When Konata told Shiro that the test results were positive, he expressed the same feelings as she had: frightened, yet glad at the same time. "Blimey, I'm going to be a papa…" he breathed. He gave Konata a long kiss, and then turned to Blaze with his arm around his girlfriend's waist. "Congratulations to you, too. If you need help… Well, Uncle Shiro's here," he assured her with a grin. That, however, was about the only good event that occurred. Life at Hogwarts had changed drastically, making students' stay there quite miserable. Shiro was often in danger of losing himself to the "beast" inside of him, but didn't lose control until about November.

Severus Snape stood before the students in the Great Hall, taking leisurely steps across the floor with that long black cloak of his trailing lazily behind. "It has come to my attention that behind my back, there has been some… misbehavings," he began, the slow softness of his voice only making him seem more terrifying. All that could be heard in the room was the echo of voice and the muffled sound of his footsteps. "Shall I go over some of the basic rules once more?" he continued. "One: You are to be perfectly silent during classes. Two: you are forbidden to own any products from that wretched Weasley store in Diagon Alley, or anything similar. Three: There is absolutely no permitting of leaving your dormitory after curfew. Four: You must progress through the hallways in an orderly manner, never straying solo. Five: No public displays of affection. That being said… Miss Konata Verdent, present yourself up here."

The silence seemed to increase at the abrupt last statement as many students turned toward the Hufflepuff table. Konata glanced side to side, as if waiting for some other Konata Verdent to respond. When nobody took the credit, she got to her feet very slowly. She felt as if she was outside of her own body, like every one of her bones had hollowed out. Terror pulsing throughout her body, accompanied by her seemingly amplified heartbeat, the brunette made her way up to Professor Snape.

Snape made a quick motion with his wand, making it appear as if an invisible someone had seized the back of Konata's robes and yanked them backward, making the front of the regularly loose fabric rather tight against her stomach. Her eyes rounded in horror: being at the 3 month point, she was starting to show. Those whom she had told about her predicament looked down at the floor in both sympathy and shame for their friend; people who weren't friendly with her showed signs of disgust and mild shock; Shiro turned horribly pale.

"Tell me… When did this occur?" Snape hissed. Konata murmured her reply, making Snape bellow,

"Speak up!"

"O-over the summer," Konata repeated in a louder but quivering voice.

"Do not lie to your headmaster. IMPERIO!" Had Michael Corner not grabbed him by the arm, Shiro would have bolted up there and hexed Professor Snape on the spot as a glossy, hypnotized look swiped across Konata's eyes. Clenching his teeth tightly, eyes shining blood red, Shiro reluctantly remained seated with an animal-like growl.

"Now, tell me the whole and honest truth about how you came to be in this condition," Snape growled slowly and clearly.

"Shiro Ueda and I went all the way on the night of July twenty-eighth of 1997. I did not learn that I had been impregnated until September first of the same year," Konata declared in an apathetic tone much unlike her own. Many gazes now drifted toward the Ravenclaw table, where Shiro sat back to his normal self but wanting to Disapparate on the spot.

Lips pursed slightly, Snape glared down at Konata with the smallest amount of disappointment etched on his face. With a motion to the headmaster's wand, Konata was released from the curse. She closed her eyes tightly, reopening them only to frantically glance around the room. "I suppose you haven't broken any rules by being inappropriately promiscuous…" Konata blushed fiercely, a few tears jumping into her eyes. Snape turned to the rest of the students, who were still deathly silent. "You are all dismissed," he shouted. After shoving Konata back to the crowd, he swept away.

Muggle Studies later that day was when things took a turn for the positively worst. After breakfast, Shiro hadn't been himself. He kept his head down, fearing that if he looked anyone in the eye or spoke any words, he'd do something regrettable. Come Muggle Studies, though, he lost all self restraint.

Ever since the class had been taken over by Alecto Carrow, it had been altered drastically. Instead of being taught how Muggles and witches/wizards were not so different, and how they made it through life without magic, the students were forced to listen to the female Death Eater lecture them in the filth of Muggles. This day in particular, she was discussing how unintelligent they were.

