Chapter 26: A Heart To Heart Talk

When Dumbledore and Lavender arrived at the Greenhouses, Dumbledore asked Professor Sprout if he could see Ginny. Five minutes later Ginny appeared and she closed the door, blocking out the sound of Professor Sprout's voice.

"Mrs. Snape, I want you to spend time with Lavender," he told her. "She has been through a lot and she needs to know that someone's there for her."

Ginny nodded and he watched both witches head across the grounds and disappeared from sight. He shook his head and headed back to the castle. He really needed to call a meeting of the staff.

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"So how's she doing?" Remus asked Severus.

Severus looked over at Hermione, who was busy doing her homework.

"She's doing better," Severus said. "I'm hoping that all this time has proven some head in what's happening to her."

"So do you think she's a werecat?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders, and then said, "I don't really know right now. I thought I did, but now I don't."

"Well let's hope that we figure this out," Remus said. "I miss her!"

Severus gave him a sharp look, which Remus caught.

"And what's that look suppose to mean?" Remus asked him.

"Oh, nothing," Severus said. "I just don't understand how you can stand being around that little know-it-all."

Hermione's head shot up.

"I heard that," she spat.

Severus grinned at her.

"I'm glad that you did," he said, returning to his work.

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"Why don't we have some lunch," Ginny said to Lavender.

"Okay," Lavender said slowly.

Ginny opened the door and steered her in. Madam Rosmerta looked up from what she was doing and Ginny knew that she was shocked to see them.

"It's alright," Ginny said. "Dumbledore gave us permission to be here."

Madam Rosmerta nodded and then came around to them.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"What's on special?" Ginny asked her.

"Our Quidditch special," Madam Rosmerta said.

"We'll take two of those and two large mugs of butterbeer."

Rosmerta wrote this down and then left.

"Thanks for doing this for me?" Lavender said.

Ginny smiled at her.

"It was nothing," Ginny said. "I understand that you didn't like being around Tom and since I know what he's like, I feel like I need to give you a helping hand."

Lavender said nothing.

"So what did Dumbledore tell you?"

Lavender sniffed, which told Ginny that she was on the verge to tears.

"He said that Tom did something that will make me unable to get rid of it. He said that Tom became what he was because he had no one to love him."

"That would be correct," Ginny said. "Lavender, I'm going to continue to be your friend even though your married to that man and having his child. You have the power to destroy the evil of the Slytherin line by showing this child love and telling him or what kind of man sired him or her."

"But what if he or she doesn't believe me?" Lavender said.

Ginny smiled at her.

"Oh I believe he or she will," Ginny said.

A few minutes later Madam Rosmerta arrived with their lunch.

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Hermione finished her homework and started to put her books away. Suddenly she was hit with a rack of pain and felt herself transforming again. Hermione tried to scream for help, but couldn't manage it. Suddenly Severus burst out from a side door that he had been using to see her transform into a huge cat with very long teeth. He backed near the wall, the creature coming nearer.

Then she pounced and landed right on-top of him. Severus saw the huge teeth and the horrible breath. Severus tried to reach for his wand, but he couldn't get to it. Severus knew that he was going to die. Hermione was going to rip his throat out and then everything that he worked for would be for nothing. Suddenly she backed away, like she knew who he was.

And then she transformed back into Hermione. A much shaken Hermione. Severus decided that he needed to head to the library and find out what in the world was going on.

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Madam Pince was shocked when she saw Severus entered the library. He didn't talk to her, which was a first, and went to a very old section of the library. Madam Pince watched as he pulled out a book, looked through the pages, and then left, leaving the book behind. When he was gone she walked over to the book that he was reading and saw that it was open. She saw a huge cat that had long teeth, drinking the blood of a large animal.

The Vampire Leopard

This dark creature is the only cat the drinks the blood of large animals. This creature is immune from holy water, sunlight, cross, and doesn't need to be invited in. Sometimes this creature is confused for a werecat.

"What's going on here?" Madam Pomfrey said to herself.

Note: I hope that you all like this chapter. Next chapter: Hermione returns to lessons and Hermione and Remus spend some alone time together.