SILVER LINING
CHAPTER TEN-HERMIONE'S ATTACK
Once Care of Magical Creatures was over, we headed into the castle for dinner.
Hallie was eagerly talking to Harry and eating her dinner. I studied Hermione. When I had suggested that we find out who the Silver Lining was and that it would have to have an end put to it, she had a flicker of fear across her dark brown eyes. For a moment, I thought I was just seeing things. But lately, she's been acting oddly. It might be that she is still in shock over Ron. But as I thought more, I realized she's never seen the Silver Lining attack and neither has Harry. Harry was acting normally so I felt my suspicions would be more focused on Hermione because she hasn't been acting normally. I wondered why I hadn't noticed her new behavior sooner...maybe I didn't want to see it.
When dinner was over, we all headed back to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione and Hallie headed off to bed, while Harry and I stayed in the common room, just relaxing and watching the fire. Most of the Gryffindors had gone to bed because of the curfew still in force and some were bored so they decided to head to bed early. The common room was virtually empty except Harry and I.
The fire crackled softly emitting a soft, orange glow over us. He was sitting beside me on the couch. Our shoulders were touching.
I decided to tell him what I was thinking about Hermione. Maybe he's noticed her odd behavior lately also.
I voiced what I was thinking.
While I was speaking, he didn't interrupt and he listened intently which I was grateful for. I had hoped he would tell me I was being stupid that it was just Hermione's way of dealing with what's going on.
When I was done, he spoke.
"Actually, Stephanie," he said slowly. "I've been thinking the same thing."
Damn.
"Hermione's been acting oddly lately. Very oddly. I'm not saying definitely she's the Silver Lining, but she's not acting like herself," Harry replied thoughtfully. "I mean I've never seen the Silver Lining attack, you've been the unfortunate one who's always been there so you could very well as just suspect me. I think we're definitely going to have to keep an eye on Hermione and see if she acts oddly more."
I nodded.
I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my thighs. I began massaging my temples. I shut my eyes.
"I just can't believe this is really happening," I said quietly. "I just want this to be over with."
"I know," Harry said softly.
"I still can't believe Hermione drugged me into attacking Goyle," I continued feeling tears forming in my eyes and they streaked down my cheeks. "I really cared about him and I've basically put a bad name to my kind. Advair's never hurt innocents...and here I've gone and killed an innocent."
"But it wasn't your fault," Harry said leaning close. "How will anyone know?"
"That lovely front page," I said sarcastically. "My kind read the Daily Prophet. They'll figure it out trust me. I might be banned from my own family."
I finished massaging my temples and looked at him.
He had a pained look on his face.
"Banned?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah banned," I said. "I guess you could say I 'shamed' my family."
Harry swallowed.
The tears continued to flow.
I just buried my face into my hands and cried.
I felt Harry's arms encircling me and pulling me against him. I just slumped against him, pressing my face into his chest, enjoying the warm darkness. He rested his chin on top of my head.
"You could always stay with me," he suggested quietly. "The Dursley's would love you."
I managed small chuckle and pulled back from his embrace.
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands.
We stared at each other for a moment before Harry gently took my chin and he moved his face close to mine.
He tilted his head slightly and our lips met. He gently kissed me. I gently returned the kisses.
After a few moments, we pulled apart. My eyes moved onto someone standing behind the couch.
"Hermione!" I said startled.
I could still taste Harry's lips on mine. Hermione was wearing the strangest expression on her face.
"Hey 'Mione," Harry said turning around.
"Hi," Hermione said narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," I said smiling.
"Don't insult my intelligence," Hermione snapped. "I know you two were kissing."
"Sorry," Harry said. "We didn't..."
"Don't bother," Hermione said sharply. "I just came out here to tell you that Hallie needs to talk to Stephanie."
"Send her out," I said quietly.
Hermione turned on her heel and headed back toward the girls' dorm. Within moments, Hallie appeared, dressed in a two piece PJ set. It had little horses on it and the shirt was short sleeved.
"I'll head to bed too," Harry said looking upset as well over what happened with Hermione.
I nodded and he headed off toward the boys' dorm.
Hallie came over to me and plopped down beside me.
