Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Howling
Chapter Six: Complications
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"From the nightmare we've created,
I want to be awakened somehow"
~ Within Temptation, 'The Howling', "The Heart of Everything" Album
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The basement beneath the town house had been carefully prepped over the past week to Sirius’ and Mad Eye’s standards as it would soon house three werewolves and an Animagus for twelve hours. The quarter of the room near the door leading up to the first floor had been separated from the remaining three-quarters by newly installed titanium bars. The doors at the top and bottom of the stairs had been changed to a titanium mounted ones on a reinforced threshold. Magical wards had been weaved into the top door as well to seal shut every time someone pass through into the basement and needed to be opened with a tap of a registered wand. Also, Remus had also seen to it a cabinet had been mounted next to the door with various healing potions and stocked from Hogwarts under Poppy’s careful eye.
Dumbledore had told him only Mad Eye, Remus, Snape, Sirius, the Weasleys, Harry, and the headmaster himself were the only ones able to open the reinforced door. Ensuring no one in the house above would be infected as they slept.
Molly, ever worried, had sent Ron to spend the night with the twins in their flat above their shop. Over the last week, Harry had noticed that Mrs. Weasley had been acting more distant than he had ever remembered her. At times, he would catch her looking at him from the corner of his eye and when he turned to her, she acted like if she wasn’t caught staring. He only hoped that what had happened between him and Ginny would not destroy the relationship he had with Mrs. Weasley.
It would feel like losing his mother all over again.
On the night of the full moon, Harry was nervous as he made his way down the stairs to the basement where Remus, Mad-Eye, and Sirius were. An hour earlier, he had taken the foul Wolfsbane Potion, the last of seven treatments that would allow him to keep his human mind during the transformation.
The potion also made it clear that he was a werewolf, the taste a sharp bite of reality.
Remus had given him a black gown earlier in the morning, explaining to him that it would be easier on him than stripping down in the basement in front of Ginny. It made for easy removal as well as easy access to clothing afterward. Inside the pocket was his holly wand as Harry was unable to keep it in his room even though it would be useless during the time he transformed.
Opening the last heavily reinforced door, Harry stepped into the room, seeing Remus talking with Sirius in the corner while Mad Eye checked the single door set in the middle of the bars. On the bench near the door sat Molly, Arthur, and Ginny who was also dressed in cotton robes, rose pink with an orange tint near the bottom.
She looked up at hearing the door open, giving him a soft smile before lowering her head again. Sighing, Harry made his way to his godfather’s side. “Is there anything I should know before we get this going?”
Remus looked at him sadly. “It will be a painful transformation, Harry, more painful than a Cruciatus curse.”
Harry winced at the statement. “It’s that bad?”
“I’m afraid so. It did help when I was younger when your father and Sirius were there for me in the last years of school. Knowing they were there made it easier than when I wasn’t alone.”
“Do you think that Dumbledore will allow me to roam on school grounds since we have the Wolfsbane Potion?” Harry asked, a feeling of hopefulness creeping into him.
Sirius glanced at Remus. “I don’t know Harry. We only have one Animagus, me, and three werewolves together. Even though we have the Wolfsbane potion, there still is a risk of one of you three infecting a Hogwarts student or another person by accident. Between me and James, it was difficult in controlling Moony. Not to mention this thing between you and Ginny. Maybe we’ll discuss it later with Ron and Hermione; if they succeed.”
Deflated, Harry nodded his understanding. He knew his two friends had started the process of becoming Animagus but he knew by the time they transformed for the first time, he would probably be out of school. He knew Ron was hoping to be something big enough to help Sirius in watching over Harry and Ginny. Hermione, being her usual self, hoped to be something that could keep track of the werewolves, like a bird.
Suddenly, Harry’s body contorted in pain, his skin rippling. Something was pulling at him, trying to drag his mind down into a dark pit of feral need and instinct. “Blah – ahHH – oody hell, Remus.” Behind him, he could hear Ginny crying out in pain. He collapsed to the floor, panting and moaning as his bones started to jolt unnaturally in their sockets.
“Sirius, it’s starting.” Remus called out, face contorted. The Animagus grabbed his godson and friend and forced them pass the metal bars driven into the quarter point of the basement and into the containment area. The robes were quickly removed and thrown between the bars onto the floor.
There were sounds of struggling, Sirius calling out to Molly, then metal clanging as the door was closed and locked. Harry didn’t notice as the pain was increasing as the moon outside rose higher into the black vaulted sky. Next to him, Remus and Ginny were also writhing in pain.
Molly and Arthur watched the three in horrid fascination.
Harry’s skin rippled, darkening around his chest and spreading outward. Loud cracks were heard as his bones began to break and shift; his mouth and nose lengthening into a snout. Blood leaked from the sides of his mouth as new teeth erupted through his gums.
Molly began to mutter hysterically as Ginny’s skin turned purplish, her knees snapping backwards, fingers turning into clawed paws. Arthur, noticing his wife was on the verge of a breakdown, pulled at her, drawing up the stairs and into the living room. The titanium door closed behind them, the air sucking softly as it sealed shut.
In the basement, the three continued to transform.
Harry’s ears moved back and lengthened. His newly formed paws clicked on the cold stone floor. A tearing sound came from his as his tail erupted from his rear, the bones quickly forming. Within a second, black fur sprouted all over Harry’s body, covering him from the end of his nose to the tip of his tail. His spine snapped as he dropped to all fours, then to his side. He howled in pain as his body continued to grow until he was standing five feet at the shoulder, something that Sirius took notice of.
Next to him, Ginny sprouted brownish-red fur, her shoulder a little less than five feet. Remus was the natural brown wolf, standing slightly smaller than Harry but bigger than Ginny. All three were slumped on the floor, the silence broken by their panting and huffing. None of them moved as the transformations came to an end.
From his position, Sirius watched them through his canine eyes, his black Newfoundland form not moving. Many times had he had seen his best friend transform when they had been at Hogwarts. Though he had been sad that his friend had to go through such a thing, it was tampered slightly by the anticipation of running in the forest afterward. Now all he felt was a bone deep despair that would not just go away as his eyes stayed on the black form of his godson and his girlfriend.
The seconds ticked by until finally Remus was the first to move, climbing to his feet. The older werewolf made his way to Sirius, sitting down on his rump as he too joined in the watching.
As soon as Harry began to move, Remus and Sirius knew almost immediately something was wrong. Glowing, green eyes opened as the giant black wolf stood up on its four paws, lips pulled back to reveal his sharp teeth. They saw no human intelligence in the mind, only the feral glint of the animal unleashed.
Instantly, Remus and Sirius were on all four paws, tense and wary of the black form of their changed godson. Werewolves without Wolfsbane were very dangerous as they usually attacked anything that moved including other animals they saw as prey. In some instances, they attacked other werewolves whom they saw a threat to their own existence. At that moment, Ginny moved, rolling onto her stomach, her red head shaking to get rid of the dizziness. On instinct, Sirius moved closer to her, worried that Harry might attack her.
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Waking up from the pain, he knew they were no longer in the forest. Smells of dirt, dust, smoke, and humans filled the stale air. Climbing to his feet, he caught sight of the two animals inside the caged area, looking at him. One was a large dog, a scent of a human around him, and the other an old werewolf, both felt familiar. He pulled his lips back, baring his fangs still, warning them to stay away from him and what was rightfully his. He would take no chances. He had defeated the other werewolf, he was the Alpha Male.
He tensed further when the two climbed to their feet, alert of his every move.
