[A/N: WOW 133 favorites and 178 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all in the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]
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Chapter 15
January 15th, Saturday
"Slytherin! Slytherin! Slytherin!" The spectators could be heard shouting. "Oh my, looks like the crowd has already decided who the winner will be! But folks, we have a long way to go!" The commentator shouted over the cheering. "Will you look at Ivanov go! She is really tearing through the sky with that new Firebolt!" He shouted as Diana ripped through the snow-covered arena looking for the golden snitch with the Hufflepuff seeker right behind her. "And Slytherins scored again! 250 to 150!" Damn this guy is really persistent. Diana hissed to herself as she kept flying around before she saw the fluttering snitch a few yards away. She shot after it with the Hufflepuff seeker after her, hearing the spectators cheering loudly, urging her to keep going.
She got closer and closer until she could almost feel the tiny wings against her fingertips. Yes! "Ivanov has caught the golden snitch! That makes 350 to Slytherins and 150 to Hufflepuff!"
February 3rd, Thursday
"Thanks," Diana said as she took the offered bottle of butterbeer while Lupin sat in his desk chair with his own bottle of butterbeer in hand. "You deserve a break since you are progressing faster then I thought," Lupin said with a smile as he took a sip of his drink. They were silent for a bit before Diana asked a question. "Professor? I keep on hearing about the Dementor's Kiss, What is it exactly?" She asked curiously. Lupin didn't look bothered by the question as he took a deep breath while leaning back in his chair. "Well, the Dementor's Kiss is only used by the Ministry, so you wouldn't really know much about it. It is used as a form of punishment for those convicted to Azkaban for heinous crimes. A death sentence really. The Ministry orders the kiss in which their soul gets sucked out from their body." Diana couldn't resist raising an eyebrow as he continued to explain.
"You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no...anything. There is no chance at all of recovery. You'll just - exist. As an empty shell. And your sou is gone forever...lost." Lupin said, his voice getting softer as he finished before forcing a soft smile. "Nasty stuff, isn't it?"
February 5th, Saturday
"Girls, wake up!" The Slytherin prefect girl was responded with groggy groans from within the dark warm girls' dorm. Getting impatient, the prefect girl used her wand to light up the room, causing the girls to cry out at the sudden brightness. One by one, the girls forced themselves to sit up in their bed. "What has happened now?" Pansy groaned out. "Black has attacked the Gryffindor dorm. Dumbledore wants everyone in the Great Hall right away." More groans could be heard as they climbed out of their warm beds, their feets landing on the cold floor. Diana couldn't help the smirk from appearing on her lips as she moved with the rest of the girls to move into the common room.
"Did you get any details, Severus?" Diana asked the potions master. "Black seems to have made Weasley his new toy because he made the boy pee his pants from fright," Severus said in a drawl, his eyes filled with utter amusement. The common room erupted in laughter until Severus quieted them down. "Alright, quiet down. All of you. We need to head up to the Great Hall." The Slytherin house followed their Head of House unto the Great Hall where the other houses were meeting. They started snickering and giving side looks when they realized Weasley was there. The redhead must have realized something had leaked and his face turned bright red with embarrassment.
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
Lupin strolled through the dark corridor, with his wand lighting the way. He was doing his job as a professor to make sure Black wasn't in the castle to ensure that his students will remain safe. Sirius Black... He thought, his mind imagining one of his best friends from his school days. Why are you attacking the school, Sirius? There is nothing here important to you. He thought, turning the corner without must thought. "Well, well. I never thought I would see you here, Remus." A familiar voice rang out from behind him. He quickly whipped around and took two steps back, his heart hammering loudly in his chest as his wand illuminating Black's grinning face.
"Sirius?! What the fuck-!" Remus stopped mid-sentence when he realized he was talking rather loudly and anyone passing by could hear. He grabbed on to Black's collar as he dragged him into an alcove that would give them enough privacy at the moment. He still had priorities as a professor of Hogwarts but it still doesn't mean he didn't care for his oldest friend. "What the fuck are you still doing here?" He asked the moment he shoved his friend against the wall. "Shouldn't you be running away from here? The castle is practically searching for you as we speak-" A scent wafted into his sensitive nose, a scent that he hadn't smelt it ever again.
He quickly staggered back, his eyes wide at his friend. "That smell...why do you smell like him? Is he...is he here? In the castle?!"
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
"Took you bloody long enough." Greyback snarled from the shadows of the trees as Black strolled to him. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Relax, idiot. I walked into Remus and I had to take a while for me to get out of the situation." Greyback cursed out loud. What he wouldn't do to be the one who Remus would walk into tonight instead of it being Black. "Relax, I haven't mentioned anything to him and he hasn't said of anything valuable to me." He said while rolling his head like he had been saying the same lines numerous times already. "If you want any more assistance, you're going to have to get it from Snape. Tom doesn't want me to risk coming here to Hogwarts again now that Dumbledore's attention has been heightened.
