The Protectors

The last thing Artemis remembered before everything went black was Greyback's face, and then Mad-Eye ordering Kingsley and Tonks to draw their wands. He had given Lupin to she and Apollo and forced them back with the brush of a muscular arm. She had insisted she and Apollo could fight, but he refused and demanded that they watch Lupin. Fenrir said there was no need for a fight. They were outnumbered. Then, almost immediately after he prophesied this, there was a sound of running feet that echoed throughout the dungeons. He was suddenly backed by twenty or so werewolves. The Order, realizing they were outnumbered, had dropped their wands and held their hands on high.

"I'm sorry," Mad-Eye breathed to the twins.

That was when Greyback's army marched into the dungeon, and when the twins felt a blow to their heads. They crumpled to the ground, Greyback's cruel, mirthless laughter echoing in their ears.

She woke up, head pounding, pinned up against the rock. A blinding light smacked Artemis' eyes as she opened them. She moaned, her head feeling like it had been cracked open and now some idiot was trying to stitch it back, pulling their needle through the bone. Her temples throbbed. Her ears were ringing so loudly; it took a while for the horrid, inner tintinnabulation to die down. When they and her eyes adjusted to their surroundings, Artemis nearly screamed.

She was surrounded by the entire pack.

They snickered and laughed, licking their red lips longingly. They were edging closer, but something was holding them back. Artemis had never been more scared in her life. Looking into the packs' eyes, she only saw cold black pits that were filled with hunger. Her heart pounded; her blood turned cold. She went numb. Thoughts of doom plagued her mind as beads of sweat dripped down her ghostly face. Pictures of her parents from her shared dream with Apollo popped in and out of her head. They only agitated her further. Frantically, she looked around. Her wrists were tied together like a pinioned bird, the ropes swung all the way over the rock. She pulled on them, but they only tightened. Limbs aching, she tried to find the others. Apollo, much to her relief, was hung by her right side. Mad-Eye was suspended limply next to him. On her left was Tonks, who sported a black eye and a scratch across her cheek. Kingsley dangled next to her. She held her breath, nerves maddening. Were they alive? And where was Lupin? She nudged Apollo.

"Apollo," she breathed. "Wake up."

He lightly swung back and forth, not stirring. Artemis bit her lip. Her eyes began to fill with tears. She nudged him again.

"Apollo?"

He still didn't move. Her eyes spilled over. No. . .

A groan escaped someone's lips. Artemis flinched, turning her head slowly towards Tonks. She was still unconscious. . . .Or dead? Breathing heavily but steadily, she turned to Apollo. Her heart leaped.

"Apollo!"

The wizard was shaking his head like a dog (and making the same sounds) as when they do when they've just woken up. His eyes were shut tight; Artemis guessed the same hurtful light cruelly greeted him with it's annoying presence.

"Ugh," he moaned. "Wha' happened?"

He felt terrible. His head throbbed, like it was about to split open. His cheeks hurt. He felt a sting and then something drip down. Blood. Someone had scratched him. Scowling, he tried to pull away, but, like Artemis, he was only cursed with the tightening of the rough-threaded rope. His wrists burned. His eyes teared up. His heart pounded with a fear he'd never felt before. He began the breath too deeply, too quickly. His head spun; he was getting dizzy.

Calm DOWN, man!

The voice echoed loudly in his head, and it took a few seconds for it to die down. Taking the anonymous voice's advice, Apollo's breath became shallow and slow. He could feel his nerves numbing and calming. He begrudgingly decided to open his eyes. Preparing himself for horrible sights and an even more horrible light, he counted to three and opened them.

The light came, once more, striking his eyes like a lightning bolt. He cried out, sucking air through gritted teeth. The light disappeared, lurking around for the next poor victim to arouse. Apollo's eyes adjusted to the scene. He held his breath. His blood ran cold, for he had awoken to see the entire werewolf pack glaring at them. They cackled.

"Wha's the matter, boy?" someone sneered. "Scared?"

The entire pack howled with laughter. Apollo's heart started racing again. His eyes widened to a tremendous size. With a quick snap of the head, he turned to Artemis.

"What the bloody hell are we doing here?!" he hissed so the pack wouldn't here.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Hm, let's see. . .Oh, yes! It probably has something to do with us rescuing Lupin, and then Fenrir catching us underneath the rock, and--Oh! Maybe his henchmen knocking us out!" She scowled. "That's what we're doing here!"

Apollo grimaced. He was about to tell his sister off until he realized the moon was almost out, and yet already filling her with it's fetal power. With a pang of understanding, he remembered that day when they first met Lupin, and he had almost killed him. Crestfallen, he sighed. "Artemis--"

"Look who decided to wake up!" someone exclaimed, cutting off Apollo. The twins turned to see Fenrir gracefully striding towards them. McGorgo trailed behind the chief werewolf with his chest puffed out and his head as bloated as ever. Greyback wore long, white robes with blood red designs twisting in the thread. His claws, it was noticed, were sharpened to a deadly and fantastic point. Apollo felt a jolt of fear go through him. Artemis, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes.

