Of Werewolf and Man
20.
The new term began soon; Hogwarts was no longer free. Harry stayed in the Astronomy Tower for most of the day and used secret passages to move about, his daily activities entailed training with Lupin, reading and pacing around the room, while the other professors slotted him in on their timetable in the evening. The search for Dumbledore's message remained top-secret and Harry was told while Bill Weasley worked on the cryptic message he was to stay put, but be ready to answer to summons.
Despite Harry working late into the night, Lupin insisted that they took a walk for fresh air every other night on the Grounds. Both of them would be covered by the Invisibility Cloak, Harry with his own and Lupin with the one borrowed from Moody. It soon became Harry's favourite activity as he discovered that despite the fact none of them could see each other, the bond allowed them to feel each other's presence. On many occasions Harry thought he would've gone astray in the dark had Lupin not pulled him back at the last moment, and he was deeply grateful for it.
Meanwhile, the Forbidden Forest proved to be more disturbed than ever, various rumours surfaced that something dark and powerful have intruded upon the delicate balance of the forest and driven the Centaurs mad; and Hagrid was nowhere to be seen.
Mid-September, Lupin was nearly ready for his next transformation. The Shrieking Shack would be put into use again, and Harry was to spend the night alone with extra protection. Despite frequent warnings from all authority for him to stay put, Harry decided he would slip out on the night of Full Moon under the Invisibility Cloak to visit Lupin.
"But it will be exceedingly dangerous, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, her eyes widening in fear. "You know how tense it is nowadays – we can't afford anything to happen - "
"You sound just like McGonagall," said Harry exasperatedly. "I've been out in the dark on Grounds many times, I will be fine… if anything happens I'll send my Patronus charm. And besides, I've got this."
He showed his best friends his wrist, and unsurprisingly both of them were awed.
"A bond? What does it do?"
Harry paused for thought. "I don't honestly know," he admitted after a while, "It sort of tells me how Lupin is and whether he's close… maybe it's like an emergency contact." He shrugged and helped himself to a chocolate frog.
Hermione surveyed the vein-like symbol closely. "Are you sure it's safe, Harry?"
"Yeah, should be, I mean… it's not like I bonded with a stranger or anything." Harry laughed and ignored the unconvinced looks on his friends' face.
"Look, I said I will be fine. Just don't fuss. How's school, by the way?"
The rest of the evening was spent in chatter and occasional bicker of the three best friends, and by eight o'clock Harry was ready to move.
"Harry, please be careful," said Hermione desperately out of the corner of her mouth as they approached the main stairs.
"I know, I know, I'll just be an hour, OK?"
"An hour, fine, Ron and I will be waiting near the Gargoyle on the second floor, just pat us when you pass by, OK?"
"Yeah…fine…"
"And Harry!" Hermione called in a small voice after him, "if you don't come back after an hour, I'll go to McGonagall!"
Harry only caught a whiff of Ron's retort "Leave him alone, 'Mione," when he crept out of the main gate and onto the Grounds, it was dark, but he did not dare to use lumos to light his way. A gentle feeling in his stomach, working like Felix Felicis once did, tugged him towards where the Whomping Willow stood, and Harry knew it was the bond working, pulling him towards where Lupin was.
He moved along silently and watched his surrounding intently; the cloud was covering the moon but threatened to clear soon. If he moved fast enough he might be able to catch Lupin during transformation and lessen his agony… Harry's heart ached softly as he remembered what the man had to suffer every month…
He stopped in his tracks. There was a muffled, but clearly pained scream coming from the distance, it died away so quickly that had Harry been not so vigilant he might have missed it altogether. He looked to his left. It was the Forbidden Forest.
Harry's mind was racing; it didn't sound like Hagrid but a female instead, in fact, unless he was very much mistaken, it sounded like Bellatrix Lestrange…
His eyes widened in fear as he remembered Snape's words: there was a planned attack on Hogwarts. And the rumour…something dark and powerful intruding in the Forbidden Forest…it couldn't have been, could it?
Harry whirled around and ran towards the direction of the Forest, his heart pounding. He only needs confirmation… just a glance…
But there was no need, from where he stood Harry could see jets of green light bouncing off trees and muffled footsteps, there were a sizable group of Death Eaters but they were tangled in a fight… not against humans, but Centaurs.
"How dare you befoul the sacred forest - " one of them was shouting, the voices were drawing nearer, but Harry seemed to be paralysed on the spot. The Death Eaters were killing the Centaurs off one by one – their arrows was no competition for the killing curse. They were moving onto where Harry stood in an unbelievably fast pace, Harry tried to duck out of the way but it was too late – a herd of Centaurs ran, perhaps for the first time in their lives, out of the Forest and into Harry, knocking him back and to his horror, made the Invisibility Cloak fell.
