Harry Potter and the Torrent of Ages Chapter 6: No one else
Snape's wand clattered to the floor but the teacher didn't seem to have noticed. Harry watched as the potions master fell to his knees on the floor, head bowed, his face hidden by his lank greasy hair.
Harry watched, waiting for the explosion, but none came. Harry, with much trepidation, knelt down and tried to look at the teachers face. Which was why he was the only one in the class to notice the tear fall down from the end of Snape's long hooked nose and drop onto his knees.
"Oh my god." Harry thought in strangled shock. "I've gone too far this time." Harry turned to the class and spread his hands.
"Everyone out." He snapped, brooking no argument. "Corridor now."
The students needed no more incentive and quickly scrambled for the relative safety of the corridor.
"Stop!" Harry yelled at some of them as they tried to escape away. "I need to talk to all of you." Harry closed the classroom door behind him and corralled the students within earshot.
"None of you will mention this lesson to anyone." Harry said, looking each student in the eye as he did so. "None of you will talk about it, even to each other. None of you will think about it the next time you have Snape for your lesson. In defense or potions. For each and every one of you, this lesson Did. Not. Happen. Don't think I won't find out if you do talk, I find out everything. Remember Malfoy? You have all seen what happens to people who cross me. Understand?"
Harry didn't let them leave until he had looked each student in the eye and heard them promise to that effect. They began leaving in ones and twos, scurrying off along the corridor. Harry turned back towards the classroom.
"You're not going back in there are you?" Susan Bones asked, amazed.
"I kind of have to." Harry answered.
"He'll kill you." She said matter-of-factly.
"I may deserve it." Harry shrugged and slipped back through the door.
Snape was still where he had been before they left. Harry took a deep breath and sat down cross legged in front of his teacher.
"I am so sorry." Harry said. "I didn't realize it would do this to you. I thought it would just distract you, you know… freak you out for a moment so I could disarm you. I never thought it would affect you like this."
Snape still said nothing, he just stared at the floor.
"I told all the students not to say anything." Harry glanced back at the door. "I think they'll do it."
Snape was still not moving. Harry began to wonder if he had been rendered catatonic or something, but there was still an occasional drip-drip of teardrops from behind the fringe of hair.
"Maybe…" Harry dragged his bag off his back and pulled the box out. He opened it and placed the locket in Snape's unresisting hand. "You take it. I don't want it. You saw the password right?"
Snape stayed motionless for a moment more then slowly brought the silver locket up to his mouth. Then, in a choked, tearful voice he said…
"Spinners end."
The locket cracked open. Snape seemed to break all at once and started sobbing. His whole, long, lanky body shaking with each sob. Harry didn't really know what to do, he certainly couldn't comfort this man who had tormented him so much.
Harry dug into the box again and grabbed a photograph, it was his mother and her sister when they were young, but obviously over eleven since the picture was moving. He wordlessly handed it to Snape, who took it and kept crying. He grabbed another photograph and poked his father out of the frame before handing that too over.
He kept going until the box was empty. Giving a few words each to tell Snape what it was he was giving him, an essay, a letter, a prefects badge. Harry hid the love letters from his father back in his bag. By the time nothing was left Snape had stopped crying, he was even breathing a little easier, deep breathes instead of the racking sobs that had plagued him a moment ago.
Snape sniffed loudly and put his hand into a pocket of his robes but drew it back empty. He searched another pocket while sniffing louder. Harry realized he was searching for a tissue. Struck by a twinge of mischief Harry grabbed something back out of his bag, scrunched it between his hands and handed it to Snape.
The potions master took it and blew his nose on the parchment. After doing so he brought it away from his nose, a shadow of curiosity crossing his face, and looked at it. After a moment of reading the (now hideously smudged) letter his eyes flickered up and met Harry's. It could have been his imagination, but for a moment Harry thought he saw a flicker of a smile.
"Seemed appropriate." Harry said and shrugged. Snape chucked the letter away and glanced at the door.
"You mentioned that you told the rest of your class to keep silent." Snape's voice was almost monotone.
"Yes." Harry nodded. "They'll do it too. I threatened to do to them what I did to Malfoy."
"Why?" The potions master regained a little of his old spite and sneer.
