Disclaimer: Same apply as in chapter one. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

It was October and during the Halloween feast as Gale walked through the less used corridors. Kiasa was at her side and she loved his natural aura of freezing temperature.

"Why are you taking so long?" he asked darkly. "You watch him yet you fail to act."

"I can't as well do it in front of the others," frowned Gale. "I like it here."

"He grows inpatient," insisted Kiasa. "You're playing with fire."

"He's not strong enough," said Gale. "And even if, he can't touch me here."

Kiasa regarded her a moment.

"But I can," he said finally.

"Yes, but as long as you're with me here, he has no control over you either."

Suddenly she heard that icy voice she had heard once before. It was faint, but still very unsettling.

"…so hungry… must kill…"

"Did you just hear that?" asked Gale halting her step.

"It came from down the corridor somewhere," said Kiasa.

Listening hard she continued at a quiet stride; they were getting closer. There was a sudden heavy grinding sound followed by a cat's loud hissing; then silence. Now Gale ran and soon came to a bend where she suddenly stood in water, her nose assaulted with the scent of animal blood.

"The chamber of secrets has been opened," read Kiasa. "Enemies of the heir, beware."

She was about to ask when she saw the bold writing on the wall with her own eyes. It was written in blood.

"What are you doing," came Ron's shout from beyond the other corner. "We can't hear a thing!"

Gale quickly ducked back behind the bend as Kiasa melted into the shadow on the wall. Harry, followed by Ron and Hermione shot around the corner.

"Look!" said Harry with a trembling finger.

"Oh my gosh!" gasped Hermione as hey read the writing on the wall.

"W-what's that t-there?" asked Ron shakily.

The trio cautiously approached the wall.

"It's Mrs. Norris!" shrieked Hermione.

Mr. Filch's cat was stiff as a board hanging fro the torch holder.

"We better get out of here before anyone sees us," said Ron slowly backing away.

"Shouldn't we, you know, get her down or something?" asked Hermione awkward.

"No way! If Filch finds us here like this… trust me, let's go," urged Ron.

Too late. It seemed the feast had ended as a hoard of students came along the corridor from both sides. Gale was in the position no one could know she had been standing there the whole time and stayed where she was. The various conversations came to a stop as the first students saw the cat and the writing on the wall. Malfoy wormed his way to the front.

"Enemies of the heir? Ha- you're next Mudbloods," he laughed.

"What's all the commotion about? Out of the way, let me through!"

Mr. Filch shoved himself through the crowds until he stood in the clearing and his eyes landed on his cat. He stumbled back in horror with his mouth gaping.

"M- Mrs. Norris! What happened to her?!" he shrieked.

He turned on Harry and Gale almost felt sorry for the boy.

"YOU!!" he bellowed. "You killed my cat! You killed Mrs. Norris!! I'll kill you! I'll rip your head off!! I'm goi—"

"Argus Filch, that's enough!"

Gale could see the relief on Harry's eyes as Dumbledore came through.

He swept past the terrified trio and took Mrs. Norris from the torch holder as the other Professors arrived.

"Come with me Argus," said Dumbledore with the cat in his arms. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger; please come along as well."

The crowds parted as Dumbledore led the way through, until Professor Lockheart showed up.

"Headmaster, you can use my office just upstairs; it's closest," he said.

As they spoke Gale felt it best to disappear and carefully snuck into the nearest classroom.

"I don't think coming here was such a good idea," said Kiasa as he melted from the wall. "Now they'll suspect you."

"They would have anyway," said Gale flatly. "Just look at me."

Gale spun around when the door opened and Professor Snape entered, shutting it right after.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in his silky tone of voice. "And what is the nightwalker doing back?"

Kiasa's eyes flared and Gale quickly stepped in front of him.

"Please Professor, I needed him here," she said. "And I came here because I feared the others would suspect me of writing that message. "

Professor Snape frowned and looked at Kiasa.

"You better not be implying I did it, wizard," he said darkly.

"He didn't do it either Professor," she said, "He's been with me since nightfall."

"Why weren't you at the Halloween feast?" inquired Snape crossing his arms.

"I needed to be with him and felt it best not to be near anyone else," she said.

"Why did you need him?"

Snape watched her tense a little, followed by her uncharacteristic hesitations.

"I can't explain it," she floundered. "Please, I just needed him."

"Miss Glider I feel I've been forthcoming enough and it's about time you start explaining yourself," he said. "After this mess has been sorted out I will summon you to my office and you will not be excused until I'm satisfied with your answers. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," she said quietly.

Snape gave Kiasa a last look before leaving the room.

"Oh no," she moaned after the door closed. "What should do Kiasa?"

"Do what you came here to do and flee," he said.

"I can't, not now," she spat.