His mate moved, waking up from her own slumber. The dog that smelled like a human moved toward her, something that was completely unacceptable. He reacted, lunging at the dog, snapping at the animal’s neck. The dog intruder retreated as he moved over to his mate, growling even more. The russet colored wolf climbed to her feet, forcing him to move off. His ears picked up the soft growls coming from his mate as she moved to his side, her own fangs bared.
His lupine green eyes narrowed. The older wolf was smaller than him but he was younger. His mate could take on the dog. He watched as their attention to each other. How did he know they weren't here to take his mate from him? As if his mate was thinking the same thing, she rubbed her body against his, her invitation unmistakable.
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The two young werewolves were watching them, their feral eyes boring into theirs. Reasons were quickly going through Remus’ head as to why the Wolfsbane potion did not work as it should have. There had never been cases were the Wolfsbane did not work as planned. At least that Remus knew of. He knew Severus on their side and had no reason to botch the potion unless there was an error the Potions master did not catch. Perhaps the ingredients were bad?
His friend barked worried about what they should do before Molly and Arthur had a chance to come down and see their daughter in such a state. Sirius and Remus traded glances, unsure of their next move. The dog Animagus turned back to the two other werewolves and was shocked to see Harry beginning to mount Ginny. He barked, alerting Remus.
The sane werewolf jumped on Harry, intending to drag him off of Ginny. He used his teeth and claws to grab onto Harry, pulling at him. If Harry succeeded, he would no doubt be horrified at his own actions and Ginny would be embarrassed beyond imagination.
Harry roared in anger, turning around to snap at Remus’ underbelly. Getting off Ginny, he lunged to take Remus’ leg into his mouth but the older wolf moved, dragging Harry down to the floor. The wolf was about to subdue him when Ginny jumped on his back, biting the back of his neck and clawing at his sides. Shocked, Remus released Harry, retreating as he threw Ginny of his back. She landed on her side, the breath knocked out of her. The movement only served to anger Harry even more.
The black wolf climbed quickly to his feet but was stopped by Sirius snapping at his face. Harry lunged once more, catching Sirius’ leg and twisting his leg, snapping the bone. Sirius whined as Harry shook his head, tearing the skin further. Remus made to attack Harry when Ginny caught him in midair, throwing him against the wall. Seeing the chance, Harry released Sirius, going after Remus as he was struggling to keep his balance. Running at full speed, he crashed Remus’ head into the wall with a sharp crack.
Sirius could only watch in mounting despair as his best friend slumped into unconsciousness.
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With his tail high in the air, he inspected the disabled wolf, checking if the wolf was still awake. He slashed at the wolf’s belly but it didn’t move. He bit down on a leg but still, no movement. Satisfied, he turned his attention to the disabled dog, blood pooling from the damaged limb. He growled in warning, snapping at the dog’s face until its head was lowered in submission. To make sure the dog understood its position, he climbed over the dog, sinking his teeth into the fur at the back of the neck. He shook his head until the dog moved over on to its side, licking his muzzle.
With a final growl, he got off the dog. Giving the two animals one last look, he turned his attention back to his mate who was standing there, watching him with hooded eyes.
He padded over softly, rubbing his head against hers. He had reinforced his status as the Alpha Male. For a time, they danced around each other, nipping along the ears, licking the muzzle, until finally his mate moved before him, her rump presented to him. His nostrils twitched as he caught the smell wafting from her, heady and fertile. Feeling himself hardened, he moved to climb her.
An enraged shout rang through the area, the three animals turning toward where they could see two humans standing on the other side of the bars.
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Sirius was glad at Arthur’s timing, though he was wary of Charlie’s actions.
Standing at the base of the stairs was Charlie and Arthur; Molly was nowhere to be seen, something that Sirius glad of at the moment. The worrying thing was Charlie was now advancing toward the bars with his wand out and pointing at a snarling Harry who had climbed off of Ginny and was positioning himself between Ginny and her brother.
Arthur was shouting at his second oldest son. “Charlie! Stop! Don’t hurt him.” Charlie didn’t answer, flicking his wand and muttering one of the creature wards they used at the dragon reserve.
Something slammed into Harry, pushing him away from Ginny and up against the concrete wall. The black wolf roared in fury, twisting and turning, trying desperately to break through the force taking him away. Sirius watched as his godson writhed in what looked like pain, howling to the ceiling. His eyes widened in shock as the black fur covering Harry began to rip and tear once more.
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The human was separating him from his mate.
He lunged, thrashing and struggling wildly as he was forced back to the far wall. He could hear his mate snarling and howling for him as he was trapped against the concrete. His anger continued to mount the longer he was trapped.
Disgusting human! His mind roared. She’s mine! He howled as pain once more washed over his body, his nerves igniting on fire as he changed once more.
A bang sounded and he was free. He lunged at the young man, crashing into the titanium bars, his muzzle slipping through. His reformed paws curled around the bars, trying to jerk them out from their places but they would not budge. The young man had fallen backward, dropping his stick in the process. He glared at him, rising to his full height, balancing carefully on his legs.
The older human moved, going to the young man’s side, speaking in tone he could still hear.
He watched them carefully, growling softly.
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“Charlie, pick up your wand and back away. You’ve done enough here tonight.” Arthur softly said as his eyes stayed on the changed creature before him who was staring at his son as if he was a side of beef. “Carefully now, Charlie, we don’t want to anger him any further.” His second eldest son picked himself off the ground, the black werewolf growling deeply. He picked up his wand and with one last look left the basement.
Arthur turned his attention back to the young teen he saw as his seventh son.
No longer was there a wolf that was unnaturally large. In its stead, was a sight more awesome and more terrifying than what he had ever thought possible.
Standing on its hind legs like a normal human, was Harry. He was now reaching seven feet high in this new form, his paws were now clawed hands even more deadly due to their added maneuverability and the one inch long claws. The legs resembled a human's but were different in structure.
Harry still had the long tail.
Movement out of the corner of his eye had him turning his head just a bit to catch sight of Ginny making her way to Harry’s side, her large head nuzzling against Harry’s abdomen. Arthur flushed deeply, knowing what it meant as he had seen the gesture before.
With one last snarl, the black wolf turned his attention back to Ginny, dropping to his hands and feet, nuzzling heads. After a few minutes of rubbing, the two loped to the farthest corner and settled down, Harry taking his place before Ginny, protecting her with his body.
Hoping he wouldn’t be witness to anything more, Arthur made his way where Sirius was, his breathing heavy. “Going to come out now?” As suspected, Sirius shook his head no, his dog ears flapping. The Weasley patriarch knew opening the door now with Harry and Ginny in such a state would be risking too much. But seeing Sirius in pain would cause Ginny and Harry grief later. Arthur pulled out his and conjured a splint for Sirius, wincing at the yelps of pain as the bone was secured firmly to the splint to prevent any more damage to the limb. “Is Remus okay?”
Sirius shrugged his shoulder, his canine eyes begging Arthur to do something. “Do you believe something was wrong with the Wolfsbane potion?” The dog Animagus nodded empathetically. “Okay, I’m going back up stairs to get Dumbledore and Snape. They’ll know what to do. I’ll try to come back down as soon as I can.” With one last look at the two young werewolves, Arthur opened the titanium door and started climbing.
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“Mum, do you know what Harry was going to do!” Arthur head Charlie shouting as he entered the kitchen. “He was just about to mount her when we came in.” Molly paled then reddened, realizing what had just been avoided a few minutes earlier. Bill was there as well as Fleur. From the looks it, they had just arrived from the floo.
