I do not own Harry Potter or anything that you recognize. I do however own this plot and the charactors that you don't recognize! ;)

As I alluded to in my A/N from the last chapter we are resting on the very top of a roller coaster once again! So sit down, grab a hold of something and hopefully you will enjoy the ride! ;)

Chapter Sixty-three

Pain

At nearly five o'clock the Hufflepuffs called it quits and headed back for the castle. Taylor had seen her brother and the others wave before heading off too, about ten minutes ago.

"Hey Taylor want to fly a little longer?" The Head Boy asked grinning before waving at his friends who turned to see if the pair was coming.

"You just want a race, admit it Hunter!" Taylor joked as she returned his grin. She was sitting on the bench where the spares had sat during their game.

"A race? Now that is an interesting proposition. What does the winner get?" he asked wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

Taylor laughed as the last of the Hufflepuffs disappeared from sight on their way back to the castle. And then she put her finger on her chin pretending to think. "How about a big juicy kiss?"

"A kiss hey?" Greg said as he stepped closer his eyes darkening.

"Only if you win," Taylor whispered as her heart sped up but to her disappointment he didn't kiss her, instead he touched the end of her nose with his finger before saying.

"Okay, twice around the pitch and no cheating, witch!" his voice was husky and low.

Taylor's heart seemed to do a stutter step as she whispered back, "Gryffindors don't cheat, not like you are now."

"Me, cheating? How am I cheating?" he said in the same husky tone.

"You are making my heart race and my brain all foggy," Taylor answered softly.

"I am, am I? Well it's working then." The Hufflepuff grinned wickedly before stepping back from the witch and saying. "Come on let's race!"

Taylor watched as the Head Boy hopped on his broom and soared up into the air, shaking her head as if to clear it she yelled, "Ohhh! You! You just wait!"

Mounting her brother's Firebolt she rose up in the air to meet the Hufflepuff giving him an evil glare as he laughed.

Flying to where they were going to start, Taylor adjusted her grip just a little waiting for the flag that the Hufflepuff had charmed to drop. The seconds ticked by and she could feel her heart pounding as anticipation surged through her. When the flag dropped she tipped forward and the Firebolt shot away from the starting line. For a few moments she just enjoyed the rush of racing through the air, but then she noticed the Hufflepuff and moved a little closer. He was the better flyer and could take the turns just a little tighter and smoother, but the Nimbus just wasn't the broom that the Firebolt was and on the long straight-aways she easily caught him again. He'd pass her in the turns, and then she'd catch and pass him on the straight-aways. She knew that if the start hadn't been in the middle of the long pitch that she would have lost. As it was she just flashed past the finish a little ahead of the Hufflepuff.

Slowing she turned and grinned at him. "Too bad Hufflepuff! Maybe next time!"

"Maybe next time we put the finish line closer to the corners!" He called before flying closer as his face stretched into a warm smile. "So is today really only the second time you've flown a broom?"

Taylor nodded as the Hufflepuff said, "Wow, that's very impressive, you know Gryffindor! You'd have made one hell of a quidditch player!"

Taylor laughed, "I don't know if it's me that you should be complimenting. The Firebolt did all the work."

"Yeah that is a mighty fast broom, but if you weren't such an instinctual flyer, you'd have crashed or fallen off it at least twice today that I saw. I'm a little surprised Potter let you ride it, as inexperienced as you are."

Taylor just grinned cheekily.

"So what do you want to do? I could transfigure us a quaffle and we could throw it around," The Hufflepuff offered. He hadn't meant to make that last comment about Potter. He'd seen the Gryffindor captain watching his witch closely all afternoon and he hadn't missed the look of pride on the Gryffindor's face when his witch had caught that snitch. Of course he'd been very impressed himself and knew that Murphy, the Hufflepuff seeker was going to get quite a bit of ribbing over it. Still though, it had been a risky move on the Gryffindor captain's part, lending Taylor his Firebolt.

"Yeah that sounds like fun!" Taylor said and Greg flew down to the pitch and picking up a small stone, transfigured it into a quaffle.

Over the next hour and a half, until it became too dark to see properly, the two flew around the pitch, tossing the quaffle back and forth or chasing one another over this or that, and sometimes they'd just fly side by side and hold hands. All the time laughing and having fun.

As they landed, Taylor was thinking of what a special day it had been. She'd been able to fly with her brother and play with him for a little while and then she'd had this special time with Greg.