February 8th, Tuesday
Hogwarts was still on high alert, the goblins still at their posts guarding all the entrances. Many of the houses, except for the Slytherins, were freaking out at every single shadow that they came across in passing. The only time the castle really relaxed was during meals. The Great Hall was boisterous as always as the students ate their breakfast, the sun barely lighting up the chilly winter sky. The air was disturbed by soft hoots of owls and flapping of their wings. The owl posts have arrived. All were ordinary as ever. All except for one carrying a bright red envelope. Ginny nudged Diana with her arm, catching the rest of the gangs' attention. "Watch this." She said with utter glee.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley! How dare you disgrace this family again! I told you to be careful with that Sirius Black running around and look what happened! I had to hear from your Head of House that you left passwords laying around and nearly endangered the rest of your house! I better not hear about this happening ever again, young man! Your sister and brothers have never done something so humiliating!"
February 12th, Saturday
"Oh, hello dearies." Madame Rosmerta called out to the gang with tankards in hand as they entered the popular Three Broomsticks. "Go ahead and make yourself at home. I'll be with you in a little bit." Diana shook her head and smiled politely. "There's no need for that, Madame Rosmerta. We will need one of your private rooms." The pub owner looked slightly shocked but gave them one of the rooms as requested. "Let me know if you kids need anything." She said before she closed the door shut with a soft snap. "Come out, Greyback," Diana said to the air as she motioned for everyone to sit down. A black mist seemed to form from mid-air before it formed into a human being.
"My lady," Greyback said as he got down on one knee in front of her in respect. "You better have a good reason for calling me out here, Fenrir." She said with no malice behind her voice. Fenrir didn't stand up, keeping his eyes looking down at his boot cladded feet. "I have a request from you. my lady." Diana silently raised an eyebrow. "And why should I acknowledge this request?" The gang silently sturred behind her. This time, Greyback looked up from his feet at Diana. "Because what happens after, will bring you one step closer to destroying Dumbledore's reputation."
"That is a rather high promise to make, Greyback," Blaise said, his eyes looking unemotionally at the man. The werewolf's eyes didn't waver from Diana's. "I will take that chance." That's why he was considered one of her father's best. "That depends on what you're request is," Draco stated in a manner-of-fact tone. Diana was silent for a minute, carefully looking at the werewolf's face. "Very well, I'll listen. Theo?" She said with looking over her shoulder. Theo silently nodded his head and walked over to the door. He briefly peeked his head out before closing the door again and started muttering something mid-breath. Diana felt another magical source connected with her protective shield that she had made the moment they had stepped into the room.
"I need to speak with Remus." The moment was almost too comical. The gang refrained themselves from laughing as they gazed at the man. "Absolutely not. Not so soon after Sirius Black had broken into Hogwarts. Think again." Greyback looked less than pleased at this. "Then find a way. I'm not going to let Remus get played by that old bastard." He growled loudly, causing the floor to vibrate slightly. Draco frowned as he got into a defensive stance. "You didn't just threaten her, wolf."
February 17th, Thursday
The Defense Against the Dark Arts was eerily silent as quills scratched against parchment paper. A quiz was in session. Those who were done were to bring their quiz to the front and place it on the desk. Diana strolled up to Lupin's desk with her completed quiz. It was agonizingly easy. Remus was in the process of grading Hermione's quiz when she placed her quiz on top of the formed pile. He looked up to see who it was and noticed it was Diana. He was about to smile when he noticed a necklace dangling from her neck. Diana noticed his complexion grew pale within seconds. Greyback was right. Lupin could never forget the necklace he gave him on their last anniversary.
The image of the necklace was burned in his retinas as Diana returned back to her seat.
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
The bell rang and the class packed their stuff up before leaving to their next class. "Stay behind, Miss Ivanov. I need to have a word with you." Diana nodded as she continued to pack her things. The rest of the gang silently left the classroom to wait for her outside the door. The classroom is finally left with those two. "You wanted to talk with me, Professor?" Diana asked as she walked to his desk. Remus leaned back in his desk chair, silently looking up at her before leaning forward. "May I?" He asked softly as he raised his hand up towards the necklace around her neck. "Sure, professor," Diana said, letting his hand take a hold of the shark tooth pendant as she stood still.
Remus' breath became slightly ragged as he took in the pendant, his eyes getting slightly watery. "How did you procure this?" He asked in a whisper. Diana shrugged her shoulder. "I got it from a family friend. Why do you ask, professor?" Remus seemed to freeze at the question and quickly drew his hand away from the necklace. "Nothing to worry about. Better get to your next class, Miss Ivanov, or else your Head of House will be after my head."
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
"Je sais qu'il est ici." (F) (I know that he is here.) Severus heard Lupin said in a hushed voice as the man sat next to him at the staff table. No one in the room paid much attention as they scrounged down dinner. The potions master wasn't fazed by his words since Diana warned him beforehand. "Excellent. Je commençais à penser que tu es aussi simple d'esprit que Black." (F) (Excellent. I was beginning to think that you are just as simple-minded as Black.) Severus drawled in an equally quiet voice as he cut into his piece of ham. "Ne joue pas avec moi, Snape. Tu ferais mieux de commencer à parler ou sinon je te déchirerai membre par membre." (F) (Don't play with me, Snape. Better start talking or else I will tear you limb for limb.) Lupin nearly growled as his eyes briefly flashed yellow, something he discovered that he did days before the full moon.
