Prologue: The Attack

"Honey, go to bed okay." Rose Lupin brushed her hand over her young son's head and gently pushed him in the direction of the stairs leading to his room. The small boy resisted her efforts and turned to face her, his head cocked and a frown on his face.

"But Daddy's not home!" He pouted slightly and Rose patted his head again.

"He will be home soon I'm sure. I'll send him to say goodnight when he gets in, okay?" The boy bit his lip, considering.

"Okay." The corner of his lip quirked up in a little smile and he slowly trudged up the stairs, rubbing his eyes as he went. Rose went to the window and peered out. Despite her assurances to her Remus; she was worried about her husband. She could see the gold and pink of the sunset starting to fade as the sun slowly set. Biting her lip she walked back to the fireplace and paced back and forth, leaving enough space for someone to floo in. John had been known to overwork himself at the Ministry, leaving him too tired to Apparate. As she wandered over to the window again, anxiously noting the now rapidly fading light, she heard a loud crack and nearly tripped over an armchair as she whirled around to face her husband. All the worry faded from her face as she ran to him.

"John! You're home!" She exclaimed. He kissed her quickly but pushed her away and ran to the front door. Rose stood perplexed as he bolted it and cast numerous charms. She opened her mouth to inquire as to what he was doing but he pushed past her and did the same to the back door and finally cast charms on all the windows. He even ran upstairs to charm the windows up there she assumed as realizing she was not going to get an answer anytime soon, Rose had seated herself on the couch and waited for John to finish. After he tore downstairs and cast yet another charm on the doors, he finally flopped into the chair next to her and sighed.

"That should do it."He smiled weakly and squeezed Rose's hand. "Sorry about that Rosy." She smiled back but raised an eyebrow at him, telling him to continue. John sighed again. "Do you remember the name Fenir Greyback, Rose?" Rose's eyes widened and she nodded slowly.

"You locked him up a few months ago." She whispered, dreading where the conversation was going. John winced at her choice of words.

"He escaped." He paused as Rose gasped and he squeezed her hand again. "And, it would appear he blames me for his capture. I was the one who sent the team after all." Rose blanched,

"And now . . ." She trailed off.

"And now he's after me." John finished. Rose leaned into him and they sat in silence for a few minutes watching the swollen full moon begin to rise in the sky.

"Is it . . . Are the charms enough?" Rose asked timidly and John slumped forward.

"I hope so." He replied.

Later that night, Remus woke up to find his bed unusually empty. He peered under his covers and all around his bed then realized he must have left his teddy outside when he was playing that afternoon. He crept to the window overlooking the garden and if he stood on tip toe, he thought he could just make out the outline of his bear. He crept downstairs quietly and tugged on the door handle. Then he frowned as it didn't give and looked up to see the deadbolt in. He had no hope of reaching it. Remus tiptoed back to bed and tried to fall asleep but all he could think about was his missing bear, outside in the cold, wet grass. He slipped out of bed after what felt to him like hours of tossing and turning. Carefully he opened his parent's door thinking maybe they could open the bolt for him but they were both fast asleep, curled up around each other. Remus knew he would feel bad if he woke them up when they looked so peaceful and happy. His dad had been so worried and different this week. Remus thought he deserved a nice, proper, uninterrupted sleep. The young boy made his way to the back door again and pushed against it. He shoved, using all his strength and glaring at the bolt that was stopping him. He had to get his bear. Suddenly there was a flash and the bolt slid out. The door swung open into the garden and Remus tumbled down the stairs. Quickly he picked himself up and scanned the yard. A grin broke out across his face when he spotted his bear lying underneath the elm tree. He trotted towards it and picked up his bear, giving it a hug while brushing leaves off at the same time.

Then he heard it. A low sound, almost masked by the rustle of leaves in the still night. But it was unmistakably a growl. The leaves rustled again and Remus stopped in panic, watching a large shadow move out from behind his mother's prized rose bush. A hairy paw stepped into the light and Remus began to run toward his house, wishing for once his garden was not quite so large. But he could not run fast enough. The shadow bounded after him and Remus felt something swipe across his back. He barely had time to register his astonishment at what it could be because at that moment the pain hit him and he fell to the ground, screaming in agony. He writhed on the ground drowning in the worst pain he could have imagined. He almost didn't notice the razor strike his shoulder but he did because suddenly the pain was ten times worse. No, more. A hundred times worse. Remus let another scream and some part of his mind registered the warm, wet liquid slowly soaking his pajamas. Suddenly he was moving and someone was talking to him.

"Remus! Remus wake up!" His mother was sobbing into his ear but he couldn't hear over the roaring river of agony rushing through him. Then she was in front of him, standing between him and the shadow. "Not my baby! No what have you done!" She wept, raising her arms as if to herd it off. It raised its paw and the razor tore down her face and outstretched arm. Rose screamed, mirroring her son and collapsed in the grass next to him.

"Rose!" John Lupin yelled. He shot a spell at the wolf that did little harm but turned its attention to him instead of Rose. "Grab Remus!" He shouted at his wife and shot a torrent of curses at the shadow. None seemed to have the desired effect although the wolf started to move a little slower, dragging one of its paws behind it. John shot one last spell at the creature then ran for his family, grabbing hold of both his son and wife. And suddenly they weren't there anymore.

John collapsed outside St. Mungo's, exhausted from the shadow, the misery and the effort of Apparating three of them across the country. Somewhere far off he could hear Rose sobbing weakly.

"Not Remus. Not my baby." She moaned over and over until her voice faded and a new one came into focus.

"No hope. No hope at all. He'll live."

"That's worse. It'd be better he died. Better they all did."

"No hope."