Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Rowling of Secrets.

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Feathers, Fangs and Flames

Chapter XXXVII

Hunted

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The Triwizard Tournament was over – Hogwarts had won. The Minister of Magic took extra care to announce Cedric Diggory as the sole winner – the Hufflepuff was leading in points before the Third Task, thus paving the path for Fudge to make such a move. Diggory denied being the sole wictor and claimed that Harry Potter deserved victory as much, or even more than he did. Cornelius Fudge, of course, did not care in the slightest, but the Hufflepuff's speech at least made him grumble something about the impartial decision of the judges.

Not soon after a rather unceremoniously given prize of one thousand Galleons was in Cedric's Hands, the Minister was gone with his own business, claiming important matters to the magical Britain. The foreign visitors were appalled at such a handling of things, but did not voice their complaints too loud. Yet. Albus Dumbledore was away, Karkaroff, as it turned out, had disappeared in the early stages of the panic, and Madam Maxime, even though larger than most, was not enough to satisfy everyone's curiosity. When she was bombarded with questions it came to light that she did not know much more than the average wizard doing the asking.

Thus, Hogwarts turned into a buzzing hive of rumours and misinformation. Some third years were claiming that Harry Potter turned into a phoenix and disappeared together with Remus Lupin, others were swearing that he had torn Cho Chang to pieces in front of the whole stands full of witnesses. A seventh year Slytherin was claiming that Dumbledore decided to confirm death sentence for Harry Potter and his phoenix left him with the final display of phoenix flames, thus finally outing Albus Dumbledore as a true dark wizard.

Fred and George, although shocked with the events having transpired at the final task, plunged neck deep into the rumour business, trying to come up with the silliest stories to tell others, trying to make the Rotfang Conspiracy look sensible in comparison. They took the Moony's supposed guilt like a personal insult, 'uncovering' hundreds of different plots – including one, where Remus Lupin was a formerly unknown bastard son of Merlin, thrown forward in time by the evil magic, and now, only by visiting the Stonehenge he and Harry Potter would be able to save the world. Of course, that last bit conveniently served as an explanation where the two had gone to. That others were recounting the tale, told much about the thirst the Hogwarts rumour mill had.

The mystery only grew in size, as the Ministry was yet to announce an official version of the events, and newest the Daily Prophet issue kept being delayed – rumours told it was going to be sent to every Witch and Wizard at any minute, but no one had gotten to see anything yet.

If that was a plan of the Ministry to stop people talking about the events before a consensus was found, it only proved to be a perfect highlight – the end of the Triwizard Tournament was being discussed everywhere – you couldn't find a single wizard in the whole British Isles who hadn't heard about the disappearance of Harry Potter and the impromptu court session between Albus Dumbledore and Lucius Malfoy.

To make the matters worse, no one had seen the Harry Potter since his change, no one knew where Remus Lupin was, and Albus Dumbledore was, according to the rumours, locked in a seemingly endless debate in an emergency session at Wizengamot.

No one could stop talking about it. The Sunday's breakfast had everyone eagerly waiting for the owls carrying the issue of Daily Prophet that just did not arrive.

It was into this information starved of a gathering that Cho ended up walking into that Sunday morning.

She had managed but a couple of steps when the gazes of everyone present in the great hall fell on her. To their credit, no student tried to swam her – but the moment she sat down, at Ravenclaw table, the most curious ones scooted closer, and started asking questions.

"Where were you all night?" Roger Davies, was the first one to intrude upon her, since she chose to sit between him and Marietta - somewhere near her usual place.

Cho, still slightly shaken with the sudden attention, tried to reply as calmly as she could. "In the hospital wing."

"We were worried about you," Roger explained, still looking worried. "When you didn't turn up in the dormitory, the Quidditch team even went looking for you. Grant got detention from being out after the hours-"

"Were you hurt?" Marietta interrupted Roger quite rudely. "How is... Harry?"

"I don't know." Cho muttered taking a glass of pumpkin juice, her hand shaking, drops of pumpkin juice spraying her sleeve. "Could we not talk about it?"

"You're not wearing your bracelet," a girl remarked from further away.

That sent a whole new round of whispers.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Marietta gasped and grabbed Cho's hand.

