Chapter 29: Desperation

Tonks stirred. Her body was sore but other than that, Tonks felt well rested. Her mind was clear, her muscles functioning well. She shifted herself and adjusted her eyes to the dim place. The first thing she registered was the stench.

Tonks groaned, bringing up her hand and placing it over her nose and mouth in an attempt to stop the bad smell from getting to her. The room was lit by a single beam of light that entered by a small gap in the wood that was nailed over the window. As her eyes finally adapted, Tonks glimpsed a speck of white in the corner of the cell. She approached, cautious.

Realisation washed over her and she stifled a scream, retreating away from it.

It was a skull, caked with dirt and dried blood.

Tonks stumbled back against the wall she woke up to find herself leaning against. On it, she also saw splatter of blood. Just by her left side, in the corner, Tonks glimpsed pieces of white bone sticking out of the dirt on the floor.

Tonks gagged, turning to her right. Her eyes widened in horror. Just beside her, Mad-Eye Moody lay unconscious. She scrambled to her knees by Moody.

"Mad-Eye, wake up. Please don't be dead…" Tonks heard herself mutter as she held his shoulder, ready to shake him. She then saw the rise and fall in his chest. She heaved a sigh of relief, releasing him. Her hand was covered in blood. Then she remembered his wound from the splinter. Tonks saw that it was still there, embedded in his arm. Instantly recalling her training, Tonks pressed her hand on the wound as best as she could without touching the splinter.

Warm blood was still pouring out.

"Mad-Eye," She shook him by his other arm. His face was bruised from taking punches, his hair now matted and stringy, his magical eye gone, leaving an empty socket, "Mad-Eye, wake up! Please wake up!" Tonks cried, feeling fear creep up on her. Losing too much blood may be fatal if not quickly treated and if she doesn't wake him, he might never wake…

He stirred.

A hesitant smile crept on her face, "Mad-Eye?" She stopped shaking him, watching intently as he opened his single brown eye. Her smile became a full blown grin.

"If I hadn't known better, I would think this a party ," He grumbled, "Wipe that grin off your face," Tonks couldn't comply, that grin still full blown. It was a rare occasion that Mad-Eye felt in the mood to crack a joke, "Where are we?" He grunted as he moved his arm.

"I don't know," Tonks replied sheepishly, shrugging. He glared at her.

Understandable, considering she had just broken the first thing he taught her in the lessons about being in captivity. Lesson #1: Always know your surroundings.

Tonks offered a weak smile which normally got her an even stronger glare or a scolding or two; instead, Mad-Eye snorted and looked away.

"Bloody hell, taking out my eye," He grumbled and Tonks smiled, amused, "Stop smiling, why are you smiling?" Moody snapped.

"I don't know," She looked down at the filthy floor, "Happy I reckon…Missed you a lot," Tonks chanced a glance up to see Moody looking at her, a little stunned.

He unfroze and grumbled, "well, don't be too happy; till we figure out where we are," Moody craned his neck to look around.

"Don't move so much," Tonks protested, his hand still on his wound, "you loss a lot of blood," She pointed at one side of his soaked robe and the small puddle on the floor.

Moody grunted in compliance but still squinted around, trying to figure out their surrounding, "we have to remove it," He glanced down at the splinter. It looked alarmingly huge.

Tonks gaped, "not here. You could bleed out, not to mention the infection," She wrinkled her nose.

"Good that you paid attention during training but it hurts like hell, lass," Moody growled, looking down at his wound with annoyance.

"Yeah, I know," Tonks snickered and when Mad-Eye raise an enquiring brow, she gestured at her shoulder, "Bellatrix," She shrug it off; she didn't need anyone pitying her. Something in Moody's expression shifted and Tonks frowned, curious but didn't probe; it could've been her imagination, "we have to do something about this though," She muttered.

"Leave it…" Mad-Eye paused, apparently holding his breath as Tonks pressed on the wound firmer, stemming the blood flow as much as she could.

"I could try wandless magic," Tonks suggested idly.

"And leave yourself helpless later? You know better than to use spells to mend an impaled arm. Furthermore, I need two arms lass, if you misaim…" Mad-Eye chided, his volume toned down, thankfully. They elapsed into comfortable silence as Mad-Eye regulated his breathing to prevent himself from going into shock, "stupid whoever it is. We are both unbounded."

"At least they have brains not to leave us our wands," She pointed out.

