The Unseen

Okay...two words: Bronchitis and Pneumonia. YAY!!! That's what I have, and am quite possibly getting....have antibiotics, but am still hacking up body parts daily. Yumm...

smurphy - Yes...first my muse then my immune system. I hope you like the new chap as well...

margaritama - Randomly but purposefully. I like that....it's suits my entire freaking writing style. ^_^ And yes...a female....how will they deal?

distinctlyME - It's okay, mon petite singe, I understand. I just now got told I had Bronchitis, and it could turn into full-blown pneumonia any day. MERRY FREAKIN CHRISTMAS!!! About Bella's son. Who said his last name was Lestrange? He has not been introduced yet, but we'll meet him soon... Rhea may be more important than she or anyone else knows...we'll just have to wait. And Yes....poor Aden. I hated to do it, but...Not many answers here, but a bit of a public reaction. We'll start moving ahead again next chapter. Promise. I didn't get much from my trip, considering I woke up sick and stayed that way the entire time. Huzzah. ;_;

LolaDiBlack - You caught the quote! I was afraid no one would! But you, my friend...you got it! And yes...a girl in the pack. She just got a little too curious. And Fenrir did indeed get his butt handed to him. Hee hee. James loves you too, and will be appearing in this chappie. Short, but there.

Lady_Winterhart_Z.C. - Aww...Phelan and Rome are touched that you care so much. We'll just have to see how the public reacts...um....now.

This chapter doesn't advance plot much....it's more of a public reaction, but I hope you like it anyway.

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Bellatrix had a damp cloth in her hands, and was dabbing at the long gashes across Fenrir’s flanks.

“Your boy tore you up. I think the student has become the teacher.” She said. Fenrir’s fingernails dug into the blankets as she began to spread a foul-smelling ointment over the long cuts.

“Shut your fucking mouth, you bitch. Phelan could have never beaten me if he didn’t have the help of Lupin’s rabid little bastard cub. They’ll pay. I’ll make them pay. That girl was so close…” he said, his mouth watering a bit at the memory of her sweet blood.

“You weren’t supposed to be eating anyone. Just staking out where those little idiots went during their transformation.” She snapped back at him.

“You can’t deny the wolf fresh meat. Expecially when it walks so willingly into the forest. Hmm…she’s part of the pack now….I only got in a bite. I wonder how her parents will react? Will they be like the older Lupins? Will they accept their child regardless, and lock it away safely when the wolf comes out to play? Or will her parents be like countless others, and abandon their child to fend for itself with the wolf on its tail?”

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, and began wrapping Fenrir’s hands.

“Whatever happens…you’ve sure stirred up Hogwarts.”

~~

And he had. The gates of Hogwarts were nearly stormed with angry parents, holding up signs with derogatory phrases and pictures on them. One particularly nasty one had a stylized wolf with a daggar in its throat.

Headmaster Snape stared down at the crowd from the windows of the Infirmary. None of them could breach Hogwarts boundaries without his permission…but that didn’t mean he liked them out there. This mob was calling him to sack Phelan and Romulus without so much as a second glance.

Despite being pains in his arse at times….the Lycan staff-members were quite good at what they did. Phelan was better at the Care of Magical creatures post than Hagrid had ever been. And he prowled the grounds at night like no other. He could smell wayward students from a half-mile. He could scare off stray animals with just his scent…and best of all….he brought normal animals to class. NEWTs and OWLs looked promising this year….

Romulus was a very mellow person. And his love of books combined with this soft disposition made him a rather likable Librarian. He and Black had made the library the place to be. There were little discussion nooks for books, and soft classical music drowned out the stifling silence of the library. But, of course, for those who preferred the normal silence, there was a special corner where they could study without any hint of noise.

If only this little girl hadn’t gotten curious. She’d followed them down-wind (clever, but stupid at the same time) to watch them transform. Snape looked up as the doors to the Infirmary opened, and a tall, dark-haired man stepped through the opening.

“Headmaster Snape.” The man said simply. He had a thick German accent, and the posture to make it frightening.

“Mr. Silvia.” Snape said coolly. Rhea’s head popped up, and she flung her covers back.

“Papa!” she cried, and ran towards the bear of a man. He held out his hand to stop her before she reached arm’s length. Her small smile faded immediately. “Papa?” she asked tentatively.

“My daughter vas not a verewolf. My daughter vas not a creature of darkness. You are not my daughter. My daughter, for all intents and purposes, died last night.” He said. Rhea gave a short, disbelieving laugh.

“Wh..what?” she asked. She tried to approach her father again, but this time she found his wand in her face. She took several steps backwards, and felt herself run into something very solid. It was Headmaster Snape, his wand drawn and pointed at her father.