His wife turned to him, the question in her eyes. “Arthur, is what Charlie saying true?”
“Yes –”
Molly shrieked, interrupting from Arthur saying anymore. “We trusted him! How dare he do that to us! I want Ginny away from him now!” Immediately Charlie backed up his mother with Bill shooting him a glare.
A headache was beginning to form in Arthur’s head so he slammed his fist into the table. “That is ENOUGH!” The room quieted. “Molly, it is not his fault. For some reason we don’t know, the Wolfsbane potion did not take. Both Harry and Ginny are not in control of their actions.”
“They’re werewolves and its Wolfsbane Potion. It worked for Remus.” Charlie bit out.
“Remus was infected when he was a little boy long ago. Viruses change. I believe we should floo Dumbledore have him come here with Snape before the moon sets. I don’t want Ginny or Harry going through this again. Now, both Harry and Ginny are easily aggravated. Bill, if you and Fleur can watch over them so they don’t do anything they will regret later.”
“Sure dad.” Bill gently took his wife’s hand and led the way to the titanium doors.
Turning back to his wife and remaining son, the bald man addressed them. “Molly, Charlie, they don’t mean to break our trust. Right now, they are only following their instincts. I’m sure you’ve reading upon the wolf social structure and how it pertains to werewolves ever since we learned Ginny and Harry were accidently infected. Obviously their bodies have rejected the Wolfsbane potion, leaving them vulnerable to their baser instincts. Wait here while I floo Albus.” Arthur left the kitchen, heading toward the floo.
Grabbing a pinch, he shouted for Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts. Shoving his face into the green flames, he saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk, reading some documents with the Ministry seal on it. “Albus?”
The old man turned to him. “Arthur, it’s good to see you. Any news on Harry and Ginny since we last talked?”
“Yes but they aren’t good I’m afraid. They took the Wolfsbane potion supplied by Severus but when they transformed, they no longer had their human minds. Harry – and Ginny, I’m presuming – attacked both Sirius and Remus. From the looks of it, Sirius has a broken leg and Remus looks to be unconscious.”
“Dear me,” Albus said, moving from his desk to a chair before the floo. “That is worrying news. Have there been any changes in their condition since then?”
Arthur paused for a second. “Yes. It seems Harry has changed into a werewolf form I have never seen before. Perhaps it would be prudent for you and Severus to come down to check them over? I don’t wish Ginny and Harry having to go through this again.”
“Yes. If you allow me, I will floo call Severus and have him meet us there. Also, a floo call to Poppy wouldn’t go amiss. Is Sirius out of the basement?”
“With their current disposition, we thought it was prudent for Sirius to stay there until we know Harry or Ginny will attack us.”
“Hmm, worrying indeed; if you excuse me, Arthur, I need to catch Poppy before she goes to bed.”
“Of course, Albus, I will see you in a few minutes.” Arthur withdrew his head, watching as the flames turned back to red and yellow. Molly had not taken the sight of her daughter transforming into a werewolf as well as he had thought, though, he had known underneath it all, she had been disturbed it had been Harry who had infected their only daughter in the way he did. Now he could only hope that Molly and Charlie would say anything they would regret later.
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A half an hour later, the gathered Weasley family and three Hogwarts staff members were in the basement watching Harry and Ginny sitting on the far side, watching them in return. With the efforts of Albus, Bill, and Charlie, they were able to pull Sirius out and tend to him. Arthur had just finished explaining Harry’s transformation into the secondary form.
“Are you sure, Arthur?” The customary twinkle in the Headmaster’s gaze was gone, replaced a calculating look the Weasleys only seen when pondering about Voldemort’s next move.
“I’m sure, Albus, I saw it with my own two eyes. Harry changed from the usual form of werewolves to that form you see him in right now. I thought he was turning back to a human but he stopped right there.”
“It seems to be a hybrid of a human and a wolf, Professor. Do you believe that the virus is evolving?” Bill asked the headmaster.
“It is too soon to say for sure. If it is, then the Ministry will no doubt reevaluate the new laws to see if they will be as effective as they thought they were. I can only hope this is an isolated incident. I will see if I can have Fenrir Greyback’s body exhumed for studying. This will have to be done in secret as if Tom finds out about this he will try to get to Harry to have him bit a new slew of werewolf forces.” Albus stated his blue eyes caught in a stare contest with Harry’s.
“How was Harry able to transform into this?” Sirius motioned toward Harry.
The old headmaster stroked his beard in thought. “Perhaps Harry believed that Charlie was a threat to his stance as the Alpha Male. Wolves as you know are territorial creatures and werewolves are no exception. The moment he slept with Ginny, the wolf in him sees her as his and his alone. The same applies to Ginny; he belongs to no one except for her. It is this thinking that could have sent him into his transformation.”
“But that doesn’t explain how Harry was able to shift into that form.” Arthur motioned to the teen. “I never heard this happening with werewolves since lycanthropy was discovered.”
“There is only one possible way to know for sure, unless all of you would like to deal in theories.” Snape announced, his dark eyes flicking toward Harry. If Arthur hadn’t known better, he could have sworn he saw a spark of fear in them.
“What exactly are you saying, Severus?” Sirius asked, his voice cool.
“I will need samples of their blood, as well as from Remus as a control.”
“How do you plan that?” Charlie asked.
“We must cage Potter against the bars and trap him long enough to draw a few vials of blood.” Snape announced, reaching into his packet and drawing out a small box which he quickly enlarged. He began to take out the instruments he needed for the procedure.
“You’re treating them like animals.” Molly screeched. “I won’t stand for this. Albus, it is inhumane.”
Dumbledore sighed, sending Molly a sympathetic glance. “I understand how you feel, Molly, but if we are to ensure this doesn’t happen again, we must choose the lesser of two evils. Once Severus gets his samples he can begin the process to search for adjustments to the Wolfsbane potion so they can work on Harry and Ginny. Are you ready, Severus?”
“Yes, Albus.” The Potions Master had rolled up his sleeves, his hands covered with thin dragon gloves.
“Charles, William, if you can assist me in keeping your sister away for the moment.” Dumbledore flicked his wand, ropes of light streaking out to ensnarl Harry around his neck, chest, and hind legs, and bodily dragged him to the bars. More ropes of light wound themselves around his muzzle, securing it against the bar as he struggled to break free. The two brothers worked together to create a shield between Ginny and the bars.
Severus worked quickly, removing a patch of Harry’s black fur before sticking the needle into the thick jugular underneath the black skin in his wide neck. Harry’s roar rumbled in his throat, his muscles straining to break free. Snape’s eyes darted to Albus who was concentrating on keeping Harry still. After filling five vials, Snape withdrew the needle and slid them into the chest. He also took some samples of the saliva dripping from Harry’s muzzle, muscle tissue, and hair samples. After making sure he had everything he needed, he signaled Albus to release Harry.
The ropes disappeared, the black werewolf lunging immediately at the bars, his jaws snapping shut rapidly. Severus stood stoically though Arthur could see the twitch in Snape’s eye.
“I will now get Ginny.” The same process was repeated through Arthur had to assist his sons in keeping an enraged Harry back as Ginny’s samples were taken. The process on Remus was much easier as he was still sleeping off the concussion he received.
Snape labeled the last vial, sliding it into its slot and closing the box shut. “I will work on the new Wolfsbane potion for Potter and Ms. Weasley immediately. With the extra time on my hands, the chances of creating a new dosage will be greater than if I was at Hogwarts.”
