Professor O'Shaughnessy entered her classroom carrying a small box covered by a thin lavender cloth. When she sat it on her desk, the class of Seventh Year students could hear the vibration of metal, a cage. They leaned forward in their seats.
"Today, we are going to begin a study of the Borigun Fairy."
"We did fairies," a student offered. "With Professor Lockhart."
A small smile crept across her face.
"I'm sorry. Professor Lockhart? As in Gilderoy Lockhart?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The smirk grew larger.
"And you studied fairies? Plain fairies?"
"Yes."
Professor O'Shaughnessy leaned against her desk, trying to control the laughter that was obviously trying to escape. The class watched her closely, amused by her reaction to his name. Finally, she seemed ready to continue.
"Well, then. This should be boring to you compared to his lesson." She removed the cloth from the cage. Within, a small blue fairy fluttered about in its cage. "Borigun Fairy is not a true fairy. It was named before it was studied, so those who came across it did not realize what it was. Or was not.
"They look very similar, but if you look closely enough, you will notice that it has six true wings, while fairies have only four. Their bodies are also about half the length of a regular fairy. That is about where the similarities end.
"While fairies are generally found in forests and about streams, the Borigun Fairy and its relations are found most often around cliffs, deserts, dense jungles- just about anywhere dangerous, and, well, I'll just let you see what they do. Now, please be very quiet. If it comes toward you, it will not physically hurt you, so stay calm and wait to see what happens." She reached out to lift the latch and let the creature out of the cage, when the muffled sounds of yells and running feet emanated from the door. Her head jerked up at the sounds.
"Mr. Jordan. Open the door and see what's going on out there."
Harry, Ron , and Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room and were surprised to see so many students at that time of day. It was unusually loud, and they could tell something had happened. They dropped their books on a table in front of Fred, George, and Lee, and stared in disbelief. George's nose was caked with blood, his shirt ruined. Fred looked only slightly better with a fat lip, and Lee had a black eye.
"What happened to you guys?" Hermione asked.
"There was a fight outside O'Shaughnessy's room," George answered with a smile.
"Did you guys start it?" Ron asked. "Mom's gonna kill you both."
"No," Fred said excitedly, "but it was the coolest thing I've ever seen."
"Man, I will never act up in her room again," George chimed in.
"What happened?" It was Harry this time. He really wasn't interested in anything that had to do with O'Shaughnessy, but the condition of Lee, George, and Fred had piqued his interest.
Lee leaned across the table. "She was getting ready to show us this fairy-thing, and there was this noise outside, like shouting and running. I was sitting right in front of the door, so she asked me to go check it out, and it was a fight! It was like the Slytherins finally snapped and started beating on each other!"
"So how did you guys get involved?" Hermione had a perplexed look on her face.
George picked up where Lee had left off. "Professor O'Shaughnessy took off into the hallway to break it up, but there were too many people, and no other teachers were around. Goyle, that big ape, swung around and hit her."
"So we jumped in to help." This time, it was Fred smiling at their astonished faces.
"How chivalrous." Hermione didn't look amused.
"Oh, no. She didn't need our help. She grabbed him by the collar and slammed him up against the wall."
"Now wait," George interrupted his brother. "First, you guys know how small she is, right? Goyle is at least four inches taller, and a hundred pounds heavier than she is."
"So anyway," Fred said, reclaiming his story, "she threw him against the wall. Hard. No magic."
"It was like everyone in the hall stopped fighting and just watched," Lee helped.
"So the hall was totally quiet, and he's pushing and trying to get away, and his feet aren't on the floor anymore! She lifted him off the floor, with one hand!"
"Wicked," Ron breathed. "All by herself?"
"That's not even the coolest part," George answered. "She's not even paying attention to him. She said in this really loud voice-"
"She didn't yell," Fred added.
"She said, 'There will be no more fighting in my hallway.' And Goyle, the big idiot, is still pushing at her, trying to get down, and she turned back to him and said-"
"She said, 'If you touch me again, I will consider it an assault and defend myself accordingly. And even without my wand, you will not find yourself the victor,' all calm, just like that," Fred finished.
George looked at him in mock scorn. "That was the best part!"
"So then what?" Harry asked.
"Then, McGonagall and Snape came running," Lee told them. "And McGonagall told O'Shaughnessy to put him down, but she didn't. It's like she didn't even hear. Snape went over and said something to her, and pushed her hand down, dropping Goyle on his ass. He looked terrified!"
"What'd Snape say?" Hermoine wondered out loud.
"Don't know. McGonagall was sending people to their towers. Snape didn't look pissed, though. Not till he took the Slytherins back to their tower himself. And McGonagall took O'Shaughnessy somewhere. We don't know where."
"Probably Dumbledore," Hermione answered. "She assaulted a student. She'll probably get fired."
