J A M E S  P O T T E R

"Where did you get this?" Sirius gaped as he held the record in his hands.

"Ophelia gave it to me to borrow," he explained. Well, not technically Ophelia but he knew for a fact that it had been her. But he was going to stop trying to push her and let her tell him on her own. If she ever decided to do that. "Be careful with it."

"I take back any bad thing I ever said about her," he announced as he crossed the room to the record player. He pulled the record out and placed it in. A moment later, the music began to play and Sirius was grinning ear to ear. "Tell her I love her more than anything in this life."

James's nose wrinkled, "Yeah, I'm not doing that. Shut up and listen to the music."

Sirius collapsed on the bed as the album continued on. The girl had done as promised and left him with a stack of vinyls including Jazz by Queen, A Hard Day's Night and Abbey Road both by the Beatles, All Summer Long by The Beach Boys as well as Led Zeppelin and Leftoverture by Kansas.

James had no idea how much Ophelia actually enjoyed music.

"This is exactly what I-" Sirius began but then the door opened to reveal Remus. The three of them were surprised to see the boy because they had all thought he was asleep in his bed. And it was almost three in the morning.

He smiled tightly at the group before he entered his area, shut the curtains and kept to himself.

O P H E L I A  L O V E G O O D

Ophelia rubbed her arms to keep herself warm, "I told you this was a bad idea."

"I told you this was a bad idea," Reggie repeated mockingly and she rolled her eyes. While it was indeed a Hogsmeade weekend, it was freezing and most people opted to stay behind. Reggie dragged Ophelia, Coralena, Xenophilius and Pandora out so they could and she quotes, 'Have fun for once in their sorry excuse of a life.'

"Come on, if we don't hurry up, we'll be late," Ophelia reminded them as she stood up, leaving her mug of butterbeer behind. She grabbed Reggie's arm and pulled him up, "Let's go."

"Always the party pooper," Reggie teased as they all started toward the exit. "Do you even know how to have fun?"

"Of course I know how to have fun," she replied with narrowed eyes as the cold air hit her skin causing her to shiver. "I also know how to follow the rules."

"Party pooper," he repeated and she whacked him on the arm. "You're just upset because I'm right."

"Yeah, I'm-" What happened next was far too fast for any of them to react.

Ophelia felt the sharp pain across her cheek before she processed that there was a man in front of her only he wasn't fully man. She was knocked to the floor within seconds and she could feel whatever it was biting into her abdomen. She let out a scream as someone shouted, "Ophelia!"

The person was knocked off of her and Xenophilius helped her to her feet. Ophelia moved to go after him but her brother stopped her. She raised her elbow up and nailed him in the face sending him backward where she could barely tell people were fighting. She raised her wand that she pulled out from behind her ear, ignoring the pain that the bite had caused.

She could tell she was bleeding and if it didn't stop, there was no way she would remain conscious. "Stupefy!" she shouted, sending the man off of her friend.

She ran toward the boy, and fell down into the snow. "Reggie!" she shouted, shaking the boy. His eyes were opened and glazed over, unseeing. Ophelia shook her head unable to control the sobs that escaped her. "Reggie, please wake up," she tried again. "Please."

"Greyback," someone shouted and Ophelia looked up for a moment to see that everyone else had been engaged in a duel. "We were sent to recruit, not kill."

"It was too much to resist," the man replied and a moment later the four who had been there, vanished.

Ophelia's head was spinning as the adrenaline seemed to die down. Her stomach felt as though it were on fire and she clutched it in pain. She looked down to find her shirt torn open and a large bite mark on her stomach. She tried to ignore the burning sensation that was spreading throughout her body and she squeezed her eyes shut. She had been bit by a werewolf.

There was an old man at her side who looked oddly like Dumbeldore only it wasn't him. "Rosmerta," he called out. "Get Albus down here. Tell him students have been attacked."

"My brother," Ophelia groaned out as she attempted to sit up but the man stopped her. "Is he okay?"