“You are not coming back to Hogwarts?” Molly asked, knowing that her youngest son would be thrilled at the news. “I thought with the revelation that you were a spy for us you would stay on at Hogwarts for safety as Potions professor.
“No, Horace Slughorn is staying as Potions Professor. There is use of me elsewhere.” Sirius snorted, smirking as Snape threw him a heated glance.
“Where will you be going?”
“As you have no doubt heard, the research centers in Transylvania have made some astonishing new theories that have had researchers around the world over hopeful of a new lycanthropy cure being discovered soon. I plan to be heading there to see if there is any useful information I can use. Perhaps enough to even modify the potion to eliminate lycanthropy all together.”
“What about Harry and Ginny? Will you be giving samples you’ve taken to the researchers in Transylvania? Who will be making the potions for Remus?” Bill asked.
“At this moment, it would be unwise to spread the fact that Harry is now a werewolf. Severus will no doubt be keeping the samples to himself until further notice.” Albus stated.
The Potions knew an order when he heard it. “Of course, Headmaster, no one besides those in this room will know I carry such exotic samples. As for who will be making the potions for Remus, I am sure Horace is up to the task but I will be back before than as most of my own research is held at Hogwarts.”
“What about contraceptives?” Color seeped back into Snape’s face for a moment at Molly’s question before Poppy stepped forward.
“The contraceptives have worked well on werewolves even during the full moon but with this new information, I will have to recommend that Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley do not engage in any sexual activity if they are engaged in such a relationship until we are sure the contraceptives are working. I am sure they would not want a surprise nine months from now.”
“We wouldn’t want that would we?” Snape drawled, having regained his composure.
“When is the next full moon?”
“It’s on the 18th of August, Albus.” Sirius answered.
“Amelia will have to be notified soon of Harry and Ginny’s condition, preferably right before the school starts. The Shrieking Shack will need some modifications to account for Harry’s unusual form. We should also assume that Ginny has a form similar to Harry’s. Ms. Granger should be arriving soon which will allow her and the two Mr. Weasleys to start learning the Animagus transformation. I think Hagrid will be glad to have help during his classes for this year.” Albus turned to Charlie who nodded.
“The dragon reserve gave me the year off as they know I have family here. My position is being temporarily held by a trusted friend of mine.”
“Good, good. I will have Minerva come the day after tomorrow. I will have Ms. Granger here by then. If that is all for tonight, I bid you good night.” Albus stayed still for a moment before leaving. Snape followed right after. Poppy took Molly and Arthur to the side for a moment, no doubt talking about Molly’s fears. Sirius had let his head rest against the wall, his face still pale from the blood loss though Poppy had given him some Blood Replenishing potion.
Fleur laid a hand on Bill’s shoulder. “I will be upstairs, making tea, Beel.”
“Sure, mon Cherie.” Bill watched his soon to be wife walking up the stairs. Sighing he turned to his brother who was still watching Harry and Ginny with hard eyes.
“She shouldn’t be with him, Bill. Danger follows him like seeker after a Snitch. They’ll target her for being with him.”
“You know that all of us already have targets on our back because of who we are as a family, Charlie. She can defend herself, despite what happened during the battle at Hogwarts. You should have seen her fight.” Bill kept the fact that Ginny had taken a sip of the Felix Felicis to himself. “A pureblood witch, a powerful one in her own right, she would have been a prize for any Death Eater to give his son.”
“Bill!” Charlie turned to his older brother shock written all over his face. “How can you say that?”
“We can’t keep shying away from what we know is true. She stopped being the innocent girl we knew before we left for Egypt and Romania in her first year at Hogwarts because of him. We weren’t there but Harry was and he saved a girl he only knew as the younger sister of his best mate. How many people would have done that, Charlie? How many would risk their lives to fight an unknown enemy and a basilisk?”
Charlie huffed angrily, turning back to Harry and Ginny. The green eyes of the black wolf was calmly watching them, curled protectively around the smaller form of Ginny who had lain her head down on her paws and was huffing softly in sleep. “She’s too young to be having sex.”
Ah so we get to the crux of the matter. Bill thought. “I don’t pass off as a werewolf expert but Remus believes that the way Harry became infected as well as Ginny plays in the instincts that they have. Harry willingly let himself be bitten to fight Fenrir on a more even ground. It turned back on him as the baser instincts corrupted his intentions and infected Ginny as it saw her as his mate, won in a fight against the Alpha Male. I know Ginny’s always wanted to be with Harry and from what Ron has been telling him, Harry wants to be with Ginny. Wolves as you know are monogamous.”
Charlie rubbed at his face, groaning. “How can you be so calm at this, Bill?”
“I’m due to marry a Veela. You’ve heard the rumors about them and I assure you, Fleur is nothing like what they are made to be.”
“And Harry?”
“He’s stopped Voldemort how many times now, Charlie? He won the Triwizard Tournament, killed a basilisk to save Ginny, went up against a troll in his first year, led the students against Death Eaters twice, and he’s a modest kid. Sure, he has a temperament but so does Ginny. Truthfully, I think Ginny is the only one who can handle him.” Bill saw Charlie’s questioning look. “He’s got a burden on his shoulders, to defeat the darkest wizard of our time. The whole of Britain is looking to him to save them. How many girls at his age would be able to handle that type of danger? I heard about his date with Chang from Ron and the twins. He doesn’t know how to handle girls who are too emotional. It’s not that he thinks them weak, it’s just he can’t afford to watch and protect a girl who can’t fend for herself.”
“I thought you said that Ginny would be safe with him as he would protect her?”
“Do you really think Ginny would sit back and let him fight?” Bill retorted.
“No. She’d be at his side fighting a Death Eater by herself, just like the rest of us.”
“It’s going to take time but Mum told me they’ve been talking together. Of what, I’m not sure but they’re working on what happened between them. They’re resilient.” Bill clapped a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “They’ll have to be when the world finds out they’re werewolves. They’ll need us.”
Charlie nodded once, crossing his arms as he stared at the werewolves. “I’ll be there.”
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Spyridon- IMPORTANT NOTE: I've started a Livejournal account where I am posting all of my stories including the more questionable ones. The link will be on my profile page here. On there, I hope to get to reviews quicker than wait for the next chapter to answer them. Also, I plan to post what's up on the writing so you know what's going on with this story. Hope to see you there.
In the memory given by Snape in the pensieve, the conversation between the Marauders hinted at the fact that werewolves in J.K. Rowling's world are near impossible to tell from a regular wolf. Peter named four of the five distinctions that one could tell a werewolf from a wolf but we never knew the fifth. So I presumed one would be the size hence, in my story, the werewolves are as large as the werewolves designed for the Twilight Saga. And, no I don't like the Twilight books. Not my cup of tea as I never got past the first chapter. Any who, as for the second form, the one I created for the purpose of the story, think of the werewolves designed for the movie "Van Helsing". Personally, I think the one from that movie has to be best werewolf ever designed on two legs, with the ones from the Twilight Saga are the best ones designed for a werewolf on four legs.
REVIEWS: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!
Cosmyck Angel- The Howling isn't high on my list as I plan to get Phoenix Eclipse done but writing a realistic werewolf has been on my mind for a long time. HP seems a good category as any. I have to agree that combining the two was a plus for me. I love were!Harry's but they always seemed to be for slash. For the life of me, I can't seem to read slash in HP. Rowling was too good of an author and killed any hope. lol.
