I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.

Chapter 18

"He looks a bit peaky, doesn't he?"

Devyn was ripped from her thoughts when she heard this comment come from Ron. She, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George, Angelina and Seamus had all been standing around Harry's hospital bed for the last half an hour, waiting for him to wake up. Madam Pomfrey had done what she could for him, and then bustled off to take care of the extremely frazzled and electrocuted Cedric Diggory, who was only maybe ten feet away from Harry's bed.

"Peaky? What d'you expect? He fell over a hundred feet!" Fred told his younger brother.

"Yeah, Ron, let's walk you off the Astronomy Tower –" George started.

"And see what you look like!" Fred finished. Devyn, in spite of the overwhelming concern she felt for Harry, found herself laughing quietly. You could always trust Fred and George to lighten the mood and make you laugh.

"Probably a right sight better than he normally does."

Relief flooded through Devyn like a tidal wave. Harry had woken up. Although she was very happy that he was okay, she was a little wary of how he would react when he saw his broom. The wind had been really unforgiving, and Harry's broom was no exception. Ron was now holding what was left of the Nimbus 2000, wrapped in a Gryffindor banner, in his arms.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked.

"Oh brilliant," Harry replied. Hermione handed him his glasses as Fred sat down next to Harry's bed.

"You gave us a right good scare there, mate," he said.

"What happened?" Harry asked, although the question was posed to no one in particular.

"Well," Ron answered, "you fell off your broom."

"Really?" Harry replied sarcastically. "I meant the match. Who won?"

Devyn, who was standing at the foot of Harry's bed with Neville and Seamus, watched in slight amusement as everyone squirmed a little bit. Hermione stood up from her spot next to Harry and said, "Um…no one blames you Harry…the Dementors aren't supposed to come inside the grounds. Dumbledore was furious. As soon as he saved you, he sent them straight off."

Devyn nodded her agreement to that. Dumbledore had been livid. They all had been. Even Flitwick had been practically shaking with anger, when he brought around the remains of Harry's broom.

Harry's face fell slightly, and everyone could tell he was really disappointed. It was the first match Harry had ever lost, and it was bound to be hard for him.

"You might as well tell him, Ron. Get it over with," Devyn said, knowing that prolonging the bad news would only make it worse. Ron nodded and Harry said, "Tell me…what?"

"There's…uh…there's something else you should know, too, Harry…uh, when you fell…your broom…it sort of…blew into the Whomping Willow…and well…" Ron's explanation ceased and he held up a fragmented piece of Harry's broom, and showed him exactly what had become of his Nimbus 2000.

Harry just stared at the broken broom with something that resembled a mixture of shock and horror. Harry had been awfully fond of his broom, Devyn knew, but there was nothing to be done now. That poor thing was beyond repair.

After Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a clean bill of health, he was released from the Hospital Wing and came back to Gryffindor Tower with a downtrodden but determined look on his face. Devyn was working on the Werewolf essay that Snape had assigned them when he had substituted for Moony that one time and had just put the finishing touches on it when Harry shuffled over to her.

"Devyn, um…can I talk to you for a second?"

Devyn frowned in confusion, but nodded nonetheless. She put her finished essay away and got up from her seat. Harry motioned for her to follow him to a secluded corner of the Common Room, so she did.

"All right, Harry, what's up?"

"Right…look, Professor Lupin is your godfather and he's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…"

"Yeah…" Devyn agreed, although she was really unsure as to where Harry was going with this.

"Um…I think…no, I know that I have to learn how to defend myself against the Dementors."

Understanding bloomed in Devyn's mind and she said, "Say no more. I'm going on a walk with Moony…come with us. I know he'll like to see you. You can ask him yourself."

Harry nodded and followed Devyn out of the portrait hole. They walked mostly in silence until they reached the end of the Covered Bridge, where Moony was waiting for Devyn, and by extension, Harry.

Moony smiled when he spotted her. Despite his pale appearance, he looked like he was getting better. The last full moon had really taken a toll on him, and he needed to get his strength back. Walking around in the woods sometimes helped, which was where they were going today.

When Devyn approached Moony, he enveloped her in a tight hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in months, kiddo," he said. Devyn returned her godfather's embrace and smiled.

"I know. It does feel like it's been months, doesn't it?"

When they broke apart, Moony said, with a smile, "Hello, Harry."

Harry raised his hand awkwardly in greeting. "Hi, Professor."

"I thought Harry could do with some distraction, Moony. He's been a little down since the Quidditch match."

"Ah, yes…Professor McGonagall was telling me about that. Shall we?" Moony replied, motioning towards the woods. Devyn and Harry nodded and the three of them set off. For the first five minutes or so, Devyn had been catching Moony up on what had been happening since she had last seen him, which, admittedly, wasn't much, but she hadn't spoken to her godfather in what felt like ages.