Harry quickly scrambled to his feet and realised why the Centaurs have abandoned the Forest – following a rank of Death Eaters was a tall, dark, sinister figure with a snake-like, inhuman face – Lord Voldemort was here.
"Look at this…" it was Lucius Malfoy's voice behind one of the Death Eater's masks, "Harry Potter. You are always eager to welcome us, are you not?"
The Death Eaters sniggered, Harry recognised Bellatrix Lestrange's high-pitched babyish voice at once and noticed that she was wounded in the arm. After a few seconds Lord Voldemort raised a hand and silence fell once more:
"Harry…Potter."
The sound of his own name sent a chill down Harry's spine, he quickly made for his wand in his back pocket but was outraced by Malfoy's disarming spell. Lucius Malfoy caught his wand and stepped back, allowing Voldemort free access to Harry.
"We meet again." Voldemort lit up his wand and was surveying Harry, "What brings you here? You were meant to be the ultimate prize for tonight. Yet you are so eager…"
A few Death Eaters laughed; Harry clutched his wrist and concentrated desperately to channel his call for help. Help me…there are Death Eaters on the Grounds…
He wasn't sure whether it would work, or if that was how the bond was supposed to work; perhaps Lupin had already transformed and couldn't hear him… a heavy, lead-like feeling in his stomach told him that no one will notice he had disappeared until at least an hour later…
"What should we do about you, hmm?"
HELP ME.
"Maybe you'd like a bit of fun first, Harry?"
HELP ME. PLEASE.
"Crucio."
Harry opened his mouth to scream but no sound came, he had been silenced. He fell to the ground; the pain slashing across his body was not unfamiliar but still unbearable. He could hear Bellatrix Lestrange's crackling laughter and her demented cry:
"Look at him! Look at him wriggling!"
Then it stopped, Voldemort was staring down at him, malicious glee evident in those demonically red eyes.
"I've let you slip away so many times, Potter…" he said softly, "But not this time… I shall enjoy every moment of it… along with my loyal servants."
Harry gasped for breaths, it was not until moments later did he realise what Voldemort meant. All the Death Eaters raised their wand at the same time and cried in unison:
"CRUCIO!!"
The pain that burst in Harry's chest was magnified by at least ten times; it immediately threatened to overtake his consciousness. Harry wanted to faint; perhaps it'd make his exit easier, but his wish was never granted – the pain lifted just as suddenly as it came.
He crouched on the ground panting, trying to figure out what had made the Death Eaters stop, and then he heard it – a distant roar followed by a sharp, painful howl.
Remus Lupin.
Harry was shaking uncontrollably; a sudden whoosh of panic overtook him as he realised he might be leading Lupin into the Death Eater's arms… only the two of them don't stand a chance…
He could not keep up for any longer, his scar was smarting in such a way that he could not see clearly. The Death Eaters were advancing as if uninterrupted; Voldemort was behind them. The time had come.
"Look at you, Harry…" Voldemort raised his wand, "So desperate. So alone."
Harry half-knelt to the ground, his wrist was prickling, he knew Lupin was drawing nearer. With great of strength he managed through gritted teeth:
"I'm – not – alone."
There was a terrible scream and Bellatrix Lestrange fell; revealing behind her a wolfish creature, half-hidden in the dark, eyes shining in an eerie colour of green. Remus Lupin was here.
The wolf walked up to the remaining Death Eaters; all of them seemed paralysed by this change in situation and was looking to Voldemort for instructions. Harry smiled. It would be their last mistake. Voldemort liked to play with his victims before he killed them, it would buy them time. And chance.
"And who might this be?" Voldemort spoke, his voice was high-pitched, cold with malice. "One of Greyback's old friends, I suppose?"
Lupin snarled; there was something in his voice that made Harry realise that the werewolf held a rational, if not human, mind.
"Remus?"
Harry asked quietly, and could've sworn he saw the wolf wag his tail in a doggish way.
Voldemort was laughing, he swiftly pointed his wand at Lupin. "Then, we'll have to deal with you first."
The Death Eaters watched closely as Voldemort toyed with Lupin, who possessed great agility as a wolf hence was able to duck away from curses easily, but Harry's mind was racing. Was it possible that Lupin understood him? Even after Wolfsbane, was it possible for a fully transformed werewolf to keep a human mind? He looked down to his wrist, where the bond between him and Lupin was engraved. It was glowing again, and prickling. He touched it with his fingers instinctively.
"Harry…"
Harry started; it was Lupin's voice that he heard. He looked around. No one seemed to notice, the werewolf was running in circles causing Voldemort to turn his back on Harry. The Death Eaters were watching their Lord closely, Lucius Malfoy included.