"I just…" Harry licked his lips and started again. As unwilling as he was to give Snape ammunition to use against him… "Last year I broke down completely in the hospital wing. Right on the floor. It was after Colin Creevy got petrified, it all just got too much for me. At the time I remember wishing everyone there would just forget it ever happened. I thought you might feel the same."
Snape snorted. He seemed to be recovering himself. Harry took this as his cue to leave. He picked himself up off the floor and headed for the door. Snape made no move to stop him. When Harry reached the door he turned back for a moment.
"I probably shouldn't say this…" Harry thought. "But if I don't it'll just eat at me."
"Sir?" Snape's head snapped towards him. "Can I tell you something I've noticed about wizards?" Harry took Snape's silence as an affirmative. "Wizards… wizards use quills."
"Fascinating Potter…" Snape sneered, but Harry interrupted him.
"And they use trunks even when they can charm bags to hold more. You use a steam train to get to Hogwarts. This year a steam-boat. We live in a medieval castle, the shop I bought my wand in predates Jesus Christ and we write on rolls of parchment. But its more than just that, lots of wizards are named after members of their family. A lot more of them than muggles. Even portraits and ghosts; half the time we seem to be surrounded by people who died centuries ago. What I'm getting at is…" Harry swallowed in dread at what the reaction to his next point would be.
"… wizards seem to spend a lot of time living in the past." Harry forced himself to meet Snape's eyes. "Maybe it's time you moved on."
Snape just stood there, his sneer seemed to have frozen on his lips but his eyes just seemed confused, even a little lost. Harry opened the door and left quickly.
He managed to get almost halfway down the corridor before his nerve broke and he made a mad dash for Gryffindor tower. When he was through the portrait hole he leaned against the wall and caught his breath.
"You're alive!" Harry turned and saw that the marauders were waiting on their usual table. He staggered over to them and sat down.
"We honestly thought you were a goner Harry." Ron said, shaking his head. But then his face broke into a grin. "But that was bloody brilliant what you did!"
"You wouldn't say that if you knew how I won." Harry said waving his friend to silence. "It was cruel, just cruel."
"What spell did you…" Hermione began but Harry shook his head.
"I won't say. I won't ever say."
"Snape deserved it whatever it was." Parvati said. "However cruel it was he's been horrible to you for three years. You can't tell me it was worse than what he's done to you."
"No, it probably wasn't. But it was worse than I ever want to do to anyone else." Harry leant down and laid his head on his crossed arms. "I don't want to be like them."
The marauders assured him he was not but Harry just sighed. Impending death aside if he jumped back in time now he'd consider it a blessing.
It was only as Harry got into bed that night that he remembered the letter from Pythea, the duel and its aftermath had blown it completely out of his head. He dug it back out of his robes and read it again, trying to find some hint of a clue. But there was nothing. Nothing at all.
Professor Snape dropped the photograph back onto the oak table of his quarters and held his head in his hands. The only light in the room came from the guttering candle before him and faded into the darkness around him. Snape refilled his glass with alertness potion and tried to make himself sip it this time. Sleep was not an option, not at least until he was too tired to dream.
"Move on." Snape growled into the darkness. "Were it that easy Potter, everyone would be doing it."
The idiocy of the boy, telling him to move on while at the same time giving him a pile of photos and a locket that proved she loved him all along. Snape gave up and knocked back a mouthful of the searing potion.
The locket lay on the table in front of him. He hadn't dared open it again for fear of breaking down once more. He picked it up and trailed its silver chain through his fingers. Stupid thing. Snape smacked it back down onto the tabletop. But even then his fingers instinctively curled to protect the thing and he ended up skinning his knuckles. His movement blew the candle out too and he was left in bitter darkness clutching the damn thing so hard it hurt.
Snape drew his wand out to relight the candle but stopped with it held loosely in his hand. Another spell was floating in the front of his mind.
No.
He shouldn't do it. He was already sickening himself with his wallowing in grief. He was acting like a Gryffindor. Ha! He shuddered, he was acting like a Gryffindor and the Potter boy was acting more and more like a Slytherin. Potter boy… James Potter… who took Lily away. Snape could still feel the edges of the locket cutting into his palm.
"Why…" Snape forced himself to open his hand. "Why wear this but marry him?" What sense did that make.
