The Conspiracy Begins
By Matthew W. Quinn and Kyli Ann Rasco
Author's Note: Happy Mother's Day to all of our readers who are mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, etc.
October 10th, 1997 AD
10:30 AM
Remus Lupin sat in the battered Muggle wheeled office chair that he'd appropriated for his grotto and read a book on dueling magic.
Greyback is pleased with the progress of his army, but he wants more. If I want to keep the scheme going, I'm going to have to keep producing.
Something slammed into the walls outside. A moment passed, then something else slammed into the wall.
Lupin scowled.
It's bloody hard to concentrate with all this racket.
Lupin heard the unmistakable crack of a curse being thrown. His scowl deepened.
I hope nobody is getting hurt out there.
Given the criminal atmosphere that flourished in the werewolf colony, fights and trouble took place more often than he generally approved of. This was something else he'd have to fix, once he'd unseated Greyback.
He set his book aside, rose to his feet, and straightened out his robes.
Time to throw my weight around.
Lupin stepped out to find a most unexpected sight.
Connor Lykos and Phillip Wolf circled each other, a bloodied young man lying between them. All around them, many other werewolves watched, although none moved to interfere. Periodically, Lykos or Wolf would lunge and attack with either their fists or a spell. The two were evenly matched — although Wolf had a black eye and blood trickled from Lykos' nose, neither party was able to inflict significant damage on the other.
This isn't going to last, Lupin thought. Wolf is stronger than Connor. He'll wear him down.
Lupin was able to draw his wand to intervene when Fenrir Greyback erupted onto the scene. The crowds drew back, enabling the senior werewolf to quickly get between his feuding followers.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Greyback roared, drawing his own wand. Lykos drew back, while Wolf smiled evilly.
"This one," Wolf said, gesturing to the werewolf on the ground, "was talking treason. I decided to put a stop to that, but Connor decided to interfere."
Greyback looked at Lykos, raising an eyebrow.
"Is this true, Connor?" he asked.
Uh oh, Lupin thought. This could get bad.
Part of him wanted to throw himself forward to protect his only real friend in the colony, but he hung back.
Don't jeopardize your position in the colony. Don't jeopardize your plan.
Lykos swallowed.
"Andrews was only questioning the wisdom of our alliance with the Death Eaters," he said. "He said the Dark Lord could not be…"
With a roar, Greyback leaped forward and backhanded Lykos. The junior werewolf slammed into the stone walls that stood on either side of the rusting tracks and bounced off, ending up on his back. He scrambled away, but Greyback slammed a booted foot onto his stomach, pinning him to the ground like a butterfly to a board.
"Wolf is in charge of discipline here, not you," he growled. "You're too soft for that kind of work."
Greyback then raised his voice.
"And the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters are our allies until I say otherwise," he called out. "Anyone who speaks against them is speaking against me, and will suffer the consequences."
He turned and stabbed with his wand at Andrews. The beaten werewolf jerked and moaned, writhing beneath the senior werewolf's attack.
He's using the Cruciatus Curse, non-verbally.
Lupin filed that bit of trivia away for future reference.
He then turned his wrath towards Lykos. The junior werewolf writhed and screamed beneath Greyback's foot.
The bigger werewolf stepped back abruptly.
"That's enough," he said, keeping one eye on Wolf. "I hope both of you have learned your lesson."
Lykos nodded weakly. The other injured werewolf moaned. Greyback turned and stormed away. Wolf sneered at Lykos and Andrews before disappearing himself.
One by one, the denizens of the colony began drifting away. A woman pushed her way through the dissipating crowd to help Andrews up and away, leaving Lykos alone.
Lykos groaned and tried to pull himself up. He got onto his knees before he collapsed onto the ground.
Oh dear.
Lupin stepped over to Lykos. He reached down and extended his hand.
"Come on," he said.
Lykos nodded, reaching up and taking Lupin's hand. With Lupin's assistance, Lykos slowly rose to his feet with a groan.
"Home," Lykos moaned.
Lupin pulled Lykos' arm across his shoulder and helped his friend walk to the larger grotto where the older werewolf lived. He managed to get Lykos into his bed, then pulled a chair up beside him. Lupin frowned when he got a look at Lykos' injuries.
He's a mess.
His nose, bloodied in the fight with Wolf, looked to be broken now. Every breath seemed to cause him pain, although Lupin didn't see blood when Lykos exhaled.
He might have fractured ribs. Thank Merlin there weren't any punctures.
Of course, given the knocking his head took, there might be the possibility of brain injury. Lupin decided to focus on that first, lest Lykos die while he focused on some less urgent problem.
Lupin drew his wand and touched Lykos' temples and the top of his head.
Resarcio panton intus.
He retraced gestures again. The three points glowed and Lykos moaned again.
That's dealt with. Now to focus on other injuries. Episkey.
Lykos' nose knitted itself together, a process that was not a pretty sight.
"Have you got any Skele-Gro?" Lupin asked.
Lykos nodded.
"The transformations get worse every year," he said. "Sometimes I need a little help putting myself back together."
He pointed weakly towards a cupboard in the corner.
"Good. That should help with your ribs."
Lupin retrieved the potion from the cupboard and handed it to Lykos. The older werewolf slowly drank it down, wincing with every gulp.
It must be taking effect.
"Thank you, Remus," Lykos said. "You could get into trouble with Wolf if he saw what you did. And if he sees it, Greyback will know."
Now's my chance.
He gestured to the doorway of Lykos' home, putting a silencing jinx in place. Nobody would overhear them. He subtly shifted his body, turning away from the door and blocking Lykos' view. Nobody would be able to read their lips either.
