ERASED

Chapter Three-Wolves

"I bet you're wondering where everyone is," Malfoy continued grinning. "We told Professor Dumbledore that there was a wolf loose in the castle. They're all waiting in the dungeon."

"You're crazy," I growled at Malfoy.

"Am I? You're the one who left us, traitor…and for what? A Mudblood and a Weasel?"

"Don't call Hermione a Mudblood," I growled.

But something was happening with Hermione. She was changing somehow.

My eyes moved onto her. Her head was down and her hair fell over her face. When she raised her eyes, they were a jaundice color. My face must've had fear and shock written on it because Malfoy turned around.

Hermione fully changed into a wolf.

I couldn't believe my eyes…she was a werewolf.

Her legs bent into haunches. By now, she was a gray wolf. Her ears were long and pointed with long fur covering them. Her snout was long and thin. She growled, baring white canines and incisors. Her entire body was covered in gray fur. Her hands and feet were long and had long sharp nails growing from where the fingernails and toenails would be.

Crabbe and Goyle let go immediately and backed away from her.

Her jaundice colored eyes moved onto Malfoy. She growled again and took a step toward him; her toenails clicking on the floor.

She lashed out with a hand-like paw and grabbed Malfoy around his throat, lifting him several inches off the ground.

His feet reached her shins. She flattened her ears out sideways and parted her jaws as she snarled. She wanted to attack Malfoy.

"No! Hermione! Don't hurt him," I said, rushing over to her. I stood beside her.

She put one of her hand-like paws on my face and pushed me down. She snarled again at Malfoy.

I stood up again.

"Hermione…please…don't hurt him," I pleaded.

Hermione turned her eyes onto me. She blinked and I could see her mind working. She slowly began setting Malfoy down again. Crabbe and Goyle had literally wet themselves.

I've never seen them this scared and terrified before. In one way, it might be a good thing, but in another, Malfoy might go and tell Marris what Hermione really was and then she'd be expelled.

"Put him down…please?" I said again.

Finally, she dropped him. Malfoy scrambled to his feet and joined Crabbe and Goyle.

"Maybe I should perform the Memory Charm on you three," I said to Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy.

"We won't tell," Malfoy said.

For the first time since I've known the urchin, he seemed genuinely scared and terrified. This really seemed like an alternate universe.

Hermione turned to me. Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy took off running out of the Great Hall.

She attained a submissive posture and her lip slid down over her canines and incisors.

Then, she changed back into her human self and dressed in her uniform.

"I don't believe it," I said, shocked.

"What? That I'm a werewolf?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah!" I said, shaking my head.

"Don't worry. I've learned to control myself. I just wanted to give Malfoy a little scare," she said.

"He certainly was scared," I said.

"Where are the rest of the students and teachers?" Hermione asked, looking around.

Just as she said that, the Hall flooded with students talking away happily and they all took their seats. The teachers were sitting at the Head table. Hermione and I took our seats at the Gryffindor table.

Ron soon joined us.

"Hey, where were you two? We were waiting down the dungeon because Malfoy said something about a wolf loose in the Great Hall?" Ron asked, looking from Hermione to me.

"We were in the library," I said, quickly. "Doing a little research."

"Oh. Okay," Ron said, satisfied.

Hermione and I exchanged glances.

"What made everyone come into the Great Hall if there was a wolf loose?" Hermione asked casually.

"Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle came back down and said that there was no wolf that it was just a large spider," Ron said shrugging.

Again, Hermione and I exchanged looks. I had to hide a smile.

"He's weird," Ron continued. "He looked genuinely scared. I thought I was the only one afraid of spiders."

"Well, looks like Malfoy isn't as big and bad as we thought," I said, winking at Hermione.

"Nope," she said, grinning back.

"Did you to have something to do with the spider?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow at us.

"Absolutely not! We told you, we were at the library," Hermione scoffed.

"Kay…" Ron said, slowly.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and faced the Hall. That familiar silence spread across like a wave.

"Well, as long as none of us were attacked by that spider," Professor Dumbledore said. A few laughs and snickers followed. I glanced over at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. They shrank into their seats.

