3

Prologue

All Howls Night

The air was changing, the once cool night breeze began to grow stronger, whipping through the trees. Two young children where playing in the neighborhood park a few blocks away from their houses. The full moon and street lamps gave the boy and girl the only light. All was well until a strange noise could be heard carrying across the wind.

"Remus! What was that?" The young girl asked. Knuckles turning white as she gripped the play structures railing tighter. Her brown hair whipped across her face and into her hazel eyes.

"You're not scared are you Tara?" The boy Remus asked mockingly standing beside Tara, his sandy blonde hair blown back.

"Remus. Seriously. What if it's a werewolf? My mom said one's loose. Goes after kids. Please Remus can we go?" Tara pleaded visibly shaking in fear.

"You mean…Greyback?" Remus asked getting scared himself.

"Yeah. That's his name. Remus what's wrong?"

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but maybe we should go. Our parents are probably worried," Remus said taking Tara by the hand and leading her off the structure and out of the park.

Tara and Remus had just left the parks gates when they heard the howl from behind them. They turned to see the very werewolf they feared. Greyback stood there staring, drooling and the unmistakable look of hunger glowing within his yellow eyes.

Remus turned to Tara, "Run!"

The two of them took off as fast as they could. The werewolf was close behind them and gaining. As they turned the corner, Tara's house came into view followed by Remus' a few houses down.

"Remus we'll run to my house it's clo…AHHH,"

Tara screamed as she tripped and fell hard on the street's pavement. She looked up to see her house not too far into the distance and Remus still running. Tara tried to get up, only to be pushed back down. She was forced onto her back were she came face to face with the long, sneering, drooling face of the werewolf. His breathing was heavy. Tara could feel the hot stickiness of it against her skin, the drool dripping onto her face. Her scream was caught in her throat. She closed her eye awaiting the inevitable. Tara then found a weight lifted off her. She opened her eyes expecting too be in heaven and to see her father standing before her. When her eyes focused, she was stunned to see Remus trying to take on the werewolf and failing.

"Tara! Run! Get help!"

Tara ran until she heard the piercing scream of Remus Lupin. She turned to see Greyback bite down on Remus. Greyback then proceeded to pick up the now unconscious Remus and take him off towards the surrounding trees.

"REMUS!" Tara screamed

Tara panicked. She was torn between running for help and taking on the werewolf herself. But maybe she didn't have to take on the werewolf, maybe she just needed to scare it away. Tara concentrated hard on growing claws and razor sharp teeth to match that of the werewolf's. Using her metamorhmagus abilities, Tara began chasing after the werewolf who had slowed its pace now that he had what he came for. Once Tara was close enough to Greyback she jumped on his back and sunk her teeth and claws into the beast. Greyback howled from the pain. In one swift movement, he dropped Remus and threw Tara from his back. Blood stuck to his matted fur. Tara quickly moved in front of Remus, claws at the ready.

Greyback watched her threateningly. Watching her every move. Drooling, blood dripping from his teeth, his eyes glowing with an emotion Tara could not read. After what felt like an eternity, Greyback backed down, disappearing into the trees, failing to gain his victim as he was used too. Once Tara was sure Greyback was gone, she retracted her teeth and claws and feel to the ground by Remus shaking. She placed a hand over his heart and could still feel it beating, he wasn't dead. In the distance, Tara could she someone running towards them, a woman with a small white light moving in front of her. Tara's mom came running towards the two children. Both lay fallen on the cement road. She knelt down by her daughter and put a hand on her shoulder. Tara's eyes fluttered to her moms and then to Remus'. Tara may have saved Remus from Greyback. Though she knew, saving him from himself would be a different story.