Chapter 1: A New Pack
Fire ate at everything it could get to. Bodies litter the ruins of what once had been a great castle and school known as Hogwarts. Mangled and bleeding, young and old, lay dead on what had once been school grounds. All dead, but one still drew breath. A boy sat hunched over a dead body, his shoulders shaking in his suppressed sobs as he caressed the face of a bushy haired girl her eyes open and glassy filled with love and determination. The boy's messy black hair fluttered in the small wind and his emerald green eyes were filled with tears. His clothes were torn and crusted with dried blood, some of it his and some not. This mysterious boy was none other than Harry Potter the famous Boy-Who-Lived.
Slowly tears stopped and life leaked from the eyes until all that was left behind was a dull, lifeless green. He brushed his hand over the girl's face and shut her eyes whispering a soft, "Have fun up there with the others 'Mione". He stood and searched over the battle ground, for indeed it was a battle ground, for any who might still live. What had once been jeans were torn in every place imaginable and were near falling off; he wore no shirt for it had been torn to shreds in the battle. Scars, old and new, littered his chest, arms, and back, his feet lay bare and bleeding. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw movement from one of the bodies not far off.
He shot off quickly jumping over the dead bodies that lay in his way, not even daring to glance down to see the dead faces of his loved ones. When he reached the body he saw it to be on its chest, its face buried in the dirt, but what he could see was sandy brown hair with streaks of grey. He quickly turned over the body to see the only family he had left, Remus Lupin who had a deep slash across his stomach. His eyes fluttered open to show a weary gold that lit up at the sight of Harry's face.
"You're alive!" he said his voice filled with love and happiness, "Does that mean…?" he stopped not daring to hope.
"He's gone Remy, we're finally free, but at a great cost," Harry whispered brokenly looking around the battle field.
Remus also glanced around as best he could from his position and his eyes filled with tears that slowly overflowed and fell down his cheeks. Harry lifted him softly and embraced him warmly; he would not let the only person he had left suffer! Remus gasped as warmth spread through his stomach where it was once filled with pain. When he looked down he was healed; he quickly wrapped he arms around Harry and comforted him as much as Harry was comforting him.
When they drew back they both inspected each other to see if they were okay. Remus's khaki pants were torn and now stopped above his knees, and his shirt was torn beyond recognition, he had lost his robes somewhere in the battle. Both stood looking for something to cover themselves with. They quickly found robes that were intact that would actually fit them, they quickly apologized to the dead bodies wearing it before donning it and meeting back with each other.
Suddenly there was a bright light that nearly blinded them, when it disappeared and they could see again an unearthly woman stood before them. Her silver hair fell down to the ground in lush waves, filled with braids and flowers, her ears pointed like that of an Elf's. Her eyes did not seem to wish to settle on a color and were ever changing her face was unblemished and pale and seemed to glow like the moon. A Greek toga was wrapped around her body and flowed like a gurgling creek over rocks; her bare feet peeked from beneath. They bowed feeling it was the right thing to do.
This action was met with a laugh like the sound of tinkling bells, "You have no need to bow to me my little warriors, you have suffered much. It is I who should be bowing to you," she said her voice like a clear song.
Their faces showed their surprise and questions, "I see you have much to ask, why don't we sit," the being offered kindly gesturing toward the chunks of rubble that jutted out of the ground that had once made up Hogwarts.
They sat and merely stared at her waiting, she sighed and sat as well and began to explain, "I am Fate, not to be confused with my sister Destiny," she added quickly before continuing, "Both of you have faced many obstacles and many deaths so I took it upon myself to give you a second chance in another life," she said with a smile.
"Wait, so we would leave here and just basically be reborn?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Basically, yes. Oh, and I'll be curing Mr. Lupin here of his lycanthropy, he will now be a wolf animagus!" she said happily, her voice speaking of giddiness.
The two turned and stared at each other in amazement, they couldn't believe this! They must be dreaming!
"Why do mortals always think this is a dream?" Fate whined exasperatedly.