You abandoned me.
No. Snape curled his hands over his face and tried to force the memory down using Occlumency. But in his condition he could barely hold it back and another surfaced just as quickly.
You chose your friends Sev.
I did, but it was always you.
They hate me.
There was no one else.
You hate me.
Never. Why will you not give me peace?
You were my best friend.
Be silent.
But you betrayed me.
Please.
I can't pretend anymore Sev.
I just want to forget.
You've changed. You've changed too much.
Snape curled his fingers around his ears, trying to stop listening to his own mind. He knew what came next.
I can't love this you, not even as a friend. Goodbye Severus.
Snape threw his head back and howled in pain. Oh why fight it. Snape pointed his wand out and yelled…
"Expecto Patronum!"
The room was lit once more by silver light as the spell erupted from Snapes wand. The silver doe just stood there cocking her head at him. Snape felt tears running down his cheeks again.
"I love you."
The doe said nothing, she never did, but she walked over on her silent hooves and rested her head in his lap. She felt warm but Snape knew it wasn't real, if he tried to touch her she'd just feel like mist.
Snape laid his head down on his arms and closed his eyes. Later he finally fell asleep like that, leant over the table with his face in his arms, the doe warming him like a pet dog and the locket still held tight in his hand.
Harry stared down at his chest and tried hard to keep his breathing in check as the vast wound faded in and out. Harry gritted his teeth and concentrated on staying in this time. The wound began to fade more, after a few minutes if vanished completely. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, but it was one tainted with fear. It was getting worse.
"Harry you ok in their?" Ron's voice sounded from the bathroom door.
"Yeah Ron I'm fine. Just think I'm coming down with something." Harry almost chuckled to himself, that was the understatement of the century. Harry looked up into the mirror in front of him, even without the wound he looked like a wreck. Harry opened the door and smiled at his friend. "Probably flu or something."
"You don't say? You've been kind of… um…" Ron waved his hands as if searching for the right word. "…muted… for weeks. Ever since Snape."
Harry nodded, he had been a little quiet. Intentionally in the beginning, he had known that he needed to keep a low profile. But Snape seemed to be pulling a Lupin and ignoring Harry in his lessons. Not that he was paying much attention to the rest of his class either, Snape spent most of his lessons at his desk and had large bags under his eyes.
But lately the torrent had been getting worse. He had thought that it getting worse would mean he'd jump further back but in fact it was the opposite. He kept jumping seconds, minutes or hours back and forth, several times a day now. Sometimes the world would simply vibrate like a bell and he'd be left spinning as he flickered between times so fast he couldn't even catch it. And then there were the times like this morning when he simply slipped back and forth like a metronome, the wounds on his chest opening and closing like hideous sphincters.
Even worse were the times when he didn't even realize what had happened. He'd be going to lunch then be asked why he wasn't at breakfast. He'd sit down to dinner and find cereal and toast appear in front of him. Lessons were even worse, they could be twice as long as normal or the bell could sound when Harry had barely put his book down. His marks in class were falling, homework was hard to hand in on time when you didn't know what day it was. Harry knew he should tell Dumbledore or McGonagall or Hermione even, but somehow he couldn't muster the energy. They'd only tell him what he already knew.
He was doomed.
"You sure you're alright Harry?"
Harry was drawn back from his thoughts by his friends voice.
"Yeah." Harry nodded again. "Fine."
"That just proves you're not alright." Ron said triumphantly. "You're usually loud, talking and wisecracking all over the place, you're never monosyllabic."
"You want a wisecrack? Ok…" Harry grinned evilly at his friend. " 'monosyllabic'? Been reading the dictionary Ron? Or just spending more time with Hermione?" Ron blushed and began spluttering…
"No just… I mean why would I…"
"It's alright Ron. Never mind." Harry shook his head, smiling wanly as he wandered away.
"You coming to Hogsmeade Harry?" Ron called after him.
"You know I can't." Harry turned back, frowning quizzically.
"Come on Harry, sneak out again." Ron wheedled. "It'll make you feel better. Get some sun, you're getting all white and pasty like Snape."
"Probably because I haven't been sleeping much." Harry thought. "Haven't been eating much either… My body clock's all screwed to hell by the jumps."
