Revelation

REVELATION

CHAPTER 11-CONFRONTED

I slept restlessly that night. I couldn't get the image of Alex out of my mind. Nor the wolf's face.

It was filled with such rage and animal lust to kill. I wondered how Professor Solaris got that way.

The next morning, Harry and I ate at Gryffindor table. Everyone was talking happily about the end of the year. Only Harry and I were miserable.

We decided to check on Professor Solaris after we ate. I looked up suddenly from my sausage and eggs and noticed the same Hufflepuff ghost standing off to the side near the Slytherin table.

I nudged Harry.

"I see that Hufflepuff ghost again," I whispered.

"Really? Where?" he asked looking around.

"By the Slytherin table,"

Harry's eyes moved right over the ghost. "I don't see her,"

I froze. Why was he able to see those knight ghosts on the grounds but not this one?

"What is she doing?" he continued.

The ghost smiled at me and waved brazenly before she disappeared.

I got a nervous feeling.

"Something's going to go down with the ghosts. I can feel it," I said to Harry.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"They're up to something," I said.

Harry studied me closely.

"Let's go visit Professor Solaris now,"

We finished breakfast and then headed up to the hospital wing.

Professor Solaris was lying on the cot magically bound. We could see the light gray ropes around Professor Solaris' wrists and ankles that glowed softly.

Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Sprout were standing in front of Solaris' cot.

Professor Snape looked up but did not say anything.

Professor Dumbledore looked up and smiled.

"Miss Davis is in the other cot," Madam Pomfrey said gesturing to one near the far end of the hospital wing.

We nodded, and headed over to her. We didn't want it to seem like we were here for Solaris only. We liked Amy too a lot.

We reached Amy's cot. She was awake and brightened when she saw us.

"Hey!" she said cheerfully.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" I asked softly sitting beside her on the bed.

"Okay I guess...just sore," she replied. "What happened with that creature?"

Harry and I looked at each other.

How would we tell her when Professor Solaris was right in front of us, not to mention the teachers.

"We'll let Dumbledore explain it to you," Harry said slowly.

Just then, Professor Dumbledore began speaking to Professor Solaris.

"Do you remember anything?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"No. Except the moon,"

Suddenly, I realized something. It was a werewolf, but a Verit werewolf. They can change every night, regardless if the moon is a crescent, full or quarter. The other kind is a Malox werewolf. Those are the ones that change only on full moons.

"Professor Solaris is a Verit werewolf!" I whispered to Harry.

"A what now?" Harry whispered looking confused.

"A Verit werewolf," I continued. "They change every night regardless of the moon. Malox werewolves change only on full moons."

"How'd you figure that out?" Harry asked.

"Because all Professor Solaris remembers was the moon," I said. "Poor Alex only remembered the moon because of his epilepsy."

Harry nodded.

We listened as Professor Dumbledore continued to talk to Professor Solaris.

"What caused you to change?" he continued.

"I was bitten when I was 4 years old. I lived with it all along. I came here hoping that it wouldn't be as bad as I heard about Professor Lupin was here," Professor Solaris said. "But then I realized when I woke up not remembering anything, something was wrong."

Harry smothered a snort.

Amy looked up at me.

"Did anyone else get hurt?"

"Alex," I said quietly.

Amy's eyes watered.

"Oh no,"

"What about the ghosts?"

"I saw one ghost during breakfast and I think something is going to happen," I said.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling something bad...very bad,"

Amy fell silent.

We listened more to Professor Dumbledore's questions.

"You change every night regardless of the moon? Right?"

Professor Solaris nodded.

"Alright. Professor Snape will give you a potion to ease the transformation. You will remain here binded," Professor Dumbledore said. "I think the reason you escaped the first time was because the magic was weak."

Madam Pomfrey looked guilty.

"It's okay Poppy," Professor Dumbledore continued seeing her guilty look. "We didn't know how strong the beast was. I doubt any magic could contain it, but thankfully, we have a spell that can."

"I feel so horrible knowing I killed innocent students," Professor Solaris sobbed. "That is the last thing I wanted to do."

"We know," Professor McGonagall said softly. "But unfortunately, what is done is done."

Professor Solaris just sobbed.

"I think it be best to give her a Dreamless Sleep Potion," Professor McGonagall said.

Professor Snape nodded, and then left the hospital wing.

A few moments later, he came back with a smoking goblet and Professor Solaris drank it. Soon, she fell off to sleep.

We left Amy in the hospital wing much to my protests. If the werewolf had gotten away once, it might very well try and get away again and this time actually end up killing Amy.

AMY.

I slept but was awoken shortly by growling and snarling.

I opened my eyes. Across from me, Professor Solaris had disappeared and was the beast again. Apparently Hermione said she was a Verit werewolf, which means they change every night despite the moon. I froze in bed, terrified. I watched in horror as it broke free once again of the magical ropes bound around its ankles and wrists. I prayed that it didn't see me.

Luckily, it hadn't and it dropped to all fours and galloped out of the hospital wing.

Once I was sure it was out of ear shot, I yelled for Madam Pomfrey.

She came running.

"IT GOT OUT AGAIN!" I sobbed pointing to the empty bed where Professor Solaris had been lying.

"OH DEAR!" Madam Pomfrey cried. "Are you well enough to travel?"

I nodded. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to stay in the Gryffindor common room with Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. You'll be less vulnerable there. Here it come back and most certainly kill you," Madam Pomfrey said.

She helped me get to my feet and I leaned on her. She kept her wand out the entire time and watched every corridor corner.

