Author's Note: …And it's finally updated! Sorry for the bit of a wait, but I had more homework than expected and unfortunately grades come before fanfiction. Anyways, it doesn't matter now. For those of you who were waiting for Lupin to appear, the wait is over! You'll get plenty of him in this chapter. :) Hope you enjoy!

Once again, please review. Constructive criticism is more than welcome, but please no flaming. Thanks!

Disclaimer: In no way or form am I claiming Harry Potter or any of J.K. Rowling's creations as my own. They're hers, I'm just playing with them. The story idea is mine, but everything else belongs to J.K Rowling, no matter how much I wished otherwise. Several scenes/titles are taken directly from the books. Those aren't mine in any way whatsoever.

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Chapter 3: Talk Between Wolves and Arrival of the Aurors

Harry sat on his comfortable, white-sheeted bed in St. Mungo's. His third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts book lay open in his lap, pages turned to the very back chapter. Ron and Hermione had gone back to Sirus's house for the day, so Harry had been left to rest.

Which, of course, he planned not to do. Hermione and Ron had brought Harry a few books to read so he wouldn't get bored, and someone had thrown in his third-year DADA textbook. Doubtless, they knew that he would want more information on lycanthrope, especially since Harry hadn't paid much attention to it when Snape, while subbing for Lupin, made everyone write an essay on how to identify and kill werewolves.

Unfortunately, as Harry was also discovering, the textbook provided very little information useful once you actually were one. Harry sighed and slapped the book shut, then threw it onto his bedside table. Maybe he should get some sleep… then again, Lupin was due to arrive any time now.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the ward door open. Looking up, Harry saw a sandy-haired man in rather ragged-looking clothes stick his head through. Though still quite young, Lupin looked tired and rather ill; he had more gray hair than when Harry had said good-bye to him, and his robes were more patched and shabbier than ever. "Hello, Professor," said Harry, sitting up more against his pillows.

"Harry," said Lupin softly, then opened the door completely and walked over to Harry's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," replied Harry, trying to sound as though he wasn't apprehensive at all and merely glad that Lupin had come. He could smell the familiarity of Lupin, and there was something about it that said wolf. "So… did they catch the werewolf?"

"No one's told you?" Lupin asked, looking surprised. "I would have thought they had… unfortunately, he managed to fight his way away just when the aurors had him cornered. Gave a fair few of them some pretty nasty scratches, but no one else was bitten. They think the werewolf was Fenrir Greyback. You won't know who he is, of course…" Lupin sighed, running a hand through his hair absentmindedly as he sat down on one of the chairs next to Harry's bed.

"Oh," said Harry. A silence stretched between the two of them, which was finally broken by Lupin.

"Harry, I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this," he said, his voice sounding strained. "If I had known he'd send Greyback after you... well, I suppose that doesn't matter now. I'm just thankful that we had people from the Order following you…" Noticing Harry's questioning gaze, Lupin indicated the other occupant of the room, who was apparently asleep and snoring rather loudly-- almost too loud to be natural. His look said clearly, I'll tell you later. Lupin's gaze drifted to the Defense Against the Dark Arts book on the table, and he gestured towards it with his hand. "Have you found anything useful?"

"Nothing except how to defend me against myself," said Harry, smiling slightly, "It's ironic, really. We never did get to that chapter when you were teaching."

Lupin chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I should have known. Professor Snape wouldn't have assigned you to read anything that showed us in a good light, would he…"

Well, I suppose I'd better tell you what to expect. I suppose you've already noticed the increase in your hearing and smell."

"Yeah," said Harry, "The smell especially… I knew that werewolves had a good sense of smell, but I didn't know that it applied to the human form, too. It's kind of odd… I can smell that you're like me."

Lupin laughed, "Yes, that is one of the small plusses to this condition, I suppose. It can be quite useful at times, but when you first go into Hogwarts it can be more than a tad overwhelming."

Harry smiled, "I can imagine."

"You'll get used to it in time, though," Lupin said, then looked at Harry's arm. "I'm afraid that bite will never completely heal… there will be some nasty scarring later, but your school robes should cover it sufficiently for no one to take notice. If it bothers you too much, though, we could always cover it with a glamour charm. Now,about the transformation…"

"The Shrieking Shack?" asked Harry, more than a little apprehensive. He didn't have fond memories of that place.

"I'm afraid not," said Lupin, this time smiling. Harry looked at him, confused.

"But where else is there to go…?"

