Teddy Lupin awoke to the coppery smell of his own blood. He groaned, and shifted slightly. That was a bad idea: his broken ribs seared in pain, and for moment he lay trembling on the cold, hard floor, gritting his teeth against the agony. Tentatively, he opened his eyes. From the bright sunlight shining in from a window mounted high on the wall, Teddy could tell that sunrise must have been several hours ago. Or more? He couldn't tell, he hurt too much to think clearly. All he knew was that he was lying on his back, in the corner of the shed in his grandmother's garden. And he couldn't move.

He let his eyes drift shut again, but fought against the pull of unconsciousness. Trying to focus, he performed a mental inventory of his injuries. Well, he already knew that his ribs were badly broken. He arms seemed to be functioning, so he delicately prodded his face, searching for wounds. Beneath blood-matted hair, he found claw marks at his temple and down his cheek. And of course, his lips were bitten to shreds: that was inevitable. He could feel the wetness of blood beneath his back, and knew he was injured there as well, but hopefully not too terribly.

Tentatively, he shifted his legs. When they appeared to be working properly, he gritted his teeth and attempted to hoist himself onto his elbows. Next second, he was curled up in a tight ball, whimpering. It took a long time for the pain in his ribs to subside, and when it did, all he could do was lie there, cursing his own stupidity.

His grandmother was in France on business. Hadn't she told him to make sure he had someone to help him after the full moon? But of course, he had been so sure he could handle it on his own. Or at least, he hadn't wanted to bother anyone to wake up at five in the morning and collect the injured werewolf from the garden shed. He could hear his grandmother's voice in his head, telling him not to be ridiculous. He had lots of friends. The entire Weasley family would have been more than willing to help him, and all the Order people, and of course the Potters. But, Teddy had convinced himself, those people had families, and jobs, and prior obligations that didn't involve him. And he hated being the helpless, pitied werewolf boy. It was almost worse than being the hated and feared…but he didn't want to think about that.

But he was already thinking about that, and it made him feel even more miserable, lying in a pool of his own blood, exhausted and injured and freezing cold because, damn it, his clothing and his wand were stowed away under the loose floorboard across the shed, near the door. Again, mustering all his strength and endurance, he tried to sit, but only ended up on his side once more, sobbing in agony with hot tears of pain and frustration streaming down his face. He hated feeling so weak. So much for being a Gryffindor.

Time passed: maybe an hour or so. Teddy wasn't sure, he drifted off a few times, but mostly he was awake: shivering uncontrollably in the winter cold and periodically attempting to move. Nothing worked, so he waited. Waited for…someone to notice his absence? Was that wishful thinking? He ran through lists of all the people who cared about him, his friends, even passing acquaintances. Could he really expect any of them to show up? Teddy could never remember feeling so alone. It was at times like these that he really missed his parents.

He thought about his father. Remus Lupin must have gone though stuff like this, but he'd still stayed strong and fought like a hero in the war. So shouldn't he be able to do the same? But it was still rather difficult to feel inspired when he was lying naked and bleeding on the freezing cold floor of a garden shed with no foreseeable means of escape.

'Teddy!'

The voice came from the opposite side of the door. Teddy's heart leapt. He opened his dry mouth and tried to speak, but no sound came out. He heard, 'Alohamora!', and the door was flung open, letting in a cruel winter wind. There were footsteps rushing towards him, but he still couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. A welcoming sea of blackness was rushing towards him.

'Teddy! Merlin's-,'

And then there was nothing.

'I cannot believe you.'

Teddy couldn't remember ever seeing his grandmother look so simultaneously annoyed, horrified, and concerned. He shifted slightly against the pillows and tried to smile at her. 'I'm fine, Gran,' he said weakly. 'Honestly.'

Harry, standing by the door, looking only slightly less annoyed, horrified, and concerned. It had been he who had found Teddy in the shed after failing to contact him at home. It was now five in the evening, and although his injuries had been healed, bandaged, or otherwise seen to, he still ached as though he'd been run over by a train, and felt very weak and tired.

Now, Harry moved closer to the bed, eyes full of concern. 'Teddy,' he said, 'we're all here to help you. You know that, right?'

'I know,' whispered Teddy.

His grandmother wasn't satisfied. 'You could have bled to death,' she snapped.

'I know,' murmured Teddy again, letting his eyes drift shut. He felt Harry's hand brushing several locks of hair off his forehead, a gesture that he found comforting despite himself.

'I've never known him to be so silly,' he heard his grandmother saying to Harry.

Teddy felt his insides squirming in despair. It wasn't fair: he knew that he'd been stupid and senseless, but they still didn't understand what it felt like to have to ask people to help him, especially for something like this. Degrading wasn't the word for it, it was something much deeper. He tried to focus on the words around him.

'…lying in that shack for four hours. I can't even-,'

But he was beginning to drift off again. The conversation became muffled, and the warmth around him became more pronounced. He could hardly even…

'Teddy. Teddy, wake up, dear.'

He didn't want to open his eyes, but the hand on his shoulder was insistent. He forced them open and stared drowsily into his grandmother's face, 'What…?' He could tell that some time had passed—Harry was gone and it was darker outside his window.

His grandmother straightened. 'Teddy, there are some Ministry people here to talk to you.'

He stared at her in confusion. Ministry people? Had he done something wrong? In his exhaustion, he tried to remember whether he had performed magic, or violated some other law. He came up blank.

'I asked them to come back another time,' he grandmother continued, and Teddy suddenly noticed how worried she looked. 'But they were adamant…'

'What do they…?'

