Chapter 6

Helping Crystal

About five minutes later, after SilverFang had informed Crystal about his real name, she burst into tears again and hugged him. He shushed her, telling her that everything was going to be alright and such. Finally, she calmed down and SilverFang offered her some tea. She accepted and when she wasn't looking, he slipped some calming draught into the tea.

"Why did you tell me?" She whispered after a minute. SilverFang sighed and stirred his tea absently. The portrait to the quarters opened and Whitestone and GoldFeather walked in. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Crystal and SilverFang without his glamours on.

"What's going on here?" Whitestone asked slowly, trying to get a grasp on the situation at hand. SilverFang decided to play it up.

"This first year figured out my identity and threatened to tell the whole school of my true identity if I didn't treat her to tea and let her see how I really look." SilverFang lied smoothly. Crystal giggled and SilverFang winked at her.

"Ha ha. What's going on?" GoldFeather asked, grabbing himself some tea.

"Your eyes will open later." Which was their code for 'I'll tell you later'. "Any ways, can I continue my private conversation with Crystal?" SilverFang demanded. They rolled their eyes and left. He thenturned back to Crystal. "That's the problem with room mates. They always walk in on you during the worst of times." He said.

"Why did youtell me?" She asked again, this time her voice a little stronger. SilverFang sighed.

"I wanted to tell you that I understand your pain. Did Sirius tell you that I was beaten too when I was a child?" He asked. Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "Yes. My relatives used to beat me because my parents were wizards and I was one too. I used to deal with it, believing that, that was what I needed to do in order to be loved. That if I stayed quiet about it, did as they told me to and wanted me to, then they would love me. Does this sound familiar?" SilverFang asked. After a minute, Crystal nodded. "I thought so. Crystal, it took me a long time to understand. I finally learned that if they loved me, and if they were going to love me, they wouldn't beat me. I'm sure Sirius loves you, but what he's doing is wrong and and you shouldn't have to put up with it, and neither should Lupin." He explained. She nodded. He then sighed.

"May I call you Harry?" She whispered. He nodded.

"But only if we're in private. Crystal, do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked. She blushed and nodded.

"But daddy loves me. He doesn't mean to hurt me. He always apologizes to me later. He just loses control somethings. Father understands." She whispered. SilverFang sighed and then knelt in front of her, taking her hands into his.

"Crystal, if he was truly sorry, he would have stopped a long time ago. He would have quit hurting you. Please Crystal, understand, this is just going to continue. It's not because you're not as good as me. It's not because you're in Slytherin. It's because he's mad at himself and he's just too afraid to take it out on himself and he's too afraid to resolve this, knowing that the pain is because of him. He's just taking his hurt out on you. You have to understand. He may be sorry
for a minute, but he's not truly sorry. He loves you, but not enough to stop. Crystal, this is not alright. This is wrong. If I had known this, I would have turned my family in a long time ago. Do you understand Crystal?" He asked softly. The tears began to run down her face and she nodded, sobbing. "I'm going to go send a letter to Remus. I need to speak with him in person. What class do you have right now?" He asked.

"Care of Magical Creatures." She whispered. SilverFang felt his blood boil slightly.

"You're not going. You're going up to the infirmiry and you're going to spend the class period in there with Whitestone. Tell her I sent you." SilverFang told her. "If she's not up there, tell Madam Promfery that I sent you up and I'll explain to her later why. Okay?" He asked. She nodded, gathered her things and left. SilverFang quickly jotted down a letter and Hedwig appeared on the window.

"Take this to Remus." He told Hedwig. Hedwig rubbed her head against his hand before taking off with the letter clutched tightly in her beak. SilverFang then went to Dumbledore's office.

"CandyCane." He muttered to the gargoyal and went up the stairs. He rapped on Dumbledore's office door and a soft "Come on" came from inside. He opened the door and walked in to find Dumbledore stroking Fawkes. He smiled warmly at SilverFang.

"Ah, SilverFang. Do come in and sit down. Lemon drop? Tea?" He asked. SilverFang grinned, remembering back when he was a student and Dumbledore would start out their meetings like this. He politely declined and sat down. "So what brings you up here, my dear boy?" Dumbledore asked. SilverFang remembered why and clenched his fist slightly.

"Dumbledore, I want Crystal Lupin-Black taken out of Care of Magical Creatures and placed in an alternate class, maybe something like Healing, like you suggested for Harry Potter." He suggested, careful how he worded his requests. Dumbledore studied him intently.

"You knew Harry?" He asked softly. SilverFang nodded.

"Yes, Harry was searching for the Master with me. He told me a lot about his life. He was the closest thing I had to a friend." He told Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded.

"Why do you want Crystal to be moved into an alternate class?" Dumbledore asked. SilverFang clenched his fist as tight as he could.

"I want your word that this will not go past these walls and you will tell no one, and that you will do nothing about this. It's being taken care of already." SilverFang said slowly. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, but he agreed. "Earlier today I caught Sirius Black beating his daughter. He was angered by her being placed in Slytherin. I've already healed her and I've talked with her, but I want her as far from Sirius and with as minimul contact with him as possible." He informed Dumbledore. Dumbledore frowned and folded his hands ontop of his desk.

"And what are you doing about this?" He asked, all twinkle in his eyes completely gone without a trace.

"I'm currently trying to cut off all connection between Sirius and Lupin and Crystal. I'm hoping that if I severe their ties, then Sirius may realize what he's had all this time and reform from what he's been doing. There's no doubt in my mind that he loves them. I just don't think he realizes what he has because he's so blinded by his pain." SilverFang explained. Dumbledore nodded, understanding.

"What's causing this pain? Or do you not know?" Dumbledore inquired, sipping his tea. SilverFang poured himself some tea before he sat back in his chair.

"I think it has to do with Harry Potter's death. Crystal told me that when Sirius beat her that he would say that she wasn't as good as Harry, that she'd never be as good as him." He explained. Dumbledore nodded, understanding that as well.

"I think you have a good plan on your shoulders. We'll rearrange her schedule." He said softly, and SilverFang thanked him before he left.

SilverFang went up to the infirmary and found Whitestone teaching Crystal how to heal scratches and such. He suck out Madam Promfrey, who was watching with slight disapproval.

"It's not that I'm disapproving of her teaching her, it's because the girls here instead of class, and there's no medical reason for her being here." Madam Promfrey explained when SilverFang asked. He grinned, remembering the times he had been here as a student.

"I sent her up here. I think she's going to start being a student of yours." SilverFang explained. She looked up at him, surprised.

"Why would you say that?" She demanded.

"Because I ask Dumbledore to. I can't tell you why, but I think she has a knack for healing. It took me a week to learn how to heal a scratch and she's healing them easily over there." He said, adverting her attention from why to the promise of a promising student. She smiled, her eyes eager filled.

"You're right. She does show much promise." Madam Promfrey whispered with a smile.

TBC