"I might get caught." Harry said lamely.
Harry rightly deserved the horrified glare Ron gave him.
"Alright." Harry shrugged. "I'll come. At least the water'll be warmer this time!"
Harry dragged himself out of the lake and gave himself a drying charm before wandering up towards town. After meeting up with the other marauders the first place they visited was Zonko's joke shop.
"Pretty good don't you think?" Harry grinned through the magical mask that made him look like an old man. He had a big grey moustache too and a green felt hat.
"You're not actually going to buy that garbage are you Harry?" Padma asked him shaking her head.
"Of course. And I'm wearing it all day." Harry said from behind the wrinkled face.
"Why?" She shook her head. "Why would you do that?"
"So that no Slytherin will say that they saw Harry Potter in Hogsmeade." Understanding dawned on Padma's face then she suddenly frowned.
"So all they'll see is someone obviously disguised walking around with all Harry Potter's friends? I think they might work it out Harry."
"These are Slytherins we're talking about." Harry said, paying for the merchandise. "Don't expect great mental feats of them, you'll just be disappointed."
Harry found that he was enjoying the day despite himself. He had only jumped a few minor times and he did like the town (having not really had a chance to see it on the last visit).
"Just about time for the Three broomsticks before we head back." Parvati said cheerily as they walked down a backstreet, away from the main concourse. "We all need some butterbeer!"
"You'll love butterbeer Harry." Neville said to the disguised Harry. "It's all warm and smooth and… and…."
"Buttery?" Harry wheedled, grinning.
"Well yeah."
"I don't know. A drink based on a fat spread doesn't exactly sound appetizing." Harry grinned to show that he was joking. "Or healthy!"
"It's alright Harry." Hermione said laughing. "My parents went mad when they heard about it but it turns out its actually pretty good for you. It contains antioxidants."
"Anti-oxygen…" Ron's brow furrowed. "That sounds bad for you."
"Honestly Ron it just means…"
Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione started into an explanation. Ron's eyes glazed over after about the third word.
"I really like this place." Harry said over the explanation. "I'll have to find some way to come here more often."
"It's not all nice." Padma commented. "There's broken glass here."
Harry looked down. There was broken glass, he looked around and saw that it had come from the upstairs window of a nearby house.
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, perhaps some latent talent as a seer or perhaps some effect of the torrent but right at that moment Harry felt his stomach lurch. There was something terrible behind that broken window.
"Wait here." Harry said quietly. The marauders heard his tone and fell silent. Harry slipped in through the garden gate and felt the stones of the wall. Rough, like Hogwarts. Harry gripped the blocks with his fingers and clambered slowly up to the window. He pushed aside the heavy curtains but inside the room was empty. A dim storeroom piled with boxes with the door open onto the well lit corridor behind.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and began to climb down. When he was about halfway he heard a sound from inside the house. He stopped, his fingers gripping the rock tight. There it was again. Harry scrambled back up and thrust his head back through the window.
Harry just had time to see yellow teeth streaked with grime and smell rancid breath before he was thrown backwards off the wall. He landed with a thud in the garden and looked up in time to see a disheveled man, covered in dirt and dressed in spoilt rags leap from the window with something clutched in his hands. Harry rolled out of his way and the man hit the ground running, panting like a dog as he dashed out through the gate and down the street.
"Stop!" Harry looked up and saw a wizard leaning out of the window franticly sending bolts of red light after the fleeing figure. "Stop him! He took my son!"
Harry jolted himself off the ground and vaulted the wall after the fleeing man. He could hear the marauders trying to keep pace behind him.
"Parvati! Go to Hogwarts! Go and tell them what's happened!" Harry felt his words carried away by the wind and had no idea whether he was being heard. "Neville! Go warn the village! Get help! Or brooms!"
They had reached the end of the short road now and hit the field beyond. Harry jumped the fence and fought his way through the heather after the distant figure. Their quarry had made it easier for them by flattening a path but it was still heavy going. They were not gaining on the man. Not by a long shot.
"We're… can't…" Hermione panted. "We're… not…"
"Whatever it is, we are!" Harry yelled back as they crested a little hill. "Try to hit him!"
