A Memorable Tale

23 | Werewolves Don't Like Smalltalk

"Erm... Maybe not that, but it is quite fascinating." With tentacles, tiny sharp teeth that didn't quite fit their mouth, and beady eyes that seemed to hate you at first glance, I think only Hagrid would find them something worth looking at.

There was a knock at the door, to which Professor Lupin answered, "Come in," and Snape entered, his brows raising at my presence, his look unreadable. "Miss Griffin..."

"I was showing her my grindylow. She has interests in similar things as Rubeus, as you can see."

"Indeed," Snape enunciated.

He handed Professor Lupin a goblet with blue smoke rising from it and, without a second thought, he chugged it down and made a face. "Never tastes any better, does it?"

Snape gave me another unreadable look before exiting the room, his cloak dramatically waving behind him as it usually does.

"So, as I've heard that you hate small talk-" apparently many of my traits have already been told to him, "-what do you think of my identity as a werewolf?"

"Wow, nothing about this crazy weather we're having? That cloud definitely moved an inch right now."

He glanced out the window and laughed. "Yes, it is quite demented outside." His bright smile faded and he gave me an expectant look. Alas, I seemed to have failed to change the subject. "Were you afraid?"

"At first," I mumbled, guiltily. "But, I doubt that you walked up to a werewolf and asked them to bite you, so I didn't think it was too much of an issue after more thought. Besides, your Boggart was a full moon, so clearly you don't like it much either."

Warmth filled his face and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Nothing against me?"

"No. Nothing against me?"

"I think it's rather immature to have something against a student."

He should tell that to Snape.

"I have one other question."

"Ask away."

"Where does the opening under the Whomping Willow lead to?"

His brows raised. "You know a bit more than I thought you did." He sighed. "You know the Shrieking Shack?"

"That haunted building in Hogsmeade?"

"Yes, that one. That is where the opening leads. It was built for me back in-"

"1971..." My eyes widened. "The reason people think it's haunted is because of you, isn't it?"

He blinked a few times. "Yes... You're a lot more intelligent than people give you credit for, you know?"

People give me credit for a lot of intelligence, actually. It is just more surprising when I blurt things out because that was more Hermione's thing. Her brain worked much quicker than mine, while I needed to go from point A, to point B, wonder about why point A existed in the first place, then to the answer.

I laughed dryly. "I guess?"

"By the way, when it's not in use by me, feel free to use the Shrieking Shack for your personal activities." He winked. "I'm sure you know how to get in by now?"

•••

I followed the crowd to Hogsmeade, my mind admittedly straying to the thought of going to the Shrieking Shack and seeing how it looks within.

My feet still managed to drag me to the fence that separated it from the village, though.

"Why are you always curious about the most dangerous things?" Neville questioned as he followed me towards the fence.

"What, you want me to be curious about how grass grows? The dangerous things are the interesting things."

I sat down in the yellowing grass and opened a box of chocolate frogs, quickly stabbing it before it could run off. Neville hesitantly sat beside me, his eyes on the sort-of-murdered frog.

"You make it seem like it wasn't made out of chocolate," I said, placing a piece of it in my mouth.

"Still, it's a bit... scary when you so absent-mindedly stab it like that."

"Think of it this way: if someone were to attack me, I have experience in stabbing."

"That's not reassuring."

I giggled and ate another piece of chocolate before hearing someone stepping on the dried up leaves scattered on the dirt. "Hey Draco."

"Hi." He sat down on the other side of me and I could sense him glaring at Neville.

Neville and Draco are well aware of each other, but not in the way that I'd prefer. Draco was quite the pain in first year for Neville, though thankfully he seems to have backed off now. Neville, however, was still scared witless every time he saw him.

Crabbe and Goyle, who seemed unable to go anywhere without Draco, remained standing as if they were bodyguards.

"That's barbaric," Draco said, staring at the quill that stuck out of the chocolate frog in the box. It was an unused one I had previously planned on using before Neville gifted me one.

I shrugged and placed another piece of chocolate in my mouth. What, do people really expect me to pay for something called chocolate frogs and only want the piece of cardboard inside?

"Why are you even here?" Draco questioned, taking a piece of chocolate.

"There's a haunted building, why wouldn't I be here?"

Neville gave me a look riddled with concern and interest at the same time.

We sat for a while longer, with Neville finally forgetting that I "murdered" the chocolate frog and taking a piece. After a while, the sound of someone howling came from the Shrieking Shack.

"What was that?" Draco stood immediately with his face going pale.

My brow furrowed. "That's... a good question."

"Y/N." Neville stood as well, a clear indication that he didn't have the urge to investigate it.

I squinted as if I'd be able to see through the broken windows of the building. Professor Lupin shouldn't have been within the shack at the time; the full moon was already over.

"We should go," Neville said, pulling me to my feet.

I nodded reluctantly and followed him and Draco back to the village.

•••

During the Halloween feast, my eyes went to the teacher's table where Professor Lupin sat. While looking a bit worse for wear, he was there, so it couldn't have been him howling.

"What's the matter?" Cho asked with her brows knit together.

"Nothing."

After the feast was over, we were led to Ravenclaw Tower by our prefect.

Before anyone could get a good enough sleep, we were called back to the Great Hall.

"What happened?" Morag asked, rubbing her eye and holding my shirt like a child.

"Not sure." I noticed all the other houses being led to the Great Hall by their prefects - all of them except for Gryffindor.

When we got to the Great Hall, I went to Professor Lupin, who stood with his face twisted like he just saw a monster under his bed. "What happened?"

He sighed and leaned next to my ear. "Sirius Black found a way to get into Hogwarts."

My eyes widened. "But all the entrances are guarded by Demen-" I stopped. The howling from the Shrieking Shack.

It might have been some crazed human - for the record, I'm only insane, not crazy, there's a difference.

"Tuck into your sleeping bag," Professor Lupin urged.

I buried myself within the blankets but couldn't quite find comfort in the artificial stars that were bewitched on the ceiling. I thought about the gentle-faced boy I found in the student record.

Turns out a lot can be hidden.