"Greetings, O gracious king," she growled mockingly, dipping her head in satirical obeisance. "How thankful we are that you grace us with your shining presence! What an honor!" she added, voice dripping with venom.

McGorgo's lip curled. "Your insolence shows your weakness, girl!" he spat.

Greyback placed a powerful arm in front of him. "Silence, Nephthus," he ordered. "We must be polite. This is our first introduction." His horrible eyes darted to the twins. "So," he began, slowly approaching them, "these are the Warwicks?" He chuckled. "I thought you'd be much smarter."

"Smarter?" Apollo asked, and immediately regretted he did so. Greyback nodded.

"Of course," he replied softly. "Only idiots would attempt to free my prisoner from my inescapable dungeons!"

The pack laughed along with their leader. Artemis didn't find it funny.

"Why don't you go lock yourself down there, Greyback?" she suggested darkly. "Then we'll tell yeh if it's inescapable or not."

The laughing stopped. Greyback's eyes narrowed and in a flash, his clawed hand was around her throat. Apollo shouted at him to stop, his free legs kicking the werewolf. The leader ignored it and tightened his grip. Artemis could feel little drops of blood trickle down her neck as his claws dug into her flesh. Her air pipes weakened.

"You will show me respect," he hissed. With his free hand, he drew a finger up one of the bloody rivulets. Her muscles tensed. He licked his sanguineous finger and grimaced. "Yeuch. Sour."

The entire pack hooted and screamed with cruel cachinnation. He released her neck, throwing her head on an angle. She coughed for breath, feeling her hatred increase at every step the man took to walk away.

"Are you alright?" Apollo asked his sister. She nodded, not taking her poisonous glare off of Greyback.

"Lupin," she croaked. Comprehending her statement, Apollo bobbed his head.

"Where's Lupin?" he demanded solidly. Even though the sun was still setting and he could feel his power fading, the boy knew he had to be brave. If meek little Artemis could stand up to Greyback, why couldn't he?

Greyback turned his head to the wizard. At the lycanthrope's steely and stinging gaze, Apollo could feel his valor drain and his body tremble. When he started towards the young wizard, his soul filled with dread. When he stood in front of the boy in all of his menacing glory, Apollo could've sworn he saw Death put a bony hand on Greyback's shoulder. He gulped.

"Where--where's Lupin?"he repeated, a little less firmly.

Greyback grinned. His teeth were grey and a tad bit pointy. His eyes gleamed an unearthly yellow. Apollo could feel his hot breath on his neck, taste the meat that Greyback had earlier, and smell his fetid exhalation. He cringed.

"You want to see your friend?" he asked, tilting his head in wicked innocence. "Little Remus Lupin?"

"Stop playing games!" Artemis gnarled, her lip curling. "Where. Is. He?" Her silver eyes blazed with such malice, Apollo thought Greyback would burn up into ashes right then and there.

A guttural laughter softly spewed from Greyback's sinewy throat. He turned to his pack, a haughty grin smeared across his face. He raised his arms, two hundred or so rainbow eyes following his every move as if he was a god. "Clear a path down the middle!" he ordered. "Our guests would like to see their friend!"

The acolytes obeyed, moving back to form a path down the center. The hearts locked inside the twins' chests began beating out of control. Tonks, who had been unconscious the entire time, suddenly stirred. "Ugh. What happened?"

"Tell ya in a minute," Artemis breathed, eyes stuck fast on the forming path. They watched as the path was finished. It was fifteen feet wide and flowed all the way to the very center of the clearing. All the way down to the stone circle. . .to the sacrificial table. . .

. . .where Lupin lay, his wrists and ankles tied and spread. Tonks screamed. She shouted his name. Apollo stared at him with a gaping mouth. He looked so still, so peaceful. Was he dead? Artemis' eyes widened, pure horror exhibited perfectly in them. She spun her head to Greyback.

"What in God's name did you do to him?"

The devil chuckled. "Oh, nothing. Yet."

Artemis spat at his feet.

He took no notice. "Once the sky turns black, we shall begin the Rite of Blood. During this most holy ceremony, we shall spill all of Remus' blood and then"--his claws elongated to a frightening length and sharpness-- "our lord Lycaon shall rise, and you shall be too late."

Unintentionally, the twins' eyes upturned to the quickly-darkening sky. In a matter of minutes, it would be black, and Lupin dead. They looked towards Lupin. They couldn't let this happen! He was their protector, their friend. They loved him. How could they live without him? Right after they lost their parents? As they gazed at his cold, torn body, the twins saw with a jolt that he looked small, weak, vulnerable. Suddenly, they realized something.

It was their turn to protect him.