Chapter 12: The werewolf in its transformed state

Madam Pomfrey arrived mere minutes after Aberforth dragged the stammering, apologizing Flume upstairs. She tossed aside her cloak and one of the school's brooms, and immediately took charge. That was fortunate because the last sensible thing that Remus had done was to send for her. Tonks still sat slumped in the chair, her hand limp in his, her stomach still pulsing as the baby did whatever it was trying to do.

"What happened?" Pomfrey asked officiously as she ran her wand over her patient.

"She got crushed against a wall," Remus said. He seemed to be talking too fast and tried to slow down. "E-everything seemed f-fine at first. Th-then she said s-something felt s-strange." The stuttering was not an improvement.

"She's got a nice bump on her head but I can fix the concussion," Pomfrey reported, giving her wand a flick. Remus had not even known that Tonks hit her head. "And this isn't labor, so what do we have here…"

Pomfrey pointed her wand at Tonks's stomach and knelt there, staring, for a long time. Remus realized he was squeezing Tonks's hand in both of his own, maybe tight enough to bruise, and forced himself to stop. The only tonic seemed to be to bite one of his fingers. He shifted the grip of his other hand so he could feel Tonks's pulse in her wrist.

"That's interesting."

Remus was sure his heart stopped when Madam Pomfrey said that. It was as he had feared all along, the child was a werewolf, it was going to claw and bite its way out of Tonks right here in front of him, in a dingy cellar that smelled like goats. He would have to watch, and then he would have to live with it.

"What's interesting?" he asked, tears dripping down his cheeks. He had been biting his finger hard enough to draw blood.

Tonks's hand twitched in his, she was waking up.

"Hey," Remus said, stroking her hair. "Madam Pomfrey's here, everything's going to be fine." It was what people said at times like these, even when they were not sure that anything was ever going to be fine again. He hated himself for having to say it now.

"What about…?"

"Everything's fine, but hold still, dear," Madam Pomfrey instructed.

"Baby, you're hurting me," Tonks whispered to herself, but Remus heard, and it tore his heart out.

"The baby was putting pressure on your diaphragm, making it hard for you to breathe," Madam Pomfrey explained. "That's why you passed out."

"How could it do that?" Remus could hear the pain in her voice. "It's still twisting around. What's going on?"

"Well, Remus, Nymphadora, I have good news for you."

They looked at each other. This seemed to Remus like an odd time for good news. Tonks appeared to think so too. She didn't even correct Madam Pomfrey's use of her first name.

"Your child is definitely magical."

"Wait. How can you tell already?" Tonks asked.

Because it's a werewolf. If Remus hadn't already been kneeling on the floor he might have fallen.

"He's a metamorphmagus."

"He's a metamorph…hold on, he? It's a boy?"

That one had completely gone past Remus until Tonks said it again. He gripped her hand even tighter and waited for confirmation.

"Oops?"

Clearly, Madam Pomfrey spent too much of her time working on unconscious teenagers and not nervous parents to be. Her beside manner needed serious work.

"That's great, but what's happening?" he asked. As if to prove his point, a small bulge appeared and traced its way all across Tonks's stomach.

Pomfrey pointed her wand at the spot. "Elbow," she reported.

"I don't get it."

Instead of explaining, Tonks lifted her free arm and screwed up her face. The limb stretched to twice its normal length then shrunk again. Remus finally understood.

"It's…he's doing that right now?"

"He's calming down," Tonks replied.

"But how do we keep this from happening?" Remus said, finally coming to understand that the situation was under control and completely certain that he never wanted to see anything like that again.

"You could start by not squishing him," Madam Pomfrey said. "Also keep your heart rate down, Nymphadora. He can feel it when you're troubled."

"Fair," Tonks said. "But as I understand it, there is some amount of squishing in his future."

"Yes, but nothing like you subjected him to today, I think. Your mother managed all right with you, I gather, and she's not a metamorphmagus herself."