"Well, begging your pardon ma'am, but you gotta admit it's kinda…well to be blunt unbelievable," Remus told her.
"Hmm, perhaps you're right…well anyway back to the present!" she said before clapping her hands together twice.
Both men gave her a look as if she were crazy but then felt themselves being lifted off the ground and floating into the air. They grabbed each other's arms as they began to drift apart, and pulled each other into a hug. Then they felt as if they were being put beneath the Cruciatus Curse and began to convulse regularly, still in each other's arms. Then there was a flash of red and they felt as if they were side Apparating.
Both woke with pounding headaches in the middle of a lush, green clearing. When they looked toward each other each gave a yelp in surprise and jump backwards. Both were unrecognizable. Remus's once grey flecked sandy brown hair was now a deep honey that shined in the sunlight. His pupils were ringed in silver, though his eyes stayed golden. His once worn and lined skin was now a smooth, flawless bronze color and his muscles had become lean. Harry himself had changed; his once messy black hair now fell to his chin in smooth waves of ebony. His pupil was also encircled with silver, though his eyes were the same deep emerald green, and without his glasses they shone clearer than ever before. His malnourished body had grown to be lean and muscled and his skin was now glowed in an olive tone and he now stood at the height of 6'.
They slowly calmed down enough to start a camp, for they really didn't feel like wandering the forest they were in aimlessly. They found they knew exactly where they were, just outside the Shire, they also knew they were now in Middle Earth and there was magic they could not even have imagined in their world! As they stood to gather supplies for their camp, they found two piles of folded clothes, Gryffindor's sword and three that looked almost exactly like it but the jewels were sapphires, canary diamonds, and emeralds, and a set of four daggers with four wolves wrapped around their hilts. The first was made of ebony, its eyes made from two emeralds, the second made of silver had two rubies for its eyes, the third was onyx with eyes made from sapphires, and the fourth and final blade was made from gold had two canary yellow diamonds for its eyes. They also found to sets of bows and quivers full of arrows.
Both went to change, Harry came back first carrying kindling and wood for the fire. He wore black lace up leather pants, a dark, forest green tunic, and dragon hide boots. He dropped the wood toward the middle of the clearing they were going to stay the night in and set about starting the fire. Remus soon came back holding two dead rabbits by the ears and sat across from Harry and began to skin them with one of the hunting knives he kept in his pocket. He was wearing leather pants much like Harry's, a grey tunic, and dragon hide boots. Neither spoke as they set about their duty, they had grown used to the silences; they weren't awkward but very comfortable and explained more than their words ever could.
Finally they sat side by side as they roasted strips of rabbit meat over the fire. Then Remus spoke, "So, what are we gonna do? We can't just live our lives in the forest forever."
"Sure we could, we could become hermits!" came Harry's cheeky reply, and at Remus's glare he held up two hands as a sign of peace, "Alright, alright! Just a joke calm down Moony sheesh! We could pose as wolves…" but what Harry was about to suggest was cut off by the sound of something or someone crashing through the forest.
Harry quickly put out the fire and covered any signs of one being made, grabbed his bottomless pack and transformed into his tall, black wolf animagus form. Remus soon followed after grabbing his pack and stuffing the rest of his rabbit into his mouth before transforming into a tall sandy brown wolf. Four hobbits came to land in a heap in front of them, groaning. One finally got up and froze when he saw the two wolves. Harry walked up to the little one and started sniffing him curiously before rubbing into his hand asking to be pet.
'We can trust him Moony, he reminds me of me back before and during the war, he carries a heavy burden and I'm going to help him carry it. He will not have the weight of the world resting on his shoulders alone!' Harry told Remus determinedly.
'Aye cub, I will protect him as one of my own,' Remus said coming up to the little one and placing his front paws on the boys shoulders and then licking his face affectionately.
The boy looked on them in surprise before whispering, "Did you just talk?"
'You can understand us brother?' Harry asked equally surprised.
"Why wouldn't I?" the boy asked tilting his head to the side cutely.
'We are speaking with our minds cub, that's why. Now, why are you and your friends so far from home?' Remus asked looking up to the boy kindly.