"Do you know who that pretty wolf is? The one that rescued me? It's called and Advair right?" Hallie asked looking at me.
I swallowed. Sooner or later she was going to figure out that I was the Advair. Might as well come out and tell her with the risk of her being frightened away or never wanting to speak to me again...but I wasn't going to lie to her. I was done lying.
"Right. I'm the Advair," I said quietly.
"Really?" Hallie asked as I heard excitement in her voice. "Cool!"
I looked at her stunned.
"You're not scared?"
"No!" Hallie said. "At least I know who to thank if I ever get into trouble again."
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
I hugged her back.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "Your secret is safe with me."
After that she hurried back into the girls' dorm.
I looked out the window. A crescent moon hung in the sky. I dropped to my hands and knees and began changing.
HALLIE.
I thought it was really cool that Stephanie was the Advair. They were nice werewolves...peaceful and they never killed for fun.
I heard something snarling in the dorm when I entered it. I froze by the doorway and clutched my wand. I also got a whiff of blood and a dog that hadn't bathed in weeks...months even. I pulled out my wand.
"Lumos!" I whispered.
A bright white light erupted from the tip of my wand. It illuminated the entire dorm. I felt a scream rising in my throat. There was the Silver Lining, standing over Lavender's body tearing bits of flesh from her body. Blood pooled on the floor and the sheets were stained.
I screamed.
The Silver Lining raised its head and looked at me with a blood stained muzzle. The rest of the Gryffindors woke up abruptly, saw the Silver Lining and ran screaming from the dorm. I was too frozen with fear to even move.
The Silver Lining snarled at me and jumped down off the bed. It began slinking toward me.
The next thing I knew, something gray and cream jumped cleanly over my head, landing easily on all fours in front of me.
It was the Advair.
The Advair crouched down in a threatening posture, its bushy tail swinging back and forth, thumping against my chest. It pulled back its top lip exposing white canines and incisors as it snarled at the Silver Lining.
Then, both wolves began fighting. I was knocked down as the Advair was thrown by the Silver Lining. I landed on my rear end near one of the beds. I just happened to glance up and see a blood stained Gryffindor uniform...a girl's uniform...Hermione's.
After several moments of fighting, the Advair inflicted serious wounds on the Silver Lining. The Silver Lining turned its attention on to me, extended its wings and sailed cleanly over the Advair, who arched her head around and snarled, obviously mad at the trick the Silver Lining played. The Silver Lining landed on me, crushing my chest. The weight felt like a car placed on top of my chest.
I gasped for breath, struggling to breathe. After several moments, I passed out.
THE ADVAIR.
The Silver Lining had crushed Hallie's chest. I heard the cracking of bones. I flattened my ears out sideways and charged at it.
I managed to knock it off Hallie's chest. It hissed at me and went to charge me, but I ducked and it sailed cleanly out the window. Glass showered the inside and outside. It was gone. I shook my body and went over to Hallie. I frantically began licking her face. After a few moments, she came around again but was still struggling to breathe.
HALLIE.
The Advair was sitting on her haunches beside me with her tail wrapped around her hind legs. It was hard for me to breathe and it hurt.
"THERE IS THE MONSTER!" a voice cried from the dorm entrance.
It was Parvati with Professor McGonagall and several of the Gryffindor girls. Parvati was pointing accusingly at the Advair.
"No," I choked out. "It wasn't her!"
"Good Lord," Professor McGonagall breathed as all the color drained from her face as she surveyed the dorm. Her eyes landed on Lavender's body, then moved to the Advair.
With a wave of her wand, a black muzzle appeared on the Advair's snout. The Advair snarled and with her front paws, tried to slide the muzzle off, but it wouldn't come off.
"It won't come off until the spell is reversed," Professor McGonagall said.
"It. Wasn't. Her," I choked out.
Professor McGonagall didn't listen.
The next thing I knew, I was being majicked onto an invisible stretcher. Professor McGonagall grabbed a hold of the Advair's loose skin around the neck and she began pulling her and me to the hospital wing.
The Advair struggled against the muzzle and Professor McGonagall's grip on her neck.
HARRY.