Severus rolled his eyes. Always one for dramatics. He thought. "Bien, puisque vous savez qu'il est ici, pouvez-vous penser à une raison pour laquelle il viendrait même ici?" (F) (Fine, since you know that he is here, can you think of any reason why he would even come here?) He asked neither of them still not bringing any attention to them. "Quoi d'autre que de recruter plus d'enfants dans sa ligue d'enfants lunaires. Et le plus susceptible de me narguer un peu plus avec sa présence." (F) (What else but to recruit more children to his league of moon children. And most likely to taunt me some more with his presence.) Lupin said straight away like it was the only possible answer.
Severus flashed the guy an annoyed look. "Tu es vraiment un idiot, n'est-ce pas? Pense! Pourquoi serait-il constamment vous narguer? Ou bien votre cerveau est-il trop corrompu par Dumbledore?" (F) (You really are an idiot, aren't you? Think! Why else would he constantly taunt you? Or is your brain too corrupt from Dumbledore?) The two acted as though there was no one else in the room, but they remained talking to each other in hushed voices. "Ne me condescends pas, Severus!" (F) (Don't patronize me, Severus!) Lupin snarled, baring his teeth and rather pronounced canine teeth, another feature to show up days before the full moon.
"Dumbledore m'a montré ce qui se passait vraiment. Ce n'est pas mon-" (F) (Dumbledore showed me what was truly going on. It's not my-) Lupin was cut off when everybody stood up to leave the Great Hall to get back to their house common rooms. The men briefly looked at each, clearly snowing that their discussion wasn't over yet. They quickly sneaked out of the Great Hall with one of the doors, before the rest of the staff noticed, into an empty side corridor. They swiftly entered an abandoned classroom. Severus swiftly pulled up a protective charm at the door so no one could listen on their conversation. "It's not my fault that you refuse to see things the way they are," Lupin said, picking their conversation back up from where they left off.
"Me? You should be saying that to yourself! I'm not the one who decided to leave his loved one behind without a damn word!" Severus shouted. Lupin let out a harsh, cold laugh. "Please. I was making his life easier when I decided to leave without a word. Isn't that what he wanted? I'm sure of it since he was making me think that we were meant for each other." The potions master wanted to strangle the guy. "If you haven't realized, Greyback isn't that sophisticated enough to form this elaborate of a plan. If you were just a plaything to him, he would have long since moved on to someone else. But yet, he remains to do just that." Lupin didn't say anything as he crossed his arms across his chest. "He truly loves you."
February 18th, Friday
"My apologies, Albus, but I insist you allow me to post some of my best around the perimeters of the castle. Only until we are sure Greyback won't hurt any of your students." Shacklebolt said in a deep voice as Dumbledore sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache coming. "We have been receiving word that Greyback has come to the school with an objective in mind." The auror continued. "An objective?" McGonagall asked wearily. "We don't know the details but we suspect it is about a professor." All the professors present looked at each other with obvious fear, to think that one of them was being sought out by an infamous Death Eater.
"One of us? Who? Who could it be, Kingsley? Why?" Professor Sprout asked in a small voice as she gripped her robes, her hand over her heart. Kingsley shook his head. "I assure you. I will figure this out." McGonagall gave a curt nod. "See that you do, Kingsley, enough blood has been spilled in our world. There is no need to add another." The rest of the professors left the headmaster office, leaving the remaining men alone. The head auror cautiously looked at Dumbledore before speaking. "Albus. do you know if Greyback has a mate or not?" He asked. Albus frowned at this question. He didn't like that this man was meddling at his school.
"None that I heard of. Not even during his time here as a student. Why are you asking this, Kingsley?" Shacklebolt leaned in close to the desk as if he didn't want any outsiders to hear. "The strange thing is that Greyback hasn't left a trail of carnage behind him. Not even a single drop of death was remotely close to Hogwarts. What kind of werewolf does that?"
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
"Put an attack on this area," Tom said as he circled an area of streets on a map of Diagon Alley with his pointer finger. "Yes, my lord." Lord Parkinson said as he bowed lowly towards him before leaving the office. "Tom." (P) A familiar voice hissed out. He pulled his eyes away from the map to see Salazar Slytherin had occupied the empty painting with his name on it in the Ivanov manor. "Gret grandfather." (P) He said with a curt voice as he proceeded to roll up the map and stored in a safe area. "What can I do for you?" (P) The Dark Lord asked. A man named Shacklebolt is in Dumbledore's office right now. He is asking questions about Greyback." (P) Slytherin drawled as he sat down in the chair that was in the painting.
"Let me guess. The old man is denying the fact that he knows everything." (P) Tom says with a cold snort. Salazar nods before standing up again to leave. "I need to get back or else Dumbledore will notice that I am gone." (P)
March 1st, Tuesday
"Êtes-vous sûr que cela fonctionnera?" (F) (Are you sure this will work?) Dian asked as she and Severus stood outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's private chambers. "We can't daddle too long. I'm sure you know what is tonight, correct? We must do this before then." The potions master said. Of course, Diana knew what tonight was. It was another full moon. "I intentionally didn't give Lupin his dose of wolfsbane potion. His transformation is guaranteed." Dianda nodded at his words. "Perfect." She silently motioned for the man to knock on the door. "You have the potions I gave you, right?" She silently nods. They waited for a few minutes before the door opened and Lupin popped his head out.