"But what about emergencies?" Remus asked. "Is there a potion or something that blocks metamorphmagus abilities?"

"Metamorphmagi are rare enough that no one's ever bothered," Tonks said. "You could knock him and me out."

"I don't know about that."

"Stupefy is perfectly safe in these circumstances, as long as you don't fall badly," Madam Pomfrey said. "In fact, I suggest we try it before I go. Just to get everything back to its normal dimensions and make sure there was no tangling."

"But why would that work?" Remus asked. "Your hair doesn't change back to its normal color when you fall asleep, it's still purple right now."

"It used to, before I really got good at it," Tonks replied. "Plus getting Stupefied causes a much deeper sleep. And purple is my hair's normal color."

"My mistake."

"Are we going to try this or what?" Tonks said. She still looked uncomfortable.

Madam Pomfrey looked at Remus, who looked at Tonks and said, "As long as you're okay with it."

She nodded.

Remus lifted his wand but found he just could not cast the spell at her. Madam Pomfrey had to do it instead. Tonks slumped in the chair again, her hair turned light brown and lengthened slightly, and her pulsing stomach fell still, the extra bulges retreating.

"Everything looks good," Madam Pomfrey reported. "No tangling. Just try not to do this too often."

"You said it was safe!"

"It is. What I meant is that your son shouldn't remember what happened, exactly, but if he does it again too many times it might start to become a habit, something he does without warning or reason. If that happens we might have to take other steps."

"Like what?"

"I don't actually know. As your wife said, metamorphmagi are rare. She's the only one in her entire generation. Your son might be the only one in his."

"One more thing before…" Before we wake her up, was what he almost said. Madam Pomfrey seemed to know what he had left out, but he had to just carry on. "Can you tell…is he a werewolf?"

"There's no way know for sure at this stage," Madam Pomfrey said. "I'm sorry, Remus."

Remus nodded, it was as he expected. He would just have to carry that old fear around along with this new one.

"You can wake her up now," Madam Pomfrey added.

That he could do, at least. He flicked his wand and Tonks stirred and stretched. He reached out and tucked her brown hair behind her ear.

"Any more pain?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"No," Tonks replied. "Everything feels normal. Thank you."

"In that case, you should expect to have a new little metamorphmagus around the middle of April. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Remus said.

"One more thing," Tonks added as Madam Pomfrey pulled on her cloak. "When the students come back after break, can you keep a special eye on Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood for me?"

"I already was," she said, and took her leave.

Remus and Tonks looked at each other.

"I'm going to need a minute before we go back upstairs," Remus said, running a shaking hand through his hair.

Tonks nodded and got cautiously to her feet, maintaining her grip on Remus's hand. Once they were both standing, they fell into a hug. Remus held her as tightly as he dared, which was not very tightly at all, and settled for rubbing her back, drawing circles, tracing out a message about how scared he had been. In return, she squeezed him so hard it was almost difficult to breathe and he savored the feeling.

"Thank you," Tonks whispered into his shirt after a long time of this.

"For what?"

"You saved me."

"I don't know…"

"You did."

"You saved me too."

"When?"

"All the time."

"Hey, guess what?" she said, loosening her hold and looking up at him.

"What?"

"It's a boy."

"How about that," Remus said, brushing her hair away from her damp cheeks. "Guess what else?"

"What?"

"He's a metamorphmagus."

Tonks smiled at him and turned her hair back to purple under his fingers.

"I am going to teach him all the tricks," she promised. "You are really going to have to stay on your toes."

When they got back to the pub upstairs, Aberforth and Ambrosius Flume were sitting at one of the tables with half a bottle of Firewhiskey between them. It was fairly obvious where the other half had gone.

"Are you all right?" Flume slurred at Tonks as soon as he spotted her. Remus automatically held up his arm between them, but Flume didn't even make it out of his chair before falling drunkenly back down.