Cho jumped back at the sudden movement and touch. "I'm sorry," she said. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"He did." Marietta huffed angrily, making her own deductions from her behaviour.

"Of course Harry hurt her," Lisa all but shouted from the other side of the table. "He's a werewolf and he never told her! He didn't bite you, I hope?"

"No - I..." Cho whitened like paper and her glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the ground, luckily it was already mostly empty, and the splash only singed her feet.

"Enough." Cedric stood up – he had been at the table the whole time – keeping Marietta company, minding his own until that moment. "She said she doesn't want to talk about it."

Roger scratched the back of his head. "What the heck..." He slammed a fist into the table. "You heard what Diggory said – leave Cho alone, and go bugger someone else!"

The table stilled – and people quickly returned to their usual whispers.

"Thank you," Cho offered, as she vanished the shards of the glass with the slightly trembling hand.

"Anytime." Roger grinned at the small girl. "I have to look out for my best Seeker."

Cho sighed, wiped a couple of rising tears from her face, and tried to finally eat something. It proved a difficult task, with all the whispers about her. "That's how he..." She almost choked on the thought, and looked around – no one seemed to have heard her, beside Marietta and Roger, and they did not opt to press her to explain.

After the longest breakfast she could remember - one that felt like it took hours, when she was already leaving, Ron and Hermione found her. Two people she did not really want to talk to, but knew that she had to. So, she just sighed once more, and turned to greet them.

Ron seemed to be on the edge a lot more than Hermione was, although Cho noticed the bushy haired girl biting at her lips nervously – they did not want to speak where anyone could overhear, and Cho, frantically trying to figure out just what she was going to tell them, was not waiting until they were clear. Giving her a moment of respite, Roger was still playing a bodyguard, more focused on keeping anyone else away, than getting in the way of Ron and Hermione, but he was someone neither of Harry's friends trusted enough to start speaking properly.

That led to them walking around the issue, at first.

"How do you feel?" Hermione had just asked. "After yesterday?"

"Fine," she offered, twitching at how 'Harry' she had just sounded.

"And Harry?" Ron asked. Hermione gently touched his hand. "McGonagall did not let us see him, but we know he's in the castle somewhere."

Roger raised an eyebrow at that, but did not comment – he was busy shooing away some brave and nosy fifth year.

Cho glanced at Roger. "I don't know."

Ron looked ready to protest, but Hermione's hand was holding him in check.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that," Hermione offered. "Harry never would wish to hurt you."

Cho whitened considerably. "I know," she whispered. No one heard her.

"Cho?" Hermione pressed on.

"I'm so sorry." Cho had tears running down her cheeks. "I – I can't..."

Roger moved closer. "Hey, I know Harry's your best friend, but don't make Cho-"

Cho stopped him, still sobbing. "It's fine, Roger, really, just - let me speak to them alone."

"Are you sure?"

"We'll take care of her," Hermione said. "We're not going to make her say anything she doesn't want to."

Ron glanced at Roger, looked back at Hermione, and nodded. "Yeah. Of course."

"If you say so." Roger shrugged, before going off. "Cho, if you need anything, I'm going to be in the common room, near the bookshelves. Later."

Cho nodded at her Quidditch captain, and followed him with her eyes until he was gone around the next corned. Cho turned back to the two Gryffindors and took a deep breath.

"Did Dumbledore let you see Harry?" Ron asked, quite impatiently, but at least, in a pleasant tone.

"No." She replied, trying to wipe her tears of with the sleeve. "I don't know what to say..." She leaned back to the wall, for support, her legs wobbling uncontrollably. "Dumbledore didn't say much of anything. I er..." Cho looked around once more. "I saw Professor Lupin. He didn't look good – and he was speaking with Dumbledore – I'm not sure that I remember what about, even. Is it true – everyone is talking differently – is Professor Lupin going to be hunted by the ministry?"

"He is." Hermione sighed. "Of course, there's the Wizengamot session that is going to debate the whole thing to death, but it's probably not going to get changed. We should know something until Monday. What about Harry?"

"Harry," the name was painful for Cho to pronounce, and she sobbed once again. "I don't know. Dumbledore said he was going to be fine, but I – I can't – I saw his eyes. Hermione, I saw his eyes."

