Bunny: Hermione has an idea or two regarding the reason for werevolves changing during the full moon and combating it.

Hermione Granger was very nervous as she slowly approached the office for the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The essay that Snape had ordered had filled in the final piece and she had realized that the Professor was a werewolf. Considering that it would be obvious, she thought that the HEadmaster was most likely aware and so it was better not to say anything.

This didn't stop her from researching everything she could.

One thing that she had seen in a Muggle book actually was the reason why she was where she was.

She knocked on the door. "Come in!" the Professor's voice came through.

As she walked in the man smiled. "Ah, Hermione Granger. How can I help you, Ms. Granger?"

Feeling very nervous, Hermione asked shyly, "Professor? Are you a werewolf?"

The man sighed. "Why do you ask?"

Hermione listed her observations and the man was amazed by her intelligence. Finally Remus Lupin nodded. "I see that the idea of a job was too good. I probably should start packing my bags before I'm run out."

Hermione immediately protested. "No, no! I haven't told ANYONE! You're a great professor! And I'm sure the Headmaster knows about you, right?"

Remus nodded. "He does."

"Well, just because you have this condition, there's no reason for you to not teach. I'm learning ever so much more this year than I did in the first two years! Ask Harry. Ask anyone - I'm sure they would agree!"

Remus looked at the girl bemused. He was a bit surprised at her casual acceptance. "Well, you've confirmed it. What now?"

Gathering her courage, Hermione asked, "Do you know why the moon shows as full? Why it only happens one or two nights a month?"

Remus considered that. "I know it has to do with the sun."

Hermione nodded enthusaiastically. "The moon turns around the Earth every twenty nine days. When the Earth is between the Moon and Sun, the reflected light shows the moon is full. When the moon is on the same side of the Earth as the sun, there is no reflection and therefore we see no moon."

Remus nodded. "Yes. What of it?"

Hermione sat down and enthusiastically explained. "Well, it's obvious that the change happens due to one of two reasons: During the full moon there are two things that are true: The Sun is the furthest from the moon, and the visible parts of the moon reflect fully the sun's light."

Remus said, "Yes. And what does conclusion did you have because of that?"

"Well, considering that moonlight is just reflected sunlight, I was wondering if this might prevent the change." Hermione dug around in her bag and put a bottle on the desk.

Remus picked it up and read it. "SPF 50?"

Hermione nodded. "It blocks the suns light from damaging the skin. The highest blocking level available is SPF 50. I was wondering if a werewolf put this over his body entirely, blocking the light of the full moon from hitting him, and the werewolf wore the strongest sunglasses available," she pulled a case from her bag that her Mother had sent upon her request, "if this might not prevent the change."

Remus looked at the girl with surprise. "I have no idea."

Hermioen shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to try, would it? Worst case, it doesn't work. Best case, it stops the change from happening. That was my first idea."

Remus asked curiously, "First idea? Were there others?"

Hermione nodded. "If that doesn't work, maybe it's something that the moon does to the sunlight which causes the change working in conjunction with whatever bacteria or virus which a werewolf was exposed to when he was first bit by a werewolf that was already changed. Fighting it would then be one of two factors: Either disrupting the virus or bacteria or disrupting the change in the sunlight by the moon. Does a werewolf ever change when the full moon is in the sky with the sun?"

Remus thought about it. "No. The change occurs after the sun sets if the moon is already up."

"Than maybe a Sunlight spell or a runic array which casts sunlight that has been collected during the month could disrupt the change to the sunlight that the moon creates and might prevent the change or possible cause the werewolf to revert if the change has already occurred. Or maybe staying under a low intensity Muggle tanning bed which simulated sunlight might prevent the change but that might be dangerous to test because those are designed to provide EXTREME amounts of manufactured sunlight. And if it doesn't work, the werewolf will be in the immediate vicinity of glass which he might hurt himself on when he breaks it. I'd try that as a last resort."

Remus looked at Hermione with amazement. No one, to his knowledge, had ever considered what she was saying.

"And of course it might be a problem with Vitamin D."

Weakly, Remus said, "Vitamin ... D?"

Hermione nodded. "The parts of food which our bodies need, besides the calories for energy, are the vitamins and minerals they provide - Muggles have been researching this for years. One vitamin, or perhaps two, are not provided by food, however, and are provided by sunlight. The one I know about is Vitamin D. As a matter of fact, Muggles put extra Vitamin D in milk because as lifestyles have changed, people get less and less sun. I wonder if there are werewolves on the equator where the sun is strongest or if the change is the same or different? Anyway - maybe the change has to do with altering the vitamin D created and a huge dose of Vitamin D might prevent the change as it would overshadow the mutated vitamin D from the full moon." Hermione paused. "I think those are all the ideas I've had so far." She giggled. "I always thought that Professor Snape might be suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency because he's always indoors. I'm sure people have been telling him to get sun for years, but maybe he should just get Vitamin D pills from a Muggle pharmacy."

Remus smiled. "Yes. Quite amusing. Anyway, I thank you for bring these ideas to my attention. I will alert those who might help to test to see if any of the informatioin might help me and other werewolves."

Hermione jumped up and said cheerfully, "Thanks Professor! Just let me know what you find!" She then flounced out of the room.

Remus looked at the door where the utter genius of a girl had just exited. "Absolutely marvelous. I think I need to speak to Albus and Severus about these things."