He looked surprised to see them. "Severus...Miss. Ivanov. What are you two doing here?" The potions master cleared his throat, bring the other man's attention to his. "May we come in, Remus? We have something to discuss with you." Lupin looked nervous as he glanced down at the wristwatch he was wearing. "My apologize, Severus, but I will be busy tonight. Perhaps another day?" He said, already moving to close the door before getting any answers. "We have your potion, professor," Diana said in a rush, anything to get the man to let them in. The two men looked at her, one looked shocked while the other looked slightly relieved.
"Really? I don't know if it will be of any use now but...come in anyway." Lupin said, stepping aside to let the two inside. "Thank you, professor," Diana said as she stepped inside after Severus. All the curtains in the private area have been drawn open, the fireplace cold. "You said you have my potion? Where is it?" Remus said as he closed the portrait portal to his private chambers. Severus opened his mouth to speak but Diana beat him to it. "I lied, professor. We don't have your potion." She said in a matter-of-fact tone. Rather than be angry as expected, he noticeably nervous as looked down at his wristwatch. Its almost time. Diana thought.
"Then you have no reason to be here. I suggest you both leave. Hurry." The professor said in a rush like he didn't want to be there anymore then he needed to. "Wait, professor. There is a reason why I came here. I know your secrets." Diana said quickly, catching Lupin off guard. "H-How...?" Lupin asked before Diana cut him off. "I know Greyback. He works for my father." Diana said, intentionally leaving out her father's name, knowing that the man was smart enough to figure it out. Greyback only ever had one job his entire life. Remus thought. He quickly drew out his wand and pointed it at Diana. She raised her hand but she kept calm. "You know you can't hurt me, Lupin. You are my parents' friend. You won't betray them."
She slowly reached for the potion bottle from her robe pocket and pulled it out. "I will show you that I'm telling you the truth." She uncorked the vial and drained it all in one shot. Diana shuddered at the vile taste as she felt the potion did its work. She knew because she heard Lupin gasp at her original feature. She quickly grabbed another potion vial that would reverse back to her changing form. "Now do you believe me?" She asked. Lupin looked like he was about to respond when he froze before his face contorted in pain just as the grey clouds in the night sky split to reveal a bright full moon. "Its time." Her thought was interrupted when an animalistic howl erupted from Remus' mouth as alarmingly loud sounds of joints popping and bones breaking.
Diana watched as the man before her change from a man to a beast. The calm of the castle was interrupted with a loud guttural roar as the last shred of human skin fell to the floor. "Holy shit..." Diana said in a hushed voice over the whimpering as she caught sight of the hairless, grey-skinned creature. Severus looked paler than usual. It must have been years since he last saw this form of the other man. "Remus?" He asked in a calm voice as he cautiously took small steps towards the crouched whimpering creature. "Remus?" The potions master called out again when he didn't get a sign of understanding. Suddenly, the creature reared its head back and let out a bone-chilling howl. Diana and Severus froze at the spot.
They were in a difficult situation. As if it realized that he had visitors, the werewolf turned its ugly head towards them, its yellow predatory eyes boring into their eyes as it's sharp teeth bared to them with a threatening growl filled the room. Diana heard Severus curse. "We need to get out of here," Severus said in a hushed voice as they took slow steps back just as the creature slowly stalk towards them. "Remus doesn't remember us in this state. When I say 'run', you run out of here, understand?" Diana barely moved her head to acknowledge his words, but the potions master noticed. Seconds ticked by felt like an eternity as they tried to maintain a distance between them and the beast. "Run!" Severus shouted.
Adrenaline jumped into high gear as Diana dashed out the room. Her heart nearly went into overtime when she heard an animalistic roar and heavy thumps of paws with sharp claws scraping against the stone floor behind her. She bolted through the door with Severus right behind her. "Where the fuck are we supposed to go, Severus!?" She yelled over her shoulder, not bothering to look to see if the werewolf was following them, which she knew it was since creatures like a werewolf don't usually get swayed easily from the target. "Turn now!" Severus shouted, sounding just as stressed about the situation as she was. They swerved into the only direction available and ran into a narrow corridor.
The turn caused them to slow down to avoid colliding with each other, causing the raging creature chasing them, to catch up to them with a single lunge. Without even thinking, Diana pulled out her wand from her pocket and started spinning around to confront the creature. She knew a spell strong enough to knock the werewolf unconscious but would it be enough in such a tiny space of time? The spell was on the tip of her tongue as she pointed her wand on the werewolf when Severus tackled her to the floor only to have a small square of the floor disappeared to reveal a chute. The two fell through and the small square disappeared once again to look normal again.
Outside of the castle, a small square suddenly appeared on one of the walls, and two cloaked forms tumbled out of the chute to the cold hard ground. "Damn it, Severus! I had him!" Diana said with a huff as she stood up, shooting glares at the potions master while dusting herself off from invisible dirt. Severus rolled her eyes. "No you didn't, Diana. If I hadn't got us both out of there, the walls would have been coated with our blood." Diana wasn't about to let that go and was about to say something when a beastly roar erupted from within the castle., sounding slightly muffled from the walls. "We have to get him out of the castle. Severus-"
A bone-chilling howl erupted from behind them. They whipped around, their wands drawn at the ready. "Fuck you, Greyback." Diana hissed when a familiar black werewolf emerged from the shadows of the trees. The creature let out puffs of air as if he was laughing. "Yeah, keep laughing, you stupid mutt, and we'll see who's laughing later." Severus snarled. Greyback pulled back his chomps, a low rumble of a growl could be heard. "Easy, both of-" Diana was cut off when Lupin suddenly leaped from the second-floor open corridor and landed inches away from her and Severus. Rather than going after them again, Lupin had turned his attention to Greyback, his nearly non-existent fur brustled up at the sight of another werewolf, let alone the alpha.