Hermione gently touched her shoulder, slowly trying to warm up to her, calm her down.

Cho, however, twitched back like Hermione had hit her. "I'm sorry. I just – can't."

Then, she slid down the wall to slump uncomfortably on the ground. "That wolf – Harry – it looked right into my eyes – and I," she was pouring the words fast now, losing some of them, but the general meaning was clear, and her eyes were staring into nothingness. "It wanted to kill me. But at the same time – he wanted to save me. But Harry wasn't – I saw him trying, but he couldn't – I jumped back, and he attacked. Dumbledore said that there was a spell, and he couldn't have bitten me in that room – I was safe – but I wasn't – I saw how he was trying to get to me – I can't even close my eyes without seeing him now – and the blood..." She quieted down a notch. "He was bleeding before – from the scar, or that was during the task – and that blood..."

Cho touched her own face, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. She quickly grabbed at the tickle of salty water with her hand, then, flexed her fingers slowly back, to look. It was as if she was expecting the wet tears to be blood. Her expression softened a bit when she saw that her fingers were only wet with tears.

"If there wasn't a spell – if the Headmaster hadn't-" Cho said, after a short pause. "Harry would have bit me. He might have killed me."

Hermione covered her mouth. Ron was simply gaping at Cho, his own fears playing in the back of his mind, his eyes gleaming with that fear, hidden deep inside.

"I'm sorry." Cho said. "I don't think I could see Harry just now – but the Headmaster said he should be fine in a couple of days."

"What about Remus – you saw him?" Ron asked. "Harry did not want to hurt you – he just can't help himself on the full moon. He cares about you a lot – he even mumbles so in his sleep."

"I know." Cho hugged her legs closer. "But I can't – maybe – later – I barely held myself from running from Professor Lupin. But Dumbledore was there – and I don't know what I'm going to do if I see Harry."

Hermione offered her a hand. "He's going to understand."

"No-" Cho argued, not even sparing the hand a look. "I promised him. And I can't keep that promise. I never imagined – I can't."

"People make promises all the time," Hermione said. "It is bad to break a promise, but it might be worse to let a promise break you."

"Thank you," Cho still did not take the hand. "I hope I won't have to - you know - it might get better after a while - just - I can't look at anyone trying to touch me the way I could before."

Hermione withdrew the hand. "I understand."

"You don't." Cho rubbed her eyes again. "But thanks for trying."

There was a short pause. Cho slowly got up, moving precisely, yet incredibly slow. Hermione crossed her arms.

"Don't turn away from him," Cho asked, stunning both Ron and Hermione. "He's going to need the two of you. Now, more than ever. I'm sorry that I betrayed your trust."

Then, she straightened herself, and dug out something from her bag, quickly shoving it into Ron's hands.

"Tell Harry - I don't know - I'm sorry," Cho added. "Just ask him not to go looking for me - to not make it harder for us that it is now. I'll find him. Tell him that I don't... It wasn't just his fault. "

And she was off.

Hermione turned to Ron, who was clutching the silvery glinting piece safely hidden in his grip. The pieces of Cho's silver raven bracelet.

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"Moony?" were Harry's first coherent words, after he shredded the wolf's skin. "What happened?"

"I hoped you would be the one to shed light on the matter, Harry." It turned out that Albus Dumbledore was in the classroom together with Remus. It smelled of raw meet, regret, pain and magic. "How do you feel?"

"Strange." Harry replied, shaking his head - everything was spinning - there were some things that just did not fit - for one, there were far too many colours than before. "How long was I...?"

"Four nights," Remus answered. "Until the moon was no longer full."

"It's all... So blurry," Harry licked his teeth feeling the alluring taste of fresh meat, however, he already felt rather full, meaning he did not only dream of hunting, but actually had eaten something. He hoped it wasn't anything still alive. "In the end, I thought I wasn't going to change back."

Remus nodded. "I thought we lost you."

Harry laughed with a barking, dead man's laughter, so eerily similar to Sirius' that Remus shuddered.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up again, but there are a couple of people eager to see you, and I can not, in good consciousness, permit them entry, until we have confirmed that it is safe," Dumbledore looked rather tired, that was becoming an usual sight for Harry.