"We can finally have a delicious dinner! Tuck in!" Dumbledore continued.

Food appeared on our plates. We hungrily dove in.

"Have either of you heard of a teacher named Snape?" I asked, helping myself to some beef casserole.

"Snape? Oh! He must mean the caretaker!" Ron said between mouthfuls of pork chops.

"Caretaker?" I asked, stunned.

"Yeah. He stays in the school and cleans each floor. Scared the bejesus out of the students. Mostly we don't seem him until the evenings when he comes out of the office. I swear he's like vampire. Don't like the daylight," Ron continued grinning.

I couldn't believe it. Snape had Filch's job. I was afraid to ask…

"Does he have a cat?"

"Oh yeah! Erm, what's its name…Mrs. Whiskers," Ron said.

I nearly choked on my chicken. I was torn between laughing at the name and the thought of Snape actually having an animal by the name of Mrs. Whiskers.

Hermione began slapping me on my back.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah…I'm fine," I said, managing to recover.

"He's definitely not all there," Hermione added. "A little weird."

"In what way?" I asked, not really sure if I wanted to know.

"He keeps muttering about wanting to try on women's clothes," Hermione continued.

Ron lost it and was rolling with laughter.

I even smothered a snort.

"There he is now," Hermione whispered suddenly gesturing toward the Great Hall's entrance.

I turned. Sure enough, he was standing there. Dressed in dark robes and his normally greasy hair was longer and frizzy. A white cat was rubbing his ankle. His eyes were scanning the Hall and he was carrying a mop in one hand.

In one way, it felt good to see him again. But really I wanted everything to be back to normal. Snape began walking away and disappeared.

Apparently, Ron seemed to forget about our little argument and I decided not to push it with him. I decided to talk to Hermione later on.

After dinner, we all headed back to the common room all stuffed from dinner. Ron and Hermione plopped down on poufs and I sat down on a chair in front of the fireplace.

"Man, I hope Marris doesn't give me anymore lines," Ron moaned.

"Don't interrupt the class or give her any reason to," Hermione said, simply. "Then, you'll be safe."

Ron looked at her.

"Are you on my side or hers?"

"That was uncalled for today though. If Harry's potion was the same color, then why didn't she give him lines too?" Hermione said, slowly as she bit her bottom lip in thought.

"I know," Ron said, shaking her head.

I had an idea.

"Maybe because she still sees me as a Slytherin and I don't think she'd give detention to her own students," I said, quietly.

"That might very well be," Hermione said, raising her eyes to mine. "Because you're not officially in Gryffindor."

"I wish I was," I muttered.

"Well, you can stay here for the year…but sooner or later you're going to have to return to Slytherin," she continued.

Just what I didn't want to hear and yet I knew it in my heart unless I figured out what happened.

We all went to bed.

The next morning, I met up with Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione nudged me.

"Malfoy's been quiet all morning so far," she said, grinning.

"Yeah…why is that?" Ron mused helping himself to some eggs, bacon and sausage.

When Ron said that, I realized then that Hermione hadn't told Ron that she was a werewolf. I didn't know why. I looked at Hermione questioningly.

She just shook her head and ate her breakfast.

When breakfast was over, we headed to Care of Magical Creatures. Ron was merrily walking a head of Hermione and I. I took that opportunity to ask her.

"Why haven't you told Ron?" I whispered.

"Because I'm scared to," Hermione replied.

"Why would you be scared to tell him? He wouldn't abandon you," I replied, tilting my head to the side. "And you changed right in front of me. Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I just haven't found the right chance. I like and trust you," she replied.

"You hardly know me," I said, feeling as if those words were the Killing Curse.

Hermione stopped walking and pulled me aside.

"I can't explain it, but it feels like we've known each other for years," Hermione replied, studying me.

"Yeah. Me in Slytherin with you in Gryffindor," I muttered.

"No. It's not that…something more," she replied narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Guys! We're going to be late!" Ron called.

We hurried to catch up with him.

We were studying Arybix's, which were part horse, part eagle. They weren't close the Hippogriff though. These had the full body of a horse and feathers with wings situated under the withers.