"She broke up a fight, single-handed," Ron corrected. "And she showed that big oaf what's what. She's my new hero!"
"I think I have a crush!" Fred chimed in.
But Harry couldn't help but wonder why the Slytherins were fighting each other, and was about to voice his question when Professor McGonagall entered the room. The room died down instantly. Professor McGonagall didn't come to the Common Room often, unless it was to give news to or to chide the House.
"Students, I'm sure you've all heard exaggerated accounts of the disturbance a little while ago. I have no doubt those coming from the Weasley's will be the most colorful. However, the fact is there was a fight in the corridor, which involved a good many students. For this reason, all Houses will stay in their Common Rooms for remainder of the evening while we sort it out. And I hope for your sakes, none of you were involved. Dinner will be sent. We don't want to chance mixing any of you together to finish what was started."
"Professor!" Fred called out as she turned to leave. "What happened with Professor O'Shaughnessy? She's not getting fired, is she?"
The room strained to hear her answer.
"I cannot say. Professor Dumbledore is looking into the matter."
Deeper in the school, Moira sat before Dumbledore's desk. He hadn't said a word to her yet, and that was more terrifying than if he had yelled and ranted. But she knew that was not his way.
"Moira, what happened in the hallway?" His blue eyes seemed worried.
"There was a fight, sir. There were no other teachers around and I broke it up."
"I know that. What I am curious about, is what happened with Goyle? Minerva said that you didn't seem to know what you were doing."
She sighed. She knew that's what he was asking about.
"He took a swing at me. I'm sure he didn't realize who I was, but I restrained him, without magic. I told the other students to stop fighting, and Goyle was still trying to push me away. I gave him a bit of a warning about attacking teachers."
"A warning or a threat?"
"A warning, sir."
Professor Dumbledore leaned forward on his desk, his hands folded in front of him.
"Moira, because you did not actually harm Mr. Goyle, there will be no action against you. However, I cannot help but think this has something to do with more than a simple hallway fight. Remus has been gone for nearly three weeks. We know Voldemort has him, though for what reason, we do not know. And Goyle is the son of a known Death Eater."
"I am not a highly volatile person, Albus, as far as my work in concerned. I promise you, it had nothing to do with his father."
"I believe you."
"Thank you, sir." He looked like he was done talking, so she asked the question which was on her mind. "Professor, what happened? Why were the Slytherins fighting amongst themselves?"
"That I do not know, though I'm sure Professor Snape will discover the reason."
"They will not tell me," came Snape's voice from behind her. He entered the room and slid into the chair next to Moira. "Which means it is either extremely serious, or extremely stupid."
"You don't know which?" she asked.
"No, I don't. Perhaps I'll slip Veritaserum to one or two at mealtime."
"You can't do that, Professor. They are students."
"No, Professor O'Shaughnessy, you seem to be confused. I shouldn't do that. What I can't do is throw a student against a wall and threaten him." His voice was bitter, but amused.
"We've already spoken to that, Severus." Dumbledore was not chiding, but merely meant to turn the conversation. "Besides, he struck a teacher. I will not have my staff abused."
"For which he is being severely punished," Snape assured. "If nothing else, he will never live down being pinned by a woman half his size."
Moira sat silently for a moment, mulling over everything that had happened in her mind. She played back everything she had seen: who had been fighting who, what was being yelled.
"Snape, tell me about Raiza Runyan's father."
"What do you need to know?"
"Death Eater?"
"Bottom feeder's more like it. He's new, does grunt work, but yes, a Death Eater."
"She was fighting with Liza Maguire. What about her father?"
"No. Nor is her mother."
"What about Aramis Drayton?"
"No."
"Runyan, Goyle, Crabbe, Malfoy, Whorton." She was speaking softly to herself. "And Maguire and Drayton. Hamilton is a no."
"Moira, what?"
"A pattern," she answered. "Slytherin Death Eaters versus Slytherin non-Death Eaters. That's what the fight was. Something's going on."
"What?"
"I don't know. Something though. I sent letters home to the parents of some of our Slytherin students, requesting that their children stay over the holidays to catch up on some work. I made it sound as innocent as possible. All the parents refused. All were adamant. Some even frantic."
"So?"
"Mother hen is gathering her chicks. She wants her children where they'll be safe. Something's happening, Severus, and one of those parents knows what it is."
"And you think it involves Lupin somehow?"
"The timing all fits. He's been out of the game for a long time. He's not a threat. The only use he would be to Voldemort is because of his lycanthropy. The next full moon is over holiday break. All Slytherin students are being brought to their parents. You said there was dissension in the Death Eater ranks themselves. Those who thought Voldemort was going too far."
"Attacking children," Albus said aloud, catching onto the thought. "He's going to bring Remus back here."