As if neither wanted the day to end, they sat down on the bench in the quiet of early evening, and as the sky darkened from dark blue to black Taylor received her reward for winning the race earlier. One she enthusiastically reciprocated.

The moon was just starting to come up over the Forbidden forest when the two finally decided to head back to the castle.

"I'm going to have to raid the kitchens! I am starving!" Taylor said as she stood and lifted her brother's Firebolt onto her shoulder. "Then I think I'm going to need a shower or maybe I might try sneaking into the prefects bath and having a nice long soak in their tub!" she added as she rolled her shoulders and stretched. She was really going to be sore tomorrow!

Greg laughed, "I agree with you one hundred percent! About raiding the kitchens and then the soak in the tub…" he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and she smacked him on the shoulder.

"You prat! You are not joining me in a tub!"

"Well it is a prefect's bathroom and you are not a prefect nor a head, so how do you know about it?" He teased in a mock serious tone.

Taylor grinned up at him mischievously as she said evasively, "Oh I have my ways, don't you worry! You are not the only one who knows this castle very well!"

"Why witch, are you toying with my sensibilities?"

Taylor snorted and started to laugh, as she struggled to get out, "I haven't touched those yet!" The Hufflepuff stared at her for a second before he joined her in laughter.

Laughing, the two continued up across the dark grounds lit only by the moonlight.

Taylor was finally getting control of her laughter when something made it die away suddenly and she stopped. The feeling that something was wrong made her turn and look towards the Forbidden forest not far away.

Still chuckling the Hufflepuff turned back to look at the witch, wondering why she had stopped, "Hey what's…" his voice died in his throat as a loud howl echoed across the grounds.

Taylor's heart nearly stopped, as out of the woods a huge animal raced towards them. She recognized it immediately, it was a werewolf!

"Taylor!" Greg yelled as he jumped in front of her.

There was no time to run, no time to even scream, as in the next huge leap the werewolf was on them.

The front paws of the werewolf knocked the two teens to the ground, but its jaws caught the Hufflepuff's arm and gave a mighty shake throwing the wizard like a rag doll.

Taylor rolled as soon as she could and came to her feet. She'd been pinned partly beneath Hunter's body and had seen the werewolves teeth sink into his arm inches from her face. With a flick she had her wand in her hand as the werewolf turned towards her. She knew very few spells worked against werewolves. Thinking fast, she fired the first one that came to mind, a whip-like spell that hit the creature across the face and made it howl in pain, but it did stop. Snarling the werewolf bared its teeth and Taylor used the spell again to make the creature back up a few paces.

A breath of air passed over the grounds but it was enough to bring the smell of the Hufflepuff's blood to the werewolf. In horror Taylor watched the huge creature turn its head towards where Greg was lying on the ground. In the next instant it was bounding towards him.

Taylor fired twice more as she raced after the werewolf, the sight of it on top of the Head Boy biting almost made her sick to her stomach. Without thinking she felt the calm fill her up, as her necklace burned hot against her neck and the ancient language fell from her lips in a powerful spell blasting the werewolf off the fallen Hufflepuff. Racing to him she had to blast the werewolf back repeatedly as it kept coming back to attack again and again. Until it finally backed off a ways snarling, watching for a time to attack again.

Keeping her wand pointed at the werewolf she dropped to her knees and put her other hand on Greg's body and heard him moan weakly. When she lifted it up she could see it was covered in blood. She knew she didn't have much time before the werewolf decided to attack again.

Then another spell, a truly powerful and dark one came to her. She could hurt the werewolf, probably even kill it. She'd be able to get Greg to help and she wouldn't have to worry about the werewolf ever hurting anyone again! She could even feel the ancient words starting to form on her tongue when another image flashed before her eyes, an image from four years ago. As she had stood not far from where she was kneeling on the grass now and she had watched another werewolf materialize, from Remus Lupin's body.

The spell died on her tongue, as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't kill the werewolf. It was a person and she couldn't live with herself if she did.

"Go away!" Taylor screamed, knowing that it wouldn't do any good as she tried desperately to think of another way to get away. She was too far away from the castle for anyone to hear her and she didn't dare try to conjure a Patronus to send for help. She'd never have time to do the spell before the werewolf attacked again. Then she thought of the Firebolt. She could Accio it and then still be able to use her wand on the werewolf if she needed to, but then what? She'd never flown with someone else on a broom and how would she be able to lift Greg up off the ground to get him on the broom? He was bigger and heavier then her brother.

