THE HUNT

Part Two

A/N: There will be more Andromeda in the next & last chapter

Warning: evil cliffhanger

8.

The nightly wanderer was a middle-aged man sporting a moustache and a beard, and wearing a drab and slightly worn cloak with a hood. Scaddie stepped onto the road to inform him that he was in grave danger.

With lightning speed the man pulled a wand and pointed it at her. 'What's this, now? A hold-up?' he said in a hoarse voice. 'I'm carrying the impressive amount of one Sickle and three Knuts, but even so I'd rather not part with it.'

Relieved that they were indeed dealing with a wizard, the werewolf catchers told him to lower his wand. It wasn't them he should fear, but the werewolf lurking in the woods. 'Why did you go out for a stroll in a night like this?

'Why not?' was the frivolously unconcerned retort. When faced with a threat, there was always the possibility of Disapparating. But were they sure the howling animal wasn't a dog?

Gameworthy and Scaddie exchanged an exasperated look. People like this were the bane of every werewolf catcher's existence.

It was Harry Potter who answered. 'A notorious werewolf was seen here in his human form, shortly before moonrise,' he explained. 'One Remus Lupin; I'm sure you have heard the name?'

For some reason, the wanderer seemed to consider this funny. 'I have,' he replied, 'but to my best knowledge Lupin is a well-mannered wizard, who has never bitten anyone in his life and is certainly not about to start tonight.'

At this, Potter smirked, but the werewolf catchers failed to see the humour of it. 'Do us all a favour, sir, and go home,' Scaddie said. 'I'm sure Lupin forgot all his good manners just now, when he transformed.'

'I'm not as defenceless as you seem to think,' the wanderer told them. 'If you're here to catch him, I could be of assistance to you.'

At that moment, the werewolf in the woods gave another howl, long and piercing, as if to say this prospect was not to its liking. Night birds added their raw calls to his. Gameworthy and Scaddie put their heads together for a brief conference. There was no time to remove the moustached fool by force, and they couldn't just stun him and leave him behind for the monster to bite. His preposterous offer to help them wasn't worth discussing, so they merely told him he would stay at his own risk; the consequences would be on his head alone. Also, they would thank him not to be in their way.

He shrugged, still looking mildly amused.

They turned to the woods. Time to move.

9.

While the werewolf catchers were talking, Harry turned to Lupin, remarking in a low voice that the facial hair wasn't much of a disguise. It was surprising that the werewolf catchers, who worked in the same department as Remus, hadn't recognised him.

'They don't expect to see the man tonight, instead of the monster,' came the soft reply. 'Besides, many people never even look straight at my face, and I'm wearing a hood. I trust this little glamour is enough to turn me into a stranger.'

'And the risk? "Once bitten, always shy" does not apply to you, Remus?'

'Well, I didn't know there would be a real werewolf on the loose tonight, but I meant what I said. I could be useful. And I'm supposed to be a reckless Gryffindor, or so I'm told. You're one to tell me about risks, Harry.'

Harry grinned. It wasn't as if he had shied away from this expedition. He was actually looking forward to the hunt, not in the last place because he might be in a position to interfere when the quarry was in danger of getting killed.

After Gameworthy and Scaddie had held their little sermon to an unimpressed Lupin, the four of them stepped beneath the eaves of the Wood. By way of compromise, they would stay close to the edge. The two werewolf catchers moved noiselessly, and so did Lupin. Harry felt as big as Hagrid and as clumsy as Tonks when little twigs seemed to snap under his feet with every step. After a dozen yards though, the sounds suddenly ceased.

Scaddie looked back. 'About time, Potter!'

Harry glanced at Lupin and saw his teeth gleam. 'A useful little spell,' his old professor whispered, showing his wand. 'I'm surprised they didn't teach it to you during Auror training.'

In the dark, Harry blushed. They had taught him how to walk silently. He realised he was more scared than he'd let on even to himself.

Gameworthy halted abruptly. 'What's that? Up ahead and to our right?'

'A light,' Lupin replied at once. 'Muggle, I think.'

Scaddie hadn't seen it, nor had Harry, who had been looking at his feet. But they all agreed that if someone had lit a lamp out there, they had to be warned quickly.

10.

The agony of the transformation had finally ebbed away. The werewolf stood on a knoll in the woods, grey muzzle lifted, sniffing the crisp air. The human blood was not far away, the smell tantalising. His big maw watered; his heart pounded furiously in his wide chest.

But the blood was pulling at him from two different sides. It was maddening. Again he howled, screaming out his frustration. Night birds took to the air, some of them screeching.

Mindlessly he leaped down the knoll, his body deciding for him. It carried him away from the unforgiving face of the moon above the trees. Needles of moonlight stabbed at his back to egg him on. There was no escape, and blood was the only cure for the pangs that tore him apart.

11.

They were less than hundred yards from the eaves of Bentley Wood, and the dog or whatever it was had just howled again. Rory switched on the torch to shine among the nearest trees, but to his surprise, Eunice wanted him to put it out again.