Valerius: As I said before, I'll try to update regularly but they may be long in between. I do plan on finishing this quickly (meaning one year in the story
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"From the nightmare we've created,
I want to be awakened somehow"
~ Within Temptation, 'The Howling', "The Heart of Everything" Album
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The basement beneath the town house had been carefully prepped over the past week to Sirius’ and Mad Eye’s standards as it would soon house three werewolves and an Animagus for twelve hours. The quarter of the room near the door leading up to the first floor had been separated from the remaining three-quarters by newly installed titanium bars. The doors at the top and bottom of the stairs had been changed to a titanium mounted ones on a reinforced threshold. Magical wards had been weaved into the top door as well to seal shut every time someone pass through into the basement and needed to be opened with a tap of a registered wand. Also, Remus had also seen to it a cabinet had been mounted next to the door with various healing potions and stocked from Hogwarts under Poppy’s careful eye.
Dumbledore had told him only Mad Eye, Remus, Snape, Sirius, the Weasleys, Harry, and the headmaster himself were the only ones able to open the reinforced door. Ensuring no one in the house above would be infected as they slept.
Molly, ever worried, had sent Ron to spend the night with the twins in their flat above their shop. Over the last week, Harry had noticed that Mrs. Weasley had been acting more distant than he had ever remembered her. At times, he would catch her looking at him from the corner of his eye and when he turned to her, she acted like if she wasn’t caught staring. He only hoped that what had happened between him and Ginny would not destroy the relationship he had with Mrs. Weasley.
It would feel like losing his mother all over again.
On the night of the full moon, Harry was nervous as he made his way down the stairs to the basement where Remus, Mad-Eye, and Sirius were. An hour earlier, he had taken the foul Wolfsbane Potion, the last of seven treatments that would allow him to keep his human mind during the transformation.
The potion also made it clear that he was a werewolf, the taste a sharp bite of reality.
Remus had given him a black gown earlier in the morning, explaining to him that it would be easier on him than stripping down in the basement in front of Ginny. It made for easy removal as well as easy access to clothing afterward. Inside the pocket was his holly wand as Harry was unable to keep it in his room even though it would be useless during the time he transformed.
Opening the last heavily reinforced door, Harry stepped into the room, seeing Remus talking with Sirius in the corner while Mad Eye checked the single door set in the middle of the bars. On the bench near the door sat Molly, Arthur, and Ginny who was also dressed in cotton robes, rose pink with an orange tint near the bottom.
She looked up at hearing the door open, giving him a soft smile before lowering her head again. Sighing, Harry made his way to his godfather’s side. “Is there anything I should know before we get this going?”
Remus looked at him sadly. “It will be a painful transformation, Harry, more painful than a Cruciatus curse.”
Harry winced at the statement. “It’s that bad?”
“I’m afraid so. It did help when I was younger when your father and Sirius were there for me in the last years of school. Knowing they were there made it easier than when I wasn’t alone.”
“Do you think that Dumbledore will allow me to roam on school grounds since we have the Wolfsbane Potion?” Harry asked, a feeling of hopefulness creeping into him.
Sirius glanced at Remus. “I don’t know Harry. We only have one Animagus, me, and three werewolves together. Even though we have the Wolfsbane potion, there still is a risk of one of you three infecting a Hogwarts student or another person by accident. Between me and James, it was difficult in controlling Moony. Not to mention this thing between you and Ginny. Maybe we’ll discuss it later with Ron and Hermione; if they succeed.”
Deflated, Harry nodded his understanding. He knew his two friends had started the process of becoming Animagus but he knew by the time they transformed for the first time, he would probably be out of school. He knew Ron was hoping to be something big enough to help Sirius in watching over Harry and Ginny. Hermione, being her usual self, hoped to be something that could keep track of the werewolves, like a bird.
Suddenly, Harry’s body contorted in pain, his skin rippling. Something was pulling at him, trying to drag his mind down into a dark pit of feral need and instinct. “Blah – ahHH – oody hell, Remus.” Behind him, he could hear Ginny crying out in pain. He collapsed to the floor, panting and moaning as his bones started to jolt unnaturally in their sockets.
“Sirius, it’s starting.” Remus called out, face contorted. The Animagus grabbed his godson and friend and forced them pass the metal bars driven into the quarter point of the basement and into the containment area. The robes were quickly removed and thrown between the bars onto the floor.
There were sounds of struggling, Sirius calling out to Molly, then metal clanging as the door was closed and locked. Harry didn’t notice as the pain was increasing as the moon outside rose higher into the black vaulted sky. Next to him, Remus and Ginny were also writhing in pain.
Molly and Arthur watched the three in horrid fascination.
Harry’s skin rippled, darkening around his chest and spreading outward. Loud cracks were heard as his bones began to break and shift; his mouth and nose lengthening into a snout. Blood leaked from the sides of his mouth as new teeth erupted through his gums.
Molly began to mutter hysterically as Ginny’s skin turned purplish, her knees snapping backwards, fingers turning into clawed paws. Arthur, noticing his wife was on the verge of a breakdown, pulled at her, drawing up the stairs and into the living room. The titanium door closed behind them, the air sucking softly as it sealed shut.
In the basement, the three continued to transform.
Harry’s ears moved back and lengthened. His newly formed paws clicked on the cold stone floor. A tearing sound came from his as his tail erupted from his rear, the bones quickly forming. Within a second, black fur sprouted all over Harry’s body, covering him from the end of his nose to the tip of his tail. His spine snapped as he dropped to all fours, then to his side. He howled in pain as his body continued to grow until he was standing five feet at the shoulder, something that Sirius took notice of.
Next to him, Ginny sprouted brownish-red fur, her shoulder a little less than five feet. Remus was the natural brown wolf, standing slightly smaller than Harry but bigger than Ginny. All three were slumped on the floor, the silence broken by their panting and huffing. None of them moved as the transformations came to an end.
From his position, Sirius watched them through his canine eyes, his black Newfoundland form not moving. Many times had he had seen his best friend transform when they had been at Hogwarts. Though he had been sad that his friend had to go through such a thing, it was tampered slightly by the anticipation of running in the forest afterward. Now all he felt was a bone deep despair that would not just go away as his eyes stayed on the black form of his godson and his girlfriend.
The seconds ticked by until finally Remus was the first to move, climbing to his feet. The older werewolf made his way to Sirius, sitting down on his rump as he too joined in the watching.
As soon as Harry began to move, Remus and Sirius knew almost immediately something was wrong. Glowing, green eyes opened as the giant black wolf stood up on its four paws, lips pulled back to reveal his sharp teeth. They saw no human intelligence in the mind, only the feral glint of the animal unleashed.
Instantly, Remus and Sirius were on all four paws, tense and wary of the black form of their changed godson. Werewolves without Wolfsbane were very dangerous as they usually attacked anything that moved including other animals they saw as prey. In some instances, they attacked other werewolves whom they saw a threat to their own existence. At that moment, Ginny moved, rolling onto her stomach, her red head shaking to get rid of the dizziness. On instinct, Sirius moved closer to her, worried that Harry might attack her.
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Waking up from the pain, he knew they were no longer in the forest. Smells of dirt, dust, smoke, and humans filled the stale air. Climbing to his feet, he caught sight of the two animals inside the caged area, looking at him. One was a large dog, a scent of a human around him, and the other an old werewolf, both felt familiar. He pulled his lips back, baring his fangs still, warning them to stay away from him and what was rightfully his. He would take no chances. He had defeated the other werewolf, he was the Alpha Male.
He tensed further when the two climbed to their feet, alert of his every move.
