Effervescence | h.p.

i | xxxxiv. slithering shadows

When Lyra first spoke with Harry and Hermione the day after the full moon, they were seated in the Great Hall. Lyra and Ron had woken up and were both released from the wing before heading to breakfast together. Ron had begun questioning Lyra on her whereabouts the previous night and why her dad had been required to pick her up, leading to her telling him about how she was allowed to go home certain times of the month. She left out that the 'certain times' were always landing on full moons and that she was a werewolf and everything, but she wanted to wait a little longer to see if she could gauge how he would react.

"You did what?!" Lyra whisper-yelled at Harry when he told her he had lost fifty House points for Gryffindor and that there would likely be more punishments to go with that.

Harry had informed Lyra and Ron about what had happened when he and Hermione had gone to give Norbert to Charlie's friends. Harry and Hermione had successfully gotten to the Astronomy Tower, gotten rid of Norbert, and had nearly gotten safely back to the common room. But due to their relief of being rid of the Norwegian Ridgeback, they had made the mistake of leaving the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower and getting caught by Filch.

"But, we also overheard Malfoy getting detention from McGonagall!" Harry said back happily.

"You shouldn't sound so happy about that! Draco is my friend, remember?" said Lyra, causing Harry to scrunch his face slightly.

"But he's rude and he's stuck-up, Ly. He's going to end up hurting you!"

"I agree with Harry on this one, Lyra," said Ron. "Malfoy's bad news. He's in Slytherin," Ron hissed quietly.

"So? I bet he didn't lose fifty points for Slytherin, did he? And just because he's in Slytherin doesn't make him evil. One of us could turn out to be some kind of Dark wizard and we're in Gryffindor! You can't judge someone by their House, Ronald Weasley," Lyra hissed right back.

"That's — that's completely beyond the point. He's already showing Dark traits and he would show just as many if he were in any other House — I tell you!"

"I can't believe you guys!" Lyra said quite loudly for their hushed conversation, standing abruptly. "I thought you were better than to judge someone by their Houses. That's low."

And she walked out.

Lyra was back on speaking terms with Harry and Ron within a few hours of the conversation at breakfast. Harry was giving her a break and letting her off, knowing that she was tired from the previous night's full moon and that she would also be more moody because of it. Ron, however, was unaware of this and was just talking to her because Harry was talking to her again.

About a week before the exams were due to start, Harry came into the library — where Hermione, Lyra, and Ron were all testing each other on Astronomy — telling them that he'd heard something interesting.

"I was heading to the common room after I had left you three here and I heard someone in a classroom," he said. "It sounded like Quirrell was pleading with someone, like he was being threatened or something. He came running out and he was really pale when I saw his face, but he left so fast, I don't even think he noticed me stood there."

"Did anyone come out after him?" said Ron.

"No. It was empty, but there was an open door on the other side," said Harry.

"Did you see what was on the other side?" asked Hermione thoughtfully.

"No, I told myself I wouldn't meddle anymore after the Astronomy Tower."

"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell — "

"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.