"As you all well know, Muggles are as lowly as animals. They cannot process things as witches and wizards can…" Alecto was saying in a drawl.

"Rubbish," Konata muttered under her breath, staring at her desk. Her emerald eyes widened as she felt she pressure of Alecto's gaze turn to her.

"What was that, Verdent?"

Konata gulped, gradually raising her stare. Furrowing her eyebrows, she put on a brave face. "I said… this is rubbish. I've lived with Muggles all my life, and they're just as smart as magical folk. Smarter, even, if they can invent all these things to survive without magic!"

The silence that filled the room was almost deathly. Terror swept over Shiro's face as Alecto approached his girlfriend with an expression of utmost hatred. Konata, you idiot… You should have kept your mouth shut! He thought desperately. "You dare try to defy my logic? My truth? Stand up, girl," Alecto hissed. Although her courageous appearance remained, Konata was screaming with fear inside as she got to her feet. "Do you know what we professors shall do to students who speak lies, out of turn at that?" The silence that followed was broken when Alecto raised her hand and brought it across Konata's cheek with incredible force. All the students gasped, and Shiro even stood up. "We punish them," Alecto growled.

From a pocket in her dress, she withdrew a knife so expertly assembled it could only be crafted by goblins. "Don't do it…" Shiro whispered, flecks of red beginning to dot his eyes. Of course, though, this comment didn't faze Alecto at all. She raised her arm, and slashed the blade across Konata's cheek. The Hufflepuff cried out in pain, closing her eyes tightly as crimson blood slipped down her face.

"How DARE you!" Shiro shouted. The redness washed over his eyes, fangs growing out of his clenched teeth. His palms immediately started bleeding as the fingernails digging into them transformed into claws.

"Well, well. This is an example of some very exquisite Dark Arts, resulting from an ancient curse… Although this is my brother's field, I'd be happy to demonstrate what happens when you irritate someone under such a curse," Alecto murmured coldly, a smirk forming on her lips.

"No, don't…" Konata whimpered, attempting to catch her bleeding with her hand.

"Quiet," Alecto snapped, smacking her in the back of the head so hard that she cried out and fell to her knees.

"You damn bitch," Shiro snarled. With that, he lunged forward and slapped the professor across the face, seeing to it that his claws left deep marks in her cheek.

"You little… STUPEFY!" Alecto screamed. Shiro ducked just in time, and the students behind him narrowly avoided being struck by the red light. At remarkable speed, Shiro grabbed Konata by the wrist, yanked her to her feet, and bolted out the door.

"Where… are we… going?" Konata panted, risking a glance over her shoulder at the professor pursuing them.

"The RoR…" Shiro huffed, the redness of his eyes plus sharpness of his claws and fangs lesser, though they still remained. "And I hate to say it, love, but we may not ever come out." Skidding to a halt by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet, Shiro waited for a certain door to appear. Once it did, he dashed through it and tossed Konata inside. "Well darling, we've lost her… And I don't think she, or any other teacher, will be able to find us again," he gasped, looking around to see a couple of hammocks as well as banners displaying the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw crests. When the only response he got from Konata was heavy breathing, he whipped his head around to look at her. His eyes widened and gradually transitioned back to blue.

"Konata, sweetheart…? Are you alright?" he whispered, taking a few steps forward and placing his declawed hands on her shoulders.

"S-sort of… I'm sure there'll be bandages for my cheek, it looks like there's plenty of medical stuff here… But my stomach's cramped really, really bad, I-I think the baby's hurt…" she said in a soft, quivering voice.

"O-oh, Merlin… You just need to sit, dear, I'm sure everything'll be fine…" Shiro assured her, leading her over to a hammock. Konata gave a small nod, taking a seat and gingerly running her hand over her stomach.

"Th-think we can somehow contact Blaze? Let her know we're here?"

"We're in the Room of Requirement, Konata…" Shiro gazed around the room, which appeared much different than the one in which DA meetings were held. "I'm fairly certain we can do anything."