Even though he had to admit that it was good that this had happened when they were so close to a friendly Healer of Madam Pomfrey's talent, and he knew that Flume had not been in control of himself at the time, Remus still found himself with very little patience for the man who had crushed his wife against a wall. Fortunately, Tonks was more forgiving.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey sorted everything out," she replied, pushing Remus's arm down. "Thank you. How are you? Any lingering effects of the Imperius?"

"None, you do your work well."

"Good, I was worried I hadn't released you properly."

"Nope, I feel exactly like my old self again, thank you," Flume said. "And I'm sorry for…well, I was worried I'd really hurt you. Listen, there's free candy for both of you and the little one at Honeydukes, any time you want it."

"Thanks, and it wasn't your fault," Tonks said with surprising amicability. "We should be going."

"G'night," Aberforth grunted without turning to face them.

Outside, Remus said, "I don't see how you can be so nice to him after that."

She looked up at him like she had seen him in a new light, though he couldn't figure how.

"I'm in a good mood with everyone right now. Don't poke holes in that," she added when Remus opened his mouth to point out a few people she probably actually was angry at.

"Let's get out of here, it's freezing," he said instead.


When Tonks first told him about the invitation, Remus thought that a Christmas party sounded like a ridiculous idea with the world falling apart around them, and said so, often. Tonks, however, took the opposite view, thought the concept brilliant and eventually won the argument by pointing out that Ron might attend, giving Remus the chance to speak with him.

Now, standing near the foot of the stairs in the Burrow, an hour and a butterbeer into the party, Remus still found the whole thing more than a little ridiculous, but also completely brilliant. Ron had yet to put in an appearance, and Bill and Fleur had told him that they did not expect him to, but everyone who had come, most of the Order and some close friends, looked noticeably more relaxed after a little time in good company, away from their usual concerns.

It was difficult to pinpoint if Remus stuck near Tonks or Tonks near Remus, but they had not left each other's sides since arriving. In fact, since their scare at the Hog's Head a few days ago they had been out of sight of each other for only short durations. Remus knew that Tonks's independence would reassert itself soon, so he enjoyed their new closeness while he could, and she seemed to as well. For the moment, it certainly made things easy for the long stream of well-wishers who passed by them, and it allowed Tonks to sneak the odd sip of Remus's butterbeer. Andromeda had lingered near them for a time but eventually excused herself to go teach exploding snap to some of the younger children in attendance. She clearly missed Ted severely and Tonks had needed to force her to come to the party rather than spend Christmas Eve alone. Kreacher had decided to stay home and would not be moved, but perhaps that was for the best. Most of those in attendance tonight knew Kreacher in his cranky, bigoted form and would likely react accordingly.

"Minerva!" Remus called, catching sight of a familiar bun across the crowded room. She turned, saw Remus's wave, and made her way over to them.

"Remus!" Minerva replied when she was close enough, shaking hands. "How wonderful to see you!"

"And you," Remus said.

"And Miss Tonks…or, rather Mrs. Lupin…or do you prefer…"

"Tonks will do, Professor McGonagall."

They shook hands as well. Minerva was not much of a hugger.

"You're not a student anymore, Tonks, you can call me Minerva, as I've told you before."

"But every time I try I remember the look you gave me when you caught me trying to sneak back onto the grounds after staying too late in Hogsmeade…that's the one. I told you before, the Weird Sisters were playing at Rosemerta's. What was I supposed to do?"

"Ask the permission of your head of house, like your classmates," Minerva replied.

"I was flunking Herbology at the time," Tonks muttered. "Sprout would have given me remedial work instead, and then detention when I killed all her Tentaculas. I didn't see the harm in skipping straight to the detention and going to see a concert in the meantime. I saved those Tentaculas lives, you know."

Minerva looked unconvinced. "That's all in the past, anyway. You look lovely."

"Thanks." Tonks still looked a little sour about the previous topic, and Remus knew that she was quickly growing tired of hearing that second observation.

