Chapter 5

First Year

Patrolling the corridors, halting only occasionally here and there to chat with an odd student or two, Minerva's attention was suddenly captured by the sound of multiple pairs of shoes thumping against the stone floor like a herd of centaurs through the Forbidden forest.

Puzzled emeralds dart around for the source of the ruckus. "What on earth?" She flawlessly morphed into tabby and rushed over to a corner where she peeked out behind it.

Striding at full speed was none other than Hermione Granger. Her chocolate eyes wide, chest heaving, and face chalk white, the girl was the very definition of terror. "Come here, you stupid mudblood!" A voice on the cusp of manhood echoed throughout the corridors right before three boys appeared meters behind the girl. Their faces twisted into snarls and hands clinched into fists they strolled in sync like a pack of rabid dogs on the prowl.

It only took a second for Minerva to identify them as being; Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and in the middle with eyes darkened to a stormy grey and lips twisted into a sneer was none other than Draco Malfoy. Whiskered lips curled back exposing needle-like canines as anger swelled in her breast. She growled lowly. How dare they.

In two strides she was back human and upon them.

"What in Godric's name is going on here?" Minerva demanded finally drawing attention to herself. The reaction was instantaneous. They comically skidded to a halt in front of the professor, one with a look of relief the others with looks of fright.

"Nothing at all, Professor." Draco answered a little too innocently for the Professor's liking. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips down at the boy. Arrogant, sneaky and ignorant to the point of being hate filled simpleton. He was so painfully like his father.

"They were going to hex me, Professor." Hermione piped up, earning flesh eating glares from the boys.

A knowing, yet questionable eyebrow rose at the young pureblood. "Is that true, Mr. Malfoy?'

"Not at all, Professor."

Minerva's lips thinned and she peered disappointedly over her half moon shaped glasses at them. "Ten points from Slytherin for lying and another thirty for accosting a follow pupil."

Draco's mouth dropped open in shock only to slam back shut a moment later, expression darkening with petulant anger. "My father will hear about this."

"No, but I daresay your mother will." Minerva snapped back, demeanor full of stern promise.

Draco instantly paled and her lips quirked knowingly. Narcissa loved her son dearly, but surprisingly(very surprisingly) the socialite didn't have any qualms about giving him a good smack on the rear when he needed it. It was a fact few knew and Minerva just so happened to be one of the lucky one's who had the pleasure of knowing it.

"Now off to class you three."

Needing no further instruction the three boys scampered off, leaving the girl alone with the Professor. Once they were gone, Minerva looked down a the picture of nervousness left shifting before of her and gave a reassuring smile. "Ms. Granger, may I see you in my office?"

"Um, sure Professor." She murmured.

The duo entered Minerva's sanctuary with the elder in the lead. She gestured the girl to the chair in front of her desk.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

Hermione cringed in discomfort at the question and shook her head, honey curls lightly bouncing.

Feline unworldly green eyes softened with an array of emotions. "Come now, Miss. Granger. You may say what you like and none of it will leave this office. "

The girl stared down at her hands laying uselessly in her lap and nibbled on her bottom lip. Minerva felt her gut sink. She knew that look. Knew if very well. Like all students or children for that matter Hermione lived by the 'don't tell' code. It was a benefit to them, not showing weakness, but to teachers it was to put it simply- a real pain in the behind.

Minerva stared at her for several seconds before finally conceding with a sigh. "You may go."

She watched the girl do as such, vehemently vowing to find something she could do to prevent this injustice.

Lungs burned painfully within a heaving chest as they were forced to draw in breath after breath of frigid air. Hermione raced pass tall fir trees, brier patches, and thick bushy shrubs. There was no grass in this area, only ample rough vegetation. The forest itself was posted so no one would come to her rescue. She ran, for that was all she could do and stopping even for a second was not an option right now; for tonight she was the prey.

A bastard combination of a howl mixed with chilling animalistic laugh pierced through the darkness and straight into her breast.

It was getting closer.

The girl splashed rapidly through the mud, jumped over rotted logs, barreled through stickers all in a desperate attempt to seek safety in the forest.

Unable to go any farther Hermione hid behind an enormous oak tree and slouched against the bark as she attempted to catch her breath. Pale skin sheened with exhilaration was drenched in sweat and filth, itching in places she didn't even know existed. Her chest ached with each breath and legs felt like cooked noodles.

She took another step forward, with the same caution and the same risk; then another and another, and then ... a twig snapped underneath her foot. Her breath caught in her throat and over the erratic pounding of her own heart she listened closely. There was no sound; the stillness, however, put her on edge. It was too quiet.

After a few agonizing moments passed and after she finally gathered enough courage to move she stepped forward, wincing when dry leaves crackled underneath her foot.

The creature materialized from the inky darkness. Its canine shaped head down and mouth gaped wide in a toothy manic grin as the bulky muscles along its body bunched and unbunched underneath a layer of shaggy patched fur. It drew nearer, eyeing the girl with beady black eyes and licked its dripping maw hungrily.

And before she could move or even scream it leapt.

Hermione jerked awake, mouth open in a silent scream, chest heaving and sweat trickling in places along her body the girl could hear nothing asides for the pounding of her own heart. This dream plagued since she was just a tiny girl and always ended the same way; with the creature once thought to be some type of dog or wolf but later identified(many thanks to a trip to the London zoo) as a spotted hyena leaping at her with mouth wide. It terrified her to no end and Hermione could not for the life of her figure out why they kept occurring.

When she was younger she, of course, turned to books for aid which to her horror listed that the hyena, specially the spotted one, was shrouded in mystery and darkness. One book in particular contained a little known myth in which hyenas were cast out of Noah's arch due to being the product of an abominable union between a great cat and a wolf. If that wasn't horrific enough the rest dealt with being minions to evil deities or devil's hounds.

Needless to say the books were of little to no help. If anything they deepened her fear and cause paranoia to sink farther in. she could not shake the feeling that something was lurking in the darkness to consume her.

She reluctantly laid back down and pulled the covers over her head, willing her body to calm. A deep sigh. Tonight was going to be a long one.

TBC...

AN: Sorry so late and short. - Of course you know who the hyena represents.