"Greg? Can you hear me?"

She heard him moan. "Greg if you can, I need you to answer me! Now!"

"Ohh… yeah…" he whispered feebly.

She wanted to look down at him, to see if he was looking at her, to see if his eyes were open but she didn't dare take her eyes off the werewolf. She suspected it was going to attack again soon, as its snarls became more menacing.

"Can you get up? If I summon the Firebolt do you think you can get on it?" Taylor asked quickly.

"The werewolf… where is…?"

"It's not far, but can you get up?" Taylor demanded her voice getting more desperate as she watched the creature preparing to attack again.

"Tay'lor jus' go… go… get away."

"No! I need you to get up! Can you?" Taylor asked and the werewolf tipped its head back and howled. Goose bumps stood up all over her body. Coming to her feet, the necklace seared scorching hot as she bellowed the ancient spell. The creature charged and it was blasted backwards. It jumped to its feet and came again. Each time the werewolf charged it came at a different angle as if trying to find a weakness in her defenses and each time she drove it back with the power of her spell. It must have tried a half dozen times or more before it stopped and stared at her, snarling.

Slowly, keeping her wand pointed at the creature, she crouched back down by Greg. She was on his other side now, having moved around him to keep between the bleeding wizard and the werewolf's attacks.

"Can you get up?" she asked again as she touched him again with her left hand. She felt him grab her hand in his.

"I don' know… just go…"

"Listen Hufflepuff! You are too big for me to lift! Now when I count to three, I am going to Accio the broom and you need to get up! Do you hear me? Get up and get on the broom. I'll keep the werewolf busy until you do. Now are you ready?" Taylor's voice was hard and clipped. There was no more time to waste. She could feel the strain the repeated Dark Magic spells were having on her and she knew that she couldn't keep them up indefinitely.

"Yeah…"

With an effort she pushed the fear and worry away, at the sound of weakness in the Head Boy's voice. She couldn't think about how badly he was hurt right now. She needed to think and be ready to react.

"Good! Now on the count of three get up! One… Two… Three! Accio Firebolt!" Taylor swung her wand from where it had been covering the werewolf to where her brother's broom lay on the grass some fifty feet away. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Hufflepuff struggling to get to his feet. She caught the broom in her left hand and swung her wand back at the werewolf racing towards her again.

Once again her necklace burned as the ancient language rolled off her tongue and the werewolf was again blasted off its feet and driven backwards with the force of her spell. She moved around the staggering Hufflepuff as he took the broom from her and tried to mount it as she fired again and again at the werewolf. This time the creature seemed incensed, as if it knew its prey was making a bid for escape.

Breathing hard from the effort, Taylor saw her chance when the werewolf paused once again. Turning she jumped onto the Firebolt behind the slumped Hufflepuff's body and grabbed the handle pulling up desperately, trying to gain enough height to get out of the werewolf's reach.

The Firebolt rose up in the air but Taylor was immediately aware that it didn't respond as well with the two of them on it. However, they did get high enough so that even as the huge werewolf below jumped it couldn't reach them. Taylor pushed her wand into its holder as she adjusted her hold on the Hufflepuff and steered the broom still higher. Her first impulse was to race to the school as fast as the broom could go but she quickly dismissed that idea, as the Hufflepuff swayed dangerously and she tightened her hold on him. If he started to fall she wasn't strong enough to hold him up.

So carefully, she tipped forward and flew slowly towards the school. She could see the werewolf following along below. It only took a couple of minutes to reach the school, but in that time she could feel the Head Boy start to wobble as if he was fighting to stay on the broom.

Then a new problem presented itself. How was she going to get into the castle without letting the werewolf in? Glancing down she could see the werewolf right below them, so landing was out of the question, or trying to go down low enough to open a door. Looking around at the castle she could see numerous windows but what one should she try going through? She needed to find help, but to go crashing through the wrong window could only make matters worse. The Great Hall would be empty by now and the ground floor was out of the question. Gryffindor tower… but it was so far from the hospital wing and tricky to get in, with only its small windows. The Hospital Wing, where she desperately wanted to go, had reinforced wards on its high windows making them shatterproof. Then she knew. Turning, she rose higher and headed around the castle searching for the tall dark windows of the library and praying they weren't as highly warded as those of the hospital.