HERMIONE.

From somewhere in the castle I heard it. The horrible howling. Ron, Harry and I were in the common room just relaxing before we had to get to bed.

They heard it too.

"I hope it didn't get out again..." Ron began.

"I doubt it," I said shaking my head.

Just then, the portrait entrance opened and Madam Pomfrey entered helping Amy along.

"Keep her here," Madam Pomfrey said as Harry gently took Amy and laid her down on the couch. "The beast got out again."

"Good God," Harry breathed his eyes wide.

"We're going to have to kill it this time," Madam Pomfrey said. "I'm going for the headmaster. Stay here at all times."

We nodded as Madam Pomfrey left the common room and the portrait entrance closed again behind her.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked Amy softly.

"Better," she replied grinning.

Harry grinned back.

I could not sleep a wink. Sometime during the night, we heard a scratching at the portrait entrance.

"It's outside," Amy breathed terrified.

"Don't worry. It can't get in," Harry said reassuringly.

The scratching kept up for about 20 minutes before stopping.

We breathed a sigh of relief.

Around 2 AM, we heard a 'pop' from somewhere in the castle. We jumped from being startled.

"What do you suppose that was?" I whispered not wanting to disturb Amy, who had fallen asleep on the couch next to Harry.

"I dunno," Harry replied.

The next morning, at breakfast, Professor Dumbledore pulled us aside.

Amy was transferred back to the hospital wing for further treatment.

"Did you hear a 'pop' during the night?"

We nodded.

"That was a crossbow being released. The arrow had a silver tip. Professor Solaris is dead," he said gravely.

We didn't question Professor Dumbledore's acquirement of a crossbow.

"I'm sorry but that was the only way we could stop her. Magic had no effect on her," Professor Dumbledore continued quietly.

"We understand. Will there be a new teacher next year?" I asked quietly.

"Absolutely," Professor Dumbledore said softly.

We headed down to breakfast, but didn't feel much like eating. We felt bad that Professor Solaris had to be killed, but there was no other way. Suppose she had killed another student again?

There could be no chance taken. Professor Dumbledore told everyone that morning at breakfast that Professor Solaris had been sent away because she was no longer able to teach. I guess he didn't want to say she 'had been killed because she was a werewolf'. That would've started a riot like it did in our third year when Lupin taught.

We went to classes. I had no idea that things wouldn't be over. In fact, it was just beginning.

That night, to settle our minds, Harry and I decided to take another walk on the grounds. We found a comfortable spot and just sat down on the grass. We still had about an hour before it was time to go to bed.

Harry sat beside me and drew his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"Whatcha thinking about?" he asked gently.

"Just what happened this year and how many students we lost," I said quietly. "And what was happening to me."

"You still getting that bad feeling that something is going to happen?" Harry asked. "Professor Solaris is dead."

"As I said, it had nothing to do with Professor Solaris," I said. "It had to do with the ghosts."

Harry was silent as we looked up at the crescent moon. Clouds moved across it shielding it briefly from our sight.

Harry and I said nothing for a bit and just enjoyed each others' company.

Then, Harry spoke. "Listen, I-I don't know how to tell you this..." he began.

I patiently waited.

"But I feel different toward you," he said flatly.

I looked at him. "In what way?"

"More than a best friend," he continued.

I began realizing what he meant. "Oh," I said softly. "Same here."

He broke out into a huge grin. His emerald green eyes caught the moonlight. He moved his face closer until our lips met. He kissed me gently and softly. I returned the kissed the same way.

Suddenly, thunder clapped and lightning streaked across the sky. Wind picked up so bad, that my hair was whipped around my face.

"Let's get back to the castle!" Harry said, grabbing onto my hand.

The wind picked up even more to the point of hurricane winds. Harry and I huddled close together and dug our fingernails into the soft dirt.

We looked toward the Forbidden Forest. There came the knights on their horses. They stopped in front of us. The horses' eyes were white and they smelled of decay. I looked to the right of them.

The boy with part of his skull missing appeared next and stood on the knights left. More ghosts appeared including the Hufflepuff girl, several children that looked to be from the 1800's, a man dressed in black, dusty robes, and to our horror, each student that was killed by the werewolf appeared surrounding Harry and I in a circle.

The lightning and thunder continued to illuminate and clap.

One of the ghosts, the Hufflepuff girl, stepped forward.

"It begins," she said smiling.

"What are you talking about?" I asked for the wind had died down.

"We will tell you how each of us was killed, and then we will kill you," the girl continued. "I drowned in the lake back in the medieval times. No one knew I was gone."

"Part of a Reductor Charm backfired on me," the boy said with piece of his skull missing. "Blew the left side of my head off."

"We were poisoned," one of the knights said. "Our horses as well. It turned out to be the king's consultant who poisoned our water bottles."

"And we were hung because we were accused of being a witch. Which, we really were," one of the kids said.

"So why do you want to kill me?" I asked as Harry and I kneeled on the grassy earth.

"Because you can see us," the Hufflepuff girl said smirking. "We don't need help. We don't want you to spread this around."

"I won't! I won't tell a soul I promise!" I said. "I didn't want this 'gift' anyway."

"It's too late," the Hufflepuff girl said.

She and the others began advancing on Harry and I.

"RUN HARRY!" I yelled.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Harry cried back.

"LEAVE DAMMIT!" I screamed.

"NO!"

I angrily punched him in the ribs. "GET GOING!"

Harry wheezed and was knocked away by one of the knights on his horse with a powerful backhand.

The ghosts closed around me tighter.