Revelation II-Lycantor

REVELATION II-LYCANTOR

CHAPTER FOUR-RELIVE

"I want everyone back in the Great Hall for breakfast then back to their common rooms. Classes are dismissed for today," Professor Dumbledore said.

Everyone began heading back to the Great Hall. Harry and I slowly followed; the image of Crabbe not leaving my mind.

Ginny was being comforted by Luna Lovegood, who had gotten up from the Ravenclaw table to come and sit with the Gryffindors.

Harry and I sat down.

"Are you holding up okay?" I asked gently.

Ginny just shivered. "It was so horrible," she said as tears formed in her eyes.

"I know," I said also wrapping an arm around her.

"What could've done that?" Luna asked quietly.

"We don't know. I honestly have no idea," I said.

"Don't werewolves go for the throat?" Luna suggested.

I became uncomfortable. "Yes, they do, but there aren't any here at Hogwarts anymore,"

"I hope that Professor Dumbledore finds out what killed Crabbe," Ginny said still looking pale. "I think I'm going to be sick."

She clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to keep from vomiting but it was no use. She leaned over the side and vomited in the aisle.

Luna took Ginny up to the hospital wing for a potion to settle her stomach.

"What on earth could've happened?" I whispered to Harry.

I just pushed the food around my plate, my appetite diminished so fast.

Harry's however, was perfectly fine. He hungrily dug into his pancakes.

"Dunno," he said between mouthfuls of pancake. "But I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will find out."

I looked at him. "How can you eat like that at a time like this?"

"What? It doesn't affect me so why shouldn't I be hungry?" he replied looking up.

I just sighed and dropped my fork on the plate with a clatter.

"I'm going to the common room," I said as I got up and abruptly left the table.

I curled up on the couch and looked into the fire. The warmth was somehow comforting.

I began thinking.

If it was Harry that attacked Crabbe, how come he never left the common room? I would've heard the portrait entrance opening. I thought. That is loud enough to wake the dead.

I pulled out the book and flipped back to the section I was reading:

Lycantor werewolves can also attack and roam in their dreams. While their physical body is stationary, their mind is able to wander. This only happens while the wait to transform occurs. It is the first step to changing.

They will have no memory of anything and will deny having any nightmares or anything pertaining to that.

It will continue to occur until the first transformation. Then, evil will begin.

I slammed the book shut.

That would explain everything. It was Harry that killed Crabbe but in his sleep. I thought stuffing the book back into my bag.

Literally.

Just then, Harry entered the common room. He looked at me tentatively.

"Are you still speaking to me?" he asked in a small voice.

"That depends," I snapped. "Are you still hungry?"

Harry flinched as if I went to punch him in the stomach.

He sat down beside me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive. I miss Ron terribly also. I can't help it sometimes. I feel differently and there are times when I can't control it. What's happening to me?" Harry said looking upset.

"I'll tell you...you're turning into a werewolf!" I growled.

"Hermione, if you say that Professor Solaris scratched me while swiping at my wand, how come there are no scratches on me?"

"Because it's your new metabolism," I replied. "Werewolves heal very fast and by the morning any wound they received while being a wolf would have vanished leaving no trace of any type of injury."

Harry thought about this.

"That makes some sense," he mused.

"Listen. You are changing. You've been acting weirdly, more aggressive to be exact; you've been eating raw meat and sensing things before a normal human being could. Tell me that isn't odd?" I demanded.

Harry smiled.

"Okay, that is odd. But are you sure I'm a werewolf?"

I nodded.

"If you say so," he said shrugging.

Why on earth is he taking this so well? He should be terrified and instead he's like carefree?

"Why are you so carefree? Aren't you scared that you'll hurt someone?" I demanded shrilly.

"No. Because I know I won't hurt you. I would never turn on you. And I'm sure that Professor Dumbledore will find a way to cure me. Until then, why get panicky?" Harry said simply.

I bit my bottom lip.

"Harry...there are only two known cures. One: titanium. Two: A potion known as Medroxy Lupus Arimus. The ingredients can be found in the hill ranges called "Nevu". There, a special plant grows called "Oliut" and is the only thing that can reverse the curse."

"Where are the hill ranges?"

"The hill ranges of Nevu are in the north part of England, bordering between England and Scotland. They are called the Cheviot Hills."

"Wow. That's a big trip. But I'm sure Dumbledore will help," Harry said finally. "Are you ready for Care of Magical Creatures?"

I sighed deciding there was no point in arguing with him. Obviously he was oblivious and I was afraid that when the first crescent moon appears, he will see that I'm right and it might be dangerous and frightening.

"Yeah. I guess so," I muttered as I grabbed my bag and swung it onto my shoulder. I followed him out of the common room.

We headed outside to the grounds where Hagrid was standing in front of the same paddock.

"Are we learning about Salop's again?" I whispered to Harry.

"I don't know," Harry whispered back.

As we approached the paddock, something huge reared up in its hind legs.

"What is that?" Lavender asked. There was a mixture of fear and awe in her voice.

"A Matorin," Hagrid replied beaming.

Matorin's were large animals, about the size of a moose and was the cross between a ram and a wolf.

The fur was gray with large horns that curled backward from the skull below the erect ears. Their eyes were an electric blue color. They had a tail much like a wolf. Their feet were paws instead of hooves. Their face was long like a wolf and had a snout with wolf teeth.

They were relatively friendly except when feeding time came around.