But there were now footsteps on the stairs and his grandmother swiftly left the room. Slightly more awake, Teddy listened closely to the exchange.

'I still don't understand why you can't return tomorrow,' his grandmother was saying severely. 'He's very tired and-,'

'Miss,' interrupted a deep voice. 'With all due respect, we are operating on a very tight schedule. This must be taken care of immediately.'

Teddy still didn't know what 'this' was, and felt his stomach clench nervously when two burly men in Ministry robes entered his room. Lying on his back with the covers drawn up to his chin, he eyed them apprehensively as they approached. The looks on their faces were ones he was all too familiar with: a mixture of hatred and revulsion and just a bit of fear. The taller one conjured up several chairs and as they sat down, they turned back to his grandmother.

'We must ask you to leave the room, Miss.'

He grandmother was bloodless, 'Absolutely not.'

The man sighed. 'Miss,' he said. 'In failing to obey our orders you flout Ministry directives and thereby risk imprisonment.'

Teddy could see his grandmother hesitating, so he spoke up, 'It's okay, Gran.' He certainly didn't want his grandmother thrown into prison on his account.

Before leaving, she cast him a fleeting look of fear that made him turn cold. What the hell was going on? Who were these people and what did they want from him?

The taller one shut the door with a flick of his wand and for a moment they just stared down at him. Teddy looked away. He felt sick.

'You are Ted Remus Lupin?' one of them suddenly asked.

'Yes,' replied Teddy. 'Who are…?'

'I am John Cuthbert and this is Stephen Wesley. We are from the Werewolf Inquisitorial Board and need to ask you a series of questions.'

The Werewolf Inquisitorial Board? Teddy's stomach tightened even further.

'What is your age?' asked John Cuthbert.

'Sixteen.'

'Date of infection?'

'Date of…?'

'When were you bitten?' snapped Wesley.

'Oh,' said Teddy, swallowing. 'I wasn't…I mean, my lycanthropy is genetic.'

Wesley was now scribbling furiously on a sheaf of parchment.

'At what age did your lycanthropy manifest itself?' demanded Cuthbert.

'Three.'

'Is this your place of residence?'

'Yes…'

There was a pause while Cuthbert muttered something to Wesley and Teddy seized all of his courage. 'I'm sorry,' he said weakly, 'but what is your purpose in asking me these questions?'

Wesley turned on him sharply. 'Just answer the questions, werewolf,' he growled. Teddy flinched. He thought he saw the corner of Wesley's mouth pull upwards in a slight smirk.

'Have you ever inflicted any injury upon a human while in your wolf state?' asked Cuthbert harshly.

'No,' whispered Teddy.

'What about in your human state?'

Teddy closed his eyes. His head was pounding and spinning.

'Answer the question, werewolf!' barked Wesley's deep voice.

Trembling, he opened his eyes. 'Would you please…repeat the question?'

'I said,' snarled Wesley. 'Have you ever inflicted any injury upon a human while in your human state?'

'N-no,' said Teddy. 'Not beyond the normal childish fights…'

Wesley made another note, and the two men began muttering together again. Teddy looked away towards the window, feeling miserable. He was confused, and humiliated, and most of all exhausted. He wished these men would leave already. What was the Werewolf Inquisitorial Board anyhow?

Cuthbert and Wesley rose to their feet, faces grim. Teddy watched them apprehensively.

'Werewolf,' said Cuthbert, fixing Teddy with a glare. 'Under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic, you are to be taken in for detainment and further questioning.'

Teddy felt himself turn cold. 'What?' he whispered. Exhaustion was clouding his mind.

'Get up,' snapped Wesley, gesturing irritably. 'Now!'

Teddy fought for something comprehensible to say. 'On…on what grounds?' he managed to choke out feebly, trying not to let them see him shaking.

'That is not your concern,' sneered Cuthbert. 'Now will you come willingly or must we bring you in by force?'

Teddy's heart pounded in horror. Were they taking him to Azkaban? He tried to sit up, but fell back against the pillows, too weak to move. He closed his eyes.

Rough hands were suddenly seizing him by the arms, yanking him up and out of bed, dropping him hard onto the floor. Where the ground made contact with his healing bruises and scratches and bites, dormant pain erupted to life. He curled into a ball, whimpering.

The bedroom door flew open. In the midst of his agony, he heard his grandmother's angry voice, 'What the hell is going on?'

'Miss,' came Cuthbert's voice. 'Under Ministry jurisdiction, we are placing this werewolf under arrest.'

'Excuse me?'

Teddy found himself being dragged upright by his collar. He just barely avoided crying out from the pain this inflicted on his newly healed ribs. He saw his grandmother standing there slack-jawed. Then, she recovered herself.

'Put him down!' she shrieked.

But Teddy's arms were now being bound to his sides with thick black ropes from Wesley's wand. The pain had receded to a steady throb, and Teddy was suddenly struck by the reality of what was happening. Arrested?

'What has he done to deserve this?' cried his grandmother.

The two men ignored her question. 'Miss,' snapped Cuthbert. 'Please move aside.'

'I will not-!'

Through a haze of pain, exhaustion, and confusion, Teddy saw Cuthbert level a wand and his grandmother. 'Miss, don't force me to…'

'Teddy!'

Bang! In shock, Teddy watched the dark shape that was his grandmother collapse to the floor. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but all that came out was a shuddering gasp.

'Come on,' Cuthbert was muttering. 'We can Disapparate from outside.'

Wesley was gripping him tightly by the upper arms and began half-carrying, half-dragging Teddy down the staircase. He tried to stay focused, tried to stay awake, but the darkness was closing in on him… and then…nothing.