"He's alive," Coralena announced and Ophelia looked behind the man to see her standing there, watching her with an unreadable expression. "He's just unconscious." She glanced to where Reggie's body laid, his eyes still opened and the color drained from her face. She turned around quickly, squeezing her eyes shut.

A moment later, the man was replaced by Dumbledore and McGonagall was on the other side, looking over Reggie's lifeless body. She placed her hand over his eyes and guided them shut.

"I'll take them to Pomfrey's," Dumbeldore explained as he scanned over the girl's injuries. "Tell everyone to get to the Great Hall and have the Head Boy gather the Prefects and make sure there are no stragglers."

McGonagall disappeared and a moment later, Dumbledore apparated all of the students to Pomfrey as promised.

Dumbledore raised Ophelia up and got her onto the bed. Pomfrey was quick to get to her. "Werewolf?" she asked immediately and Dumbeldore nodded. She ran to the back room and grabbed something before returning. She looked up at Coralena and Pandora, "You'll want to hold her down."

"Let me die!" Ophelia begged, fighting against the grips of her friends as the doctor tried to seal the wound. "I deserve to die, please just let me die." She continued to fight against their grasps as Pomfrey applied the dittany and silver to the bite. "Please, don't make me live like this! Please!"

Only she wasn't talking about becoming a werewolf. She was referring to the pain that she felt in her chest at being the reason her friend was dead. She felt a piercing in her arm and she stopped thrashing. "Please..."

J A M E S P O T T E R

"Potter," McGonagall spoke up from behind him and he, alongside his friend, turned around to look at their teacher. She looked around at those with him, "If you could come with me for a moment."

James grew confused but nodded, standing up from the table and leaving his stuff behind. He followed his teacher up the aisle, glancing back at his friends for only a brief moment. "Is everything okay, Professor?"

"Dumbledore is having all students sent to the Great Hall," she explained and James only grew more confused. "We need you to get the Prefects and make sure all students are making their way here."

"What about the students still in Hogsmeade?" James asked, his eyebrows pinched together as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"There were only a group of Ravenclaw students left," she answered, "They returned a moment ago."

"Should I find Ophelia?" James inquired.

"No," McGonagall replied. "She's otherwise occupied at the moment." She glanced behind herself, "I trust you can handle this, Potter?"

James nodded, "I can."

"Good," she nodded. "Be careful."

Be careful. The words echoed throughout his mind as he turned back around and re-entered the Great Hall. He approached the Gryffindor table, "Moony, come with me."

Remus looked up at his nickname in confusion, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," he answered but he was certain that wasn't the case. "McGonagall just asked that I gather all of the Prefects."

He eyed the boy in confusion before standing up. Sirius and Peter grew confused and Peter was the first to speak, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," James responded before he and Remus walked off, grabbing the attention of the remainder of the Prefects.

They all stood in the corridor outside the Hall and it was now that James realized just how many Prefects there were. The last time he talked to them alone was on the train but somehow this felt far worse. "I need all of you to go to your common rooms and make sure everyone is on their way to the Great Hall. Make sure to check classrooms along the way. Stay with your partners."

They all nodded and dispersed but Remus and Lily stayed with James. "What is going on?" Lily asked and James started walking, the pair following after him.

"I don't know," he answered, stopping at a classroom to make sure it was empty. "McGonagall just told me to gather all the Prefects and make sure everyone made it to the Great Hall."

"Where's Ophelia?" Remus asked and James halted at this. "James?"

His head was spinning as he thought things over. McGonagall had said something had happened and that a group of Ravenclaw's were the last to return to the school. She had said that Ophelia was otherwise occupied with something but hadn't said what.

He took off at a sprint, confusing both Lily and Remus who quickly followed after him. "James, slow down!" Lily tried but the boy ignored her as he finally came to a stop in front of the Gryffindor portrait. He shouted the password and entered the common room, making his way straight for his room.

He could vaguely hear Remus saying something to Lily but he blocked it out as he yanked open the drawer in his room. He pulled out the map quickly and grabbed his wand as the door to his room opened.