"Harry, now."
Harry didn't need telling twice, he made a jump at Lucius Malfoy and grabbed his ankles. Lucius Malfoy yelped, he dropped Harry's wand and raised his own. "Cru-"
But it was too late; Harry had already grabbed his own wand and cried: "Reducto!"
Something exploded. There was brief moments of confusion as Death Eaters screamed for Harry, who was scrambling in the dust for Lupin.
"NO!"
This time it was no hallucination; Harry clearly head Lupin yell. He looked up; there was a brilliant white light erupting from Voldemort's wand, Lupin was locked in the beam and was half-transformed, he was shrieking in what sounded like extreme agony and pain.
"You fool – you think you can stop me? Just the two of you?"
Voldemort raised his wand higher and Lupin was lifted off the ground; he was now transformed back into a human and clutching his throat. A terrible gagging sound filled the air, the Death Eaters were laughing, half of them had their wand raised, the killing curse on the tip of their tongue.
"How about this, little Harry?" asked Voldemort in malicious glee, "it's not unfamiliar is it? You've watched so many die for you… here's another… say goodbye to your werewolf lover."
There was a brief moment of deafening silence as Voldemort lowered Lupin to the ground but did not yet break the spell, which Harry saw as an opportunity and shouted:
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!!"
A brilliant white stag erupted from the tip of his wand, then a doggish creature, finally a wolf. Harry didn't stop to look as he rolled sideways to duck several killing curses and quickly disarmed a few Death Eaters, but it was not enough. Bellatrix Lestrange rose from the ground covered in blood, laughing chillingly and advanced on him; Lucius Malfoy followed, along with several others he could not name. There was no escape.
"No one to save you now, Potter." Lucius Malfoy said softly, "luck can only get you so far - "
"STUPEFY!!!"
It sounded like a chorus from a magnificent opera; Harry quickly scrambled out of the way as Lucius Malfoy fell to the ground wide-eyed. He looked around; many dark and hooded figures have joined the fighting scene; it confused most of the Death Eaters and chaos erupted.
"You alright, son?" said a voice near his ear, he jumped and saw Moody's face, briefly revealed to him under the hood. He felt something covering him and realised it was the Invisibility Cloak.
"Yeah…no…Remus…"
The brief moment of relief passed away quickly, Harry looked around desperately for Lupin but could not see him; the brilliant white light of both the spell and the Patronus had faded, there were jets of green, red, purple lights everywhere, but Lupin was nowhere to be seen.
Moody had moved away and joined the fight with McNair; Harry was left by himself under the Cloak, heart pounding fast and head spinning. What happened after the Patronus charm? Did Lupin transform back into a wolf? Where was Voldemort?
He clutched his wrist and realised it was stinging badly; a sign of the bond-sharer in danger. Remembering how he was able to hear Lupin's voice the moment before, he closed his eyes and thought desperately:
"Remus, can you hear me?"
Then came the weak reply: "Don't worry…I'm OK."
Harry's stomach gave a jolt and he nearly collapsed to the ground; but the fight around him was not over. Many hooded cloaks have been discarded; he could see Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Tonks, Hestia Jones and Kinsley amongst them. The Death Eaters were retreating, but Voldemort was nowhere to be seen.
"Aha, the werewolf – Imperio – "
Harry turned so fast that his neck gave a cracking sound; he saw a deranged Bellatrix Lestrange pointing her wand at a dark figure on the ground. Lupin.
"Kill little Harry – go on – find him – rip open his throat – "
Lupin rose from the ground and staggered close, Harry can only make out that he had transformed back into a wolf, and no longer retained a human mind. Panic seized Harry's heart. Before thinking twice, he jumped out of the Invisibility Cloak and shouted:
"STUPEFY!"
There was a loud bang and Bellatrix Lestrange fell backwards; then Harry realised he had exposed himself but it was too late. He saw the green light erupting from more than five wands at the same time, heard worried yells from his friends and professors, but he could not move… it was nearly over…
Then, as if in his dreams, a light figure erupted from where Lupin stood, a huge, half-solid wolfish creature, it covered Harry just in time as several killing curses came towards him simultaneously… but the curses did not dissipate, they slipped through the Patronus-like shield and hit Harry in the chest.
"- HARRY -"
Harry felt both his wrist and chest had been slashed open; a pain more powerful than that of his scar had exploded inside him. Before he could say anything or answer to the agonising cry of his name, he fell into the endless abyss of darkness.
A/N: Longest chapter yet. I hope I did the fight scene fair. I am still grieving for Lupin. Will explain anything unexplained eventually.
Next chapter: THEY WILL KISS XD finally!