Their eyes were the only other part that resembled the eagle. They were totally harmless, but when the ears were laid back, that meant it was angry. Neville made the mistake of going near one when the ears were pinned back and the Arybix opened its mouth and clamped its jaws around Neville's shoulder. Dean had to escort Neville back to the castle. The Arybix tossed its head around afterwards.

"Poor Neville," Hermione said, shaking her head. "He forgets the warning signs so easily."

"Someone should help him in that department," Ron added sighing.

"Arybix's can give a nasty bite wound," Hermione continued. "Plus, if you frighten a whole lot of them, like a herd, they cause one heck of a stampede."

"They act much like horses though," I said, frowning.

"They do, but their feathers are used in many potions," Hermione said.

I nodded.

After Care of Magical Creatures, we headed to Potions. I had sincerely hoped that Professor Marris would be in a little better mood today.

"Today, we'll be making the Bevein Potion," Professor Marris said, brightly.

"Ugh does she take like happy pills in the morning or something?" Ron muttered.

I smothered a snort. Hermione was giving Professor Marris rapt attention.

Professor Marris waved her wand at the blackboard and the ingredients appeared.

"Please copy these down," Professor Marris said. "This potion is extremely dangerous. If one ingredient is added in the wrong time and fashion, it could explode."

Murmurs went around after those words.

We began our work.

When it came time for Professor Marris to check the potions, I had made sure that each of the ingredients were added the right way. It was supposed to be a light blue color and give off a cherry smelling scent. My potion was the light blue and giving off the correct scent. Hermione's was of course, and to our surprised and relief, so was Ron's.

Professor Marris stopped by Hermione's potion.

"Dear, this is all wrong. I'm surprised we're not flying through the air," Professor Marris said, shaking her head.

"Professor, I added every ingredient at the right time," Hermione said.

"I don't think so dear," Professor Marris said, brightly. "This is giving off a raspberry scent."

"Professor, I know the difference between raspberry and cherry," Hermione said, starting to get angry. Her cheeks were flushing with color.

The rest of the Gryffindors were watching apprehensively.

"Well, since you're so keen on knowing-it-all, I suggest staying after class and writing 900 lines of 'I'm a class know-it-all'," Professor Marris said, cheerily.

I glared at Professor Marris.

"She did add the ingredients the right way," I growled. "I saw her. I was right here."

"Really?" Professor Marris asked, turning her eyes onto me.

I nodded, wary of what she was up to.

"In that case, you may join Miss Granger," she continued.

Hermione was getting even angrier.

Her head was down as she slowly stood up, the palms of her hands flat on the desk.

I had a feeling I knew what was coming.

"No," I hissed to her.

She ignored me.

I saw her hands changing; the gray fur sprouted all over her body and her legs bent into haunches. Her nose and mouth pulled forward into a snout with white canines and incisors that slid down under purple lips; her ears stretched into thin and pointed erect wolf ears. Her eyes changed into the jaundice color; She had changed fully into a wolf now.

The Gryffindors all leaped to their feet and huddled near the doorway. The Slytherins too. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were just as terrified.

Hermione blinked and then snarled at Professor Marris.

Ron was white as a sheet and he began slowly scooting away from Hermione. She quickly glanced at him. Ron jumped to his feet and huddled with the rest of the Gryffindors.

I slowly stood up, but didn't move. Professor Marris was still smiling sweetly.

Hermione went to lash out with one of her hand-like paws to grab Professor Marris, but Professor Marris slapped it away.

There was a stunned silence that filled the dungeon.

This time, it was Professor Marris who grabbed Hermione around her throat. Hermione snapped her jaws, trying to get at Professor Marris.

"Don't mess with me, girly," Professor Marris said her expression turning ugly. "You won't win. Might I suggest turning back into a girl before I decide to have you expelled."

Hermione's jaundice colored eyes were still locked on Professor Marris. She was growling at her.

"Hermione," I whispered.

"Shut up, Potter," Professor Marris snapped.

At that, Hermione became even more angrier and managed to break from Professor Marris' grip. Hermione snarled and walked out of the dungeon.