Chapter: Shadows of the Moon

The Great Hall buzzed with the usual lunchtime chatter, but Maddie sat alone at the Slytherin table, her focus entirely on the book in her hands. It was one of her recent purchases on wandless magic, a subject that fascinated her with its complexity and potential. She idly turned a page, absorbing the delicate diagrams of hand movements and the written theories of intent.

But her thoughts wandered. Sirius Black. Professor Lupin. Could Lupin have been the one to let Black into the castle? Maddie frowned, recalling snippets of conversations and rumors. They had been friends once, hadn't they? The idea seemed plausible but uncharacteristic of the mild-mannered professor. Dismissing the thought, Maddie closed her book, tucked it into her bag, and finished her pumpkin juice.

With a brisk walk, she made her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, arriving early as usual. She chose her seat in the far corner, preferring to observe quietly from a distance. As students began to filter in, Maddie opened her notebook, preparing for Lupin's usual engaging lesson.

But when the door creaked open, it wasn't Professor Lupin who entered—it was Professor Snape.

He swept into the room, his black robes billowing behind him like an ominous shadow. Without a word, he flicked his wand toward the windows, slamming the shutters closed with an abrupt bang. The dim light made the room feel colder, sharper. Snape moved to the front of the class and pulled down the chalkboard screen with a snap.

"Turn to page 394," he said curtly, his voice cutting through the low murmurs of confusion.

The students exchanged puzzled glances. Hermione hesitated, her hand already hovering above her textbook. Harry raised his hand.

"Excuse me, sir," he began, "where's Professor Lupin?"

Snape's dark eyes flicked to Harry, his lips curling in disdain. "That is not your concern, Potter," he said icily. "Suffice it to say, your professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time. Now—" He turned to the class with a sharp glare. "Turn. To. Page. 394."

The sound of rustling pages filled the room as everyone obeyed. Maddie flipped to the page and froze. The title at the top read: Werewolves.

Hermione raised her hand, her voice calm but questioning. "But sir, we're still learning about Red Caps and Hinkypunks. We're not supposed to start nocturnal beasts for weeks."

Snape rounded on her, his tone dripping with condescension. "Five points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn, Miss Granger. Quiet."

He began to pace. "Which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?"

Maddie knew the answer—knew it instantly. But she didn't raise her hand. She glanced at Hermione, who, predictably, had her hand in the air.

Snape ignored her for a moment, letting the silence stretch. Finally, with a sneer, he said, "Well, Miss Granger? If you must interrupt, enlighten us."

Hermione explained, her voice steady despite Snape's tone. "An Animagus chooses to transform, sir. They retain their human mind while in animal form. A werewolf, on the other hand, has no control during their transformation. They become a true beast, dangerous to everyone around them."

Snape gave her a cold smile. "Correct. Ten points from Gryffindor—for your insufferable tendency to show off."

There was a low murmur of discontent from the Gryffindor side of the room, but no one dared to speak. Maddie glanced at Draco, who was smirking, clearly enjoying the Gryffindors' frustration.

A paper bird fluttered through the air, landing on Harry's desk. Draco snickered as Harry batted it away. Snape didn't seem to notice—or didn't care.

"Your assignment," Snape announced, his voice cutting through the tension, "is two rolls of parchment on the subject of werewolves. Due Monday."

Harry groaned. "Sir, it's quidditch tomorrow!"

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do I look as though I care, Potter?"

The class fell into uneasy silence, the tension in the room palpable. Maddie turned her attention to the textbook, reading the section on werewolves. As her eyes scanned the page, her thoughts raced.

Why were they suddenly learning about werewolves? It wasn't on the syllabus, and the abrupt change felt deliberate. Maddie's mind wandered to Professor Lupin's Boggart lesson. The full moon... Lupin had been visibly distressed by it.

She read the next line in the book: A werewolf transforms under the light of the full moon. Maddie's heart skipped a beat. Tonight was a full moon.

It all clicked. Lupin wasn't absent for some random reason. He wasn't sick. He was a werewolf.

Maddie stared at the page, her mind racing with this revelation. It made too much sense to ignore. She scribbled a few notes, trying to refocus on the assignment.

As the bell rang and the students began packing up their things, Professor Snape's voice cut through the chatter, his tone as sharp as ever.

"Miss Oldkey, stay behind. I have a task for you."