'What's wrong with a bit of extra light?' he asked.

There was a troubled gleam in her lovely brown eyes. 'It'll draw the w... the animal. And you'll need both your hands to use the rifle. The moon is bright enough to see by.'

Apparently she was convinced there was a wolf out there, or a rabid dog. Rory was not, but he saw no reason not to accommodate her. It was true enough that he couldn't handle the rifle and hold the torch at the same time, and he would cut a fine figure holding a weapon at the ready.

He handed her the torch. She put it out immediately. Shouldering the rifle, Rory aimed it at the largest gap in the line of trees. The bushes beyond stood starkly outlined against the eerie moonlight, bare branches grasping at the air like claws.

He felt Eunice's hand grab his arm. 'What's that noise?' she whispered.

Rory frowned, lowering the rifle. Deeper inside the woods, something seemed to be crashing through the shrubbery. He looked aside and his frown became a furrow. Eunice had shoved the torch into her pocket and the broomstick was sticking out from between her legs now, as if she was about to fly away to the next Witches' Sabbath. Her left hand was wrapped tightly around the handle, her right was holding a kind of stick. Her magic wand... He snorted, disappointed more than anything. She was a New Age freak. And she had seemed so... well, strong-minded.

'Hey there!'

The voice, male and urgent, seemed to rise out of Bentley Wood, further to the south. They turned their heads, peering into the direction from which the shout had come. A figure disengaged itself from the shadows of the trees and began to wave at them with rather frantic gestures.

'Here,' the voice shouted. 'Come! You're in grave danger!' The figure began to run to where Eunice and he were standing, followed by several others.

'This is the please speaking,' another voice boomed suddenly. 'Do as we say!'

This voice was not coming from the edge of the Wood. It came from the direction of the village, and wheeling towards it, Rory did see a police cap on the head of the newcomer approaching through the fields. So maybe there was a wolf. Or a rabid dog. The rustling and snapping in the woods was impossible to overhear now. 'Let's run,' he said to Eunice.

She remained motionless, staring at the sky behind the police cap. Following her gaze, Rory gasped.

There was a witch flying on a broomstick across the fields of the Whitaker farm in the light of the full moon. The world itself had turned New Age.

The next instant, that same world came crashing down around him. 'Eunice!' the witch screamed. 'Fly home. Now!'

'No, mother!' his girlfriend shouted defiantly. 'I'm not leaving Rory!'

12.

The two young people were still more than hundred yards away from anyone else, including the girl's mother on her broomstick, when the werewolf broke out of the trees.

The Muggle whirled and took aim with his rifle.

'Stop!' Remus shouted. 'Don't shoot! You can't harm it that way. You'll only enrage it further!' He ran towards the young couple, hoping the wolf would be within wand range when it reached them. The others were running as well, except for Batthew, who was too far away to get there in time. The witch on the broom kept hovering at a safe distance, wailing thinly.

The young man ignored the warning, and the loud crack of his shot split the air. His aim was not bad; the werewolf skidded to a halt, yelping, biting vainly at its own chest for a couple of moments. Then it was on the move again, snarling, slavering, it's eyes seeming to glow with an unholy light.

The rifle went up again, but now it was the girl who shouted. 'Stop!' She grabbed the barrel and pulled it down. 'Get behind me on my broom!'

'Do as she says!' Batthew bellowed further down the field; the rest of them had to save their breath. Harry and Gameworthy were getting ahead. Remus cursed inwardly, fearing that Harry had no idea how to handle a werewolf.

The Muggle boy ignored both his girlfriend and Batthew; he was too busy trying to free his rifle from the girl's grasp. Harry fired a Stunner at the werewolf. He was just out of range, but the red jet of light caught the wolf's attention. It slowed down and turned its head. Good! Remus thought, hoping it would change course now.

It didn't. It pursued its course towards the two young people, getting closer and closer. Gameworthy fired a spell of his own.

It was green; so much for the new regulations implemented earlier that year... Remus swore again, though the Avada Kedavra missed the target. Why wasn't he younger and faster? The werewolf was still to far away for him - or was it? Besides, Harry was in the way.

Harry aimed his wand again, and shouted 'Stupefy.'

A ripple seemed to go through the animal's body. A howl of outrage followed, and this time the wolf did stop - and turned towards Harry - and gathered itself -

'Step aside, Harry!' Remus cried hoarsely. The son of James Potter was almost close enough for the werewolf to reach him in one leap.

The boy and the girl were still tugging at the rifle. Gameworthy readied his net, while Scaddie, also hindered by Harry, started to make a berth around the young wizard, her wand raised. Remus didn't think she'd be in time.

The werewolf leaped, teeth flashing, and Harry cast another stunner. But at the same moment, Gameworthy jerked him aside and together they tumbled to the ground in a heap. Scaddie screamed and fired, but the jet of green light passed underneath the attacking animal.

The werewolf landed directly in front of Remus.

(TBC)