The two creatures snarled at each other, neither giving up until Remus took the plunge, leaping at Greyback. Jaws snapping ferociously, claws scratching at each other as the two attacked each other. Severus pulled Diana away from their path as they moved their battle towards the Forbidden Forest, their snarls getting fainter.
March 2nd, Wednesday
Pained animalistic snarls echoed through the dense Forbidden Forest as the last of the full moon slowly disappeared with the night sky. The snarls turned more human as the werewolf painfully turned back to his human form, staggering around like he was drunk. Lupin clung weakly to a tree, his clothes shredded from the transformation and his body riddled with thin scratches. "Remus..." He immediately stiffened when he heard that dreaded familiar voice. His inner creature screamed at him to turn around to face the familiar presence. Remus... Remus practically winced when he heard that same voice, now in his head along with the same nagging pulling sensation that never seemed to go away.
"Stop getting into my head!" He ended up shouting when he couldn't take the constant mental voice calling to him, his voice echoed in the vast Forbidden Forest. "Then look at me, Remus. I deserve that much since you disappeared on me all those years ago!" Greyback shouted in the end, mentally willing his lover and mate to look back at him. His wishes seemed to be answered as Remus slowly turned around to face him. Greyback felt the breath get knocked out of him like he was punched in the gut when their eyes finally met. Its been too many years. He thought. They both were silent, neither wanted to be the first to break the rather thick ice that formed between them.
"Why Remus? Why did you leave?" The alpha asked, unable to handle the silence anymore. Remus scoffed, getting restless from those intense pair of eyes looking at him. "You know damn well why I left. Don't act dumb now, Greyback." The alpha didn't flinch when his mate used his last name to address him as his eyebrows knitted together. "I'm not the stupid one here, Remus. I'm not the one who is ignoring the natural call of a mate." Lupin cursed mid-breath as he began pacing, shaking hands ran through his brown hair. The alpha took advantages of this and stepped closer to him. "What did that old fucker tell you, Remus? What the hell did he show to make you run away like a scared chicken?!"
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
The portrait portal into the Slytherin common room swung open and Diana stepped inside with Severus close behind her. "You had us worried when you both didn't come back after an hour," Draco said as he and the rest of the gang walked up to them. Diana was the one who explained to them what happened. They believed her but many had puzzled looks on their faces. "None of us heard anything." They both frowned at this. There was no way no one heard that howling. "Are you sure? You heard nothing during the time we were gone? Not even a werewolf howling at the bloody moon?" Severus asked. The others nodded their heads, giving each other side looks to confirm. The others nodded their heads.
"Togda vokrug obshchey komnaty dolzhen byt' magicheskiy bar'yer. Bar'yer, kotoryy pokryvayet zvuki izvne." (R) (Then there must be a magical barrier around the common room. A barrier that covers the sounds from outside.) Diana said. "Questo è completamente spericolato." (I) (That is completely reckless.) Blaise mumbled as he placed an arm around Ginny's shoulder. Diana sighed before speaking. "Khorosho, nam nuzhno pereyti k sleduyushchemu etapu nashego plana. YA soobshchu tebe utrom. Mne nuzhno pogovorit' s moim ottsom nemedlenno. V odinochestve." (R) (Alright, we need to go into the next phase of our plan. I'll inform you in the morning. I need to speak to my father immediately. Alone.)
The rest of the gang bowed their head in agreement before splitting off to their respective dorms. She gave Severus a small motion with her hand and he used his wand to cast a quick detecting spell to make sure no one was listening in. "Everything is ok." He said. Diana nodded and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder out of the small bowl on the mantle before tossing it into the lit fireplace. The flames turned a familiar green and she stuck her head into the flame as she shouted 'Ivanov Estate!" Diana felt a shimmer affect around her body as she saw parlor room of the Ivanov estate. A loud crack could be heard and Scab appeared in front of her.
"Young mistress Diana! What can Scab do for Young Mistress?" It squeaked. "Is my father in?" She asked. The house elf nodded with its ears flopping with each movement. "Bring him here. I need to speak to him." The house elf bowed low before disappearing with another loud crack. She only had to wait for less than a minute before the house elf appeared again with the Dark Lord this time. "Diana? What is it?" Tom asked with a slightly concerned look on his face. "Is Lupin and Greyback there at the mansion?" She asked. The scowl on his face says everything. "Yeah and I'm already regretting inviting them here for the night." Diana raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Tom noticed and huffed in annoyance.
"They aren't exactly doing a great job in hiding what they are doing." Diana snickers at his obvious situation, causing the man to send her a mocking glare. "You and your future boyfriend better not be like this." She almost choked on herself at his words, her face flushed as she sputtered. "Ok, Dad! Too much information!" Tom snickers in delight as his daughter sent him mocking glares as well before she settled down. "Did Remus say anything to you about what happened?" She asked. The Dark Lord shook his head as he looked up to the ceiling as if he was trying to look through the structure. "No. The moment they got here, they went straight to the guest room."