"Werewolves. This is a werewolf camp, lass," Mad-Eye suddenly told her. She frowned, confused. He gestured at their surrounding, "and this is probably where they feed on their victims during the full moon."

Tonks was revolted but took this chance to learn, observe. He was right. There were small details she had missed out at her first glance of her surroundings. The skeletons were all in bits and pieces, there were clumps of fur in corners, accompanying the bones. There was blood everywhere on the floor too. Tonks also glimpsed claw marks. From their position, Tonks could also hear some slight sounds of life outside.

"Getting rusty on training?" Mad-Eye grunted.

"I-" Tonks started to protest but the door that Tonks hadn't seen opened behind her. She jumped to the side just as Mad-Eye yanked her aside so that she was situated beside him instead of between him and the door.

The tall and thick rusted metal door creaked open, grating on its hinges gingerly.

A shaggy haired man stepped in, his scarred but muscular chest bare, flaunting his muscular arms. He only wore torn jeans and went bare footed.

He didn't speak but stare blankly down at them, studying them both before narrowing down on Tonks. He folded his thick arms over his chest and a smile crept up on his lips to reveal black rotted teeth.

"Greyback was right after all," Tonks heard him muse to himself.

She jumped up at that mention despite Mad-Eye's warning grip on her arm. Tonks easily jerked that off and got to her feet.

"Greyback? Where is he? Who are you? Where are we?" She demanded, her voice rising.

"Tsk," The man chided softly, almost teasingly, "aren't you a little spitfire?" His gaze turned lecherous, "I like feisty,"

"Where is Greyback?" Tonks growled through clenched teeth, taking a step to the man that towered about two heads taller than her.

"Umm," He hummed appreciatively, "He's right about the shifter thing too," His fingers reached up to touch his beard.

Tonks didn't need to check to know her hair just changed colour, probably to tomato red, judging by her mood.

"Balastair," A soft growl echoed from the door. The person stepped into the cell and Tonks saw that it was Greyback himself. He looked the same from last time, still donning that robe with his chest bared. His features wolfish and on his neck hung ornaments that probably act as trophies; they were an assortment of bones such as knuckles or fingers.

Tonks noticed the slight shift in the man's, Balastair's, posture as Greyback enters. She recognised it as submission, from the wolves to an Alpha of the pack.

"Nymphadora Tonks," Greyback smirked, "who would've known, you would end up in our hands, finally." Tonks pursed her lips, refusing to reply, "You've met my beta, Balastair," A tinge of anger in his voice as he mentioned the Beta.

"You made a poor choice. This is no better than last time," Tonks sneered, inwardly disgusted at how much like Bellatrix she sounded like.

Greyback's eye bugged in anger but he refused to play into her hand, preserving a calm smirk towards her.

"If you do not cooperate with us, be assured that you will suffer," Greyback gestured at the skulls littering the floor.

"I never did the Dark Lord's bidding," Tonks hissed, "what makes you think I will do yours?"

"Because it'll not be you that myself and my fellow wolves will be feasting on next moon if you don't," Greyback smirked, glancing knowingly behind Tonks and she froze. Greyback then strolled pass her and towards Mad-Eye, "The great Alastor Moody, now at the mercy of werewolves," He chuckled, "I quite like that version." Purposefully, Greyback stomped where Mad-Eye's leg should be at but instead, he stepped on only fabric and Tonks realised they have removed his wooden leg as well.

"Rest assured, Greyback, that the last thing I will be to you is a pawn, used to threaten Nymphadora." Moody growled, glaring at Greyback.

"Let's see what you can do then," Greyback laughed. All of a sudden, he was blown back by an unknown force, causing him to stumble back a few steps. Tonks felt the stir but not the impact. She glanced at Mad-Eye to see her mentor glaring at Greyback with a fury she had never seen before. Greyback quickly recovered from his shock and smirked, "good. Good to see you're still alive and kicking,"

Tonks was stumped. It was obvious Mad-Eye's source of wandless magic was emotions. It was the easiest way one could use wandless magic but Mad-Eye himself had warned Tonks against such usage. It was dangerous and uncontrollable. Thus, Tonks couldn't help but feel puzzled and surprised at such a display. Tonks cringed as she noticed Mad-Eye growing paler, weaker.

"I have my pack's stomach to fill," Greyback smirked at her and Tonks stiffened at the thought, "I'll see you both later," Greyback breathed, leaning close.

"How did you get pass the magical wards?" Mad-Eye growled out.

Greyback sighed, "Since your time is close, I shall let you die in peace, old man," He spun around, "the dark lord tore through your wards after the curse over her weakened."