His mate moved, waking up from her own slumber. The dog that smelled like a human moved toward her, something that was completely unacceptable. He reacted, lunging at the dog, snapping at the animal’s neck. The dog intruder retreated as he moved over to his mate, growling even more. The russet colored wolf climbed to her feet, forcing him to move off. His ears picked up the soft growls coming from his mate as she moved to his side, her own fangs bared.
His lupine green eyes narrowed. The older wolf was smaller than him but he was younger. His mate could take on the dog. He watched as their attention to each other. How did he know they weren't here to take his mate from him? As if his mate was thinking the same thing, she rubbed her body against his, her invitation unmistakable.
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The two young werewolves were watching them, their feral eyes boring into theirs. Reasons were quickly going through Remus’ head as to why the Wolfsbane potion did not work as it should have. There had never been cases were the Wolfsbane did not work as planned. At least that Remus knew of. He knew Severus on their side and had no reason to botch the potion unless there was an error the Potions master did not catch. Perhaps the ingredients were bad?
His friend barked worried about what they should do before Molly and Arthur had a chance to come down and see their daughter in such a state. Sirius and Remus traded glances, unsure of their next move. The dog Animagus turned back to the two other werewolves and was shocked to see Harry beginning to mount Ginny. He barked, alerting Remus.
The sane werewolf jumped on Harry, intending to drag him off of Ginny. He used his teeth and claws to grab onto Harry, pulling at him. If Harry succeeded, he would no doubt be horrified at his own actions and Ginny would be embarrassed beyond imagination.
Harry roared in anger, turning around to snap at Remus’ underbelly. Getting off Ginny, he lunged to take Remus’ leg into his mouth but the older wolf moved, dragging Harry down to the floor. The wolf was about to subdue him when Ginny jumped on his back, biting the back of his neck and clawing at his sides. Shocked, Remus released Harry, retreating as he threw Ginny of his back. She landed on her side, the breath knocked out of her. The movement only served to anger Harry even more.
The black wolf climbed quickly to his feet but was stopped by Sirius snapping at his face. Harry lunged once more, catching Sirius’ leg and twisting his leg, snapping the bone. Sirius whined as Harry shook his head, tearing the skin further. Remus made to attack Harry when Ginny caught him in midair, throwing him against the wall. Seeing the chance, Harry released Sirius, going after Remus as he was struggling to keep his balance. Running at full speed, he crashed Remus’ head into the wall with a sharp crack.
Sirius could only watch in mounting despair as his best friend slumped into unconsciousness.
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With his tail high in the air, he inspected the disabled wolf, checking if the wolf was still awake. He slashed at the wolf’s belly but it didn’t move. He bit down on a leg but still, no movement. Satisfied, he turned his attention to the disabled dog, blood pooling from the damaged limb. He growled in warning, snapping at the dog’s face until its head was lowered in submission. To make sure the dog understood its position, he climbed over the dog, sinking his teeth into the fur at the back of the neck. He shook his head until the dog moved over on to its side, licking his muzzle.
With a final growl, he got off the dog. Giving the two animals one last look, he turned his attention back to his mate who was standing there, watching him with hooded eyes.
He padded over softly, rubbing his head against hers. He had reinforced his status as the Alpha Male. For a time, they danced around each other, nipping along the ears, licking the muzzle, until finally his mate moved before him, her rump presented to him. His nostrils twitched as he caught the smell wafting from her, heady and fertile. Feeling himself hardened, he moved to climb her.
An enraged shout rang through the area, the three animals turning toward where they could see two humans standing on the other side of the bars.
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Sirius was glad at Arthur’s timing, though he was wary of Charlie’s actions.
Standing at the base of the stairs was Charlie and Arthur; Molly was nowhere to be seen, something that Sirius glad of at the moment. The worrying thing was Charlie was now advancing toward the bars with his wand out and pointing at a snarling Harry who had climbed off of Ginny and was positioning himself between Ginny and her brother.
Arthur was shouting at his second oldest son. “Charlie! Stop! Don’t hurt him.” Charlie didn’t answer, flicking his wand and muttering one of the creature wards they used at the dragon reserve.
Something slammed into Harry, pushing him away from Ginny and up against the concrete wall. The black wolf roared in fury, twisting and turning, trying desperately to break through the force taking him away. Sirius watched as his godson writhed in what looked like pain, howling to the ceiling. His eyes widened in shock as the black fur covering Harry began to rip and tear once more.
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The human was separating him from his mate.
He lunged, thrashing and struggling wildly as he was forced back to the far wall. He could hear his mate snarling and howling for him as he was trapped against the concrete. His anger continued to mount the longer he was trapped.
Disgusting human! His mind roared. She’s mine! He howled as pain once more washed over his body, his nerves igniting on fire as he changed once more.
A bang sounded and he was free. He lunged at the young man, crashing into the titanium bars, his muzzle slipping through. His reformed paws curled around the bars, trying to jerk them out from their places but they would not budge. The young man had fallen backward, dropping his stick in the process. He glared at him, rising to his full height, balancing carefully on his legs.
The older human moved, going to the young man’s side, speaking in tone he could still hear.
He watched them carefully, growling softly.
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“Charlie, pick up your wand and back away. You’ve done enough here tonight.” Arthur softly said as his eyes stayed on the changed creature before him who was staring at his son as if he was a side of beef. “Carefully now, Charlie, we don’t want to anger him any further.” His second eldest son picked himself off the ground, the black werewolf growling deeply. He picked up his wand and with one last look left the basement.
Arthur turned his attention back to the young teen he saw as his seventh son.
No longer was there a wolf that was unnaturally large. In its stead, was a sight more awesome and more terrifying than what he had ever thought possible.
Standing on its hind legs like a normal human, was Harry. He was now reaching seven feet high in this new form, his paws were now clawed hands even more deadly due to their added maneuverability and the one inch long claws. The legs resembled a human's but were different in structure.
Harry still had the long tail.
Movement out of the corner of his eye had him turning his head just a bit to catch sight of Ginny making her way to Harry’s side, her large head nuzzling against Harry’s abdomen. Arthur flushed deeply, knowing what it meant as he had seen the gesture before.
With one last snarl, the black wolf turned his attention back to Ginny, dropping to his hands and feet, nuzzling heads. After a few minutes of rubbing, the two loped to the farthest corner and settled down, Harry taking his place before Ginny, protecting her with his body.
Hoping he wouldn’t be witness to anything more, Arthur made his way where Sirius was, his breathing heavy. “Going to come out now?” As suspected, Sirius shook his head no, his dog ears flapping. The Weasley patriarch knew opening the door now with Harry and Ginny in such a state would be risking too much. But seeing Sirius in pain would cause Ginny and Harry grief later. Arthur pulled out his and conjured a splint for Sirius, wincing at the yelps of pain as the bone was secured firmly to the splint to prevent any more damage to the limb. “Is Remus okay?”
Sirius shrugged his shoulder, his canine eyes begging Arthur to do something. “Do you believe something was wrong with the Wolfsbane potion?” The dog Animagus nodded empathetically. “Okay, I’m going back up stairs to get Dumbledore and Snape. They’ll know what to do. I’ll try to come back down as soon as I can.” With one last look at the two young werewolves, Arthur opened the titanium door and started climbing.
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“Mum, do you know what Harry was going to do!” Arthur head Charlie shouting as he entered the kitchen. “He was just about to mount her when we came in.” Molly paled then reddened, realizing what had just been avoided a few minutes earlier. Bill was there as well as Fleur. From the looks it, they had just arrived from the floo.