Harry aimed and shot a bludgeoning hex at the man, now little more than a smudge of black on the distant purple heather. The smudge dodged and shot sideways behind a large rock before the other marauders spells could connect.
"Harry what are you doing!" Hermione screeched angrily. "A bludgeoning hex? It's carrying a baby!"
Harry cursed and began running forwards again. He should have known that! Harry felt like he was passing acid through his lungs instead of air by the time they reached the rock. The panting and gasping he heard behind him told him the marauders were in even poorer shape. Worse, the figure was nowhere in sight and there was no clear trail to follow.
Ignoring the pain in every muscle Harry pulled himself to the top of the boulder and looked around. From here he could see the dark shape of the forbidden forest spreading out to the south. A wall, like the wall of Hogwarts, sealed it off from the rest of the world. Harry squinted through his glasses and just made out a dark shape silhouette against the brighter wall before it disappeared. Harry tore off the mask to get a better look but there was nothing more, just blank wall.
"He's gone into the forest." Harry called down, trying not to take his eyes off the place where the man had disappeared. "Let's go." Harry slid off the rock and landed beside Ron, Hermione and Padma.
"Harry are we really going to follow it into the forbidden forest?" Padma was clutching her stomach and wheezing. "We should mark where it went and wait for help."
"He's going to have as much trouble with the forest as we are." Harry argued. "We can still catch him!"
"But Harry it's a werewolf!"
Harry was jolted back by her words. Of course it was a werewolf and not just some unwashed kidnapper. And it had gone straight back to its home. Harry shook his head, once again he wasn't thinking straight.
"When's the next full moon?" Harry asked quickly. "When is it?"
"Tonight." Hermione answered, pained and breathless, but also resigned.
Harry shook his head.
"Then we can't wait for help. We have to find them before nightfall or that little kid is going to get one hell of a lovebite. We can't wait for help, its us or no one." Harry looked back at the marauders and saw them shimmer and fade.
NO!
He hand clenched around his pendent and he squeezed his eyes shut. He did not have time for this! When he opened his eyes again his friends looked solid, but confused.
"Harry you alright?" Ron asked.
"I'm fine." Harry forced himself to stop gripping the little shell.
"Are you sure Harry?" Padma added. "You sort of… blurred."
"Fine, fine. Lets go." Harry started off at a run towards the forest again and heard the others follow.
In Harry's head he could hear the words 'We can't wait for help. Its us or no one' repeating over and over like a talisman against the terror rising inside him. That terror itself had its own voice saying 'We are following it into its forest where it knows its way around and we don't and you can't even stay in your own time for five minutes. And that's not even mentioning the centaurs…'. Harry was forced to admit that that voice as well was right. What they were doing was stupid and dangerous. But as the first voice said, there was no one else.
As Harry neared the wall a third little voice piped up. Spiteful, sarcastic and whiney but, like the other two voices, essentially right.
"Why me." Harry thought. "Why is it always me."
They reached the wall and Harry instantly saw how the werewolf had gotten over. A huge tree had fallen over the wall, crushing the top part of it and resting on the remaining meters of cracked stonework. Everywhere else the wall was at least two storeys tall of blank grey stone. Unscalable.
"The tree…" Hermione had caught up to him but her and the other two marauders were still very winded. "Must have weakened the wards."
Again Harry felt like a fool. Obviously it would be warded. His brain seemed to be in a fuzz. Harry grabbed some of the lower branches of the tree and pulled himself up.
"Are we…" Hermione began again but Harry cut her off.
"Look, I know this is crazy but there's no one else here to help. I'm not leaving now. Any of you who don't want to follow me go back and tell them where the hole in the wards is." Harry pulled himself on to the tree trunk and looked down at his friends. "Anyone else shut up and get in the tree."
Harry began climbing along the trunk and felt it shake as someone else began to climb. When Harry reached the other end he climbed down by the roots and dropped onto the mulch of the forest floor. He turned and looked up at the tree, a moment later Padma pushed her way through the branches. Harry waited a moment more but no one came. Harry felt a lump form in his throat, first Pythea abandoned him then them.
"Did they…" Harry began but was cut off as Ron and Hermione pushed their way in through the branches.
"We were marking the spot." Hermione said upon seeing Harry's face. "If we're going to do this we should do it right and give ourselves a chance of getting out alive."
