Disclaimer: see part one.

Chapter ten.

"Did you bring it?"

The boy slung a copy of Defense Against the Dark Arts down on the table in front of Malfoy. He grabbed the book and quickly skimmed through it until he found what he was looking for. He turned silent, his browns furrowed and his mouth became a thin line.

Cabbe and Goyle waited hesitantly. Ever since they had met the two Ravenclaw girls in the corridor, Malfoy had been edgy and more short-tempered than usual. He had been the first one to stumble backwards and then flee in fear, even though nobody was sure what had caused it. Why had the girl suddenly filled them with dread? Ten strong Slythrin boys had run away from a puny Ravenclaw girl! It was an unspoken agreement that they just pretended that it hadn't happened.

But Malfoy knew that he has seen something and now he was certain about what she was.

"I knew it!" He said triumphal, startling both Crabbe and Goyle. A couple of other Slytherin drew nearer and settled down in the empty chairs around Malfoy.

"She is a bloody vampire!" He flung the book on the table so everybody could see the picture. A pale and ghastly face, blood veins looking almost black, fangs and yellow, cat-like, eyes. The boys murmured excitedly. Malfoy elegantly moved some hair away from his face and continued.

"You all saw it, didn't you? She had fangs and her eyes were yellow." it was a statement, not a question and everybody nodded.

"It was lucky that I recognized what she was and managed to escape," said Malfoy.

"But...um….I though vampires burned in sunshine" somebody protested weakly "and Ive seen her outside the greenhouse bunch of times"

Malfoy glared and the boy evilly, but considered the dilemma briefly before he shrugged.

"Dumbledore has probably given her some sort of magical equipment to protect her."

"Why would Dumbledore allow a vampire to study here?"

"Feh" Malfoy snarled "look at all the other riff-raff he's allowed here; mudbloods, stupid ghosts, that idiot Hagrid and Professor Lupin. He doesn't seem to care that he is putting all our lives in danger; he is just a soft old fool. Wait until father hears about this!"

"We should do something! We are Slytherins, we can't let a single vampire beat us!"

"Agreed. We can't allow a demon in our school. Well spotted Malfoy!" a sixth-year said and Malfoy basked in the glory the older students were giving him.

"Beat it? How?"

"Stake it you mean?" Goyle asked.

"Um….wont we get in trouble for killing a student…." It was the same voice again, and this time Malfoy tracked down the source of annoyance. It was a fat, pasty-faced fifth-year with crew-cut hair.

"What's your name?" Malfoy said nastily. The boy swallowed "Kevin McCore"

"Well, Kevin…a vampire is already dead you idiot!" Malfoy snarled and Grabbe and Goyle snickered. "Killing it….again…won't make any difference"

Malfoy retrieved the book and flipped through it. The boys turned silent, waiting for him to say something. "We should arm our selves….make some stakes….get some garlic….does anybody have a cross?"

"I have this silver rosebeads…." Somebody said and tossed it towards Malfoy.

"We should at least make sure…."

Malfoy opened his mouth to kill the protest, but then decided against it.

"It's easy to prove that somebody is a vampire. We just throw this cross at her and see her reaction."

"We need battle plan," somebody said eagerly and the boys drew closer around in a circle. "We could lure her down to the dungeons."

"Somebody has to occupy Professor Snape then"

"Yes…we have to attack as soon as possible"

"Lets go vampire hunting!" a voice said excitedly and the others cheered. Kevin McCore moved uneasily at the edge of the circle not knowing what to do. Finally, he sat down among the other boys who were busily plotting their kill. He soon forgot all about his objections and the little voice that was chiding him.

"Ooohhhh…there you are!" Rena turned around as Luna Lovegood came bouncing down the corridor towards her. Luna had suddenly become twice as friendly and open since the episode in the corridor two days ago. She grabbed Renas arm and said excitedly.

"I can't wait to see what we learn in Defense today!"

"Probably nothing interesting" Rena replied and tried half-heartily to pull her arm free from Lunas grip.

"All of Professor Lupins classes are interesting, don't you think?"

"We-el…." Rena said a little uncertain. She wondered what Luna would say if she knew her favorite professor was also her worst fear. What would Luna do if she told her that she was a werewolf? She wouldn't be so friendly then Rena thought.

The students were standing outside the classroom and murmurs of disappointment rose from the crowd.

"Sick again…."

"…at least Snape isn't substituting"

"I wonder what ails him"

"Aw…its the last class today, why couldn't he just given us free?"

Lunas smile disappeared and she untangled herself from Renas arm and made her way towards the classroom. A note was pinned to the door stating that the class was cancelled.

"He's sick, but he still gives us homework!"

Rena couldn't help to smile a little at the situation. Had any of the Ravenclaw students been as observant as they were smart they would have noticed that Lupin always was ill a certain time of the month. Typical werewolf syndrome Rena thought. She sighed miserably and thought about tomorrow's full moon.

She hadn't felt ill the days around the lunar-change in last couple of months. Except for the sudden outburst of nausea, the surge of power and an intense lust to kill, the pre-lunar tension had all but vanished. She thought about the incident in the corridor and how she had almost changed right in front of the students. What would have happened if she hadn't been able to suppress it? The wolf inside her was growing stronger…. not due to the changes in the moon…but because of her own emotions. Her feelings and the wolf were somehow connected.

What if this is the night…what if I don't change back!

"The homework looks interesting" Luna reported, "We have to write about what monster we fear the most and how to defeat it. Do you think this mean we might see a Boggart?"

Rena didnt answer.

Luna grabbed her arm again and this time led her down towards the library.

"So….what do you know about werewolves?"

