Elizabeth reentered the hospital wing to see a very pale Cameron. Her eyes were open now but glazed over as if she had been hit with the Petrificus Totalus spell. Deep cuts were visible on her cheeks and now her lower arms and hands. "What did I miss?" she asked a grim looking Madame Pomfrey. "I'm not sure what's going on but whatever is inside of her is putting up an awful struggle. The poor dear," Madame Pomfrey sighed. "I have something that might help. I hope," Elizabeth said holding up the chains. "What, are you going to do with those, Elizabeth?" Dumbledore asked nervously. "Well, if we can monitor how long this lasts and approximately when it happens, then we can use these chains to restrain her," she explained. "Is it safe?" he inquired. "Well, we won't know for sure until we try but we need to explain it to Cameron before we do anything," Elizabeth responded.
In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Professor McGonagall entered to find several Gryffindor students lying on the ground in blocks of ice. Harry and Draco were standing feet apart, wands raised. "Gentlemen, lower your wands," she ordered. "Professor, Malfoy's been freezing all of my friends," Harry said. "Oh shut it Potter. I didn't have to freeze Longbottom. He did it himself," Draco said with a sneer. "That's enough Mr. Malfoy," she said, giving him a disapproving look. "I don't suppose she taught you the countercharm has she?" Professor McGonagall asked. "No," Harry said. "Alright then," she muttered. Drawing out her wand she moved to each student and muttered "Exuro" and they were made free from their icy cells. "Now let me see that was six students and lets say 10 points a piece, that's 60 points from Slytherin," she said, looking directly at Draco. "Professor Snape won't allow this!" Draco shouted. "Well, I will have to confer with Elizabeth but I have a feeling 60 is a good number in her mind as well," she said smiling. "And as for Professor Snape, he has no control over who takes points and for what reason."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Asesino, seeing that he was not getting anywhere receded into shadow. The ropes became slack around Cameron's bruised and bleeding form and she slowly regained consciousness. Seeing that her patient had finally awoken, Madame Pomfrey began tending her wounds and taking her temperature. Elizabeth set the chains aside and sat at the foot of Cameron's bed. "Cameron, what happened?" she asked the girl with a concerned expression playing on her face. "I-I-I can't tell you. He'll kill me," she stammered. "Who will?' Elizabeth pressed. "Asesino, the panther inside of me. Oh no!" she sobbed as fat tears fell from her eyes. "I've said to much," she mumbled. "Sweetheart, listen to me ok," Elizabeth said. "I think I might have found a way to help control this creature inside of you," she continued. "H-h-how?" Cam asked. Elizabeth rose from the bed and grabbed the chains. "Do you remember making these yesterday?" she asked. "Yes. Professor McGonagall said they could restrain a giant and that they are extremely hard to---" she said, suddenly realizing what the young woman was hinting at. "Do they hurt?" Cam asked. Madame Pomfrey had finished dressing her wounds and gave her the 'go ahead' to sit up. "Not that we know of. But Cameron, we want to make sure you are ok with this because we don't want you to freak out when you wake up," Dumbledore said, emerging from a corner. "I'm all for it if it will keep this thing from hurting other people," Cam said sitting up a little taller.
Just then Professor McGonagall walked in followed by a very cold and wet looking Hermione, Ron, Pavrati, Dean, Seamus and Neville. "Oh no what happened?" Elizabeth asked. "Mr. Malfoy thought it would be fun to see how many students he could freeze," Minerva said. "Well there goes a big 60 points down the Slytherin drain," Elizabeth said. "Come come," Madame Pomfrey signaled to the six dripping Gryffindors. She got them wrapped in blankets and gave them a cold fighting potion and sent them on their way, telling them to sit by the fire and warm up. The six students traipsed out of the hospital wing and up towards Gryffindor Tower. "Well?" Minerva asked. "We are going to try and restrain her tonight to see if anything happens," Elizabeth said quickly. "I see," her mother responded.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
That night Cam was kept in the hospital wing. At 9:30, she was sound asleep and no signs of the demon inhabiting her were present. Trusting that the chains would work, Poppy retired to her room and went to bed. Little did she know, Cameron was silently battling this accursed creature. "Leave me alone!" Cameron screamed. "You will let me out!" the panther cried. "No. I won't let you hurt anyone!" she shouted back. He knocked her down and she gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of her. The look in the panther's eyes was menacing and deadly. "You will give in to me Cameron. You know I'm right," he said with an eerie sense of calm. "I-I-I wo---," she stammered but before she could her mind went numb and then blank. She could feel her arms and legs stretch and her spine begin to lengthen. A pain in her lower back revealed a long, black tail. She opened her eyes and was looking out through the eyes of an animal at the dark hospital wing. She had given in and she had become Asesino. She was no longer in control. Gracefully, she bit the chains and they gave way under her strong grip. She noiselessly slipped from the room. She wandered down the hall until she spotted a shadow. She followed it and found it to belong to Melinda Reynolds, a Gryffindor second year. The girl felt the cold stare of the panther and thus quickened her pace. She could not bring herself to look at her pursuer for fear of it being a teacher. Melinda never saw it coming. All she felt were the sharp pain in the back of her neck and then the world went dark. Her body began to shut down and as she took her last glimpses of her surroundings before everything ceased to exist, she met a pair of cold, menacing, deep, brooding amethyst colored eyes.
Back to Books Chapter Seven Chapter Nine