"We weren't gonna let you do this alone mate." Ron scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "And after all we've been in worse scrapes than this."
"Did you think any of us wanted to see a kid turned into a werewolf?" Padma added to cut him off with a shake of her head and began to climb down. Harry helped her down the last few feet then moved to do the same for the others.
"Just one thing Harry." Hermione said once they were all down. "How are we supposed to know which way it went?"
Harry's face fell and he looked around for some obvious sign. There was nothing, now that they were in the forest the werewolf knew how to cover his tracks better.
"Spread out and look. Don't go too far." Harry said and the marauders obediently fanned out. Harry was about to join them when his mind fixed on a crazy idea.
He had been able to hold the torrent at bay a few times. Could he force it to come to him?
Harry undid the front of his shirt and looked down at his unblemished chest. He splayed one hand across where he knew the wound would appear and clenched the other around his pendent.
"About five minutes ago." Harry thought as he gritted his teeth down hard. "That's where I need to be."
Harry forced everything he was into that one thought. For a moment he felt blood well on his chest but it was gone a moment later.
"Harder!" He thought desperately. His fingers were slick on his chest but it wasn't blood, it was sweat. "Come on!"
Harry saw his friends fade in front of him. Ron turned back towards him and yelled in surprise. But the sound was like a distant whisper and Harry gripped his bloody chest tighter. He could still hear his friends as ghosts on the wind but couldn't see them anymore.
He was swaying with the effort and fell to his knees on the forest floor. The leaves that were kicked up by his motion only swirled in the air for a moment before fading as he pushed himself further back.
Then, just for a moment, a shadowy figure dropped out of the air above Harry and scampered away into the trees with something held in its gnarled hands. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Harry thought he could hear a baby's scream.
Harry let go with both hands and collapsed into the leaves. A moment later he felt hands pulling him up. As his head was tilted back for him Harry saw his friends shocked faces.
"What the hell was that Harry?" Ron asked fearfully. "You just disappeared! We couldn't find you anywhere!"
"You can't have Apparated." Hermione sounded just as scared. "You aren't old…"
"That way!" Harry cut her off and raised a shaky finger. "Went that way." Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and managed to force himself to his feet. "We need to hurry."
"No Harry!" Hermione crossed her arms. "You need to tell us what you just did!"
"Hermione now is not…"
"It is the time. You just faded out of existence then returned with your hand covered in blood." Harry looked down, his hand was bloody. This was the first time any sign of the torrent had remained after he returned to his own time. Hermione continued… "We deserve an explanation, is this to do with why you've been poorly for weeks?"
"Yes." Harry gulped in some air and nodded. "And I promise I will tell you later but just now we don't have time. Please Hermione, it already has too much of a head start on us."
Hermione still looked stubborn but Padma took the situation out of her hands.
"Well I'm not waiting around." The twin turned and began to walk off in the direction Harry had pointed. Harry grinned and staggered after her. A moment later he felt Ron catch him and put an arm around his shoulder to steady him
"You're in really bad shape mate." He commented.
"Tell me about it." Harry quipped to his taller friend as they stumbled forward. "I'd like to end just one year without ending up a wreck of one kind or another." Harry turned back and saw Hermione following and smiled.
They walked in silence for a while. Padma spotted a set of footprints on the ground that told them they were still going in the right direction. It looked as if the werewolf was following a sort of deer trail through the forest. After ten minutes or so Harry was able to walk unaided again but he was still glad they had found the trail. He really didn't want to have to drop himself into the torrent again.
"Shush…" Harry waved the others to silence. "Do you guys hear that?" Faint voices drifted between the trees before them. Angry voices and one high pitched cry.
Harry dropped to a crouch and went forward as quietly as he could. He couldn't hear the marauders following but he knew they were. The voices got louder as they approached a shaded dell in the woods.
"Piece of dirt!" A loud smacking sound filtered up from the dell. Followed by a thump like a body hitting the floor. Through it all Harry could hear a baby crying. "Why did you have to screw it up!"
