Window into the Past

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I had a good birthday, Fred and George got me a cake from Honeydukes.

But we got the news from Hagrid. Buckbeak was to be executed.

Hermione gave us the news the next morning. "Lucius Malfoy scared the committee into it," she explained to us, showing us the note. "Shit," I muttered.

"There's going to be an appeal," Hermione told me. "We'll help," Ron told her.

Hermione sniffled and hugged Ron, who hugged her back. "Are we all friends again?" I asked them. "The last couple of months have been awkward."

We decided to talk to Hagrid in Care of Magical Creatures. "Are you alright?" Hermione asked him. Hagrid shook his head. "There's still the appeal," Ron pointed out. "It's no good, I just need to make sure Beaky's happy," Hagrid said to him.

I felt a small pain in my chest when he walked away. "Look at him blubber," Malfoy laughed. "And he's supposed to be our teacher! Pathetic!"

All of us made furious moves but Hermione got there first. She slapped him. Right across the face.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul..you evil.."

Ron tried to restrain her but she pulled away from him. "Get off Ron!"

She pointed her wand at Malfoy. He, Crabbe and Goyle ran away. "You'd better beat Slytherin, I can't stand him!" Hermione grumbled.

"Guys," I stumbled and rested my hand on the castle wall as I felt bile rising in my throat.

They turned to me. "Full...moon," I muttered and I collapsed. "JOY!" they shouted and Harry and Ron hoisted me up.

"Can you walk?" Harry asked me. "No," I said weakly. I was leaning against Harry. "Come on, I've got you," he reassured me. He picked me up, one arm under my knees and one around my shoulders, like a groom carrying his bride over a threshold. 

"Come on, stay awake," Ron pleaded with me. I was brought into the hospital wing. "Put her there, put her there," Madam Pomfrey ordered. "What's wrong with her?"

"She collapsed, the full moon's tonight," Harry mumbled. "She's in for a rough night, make sure you stay clear from her, tonight will be one of the worst," Madam Pomfrey told them.

"Quidditch," I mumbled. "Quidditch."

"Don't worry about Quidditch," Harry told me. "Just make it through tonight in one piece."

"We have a new treatment for you Jones," Madam Pomfrey held up the smoking vial. "Professor Lupin recommended we give this a whirl." 

***

"Easy there," Sirius fed me the vile tasting potion. Wolfsbane. I felt absolutely fine once I drank it. "Ugh, I've smelled better than this potion."

"It tastes how it smells," I hiccuped. "Wolfsbane treatment has been the only helpful thing so far."

Sirius put his hand to my forehead. "Yeah, your fever went down a bit, I think we have a winner for treatments."

I smiled. "I mean, this is the first time I don't feel like crying the whole night."

"Ouch," Sirius held his hand over his heart. He took another whiff and gagged. "Since first year, they've been trying everything to find a way to help," I told him. "Sleeping Draught, that helped the most. I mean, you distracted me from the pain and anger, that helped a lot too. But I think this horrible concoction is the winner."

"Do you feel anything?" he asked me and I shook my head. "No...I feel....normal...actually."

"The moon makes the bitten werewolves their bitch but you made the moon your bitch," Sirius laughed and I started giggling but the laughter faded. "I'll still be an outcast. Having to rely on it every month so I don't get sick. "