HBP is here! Unfortunately, I only read the first 7 chapters, so I'm going to finish it before I update my other stories.
So anyway… I got mixed opinions about the POVs. So for this second part, I'm staying in Mina's POV. Then I'll go back to the way it was for the rest of the fic.

Chapter 13

Did I mention I was scared?

You could imagine my surprise as the werewolf jumped out from the forest. It stopped right in front of me, and I just stared at it, taking all of this in. It didn't make any sense at all. The werewolf just came onto the school grounds, out in the open, where I least expected it, and now it was standing before me, not moving a muscle. And I was too terrified to move myself, for fear that the werewolf might jump at me.

I slowly turned my head towards Lily, and she stood, blinking at me. I didn't want to make any noise, so I mouthed the word "run" to her. But she shook her head. She was trembling all over. I was calm. I looked back at the werewolf. It growled and took at step towards me. Lily screamed.

Hearing Lily, the wolf now turned its attention to her and growled. Werewolves can sense fear. I know this because I've studied about them a lot, and not just for school. Call it some strange fancy of mine.

The werewolf, now facing Lily, jumped at her. I shrieked and did the only thing I could do… I ran towards Lily to push her out of the way so that the wolf would attack me instead. My eyes were shut tight when this was about to happen, of course. But it didn't happen at all. When I looked around me, Lily was gone and the werewolf was running away, back into the forest.

"Mina!" I turned my head and saw Lily on the ground… with James Potter.

"Lily! Thank God you're okay!" I said, "And, Potter, where did you come from?"

Lily and I both stared at Potter, looking for an explanation. He rubbed his head and blinked.

"Um… I was in the forest… and, I saw you, and… I had to save Evans. You know? What else was I going to do? Let her die?" Lily smiled faintly.

"Thank you, James," she said. And then she gave him a kiss on the cheek. He put his hand to the cheek she kissed and blushed.

I could not believe my eyes, and neither could Potter.

"Why did the werewolf run away?" Lily asked, looking at Potter. He shrugged, and looked at me for an answer. Then it hit me- something I hadn't realized I had with me. I felt around my neck for a chain with a charm attached. It was still there. My silver dagger.

"I know why. I'm wearing a silver dagger charm. It's harmful to werewolves. I just put it on this morning for no reason, but I haven't worn it for years. I can't believe I didn't realize it," I said.

"That's fortunate," Potter remarked.

"Mina… you could have been killed. I'm sorry for making you do that," Lily apologized.

"Making me do what? Go into the forest? We were outside of the forest when the werewolf attacked, Lily. Don't blame yourself," I said. She nodded.

Silence.

"Well, I guess you're lucky I was around," Potter said, getting up.

"What were you doing out so late?" Lily asked him.

"I couldn't sleep, so I was taking a walk."

"In the Forbidden Forest?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"Um… I have to go," he said, running back towards the castle.

"Potter! Detention!" I shouted after him, but he was already too far away.

"Mina, he saved my life. Let him go," Lily said.

"Okay."

I shivered.

"It's so cold I can see my own breath," I said, "Let's go."

We went back inside, silent, and then we went to out own common rooms. But before doing so we promised each other not to mention this to anybody.

I slept peacefully that night, knowing that I was safe inside Hogwarts castle.

That morning I woke up early- 7 a.m., precisely.

I looked outside at the forbidden forest. The sun was rising on it; it was so beautiful. It was hard to imagine that just last night I was standing near it, being attacked by a werewolf. That's when I saw a figure running out of the forest and towards the castle. A werewolf?

But my heart sank as I realized who it was. That same person I saw on the last full moon. Remus Lupin. A werewolf.

But he can't be a werewolf, can he? I had to consider the possibilities. What proves that he's a werewolf, anyway?

There's obviously a werewolf at Hogwarts.

Remus wasn't at dinner last night.

He also cancelled tutoring yesterday.

I've never seen him on a full moon, come to think of it.

Two mornings after a full moon he's come out of the forbidden forest, wounded.

He said he'd been keeping a secret from me

So that doesn't prove anything. But it says a lot.

The signs are all there… so how do I find out if it's true? I have to test my theory, somehow. The necklace! I'll wear the necklace around him and see if it bothers him. If he can't come near me, then he truly is a werewolf.

But… I can't do this to Remus. I love him too much. And yet… I need to know what he's been hiding from me. This has to be done.

I grabbed the chain around my neck. It'd been there all night. I could go down now to talk to Remus, but he might suspect something. I'll wait until breakfast starts- 1 hour from now.