Harry crawled to the edge of the dell and poked his pushed a hole through some tufts of grass to see down. The werewolf they had chased was cowering on the floor in front of a huge bear like man. A huge bear like werewolf, Harry amended as he saw the sharp brown teeth and yellow eyes staring balefully out of its head. Now that he could get a clear look at them Harry could see that they were both wearing the same mud and dirt encrusted rags, their original color and cut lost completely beneath the grime. Their hair and hands were caked in mud as well, as were their unshod feet.
"You bastard Verrine!" The larger man growled as he picked the wiry werewolf off the floor and shook him.
Harry could see the baby lying abandoned on the ground nearby. He could feel the marauders getting in position beside him. Making their own viewing holes.
"Why now!" The man continued to rant. "Why do it now! When we're so close to getting the mother-load you go out and swipe one child! They'll be on the lookout for us now!"
"But Greyback." The smaller man (who seemed to be called Verrine) whined. "This was what you told us all to do. What you taught us. Get the children so we can turn them. When I found the gap in the wards I had to chance it. I thought you'd be happy."
"Happy? Happy!?" The burly werewolf threw the other to the ground and kicked him in the stomach. "You moron! We've been working for months and you screw it up in a day!"
"But… but…" Verrine wrung his hands. "They still don't know about it! We can still go through with it!"
"We'll have to you runt! I haven't worked this hard to stop now." Greyback aimed another savage kick at the man on the floor and Harry slid back a little from the dell. Harry figured the crying baby was cover enough to speak without being heard and whispered…
"Any ideas?"
"We can't sneak by them." Hermione said under her breath. "Maybe if we levitate the baby…"
"They'll see that." Harry shook his head. "They'll see anything inside the clearing. We need to take them out."
"Two full grown werewolves?" Padma shook her head. "We'll need a plan."
"Will we?" Ron asked, glancing back at the grass between them and the creatures. "I mean there are four of us and two of them. Why don't we just jump them?"
"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "Of all the stupid…"
"Brilliant!" Harry interrupted. "He's right!" Padma and Hermione looked shocked. Surprisingly so did Ron.
"We've got so used to being the underdogs we didn't see it. There are more of us, we have wands and we have the element of surprise. Hermione, Padma…" Harry pointed back at the clearing . "… you aim for the big guy. Me and Ron will aim for the smaller one."
"What are we firing?" Padma asked.
"Anything disabling, and aim high. We don't want to hit the baby." Harry crawled back to the edge of the dell. "On three. One… Two… THREE!"
Harry raised to his knees and aimed his wand at the startled werewolves. Hermione had fired a full-body-bind that froze Greyback in his tracks before Padma's blasting curse threw him to the ground. Harry had stuck by the reliable bludgeoning hex. He didn't hear what Ron cast but whatever it was combined with his own attack threw the scrawny werewolf clear across the clearing and smacked him into a rock.
Harry rushed into the dell. He followed Hermione's example and petrified Verrine from close range as he tried to get to his feet. The werewolf's limbs smacked to his sides and he toppled like a tree. Harry turned back and saw that Padma had already reached the crying bundle on the floor and was picking him up.
"Is he alright?" Harry asked worriedly.
"I have no idea." Padma admitted. "Since he's been dragged through the woods with only a blanket to protect him, I'm guessing he's a little cranky. Good thing it's a warm day."
"Harry…" Ron was standing over the big werewolf with his wand still out. "… should we… you know… do something permanent to them? Stop them?"
"You mean kill them." Hermione said flatly. "In cold blood. While they're petrified."
"Hermione's right." Harry shook his head. In his short life he had already killed two people (Tom Riddle didn't count). But both times it had been to save his life or the life of his friends. "We can't. Maybe we should, but we can't."
"They'll kill other people Harry." Ron said hesitantly. "They'll turn other people. They're animals."
"Fine then. Do it." Harry pointed at the immobile men on the floor. "Finish them."
Ron's eyes widened in shock. He raised his wand and pointed it at the big werewolf on the floor. For a moment he stood there, indecision clear on his face, then he dropped his arm to his side again.
"See. Not so easy." Harry turned and began walking back the way they had come. "Come on guys. That was enough moral for today's story."
The marauders were about to follow him when…
"Harry…" Ron said worriedly. "Isn't it a bit… dark?"
Harry felt the cold sweat of terror again. The last of the sunset was just visible over the trees and the shadows were at their longest.