"Would you mind if I speak to Minerva in private for a few minutes?" Remus asked Tonks.

"Go ahead," she replied, waving him away. "I can fend off this horde for a little while."

The Burrow was so crowded that there was no really private place to talk indoors, so Remus and Minerva pulled on their cloaks and stepped out into the garden. They circled the house as they talked to keep their feet warm.

"You and Tonks seem to have patched things up," Minerva said while Remus was still gathering his thoughts.

"Oh…yes, she was amazingly forgiving. I needed a lot of setting straight, there. Thank you for your advice."

"You would have come around on your own eventually."

"I hope so. Most days I can't believe that I actually meant to leave her and Kung-Fu." The term slipped out unintentionally. He had been resisting using it, not really needing the reminder.

"Kung-Fu?" Minerva asked, pausing in her steps.

"Tonks's name for the baby," Remus explained. "He's got a hell of a punch."

"He?"

"Yeah."

They walked in silence for a bit. Remus could feel the hastily constructed copy of the Marauder's Map sitting heavy in his breast pocket. He and Tonks planned to present it to Ginny later.

"How are things at Hogwarts?" he finally had to ask.

Minerva's eyes grew haunted.

"Hogwarts is corrupted, perverted," she said. "I have had to watch students practice the Cruciatus curse on each other and am unable to do anything to stop it. I had to teach second years how to animate Inferi while Amycus threatened me with Imperius. I fear that Hogwarts will never again be the school it was."

"Do you know that there is a student rebellion based on what's left of Dumbledore's Army?"

She nodded. "Those poor, brave souls. All the teachers know about them now."

"All of them?"

"Snape and the Carrows as well," Minerva said. "They could hardly miss them after they broke into Snape's office."

Remus nodded. Tonks had mentioned that.

"You remember little Neville Longbottom?" Minerva continued.

"Of course." Remus could hardly forget him; he had gotten to see Snape wearing a dress and a hat with a stuffed vulture on it thanks to Neville. The part of him that was still sixteen broke down laughing every time he thought of it.

"He's their leader, with Potter gone. He was punished the most severely of any of them. I don't know how he withstood it."

"I think we should have learned by now not to underestimate Neville Longbottom," Remus said, remembering the young man's bravery in the Department of Mysteries and the battle that followed Dumbledore's murder in the Astronomy tower.

"He's a gem, I'll give him that," Minerva said. They completed their circuit of the house and began another. "But he's of age, he can make his own decisions. Most of those who look to him are not, Ginny and Luna, for instance."

"I don't think this war is going to obey those sorts of distinctions," Remus said. "The last one didn't, in the end. You said yourself that Hogwarts is teaching twelve year olds to make Inferi. If they're being faced with the choice to submit or resist…"

"…better to fight back," Minerva admitted. She sighed and pulled her cloak a little tighter around her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want to help think of some ways the teachers at Hogwarts can help the student resistance."

"Do you think I haven't tried to do that?" Minerva asked, her voice sharp. "We teachers are monitored constantly. If we do anything not strictly relating to our classes we'll be put under the Imperius curse or dismissed, and then we'd be no help at all."

"I'm not trying to be critical, I'm sure you're doing everything you can," Remus said quickly. "But I can't do much to help with the war right now myself, and I just…"

"Potterwatch isn't nothing," Minerva interrupted. "You have no idea how much the mood changed in Hogwarts after word about it got around."

"I didn't even realize that the students knew about it," Remus said, feeling a little warmer inside. He caught a glimmer in Minerva's eye and immediately knew who had gotten the word out. "Tonks and Ginny worked out a way to communicate when Ginny is back at Hogwarts. Tonks is going to help the resistance with their strategies, but they would be even more effective if they also had support from the inside, or even if they just knew that someone will argue for them if they get caught."

"I suppose a fresh set of eyes wouldn't hurt. What did you have in mind?"