“You will not draw your wand on my students. What is your business here, Mr. Silvia?” Snape asked, his voice calm. Mr. Silvia pulled a small manila folder from the inside of his robes.

“These are papers giving up custody of Rhea. Her mother and I have both signed. She is to be turned over to the Verewolf Foster Care during the summer. Her things will be sent to Hogwarts immediately.” The man said. Snape blinked. Wh…what that fuck had just happened?

“What?” Rhea asked, her voice pitifully soft. “I’m….not a different person…..I just…”

“Transform into a murderous beast once a month. I cannot deal vith that. You’ll be better off vith your own kind.” He said, and then turned. Rhea called for him, but he didn’t turn back. He placed the manila envelope on a table as he walked out the door.

“Papa, please don’t leave!” Rhea sobbed, and launched herself after her father. She managed to touch his arm before he rounded on her, and slapped her soundly, his eyes shining in the light.

“Don’t touch me…” he said, watching as she backed away, tears streaming down her stinging face. “I v-vish you well, Rhea. Good day.” He said, and hurried from the room. Rhea stood on the spot, looking quite unsure for a moment, before she started to collapse. Snape shot forward, and caught her before she hit the floor, and he gently put her back on her cot. But as he started to pull away, she latched onto his robes and began to cry. And that was not okay! He didn’t do crying little girls like this. Eeep!

But she cried herself to sleep against him, and he quickly untangled the girl, and tucked her into her covers. As he stood, wandlessly drying the tears front of his impeccably clean robes, he caught sight of Phelan looking at him. Half of Phelan’s face was bandaged, and his good eye was blackened. He had risked his life to save Rhea.

“She didn’t ask for it.” Phelan said simply, looking at Rhea. “And it’s not the end. She’ll face worse…much worse…” he added. She sat up on his bed with a strangled grunt. “Should I pack my things, sir?” he asked.

“Why ever for?” Snape asked.

“Well the public thinks-”

“If I cared what the public thought I would have never become Headmaster.” Snape said softly, and then walked away, his black robes swishing out behind him.

Phelan sighed. Well…this year just got a bit more interesting.

~~

Draco stood at his window, staring down at the crowd that had gathered outside the gates of Hogwarts. Word had spread like wildfire of what had happened to that girl. Fenrir Greyback had struck again, and now there was another werewolf under Hogwarts’ roof.

He didn’t really have a problem with werewolves in general. There were just a few he despised. Fenrir Greyback happened to be one of them. He was a monster…a brute. His behavior last night had only cemented it. But people were too stupid to not judge all werewolves by the action of one. Why…it’s like judging the entire Wizarding world on the actions of Voldemort. There were good Lycans. Remus Lupin came to mind.

He was a mild-mannered man, who kept to himself and loved his tiny family.

And this whole thing with that fifth-year Gryffindor. Only a Gryffindor would have followed two werewolves off into the forest. Slytherins would have been to self-serving, Ravenclaws would have been too smart, and Hufflepuffs would have been too afraid. It would take a Gryffindor…

But he felt extremely sorry for the girl. She was about to be thrown head-first into a life of prejudice and hate.

Perhaps now would be a good time to look into some Lycan charities…

~~

James threw the paper aside, and put on clothes faster than he ever had in his life. Damn little girls….damn full moon…DAMN PANTS!!

He ran towards the infirmary at full speed, his wings tucked firmly against his back as to not catch air and slow him down.

Why the hell had that little girl followed them? Why did Gryffindors have to be so FUCKING curious about stuff? This was going to ruin EVERYTHING! He pushed open the infirmary doors, and stifled a gasp when he saw his friends. Half of Phelan’s face was covered in bandages, and the other half was scratched and bruised. Both of his forearms were bandaged, but he was covered from the waist down...probably more injured down there as well, James guessed.

Romulus had three large gashes going across his left eye, and his right arm was in a splint. He could hardly believe the story that had been sent to the Prophet. Phelan and Romulus had saved her from being eaten by Greyback. It was heroic for them to fight him off…but the girl was now tainted. It ruined the whole story. James stepped up beside Phelan’s bed.

“Damn…you look like shit….” He said softly. He was startled when Phelan chuckled lightly.

“Hey…my cuts will fade….but you, my friend….you can’t fix stupid….” He said. James laughed. Phelan raised his hand, and formed it into a fist.

“You’re so lame and Caucasian.” James said, and then fist-bumped his friend. Phelan grinned, showing his sharpened teeth.

“So….how does this look for us, mate?” Phelan asked. James’ light grin faded.

“Pretty bad, mate…..pretty bad.”
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