However, Harry did not really listen further than the mention of someone else coming to visit. "Cho?! How is she?"

"Miss Chang has emerged the ordeal without any injuries, however she

has been severely shaken by the experience. She is getting better, but alas, she is not one of the visitors waiting for the evaluation of your state to end."

Harry clenched his teeth. "I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't. It was too fast - too intense..."

Remus sat right next to him, placing an assuring hand over Harry's shoulders. "I know how you feel - but nothing happened that can't be fixed in the future."

"Is there anything else?" Harry asked Dumbledore. "I remember something about Malfoy speaking loudly - the senior one - but the memory is rather vague - what happened?"

"Harry, we will explain everything later - I need to know what happened during the the Third Task - I have only third hand accounts, and I need to know what you saw in particular."

"I understand, sir," Harry said as he sat straighter, trying to stretch the muscles of his body. "It was another attack by Voldemort. He's back."

Neither Dumbledore nor Remus looked one bit surprised - Harry figured that it was more like he had just confirmed a theory or a rumour, rather than bringing breaking news. Or, even, that he wasn't the first source to have seen proof.

"He tried to do something similar to what he did in the second task. But this time, he was stronger - and he restrained the wolf - he was trying to anger me, too, as much as possible. He told me that it was a secret of Fenrir Greyback."

"I see." Dumbledore hummed under his breath. Not a merry tune, by any stretch of imagination, rather, a thoughtful melody. "I believe that we can now say that the rumour about Fenrir's changes has basis in truth. Voldemort must know even more than he has revealed, but it is something we can work with. Could you tell me everything before it? Perhaps, you should start at the beginning of the task and we will work our way through your experiences."

And Harry did so - he launched into a short explanation of how the task started, what obstacles did he get through. He mentioned the strange voice that he seemingly heard during the confrontation with Cedric, and the vision with Voldemort.

"Further than anybody along the path to immortality?" Remus asked, after Harry was finished. "Albus, do you know what that means?"

The headmaster shrugged, thoughtful. "It could mean any number of things - but it confirms at least, that it is something Voldemort came up by himself, but had built upon the known methods - for he claims to have used the very same road that others do."

"Does this have to do with the diary, sir?" Harry asked. "With the shattered parts of his soul?"

Dumbledore nodded, as Remus looked confused.

"He has made more than one of - whatever that book was?" Harry pressed on.

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "They are called Horcruxes, and are one of the foulest things a man can do to his own soul."

"Horcruxes." Harry echoed quietly to himself.

"I haven't heard about them," Remus admitted. "Something with a part of the soul? A cursed object?"

"Worse," Dumbledore explained. "Essentially, a Horcrux is a vessel for one's soul, made by the rituals that cost one every part of him that is human - a soul, divided and scattered is then sealed into some sort of artifact, protected by the worst enchantments known to Voldemort, hidden in a safe place. As long as one of his Horcruxes is left - Voldemort cannot truly die."

"But they can be anywhere!" Harry spluttered.

"And thus, you see the crux of the problem."

"There can be any number of them, and any one of them would be guarded." Remus looked downwards. "Seems like an impossible task."

Dumbledore smiled, fatherly, reassuringly. "But you don't have to concern about it too much - I am currently researching a couple of possible ways to find some of the information we need, to find the missing pieces of the puzzle."

"Sir," Harry spoke again, his voice ringing with determination. "I want you to bring me together when you go to find it."

Dumbledore thought about it. "I am not going to dissuade you to wait for a couple of years?"

Harry shook his head.

"Alright. I will try to include you in the efforts."

"I want to assist as well." Remus spoke up. "It's as much my fight as it is Harry's. And it seems I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands anyway."

Harry jumped at that - it rang too bleak for him not to ask. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I kinda went and did a slightly stupid thing," Remus admitted. "I hope you won't be too angry."

"What did you do?"

"I -" Remus took a deep breath. "I told them a part of the truth."

"It was one of the safer ways to handle it." Dumbledore came to Remus' aid. "Not the best one, but one that effectively wiped your slate clean."

"What did you do?" Harry repeated once more.

"I told them it was me who changed you."

"But - you said that if the ministry would get wind of it, they would try to kill you - I remember - you said it when you came to visit me at Dursleys!" Harry was shouting heatedly. "You promised that you were going to keep it a secret."