Diana nodded at that fact. "Alright. Can you owl me know what informations you gathered?" She asked and received a nod from the man. The Dark Lord had a soft smile on his lips, glad that he had the opportunity to see his daughter's face after a couple of months. "Go sleep, Princess. Make sure you keep your head down. Relay that message to the others."
March 3rd, Thursday
"So good of you two to finally come out of your room." Tom's voice rang out when Greyback and Remus stepped into the dining room. Greyback didn't look the slightest bit ashamed while his partner was red as a beet, causing the Dar Lord to scowl. "Sit." He said in a commanding tone. The two sat next to each other at the large dining table and no words were exchanged as Scab appeared out of thin air with plates of food for the couple. Rather then asking questions right away, he let the couple start their breakfast for a bit before asking. "Care to explain why you left us all those years ago, Remus?" He asked, calmly sipping on a cup of coffee.
The couple stopped eating to give their lord their undivided attention. "Its complicated, my Lord." Remus said, his hand that was on the table began fidgeting with his napkin but was stopped when Greyback gently placed his large hand on top of his. This movement gave the smaller man some courage and he turned his attention back to Tom. "Its true that I talked with Dumbledore the day before I disappeared and it wasn't because I was having second thoughts." He said the last part towards Greyback but for the Dark Lord to know as well. "Then what was the reason for you to see the old man?" Tom asked. Remus took a moment before answering, visibly biting on his lower lip.
"Dumbledore said he wanted to talk to me. We were meeting in his office at the school. My memory...is foggy after that but the next thing I remember, I was walking down the hallway in the Riddle mansion and I saw Fenrir. Images were flashing through my mind and I-I got angry at him." Tom looked carefully at him as he tried to assess the new information. "And since then, you have yet to remember what happened between the time you were in Dumbledore's office and the hallway?" Remus nodded his head in confirmation. Interesting. He thought as he leaned forward in his chair. "Look into my eyes, Remus. I want to test something."
Lupin didn't even question the order and he as he was told. Brown eyes looked deep into red eyes. Not even a single movement could be seen as the two were silent. So silent that Greyback was getting impatient and stirred a little in his seat. Tom blinked and broke eye contact with Remus. "Figures. That explains a whole lot." Remus blinked rapidly as if he was in a trance before looking curiously at the Dark Lord. "What did you see, my Lord." Greyback asked, his hand immediately seeked solace with Remus'. "Turns out Dumbledore has been playing mind tricks with you two. He has implanted a false memory in Remus which explains the sudden change."
The two werewolves start growling but Greyback was the loudest as they flashed their teeth. "He also must have gave Remus a potion that repressed the way his brain registered the call of his mate. It is a very old potion and Severus is the only person who would know about this." Everything makes since now.
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
A cloaked person sauntered into the back corner of the Three Broomsticks and sat down in one of the chairs, the head tilted down as people to make sure no one could see their facial features. Rosmerta walked over to the table to see what they wanted to order but a hand shot out to motion for her to stop. The woman scowled, mumbled about how rude they were before moving her attention to the next table. The cloaked figure sat in that same position for a few minutes while other patrons of the tavern sent quick glances towards them. The patrons are used to seeing shady people coming in but they always wanted to catch a glimpse of their secret affairs.
The door to Three Broomsticks swung open and a blond haired woman wearing a tweed outfit and a red horn-rimmed glasses came strolling in. If nobody was so emersed in their alcoholic drinks, they would have recognized who this woman was. Rita Skeeter. The infamous reporter for the Daily Prophet. The woman glanced over the tavern patrons, looking for someone particular, however, her eyes glanced at a few familiar faces. A topic she could definitely write about. She looked towards the back corner and noticed a cloaked figure sitting at the table. He was here. The secret informant she had just gained this morning. She was about to be told the juiciest news she has ever received throughout her entire career.
Skeeter strolled over to the table, her high heels clacking heavily against the wooden floor as she did so. She sat down on the seat across from the cloaked figure and she took out a fancy quill and notepad from her dragon skin purse. "Alright, you mentioned that have an interesting story to tell me. I don't do business with people I can't see their face." The cloaked figure didn't move for a second before he pulled down the hood covering his face. Skeeter's eyes widened at who was sitting across from her. "Well, well, isn't this a pleasent surprise. I never thought we will be sitting across from each other, Severus." The potions master could barely hold back the sneer from appearing on his face.
"Believe me, Miss. Skeeter, I don't want to be here across from you either." The woman seemingly ignored his snide comment as she opened her notepad to a fresh paper. "Alright, so what information do you have for me?" Severus gave a stiff curt nod and she licked the tip of her fancy quill, making the quill come alive and hover in the air at the ready. "Yes. I have recently gained information that a professor in Hogwarts is actually a werewolf." The woman's eyes widened as her quill zoomed across the notepad, leaving behind words. Severus continued on talking, the quill taking everything down as Skeeter sat there salivating at the thought of how big this news will be.
