Silvia and the Rising Moon [EDITING]

The First Victim

It was very late in the second night that a student had been attacked in an unknown way. His name was Hermes Hornby, a fourth year Gryffindor. The boy had been discovered early that morning in the courtyard outside of the castle. He was scratched and bruised, and his memory had been modified. The boy claimed to have no memory of the night. However, as he was carried off to the hospital wing, he continuously moaned one name.
"Remus Lupin."
"What, that dirty looking second year?" A boy standing nearby asked. "Did anybody else hear him say that?"
A group of students followed Hermes Hornby to the hospital wing.
"That's enough, that's it. Everybody out!" Madam Pomfrey yelled as the crowd tried to push its way through the doors.
Professor Dumbledore stood over the boy as he was placed on the hospital bed. He crouched over his broken body.
"What's your name, boy?"
"Remus Lupin."
Dumbledore shook his head. "What's your name?" He repeated.
"Hermes Hornby."
Dumbledore nodded. "Who did this to you?"
"Remus Lupin."
"Hermes, listen to me. Who did this to you?"
Hermes Hornby began to cry. "I can't remember! I don't remember! All I remember is his name. They kept saying it to me. I couldn't see. They just kept repeating his name. 'Remus Lupin'!" Suddenly, he was asleep.
Dumbledore stood slowly. He turned to Professor McGonagall. "Bring Mr. Lupin to my office."
"Albus, you can't think-"
"It's only a possibility."
"He's only a second year. He doesn't know memory charms yet."
"It doesn't hurt to ask, Minerva."

Remus sat rigid in an armchair in Dumbledore's office.
"Do you know why your here, Remus?"
Remus nodded slightly. "There was a boy attacked. He keeps saying my name."
"Do you know the boy?" Dumbledore turned his back toward Remus as he spoke.
"Y-yes, sir." Remus swallowed hard. "Yes, I know Hermes. We were talking about our homework last night."
"What happened after that?" Dumbledore turned to mumble to a painting of Phineas Nigelus. The painting hurried away.
"He left the Common Room. Said he wanted to ask one of his teachers for help. It was before curfew, so he left. When he didn't come back, I assumed that he really needed some tutoring. So, I went to bed." He tried to mask the shaking in his voice as he spoke.
Phineas Nigelus returned to his painting and muttered a response to Dumbledore.
He turned to face Remus. "I have just been informed that the Fat Lady had not released a single student after curfew last night. Now, Mr. Lupin, you and I both know that I am aware of your condition. I am aware of the dangers that your fellow classmates face every day simply by being in your presence. Hogwarts's guard has been down since an unexplained incident with the Unknown Soldier. Any danger that lurks outside of these walls could go undetected. For your sake, I truly hope that you are telling the truth. If I find that you are lying to me in order to save yourself, I would have no other choice than to expel you." He moved closer, reaching out to wipe a tear from Remus's cheek. "I am choosing to believe you, Remus. It might cost me my job. It might cost me my dignity. However, I am choosing to believe you. Please, do not let me down."
The two remained in the office. The world moved away until it was just them, drifting deeper and deeper into dark nothingness.
"Professor?" Remus asked after a long silence. The world began to reform around them as his voice broke through into the light.
"What is it?" Dumbledore asked cautiously.
"Would it be alright if I stay here for a little bit longer?"
"Sure." Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders. "Any particular reason as to why you'd prefer to stay?"
Remus sniffed. "They all think I did it. They're calling me a freak, Professor. They're calling me a monster." He took deep, shaky breaths before fresh tears welled in his eyes.
Dumbledore looked sadly to the boy, now slumped over in the armchair. Deep down, he knew that there was no way a boy this could be capable of harming another student.
But, this boy was no ordinary boy.