"You know, Connor, it wasn't all that long ago that Greyback insisted there be no violence among werewolves in the colony," Lupin began.
Lykos nodded.
"Aye. I understand the need for discipline, since we're at war. But there are degrees. All Andrews did was talk."
Lupin shook his head.
"Quite a shame, I think. I've heard that the Dark Lord uses the Cruciatus Curse to punish Death Eaters who displease him. Perhaps Greyback has been hanging out with the Dark Lord for too long." Lupin paused for effect. "Falling more and more under his influence."
Not that he would need any help to be evil.
Lykos was silent for a long moment.
"That's possible."
Now!
"You know, Connor, if Greyback were no longer in charge of the colony, he would not be able to abuse his subordinates like this."
Despite his weakness, Lykos locked eyes with Lupin.
"What are you getting at, Remus?" he asked.
Oh dear.
Lykos was one of Greyback's lieutenants, the recent hiccup notwithstanding. Lupin would have to be very careful.
"Wolf attacked Andrews because Andrews said the Dark Lord cannot be trusted, correct?"
Lykos nodded.
"Aye."
"And you agree with him? You defended him against Wolf, after all."
Lykos nodded.
"All he did was talk. And it's not like Greyback and the others don't have their suspicions anyway."
"Here's something else to think about," Lupin said. "Things have been awfully quiet in Britain, haven't they? Since the Dark Lord took power?"
Lykos nodded.
"A bit strange, that. One would think your people would be all over the place."
"That's because nobody is really sure what's going on. The Death Eaters and werewolves increased their attacks just prior to Scrimgeour's 'retirement,' but nobody has made the connection. Yet. Furthermore, nobody's made the connection between the sudden ascension of Pius Thicknesse and the fact that the Ministry is now hunting Muggleborns, using werewolves and common criminals to do it."
Now to apply the screws.
"Tell me, Connor, what do werewolves and common criminals have in common?"
"Unpopularity?"
"Close," Lupin said. "Expendability. To the average witch or wizard, Scrimgeour's replacement with Thicknesse has been accompanied by a rise in criminal activity, particularly against Muggleborns. What do you think will happen when there are no more Muggleborns and 'blood traitors'?"
Lykos made the connection instantly.
"He'll come after us next."
"And the people will love him for it. He'll get rid of the 'ineffective' Thicknesse, wipe us out, and be hailed as the bloody savior of the wizarding world."
"You're not the only one to make this connection," Lykos said. "Greyback's been having some of the most promising Muggleborns bitten, so he's in charge of them and not that fat bitch Umbridge. When the last Muggleborns are dealt with, we'll have an army of our own…"
"An army big enough to face down Law Enforcement, the Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord himself?" Lupin interrupted. "A tall order, since most of us haven't gone to Hogwarts. The Muggleborns will even the odds some, but most of them aren't trained fighters, even if they have been to school."
Lykos nodded. "It is a long shot."
"And all this assumes the witch or wizard on the street isn't going to figure out what's going on beforehand. Remember, most people don't know we're being secretly ruled by the Dark Lord, or else the streets would be running with blood. What will happen to werewolves when the people revolt?"
Lykos paled, grasping the implications.
"You're saying if the Dark Lord stays in power long enough, we're dead. And if there's a popular revolt against him that succeeds, we're dead too?"
Lupin nodded.
"However, the Order of the Phoenix is still out there. My wife is still fighting, as is Kingsley Shacklebolt — the last loyal Aurors. There are others too. If we stand together with them, we'll have a chance. If we help the Dark Lord destroy all his enemies, there will be nobody left when the time comes for him to destroy us."
"So what is your solution, then? You've tried to convince Greyback to ally with the Order of the Phoenix before, and he hasn't agreed with you then. Even if Greyback decided on this policy change, what makes you think the Order of the Phoenix will accept his help?"
"That's why we need to kill him," Lupin said. "He's got too much blood on his hands, especially now. I've got some myself, but I've also got friends in the Order who will vouch for me."
Lykos regarded Lupin for a long moment.
Oh dear. I hope I don't have to alter his memory or kill him.
Slowly, Lykos nodded.
"If that's what it takes," he said.
He swallowed.
"However, if you intend to topple Greyback, especially if you want to impose such a radical policy change, you'll need more than the two of us and some misgivings, however justified. Greyback built this colony. He brought us all together, when before we were friendless outcasts living on the margins. He made us strong."
Lupin nodded.
"When the time comes, the others need not know it was us who did it, at least not immediately."
"Really?"
"You said that Greyback knows the Death Eaters are using us. I assume this knowledge is widespread among the inner circle of his lieutenants?"
Lykos nodded.
"Except for Jason Willis and Tabitha Alexander," he said. "They honestly believe the Dark Lord intends to establish a more just society for magical beings like us, the goblins, and the centaurs. And they don't trust you at all. If you intend to bring us over to the side of the Order of the Phoenix, they'll need to be dealt with as well."
Lupin nodded.
I know how to deal with people.
He smiled grimly.
"I think we have our scapegoats," Lupin said.
Lykos did not react for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Good idea."
I think I've got a co-conspirator. Just need a few more.
"But what about the Order?" Lykos interrupted. "They might be skeptical about fighting alongside werewolves, especially after you went over to us."
"Tonks can help us with that, as can Harry Potter and his friends. Even if the Order doesn't want our help, they're not in a position to refuse it."
Something dark smiled inside Lupin.
"If necessary, they can be persuaded."