"Thank you very much, Severus." The woman cooed in appreciation as she put her stuff away in her purse. Severus placed his hood back up and sent a glare towards her. "Miss. Skeeter, I hope you will keep your end of the bargain. My name must remain as anonymous." Skeeter tutted as she stood up. "Yes, yes, of course. I always keep my sources anonymous. You will see the story on the front page of the evening edition."
March 4th, Friday
The Great Hall was excited as usual but for completely different reasons. Apparently. word of a werewolf teaching at Hogwarts had 'leaked' to the Daily Prophet and now concerned parents swarmed around to collect their child as well as letters from the parents constantly flew in. "Dumbledore a l'air d'être sur le point de faire sauter un joint."(F) (Dumbledore looks like he is about to blow a gasket.) Theo said in a hushed voice and the gang snickered as the doors to the Great Hall opened for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Diana?! Spasibo, Merlin, ty v poryadke!" (R) (Diana?! On, thank Merlin you are okay!) Valentina exclaimed dramatically as she and Stepan rushed over to her, covering her in warm hugs and kisses.
As if Dumbledore's day couldn't get any worse, the Malfoys came into the frenzy. Things were about to get even more hectic for the old man.
*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*
"I don't like what you are insinuating, Lucius." Dumbledore said with an angry glint in his eyes. The blonde man's eyes narrowed dangerously as he leaned across the headmaster's desk. "Oh you know damn well what I am going on about, old man. Be warned. The board is keeping a close eye on you. Too many concerning events have happened under your supervision that we can not ignore. I suggest you keep your crooked nose under the radar or else you will be without a job faster then you can blink." The two men glared daggers at each other Dumbledore broke the silence with an eerie smile. "Come now, Lucius. You must realize that I had no idea that Professor Lupin was a werewolf. I don't do background checks on my employees."
Lucius' eyes narrowed even more. This old fool is too confident for his own good. "Now that, I find hard to believe. You expect the board to believe that you, as the headmaster, didn't notice how one of your staff members disappears every full moon? Every one of us are not gullible fools like you, Dumbledore."
April 16th, Saturday
It has been thirty minutes since the game ended and all the students have gathered in the Great Hall to relax since there were no classes. None of the professors were there so the students were a little bit more free since the prefects didn't pose much threat to them. Most of the chatter were coming from the Slytherin's table. Chattering about how they had slaughtered the Gryffindor team 230 to 20. Never in the history of Hogwarts has the Gryffindor house have lost with that much of a score difference. A lot of praises were going to Diana for her seeker skills but majority have gone to their new chaser, Ginny. "This is freaking stupid." Weasley said loudly across the room with a huff. Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to look at him.
"Oh come on, they probably rigged their brooms or something." He said when all attentions were on him. "My my, what a sore loser, Weasel." Draco said with a drawl as an eyebrow raised up, causing the Gryffindors to growl in annoyance. "Oh please, I hear this all the time at home," Ginny pipped in, not looking the least bit bothered as she brought everyone's attention to her. "Seriously? That must have been a pain in the ass when you played games with him." Blaise said loudly, going along with the red-haired girl. "Oh terribly so. Remember that time you played chess with him, Fred?" She asked in a loud voice, making sure her twin brothers heard.
The Weasley twins snickered as they were joined by their older brother. "Oh, that was a terrible tantrum, Ronniekin." One of them said in a mocking tone, causing Weasel to turn bright red. "Oi! Whose side are you on?! I'm your brother!" Ginny scoffs as she folded her arms across her chest as she looks at her brother. "Really? All I see is an idiot who has lost too many brain cells to know when to quit and take defeat like a man." The Slytherins guffaws as they proceeded to leave the Great Hall, their laughter trailing after them.
June 17th, Friday
"Qu'est-ce que vous avez tous eu?" (F) (What did all of you get?) Daphne asked. It was close to dinner time when the school owls delivered their grades and the gang have taken up a table in the Slytherin's common room. "Tous les O." (F) (All O's.) Diana peeped in and everyone said relatively the same. "- ... -..- / ... . ...- . .-. ..- ... / ... .- ... / .- / - . ... ... .- -. . / ..-. .-. - - / -.- - ..- .-. / ..-. .- - ... . .-. .-.-.- / ... . / ... .- -.- ... / - ... .- - / -.- - ..- / -. . . -.. / - - / -.. . ... .. -. -. / .- / - .- .-. -.- / ..-. - .-. / -.- - ..- .-. ... . .-.. ..-. .-.-.- / -. . -..- - / ... -.-. ... - - .-.. / -.- . .- .-. / .. ... / -. - .. -. -. / - - / -... . / ... . -.-. - .. -.-. -..- / ... - / -.- - ..- / .- - -. .-. - / ... .- ...- . / - .. - . .-.-.- / ... . / -.- - ..- / - - / ... .- ...- . / -.- - ..- .-. / ..-. - .-.. .-.. - .- . .-. ... / .-. . .- -.. -.- / -... -.- / - ... . / -... . -. .. -. -. .. -. -. / - ..-. / ..-. .. ..-. - ... / -.- . .- .-. .-.-.-" (M) (Oh, Severus has a message from your father. He says that you need to design a mark for yourself. Next school year is going to be hectic, so you won't have time. He you to have your followers ready by the beginning of fifth year.) Diana felt Draco tap against the ring.
