A/N: Who would have thought the one thing he feared would happen to his own son?

Submission for:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom Assignment #2 - Write about someone encountering their worst fear.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): HOPSCOTCH - Remus' Dad (character) - Lyall Lupin

Hogwarts Houses Challenges: The Quidditch Pitch - Reducto

Hogwarts Houses Challenges: Drabble Club - werewolf

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


Lyall woke with a start, the sound of breaking glass pulling him from his slumber. Beside him, his wife was stirring as well, panic slowly creeping into her face as she turned to him in the darkness.

"Lyall, what was that?" she asked, her voice but a whisper as she brought the covers higher on her body and her eyes darted around their bedroom.

He swallowed, his mouth setting into a hard line. Beyond the window across from their bed, lightning rent the dark sky, but he knew it wasn't just the rain that had caused that sound. A chill settled into his bones as he threw the sheets off his body and got to his feet. Something else had caused that noise, or maybe someone.

His thoughts went back to the hearing a month ago. He had been on the committee of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and listening to a case about the death of two Muggle boys. That was when he had first met him.

The man wore tattered clothes over his hulking frame, his body was covered in odd patches of thick hair and he looked like he hadn't bathed in days. He was trying to pass himself off a random Muggle who had gotten caught up in the fray, but Lyall knew better. He saw the bright yellow eyes studying each member's face, the long, pointed fingernails and the elongated canines. Even untransformed, Fenrir Greyback looked everything like the wolf he was.

He had tried to make the other members see what he saw, notice the little things that they had blinded themselves to. The man wasn't even scared of all the magic around him, and he spoke too well for a common tramp. He was a werewolf, a monster, he deserved to be locked away for what he had done to those boys, boys who weren't even older than his son.

"They are soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the beast sitting in the middle of the room.

But they wouldn't listen. He was seeing things that weren't there. They all knew he hated the creatures with a passion, some could even call it fear. And all werewolves were required by law to register with the Ministry. This man couldn't be a werewolf.

Not everyone follows the rules! he wanted to shout, but the decision was made and the monster was made to walk free among the innocents once more.

The committee rose to their feet, filing out of the room as an Auror stepped forward to take Greyback out. Through it all, the beast held Lyall's gaze, his lips raising over his sharpened teeth into a snarl.

Another chill ran through his spine with that haunting image. That snarl held a promise for revenge, and Lyall feared tonight would be the night he carried it out.

"Stay here," he said to his wife as he stepped into the hallway, moving his wandlight into every dark crevice. There was nothing broken out here, maybe he should check the-

A scream pierced the air, accompanied by the sound of muffled growling. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and he anticipated the worse. No- No-

"Remus," his wife cried, ignoring his instructions as she ran behind him towards their son's door.

Lyall burst the door open, the wood splintering in all directions, to see the monster looming over his son. The beast's head spun around at the disturbance and he growled. His body was long and sinewy, covered in thick, dense dark fur. His eyes shone in the darkness, their pupils dilated and hungry, though Lyall could still see the ring of yellow. And he bared his teeth, the points sharp and dripping in bright red blood.

Lyall acted quickly, thinking of the most powerful spells he could to drive the werewolf away, but the wolf was fast. He ran at Lyall, dodging the spells that couldn't be deflected by his thick hide, before he pounced.

But Lyall was ready for him. He aimed a powerful 'Reducto' into its exposed chest, sending it crashing through the broken window, but not before seeing the slight look of triumph across its features.

"Remus!" his wife cried again as she ran to her son's side. The boy was convulsing among his ripped bedsheets, his lip quivering and the whites of his eyes exposed. She pressed her hand to his neck to stop the blood gushing from his wound.

"Lyall! Lyall! Do something!" she cried hysterically, but he hardly heard her. He was too late. This was all his fault and his greatest fear was now realized. His son was now a monster.