When Devyn had finally relayed to him everything that she thought he needed to know, (including her account of the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff), Moony turned slightly and said to Harry, "I'm sorry to hear about your broomstick. Is there no chance of fixing it?"

"No," Harry said, sounding glum. They waded through the ferns and foliage as Hedwig soared overhead. Somehow she figured out where Harry was, and decided to act like a guardian to him. Even Hedwig knew that Harry needed her just now.

"Professor, why do the Dementors affect me so? I mean, more than everyone else?"

"Listen," Moony said, turning around fully and looking at Harry. "Dementors are amongst the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory, until a person is left with absolutely nothing but his worst experiences. You are not weak, Harry."

And there it was. That was the root of Harry's difficulty. He feared that he was weaker than everyone else, because he kept passing out whenever the Dementors got a hold of him. Moony climbed on top of a rock and Devyn followed him as he said, "The Dementors affect you most of all because you have true horrors in your past, horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Devyn smiled to herself. This was exactly why she wanted Harry to come with her to go on this walk with Moony; her godfather had a way of knowing exactly what someone needed to hear, especially when they were at their lowest. And right now, Harry was struggling with the notion that he might not be strong enough to fight the Dementors, which was complete nonsense. If anyone would be able to defend themselves against the Dementors, it would be Harry.

"But…I mean, Devyn was there with me when I fought Quirrell and Voldemort. She was there when we fought the Basilisk. She's seen most of the horrors I have, and she's not nearly as affected as me when the Dementors come around."

"Well, to be fair, Harry, they've never actually attacked me. I've been near them, but they've never attacked me before," Devyn told him. Harry nodded and shrugged.

"I'm scared, Professor," Harry said.

"Well, I'd consider you a fool if you weren't," Moony replied.

"I need to know how to fight them. You could teach me! You made that Dementor on the train go away."

Moony stopped near an abnormally large tree and said, "There was only one that night."

"But you made it go away," Harry told him, sounding extremely scared and desperate. They walked up a small hill and looked out over the water of the Black Lake when they reached the top.

"Well, I don't pretend to be an expert, Harry. But, as the Dementors seemed to have developed a particular interest in you, perhaps I should teach you. And Devyn as well. Strength in numbers, and all that. But after the holidays. For now, I need to rest."

Devyn smiled up at her godfather and he returned the cheery expression, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She was glad that the full moon had passed for another month. She really did hate that her godfather had to go through that torture every month, but there was nothing she could do. Sometimes she wished that she could tell him about her being an Animagus, and then maybe she could keep him company during the full moons.

Moony would never go for that, and you know it, Devyn.

I know, Snow. I know. But a girl can dream, can't she?

Yes, but just be careful. Sometimes dreams become so powerful that they can alter your way of seeing reality.

When did you get so deep?

Ha ha, very funny. I'm serious. Don't go running after him some full moon. You might end up getting hurt.

Werewolves aren't a danger to animals, Snow.

As far as infecting them goes, no, they aren't. But that doesn't mean he won't attack before you can get through to his wolf side.

I have to tell him sometime. If I don't, there might come a time when I transform by accident and he'll find out that way. I'd rather him find out through me, not through some unfortunate incident.

I know. I'm just saying…

Yeah. I understand, Snow. I just hate keeping secrets from Moony.

"Sweet Merlin!"

"Devyn? Are you alright?" Hermione asked, concernedly, stroking Crookshanks. She had been trying to keep him in the Dormitory at the stubborn demand of Ron – really she had, but Crookshanks was a cat, and Ron just had to understand that cats chase rats. Hermione doubted Crookshanks would actually harm Scabbers, but Ron was well within his rights to be worried about his own pet's safety. She was sitting on her bed in the Girls' Dormitory, and Devyn had been feeling a bit off, so she went to the bathroom. What she had found…she wasn't happy with.

Devyn did what she could for the moment and exited the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked when she saw her friend. Devyn nodded and jerked her head at Hermione, as if to say 'Come here, please'. Hermione arched an eyebrow and walked over to Devyn.

"What?"

Devyn, luckily, knew exactly what was happening. She remembered this happening to older girls back in the orphanage and she remembered the experience being extremely unpleasant – and that was only her experience, from being on the outside, watching these girls go through this. It looked like they would rather die.

Devyn wrapped an arm around her own waist, in an effort to contain the pain that was currently surging through her lower stomach.

"Er…Hermione…I've started…um…I've…"

Hermione watched her squirm, trying to explain it, for a few seconds before comprehension blossomed in her mind. "Oh!" she said, nodding. "Oh…I see. Well, let's go see Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she's got something."

