Prologue

Heavy breathing, hissing, and something crashing. Hermione Granger jagged awake by the strange sounds coming from the entrance of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, only to find herself almost knocked over from the armchair she had fallen asleep on. The fire in the fireplace has died down long ago, the library was saturated with darkness. Crack, another crashing sound with a low animally groan. Hermione took out her wand, shifting down the chair and slowly approaching the hallway, posture ready to defend herself.

Something was moving in the darkness nearby the staircase, something unhuman-like. Made sure she was in good position to hide and fight if necessary, Hermione lit up the candles in the corridor.

What she saw made her inhale sharply, hands moved up to cover her mouth.

A panther.

A wounded and unconscious panther, to be precise.

Hermione approached the creature cautiously, wand at the ready. Why is here a panther? How did it get in? What happened to it? Millions of thoughts running through her mind. She stopped at arm-length away from the shaking and groaning creature. Close enough to observed it yet far enough to run. Not that I could run faster than a panther. She thought absently, lighting up her wand to get a better look.

The panther was severely injured, blood pooling underneath it from various wounds. Its breaths were shallow, body shaking violently. But what shocked Hermione was the pale white injure mark in its extended left forearm, which had a shape suspiciously like the dark mark.

Dark mark, injured, able to get into the headquarter. It didn't take her long to put the pieces together. Once she did, she gave out a yap and rushed to its side.

"Oh my God, professor, is that you?"