"He helped you and you stabbed him in the back," Tonks smirked, "I can only imagine what he'd do to you,"

Greyback stiffened, "The Dark Lord doesn't know," He smiled before leaving.

"We need a healer," Tonks heard herself croak just before Greyback step out the doorway. He paused, turning around with raised brow, "he'll bleed out if you don't," She didn't know what came over her but she gritted her teeth and spoke, "I'll never help you if he does," The threat sound meaningless as her voice trembled.

"Nymphadora-" Mad-Eye growled, warning her to stop groveling.

Greyback laughed, "Are you begging me?"

Tonks clenched her fist, glaring at him; refusing to reply. Greyback eventually smirked, walking out with his Beta on his heel. When the door slammed shut, Tonks stood there, unmoving. She was ashamed and humiliated she had just done that but she knew she was driven by sheer desperation. What she told Greyback had not been a lie. Without help soon, Mad-Eye will die; Merlin knows if his wounds would be infected in this cursed place.

"Nymphadora," Mad-Eye spoke, his voice softer now.

She shuffled back towards him; her head kept down, and sat down beside him. In her periphery vision, Tonks could see Mad-Eye keeping pressure on his wound. Fresh crimson blood was still flowing. Before she could stop herself, Tonks felt tears roll down her cheek.

"You can't do his bidding," He grimaced as he shifted his injured arm, "don't," He reached out and patted her cheek. Tonks looked up, her lips quivering as she held back a sob.

"I can't let you die…" She whispered.

Mad-Eye brought his arm around her and guided her closer. Tonks immediately buried her face into his shoulder, crying, "Don't be stupid." He snapped.

Tonks sniffed, "It is my fault. If you hadn't tried to protect me, you could've gotten out of the way just before the door broke in on you."

"Pull it together!" Mad-Eye gave her a little squeeze around her shoulders with his arm, "be tough, like an Auror should be," She felt his large hand pat her back gently as she sobbed.

"You shouldn't have stopped back there," Tonks started thickly, "you could've killed them. Then we wouldn't be here…" Her voice trailed off morosely.

There was a sizable pause before Mad-Eye asked a very queer question; a question Tonks would never imagine him to ask, "Do you hate me for it?"

"No," She sat up abruptly, "of course I don't! I couldn't…you were doing it for me…" Tonks stumbled over her words, "I mean…you could've stopped them there, with your wand…"

Mad-Eye nodded, "I could've," He wiped her tears non-too-gently, in a very typically 'Mad-Eye' manner, "but Greyback would've had you if I did," Tonks wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve as she watched him intently, "and I'm not a fool,"

Tonks felt nagging feeling that there was a deeper meaning in his words but remained puzzled even as Mad-Eye fell into a fitful sleep.


Remus felt like he had just fallen into his worst nightmare yet again. Kingsley was not kidding when he mentioned that the house was a wreck.

The roof looked just about ready to collapse. The outer fence was thoroughly destroyed. The weeds were torn through to allow a path straight to the house. The door was blown off its hinges and lay in scattered pieces all over the insides of the house. Blood stained the floor, a lot of blood. Remus swallowed. All around the house, there were broken furniture, torn up floorboard, destroyed walls.

Remus understood that Mad-Eye's house had not been a charmer before but this was chaos.

"Well?" Kingsley spoke, his wand out as he examined every detail. Remus had his wand lowered as he touched the damages done, "what you got?"

"Nothing much," Remus replied quietly, the tip of his fingers touching damaged doorframe that once held the door, "you?"

"Me neither. There was a fight; a struggle, that much we all know," Kingsley said in his deep voice, his wand now skimming over the shattered pieces of a chair, "but then again, I wouldn't think Mad-Eye Moody to go down without one."

Remus chuckled bitterly. He was thinking along the line of Nymphadora. Of course Mad-Eye would fight back but who was he fighting? Nymphadora? Remus would hate to know the result of that tussle. If Nymphadora triumph over Mad-Eye, Remus knew she would never forgive herself. Merlin knows she'd beat herself up for Emmeline's death already.

Then another possibility presented itself to Remus.

"Kingsley," Remus paused, hesitating. The Auror looked up and Remus met his eye.

"You're thinking…the same thing I am…" Kingsley sighed, "you-know-who may have been here…" Kingsley looked away, "The wards are gone, and the place destroyed, no better proof,"

Remus nodded stiffly. If their speculation was right, not only was Mad-Eye in a life-threatening situation now, they'd just missed their one and, probably, only chance in saving Nymphadora. That thought sickened him. He missed her dearly and worried for her, everyday; it was tiring.