Devyn nodded, hoping that's what Hermione would suggest. She and her friend left the Dormitory and quietly slipped out of the Common Room. After being in Hogwarts for a few years now, she and Hermione knew a few shortcuts; one of them being a shortcut to the Hospital Wing.

As she and Hermione walked through the shortcut, Devyn breathed in deeply, trying to ease the pain that was slowly making its presence very known. "Hermione?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Have…have you, er, started your monthly yet?"

"Oh, uh…yes, I have. I started over the summer. It was awful, so you'd better prepare yourself. The last few haven't been too bad though. The cramps are the worst part, for me, anyway. It might be different for you. Every girl is different when it comes to their monthly."

"How do you know all this?"

"My mother sat down with me one day and told me all about it. It was horrible, having that talk. But I'm glad I was prepared for it. I'm guessing yours was a surprise?"

Devyn shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, I figured it was coming soon, I just didn't know when, you know?"

Hermione nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"My stomach is really starting to hurt…"

"That would be the cramps. Like I said, those are probably going to be the worst, especially at first. Don't be surprised if you actually get sick. I did. They were that bad…"

"Wonderful. This sounds like it'll be oodles of fun!" Devyn said, her voice oozing with sarcasm. Hermione laughed and said, "Welcome to womanhood, Devyn."

Devyn's only response was to grumble.

Finally, at last – at long last – they got to the Hospital Wing. When Madam Pomfrey saw the two of them, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Please tell me you haven't hurt yourself yet again, Ms. Murphy?"

"Er…no, Madam Pomfrey…erm, it's…I mean, I've started…I've started my monthly," Devyn stammered out. It was embarrassing, having to tell Madam Pomfrey that, but she was a nurse, and she'd been here for ages – she'd probably seen a million different girls go through exactly what she was going through now.

"Oh, of course, dear. Come with me," Madam Pomfrey. Hermione looked at Devyn and let her know with her expression that she would wait for her here. Devyn nodded and thanked Hermione with a smile before she followed Madam Pomfrey into her office. She sat down behind the desk, and motioned for Devyn to take the seat on the other side of the desk. Devyn did and curled herself up into a ball, trying to suppress the cramps in any way she could.

"Now," Madam Pomfrey said, "first things first; I know this is highly embarrassing for you, Devyn, but I assure you, there's nothing to be ashamed of. It's all part of growing up."

Devyn nodded and Madam Pomfrey continued, "I have plenty of supplies for these types of things, and I'm going to teach you a little trick I know. But first – how are you feeling? Any pain?"

Devyn nodded and said, "My stomach really hurts and my lower back is kind of sore."

Madam Pomfrey smiled and said, "Okay. I'll get you something for that." She left the room and Devyn suddenly realized how exhausted she was. She supposed that was part of the whole monthly thing. So far, it wasn't that bad. It hurt, sure, but it was bearable. Cramps, sore back muscles, and tiredness; that Devyn could handle.

Madam Pomfrey came back into the room, a small vial of purple liquid in her hand. She sat back down in her seat and said, "All right then. So, Devyn, this," she shook the bottle lightly, "is going to help with the cramps and sore muscles. It'll dull the pain. It will also help with nausea. Do you feel nauseous at all?"

"Not really, but I have a feeling that the cramps are only gonna get worse, so nausea could pop up soon. I don't know."

Madam Pomfrey handed it to her and she took a sip of the concoction. It didn't taste like anything, for which Devyn was grateful. She was glad it didn't taste gross or anything.

"Well, if it does, this will help. That takes care of that. Now, onto actually managing your period. I don't think you should use tampons just yet. We'll start you off on pads."

"Okay," Devyn said. She vaguely recalled what both of those were, but her memory was hazy, at best.

"So, these are pads," Madam Pomfrey held up a package wrapped in plastic, with the brand name splashed across the front of it. The package proclaimed the things inside to have wings, which evidently helped them stay put in your underwear. The idea seemed simple enough, and Devyn figured that she could work it out without much trouble.

"Do you think you can figure it out, or would you feel better if I showed you how to put them in?"

"I think I can figure it out, Madam Pomfrey, but thank you," Devyn replied. Madam Pomfrey smiled and said, "Very well. Now, onto the little trick I told you about."

She stood up and took the package of pads. "Eventually, you're going to run out of these. When this happens, you could either come see me and I'll replenish your supplies, or…well, I could teach you a spell that would allow you to duplicate the package and that way, when you run out of one, you'd have another package there and you could just keep duplicating them. Which would you rather prefer?"

Devyn thought about it for a second. She loved to learn new spells, so what was the harm in learning this spell Madam Pomfrey was talking about?

"I'd like to learn the spell, if I could."

"Very well. Keep in mind; this is a difficult spell, but you, along with your friends, have accomplished some amazing things…something tells me that you will be able to master it."