Not long before nightfall. Not long before the moon.
"Oh god..." Harry said, wide eyed. "RUN!"
Harry dared a glance back through the woods as he pelted as fast as he could down the track they had come up on. It was full dark now, and the moon rode over the trees.
"Wah! Wah!"
"Can't you shut that brat up!" Ron yelled at Padma, who shot him a deadly glare.
"Bring him here." Harry slowed down and pointed his wand at the squalling baby. "Silencio!" The baby's mouth still worked but no sound came out. Harry breathed easier for a moment, then he heard a howl go up from the trees behind them.
"Run!" The marauders were jolted into motion again. "Hermione go ahead! Keep Padma and the brat in the middle!"
Harry looked back over his shoulder and saw a shape hurtling down the path towards them.
Not a time to pull punches.
"Acerbus Cuspis!"
The sickly light enveloped the snaring thing and it's momentum rolled it into a heap at Harry feet. He petrified it for good measure. Harry turned and sprinted to catch up with the rest of the marauders.
"How… close…" Ron panted. "… tree."
"Further." Was all Harry managed to gasp out. A growl behind him was all the warning he got and he threw himself on Ron, knocking them both to the ground as a werewolf pounced over their head.
"Ferio!" Harry yelled from the floor, but his hex missed and smacked into a bush. The wolf snarled and lifted itself to its feet before getting hit from behind by Hermione and being slammed into the ground. Harry pulled himself and Ron off the floor and began running forward again.
"There it is!" Harry heard Padma yell from far ahead. Harry squinted and realized he could make out the dim shape of the wall in front of them. Another howl went up behind them and was picked up by another voice and another and another, stretching across the forest.
"Come on come on!" Harry skidded to a stop by the bottom of the fallen tree and scanned the darkened forest. Movement? Harry fired another curse into the darkness but it hit nothing. "Hurry up!" Harry helped Ron into the tree then scrambled up behind him. He heard a snarl behind him and whirled, aiming his wand at the sound.
"Acerbus cuspis!"
The light brightened the clearing like a firework but the werewolf dodged it. Harry slipped and fell onto the leaf mulch. The wolf pounced at him but was hit in the air by three spells from above and fell hard. Harry scrambled back into the tree and ran as hard as he could for the safety of the outside. He dropped onto the ground outside and stumbled a few steps to where the marauders were standing. He saw Hermione point back at the wall and yell.
"Harry!"
A werewolf was clambering along the tree, its long slavering tongue glistening in the moonlight.
"Depulso!" Harry banished the werewolf and saw it sail back over the wall.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry heard Hermione yell and saw the tree rock on its rubble cradle. "Help me!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the tree.
"Wingardium…" Ron began but Harry cut him off.
"No! You two stop any more of them getting over!"
Harry concentrated on the tree, trying to shake it free of its trestle. Another dark form jumped onto the trunk and Padma blasted it off. Two more jumped on and Harry forced himself to concentrate only on the tree and trust his friends to deal with the werewolves.
Suddenly, with a shuddering crack, the tree came free of the wall and jumped a few meters into the air. Shaking its passengers off in the process. At Hermione's urging they pulled the tree forwards and dumped it on the ground nearby. Harry yelped in surprise as they saw a werewolf scrabble over the damaged wall, its curse giving it strength beyond any natural animal.
"No!" Hermione said as Harry raised his wand. "I want to see if its worked."
Harry kept his wand trained on the thing but didn't cast anything. The dark shape squatted on the top of the wall for a moment then bunched up and leapt at them. There was a great flash of light and it was repulsed, thrown back into the forest with a yelp of pain.
"Hermione? What the bloody hell…" Ron asked.
"The wards. The tree was disrupting them." Hermione brushed her hair off her sweat-dripping forehead. "They should be back now."
"Hermione…" Harry didn't finish the sentence, he just stepped forward and hugged the startled girl fiercely. "Keep being smart ok. God knows one of us has to be." Harry released her and looked back at the wall. Three werewolves sat there now but they made no move to come any closer. Perhaps they had retained just enough of their human brains to learn a lesson. Harry gave them the finger then turned back to his friends.
"We should go." Harry lit his wand and waved the marauders back towards Hogsmeade. "I may be wrong. But I think we're past curfew."