"I need your help with..." a deep breath and a moment of silence, before the bushy haired second year spoke once more, "well, you're good at Potions, right?"
"I suppose," Sawyer replied, trying to ignore Meeko's clawing paws.
"And you know what is it that hides in the Chamber."
"How should I know that?" Sawyer dismissed, though the answer was nagging at the back of her mind. She made an effort to push it away, in case- however unlikely that was- that the girl in front of her knew how to perform Legilimency. Hermione Granger furrowed her eyebrows, deep in thoughts.
"How can you see other people's deaths?"
"W-what?" Sawyer fluttered, alarmed at the girl's statement. How could this girl know she was a seer?
"You really can!" Hermione's whole face lightened up as she clapped her hands happily. "Oh, that's fantastic! Can you also see the future? I've read a lot about seers, but there are rarely any living ones, not to mention ones with an affinity to death!"
"Hey, that's not true," Sawyer frowned, before she shut her mouth, "okay, maybe it is."
Hermione's face stayed in that stupid smile for a while as she looked at Sawyer with a new- found hope. "Hey, kid, is everything good?"
"I need your help with finishing the Polyjuice potion."
"What?"
"Polyjuice potion," Hermione repeated, nervously chewing on her lower lip. "Oh, please Sawyer! I think I've done something terribly wrong and you can help, not only with that, but with what it is that hides in the chamber!"
"Slow down, kid--"
"Come on, Sawyer! We have to hurry up!" the girl exclaimed, gripping the older girl's forearm as she tugged on her arm, "we've been at it for so long-- it's nearly ready, I cannot afford to mess it up!"
Meeko let out a whiny meow, and with a sigh Sawyer replied; "I know, Meeko, the spiders."
•
"Alright, so it's actually a great potion; you just had to add t--"
"Oh, it's you again," a whiny voice called, making Sawyer stand up warily.
"Myrtle."
"Sawyer."
"You two are familiar with each other?" Hermione questioned, looking between the two girls glaring at each other.
"Unfortunately," Myrtle stated bitterly, "don't we Wilde?"
"Oh, quit moaning, Myrtle, maybe then someone would stand you." A loud moan escaped the dead girl's mouth before she escaped through a stall.
"That was mean." Hermione said, a small pout decorating her lips as she frowned.
"What's really mean is her making me see her death every morning."
"W-what?"
"Hermione!" a voice called, and into the bathroom sauntered a red haired lanky boy, "is it ready-- oh, excuse me, am I-- oh, I'll just..."
"It's okay, Ron," Hermione said, making the boy stop his feet from shuffling away. "She knows, helped me with the potion. It's ready."
"Oh, great!" Ron walked towards the two girls, sitting down and offering a hand for Sawyer to shake. "I am Ron Weasley, you?"
"Sawyer Wilde."
"What year are you at?" Ron asked, "I don't think I've seen you before."
"Third," she grinned, and both Hermione and Ron tensed up as the door opened slightly, but when they saw it was just a cat, they relaxed considerably. "Hey Meeko," Sawyer greeted, "where were you?"
"Meeko? Is he yours?" Hermione asked, intrigued. Sawyer allowed the cat to climb into my lap as I nodded. "Why Meeko?" Shrugging, Sawyer patted the creature on her.
"Are you really in our house?" Ron asked, confused.
"RON!" Hermione lectured with a small hit to the head of the boy.
"Ow, what do you want, woman?" he glared at her, rubbing the spot she'd hit him.
"Hey, be polite," Sawyer called, letting some of her Mommy- Attitude pour through as the two had their mini fight.
"Sorry," the two mumbled.
"And yes, Ron. I really am in your house." With a small sigh she stood up, "I just prefer keeping to myself."
"Why is that?" Ron asked, earning another smack from Hermione. "Ow, seriously, stop it woman."
Sawyer smirked, ignoring the two as she supported the weight of her cat, "come on little Meeko, we have some spiders to find."
••
A yelp escaped Sawyer's lips as she fell down a hill, hitting both her butt and back. With a final thump, she shut her eyes, unable to stand because of the pain that shot through her back.
"God damn it," she said, holding back tears and breathing sharply as she tried to stand up. She stopped moving as the sound of a branch snapping echoed through the forest. Or was it just her ears?
A terrifying thought passed through her mind; werewolves. Even though she lived with one throughout her whole childhood, he was one that knew and cared for her, and the rumor was of vicious werewolves in the Forbidden Forest surrounding Hogwarts.
She had to calm herself down; it wasn't a full moon, so even if they were vicious, they couldn't do too much, they were bound to be humans. Besides, they couldn't be too dangerous if Dumbledore has allowed them to stay there.
Her breath hitched as a howl was sounded close- by.
Now that Sawyer really thought that through, it was rumored that there was another way for a werewolf to transform to its werewolf form, besides the full moon.
"Oh crap," she whispered, not sure if she'd better get up and run or stay put and hope for the best. She tried for the first option, but a sudden jolt of pain shot through her back and with a yelp she decided for the latter.
A small reddish brown creature suddenly jumped in front of her in a fighting stance. It was... a wolf cub. Not a werewolf, a normal wolf. Even though it radiated something more and its eyes were a glowing violet, it was just a wolf.