Maddie paused, glancing at her classmates as they filed out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione gave her curious looks. She closed her book, tucked it under her arm, and approached Snape's desk.

"Yes, Professor?"

Snape eyed her with his usual unreadable expression, tapping a finger on the edge of his desk. "As a prefect, you are expected to uphold a certain level of responsibility. Starting next week, you will be assigned to the midnight patrol rotation. Be prepared to check corridors and ensure students are not out of bounds."

Maddie nodded. "Understood, sir."

"Good. However, for today, I have a more immediate matter requiring your attention." He gave her a pointed look, his voice dropping to a quieter, more disdainful tone. "Certain individuals from your own house—" his lip curled slightly, "—seem incapable of behaving with decorum, even among themselves."

Maddie furrowed her brow. "What happened, Professor?"

Snape leaned back, steepling his fingers. "Draco Malfoy and Adrian Pucey had an altercation near the Quidditch pitch this morning. I understand they have... personal disagreements. Whatever those disagreements are, I will not tolerate them interfering with their duties as Slytherins."

Maddie tried to keep her expression neutral. "What would you like me to do?"

"I want you to mediate between them," Snape said curtly. "Ensure there is no further disruption, and remind them of the consequences of their behavior. You are to meet them in the Trophy Room after dinner and resolve this nonsense."

Maddie blinked. "Both of them? Together?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, Professor."

"Good. See that it is handled." With that, Snape dismissed her with a flick of his hand.

Later, in the Trophy Room

The flickering torchlight reflected off the gleaming silver and gold trophies lining the walls. Maddie arrived a little early, her shoes echoing softly against the stone floor as she walked past the rows of awards.

Not long after, Adrian Pucey entered, his dark hair slightly disheveled, but his usual charming grin in place.

"Maddie," he said, his tone warm. "Snape roped you into this too, huh?"

"Something like that," Maddie replied, crossing her arms. "He told me what happened. What was it about?"

Before Adrian could answer, the door opened again, and Draco Malfoy strolled in, his pale face set in a scowl.

"Figures you'd already be here, Pucey," Draco drawled. "Probably telling her some exaggerated story about what happened."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You're the one who started it."

Maddie held up a hand, silencing them both. "Enough. Snape asked me to deal with this, so you're going to tell me what happened—and you're going to keep it civil. Got it?"

Draco scoffed but leaned against a nearby trophy case. "Fine. Pucey here thought it would be hilarious to imply I only made the Quidditch team because of my father's money."

Adrian smirked. "I mean, can you prove me wrong?"

Draco's hand twitched toward his wand, but Maddie stepped between them, fixing Adrian with a stern look. "Seriously? That's what this is about?"

Adrian shrugged, though he looked slightly guilty under her gaze. "It was a joke."

Draco bristled. "Some joke. You're just jealous because your skills don't make you stand out as much as mine do."

"Enough!" Maddie said firmly. Both boys fell silent, though Draco's glare and Adrian's smirk lingered.

"Listen," Maddie began, addressing them both. "This is ridiculous. You're both on the same team, for Merlin's sake. Instead of tearing each other down, maybe focus on not embarrassing Slytherin in front of the rest of the school."

Adrian tilted his head, as if considering her words. "Fair point. I suppose I can let this go... for now."

Draco's scowl deepened, but after a long pause, he muttered, "Fine."

Maddie narrowed her eyes. "Good. Now shake hands."

"What?" Draco and Adrian said in unison.

"You heard me," Maddie said, crossing her arms. "Shake hands, or I'll report back to Snape that you're both being impossible."

Adrian chuckled, extending his hand first. "Alright, Maddie. Anything to make you happy."

Draco hesitated, but after a pointed look from Maddie, he grudgingly took Adrian's hand and gave it a brief, almost comically stiff shake.

"There," Maddie said with a small smile. "Was that so hard?"

"Excruciating," Draco muttered.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "You're both free to go. Try not to start another argument before breakfast tomorrow."

Adrian gave her a wink as he left. "Thanks for playing referee, Maddie. Let me know if you ever need backup."

Draco lingered for a moment, watching Adrian leave before turning to Maddie. "You've got more patience than I do."

"Someone has to," Maddie replied with a smirk.

Draco huffed a quiet laugh and left, leaving Maddie alone in the Trophy Room. She sighed, hoping this would be the last time she'd have to mediate between those two—but somehow, she doubted it.

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