"Unless your life was on the line." Remus added calmly. "There was a chance that Lucius could have gotten his claim approved."

Harry raised an eyebrow, still fuming. "What claim?"

"To put it simply," Dumbledore tried to explain calmly. "Lucius Malfoy tried to use an old case that was the basis of the Werewolf Code of Conduct that was approved by the Ministry in sixteen thirty seven. Its the first time the hatred against werewolves reached the laws of the Ministry. At that time, one of the Black family members was killed by a werewolf, and the public was demanding blood. It was more of a violent period that time, more barbaric that it is now, but no one ever rescinded that part of the laws - 'if a werewolf shall lay a hand on the last heir of any magical family, his life is forfeit'. That was the first time the werewolves were held as less than an average wizard. There have been cruel and unfair laws before, but the whole Code of Conduct was actually an attempt to put werewolves in the same category as dark creatures."

"Lucius could have killed me?" Harry asked, not believing his ears. "In front of witnesses - and he would have gotten away with it?"

"Well - no." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "He would have been thrown to court, and there, he would have tried to use the defence basing it on the cases long past. It was probable that he still would have faced Azkaban, even with such a defence ready. However, he went upon it from another angle - he demanded the right to be the one to kill you."

Harry shook his head. "I remember only the screaming crowds."

"In any case," Dumbledore continued. "He might have gotten an official hearing to approve his claim, then, it would have fallen onto the Wizengamot to dispute that precedent, and then, it would have been a long game in the halls of Wizengamot for yours truly. Lucius must have know that - thus, he demanded an answer to be given directly and fast.

"In a sense, that was a perfect move for his part - it is a worrying thing to believe, but I believe that he had contact with Voldemort, as the timing was impeccable. His demand, upon the moment of crowds panicking, was measured - I was to be restraining you, and by distracting me, he hoped that I would make a mistake. Either hurting you myself, of agreeing to his terms."

Remus was looking at his boots. "And it worked - I reacted the way I did - revealing that I was behind the turning bite."

"It was not the worst that could have happened." Dumbledore gave Remus a short glance. "You do not need to concern yourself with what has already passed. My own response would have thrown the case into Wizengamot, and there, Lucius would have had a better standing - he would have demonstrated my inability to make important decisions, would have called me biased, and that, most certainly would have impacted both mine and your reputations, not mentioning the slim chance of his demand being approved.

"The rash action Remus took saved us a lot of time. There has been a fallout at Wizengamot, an emergency session on my too fast of an action, with certain parties asking for my resignation as the Chief Warlock, but the interesting way our society's politics work is that Lucius cannot afford for me to be resigned - in that case they would have to overrule the offending decision and that would mean that Lucius tried to use the Unforgivable Curse on Professor Lupin, before he had any sort of right to - a fact that can be easily confirmed by then Auror Alastor Moody - he inspected the wand as to what the spell was not soon after.

"Thus, if Lucius doesn't want to go Azkaban for a handful of years, he has to keep me in the post until the end of the year, at least." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mischievously. "An arrangement he is not very happy about. Alas, the cost for us is high, too."

"There have been warrants issued for my capture on Monday," Remus spoke up with fake cheerfulness. "The hunt for Werewolf Professor Remus Lupin, with a significant prize money, offered by the Malfoy family, in addition to standard Ministry rewards. It's good to know my worth - the last figure was around two thousand galleons for taking me alive or one thousand five hundred for my corpse. A thousand below Fenrir Greyback, but he's a special case."

"Moony!" Harry grabbed him on the sleeve. "Do not joke with things like it."

"I'm just pointing out that there's a five hundred galleons prize for trying to keep me alive. It's not like I have Dementors after me." Remus winked. "And if you ever need the money..."

"Stop joking like that." Harry just grabbed the werewolf in the hug, and held for his dear life. "Don't make me lose you too."

"I won't." Remus ruffled Harry's hair. "Being hunted isn't something completely new for me."

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The time isn't as forgiving as I'd like, but I managed to upload a newer version of the first chapter, the second and third chapters are currently in the works, hopefully Morta's Priest will help there too. Obviously, the 38th chapter is a priority.

Happy New Year.