J A M E S  P O T T E R

The Prefects and himself had returned about an hour ago after making sure there was no one else in the castle. All the students were accounted for except for five individuals, all from Ravenclaw. James informed Professor McGonagall but she said they were fine.

Remus had to drag James to the Great Hall because he had been very adamant about going to the infirmary. Lily had to go get Sirius and Peter for assistance.

The missing had included Coralena and Pandora who had joined everyone a few moments later, seeming rather shaken and then there was Reggie. Ophelia had yet to show up and neither had her brother.

Dumbledore stepped up to the podium once Coralena and Pandora settled down at the Ravenclaw table. It was clear that their fellow housemates had questions but the pair were essentially catatonic.

"Good evening, everyone," Dumbledore greeted. "I am sure you're all wondering why you were asked to come here." The room fell silent upon hearing that they would find out what all of the teachers were being secretive about. "There was an incident in Hogsmeade this evening."

There were chatters amongst the students and James stood up straight, pushing himself off the wall. Dumbledore cleared his throat and the room fell silent again, "It is currently being handled but we thought it would be safer that you all be in one area until we are certain that the threat has been neutralized."

James' head was spinning. What the hell had happened?

"I assure you that this is the safest place for you to be right now," the Headmaster informed them. "I realize you were probably hoping for more information but that will have to wait." He stepped down from the podium and the room erupted once more, the students trying to figure out what had happened and bombarding Pandora and Coralena with questions.

James remained by the door of the Great Hall where McGonagall had asked him to stand. He was to make sure no one tried to leave.

The door behind him opened and he turned around in confusion. Everyone should have already been inside. He stopped questioning it when he realized it was Pomfrey, Ophelia and her brother.

James opened his mouth to say something but Ophelia turned to Pomfrey before he could, "Could you help Xeno to the table? I'll be there in a moment."

Pomfrey wanted them both to arrive in wheelchairs but they both refused. People were bound to notice them, they didn't need to draw even more attention to themselves.

He looked the girl up and down and frowned. She seemed fine. A little too fine for someone whose arm was in a sling. There were no marks on her skin or anything else that would indicate something had happened.

"You're using your powers, aren't you?" he concluded and her eye twitched slightly at the edge of it. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," she pointed out as he watched her, looking for any indication that she wasn't okay. "I'm fine."

James looked over at the Ravenclaw table where Coralena, Pandora and Xenophilius sat. Xenophilius had his head in his hand as Pandora comforted him and Coralena sat with a frown on her face, her eyes puffy from crying. He looked back at Ophelia, "Where's Reggie?"

She tensed up at this, "That's none of your business." She glanced over at her brother, "You can handle this on your own, can't you?"

He ran a hand through his hair and nodded, "Yeah."

"Good," she replied before walking off, the boy watching as she did so.

O P H E L I A  L O V E G O O D

She sat down at the table next to her brother. Everyone at the table was watching them, noting that they were short one. "Keep looking at us and I'll give you a reason to stare," she snapped.

They all turned away at this, clearly not wanting to be the first person to actually get on Loony Lovegood's bad side. Dumbledore approached the podium and cleared his throat, successfully grabbing the attention of all the students who had been coming up with theories as to what had happened.

Ophelia placed her hand over her brother's hand and he looked over at her sending her a tight and most comforting smile he could manage. "No tears," he repeated, "Remember?" She nodded in agreement, squeezing his hand and releasing him.

"I am certain you have all started theorizing what happened this evening," Dumbledore began, everyone's attention on him. Everyone wanted to know what had happened and Ophelia couldn't blame them. If she hadn't been there, she would have wanted to know as well. That hadn't made her any less irritated with the people watching her and her friends. "A group of students were attacked by Death Eater's in Hogsmeade."

"During this attack, Reginald McLaggen was killed by a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback," Dumbledore announced and everyone turned to look at the group who had clearly been there. Ophelia looked around the room, fighting the urge to hex them all when her eyes caught James's. She looked away quickly, training her eyes on the Headmaster. The whispering died down as he continued, "Letters have been sent home to parents and they are being made aware of the situation at hand. I'm sure many of you will be heading home but I can assure you that until then, you are perfectly safe here. The castle has been searched and sealed off. No one can get in and urge you, until further notice, not to try and get out."

"You will be sent back to your houses in a short time, check in with your Prefects or the Head Boy before you decide to leave the Great Hall," he informed them. It didn't go unnoticed that he hadn't said the Head Girl. "Make sure someone knows where you're going at all times."

He stepped down from the podium and walked over to where Professor Flitwick sat and whispered something to the man. Flitwick looked over at where Ophelia, Pandora, Xenophilius and Coralena sat and nodded.

J A M E S  P O T T E R

James watched as Ophelia followed Professor Flitwick out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore and McGonagall left a moment later, leaving Slughorn and Professor Johnson, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to be in charge.

"He was just a kid," Lily announced with a frown. "It's not fair."

"It could have been worse," Remus pointed out. Him being the only who had really talked to him made what he had to say more important. James looked up at the boy and saw that he had a frown on his face, "He could have been left behind a monster."

Sirius, Peter and James all exchanged a look. Sirius raised his hand to comfort Remus but the boy was quick to pull away.

From what James could tell, the two were trying to remain civil. He was honestly surprised they were even sitting next to each other.

"Ms. Evans," McGonagall spoke up and the redhead looked up in confusion. "Could I speak with you for a moment?" Lily nodded before following the Professor out.

