Moonlight

6- Connections

June 17, 1993

Eventually, the heir of Slytherin was found, and the attacks stopped, meaning Hogwarts would remain open. All of the petrified students were restored to health. But it didn't change the fact that Cassandra was dead.

Cassandra's single mother stood over her casket. Her only child, her precious daughter was dead.

Ellie, Bruno, Cedric, and Oliver solemnly stood in the back. They couldn't believe their friend was gone. Yet to Bruno, she was more than a friend. She'd been his lover too. The both of them were robbed of a happy future together.

Many of the professors watched from the back

September 1, 1993

Over the summer, the news had broken that Sirius Black, the man who had given James and Lily Potter's location to Voldemort and killed another man, had escaped from Azkaban. Unfortunately, this was yet another dark wizard that Ellie was related to by blood. Part of her feared that he'd come after her and her family because they were "blood traitors". This news had made everyone uneasy. As uneasy as all the students felt sharing a train and a campus with dementors.

After the sorting ceremony, Dumbledore, like always, did an introduction of the new teachers. Like always, there was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He was on the younger end, probably in his thirties, although the scars on his face aged him a bit. He was strawberry-blond, and his clothes not as fancy as those of his fellow professors. Dumbledore told us that this man was to be called Professor Lupin.

Ellie went to her first class the next day. She had Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. He led the group of students into the forest and to the classroom. Soaring high above them was a majestic horse-like creature. Ellie stood in awe of the animal. "Isn't that creature amazing?" Ellie beamed

Blake Ridley looked up. "You're seeing things, freak."

Later that day, she made her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and sat down in her usual spot from previous years. But the seat next to her was empty this time, since Cassandra was gone. It was so hard to start a year without her. And she could've sworn she'd seen a winged horse or something earlier. But just like there was no Cassandra, there was no winged creature.

"Good evening, students," the new professor greeted. "My name is Professor Lupin, and since it's my first day here, I would like to go around the room and say names. If I can't remember it tomorrow, I apologize. My memory isn't perfect."

September 30, 1993

Ellie drank the last drops of her Wolfsbane potion as she walked into the Shrieking Shack. She made her way through the passageway and into the shack, and sat down on a bench that was there. She got out a muggle notebook for sketching and used a pencil. A voice paired with footsteps came from a different entrance. "Padfoot, I'm here, it's okay, I just had some students ask me some qu- Miss Tonks, what are you doing here?"

"All due respect, Professor Lupin, but may I inquire what you are doing here? I have special permission from Professor Dumbledore," she took out a letter she'd been given her first year and kept on her during every full moon.

The man took the paper and read it aloud, "Due to her lycanthropy, Miss Helena Tonks is granted access to the Shrieking Shack each full moon. Headmaster Dumbledore." He paused and looked at the student. "You're a werewolf too?"

Ellie hesitantly nodded. "Yes, Professor."

"Did you take your Wolfsbane potion? If so, we can both stay in the shack, under one condition," Lupin explained.