Devyn nodded and Madam Pomfrey said, "It's called the Doubling Charm."

"Okay."

"What you have to do is focus completely on the object, flick your wand at it, and say the word 'Geminio'."

"That's it?" Devyn asked. She thought it was going to be more difficult than that.

"It sounds simple…well, why don't you just try it? See if you can do it?"

Devyn looked at the package of sanitary napkins and pulled her wand out from inside her pocket. She slowly stood up, glad that the purple stuff had taken effect and that the pain in her stomach had dulled. She focused on the package, eliminating everything else from her sight and seeing only the plastic wrapped object in front of her. She flicked her wand at it and said, "Geminio."

A millisecond before, where there was only one package, there now was two. Madam Pomfrey smiled and said, "Well done. Just do that every time you run out of one package, that way, you'll never be caught without them."

Devyn nodded, understanding the logic in that. After a few more minutes and a little bit more explanation of what else was going to be happening to her, Madam Pomfrey let her go back to Hermione.

Devyn was a little embarrassed about the talk that had just transpired, but she was glad that she had that particular talk with someone she was comfortable around. Madam Pomfrey once put her skull back together – there were only a few adults that Devyn trusted as much as she trusted Madam Pomfrey (which included Moony, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid) – so she was glad that she didn't have to have that conversation with someone she didn't trust.

Devyn went back to Hermione and the two of them took the two packages of pads. Hermione took one and hid the name with her arms, and Devyn followed her example. The fewer people who knew what was happening with her, the better. It was no one's business but her own.

As they walked along the shortcut passageway that would deposit them right near the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was now being guarded by a completely mad painting of a knight named Sir Cadogan and his fat dapple grey pony, Hermione looked like she was plucking up the courage to ask her about something.

"Got something on your mind, Hermione?" Devyn asked her. She looked at her friend and raised her eyebrows, telling her to just come out with whatever she needed to ask.

"Oh, um…it's just…I think…how well do you really know your godfather, Devyn?"

Devyn frowned at Hermione and said, "What do you mean?"

"Well…see, when I was doing the essay that Professor Snape set us when he was substituting for Professor Lupin…I noticed certain several…things that I thought I should ask you about…um…Devyn I think your godfather is –"

Devyn stopped walking and that caused Hermione to cease talking. She now knew what this was about.

"D-Devyn?" Hermione stuttered. The look on her face was giving Hermione pause. Devyn's expression reminded Hermione of a few occasions during first year when Snape was bothering Neville, and Devyn stared the Potions Master down, letting him know that she would not allow him to bully her friend. It was a rather frightening expression.

"I am going to tell you this once, Hermione, so I suggest you'd better listen," Devyn said, looking Hermione dead in the eyes. Hermione nodded and Devyn continued, "Drop it."

"But –"

"But nothing, Hermione. I know what you're getting at, and I'm telling you to drop it. This is none of your business, alright?"

"Is he?" Hermione asked. "Is he…?" Hermione mouthed the word werewolf.

"Hermione, whether he is or not, is none of your concern. What you're asking me, Hermione…it seems you have reached the destination of none of your bloody business. I'm not trying to be mean, Hermione, but…"

"If he is, people need to know! He might be dangerous!"

The dark expression on Devyn's face made Hermione want to disappear into the floor. "Hermione, I will say this once and only once, and you'd do well not to say that to me again. My godfather is not a danger to anyone. I know what you're concerned about, and whether he is or not – I'm not confirming nor denying your suspicions – is not something you need to be worried about."

"He is, though, isn't he? And you know! You know what he is -!"

"Enough!" Devyn snapped. Hermione squeaked and fell silent. "Enough. What Moony is or not is not your business, so for once in your life, Hermione, keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone what you suspect. Are we clear? If you tell anyone, you could create a lot of grief for Moony, and that's the last thing that he needs."

"I won't tell anyone, Devyn, I swear. I like Professor Lupin. I really do. I don't want to get him in trouble. I just wanted to know…"

"I understand Hermione, but what you have to understand is that what you're asking me to tell you is an extremely delicate matter. I will protect my godfather as much as I can, even from my friends. This is something I cannot tell you. Suspect all you want, but don't say a word. I'm sure you've done your research on werewolves…you know how society reacts to them, or even just the threat of them. He's a good man, and he doesn't deserve to be cast out like that. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded and Devyn exhaled slowly. "I trust you, Hermione. Don't make me regret that."

"I won't, Devyn. I promise."

"Thank you, Hermione."

"The way I see it, this is just like Snow. No one has to know," Hermione said. Devyn smiled and dared to hope that Hermione kept her promise. She wanted to believe that Hermione would, but when it came to Moony, she was extremely cautious.

She needed to be. She wouldn't let her godfather be hurt anymore – especially not if she could prevent it.