"Run, Harry! It isn't safe!"

"But Professor-"

"No! Go!"

Harry watched, with horrified yet curious eyes, as his Professor turned into a werewolf right in front of his own green eyes. The orbs followed the shaggy figure as it turned its snout up to the moon and howled a long chilling noise, before the creature- for it was not the kind hearted Defense Professor anymore, no- turned to face Harry and stare at him with animalistic hunger in its eyes.

Remus Lupin lunged, and Harry let out a scream before he was silenced.

"You can't let him walk free! He's a murderer, a coward, an animal! He nearly killed one of his students, the Boy-Who-Lived! Minister, you can't just allow this to happen!"

"Madame Umbridge," Fudge said tiredly, wincing as the woman's voice reached a high pitched scream. "I'm afraid to say that it is beyond my control. Despite everything, Dumbledore has managed to out maneuver us and that werewolf-" he spat out the word like it was acid on his tongue. "-Has managed to squirm his way out of Azkaban. However, we have more pressing matters to attend too. Sirius Black is still loose and what's more, Severus Snape said that Remus Lupin was in cohorts with him. As soon as we catch Black, we can land both a one way ticket to Azkaban! Oh no, do not worry Madame, for we shall get the better hand of Dumbledore!"

They laughed evilly and Madame Bones swallowed from her spot outside the door. She frowned as she noticed the secretary walking towards the Minister's door, and slid away before anyone could see her.

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black?

It would make sense, they were best friends in school along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, that is, until Sirius Black had killed his best friend James and then only a few hours later, Pettigrew. But why had no one investigated Remus before? The man wasn't exactly the most careful about his 'furry little problem', but even so the Unspeakables and most of the people who had ever seen his record could assure you that it read 'WEREWOLF' in fine print on the top of it.

Madame Bones's eyebrows furrowed once more as she barked at the new Auror- Tonks was it?- to bring her Remus Lupin's file.

She had some investigating to do.

Harry's sight was blurry when he finally awoke in the familiar white-washed room of the Hogwarts Infirmary.

"He's awake! He's awake!"

"Blimey Harry, I thought-"

"Move out of the way of my patient! You're suffocating him! Leave at once!"

There were sounds of grumbling and feet shuffling away and the matron of the ward flicked out her wand to run some diagnostics.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?" Poppy Pomfrey asked as she checked his temperature. Harry opened his mouth and tried to speak, but the only thing that came out was a weak cough.

The black haired boy felt like his lungs were on fire and his shoulder burned like someone had poured acid and vinegar all over it. It hurt to move, he noticed, and his legs and arms felt like jelly.

Madame Pomfrey's lips thinned as she poured some cooling water down Harry's throat.

"There, there, Mr. Potter. You were bit by Professor Lupin- or I rather should say, ex-professor. The man was fired after the news got out, and he fled during the night." The matron looked rather sad at that fact, although Harry couldn't tell why. His sight was gradually getting better, and it took him a while to notice that he didn't have his glasses on.

He tried to point to his glasses, as his throat still hurt, but he was unable too, so the boy stayed silent as the woman continued her diagnostics and recounting of what happened to him.

"Mr. Lupin is facing charges because he bit you, but he was able to escape custody. Professor Dumbledore had something to do with that." She smiled a little, but still seemed grim.

"I suppose you want to know whether or not you're a werewolf, Mr. Potter. The answer is, yes. Yes you are. I was unable to get the potion from Professor Snape immediately and the poison of his bite was able to fully circulate into your heart and now… You're a werewolf. I am sorry Mr. Potter."

Harry was shocked, and his green eyes widened, before he fainted back into the comforting warmth of his bed.

Poppy patted his head with a cold and wrinkled hand, before heading back to her office to inform Dumbledore that Harry had awoken.

"Explain yourself!"

Fudge looked up from his glass of whiskey to see a fuming Madame Amelia Bones standing in front of him with a piece of paper shoved under his nose.

"What?"

"Look at what you've done! This is your fault for letting Remus Lupin get the job! Had you looked at his records we could have avoided this all! Explain yourself, Minister!"

Fudge tried to calm down the woman. "Madame Bones, I didn't know, it's not my job to look everyone who gets a job at Hogwarts-"

"These are our children! You should Minster, we could have kept our children safe! What do you have to explain yourself?"

"Blame Dumbledore! He was the one who hired him!"

"Yes, but you're the one who allowed him too! Think Minister! The next generation of witches and wizards were being taught by someone who was not well enough to actually teach them the trueness of being a proper witch or wizard!"

Fudge stumbled on his words, and his glass of whiskey was shaking in his hands.

Madame Bones would have none of it.

"Aurors! I command you to arrest this man under the suspicion of mistreatment of power, ignorance, buying bribes, and countless others!"

Aurors swarmed the office, and Fudge was left dumbfounded.

Remus Lupin glanced glumly outside the cave he was hiding in, somewhere in southeast Albania.

Sirius Black poked the fire from a few feet behind him, and stared at the man. "It's not your fault you know." He said quietly.

"It is my fault, Sirius. It's my fault that Harry's like me."

Sirius didn't answer.

I don't own Harry Potter.

For the QL

Captain

Written by Chaser 3