"Well, you see," said a grinning Lupin, "Dumbledore has pulled a few strings at the Ministry, and he's had it arranged it so that I can come back again next year as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor…"

"That's great!" exclaimed Harry, grinning.

"…and I can bring along my dog."

"Your dog?" Harry asked, confused. Since when had Lupin had a… "Padfoot!" Harry was grinning from ear to ear now, and suddenly the transformation didn't seem so bad any more.

"Correct," said Lupin, "Professor Snape will be making a Wolvesbane Potion for the both of us, so we'll be able to safely transform in my office. Padfoot will be there with us, and Buckbeak will go back to Hagrid with a different name. Dumbledore has already told the other professors about your condition, and is going to make sure that no quidditch matches or anything happen any of the days around the full moon.

"We're going to keep this secret from the other students as long as possible, but with you disappearing the same days I do…" Lupin gained a disgusted expression, "We may not be able to keep the secret long, especially if the Daily Prophet gets a whiff of it."

"At least we won't have to worry about Rita Skeeter," said Harry absentmindedly, remembering when, at the end of last year, Hermione had discovered Rita's illegal animagus form and threatened to let the secret out if she didn't stop writing horrible articles about Harry in the Prophet.

"Why not?" Lupin looked suspicious.

"No reason," said Harry quickly, then changed the subject, "I really don't care if they do know, people would figure it out on their own sooner or later anyway."

"The problem, though, Harry, is that… well, wizards don't think very highly of werewolves. My position at Hogwarts two years ago, however short, was the first real job that I'd had in years. Most employers either tell you outright to leave or find some other, less obvious way to keep you from getting a job there. I've been told that places weren't hiring even though the sign that said they were was right out front." Lupin was looking worn-down again. "And the other students might be just as bad… or worse."

"Yeah, I can see them doing something like that," said Harry, disgusted, "In my second year there were plenty of students who were convinced I was going to kill them all just because they found out I was a Parseltongue."

"And that's where the problem arises," said Lupin kindly, "People… well, people don't like to see who you are beneath the surface. When they find out that you're a werewolf, that's all they see. They're convinced that you're Dark and dangerous, and don't even consider for a moment that you might not be.

"You'll have difficulty finding employment your entire life, Harry, though I'm sure Dumbledore could get you a position at Hogwarts. The only problem there is the angry letters from parents who are convinced that your one motive in life is to attack their children. I'm sure to get plenty of those once word gets out that I'm back at Hogwarts, and you might too if the parents find out about your--"

"Furry little problem?" asked Harry, smiling.

Lupin laughed, "Yes, your 'furry little problem.' We can use that to refer to it, just like Padfoot and Prongs used to when in company."

"Now, your first transformation will be the worst, but after that it won't hurt as much. The Wolvesbane potion will allow you to keep your head while you're transformed, so it should be almost as if you were an animagus. It will also help to be with another werewolf and a large dog-- the wolf will consider itself to belong to a 'pack' and shouldn't resort to biting and clawing itself out of loneliness."

"Good," said Harry, though he didn't like the sound of the transformation being painful…

"And if you transform with a pack, your inner wolf won't feel the need to pop up at unexpected moments and ruin what would otherwise have been a perfectly good day. For instance, when you're eating dinner-- you'll probably notice a greater liking for meat that's cooked very rare, but when the wolf has a pack it most likely won't feel the need push itself out during the meal and cause you to rip into the food with your face. That happened to me once. It was very embarrassing."

Harry tried to suppress his laughter at the image of Lupin ravenously eating with his face, but failed miserably.

"Yes, Padfoot and Prongs thought so, too," said Lupin, who also couldn't help laughing at the memory. "I think I hear someone out in the hallway. It's probably the aurors wanting to ask about Greyback, though I don't suppose you know anything other than where he was."

Harry frowned, "No, just that he was exactly where Padfoot was two years ago."

Lupin looked thoughtful for a moment, "I'll go bring them in-- Harry, would you like me to leave or stay here?"

"Stay here, please," said Harry. He didn't think he knew any of these aurors (he's only heard about Tonks) and would rather have someone familiar in the room.

Lupin nodded, then walked to the door. Sticking his head out, Harry heard him call into the hallway, "Ah, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley! Harry's awake, you can come on in," and then, in a lower voice, "If you're asking about Greyback, though, he doesn't know anything other than where he was at the time of the attack."