They circled the house twice more discussing the situation at Hogwarts and what Minerva and the other loyal teachers might be able to do to help, but contrary to Remus's expectations the topic they returned to again and again was Snape. According to Minerva, whenever he could Snape would punish disobedient students by giving them detention with Hagrid.

"But Hagrid's in the Order, he loves the students and would never hurt them. Snape knows this," Remus protested for the fifth time at least. "What happens during these detentions?"

"They walk around the forest for a while, and when they can they spend the night in a cabin that Hagrid built and come back in the morning, trying to look like they had a miserable time, and generally failing," Minerva said. Her answer had not changed since the last time Remus asked.

"Snape is smarter than many combinations of the rest of us put together. How can he not realize what's really going on?" Remus asked.

"He's also smarter than the Carrows," Minerva said. Then she added something that broke the loop of their discussion. "It was Alecto who originally suggested that Hagrid handle the usual detentions."

"The Carrows don't know Hagrid like we do," Remus realized at last, feeling like a dunce. "They assumed that, since he's half giant, he'll be brutal to the students. So that's the solution. You and the other teachers have to make the Carrows believe that you've stopped resisting them and gone over to their side, then they'll ease their restrictions and you'll be able to help the students in secret."

Minerva halted in her overlapping tracks.

"I am a teacher, Remus! So are you!"

Remus liked the sound of that, but also thought it a rather generous assessment of his career path. He waited for her to continue.

"I will not perform the Cruciatus curse on my own students, no matter the consequences to myself! But…"

She cooled down a little.

"…I could pretend, maybe, if they knew to play along…"

"We could talk to Ginny," Remus suggested. "Get the resistance to put the word out among the students."

"But there are students who are loyal to the Death Eaters, we can't include them or they would tell Snape and the Carrows immediately."

"What happened before when you refused to torture a student?" Remus asked.

"They were sent to the Carrows, and, eventually, so was I. They were…brutal, sadistic…"

"I'm so sorry, Minerva."

"Thank you for not suggesting that I just go ahead and curse the ones who are loyal to the Death Eaters."

"I know better than that," Remus said. "But how often do those students need punishing?"

"All the time," Minerva scoffed. "You wouldn't believe…"

"I meant according to the current leadership."

"Oh. I see what you mean."

"Could it work?" Remus asked.

"I don't know," Minerva said. "It's better than what we've been doing, at least. Maybe we can outmaneuver the Carrows…"

"But Snape is another issue," Remus agreed.

"Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it really does seem sometimes like Snape is protecting the students."

"Do you really still think Dumbledore was right about him? Even after everything that's happened?"

"I don't know," Minerva said. "But I do think he knows something the rest of us don't. I'm willing to try it and see what he does, and I think the other teachers will too."

They had reached the door to the Burrow yet again. Music filtered out to them and they could see dancing figures through the windows. Bill and Fleur looked well practiced.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened the last time everyone was here together like this," Remus said, watching.

"You're not alone."

Remus caught the reference and turned to smile at her in appreciation.

"Neither are you. Would you like to dance, Minerva?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she said, taking his arm and letting him lead her inside. "I'll have you know, I could cut a rug in my day."

"Well, that's unfortunate, because I have two left feet, just ask Tonks." They shed their cloaks and joined the other couples in the small dining area. The table had been removed to make space.

"Then pay attention, maybe you'll learn something that will impress her later."

They caught the beat and began to move. At first Remus was only concerned with not stepping on Minerva's feet, but after a few minutes he began to loosen up and enjoy himself a little and even threw in a few spins. He watched Tonks dance by, sandwiched between Fred and George and performing a dramatic three person tango that completely mismatched the music. In lieu of a rose, Fred had a piece of dry spaghetti clutched in his teeth.

"Wotcher!" Tonks said, waving upside down at Remus and Minerva when Fred and George dipped her backwards in their direction. She had changed her hair to red and green.