"They're friendly," Hagrid said softly.

Lavender stepped toward the paddock and reached over the railing to pet the Matorin's face. The Matorin licked her hand. I too, stepped forward and began petting the Matorin.

Once again, the minute Harry went to step forward, the Matorin began growling.

"This is nuts," Harry muttered.

He backed away and immediately the Matorin calmed down and began licking my face.

I giggled and gently pushed it away.

"What significance does the Matorin have?" Hagrid asked.

I raised my hand.

"Matorin's horns are used in certain potions to cure amnesia and Alzheimer disease," I replied.

"Correct! Ten points to Gryffindor," Hagrid replied beaming.

With the hour devoted to petting and talking about the Matorin's, class was finally over.

Lavender, Ginny and I began talking about Crabbe's death and I didn't realize Harry wasn't with me until later.

Where could he be? I wondered.

I searched his usual haunts and didn't find him. Finally, I went outside and that's when I saw him. He was in the Matorin paddock leaning over one of them that was lying on its side.

"Harry?" I asked slowly approaching him.

He looked up. There was blood on his mouth and his hands were holding something that resembled a bloody pouch.

I felt sick. I clamped a hand over my mouth and forced myself not to vomit.

"H-Hermione? What am I doing here?" he asked looking confused.

Without a word, I turned and ran back to the castle and up to Professor Dumbledore's office.

Harry was going to spend the night in the hospital wing with some testing done. He had no idea how he got there. He said all he remembered was walking back toward the castle and entering the Great Hall then it went all blank from there.

"This is getting worse," I whispered to Professor Dumbledore. "He killed Crabbe while he was sleeping."

Professor Dumbledore looked grave. "We're going to have to give him a Wullit Potion. It will help with the loss of memory portion of the changing. But that medal won't hold it off for long. Where did you get it?"

"Someone named Annabelle gave it to me while we were in Hogsmeade. She said she was Professor Solaris' daughter," I replied.

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Ah yes. She did have a daughter,"

"Don't worry, we will definitely help him," Professor McGonagall added coming up behind Professor Dumbledore.

I nodded and headed back to the common room.

I began dozing off and without realizing it, I had fallen asleep.

I began dreaming:

I saw the werewolf outside the corridor holding Ron by the throat while Harry and I hid in the closet. I saw it clamp its jaws on Ron's throat and the blood flowing from the wounds.

Then, the scene changed to Neville and what happened to him. Each time the dream changed I saw every student that was killed.

I saw the ghosts...I woke up screaming.

I sat up abruptly screaming.

"Hermione!" a girl's voice cried worriedly.

As my vision cleared and I stopped screaming, I saw that it was Ginny.

"Are you alright?" she asked concerned.

"Oh Ginny!" I said as I began crying. "I dreamed of the werewolf and the ghosts again! It's like I'm reliving the entire thing all over again!"

"Again?" Ginny asked confused.

That's right. She didn't know about that 'vision' I had before.

I began explaining to her what happened.

When I was done, she looked at me.

"Weird but I believe you," she said.

"What am I going to do? What if Harry starts to kill more students? First it was Crabbe and now the Matorin," I sobbed.

Ginny gave me a hug.

"Don't worry. If I know Dumbledore, he won't let Harry get into trouble," Ginny said reassuringly.

"That's what Harry said but for some reason I have a bad feeling that it will get worse," I said.

"Try no to worry okay?" Ginny said gently.

I sighed.

"Come on. We've got to get to Potions," she replied.

I reluctantly followed Ginny. She had to go to Charms and I headed off to Potions.

I couldn't pay attention in Potions too well but managed to get the potion right without causing Professor Snape to deduct points.

After that, I headed to History of Magic with Professor Binns.

Then, dinner time rolled around.

Dinner would be sent up to Harry in the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore was personally overseeing the tests.

I ate with Ginny.

After dinner, I decided to read more of that book:

The second sign of changing is memory loss. A person could remember doing one thing and then find themselves in another situation with no recollection of how they got there.

After this, the transformation begins. The changing will be rapid and fierce.

The first two signs will remain except the first one will be gone once the transformation is complete. The second will remain more.

I closed the book.

"What does it say?" Ginny asked coming over and sitting beside me.

"It says that the second sign of transforming is memory loss," I replied. "Like Harry not remembering how he got into the Matorin paddock or..."

My voice trailed off as nausea rolled over me when I thought of Harry eating the Matorin's heart.

"Try not to think about it," Ginny replied.

I shut my eyes, forcing the image from my mind. It totally seemed like I was reliving everything all over again. I couldn't stand to lose another person I loved...Harry.

It was like a nightmare that would never end.

"Oh! This letter came for you this morning at owl post but I forgot to give it to you," Ginny said reaching into her bag and pulling out a piece of parchment.

She handed it to me.

"You and Harry were out in the corridor with the rest of them. I stayed behind. I have no desire to see a dead body," Ginny said shivering.

I opened the letter and began reading:

Hermione,

Meet me on the grounds around nine o'clock tonight. I have some more help for you with Harry. The crescent moon approaches and something must be done fast.

Annabelle Solaris.

"Annabelle Solaris?" Ginny asked wide eyed.

"Yes. Professor Solaris' daughter," I replied and then began explaining to her about how Annabelle approached us at Hogsmeade.

"Wow," she said letting out a whoosh of air.

"I'd better get ready," I replied.

That nagging feeling that things would get worse, deepened in the pit of my stomach.