I was tired. I was so tired. But I had to keep going. Matt was losing blood quickly. I begged my legs to keep going and as fast as I could.

"Come on! You can do it! Sure he's heavy, but you can do it!. Twenty steps and you can rest. One, two, three...twelve... sixteen... twenty! No! You can't rest! He's dying! I'll let you rest in sixty more steps. I promise!" Sixty steps later. "Alright, so I lied! Just keep going!"

I admit it was silly, but it was all I could to keep myself going.

"Hang in there buddy," I told Matt, though I don't know if he could actually hear me.

Finally, I saw it! The edge of the woods.

I stumbled out of the woods and scanned the grounds of Hogwarts. I caught sight of Hagrid's hut. It was closer than the school. I ran as fast as I could to the hut. My legs gave out right as I reached the door. I reached out my hand and knocked on the thick door. No one answered so I had to use what little energy I had left to knock hard.

"Help!" I cried weakly.

I heard moving around inside and the door swung.

Hagrid blinked down at me.

"What're-?"

"He's hurt!" I interrupted breathlessly, "A werewolf."

Hagrid's face changed and he quickly and gently picked Matt up and helped me to my feet. He walked into his hut, I followed, and he laid Matt down on a large cot. He inspected Matt's wound. It was torn up around the knee and I hoped my imagination was getting away from me so that I wasn't seeing bone. Hagrid turned to me.

"Are ya 'urt?"

"Barely. I only was scratched on the arm."

"Can ya run?"

"I think so."

"Run to deschool an' get 'elp."

I nodded and dashed out the door and across the grounds of Hogwarts. The air was cool and crisp and a feeling of the end of summer and the beginning of a new adventure was in the air.

What will be my new adventure? Getting kicked out of the wizarding world?

Instead of bothering to run around the corner and waste time I used my wand to give me a boost of air up to a window. I caught the sill and tried to push it open but it was locked so I broke it with a spell then swung myself into the room. It was an empty classroom and that was quite large and loudly echoed with nothing but me and empty chairs in the room. I quickly made my way to the door but when I tried the door it was locked. My unlocking spell didn't work so I had to resort to the next best thing.

I pointed my wand at a desk, said a spell and then took cover under the teacher's desk.

BOOM!

I could have probably blown a hole in the door but that would have been no fun for one thing and another thing I'd have run down the hall to find help but this way I could bring help to me.

I didn't hear anyone coming so I tried blowing up another desk.

BOOM!

Voices and footsteps came running down the hall. The door flew open. There was a pause until the teacher who had entered, who I believe was named Elliot, yelled: "Peeves!"

I came out from under the desk.

"Actually, sir, I did that."

I stared at me in disbelief.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"Please, sir, in Hagrid's hut! Ludiker's hurt! He might be dying!"

He glared at me. "You expect me to believe you after you blew up two desks?"

I knew answering wouldn't help and I was so tired that I wasn't thinking straight so instead I ran over to the window and vaulted out the out. I caught myself with a spell and dashed across the grounds to Hagrid's hut. I heard the teacher jump out the window after me and followed. I was surprised he didn't say anything but I guess he realized I was a little too beat up for only blowing a couple desks up.

We arrived at Hagrid's hut and ran in. Professor Elliot instantly sighted Matt on the bed and began to examine him.

"What did you say happened to him?"

I considered correcting him that I hadn't mentioned what had happened as I would usually do under different circumstances but instead I told him.

"A werewolf bit his leg."

Elliot straitened himself.

"Hagrid, please take Ludiker to the hospital room. I'll go get some herbs out of the garden house." Lucky for us Professor Elliot taught Magical Herbs. "And as for you," Professor Elliot turned to me as Hagrid gently picked up Matt "After you get a bit of medical help from Madam Pomfrey you will go straight to the Headmasters office. McGonigal will know you're coming."

I swallowed and nodded then followed them as they went.

I heard some gasping behind us coming from the Forbidden Forest. I turned around to see Millie stumbling out of the trees. She was soaking wet and shivering.

"Professor Elliot!" I called to him as I ran to her.

The professor turned and followed me. We he got to Millie he picked her up and with an icy glare he asked me: "Did you take anyone else in?"

I shook my head. Elliot turned around and as quickly as he could hurry after Hagrid. I kept up with them as best as I could.

********

A few hours later I sat in McGonigal's office as all the pictures of past headmasters stared at me and whispered to each other from their pictures.

Headmistress McGonigal was in the hospital wing seeing the damage I had done. I had already received a bit of medical treatment and that's why I was now in the office waiting for my punishment.

The door slid open behind me and I heard the headmistress enter. She went to her desk and sat down and sighed, looking at me.

"Well, Whitehurst, what have you to say for yourself?"

I shrugged.

"Your friends are in terrible condition. Ludiker now-."

I looked up. "I know, now he's a Werewolf. I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen. I'm an idiot, I know! I'm sorry!"

"Whitehurst, Ludiker isn't-."

"Going to be healed by apologies. I know! I don't know what to do!"

"Whitehurst!"

"I know, I already have done the damage and I can't erase it! Am I going to get kicked out of the wizarding world?"

Her face grew stern. "Whitehurst! Please, give me your wand!"

My blood ran cold.

No!

"But-."

"Whitehurst, your wand!"

I pulled my wand out of my robes and stared down at it.

I have to give it to her. She'll break in half and that's it. What would my dead father think? He'd be ashamed. I've already shamed the Whitehurst name, I should just give her the wand and go home and try to make a living in the wizarding world.

"Whitehurst, please hand me your wand."

What would the girl in my head do? She wouldn't do it. Well, she's asleep right now so I can't get her help. I'm going to have to fight to stay in this world where I belong now.

"Whitehurst-."

"No."

"What?"

I looked up. "No."

She looked surprised.

"What do you mean 'no'."

"I mean I'm not giving you my wand."

"You don't really have a choice."

"Yes," I said rising, "I do."

The pictures of the headmasters around me chuckled.

McGonical rose and pulled out her own wand and tried to disarm me. Time seemed to slow as the spell came through the air towards me. I shot a spell out of my wand. At first, I didn't know what it did but I knew it was going to be destructive. The two spells met with a sickening crack.

BOOM!

Next thing I knew I was slammed against the wall behind me and nearly knocked out. When I came to my senses I realized I had pretty much blown the office up. I stood and looked around the at the charred and blackened office. McGonical was on the other side of the room, knocked out cold.

Quick as I could I ran to the large hole I had made in the wall and jumped out and caught myself with the wind spell again.

Off I ran into the night without thinking about where I might go and how long I actually expected to be able to not get caught by the Ministry of Magic.

Little did I know what that decision was going to cost.