Bleeding Heart | REMUS LUPIN

Chapter One

When Professor McGonagall walked through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, Ivory knew something was wrong.

She wasn't exactly sure why, because McGonagall often came into the common room to give announcements about anything important that was going on in the school. Something was telling Ivory that this was different. Perhaps it was the grave expression on her professor's face, or the way her back was so straight it seemed as though she was on edge about something. Ivory had always noticed details, and she could tell now that something was wrong with McGonagall.

There was a sinking feeling in her gut that only got worse when she realized the witch was striding towards her.

Ivory was sitting on the couch in front of the fire, and quickly tore her eyes away from her professor to stare into it. She hoped it might distract her and perhaps calm her sudden unease. The crackling fire hypnotized her and she found her eyes were fixed on it. She was transfixed by the bursts of colour that the flames gave off.

"Miss Perkins?" Professor McGonagall asked. She placed her hand on Ivory's shoulder. Ivory, forced to look up at her, did so cautiously and nervously. "I would like a word with you outside, please." McGonagall's voice cracked in a way that Ivory had never heard it crack before.

Ivory hesitated for a moment. She thought of asking McGonagall why they couldn't just talk here, but she held her tongue and nodded wordlessly.

McGonagall's face looked grave as she led Ivory through the portrait hole, just outside the Gryffindor common room. The buzz of conversation that had been in the air in the common room faded away as soon as they had climbed through the portrait hole. The sternness McGonagall's face usually bore was gone and replaced with a pale anxiousness. She held a letter clutched in her hands, knuckles turning white from holding on to it so tightly. Right then and there, Ivory knew she had been right to assume there was something horribly wrong.

"Professor..." she started. "What is it?" She took a shaky breath.

McGonagall's eyes were sad, almost sympathetic... What would she have to be sad about? What was going on?

Her lips were tightly pursed together. "Ivory," she said, holding the letter out for the girl.

"No," said Ivory, shaking her head. She took it anyway, but didn't make any sign that she would open it. Her breaths were coming fast and she was unable to contain her nervousness. "Professor, please—please just—just tell me. I can tell you already know what's in this letter. What is it?"

"Ivory," she said again, "we received word today..." She went quiet, unable to continue.

"What? Word of what?" Ivory demanded forcefully, getting more and more anxious with each passing second. She just wanted McGonagall to spit it out and to stop beating around the bush. What was it? Was she failing Transfiguration? Getting kicked out of Hogwarts? "P-Professor, please... please just tell me what's going on..."

"Your parents have... oh, I'm sorry Miss Perkins... your parents have been murdered."

Ivory tilted her head at her, not sure she'd heard correctly. She must have heard wrong. "W-what?"

"They were murdered earlier today... by You-Know-Who and his followers. Their bodies were found inside their house," McGonagall said, "and the Dark Mark in the sky above the house."

"No," gasped Ivory, shaking her head vigorously. She crumpled the unopened letter in her fists. "No. No. No. It can't... That's not..."

Her hands shook and she clutched onto the letter. It couldn't be true... This was a cruel joke, or perhaps she was dreaming... She would wake up before she knew it and write to her parents again, telling them that she loved them and was anxious to come home over the Christmas holidays...