The Serpent's Daughter

Chapter 2:Moon Puppy

The train to Hogwarts was filled with the usual chatter and excitement of students returning for the new school year, but Lilyanala Riddle sat quietly in her compartment, her thoughts heavy with the recent conversation with Snape. Sirius Black was out there, and though everyone was on edge about his escape, Lily felt an extra layer of dread. She knew what Black had done, the betrayal that led to her father’s downfall and her mother’s death, but she wasn’t sure where she stood. Was Black truly an enemy, or was there more to the story? And now, with Harry being the target, she couldn’t help but feel a constant weight of responsibility for her half-brother’s safety.

As the train rattled along, Draco Malfoy had taken the seat across from her, sneering at some of the passing students. Despite everything that had happened between them last year—his cruel dismissal and her rebound with Cedric Diggory—there was still an unspoken connection between them. Neither had acknowledged it directly, and Lily wasn’t about to push it. Not now.

Their quiet was interrupted when the compartment door slid open, revealing the familiar face of none other than Harry Potter, along with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The trio seemed surprised to see Lily and Draco sitting there together.

Before Harry could speak, Ron blurted out, “What are you two doing together?”

Draco smirked, leaning back in his seat. “Just minding our own business, Weasel. You should try it sometime.”

Ron scowled but didn’t respond. Lily’s eyes, however, flickered toward Harry. She hadn’t seen him in months, and there was an odd pang in her chest seeing him now. He still didn’t know she was his sister, and that secret was one she couldn’t afford to reveal. Not yet.

“There's nowhere else to sit,” Hermione said curtly, before nodding to the older man slumped against the window in the compartment’s far corner. “We’re sitting here.”

It was then that Lily noticed the man—Professor Lupin, she assumed. She hadn’t really met him before, but she had heard of him. He was sleeping, his features worn and weary, but there was something about him that felt oddly familiar.

As the trio sat down, Lily’s gaze remained on Lupin. There was something about him…something that tugged at the edges of her memory. He smelled different, faintly of something wild, like the woods under a full moon. Her senses were heightened, more attuned than most, thanks to her father’s blood. There was a flicker of recognition.

“Who’s that?” Ron asked, looking at Lupin skeptically.

“He’s the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor,” Hermione whispered. “Remus Lupin.”

“Lupin, huh?” Lily murmured, her lips curving into a playful smirk. “Or should I say… Moon Puppy.”

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, looking amused. “Moon Puppy?”

Lily shrugged casually, but her eyes gleamed with a certain knowing. “Just a hunch.”

Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances, but Hermione's brow furrowed in thought. She always did love puzzles.

“You’re saying he’s a werewolf?” Hermione whispered incredulously, keeping her voice low.

Lily didn’t confirm it, but her smirk remained as she leaned back in her seat. She didn’t know for sure—yet—but everything about Lupin screamed it to her. The tiredness, the pale complexion, the way he seemed to withdraw from others, and that unmistakable scent of the wilderness. It was all too familiar.

As the train ride continued, Lily occasionally threw teasing glances toward Lupin, silently calling him “Moon Puppy” in her head. She knew better than to confront him about it in front of the others. It was just a game for now—a name she would keep until she got the truth.

But her playful demeanor masked the heavier thoughts swirling beneath the surface. Every few minutes, her gaze would flicker toward Harry. He had no idea of the threat looming over him this year. Lily didn’t trust Sirius Black, not after what she had heard about him betraying her father. But then again, she wasn’t sure she trusted her father either.

Suddenly, the train lurched and began to slow down, the once bright sky growing dark. The compartment chilled, and an eerie silence fell over them. The air felt thick, heavy with something sinister. Lily tensed, her instincts screaming danger as the temperature dropped rapidly.

Draco stiffened beside her, his usual bravado slipping for a moment as he glanced out the window. “What the—?”

Before anyone could say anything more, the lights in the train flickered, and a strange, oppressive cold seeped into the compartment. Lily’s breath hitched as the familiar dread filled her chest. She didn’t need to look out the window to know what was coming. The Dementors. She had heard Snape talk about them, but nothing could prepare her for the feeling of despair that clung to her skin.

The door to their compartment slid open with a slow, ominous creak, and Lily's heart skipped a beat as a Dementor loomed in the doorway. The creature was tall, shrouded in black, and its presence sucked the warmth from the air. Draco went rigid beside her, and Harry seemed frozen in place. Hermione let out a soft gasp, while Ron looked pale and terrified.

Lily's vision blurred as the dark memories began to surface—her father's cold laughter, the weight of the curse she had placed on Quirrell, and the image of Tom Riddle sneering down at her as a child. She felt herself slipping under the weight of it all, her body cold and heavy.

Just as everything seemed lost, a soft glow filled the compartment. Lupin had risen from his seat, his wand raised high as a silvery light burst from the tip. A large, shimmering form—the shape of a stag—charged at the Dementor, forcing it back into the corridor.

Lily blinked, her breath returning slowly as the warmth began to creep back into the compartment. Lupin lowered his wand, his face pale but resolute.

“You all right?” he asked, his voice tired but gentle.

Lily nodded, still shaken but grateful for the distraction. Her eyes lingered on Lupin, her suspicion about him deepening. There was more to him than met the eye, that much was certain.

As Lupin sat back down, Draco muttered under his breath, “Moon Puppy or not, I’m glad he was here.”

Lily couldn’t help but smile faintly. She hadn’t been wrong about Lupin, but for now, the nickname would remain her little secret. There were bigger things to worry about—like protecting Harry from the dangers lurking in the shadows.