His wife turned to him, the question in her eyes. “Arthur, is what Charlie saying true?”
“Yes –”
Molly shrieked, interrupting from Arthur saying anymore. “We trusted him! How dare he do that to us! I want Ginny away from him now!” Immediately Charlie backed up his mother with Bill shooting him a glare.
A headache was beginning to form in Arthur’s head so he slammed his fist into the table. “That is ENOUGH!” The room quieted. “Molly, it is not his fault. For some reason we don’t know, the Wolfsbane potion did not take. Both Harry and Ginny are not in control of their actions.”
“They’re werewolves and its Wolfsbane Potion. It worked for Remus.” Charlie bit out.
“Remus was infected when he was a little boy long ago. Viruses change. I believe we should floo Dumbledore have him come here with Snape before the moon sets. I don’t want Ginny or Harry going through this again. Now, both Harry and Ginny are easily aggravated. Bill, if you and Fleur can watch over them so they don’t do anything they will regret later.”
“Sure dad.” Bill gently took his wife’s hand and led the way to the titanium doors.
Turning back to his wife and remaining son, the bald man addressed them. “Molly, Charlie, they don’t mean to break our trust. Right now, they are only following their instincts. I’m sure you’ve reading upon the wolf social structure and how it pertains to werewolves ever since we learned Ginny and Harry were accidently infected. Obviously their bodies have rejected the Wolfsbane potion, leaving them vulnerable to their baser instincts. Wait here while I floo Albus.” Arthur left the kitchen, heading toward the floo.
Grabbing a pinch, he shouted for Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts. Shoving his face into the green flames, he saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk, reading some documents with the Ministry seal on it. “Albus?”
The old man turned to him. “Arthur, it’s good to see you. Any news on Harry and Ginny since we last talked?”
“Yes but they aren’t good I’m afraid. They took the Wolfsbane potion supplied by Severus but when they transformed, they no longer had their human minds. Harry – and Ginny, I’m presuming – attacked both Sirius and Remus. From the looks of it, Sirius has a broken leg and Remus looks to be unconscious.”
“Dear me,” Albus said, moving from his desk to a chair before the floo. “That is worrying news. Have there been any changes in their condition since then?”
Arthur paused for a second. “Yes. It seems Harry has changed into a werewolf form I have never seen before. Perhaps it would be prudent for you and Severus to come down to check them over? I don’t wish Ginny and Harry having to go through this again.”
“Yes. If you allow me, I will floo call Severus and have him meet us there. Also, a floo call to Poppy wouldn’t go amiss. Is Sirius out of the basement?”
“With their current disposition, we thought it was prudent for Sirius to stay there until we know Harry or Ginny will attack us.”
“Hmm, worrying indeed; if you excuse me, Arthur, I need to catch Poppy before she goes to bed.”
“Of course, Albus, I will see you in a few minutes.” Arthur withdrew his head, watching as the flames turned back to red and yellow. Molly had not taken the sight of her daughter transforming into a werewolf as well as he had thought, though, he had known underneath it all, she had been disturbed it had been Harry who had infected their only daughter in the way he did. Now he could only hope that Molly and Charlie would say anything they would regret later.
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A half an hour later, the gathered Weasley family and three Hogwarts staff members were in the basement watching Harry and Ginny sitting on the far side, watching them in return. With the efforts of Albus, Bill, and Charlie, they were able to pull Sirius out and tend to him. Arthur had just finished explaining Harry’s transformation into the secondary form.
“Are you sure, Arthur?” The customary twinkle in the Headmaster’s gaze was gone, replaced a calculating look the Weasleys only seen when pondering about Voldemort’s next move.
“I’m sure, Albus, I saw it with my own two eyes. Harry changed from the usual form of werewolves to that form you see him in right now. I thought he was turning back to a human but he stopped right there.”
“It seems to be a hybrid of a human and a wolf, Professor. Do you believe that the virus is evolving?” Bill asked the headmaster.
“It is too soon to say for sure. If it is, then the Ministry will no doubt reevaluate the new laws to see if they will be as effective as they thought they were. I can only hope this is an isolated incident. I will see if I can have Fenrir Greyback’s body exhumed for studying. This will have to be done in secret as if Tom finds out about this he will try to get to Harry to have him bit a new slew of werewolf forces.” Albus stated his blue eyes caught in a stare contest with Harry’s.
“How was Harry able to transform into this?” Sirius motioned toward Harry.
The old headmaster stroked his beard in thought. “Perhaps Harry believed that Charlie was a threat to his stance as the Alpha Male. Wolves as you know are territorial creatures and werewolves are no exception. The moment he slept with Ginny, the wolf in him sees her as his and his alone. The same applies to Ginny; he belongs to no one except for her. It is this thinking that could have sent him into his transformation.”
“But that doesn’t explain how Harry was able to shift into that form.” Arthur motioned to the teen. “I never heard this happening with werewolves since lycanthropy was discovered.”
“There is only one possible way to know for sure, unless all of you would like to deal in theories.” Snape announced, his dark eyes flicking toward Harry. If Arthur hadn’t known better, he could have sworn he saw a spark of fear in them.
“What exactly are you saying, Severus?” Sirius asked, his voice cool.
“I will need samples of their blood, as well as from Remus as a control.”
“How do you plan that?” Charlie asked.
“We must cage Potter against the bars and trap him long enough to draw a few vials of blood.” Snape announced, reaching into his packet and drawing out a small box which he quickly enlarged. He began to take out the instruments he needed for the procedure.
“You’re treating them like animals.” Molly screeched. “I won’t stand for this. Albus, it is inhumane.”
Dumbledore sighed, sending Molly a sympathetic glance. “I understand how you feel, Molly, but if we are to ensure this doesn’t happen again, we must choose the lesser of two evils. Once Severus gets his samples he can begin the process to search for adjustments to the Wolfsbane potion so they can work on Harry and Ginny. Are you ready, Severus?”
“Yes, Albus.” The Potions Master had rolled up his sleeves, his hands covered with thin dragon gloves.
“Charles, William, if you can assist me in keeping your sister away for the moment.” Dumbledore flicked his wand, ropes of light streaking out to ensnarl Harry around his neck, chest, and hind legs, and bodily dragged him to the bars. More ropes of light wound themselves around his muzzle, securing it against the bar as he struggled to break free. The two brothers worked together to create a shield between Ginny and the bars.
Severus worked quickly, removing a patch of Harry’s black fur before sticking the needle into the thick jugular underneath the black skin in his wide neck. Harry’s roar rumbled in his throat, his muscles straining to break free. Snape’s eyes darted to Albus who was concentrating on keeping Harry still. After filling five vials, Snape withdrew the needle and slid them into the chest. He also took some samples of the saliva dripping from Harry’s muzzle, muscle tissue, and hair samples. After making sure he had everything he needed, he signaled Albus to release Harry.
The ropes disappeared, the black werewolf lunging immediately at the bars, his jaws snapping shut rapidly. Severus stood stoically though Arthur could see the twitch in Snape’s eye.
“I will now get Ginny.” The same process was repeated through Arthur had to assist his sons in keeping an enraged Harry back as Ginny’s samples were taken. The process on Remus was much easier as he was still sleeping off the concussion he received.
Snape labeled the last vial, sliding it into its slot and closing the box shut. “I will work on the new Wolfsbane potion for Potter and Ms. Weasley immediately. With the extra time on my hands, the chances of creating a new dosage will be greater than if I was at Hogwarts.”
