that face, the face of someone who had just experienced a trauma trigger, but I… I didn't care. Perhaps if it were anyone else, I would. But Britney? Not in a million years.
"Run along before I do the same to you." I smiled at Britney, and smiled wide, showing my fangs. She turned and scrambled away, fear clearly driving her.
Colin looked at me trepidaciously.
"You're frightening, you know that?" He asked.
"Only when I want to be. Luckily, they had it coming."
"Seems like you went a bit far, Ebony." He said, eyes wide.
"I don't know if there is too far with death eaters." I said.
"What?"
"Give it a moment." I said, and pointed at the Hufflepuff.
Colin stared at the Hufflepuff, and after a minute or so, The polyjuice potion wore off, and the full grown adult death eater laid petrified in front of us.
"Oh, that… That is worrying." Colin said.
"Perhaps. But looks like I found what I was looking for."