The library was crowded with students doing their homework or preparing for the upcoming exams. Except for the other Ravenclaws, Rena only recognized Harry and his friends. Ginny waved at them, but Luna ignored her and made the way towards the last empty table in a secluded corner.

"Hm…I need to ask madam Pinch about a good book on werewolves….I hate asking her for help, she always gives you this eye, you know" Luna chatted "like you are doing something criminal"

"Try Hairy Snout, Human Heart" Rena answered automatically. Luna gave her a startled look and Rena hid her blush. "Um…Ive heard that it is a good book…." She stuttered.

The next hours Luna spent busily pouring over books about werewolves and Rena sitting still and idly tapping her quill against her paper. She wondered if Luna would figure out what Lupin was…or if she would figure out that she was sitting across a werewolf.

For once she didn't feel any inkling to do her homework. If she didn't turn something inn, she was sure Professor Lupin wouldn't say anything.

"The more I read about them….the more I fear them. Listen to this "Almost uniquely among fantastic creatures, the werewolf actively seeks humans in preference to any other kind of prey" Luna shuddered. "Why would they do that?"

"Um…to expand their flock?" Rena suggested.

Luna was about to say something, but then her eyes widened and she hid her face amongst the books.

Rena turned around and saw a bunch of Slytherin students gathered by the entrance, all of them looking in their direction. She recognized Malfoy and the others from his usual gang.

"Do you think they are after revenge….?" Luna asked in a barley auditable voice.

"I…." Rena swallowed and turned back.

"What did you do to them?"

"A kind of…hypnosis spell"

"Like the Confundus Charm?….Isn't that kinda….."

She stopped talking and Rena could hear footsteps approaching and then the quiet interrupting cough.

"Ms. Epans?"

Rena turned around and saw that one of the Slytherin boys had approached them. He was tall with brown hair and a stern angry-looking face. He had to be at least three-years older than she.

"Yes?"

"Professor Snape wishes to see you in the dungeons. Now" his voice was deep and commanding.

She blinked a couple of times before the words settled in her brain. Luna cast her a quick questiongly glance and mouthed something Rena didn't understand.

"Yes. Of course. "She gathered her things and rose. "See you at dinner" she said to Luna.

The other Slytherin boys had disappeared and she walked quickly through the library, the Slytherin student following closely in her heels.

What does he want? Why did he send…. Rena thought as she walked down the stairs towards the dungeon. The torches weren't lit and it was pitch-black, she had to feel her way down the stairs, so not to stumble.

"Why is it so dark?" she asked the Slytherin student. He was gone and the only sound she heard was from her own echoing steps. For a moment she thought that this was ridiculous and that the Slytherin students were obviously trying to lure her down into some sort of trap. She hesitated and was about to turn around, but then figured that maybe her uncle wanted to give her the potion for the upcoming full moon.

Rena knocked on his office-door, but when he didn't answer she made her way to the Potion's classroom.

The light was lit here and for a moment the transfer from darkness to sudden light, blinded her. The classroom was empty. All the desks had been pushed to one side of the room and the cauldrons were gone.

"Um…." She asked uncertainly, hating the sound of her voice in the empty space.

Something caught the reflection from the light on the floor. She walked over and bent down and saw a necklace with a crucifix on it. Not thinking about it, she tried to pick it up, but immediately dropped it when she felt her flesh start to sting. It clinkered to the floor and first now she realized that the necklace was made of silver.

"Ouch….." she shook her hand, trying to shake the pain away.

"See….all the evidence we need!"

Suddenly somebody grabbed her arms and twisted them around and held them in a vice-like grip. She tried to pull her self free and a new voice said.

"Let's do the Immbobulus charm on her"

"It won't work on a vampire. They are very resistant to magic"

Hooded figures appeared and formed a half-circle in front of her. It was seven of them, all dressed in black and their face well hidden.

"Let me go!" Rena said in a strained voice and tried once again to escape.

"Shut up" one of the figures said sternly "vampire"

He pressed the metal against her eye. She could feel her skin burn and she howled in pain, tears filling her eyes. Her body jerked in spasm, trying to avoid the ache, but it only grew more intense and the grip around her arms tightened.

"Im not a…." she tried, but didn't know how to explain why her skin was burning when the crucifix touched her skin. She figured that saying that she was a werewolf wouldn't help the situation. "Please…let me go"

"Come on. …quickly…before it….um…vamps on us!"

"Yes….we can't let her summon her strength"

The pain in her face was so intense that it felt as if she was dying. She focused all her willpower on remaining in control and not to give into the roaring and angry wolf inside her that wanted to lash out on its attacker.

The sudden and unexpected new pain that entered her body came as a shock to her. She felt her body go ridged and her vision flickering, then fading.

When he thrust the stake into her body, he hadn't anticipated the soft resistance of flesh. According to the book, the vampire immediately turned to dust. Instead a red stain slowly formed on under her clothes and he could feel sticky warm blood on his hands. He looked up in a pain-streaked face and large dark eyes blinking away tears in surprise and confusion. Everybody stood transfixed and the only people moving were the boys holding her arms. They suddenly let her go, and they saw her body swaying a little.

She reached out an arm, as if begging for help and she opened her mouth to speak but instead blood gushed out. She collapsed, first in the knees and then the rest of her body followed suit, toppling together like a house of cards.

The boys turned around and fled, stumbling backwards to the dormitory. They discarded their robes and cast them in the flames. Everybody was trembling and one was on the verge of tears.

"Nobody…. mentions this. Ever!" was the only words uttered by a fair-haired boy. He spoke in a low a threatening manner. And they nodded in agreement. This was something they defiantly were going to pretend never happen.

Thank you for reading and please review.