Everywhere Silvia went, all she could hear were whispers, and all she could feel were eyes on her. Sienna walked at her side. The two were silent.
"You go on to breakfast," Silvia told Sienna. "I think I ate something weird last night." She took a few steps toward the first floor lavatory. "Save me a seat."
"Are you okay?" Sienna asked.
"Of course. I'll be right back."
She watched Sienna walk away before ducking into the bathroom and running into a nearby stall. Tears spewed off of her face so violently to the point where she was retching into the toilet. Nothing came out except for burning phlegm, which she instantly projected into the water.
"Oi! Do you mind not doing that?" A face appeared in the water.
Silvia screamed as the ghost flew out of the toilet bowl.
"Do you think this is funny?" The ghost roared. "Is this some sort of game to you? Spit on poor, ugly Moaning Myrtle! It's not like she can feel it or anything! She's just a ghost!"
"No!" Silvia replied, wiping her wet face. "I didn't mean to spit on you. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in there."
The ghost shook her head. "You didn't know I was in there! Why would anyone care where disgusting, sad, old Moaning Myrtle is?" She squealed before flying into the stall next door.
"Wait!" Silvia called.
Myrtle's head appeared from the toilet. "What do you want?"
"Well, I don't know. I just wanted to talk."
Myrtle thought for a moment. "Talk about our feelings?"
"I suppose so," Silvia replied. "We both seem to be a little down in the dumps right about now."
"Yeah," Myrtle rose from the toilet and adjusted her glasses. "What were you so upset about before?"
Silvia took a deep breath to steady herself. "It seems like the whole school think my brother attacked that poor boy. I just know he had nothing to do with it, but they keep talking about it." She sniffed.
Moaning Myrtle grinned a nasty grin. "Oh, I see. Your brother's the one who attacked the Hornby boy." She giggled. "Serves him right after what his nasty, rotten aunt did to me when we were in school together.
"What did she do?" Silvia asked.
Myrtle squealed. "She's the reason that I died."
"Oh..."
"'Oh' indeed. It was a lovely tale that neither her nor myself can forget." She giggled again. "Olive Hornby, that nasty wench, was making fun of my glasses one day. I went in here to cry, just like you did. I heard someone walk in and I went to tell them to leave me alone, when suddenly, I died."
"What killed you?" Silvia asked. Her heart raced with sudden fear.
"Well, I don't know. Hours later, Olive Hornby found me dead. Oh, the look on her face was something unforgettable!" Myrtle laughed maniacally. "I hope that Hornby boy doesn't make it. He's quite the looker. Imagine what Olive would say if she discovered her dead nephew's ghost is in love with Moaning Myrtle and her ugly glasses!" Her laughter grew stronger and louder. It echoed through the lavatory as she flew through the toilet once more.
Silence filled the stalls. Silvia made her way out of the bathroom and hurried to the Great Hall for the remainder of breakfast.
"There she is!" a voice from the Gryffindor table called as Silvia stepped into the room.
"Silvia!" Sienna called. "I was about to come looking for you. Are you okay?"
"Oh, yeah, just fine. I was just talking to Moaning Myrtle."
Sirius spit out his drink. "Moaning Myrtle? Yuck! What were you talking about with her?"
Silvia sat in between Sienna and Lydia. "We were talking about what happened to Hermes," she explained. "Where's Remus?"
"We thought you would know," James explained. "Why would Hornby go on about Remus? He was in the dorm with me all night. Peter and I pulled an all-nighter for fun. Remus hardly moved in his bed, right, Peter?" He elbowed Peter, who was snoring into his plum oatmeal.
"You better tell Dumbledore that," Lydia said before taking another bite of bacon. "Last I heard, McGonagall had taken Remus to the Headmaster's office."
Silvia could hardly eat. She turned to Silvia. "What's he doing there?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe Dumbledore thinks he did it. Do you think they'll expel him?" Lydia asked.
"We hope so," two voices said simultaneously. Silvia spun around to see Harper and Piper Stockhausen wearing matching Slytherin robes and evil grins. "It wouldn't be proper to allow a boy with a muggle mother stay at a school designed for purebloods. Especially if he hurt another student," they explained before strutting away.
"Yeesh," Sirius exclaimed, "Those girls are kinda hot, but they're also freaks. How do they do that thing where they talk at the same time?"