"James, what's going on?" Remus asked as he approached the boy.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," James muttered quickly while he tapped the map with the tip of his wand. The map fluttered open revealing the school. He scanned the map, grazing over the group of students gathered in the Great Hall until his eyes landed on the infirmary.

James pointed at the six names in the room and Remus looked over his shoulder, "That's Ophelia and her friends. And then Pomfrey and Dumbledore."

"Except for Reggie," he observed, taking note that there were only four kids there, not five. "What do you think happened?"

O P H E L I A L O V E G O O D

"I don't know what happened, Headmaster," Coralena explained, growing frustrated. "One second we were leaving The Three Broomsticks and the next we were being attacked. There were three people in these black hoods and masks...And then there was the...the..." She was unable to say the word, however, as she looked over at her friend who laid in the hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling expressionless.

"I understand," Dumbledore nodded.

"Is it alright if I get back to them now?" she requested and the man nodded.

"Yes, Ms. LePaul," he agreed. "If any of you remember anything, tell me immediately."

She turned to leave but stopped. "Headmaster..." she trailed off and he raised a questioning eyebrow. "It's not even a full moon," she explained. "How is it possible that...I mean how could he...?"

"There are some werewolves who prefer to indulge in their nature rather than fight it," Dumbeldore answered. "This allows them to be in werewolf forms at any time they wish."

She nodded before walking over and joining her friends.

"As soon as they are both able to be moved, they along with their friends need to be brought to the Great Hall with everyone else," Dumbledore informed Pomfrey. "It'll be best to keep them all in one room until we know everyone is safe."

Pomfrey nodded in agreement before entering her office to do something, probably in regards to Xenophilius' condition.

"I can't believe this happened," Pandora gaped and it took everything in Ophelia's power not to get up and punch her right then and there. Not that she would have had enough energy to actually be able to. "And Reginald..."

"Reggie is dead," Ophelia reminded the girl as she turned over in her bed so she could see her friends. Her friend's minus one. "It happened now, just drop it."

"Lia, I don't think-" Coralena began but she cut her off with a swift wave of her hand.

"Why don't you and Pandora head to the Great Hall?" Ophelia suggested. She shifted slightly and groaned, clutching her abdomen. She took a deep breath, "I'll stay with my brother."

Pandora opened her mouth, no doubt to argue against it but Coralena placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, pulling her back. The two stopped by Pomfrey who did a quick once over before she sent them to the Great Hall. She emphasized the fact that they were not to talk about what had happened, not even amongst themselves.

Ophelia got up from her bed carefully and sat down in the chair next to the bed her brother laid in. She held his hand in both of her and rested her forehead against them, "Come on, Xeno, you have to be okay." She felt his hand twitch in her grip and she looked up immediately, "Xeno?"

"Lia," he croaked, his voice strained. His eyes remained shut as he talked, "What happened?"

"Madam Pomfrey," Ophelia shouted, "He's awake."

"Not so loud," Xenophilius suggested and Ophelia couldn't help but laugh as she wiped the tears that were falling from her eye. "No tears."

She nodded in agreement, sniffling, "No tears."

He pushed himself up in the seat, "What happened?"

Ophelia frowned, unsure as to how she was supposed to tell her brother that his best friend died to keep her alive. He saved her life but he shouldn't have had to lose his own life to do so. She went to move her arm but hissed in pain. Pomfrey immediately noticed this and walked over, handing a potion to Xenophilius before facing the girl.

"Your arm?" Pomfrey inquired. The doctor had tried to help Ophelia once she had calmed down but she refused. She nodded and the doctor grabbed a sling from the table. She slipped it around the girls neck and moved her arm so it sat on it correctly.

"Thank you," Ophelia mumbled before the woman turned to face her brother.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I was attacked by a Crumple-Horned Snorkack," he replied with a groan. Ophelia laughed at this as her brother adjusted his position, "Where is everyone else?"

Ophelia's smile faltered, "In the Great Hall."

"Great, let's go there," he suggested and moved to get up but Ophelia stopped him.

"Just wait for Pomfrey to check you out," Ophelia suggested. "You were hit by a pretty bad spell. For a minute there, she thought you weren't going to make it."