Stopping the Firebolt, she grabbed her wand, as she held on tight to the Hufflepuff and balanced precariously on the broom without any hands. Carefully she aimed her wand at one of the dark windows and with a silent spell blew it out. She could hear the glass falling to the marble floor and shattering as she quickly put her wand back in its holder and flew through the window opening. To her it seemed that was all the Hufflepuff had been holding on for, as he went limp in her arms and started to fall off the broom. Taylor couldn't hold the heavy Head Boy and steer properly and they went crashing to the floor between a row of books.

Wriggling out from under the Hufflepuff she flicked her wrist again and with her wand bellowed, "Expecto Patronum!" The white doe burst from her wand as she yelled at it to go for help.

Forcing herself to think, to act, she levitated the Hufflepuff off the floor and grabbing the Firebolt she hurried through the dark library and out into the corridor. Running down the hall she guided the Hufflepuff with her wand. She hadn't learned the spell for a stretcher yet so she made do with keeping the Hufflepuff in the air.

She made it to the next corner that forced her to slow down to carefully guide the floating Head Boy so he didn't bump into the wall, when a welcome sight raced towards her.

"Porter! What's happened?" Shacklebolt's deep voice demanded.

"It's Greg! He's been attacked by a werewolf! It's out on the grounds! You need to seal the castle!" Taylor yelled hurrying towards her professor.

"A werewolf!" He exclaimed before pulling his wand and sending his own Patronus off with the message about the werewolf and sealing the castle. Turning back to her he demanded, "Porter, are you alright?"

Glancing down she could see the blood that covered her clothes… Greg's blood. She could feel her hands starting to shake and she grit her teeth. She couldn't fall to pieces just yet. "I'm fine, it's… it's Greg's blood."

Shacklebolt only nodded as he conjured a stretcher and put it under the Head Boy. Taylor released her levitation spell and hurried after her professor. She had to jog to keep up with his swift strides as he quickly made his way through the castle towards the Hospital.

Madame Pomfrey and McGonagall were waiting outside the Hospital Wing doors, as well as one of the aurors that were there for security.

"The boy has been attacked by a werewolf, Poppy." Shacklebolt told the school nurse gravely, as he drew near enough to speak. Taylor saw the nurses eyes widen and her hand go over her mouth. McGonagall gasped before turning her worried eyes to Taylor.

"A werewolf? Where did it happen?" the auror demanded.

Taylor watched as Pomfrey took the stretcher from Shacklebolt and went in through the doors. She made to follow but Shacklebolt's hand landed on her shoulder stopping her.

"Porter, what happened?" Shacklebolt asked firmly.

Now that Greg was in the nurse's care, now that there was nothing more for her to do, she could feel her hands starting to shake again. Looking down at her brother's Firebolt still gripped in her left hand she could see the blood on the shiny black handle. Shacklebolt's hand on her shoulder gave a squeeze and she started to speak, her voice hoarse and strangled as she fought to keep it together just a little longer. In halting sentences she told them about playing quidditch and then staying to fly a little longer with the Hufflepuff. How they lost track of time and were heading back to the castle when the werewolf attacked. Here she paused, even as devastated as she felt, she knew she needed to be careful. She couldn't say she had used Dark Magic, so she just said she drove it away with the whip like spell. Then she told them about getting the broom and flying into the library. When she was done she stood looking at the floor.

"Miss Porter, have you been bitten?" the auror asked looking at the Gryffindor witch. She shook her head.

McGonagall sighed sadly as she looked at the young witch. She could tell that the girl was very upset. She was just about to ask Kingsley to take the Gryffindor to her common room when she saw her brother and her other friends coming down the hall. She wondered briefly how Potter knew his sister was in trouble.

"Taylor!" Harry called hurrying towards his sister and the adults. Then he caught sight of her blood soaked clothes and he broke into a run. The others did also. "What's happened? Taylor, are you alright?"

Skidding to a halt he looked from Shacklebolt's solemn face to McGonagall's white face and knew what ever had happened wasn't good.

Taylor looked up at her brother's worried face as she started to tremble again. "Greg… he was attacked… by a werewolf!" The pain and the anguish she had been keeping at bay escaped and she threw her arms around her brother as a sob tore up from the bottom of her soul.

Harry wrapped his arms around his sister as she cried. Shocked he looked up at Shacklebolt who just nodded his head.