I heard all the commotion outside. I quickly hurried into the common room and saw Hallie majicked on a stretcher, and Professor McGonagall dragging a muzzled Stephanie in wolf form.
"Professor!" I cried hurrying up to her. "What happened?"
"This...wolf...killed Lavender Brown," Professor McGonagall said angrily.
"No," Hallie choked out. "Silver Lining."
I immediately knew what had happened.
"Professor, I've seen the Silver Lining," I said thinking quickly.
I really hadn't, but I wasn't about to let Stephanie possibly be killed for something she didn't do.
Professor McGonagall's eyed widened.
"You sure?" she asked slowly as she raised an eyebrow.
I nodded.
"This wolf had nothing to do with whatever happened to Lavender," I said.
"I'm sorry, Potter," Professor McGonagall said sadly. "But this wolf has blood on her muzzle. It's not looking good right now. Silver Lining's don't exist anymore. I will be taking her to the dungeon where she'll be chained up until the Headmaster decides what to do with her."
I looked at Hallie helplessly.
They continued on their way.
I followed and made sure that Hallie was going to be okay. Madam Pomfrey was going to send her to Saint Mungo's because her ribs were crushed. After that, I snuck down to the dungeon.
I easily crept into it. Stephanie was chained against one wall. She had a metal collar around her neck and a chain was shackled to the wall. The muzzle was still on her snout.
I approached her.
Her head was low and her ears were pinned back.
"Steph?" I asked tentatively.
I kneeled down beside her.
I heard her emitting low growls.
"Stop," I scolded. "It's just me."
She continued to growl. I saw the whites of her eyes.
"Listen," I snapped. "I know damn well you didn't hurt Lavender. Stop acting like this or you will be killed."
She barked and went to lunge for me, but the chain snapped her back before she could reach me.
"I know why you're acting like this. You figure no one will believe the Silver Lining exists and that if they believe you killed Lavender, then you're acting all vicious. But I know you," I said angrily. "I know this isn't the real Stephanie so stop it. I'm going to make Dumbledore believe me even if I have to go out after curfew and bring back the Silver Lining myself...dead or alive."
At that, Stephanie stopped growling. Her eyes were locked on something behind me.
I turned around.
It was Professor Dumbledore.
Stephanie just whined, tucked her hind legs under neath her and stretched out her front paws. She rested her snout in-between them.
"Harry, what are you doing down here?" Professor Dumbledore asked gently.
He wasn't accusing, or angry. He just sounded concerned.
"She didn't attack Lavender," I said heatedly. "Professor McGonagall thinks she did but how on earth would she climb up the huge tower? It's impossible!"
Professor Dumbledore raised a hand to silence me.
"She just did that because she didn't want to alarm the other students. She actually sent me down here to release Miss Ross,"
I stared at him in shock.
"You know?" I asked stunned.
"Yes," he said softly, as his blue eyes twinkled behind their half moon spectacles. "Miss Ross' family owled me with all the information. I knew she wasn't dangerous so I told the teachers. They know all about her. And I believe that the Silver Lining is responsible for the killings. I doubt very much Miss Ross could've left Mr. Malfoy on top of the school like that."
He went over to the gray and cream wolf and crouched down beside her.
The Advair just watched Professor Dumbledore as he gently reached behind her head and untied the muzzle.
"I thought the spell had to be..." I began but again, Professor Dumbledore looked up at me with a huge smile. "All part of the plan. She did that to scare the students so they wouldn't come looking for her to kill her."
Once the muzzle was off, the Advair shook her body and licked Professor Dumbledore's face.
He chuckled and scratched her ear.
"I'll leave you two alone. Just make sure when she changes back, you tell everyone that the wolf was killed. I'll even make an announcement at breakfast," he said winking as he gave the wolf a last scratch behind the ear before heading out.
Shortly, the sun began coming up and the wolf disappeared. Stephanie appeared in human form, but nude. I quickly yanked off my robe and wrapped it around her.
"Harry," she began looking serious. "I have something very important to tell you."
"What is it?" I asked peering into her eyes.
"I'm afraid that Hermione's been attacked. They found her blood stained uniform in the dorm,"