"You keep making excuses and drag this out," said Kiasa darkly. "Just kill the boy and be done with it!"

Gale angrily turned on him.

"I can't!" she growled.

Gale waited an hour before leaving the classroom and by the time she had arrived in the common room everyone had gone to bed despite the excitement. Thankful for a break for once Gale took off her robe and two large argent wings unfurled from her back. Kiasa came from the shadows.

"Do you think it wise, out here in the open like this?" he asked.

"Everyone's asleep," she said. "I have to take this chance since I can't fly. I can hardly open my wings in my bed as it is."

"Very well," he said.

Gale stretched her arms and wings before turning to Kiasa.

"I think it's best you return to my father for a while Kiasa," she said. "I don't want them warding this place against you."

"Very well, take care."

Kiasa sank into the ground, taking the aura of cold with him as he vanished for good. With a sigh, Gale turned to the staircase incase someone really might show up and started to exercise her wings with wide strokes.

….

After clearing up that Mrs. Norris wasn't dead but petrified and Harry was not at fault, Headmaster Dumbledore held Professor Snape back.

"A word if I may, Severus," he said.

"Yes?"

"I would like you to fetch Miss Glider to my office," he said. "I'm confident she has just arrived in the common room."

"You saw her?" asked Snape.

Dumbledore just smiled and left the room.

…

Keeping her attention fixed on the staircase, Gale was unaware as the portal opened to the common room. It was the Professor's surprised exclamation that made her spin around with her wings spread.

"P-Professor?!"

Snape was completely taken aback as she stood frozen with her wings tightly folded to her back.

"You…"

Snape slowly took careful steps toward her as he regained his composure. Her eyes were stuck on his; eyes that seemed somehow familiar. Her scleras were sky blue and the irises only slightly darker making her seem almost blind. Her shoulder length hair was silver like her wings.

"You are the dragon from the forest," he said in almost a whisper. "The silver, trapped in the web."

Gale retreated a few steps; she was speechless.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I- I wanted to… back in the office," she said weakly.

Snape circled her around back and looked at her wings.

"Afterwards I lost my nerve," she said, her voice growing stronger. "My kind has been hunted and even if I'm only a half breed, I might be the last."

Snape stepped around to face her again and frowned.

"While attending Hogwarts it doesn't matter what mixed blood you have Miss Glider," he said.

"Please sir, don't tell anyone," she pleaded.

Snape spotted her robe on the back of the chair and retrieved it, draping it over her shoulders properly.

"Hide your wings if you want, no one can tell you're a dragon by your hair or eyes," he said. "It's absolutely annoying talking to someone who constantly hides their face."

Gale averted her eyes as he fished in his pocket and pulled out the scale on a chain he had found in the forest

"I believe this is yours then?"

Gale's face lit up and she took it.

"Thank you," she said putting it around her neck.

Immediately an aura of cold engulfed her and absorbed into her skin.

"What just happened?" asked Snape.

"I can't stand the heat," she said. "This keeps my temperature down."

When Snape gave her a skeptical look, Gale rose up on her toes and touched his cheek with the back of her hand.

"That is cold," he said backing up a bit.

Gale wondered if it was really the cold or just her touch that made him step back.

"The Headmaster wants to see you," he said completely changing the subject. "Come on."

He didn't know why he felt the need to make her feel safe, but he took her hand in this gesture nonetheless and led her along the corridors. Gale gladly held his hand and let a small smile dance on her lips so he wouldn't see.

Dumbledore sat at his desk when they entered and Snape let go of Gale. He could tell she was nervous and ushered her to a seat where she tensely took her seat.

"It's nice to finally see your face," said Dumbledore.

"You're not surprised?" she asked puzzled.

"I had a hunch," he said. "The potions you made at breakfast; they were to keep you cold?"

Gale nodded surprised.

"Then why did you stop making them recently?" asked Snape still standing beside her.

"I've used up all the stones," she said. "They were all I had left."

"That's what you meant when you said you needed the nightwalker earlier," said Snape leaning against the desk. "His aura of cold; because you had lost the necklace?"

"Yes sir," she said. "But the necklace doesn't keep the cold forever and I need him to imbue it once in a while."

Dumbledore folded his hands on the desk and fixed that penetrating gaze on her.

"Miss Glider, you didn't lie, but you didn't tell the truth either," he said calmly. "That night you entered the forest; it wasn't because of the nightwalker, was it."

Gale averted her eyes.

"No sir," she said quietly. "I haven't flown for almost two months… I went there to fly."

"Two months is a long time, especially for a silver," said Dumbledore. "But fact is you broke the rules and entered the forest of your own free will."

Gale still couldn't look at him.

"Perhaps some leniency considering the situation, Headmaster," suggested Snape. "A punishment in place of expulsion?"