Walking down to breakfast, I felt my heart beating faster and faster. Why was I so nervous? Was I scared that Remus might actually be a werewolf?

"Mina, dear, you're a witch just like Mommy!"

"But I don't want to be a witch, Mommy! I want to be a werewolf!"

"You silly child! Why would you want to be something like that?"

"Because I love werewolves!"

I love werewolves. I had told my mom that when I was 6 years old. At the time, I thought people became werewolves as easily as they became witches and wizards. I didn't know it was a painful, scary, lonely thing. I had studied all about werewolves when I first started going to Hogwarts. I fell even more in love with them, and secretly wished I could one day meet one.

So maybe I wasn't scared of the idea of Remus being a werewolf. Maybe I was excited. I don't know. Either way, I knew what I was doing wasn't right. I shouldn't pry into Remus' personal life.

I told myself not to sit at the Gryffindor table. But I sat there anyway, seeing as Lily gestured for me to do so. One can't help being curious, can they?

So when Remus walked into the room, I eagerly waved at him and motioned for him to sit next to me. He hesitated, but then came over and sat down.

"Hey, Remus," I greeted him, fingering my charm. He glanced down at my fingers and looked away almost instantaneously. He squirmed in his seat a little, seemingly awkward, and inched away.

"Hi," he said back, nervously.

"Remus, are you okay?" I asked, trying to sound concerned. But I could not keep a slight smile from creeping across my lips. I just couldn't. And the thought sickened me, that I would actually want the guy I'm crazy about to turn out to be a werewolf. I wiped the smile off of my face immediately.

Remus looked uncomfortable still, but he did not take his eyes off of me. He hesitated a bit, as if unable to find a suitable answer to my question.

"I had a rough night," he said. I nodded.

"Me too."

"Oh?" he seemed to be interested, "How so?"

I stole a quick glance at Potter, who had been listening to our conversation. He just blinked at me. Some help.

"Um… I had prefects' duties; you know how it is," I said. Remus nodded, taking a bite of his scrambled eggs. Potter smirked.

Sigh. This wasn't proving anything at all. Sure, Remus seemed a little uncomfortable around me while I had the charm on, but with Remus Lupin, you could never tell what he was thinking. Maybe he was just uncomfortable because he didn't want to be talking to me.

Pettigrew had engendered a conversation with Remus at this point, in which I took the oppurtunity to move closer towards him. He felt me near him; he felt the dagger near him. This caused him to jump up. He clutched his head as if he had a major headache all of a sudden. Pettigrew just stared at him, confused. Potter laughed.

"What's wrong?" Pettigrew asked. Remus did not answer.

"Moony, you okay?" Sirius asked.

Remus shook his head at Sirius and looked at me. His eyes fell to my neck. Then he ran out of the room.

I looked at Potter, who was still silently chuckling.

"What's up with you, mate?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, nothing," Potter replied.

I took off my necklace and placed it in my pocket. Then I looked at the doors which Remus had just ran out of; staring longingly, hoping that he might come back and tell me that it was all just a joke. But he didn't come back. He was a werewolf.

I felt my eyes begin to water as I thought about how much I missed Remus. I wanted him to know that I knew his secret, and that I still cared deeply about him.

I got up and ran out into the hallway, looking left and right. I wasn't sure which way he'd gone, but I decided to just check the hospital wing. Sure enough, that's where Remus had gone.

Madam Pomfrey reluctantly let me in to see Remus, who was lying on a cot. His face was a bright pink color. He looked up at me and smiled shyly.

"Why are you here, Angel?" he asked. He had called me by his special nickname for me. I smiled.

"I was worried."

"Don't be," he said.

"Remus, I know what happened to you," I said softly.

"Really?" He said, interested.

"Yes. And I want to apologize first…"

"Why? It's not your fault," he said.

"What?"

"Somebody put a Finkle Herb in Remus' breakfast. Little brat must've stolen it from the greenhouses. Remus had a reaction to it," Madam Pomfrey quickly explained.

"Some prankster thought it would be funny to mess with me, and I think I know who it was," he said.

I remembered Potter laughing. So that was it? Food allergies?

"Um… I think I'd better go now," I said, leaving the room abruptly.

I sat back down at the breakfast table, unable to believe what had just happened to me. I ignored Lily's questions about what happened and just sat there, pondering.

I was wrong. I had mistakenly believed that Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

Okay, so don't complain about this chapter because I know it sucked, but it had to be done.

Next chapter is regular 3rd person.

It will pick up the pace and explain what happens on Nov. 17th.

You're in for a surprise.

Until then, -MINA-