".- .-.. .-. .. -. ... - .-.-.-" (M) (Alright.) Without fail, Pansy pulled out a drawing pad and a sketch pencil out from her robe pocket. Diana silently took her pencil and made a very crude sketch while tapping away on the wooden table. Pansy then took over and drew in more detail. "-.- - ..- / - . .- -. / ... - - . - ... .. -. -. / .-.. .. -.- . / - ... .. ... ..-.." (M) (You mean something like this?) Pansy asked as she turned it to show the rest of the gang. "Wow ... sembra davvero ... incredibilmente fantastico." (I) (Wow...that actually looks...freakishly awesome.) Blaise inquired in awe as he gazed down at the grotesque drawing.
"Mieux bas que le tatouage que votre père a pensé. Je ne vais pas m'en excuser, Diana." (F) (Hands down better than the tattoo your father thought of. I'm not going to apologize for it, Diana.) Neville added, No one was going to deny that the tattoo was going to strike more fear then the Dark Lord's design.
June 18th, Saturday
"No fair! I wish I could go to Prague for a month." Pansy pouted as the Hogwarts Express came to a screeching halt in King's Cross station. Diana rolled her eyes as she scoffed, getting ready to get off the train with her trunk. "We aren't going there for vacation, Pans. We are strictly there to make sure the next step of father's plan is ready" Tye gang stood up and filed one by one to leave the train. "Well, at least you will have something happen. I on the other hand, will have nothing to do but hear my annoying brother complain about everything that has happened." Ginny pipped in with a scowl. The gang eventually got off the train and the platform was filled with people.
Before the gang split off, they each promised that they will owl each other since each family will be busy with traveling and such. Diana weaved through the crowd before she found Valentina, Stepan, her father and Christopher. She was bombarded with tight hugs, nearly getting the breath pushed out of her each time. "Chris, how is it every time I see you, you seem to have grown a bit taller?" She asked, causing her brother to give a cheeky smirk. "All part of the plan, Diana." Diana stuck her tongue out at him and the adults chuckled. Normal every day antics.
"Vy, deti, gotovy poyti? U nas vazhnaya vstrecha v Prage." (R) (Are you kids ready to go? We have an important meeting to get to in Prague.) Valentina asked with a motherly smile. Christopher and Diana nodded and the large family left together through the international apparition point. "S kem budet vstrecha?" (R) (Who are we going to have a meeting with?) Diana asked once they have arrived at an upscale wizarding hotel. No one answered her and instead receive a tap on her shoulder from Christopher who was motioning towards a stranded copy of the Czech version of the Daily Prophet that someone left on the floor.
Zástupci tří magických škol se dnes sejdou na českém ministerstvu magie na mimořádné schůzce. Pro spolupráci bude přidána čtvrtá magická škola?(C) (Representatives of three magical school will be gathering today in the Czech Ministry of Magic for an emergency meeting. A fourth magical school will be added for a collaboration?)
Koldovstoretz pořádá v Praze dnešní nouzové setkání tří školních Bradavic, Beauxbatonu, Durmstrangu a neslavné školy tvorů. Proč? Říká se, že školy se snaží přivést zpět turnaje Triwizard. Další informace na straně 3. (C) (An emergency meeting between the three schools Hogwarts, Beauxbaton, Durmstrang and the infamous school of creatures, Koldovstoretz is being held today in Prague. Why? Rumor has it that the schools are trying to bring back the Triwizard Tournaments. More information on page 3)
June 20th, Monday
"Absolutely preposterous! Misha, you have the gull to sit there and ask of us to add your school to the Triwizard tournament?!" Madame Maxime's voice boomed throughout the debate hall. "Precisely! Our three schools have remained as the only competitors of the Triwizard Tournament! We can not possibly break tradition of seven hundred years just to fit your school in!" Durmstrang's headmaster, Igor Karkaroff shouted, his thick accent very evident as the members of the Ministry of Magic from each country were present to hopefully put their thought into the argument if need be. All three headmasters of the schools are sitting around a large oval table with Misha sitting on the opposite side.
The one with the final decision will fall on Fudge since the tournament will be in his country. Dumbledore had that smile on his face as he raised both of his hands to stop the shouting. "Olympe, Igor, please let us talk this through. Misha, would it be better to petition for a spot in the tournament after the upcoming one?" Dumbledore asked. Misha huffed. "Certainly not. Koldovstoretz will no longer be excluded from such events. I promise you that all of my students are one of the best and the strongest in skill and performance." Karkaroff slammed his hand down on the table. "Everyone in the world knows that your school holds the largest population of magical creatures! Having one of them perform in the tournament will be a huge disadvantage for our champions!" Misha sneers at this.
"You are just sour, Karkaroff, because my student will undoubtedly beat yours in a dual even without using their additional powers." Karkaroff didn't look happy one bit and was about to give her a piece of his mind when Fudge stood up, making all the talking stop. "Ladies and gentlemen," His voice boomed without the need to use magic. "The tournament is meant to unite schools from different countries together for a single event and I plan to honor that today. I have taken careful considerations with your arguments in mind." Though Fudge says this, he really wants to further his allies and definitely increase his popularity.
"I have concluded that Koldovstoretz School of Magic will be included in this upcoming Triwizard tournament! However, we must rethink the three challenges!"