Hermione gave a fearful cry and turned to Ron as he put his arms around his witch hugging her, then he released her with one arm and draped it over Ginny's shoulder and hugged her too.

"Potter, I need to go. You will look after Miss Porter? She is going to need someone to stay with her tonight," McGonagall's voice was gentle and filled with concern as she watched the young witch's shoulders shake.

"Sure Professor." Harry said quietly.

"You can tell Poppy that I gave you my permission to stay here if you wish." The Head Mistress said in a more natural tone, before she headed down the hall with Shacklebolt and the auror.

Ron conjured them all some chairs and they sat down. Harry held his sister tightly as he waited for her to cry herself out, knowing that there wasn't anything he could say to make her feel better. Even though he didn't know the actual story behind what happened, he could guess and knowing his sister, he knew that she wouldn't be this upset if it wasn't really bad.

When his sister finally quieted in his arms he didn't let her go, but hugged her tighter and kissed her on the top of the head. Then in a thick voice, she told him what had happened, in halting sentences. It wasn't long after that that Madame Pomfrey came to the door.

"Miss Porter, please come in here for a moment. I'd like to check you over for any cuts," The nurse's voice was gentle but firm. "You may come as well Potter, but the rest of you please wait out here."

Standing, Harry put his arm around his sister and walked with her into the Hospital Wing and the nurse motioned them to the opposite side of the ward from the screened bed.

Taylor felt wooden. How could such a perfect day end so horribly? She laid down on the bed Pomfrey pointed at as her brother sat on the edge of it holding her hand comfortingly.

The nurse waved her wand over the prone witch and then nodded, satisfied that she was indeed fine physically. Mentally though, she knew the witch was struggling to come to grips with what had happened. With another wave of her wand she vanished the dried blood from the witch.

"All right Miss Porter, you may leave. You are extremely lucky."

"Madame Pomfrey? Is… Is Greg going to be alright?" Taylor asked in a shaky voice as she looked up at the nurse.

The nurse pursed her lips but after a moment she said, "Mr. Hunter has lost a lot of blood. He was lucky he got here when he did."

Taylor met the nurse's eyes and could see the truth to the question she couldn't bring herself to ask. So she asked another. "May I see him?"

"He is heavily sedated at the moment… but I suppose it won't hurt. Only for a few moments though."

Getting up from the hospital bed she glanced at her brother who put his arm around her shoulders and walked over to the bed hidden from view by the screen. She was glad her brother was with her when she walked around the screen and caught her first glimpse of the Head Boy. Her hand flew to her mouth as she turned into her brother's chest as he hugged her gently. She could feel tears running down her cheeks as, after a few seconds, she made herself turn around and look at the Hufflepuff again.

The white hospital blankets only covered his lower half, but his whole torso was covered in bandages, as was his left arm. He was so pale. Only his deep breathing told her that he was alive.

Taking a deep breath she stepped out of her brother's arms and walked over to the bed and knelt on the floor on his right side so she could take his hand in hers. She knelt there for a while before gently brushing his dark hair off his forehead with her fingers. She was so used to seeing him so strong, his quiet strength always there when she needed it. Now he needed her to be the strong one, to be there for him.

"Miss Porter…" Madame Pomfrey prompted gently as she came to check on her patient.

Taylor nodded and got up reluctantly. She bent down and kissed the Hufflepuff on the forehead before letting go of his hand and walking to the end of his bed where her brother put his arm around her shoulders again.

Silently the two Gryffindors walked out of the hospital.

A/N Wow... First I want to say that this chapter caused me a lot of debate I questioned for quite a while if I should put this in here. It is a gamble I know adding this to my story... and one I did not do lightly! I guess I should explain that I love werewolves... not the fact that they kill people but the darkness(for lack of a better way to put it) that it gives to the charactor. I also feel that Greg had escapted the brutality of the war that was waging on outside of the castle and as such my story has lacked the sevarity of what is going on outside the safe walls of Hogwarts so this was how I decided to drive home that things are not all hunky-dory. So I hope you will not hate me for this... give it a chance things do happen for a reason!( and there is more forshadowing here then I've ever said in any of my A/N ever before!)

I am going to forgo my usual Thank-yous... not because they are not needed but because I want to say this... the more reviews I get the faster I will post chapters for this story! Keep hanging on! The ride has just excited it's first loop and there are lots more to go! ;)