A moment later the girl returned with a slight frown on her face. "What was that about?" Marlene asked Lily once she sat back down.

"I guess Ophelia isn't feeling up for handling the Head Girl duties," Lily explained and James looked up at this. "I'm stepping in temporarily until she is more recovered, I suppose."

James looked down at his food, pushing it around his plate.

"I'm going to head back to the room," Remus announced as he stood up and James looked over to find Sirius with his head in his hands. "I'll see you all later."

Remus walked off and James looked at his friend, "What just happened?"

"It doesn't matter," Sirius shook his head.

"Come on-" he tried.

"Just drop it, James," the boy suggested and he frowned but let it go.

O P H E L I A  L O V E G O O D

Every month. Every single month on the full moon she would be subjected to a horrible unimaginable pain and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Maybe she deserved it though. Maybe this was her punishment for being the reason her best friend was dead.

From her understanding, in most circumstances, it wouldn't have mattered because it wasn't a full moon. However, because of how deep the bite was, it was entirely plausible and in fact highly likely that she would turn come the full moon.

She stuffed her hands in her pocket as she made her way through the hall until she realized someone sat on the ground ahead of her.

Ophelia faltered for a moment. She saw the boy sitting in the empty corridor and debated walking away. She considered herself friends with the boy and she knew he had gotten close with Reggie. How was she supposed to look him in the eye when this was her fault? She glanced behind herself, about to walk away but instead joined him on the floor. "What is it they call you again? Moony?" She couldn't help but note the irony of the nickname.

Remus' head shot up and he turned to the girl in confusion. He looked around for a moment as though he was making sure she was really talking to him. He nodded as he turned to look at the girl, "What are you doing here?"

She smiled a little, "I tend to pity loners. I suppose it's because I can relate to them." He laughed at this as she shifted so that her legs were crossed over each other. "Why is it that you're alone?"

"It's complicated," he answered simply.

"Somehow I doubt that," she replied. "Does this have to do with...what does James call it? Your furry little friend?"

He grew wary at this, "I have, um, a..."

"Go on," she encouraged. He cleared his throat as he searched for some response. She laughed at him, "I know what you are, you can relax."

Remus looked back at her, "You do?"

She nodded, "It doesn't exactly take a genius to figure it out." That and the fact that she was now in the same boat. She shifted positions again, "So, what's the matter?"

"It's a long story," he waved off.

"I have a question," she blurted out. Remus raised an eyebrow at this and she contemplated the phrasing. "When you turn..." she trailed off. If she said anything, he would no doubt figure it out if he hadn't already. Then again, he would be the one person she could tell who wouldn't be bothered by it. "Does it hurt?"

"On full moon's?" he asked, eyeing the girl curiously. "It does."

She grimaced, "A lot?"

He paused for a moment in thought. "In Hogsmeade..." he trailed off. "You were...Greyback?" She nodded before raising her shirt to reveal the scar on her stomach and sympathy soon appeared on his face.

"Do you want me to sugar coat it?" he inquired and she wanted to say yes but knew that it was best if she was prepared.

"No," she shook her head, pulling her legs to her chest, "Tell me everything."

And he did tell her everything, not leaving a single excruciating detail out as he did so. It's what she asked for but that didn't make it any easier to take in. "Does it ever get easier?"

"It happens faster," he explained. "I'm not sure easier is the right word for it."

"Dumbledore explained to me that I would have to go to the Shrieking Shack on the full moon to avoid hurting anyone," she informed him. "Is that where you go?"

"It is, yeah," he nodded.

"I won't..." she began. "I guess it's more we but we won't be able to hurt each other, will we?"

"No, I suspect not."

"Good," she breathed out. Remus reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm scared."

"You won't be alone."

J A M E S  P O T T E R

"You don't think they're..." Sirius trailed off as he and James peered around the corner. "I mean...do you?"

"She's scared," James pointed out as he looked over the girl. Remus took the girl's hand in his which only furthered the two boy's confusion.

"How do you know she's scared?" he asked as he tried to get a better look.

"Her hair is purple," he replied simply.

"So?" he inquired. "Her hair is purple all the time."

"Light purple, yes," he agreed with a frown. "Dark purple when she's scared. Her hair color changed with her mood."

"How do you know that purple is scared?"

"Because I-" he began but cut himself off. How did he know that purple was scared? The same way he knew it turned pink when she was embarrassed or yellow when she was extremely happy. Or how it turned red when she was angry or green when she was grossed out by something. He shook his head, pulling himself from his thoughts, "I just do."

"Don't tell anyone," Ophelia requested as she and Remus stood up. "Please."

"I won't if you won't," he agreed and she smiled appreciatively. He pulled her into a hug which she gratefully accepted, "It'll be okay."

James quickly moved away, dragging Sirius away. "I told you," Sirius huffed. "He's already moved on...It hasn't even been a month yet."

He wanted to argue against that but even he was alarmingly convinced that was what was going on. He shook his head, "It's something else."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she was scared."

"Scared of getting caught," he pointed out and James frowned. That was a possibility. But her hair was a dark purple. She wasn't just scared. She was terrified.

Besides, she's not the type of girl to do that. Was she? "She just lost her best friend," James pointed out. "He was just comforting her."

"Why wouldn't she come to you?" he countered. "You two are the ones that are friends. Not her and him."

He frowned at this. Why hadn't she come to him?