"Hey there," Sawyer greeted the small creature, and it showed its fangs before snapping the jaw shut, trying to look threatening, but actually looking quite adorable. "Oh, I mean no harm," Sawyer assured, offering a hand. At that, the small creature hesitatingly straightened up from its fighting stance, sniffing the hand.
Eventually, he paced closer and sat on the lap of Sawyer. Another howl was heard, closer yet, and the cub howled back a whiny howl.
A white wolf ran into the scene, looking between Sawyer and the cub. The cub rubbed its head with Sawyer's hand as the older wolf barked.
After a few moments of Sawyer nervously shuffling- the pain in her back calmed down- the older wolf straightened up, walking closer and catching the cub between its teeth, picking the small creature up. When it set the cub back on the ground, it nudged him towards where it just came from, making the small wolf shuffle clumsily on its paws out of Sawyer's view. The older wolf turned to Sawyer, making her face pale considerably.
"Hey, I-I'm sorry, I just... Got lost, I don't mean no trouble-"
The wolf walked closer, making the girl shut her mouth, looking at it with her big blue eyes, scared out of her mind. The wolf simply rubbed its head against her, letting her know he meant no harm as well, its violet eyes seizing her, and as crazy as it was, she couldn't help but think it was a human staring at her, unbelievably intelligent eyes.
"Oh, well." Sawyer grinned, "I'm Sawyer." The wolf let out a howl, making the general voice of her name, making her grin widen. "You are intelligent!" He tilted its head, looking at her funny. "Have you got a name?" The wolf nodded, making her laugh, feeling light. It was surreal. "Well, what is it?"
It tried to howl its name but it sounded like "awwohaoo."
"Well, that's a mouthful." The wolf shook his head, nudging the girl, as though saying he didn't appreciate her mocking him. "What? Your own fault," she laughed, making the wolf show its teeth again, snapping his jaw threateningly. "Point made."
•••
Trailing behind the wolf, slightly confused, Sawyer stopped at the door that she recognized at Dumbledore's.
"I don't know the password," Sawyer informed the wolf. She's learnt by now that this wolf was- by far- smarter than any other wolf, just like the cub. A short howl escaped the wolf's mouth, and the door swirled, opening, and revealing the staircase to the Headmaster's office.
Reluctantly, Sawyer followed after the wolf that started climbing the steps. It stopped at the door to the actual office, waiting for Sawyer to knock.
"Come in," came the calm voice of Dumbledore.
Calm was probably the best word to describe the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore; he was so unbelievably calm, it unnerved Sawyer. She could not comprehend how a man could keep his calm demeanor throughout anything and everything. Sawyer was quite certain that the world would end the day Dumbledore yelled.
"Hello Professor," Sawyer greeted, opening the door for the wolf to enter first, before following.
"Uh, Sawyer, Agambir. Why do I owe the pleasure?"
"I... uh," Sawyer looked at the wolf, "oh, so your name is Agambir. That's what you tried pronouncing," she laughed, making the wolf snap its jaw at her again. "Woah, okay, sorry mate."
Dumbledore looked at them silently, smiling lightly as he watched them through his glasses that were shaped like half- a- moon.
The wolf whined at the use of the word mate, and Sawyer sighed, "fine, alright. Geez, I didn't mean it like that."
"I see you have met and befriended the so- called werewolves in the Forbidden Forest, which ultimately means; You've visited the Forbidden Forest." Sawyer bit her lip, obviously not thinking the whole ordeal through. "Don't worry, you are not in trouble, though I'd rather you being a bit more... responsibly. Try being more careful."
"Of course sir," she said in a monotone voice.
"So, what is the reason you paid me a visit, Agambir, and furthermore; why is a student with you?"
"I just have to ask one thing," Sawyer spoke, "how come Agambir is so smart? I don't think I've ever met, seen, or heard of a wolf that intelligent."
"That's because he is a werewolf."
"Uh, what?"
Dumbledore sighed deeply, "it's not just Agambir-"
"And the cub?"
"It's a pack of wolves, werewolves, that live in the Forbidden Forest. The pack is the result of the rare union between two werewolves mating at the full moon , an occurrence known to have happened only one other time in wizarding history." Sawyer nodded, fascinated by the new found information. "The result is a pack of beautiful, intelligent wolves, that while bearing an almost human intelligence, but are- physically- no different from any other wolf, not even savage or having any sort of taste for human blood, unlike werewolves in the full moon."
"So... they are the so called bloodthirsty werewolves in the forest?"
"Why, yes." Dumbledore stated, amused. "It was a known fact that there were in fact werewolves in the forest, but alas, somewhere along the road, a rumor about it being a pack of vicious werewolves spread, and the staff simply embraced it, hoping it would keep most students away from the forest. In fact, if I hear correctly, Mr. Filch has been feeding the rumor for quite a while."
"I see," Sawyer smiled, laying a hand on top of Agambir's head. "Well, you- I don't know. But the cub really was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
In return, Agambir snapped its jaw once more, but it felt a bit more good heartedly than before, now that the two knew each other.
"I bet you'd love meeting my cat, Meeko." Flashing its teeth once more, Agambir stared at Sawyer with his violet eyes for a moment, a friendly threat in his face. Or at least, Sawyer hoped it was.