The Secrets of the Map

The Mystery

Teddy and Victoire rushed down the hallway, which was empty now since class was about to start. There had only been one scream, followed by a pitiful moan that suggested someone was hurt.
Teddy would've ran right past it if Victoire hadn't grabbed his arm, nodding towards the boy on the ground who was whimpering and slouched against the wall.
Slowly, Teddy crouched down next to him. When the boy recognized him, he pressed harder into the wall with wide, terrified brown eyes. After a moment Teddy remembered where he had seen him before-he was the brown haired kid who had approached him in the common room.
"Are you hurt?" Teddy asked, slightly breathless from his log run. The boy held up his trembling arm, where a bloody mess of flesh and clothes could be seen, but it wasn't to show Teddy the wound. No, he was rising it in protection, like he was afraid. Of him. His round eyes were full of hurt and betrayal, and for some reason Teddy felt as just as awful as if he'd actually done it.
He swallowed a lump in his throat before asking, "What happened-?"
Right before he did, he heard a gasp from someone to his left, and turned to see a group of shocked Gryffindors. Behind him were the Hufflepuffs from the Common Room.
"What happened?" Asked James, finally breaking the silence.
"No idea," Teddy admitted. "Could someone get Madam Pomfrey please? It looks like a nasty bite there-"
He moved to gently inspect the arm again when the first year scuttled away, shaking from fear. "G-go away."
"He won't hurt you," Victoire said gently, crouching to her knees. "What happened? Did someone attack you?"
Glancing around, the boy nodded timidly, and she added, "Who?"
The boy seemed to hesitate in front of all the spectators. Then, with a shaking hand, he pointed at Teddy. "Him."
****
For a moment, a shocked silence filled the hall, and then it began. The whispers and mutters. The boy began crying, babbling, "Why would you do it...why?"
"Bollocks," James announced in disbelief, silencing the gossipers. "Teddy's not a werewolf."
"Exactly," Victoire agreed, and Teddy felt a surge of relief and gratitude for his friends. "I was with him the whole time-he was nowhere near here. The only reason he came was because the kid screamed bloody murder."
"I'll take him to the hospital wing," Teddy volunteered, but it only drew forth gasps of horror from the crowd, and he couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Fine, James can." He turned to Victoire, feeling extremely annoyed now. How could they possibly believe he would do something like this?
"Let's go tell Mcgonagall," he said, loud enough for the crowd to hear, and she nodded and accompanied him down the hall.
"The claw marks on the wall suggested he came from the Great Hall," Victoire said in a low voice.
He sighed. "Just like us-well, hopefully they won't notice that. McGonagall will see sense, though-she knows better than anyone that I'm not a werewolf."
"You realize what this means, though," Victoire pressed.
Teddy nodded grimly."Greyback is definitely back."
Suddenly he realized that it was still in his pocket and quickly took it out as he ran up the stairs, followed closely by
Victoire.
Unfortunately they were so focused on finding the office that they weren't watching when hey almost ran into Professor McGonagall.
Teddy nearly dropped the map in surprise as he skidded to a stop. "Professor!"
"May I ask why you are running in the hallway?" She asked in a stern voice, looking at them over her spectacles.
"A boy's just been attacked-bitten by something," Victoire explained breathlessly.
"And we believe we know who did it," Teddy announced, showing her the map.
Professor McGonagall blinked in astonishment before recovering and drawing herself up tall. "Well before I hear it, I should see that this student is alright and the parents are properly notified."
   "I-yes, of course," Teddy stammered, tucking the map back in his pocket hastily. "But Professor, there's something you should know..."
    She raised an eyebrow imploringly, but Teddy could not find the words. She was using the tone she usually reserved for troublemakers like James-like she already knew they did something bad and was already disapproving of the long list of excuses they were coming up with in their heads. It was unsettling.
     "They..." he cleared his throat, and forced it out. "The kid who got bit says I was the one who bit him."
     McGonagall's eyebrow remained raised as she seemed to size him up. "Well in that case I'm not sure my presence is necessary-if an injury's culprit can mistakenly point to you, then it could hardly be considered a wound. I think we all know that you couldn't harm a Pygmy Puff if it begged you to."
    Teddy wasn't sure if that was an insult or not. "No, that's not what I mean, Professor," he started again. "They-"
    "They think he's a werewolf," Victoire finished. "And if the kid's accusing him, they'll probably believe it."
    McGonagall's eyebrows had risen further up above her spectacles by now. "Last I checked he doesn't have fangs, unless he's got some hidden dental issues that appeared overnight, but perhaps a check on your brain is in order if he truly believes this. You do know for a fact that you are not a werewolf, correct?"
     The question came as hard and unexpected as a slap in the face to Teddy. "I-yeah, of course."
     "Then there is nothing more to be said. People's identities are not based on the assumptions of others, as your father should have learned long ago. Now by any chance does this map have anything to do with Mr. Potter, your godfather?"
    Teddy blinked. "Uh, yeah, but he said he'd rather I didn't tell..."
     "Never mind, either way I'll drag him over by his ear later." She started down the hallway and turned impatiently when Victoire and Teddy remained where they were. "Well do I have to turn you into maps, or are you capable of reading the one in your hands, Mr. Lupin? I should think after five years here you would find your way around the place, but students never cease to amaze me-"
     "We're coming, Professor," Victorie interrupted hastily, and the two quickly walked down the hall in order to catch up to the Professor's march.

Hi everyone!
To answer the question that many of you are probably asking, there is more coming. I unpublished the last two chapters to rewrite them because I felt like they did not make a whole lot of sense. Thank you for your patience, and I'm super glad ya'll are liking it!