A wheezy voice that Harry would recognize anywhere as Mad-Eye Moody's answered, "Not so much worried about Greyback as we are what else attacked him. Harry used a Patronus charm, and if there were dementors that wandered away from Azkaban…"

"Yes, that is something to worry about," said Lupin in a concerned voice, "But come in, you can ask Harry for yourselves. We're not much use standing around out here in the corridor."

Lupin stepped back through the ward door, followed by a witch with a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a bubblegum pink. Harry assumed that must be Tonks. After Tonks came Moody, his large, electric blue eye that could see through walls and doors spinning crazily in its socket, and the last person who Harry thought must be Kingsley, a bald black wizard who wore a single gold hoop in his ear.

"Oooh, he looks just like I thought he would," said Tonks, "Wotcher, Harry!"

"Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," said Kingsley; he had a slow, deep voice. "He looks exactly like James."

"Except the eyes," said Moody in his wheezy voice, "Lily's eyes."

Harry blushed uncomfortably; he didn't like it when people talked about him.

Lupin sensed his discomfort and stepped forward, "This is Alastor Moody, Harry," he said, pointing toward Moody.

"Yeah, I know," said Harry; it felt odd to be introduced to somebody he'd thought he'd known for a year.

"And this is Nymphadora--"

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," said the young witch with a shudder. "It's Tonks."

"Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Lupin.

"So would you if your fool of a mother had called you 'Nymphadora,'" muttered Tonks.

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt," he indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed.

Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered onstage.

"They're here to ask you about what happened a few nights ago," finished Lupin.

"We know that you produced a Patronus in front of your muggle cousin," Kingsley started, and Harry winced. He had almost forgotten about the letter he'd gotten from the Ministry. Kingsley seemed to notice, because he then said, "But all charges of misuse of magic have been lifted-- considering the circumstances, the Ministry has decided you had perfect rights to use it--" (at his point Harry heaved a sigh of great relief) "-- but Patronus spells aren't normally used against werewolves, and it was cast before you left your aunt and uncle's house for the second time."

"I used it because of the dementors," said Harry, then mentally smacked himself for not telling anyone about them before then, "There were two dementors down that alleyway and they went for me and my cousin."

"We were afraid of that," wheezed Mad-Eye, "Dementors don't run around and attack people on their own-- they have to take orders. If He's gotten control of them…" Moody trailed off, giving everyone time to think about what might happen. After a few seconds of silence, Tonks cut in.

"Not a very pleasant thought, that, is it?" she said, then continued, "They knew exactly where you were, then, Harry? No searching?"

"As far as I know, they knew exactly where I was going to be," Harry said, shivering at the memory.

"And after escaping the dementors, you left the house again?" Kingsley asked slowly, looking right at Harry who looked away, embarrassed.

"I… wasn't thinking," muttered Harry, "My uncle yelled at me to go, and I was sure he wouldn't allow me in the house for another minute before… I don't know, attacking me or something."

"What have I (well, maybe not me, but close enough) told you, boy?" growled Moody, "If I have to tell you once, I'll tell you again-- CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Everyone jumped, and the other patient in the room jerked awake and nearly fell onto the floor.

"Is that really necessary, Mad-Eye?" asked Tonks, rubbing her ears.

"It is if no one's going to listen to it the first five hundred times!"

"I thought you were here to ask questions, not lecture, Moody," said Lupin with an amused glint in his eye.

"All right, then. Do you remember where you were when the werewolf attacked, Harry?" Moody's eye was swiveling around in its socket again; Harry found it rather distracting.

"It's a few blocks from the Dursleys' house, there's a low stone wall there in front of a gap between houses. The werewolf was hiding in there. I don't know if he knew that I was going to be there, but it was probably just chance. I didn't even know where I was going when I left the Dursleys'."

"All right, then," said Kingsley, who had been writing everything down on a slip of parchment.

Just at that moment, a nurse came in. "Visiting time is over-- it's nearly eight o' clock, and both patients in this room need rest."

Harry, who was not at all tired, started to protest, but Lupin interrupted him. "She's right, Harry. You need to sleep. We'll be back tomorrow, and you'll be able to leave here and go to Padfoot's house by the end of the week. Good-bye, Harry."

"Bye," said Harry as the nurse shooed them out the door and then turned the lights off. Harry didn't feel tired at all. In the dark, he lay down against his pillows and listened to the nurse walking away down the hallway, and once she was gone, it seemed that he lay there for a very long time listening to the sounds outside his window; a frog croaking somewhere, a couple of birds in a scuffle over something or other…

The next thing he knew, he was curled in a warm ball under his bedclothes, and light was pouring in through the small window high in the paneled oak-wood wall.