“You are not coming back to Hogwarts?” Molly asked, knowing that her youngest son would be thrilled at the news. “I thought with the revelation that you were a spy for us you would stay on at Hogwarts for safety as Potions professor.
“No, Horace Slughorn is staying as Potions Professor. There is use of me elsewhere.” Sirius snorted, smirking as Snape threw him a heated glance.
“Where will you be going?”
“As you have no doubt heard, the research centers in Transylvania have made some astonishing new theories that have had researchers around the world over hopeful of a new lycanthropy cure being discovered soon. I plan to be heading there to see if there is any useful information I can use. Perhaps enough to even modify the potion to eliminate lycanthropy all together.”
“What about Harry and Ginny? Will you be giving samples you’ve taken to the researchers in Transylvania? Who will be making the potions for Remus?” Bill asked.
“At this moment, it would be unwise to spread the fact that Harry is now a werewolf. Severus will no doubt be keeping the samples to himself until further notice.” Albus stated.
The Potions knew an order when he heard it. “Of course, Headmaster, no one besides those in this room will know I carry such exotic samples. As for who will be making the potions for Remus, I am sure Horace is up to the task but I will be back before than as most of my own research is held at Hogwarts.”
“What about contraceptives?” Color seeped back into Snape’s face for a moment at Molly’s question before Poppy stepped forward.
“The contraceptives have worked well on werewolves even during the full moon but with this new information, I will have to recommend that Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley do not engage in any sexual activity if they are engaged in such a relationship until we are sure the contraceptives are working. I am sure they would not want a surprise nine months from now.”
“We wouldn’t want that would we?” Snape drawled, having regained his composure.
“When is the next full moon?”
“It’s on the 18th of August, Albus.” Sirius answered.
“Amelia will have to be notified soon of Harry and Ginny’s condition, preferably right before the school starts. The Shrieking Shack will need some modifications to account for Harry’s unusual form. We should also assume that Ginny has a form similar to Harry’s. Ms. Granger should be arriving soon which will allow her and the two Mr. Weasleys to start learning the Animagus transformation. I think Hagrid will be glad to have help during his classes for this year.” Albus turned to Charlie who nodded.
“The dragon reserve gave me the year off as they know I have family here. My position is being temporarily held by a trusted friend of mine.”
“Good, good. I will have Minerva come the day after tomorrow. I will have Ms. Granger here by then. If that is all for tonight, I bid you good night.” Albus stayed still for a moment before leaving. Snape followed right after. Poppy took Molly and Arthur to the side for a moment, no doubt talking about Molly’s fears. Sirius had let his head rest against the wall, his face still pale from the blood loss though Poppy had given him some Blood Replenishing potion.
Fleur laid a hand on Bill’s shoulder. “I will be upstairs, making tea, Beel.”
“Sure, mon Cherie.” Bill watched his soon to be wife walking up the stairs. Sighing he turned to his brother who was still watching Harry and Ginny with hard eyes.
“She shouldn’t be with him, Bill. Danger follows him like seeker after a Snitch. They’ll target her for being with him.”
“You know that all of us already have targets on our back because of who we are as a family, Charlie. She can defend herself, despite what happened during the battle at Hogwarts. You should have seen her fight.” Bill kept the fact that Ginny had taken a sip of the Felix Felicis to himself. “A pureblood witch, a powerful one in her own right, she would have been a prize for any Death Eater to give his son.”
“Bill!” Charlie turned to his older brother shock written all over his face. “How can you say that?”
“We can’t keep shying away from what we know is true. She stopped being the innocent girl we knew before we left for Egypt and Romania in her first year at Hogwarts because of him. We weren’t there but Harry was and he saved a girl he only knew as the younger sister of his best mate. How many people would have done that, Charlie? How many would risk their lives to fight an unknown enemy and a basilisk?”
Charlie huffed angrily, turning back to Harry and Ginny. The green eyes of the black wolf was calmly watching them, curled protectively around the smaller form of Ginny who had lain her head down on her paws and was huffing softly in sleep. “She’s too young to be having sex.”
Ah so we get to the crux of the matter. Bill thought. “I don’t pass off as a werewolf expert but Remus believes that the way Harry became infected as well as Ginny plays in the instincts that they have. Harry willingly let himself be bitten to fight Fenrir on a more even ground. It turned back on him as the baser instincts corrupted his intentions and infected Ginny as it saw her as his mate, won in a fight against the Alpha Male. I know Ginny’s always wanted to be with Harry and from what Ron has been telling him, Harry wants to be with Ginny. Wolves as you know are monogamous.”
Charlie rubbed at his face, groaning. “How can you be so calm at this, Bill?”
“I’m due to marry a Veela. You’ve heard the rumors about them and I assure you, Fleur is nothing like what they are made to be.”
“And Harry?”
“He’s stopped Voldemort how many times now, Charlie? He won the Triwizard Tournament, killed a basilisk to save Ginny, went up against a troll in his first year, led the students against Death Eaters twice, and he’s a modest kid. Sure, he has a temperament but so does Ginny. Truthfully, I think Ginny is the only one who can handle him.” Bill saw Charlie’s questioning look. “He’s got a burden on his shoulders, to defeat the darkest wizard of our time. The whole of Britain is looking to him to save them. How many girls at his age would be able to handle that type of danger? I heard about his date with Chang from Ron and the twins. He doesn’t know how to handle girls who are too emotional. It’s not that he thinks them weak, it’s just he can’t afford to watch and protect a girl who can’t fend for herself.”
“I thought you said that Ginny would be safe with him as he would protect her?”
“Do you really think Ginny would sit back and let him fight?” Bill retorted.
“No. She’d be at his side fighting a Death Eater by herself, just like the rest of us.”
“It’s going to take time but Mum told me they’ve been talking together. Of what, I’m not sure but they’re working on what happened between them. They’re resilient.” Bill clapped a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “They’ll have to be when the world finds out they’re werewolves. They’ll need us.”
Charlie nodded once, crossing his arms as he stared at the werewolves. “I’ll be there.”
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Spyridon- IMPORTANT NOTE: I've started a Livejournal account where I am posting all of my stories including the more questionable ones. The link will be on my profile page here. On there, I hope to get to reviews quicker than wait for the next chapter to answer them. Also, I plan to post what's up on the writing so you know what's going on with this story. Hope to see you there.
In the memory given by Snape in the pensieve, the conversation between the Marauders hinted at the fact that werewolves in J.K. Rowling's world are near impossible to tell from a regular wolf. Peter named four of the five distinctions that one could tell a werewolf from a wolf but we never knew the fifth. So I presumed one would be the size hence, in my story, the werewolves are as large as the werewolves designed for the Twilight Saga. And, no I don't like the Twilight books. Not my cup of tea as I never got past the first chapter. Any who, as for the second form, the one I created for the purpose of the story, think of the werewolves designed for the movie "Van Helsing". Personally, I think the one from that movie has to be best werewolf ever designed on two legs, with the ones from the Twilight Saga are the best ones designed for a werewolf on four legs.
REVIEWS: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!
Cosmyck Angel- The Howling isn't high on my list as I plan to get Phoenix Eclipse done but writing a realistic werewolf has been on my mind for a long time. HP seems a good category as any. I have to agree that combining the two was a plus for me. I love were!Harry's but they always seemed to be for slash. For the life of me, I can't seem to read slash in HP. Rowling was too good of an author and killed any hope. lol.
Valerius: As I said before, I'll try to update regularly but they may be long in between. I do plan on finishing this quickly (meaning one year in the story
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