"Remus," Kingsley placed a hand on his shoulder, startling Remus. He shot Remus a sympathetic look, "maybe you should get back, rest. You look like an Inferi,"

Remus grimaced. That bad? "I already am a monster. Can't get any worst," He chuckled bitterly. Kingsley rolled his eyes and Remus continued, "I can't, Kingsley. I can't rest when she's out there."

"Tonks is a tough one. She'll be fine." Kingsley patted his shoulder once more before turning to head into the rooms, leaving Remus alone. He listened to Kingsley's footsteps in the other room for a while before sighing and visually skimming the rubble nearby that appears to be the remains of a dresser.

Remus frowned, spotting a yellowed and faded picture amongst its midst. Although aware he shouldn't be invading on Mad-Eye's privacy, Remus' curious Marauder could not be satiated otherwise. He bent over and picked up the fragile looking piece of photograph.

It was obviously not framed, judging by the fold lines on the photo, but kept away, hidden from sight. Despite its folded state, Remus noticed it was well taken care of; it was not crumpled and its edges kept sharp.

His frown deepened as he looked at the photograph, blowing rubble dust away from its surface.

In the picture was Mad-Eye himself. He was younger, with lesser scars on his face. The chunk of his nose was still missing but he still had both eyes intact. Mad-Eye's face was lit up in an uncharacteristic smile, widening as he glanced at the girl in his arms. Remus glimpsed a flash of pride and love flit across Mad-Eye's face.

The girl, whom Mad-Eye was carrying on his hips, was smiling toothily at the camera. She looked no older than 3 to 4. However, it wasn't the presence of the girl that surprised Remus, it was how she looked. The young girl was strikingly beautiful. She had straight black hair and an air of arrogance around her in the way she smiled; even at such a young age.

Her resemblance to Bellatrix, and by extension, Nymphadora as well, was striking; it made Remus cringe. The girl had light brown eyes, however, and seemed distracted in the photo as she turned away from the camera abruptly, looking over Mad-Eye's shoulder and into the garden behind them.

Remus stared as the two moved in the photos. The more Remus looked, the more his eyes were drawn to the young girl. She looked painfully like Nymphadora when she was younger although Nymphadora always sported bubblegum pink hair. Furthermore, she had grey eyes. Remus knew her natural hair colour was mousy brown, like Andromeda; not black fortunately which would make her a split image of her deranged Aunt.

The more absorbed Remus was in the little girl, the more he wondered and questioned her background. Who is she? How is she related to Mad-Eye? Could she be a girl he saved on an Auror mission? What could explain the resemblance to-?

"Remus?" Kingsley spoke and Remus looked up hurriedly to glimpse Kingsley coming out from the room. Instantly, Remus shoved the photo carefully in his pocket. He didn't know what made him did it but something told him to keep this to himself. The Auror, clad in blue Auror robes, appeared around the corner, grasping his wand, "Have you found anything else?"

Remus shrugged convincingly, "nothing important," He said, and Kingsley paused momentarily, looking at Remus, "You?"

"Nothing as well," Kingsley replied, glancing around the house. Being here for too long has put them both on the edge, "Seemed like whoever it was didn't enter the bedrooms, they are untouched."

Remus nodded, "Let's go report this to Albus,"

Kingsley agreed and they both apparated with a crack.


"Nothing," Kingsley spoke on both their behalf as Dumbledore let them into his office. It has been a while since Remus set foot in here. The last time was in which he taught at Hogwarts, "The place is wrecked but apart from that, there is no one there,"

"No clue as to who took them?" Albus tented his wrinkled fingers.

Remus raised both brows.

"Yes, Remus. I believe they were taken," Dumbledore faced Remus with a twinkle in his eyes behind his half-moon spectacles, "I do not believe Nymphadora had brought Alastor to Voldemort,"

Remus nodded numbly, finding nothing else to say. His disappointment at a missed opportunity was great and he could only think of one person he would want speak to, or rather yell at, at the moment; Severus Snape.

Nymphadora was gone and if Snape had found the heart in himself earlier on to tell the Order so that they could intercept, Nymphadora would be safe within the Order by now. At that thought, Remus couldn't help but grit his teeth, clenching his fist in anger towards the Potion Master.

