Narcissa

Not a Game - part 2

A piercing shriek echoed through the forest's edge, summoning a creature lurking in the shadows. Neither human nor wolf, it was an amalgamation of both, leaving Narcissa paralyzed with fear, her mind struggling to comprehend the impending danger. The creature, its jaws agape and tongue lolling, seemed to revel in her terror, inching closer with a menacing snap of its jaws.

"Identify yourself!" Narcissa demanded, her voice trembling as she tightened her grip on her wand. "Or face the consequences!"

The monster responded with a guttural growl, its slanted yellow eyes meeting her wide, fearful gaze.

"Incapable of speech? Then you're more beast than man," Narcissa spat, instinctively retreating a step while raising her wand in defense. She cast a spell, but the creature nimbly evaded it, lunging forward with a menacing snarl. "No!" Narcissa gasped as the monster tackled her to the ground, its razor-sharp fangs bared, ready to sink into her neck.

"Stupefy!" a voice boomed from afar.

Caught off guard, the creature had no time to react, the spell striking its shoulder and sending it crashing into a nearby tree trunk. Narcissa, her heart pounding with relief, turned towards her savior, a demon with icy blue eyes perched atop a broomstick. "Lucius!" she exclaimed.

"Come, let me help you up," he said, dismounting and extending his hand.

Narcissa gratefully grasped his hand and mounted the broomstick, leaning her cheek against his back as they soared into the night sky. They glided over the forest canopy, ascending higher and higher until they were enveloped by the star-studded expanse.

"Thank you for rescuing me," Narcissa whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"I grew concerned when you hadn't returned... the night was growing late," Lucius explained, his breath catching in his throat.

"What was that creature?" Narcissa inquired, her voice laced with fear.

"Haven't you noticed the full moon?" Lucius replied, landing gracefully in front of Hogwarts' entrance. "That was a wretched werewolf, Narcissa."

Narcissa dismounted, her legs wobbly, and Lucius had to steady her before she collapsed. "A werewolf... at Hogwarts?" she gasped in disbelief.

"We must inform the Headmaster immediately. It's possible the creature is a student here. Did you recognize it?"

Narcissa shook her head, her mind unable to conjure any semblance of familiarity with the monstrous figure. Only the following morning would bring the truth to light. As she sought treatment for her wounds in the infirmary, her eyes fell upon a young man, Remus J. Lupin, Sirius's close friend, his shoulder wrapped in a bandage, a silent testament to the previous night's terrifying encounter.