Remus nearly admonished the three of them to be careful, but then he saw how tenderly the twins helped Tonks back onto her feet and stopped himself. A moment later they were strutting off again.

"It's wonderful to see her looking so happy," Minerva observed.

"It takes a lot to get her down," Remus said. In fact, the only time he had ever known her to be sad was during the months when he had foolishly insisted that they should not be together. It felt like a huge responsibility that so much of her happiness was connected to him.

"She's good for you, you know. You had to grow up too fast. She can teach you how to be young."

"I still can't figure out why she would pick me."

"I think I understand," Minerva said.

"Can I cut in?" Tonks asked before Minerva could elaborate, tapping Remus's shoulder. With much bowing and gallantry, Fred and George offered Minerva their arms.

"Were your ears burning?" Remus asked Tonks as they swayed in time with the music.

"Should they have been?"

"Minerva said you look happy."

"I am happy."

"She thinks she has a way to help the student resistance at Hogwarts."

"That's great."

"We can tell Ginny about it when we give her the map."

"Perfect. Can we just dance for now?"

"Sure."

He pulled her a little closer and she angled her body so she could rest her cheek against his collarbone. They stayed that way until the music ran out and the toasts began. Remus edged away for a moment, had a brief conundrum, and returned with pumpkin juice for both of them. Tonks was not fooled, but she gave him a smile of appreciation and took the glass he offered her.

Arthur took the floor first. Remus's circle had not crossed often with his since the coup and Remus was saddened to see that he had lost both weight and hair and gained dark circles under his eyes. But when he spoke his voice was strong and clear.

"Well, first of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming tonight. These are difficult times, but I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that knowing we have such great friends to count on makes it easier.

"Some days, it feels like this will never end, that the Ministry will be able to thwart any opposition we try to put up, so I would like to mention a few things we have achieved that make me think that this crisis will end. Feel free to shout out more.

"First of all, my daughter Ginny and her friends have organized a resistance to the influence of You-Know-Who at Hogwarts, despite the danger to themselves. So, to the Hogwarts resistance, be careful, and give them hell."

Everyone took a sip. Remus noted that Molly had teared up, though whether it was from pride or fear was difficult to say.

"Next, we all owe a debt to Kingsley Shacklebolt, who gave us the warning we needed when the Ministry fell last August and continues to use his influence to nudge the new regime away from its most brutal plans."

"As do you, Arthur," Kingsley interjected.

Arthur raised his arms, warding away the praise.

"To Kingsley and Arthur!" Minerva said. "The resistance within the Ministry."

"Thank you," Arthur continued. "Next, to Remus Lupin, Lee Jordan, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and everyone who has contributed to Potterwatch, the voice of information and reason that we so desperately need."

"To the person who comes up with a suitable alternative to calling You-Know-Who the Chief Death Eater," Lee interjected. "Please! I'm begging you."

Fred, George, Remus, and Tonks drank to that, at least.

"To Xenophilius Lovegood!" Bill continued. "For The Quibbler! Especially those funny little puzzles he puts in."

"To Dumbledore!" Remus added. "For having the foresight to bring us together."

Everyone drank deeply to that.

"To Ted and Andromeda Tonks, and most especially to Kreacher the House Elf," Arthur continued. "For finding a way to rescue Muggle-borns from the Ministry."

"To Tonks and Remus," Molly said. "For reminding us that life continues."

Remus self-consciously wrapped an arm around Tonks's shoulders while everyone drank to them.

"To Mad-Eye and all our fallen friends," Tonks said.

"To absent friends," Andromeda added.

"To Ron and Hermione," Bill continued.

"To Harry Potter," Ginny said.

Everyone drank.

After several moments of thoughtful silence, Arthur spoke up again.

"Anyone else? All right, good. Otherwise I'd need a refill. Thank you all, once again, for coming. Now will someone turn the music back on?"

The party lasted deep into the night.