"I assure you, Severus has gone to find out what he can about Nymphadora's whereabouts as we speak," Dumbledore spoke again, as if reading Remus' thoughts, "before Severus finds out what he can, we should not act rashly."

Kingsley nodded and Remus mimicked the nod stiffly.

"If there is nothing else, Kingsley, you may leave," Dumbledore smiled kindly. Kingsley nodded and mumbled a soft farewell before leaving. Just as Remus stood to leave as well, Dumbledore spoke up again, "Remus, I have something to discuss with you if that is alright."

Remus forced himself back into the chair. Inwardly, funnily enough, Remus was dying to extract the photograph from his pocket to look at it; that little girl that held a painful resemblance to Nymphadora.

"Remus, I am aware if I am asking too much but the Order desperately needs your assistance in this matter," Dumbledore began and this had Remus' full attention. Albus Dumbledore was not a man who would beat around the bush, "I would like to request you to infiltrate the werewolf camp."

Remus stiffened visibly in his chair, maintaining eye contact with the headmaster, "You want alliance with werewolves?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly, "Voldemort has been recruiting wizards and witches alike but those are not all he is interested in. Word reached the Order that he is attempting to win over magical creatures as well."

"Dementors…" Remus mumbled in realisation. Dumbledore sighed regretfully before nodded in affirmative.

"I am aware that obtaining the alliance of all the werewolves would be an impossible task. However, even the littlest support we have from the werewolves within the ranks would prove invaluable to the Order." Dumbledore explained with a furrow between his thick white brows.

Without missing a beat, Remus found himself nodding in understanding, his mouth forming the words, "I understand. I will do it. When will you need me to go?"


Nymphadora would kill him.

She would for throwing his life away like this. Remus hadn't forgotten how anxious and worried she had been when she had read his file; information about when he had lived with them for a while. He knew he was being reckless but Remus just could not miss out on this opportunity to contribute to the Order after so many weeks of pointless night duty.

Dumbledore had told him that his departure would have to be as soon as possible; preferably tomorrow. Word has it that Voldemort already had a solid alliance with the werewolves thus Remus' mission would be to break or weaken it as best as he could. Considering his history, Remus felt it wouldn't be difficult with the experience but Greyback would undoubtedly be suspicious of Remus' return after his abrupt departure years ago.

The possibility that Remus would suffer from isolation was discussed and Dumbledore assured Remus that he need not report back on a daily basis; once a month would suffice. They agreed that patronus would be the ideal case and if not, owls. However, it need not be said that Remus could not be caught communicating with the wizarding world. Greyback despised werewolves who mingled among wizards and witches.

Remus sighed as he stepped out of the castle and walked towards the gates to apparate. He pulled out the photo again and stared down at it.

The girl had the same smile Nymphadora used to have. Remus considered the fact that this could be Nymphadora but dismissed the idea when he recalled Sirius mentioning the fact that she would never morph her eyes under any circumstances; excluding the time she needed them for a disguise.

Remus found himself chuckling lightly as he glimpsed a white bandage around the girl's knee that he hadn't noticed before. It peeked over the bottom of the photo as she shifted to look over Mad-Eye's shoulder. He swallowed, watching once more as Mad-Eye beamed at the girl before placing the photo back into his pocket and retrieving his wand in exchange. Remus apparated.

The next day…

"You're going back there?" Sirius asked for the fourth time, tailing Remus all over his room closely as he packed a meagre number of things to be brought along.

"Yes," Remus replied patiently, closing the worn duffle bag and straightening out to look Sirius in the eye. After finally letting himself out of his shell, Sirius was now talking again; his whole being focused on getting Nymphadora back. However, any small trigger to remind him of his undoing towards his beloved baby cousin, Sirius would almost instantly revert back to his old self, drinking away his sorrow.

"What do you mean 'yes'?" Sirius spat, "You can't go back there! You hate them!" Remus refused to reply but stubbornly avert Sirius' gaze. Sirius crossed his arms across his chest, "you know my baby Cuz will never agree to that if she were her,"

Remus cringed, "She's not here, is she?" He refused to meet Sirius' eyes in case he saw hurt in them.

"Is that your way of letting out some steam, Moony? Is that a werewolf thing? A love for thrill?" Sirius demanded, "A few days ago and you were lecturing me about throwing my life away and brooding all day!"

"I'm not throwing my life away," Remus muttered and he spoke the truth but Remus couldn't deny that he wasn't being reckless.