Gale looked at Snape with disbelief.

"I agree," said Dumbledore and she looked at him now. "However, if this happens again you will be expelled Miss Glider, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," she said. "Thank you."

"Now, to the reason I actually asked you here," he said. "You left the feast rather early tonight; did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary?"

Gale thought of the strange voice she had heard, but the first time Dumbledore had been with her and he hadn't heard anything.

"No sir," she said finally. "I was with Kiasa when we stumbled on the writing on the wall."

"Mr. Potter arrived after you?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, he did," she said. "I don't think he had anything to do with it; the three of them were very scared when they found it."

Snape gave a derisive snort at this.

"That defiantly clears Mr. Potter, thank you," said Dumbledore. "And why did you hide?"

"I thought the others might suspect me," she admitted.

"Very well then. There is one more thing," said Dumbledore. "I'm not very happy about having a nightwalker in this school. He may be your friend, but even he can't control the natural effects he has on humans."

"I've been keeping him away from the others," she said. "And you don't have to worry, I sent him away for a while."

"Aside of some set backs, you're very responsible," smiled Dumbledore. "It's refreshing to see in young students."

Snape noticed her shortly averting her eyes before smiling and wondered what that was about. She seemed almost guilty about something.

"You're not telling us something," said Snape. "Out with it."

Gale slightly teared up and bit her lower lip.

"I… I'm older… than I look," she said almost inaudibly.

"What do you mean?" asked Snape.

"I'm n- nineteen."

"I thought so," said Dumbledore not at all surprised. "You're much too mannered to be twelve."

Gale gaped at him the same as Snape.

"You knew?"

"I didn't know exactly how old you really were, but I did sense this little deception the first time we met."

"But then why did you let me attend?" she asked incredulous.

"Is that why you've told us to grade her more strictly?" asked Snape with a frown. "You could have just told us Albus."

"What's done is done," smiled Dumbledore. "But I'm glad you finally told me."

Gale didn't quite understand, but she wasn't about to argue.

"Now I believe that is all, I thank you for coming," said Dumbledore rising to his feet. "Rest well."

"Good night sirs," she nodded curtly and left.

"She's still hiding something," said Snape when she was gone.

"I sensed the same," agreed Dumbledore. "But let us not dwell on it for long. She's been hiding who she is for a long time, she'll have her secrets."

….

It's been two days since that night and Gale was getting very aggravated by everyone staring at her. Most common belief was that she had been involved in a potions accident and it suited her just fine; however their constant whispering and staring was very annoying. Not so with Potter; everyone seemed to avoid him now. They had double potions together and she walked up beside him on their way.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

Harry was taken completely by surprise; she virtually never really spoke to him.

"Everyone thinks I'm the one who… you know," he said downhearted. "Now they're avoiding me like I have the plague."

"And that bothers you?" she asked puzzled. "I wish people would go back to avoiding me."

Harry smiled, but when he looked at her his scar weakly stung again and he turned his eyes back to the floor.

"I just want things to go back to normal again," he sighed ignoring it.

Gale agreed with him as they entered the classroom and cursed herself. She didn't know why she felt the need to make him feel better when what she really should be doing was wholly opposite.

After class Professor held Harry and Gale back.

"Wait here Potter," he said coldly. "Miss Glider, come with me."

He led her into the rather large storage room and closed the door.

"I've been looking into your temperature problem and found a permanent way to keep you cold," he said taking a flask from the back of a shelf.

The liquid inside seemed like water with an odd shimmer of translucent colors, yet moved almost like thick syrup as it was disturbed.

"You have to drink this in your other form and it should take effect almost instantly," he explained.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You don't want to know," he said. "But trust me, it'll work."

Gale looked around the room and deemed it large enough to revert.

"Please step back a bit Professor," she said.

Snape watched as she fluently transformed into the dragon he had met in the forest, albeit a bit larger than before. It was a grand sight to behold, he had to admit, but the through that he had flown on the back of one of his students slightly humiliated him.

"Is everything alright Professor?" she asked at the sour look that shortly showed on his face.

"Here, drink this," he handed her the flask.

Gale carefully took it in her large claws and poured the sour liquid into her mouth, trying hard not to spit it in his face.

"That's terrible," she rumbled shaking her head.

The corner of his mouth tugged up from her display and he took out his wand.

"Now hold still," he said pointing it at her.

Gale listened as he almost sang a few verses of arcane words and tingled all over when it was complete.

"Now turn back, you should feel the effects," he said.

Gale did as told; however what she turned into was wholly different. Fully grown and very beautiful with hair down to her waist and skin pale with a shimmer of silver.

"G-Gale?" he stammered beside himself.

…….

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I welcome your reviews.

Later Days, Imako the Demon Wolf