"We were running from Farmer Maggot, Merry and Pippin stole from his crops again. Why do you refer to me so familiarly?" Frodo asked.
'We adopt you as you are a kindred spirit to us, and little brother start speaking with your mind, mushrooms won't distract your friends much longer from the fact you're talking to wolves as if you understand them,' Harry said giving a wolfish grin.
The boy blushed and nodded, 'What are your names?' he asked curiously.
'I am Harry James Potter-Black-Lupin, but my Marauder name is Sketch. Beside me is my Papa, Remus John Lupin Marauder name Moony,' Harry told him, 'and yours?' he asked tilting his head to the side.
'Frodo Baggins, what are Marauders?' he asked.
'We'll let you access our memories and then you can share your own. How does that sound?' Remus asked.
Frodo nodded and then was bombarded with memories, he felt as if years had passed when in fact not even a second had. He soon let them access his memories and they soon went through the same process. As they were about to speak the heard thundering hooves and felt the hairs on their necks stand on end, they needed to get off the road! They told Frodo and then ran to his friends and dragged them to the edge of the path, they all hid underneath a root of a large oak tree. Remus and Harry stood above it guarding it but looking as if they were searching for food.
And then the rider came. When they saw it they quickly shot off into the forest as if spooked but circled around to go back to the Hobbits beneath the root. They came just in time to see the rider leaning over the root the Hobbits hid under and Harry levitated a rock and flung it off to his right distracting the rider. He quickly jumped onto his black stallion and rode off in the direction of the noise. The two wolves quickly urged the Hobbits to start running after them. They stopped to rest, by then the sun had sunk beneath the horizon.
Pippin asked, "What is going on?" he turned to Frodo his voice questioning.
"That black rider was looking for something, or someone. Frodo?" Merry looked to his cousin.
"Get down!" Pippin exclaimed and they all dived for the forest floor
"I have to leave the Shire. Sam and I must get to Bree," was Frodo's only reply as he turned to Merry his face serious.
Merry gave a nod, "Right. Bucklebury Ferry," he said before leading the way.
That's when the rider came back, the Hobbits set off running once more the wolves close behind them. Pippin shouted for Sam to get the rope as he and Merry tried to push the ferry off of the dock, Frodo had fallen behind. Remus jumped onto the ferry and turned quickly waiting for Harry, but Harry had noticed that Frodo had fallen behind and quickly turned and ran toward him. The rider was close behind Frodo; Harry ran around to stand behind Frodo and flipped him onto his back before running as fast as his legs could carry both him and his passenger, which was pretty fast. He leapt across the few feet left between him and the safety of the ferry and landed safely panting slightly. They turned to see the rider stop and then he let out a blood chilling shriek before turning and riding off, other riders much like him joining.
Frodo climbed off of his back only to hug him tightly around the neck and bury his face into Harry's black neck fur. Harry felt Frodo's relief and fear as he cried; Remus came up and began licking Frodo's ears and cheeks growling soothingly, "How far until the nearest crossing?" he whispered through his tears.
"The Brandywine Bridge. 20 miles," Merry replied pushing the ferry farther from the dock.
The other three Hobbits soon joined this huddle so thankful to the wolf for saving Frodo's life. Pippin and Merry attached to Remus and buried their faces into his fur and began to shake with relief, Sam sat on the other side of Harry and gripped to him as if he were his last life line. Soon the Hobbits fell into an exhausted sleep while the two wolves stood watch over their pack. The three hobbits who hadn't met the wolves before had dreams of their past life and the wolves gained their memories as well. Soon they truly were a pack in every sense of the word.
After a few hours they reached their destination and made their way quickly to Bree, hoping to have out run the rider. Remus and Harry stayed close to the hobbits their senses on overdrive, their pack would not be murdered again! They soon reached the closed gates of Bree and Frodo stepped forward and knocked lightly on it. A small secret door opened and a man looked out searching through the rain, when he saw nothing this door closed and another small door closer to the ground opened they saw the face of a weathered old man holding a lantern and wearing a hood.