"Moony…" Sirius sighed, "Don't go. You'll regret it…"

Remus steeled his gaze and looked into Sirius' grey eyes, wincing at he spotted the many similarities they had to Nymphadora's, "I got a feeling I won't," He slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Moony-" Sirius started to protest only to have Remus walk briskly towards the door and down the steps, "Moony! Don't!" He yelled as he ran after his best friend; frantic now. Just as Remus flung open the door and started to step out, Sirius grabbed him around his upper arm.

"Just let me be of use this once, Padfoot," Remus locked a hard stare with Sirius.

Sirius winced, "and who will let me?" He shot back.

"Sirius," Remus muttered, "Please,"

A moment passed in absolute silence before Sirius' grip on him loosened.

"Come back alive, mate," Sirius muttered. Remus nodded stiffly before patting Sirius on the shoulder once. Without a moment to lose, Remus disapparated.

Remus winced inwardly as he trampled dried twigs and leaves flat, causing quite a racket. Among the wizarding community, the noise Remus was making would be considered the minimal but among the werewolves; Remus might as well have announced his presence by banging pots and pans.

Dumbledore had given the vague coordinates of the werewolf camp which the Order had been keeping an eye on. It stung Remus to realise how detached from the Order ongoing he had become.

Remus jumped; startled as he thought he felt something behind him. Adjusting his grip on his wand to make it firmer, he kept his eyes and ears open for anything.

The full moon as fast approaching again and it helped Remus with his sharpened senses. He spun around quickly just in time to see a man pounce onto him. Remus barely had time to point his wand in the right direction much less utter the spell before both of them fell to the dirt.

The man lay on his wand arm, pinning it down before Remus could shove him off. A slight tussle ensued as Remus fought to get the man off of him but others quickly joined the fight, holding Remus down.

"Get him up you dogs!" A man who was out of Remus' line of sight barked at them. At the order, the men, who Remus noted to be werewolves from their physical appearance, hauled him to his feet.

"Hilliard?" Remus frowned.

"Lupin," Hilliard pursed his lips. He was bare-chested, as most of the others were. He had deep dark eyes and thick brows. Since the last time Remus had seen him, Hilliard now sported a beard that partly concealed his thin lips and Remus noticed a long scar across his left cheek, "What are you doing here?"

Remus didn't reply.

"Finally come running back with the tail in between your legs when them wizards took a few whacks at ya?" Hilliard scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he looked Remus up and down, "Still, they have been kind to you. Properly clothed aren't you?"

Remus merely stared. He remembered his last time in the camp with Hilliard. They hadn't been enemies but they weren't friends either.

"What's wrong with you?" Hilliard lunged forward, grasping Remus roughly by his chin, "Gone mute have you?"

"I want a word with Greyback," Remus replied, his voice firm.

Hilliard chuckled, "Greyback ain't got time for you, Lupin. You're pissin' yourself," His amusement quelled all of a sudden as he leaned forward, hissing, "and I remember the last time you left," He brought up a finger and trailed the long scar along his cheek.

"I didn't do that to you," Remus growled. He found himself getting increasingly antsy with another wolf at such close proximity.

"No, you didn't," Hilliard hissed, "except, Greyback was furious. Well, you know how he is on a bad night during the moon. He injured most, killed some. Then again, how would dear nice Lupin know? He has always been the pet dog at Greyback's feet." Remus glared, daring him to continue, "But now, you're not and I'm looking forward to the next moon; I wonder what Greyback would do to you."

Remus snarled but his insides froze. Greyback, the pack's Alpha was a formidable wolf and no other wolf would even dream of opposing the Alpha; whether on the full moon or not. In any fight, Greyback would come out the victor, leaving the other wolf bleeding or already dead.

Hilliard walked briskly deeper into the forest, smirking over his shoulder at Remus, "come on, bring him you dogs!"

To be continued…

A/N: Mad-Eye's words mirrored his own in Chapter 27, in the talk with Lupin! Hope you got it! Feel free to ask if you don't! And the names, I pulled it out of the air; so no deep mysteries to be uncovered there!

A big thank you to all my reviewers! You guys are great – Sallz, Lupinesence, Tonks23, Furionknight, Sarah15, tt crews, paardenlaura and SevIlyRemuDoraAlways

Sarah15: Sorry if I spoiled Christmas! Wanted to update but…that was just not possible ;) Apologies once again!


Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And if you have the time, click on that blue underlined link at the bottom of the page that says 'review this chapter'! And if you don't, well, a smiley face will also be good! :)