The clearing was large enough that Harry and both of the teams could stand in it comfortably, but the dark of the woods hedged them close from every side. There was no electricity in the werewolf forest, and any buildings there relied on kerosene or magic. As such, there was very little light pollution to cut into the darkness. However, the moon was almost full and gave more than enough light to pick through the sparse trees. At least for Teddy.

The other team, Collins and Jones, were looking uneasily around. Jones was a quiet guy, not mousy but content to mostly just observe things. Collins was one of the two females in Teddy's Auror class. She was confident and competent and Teddy probably would have liked her. However, she held him in contempt for being his godfather's pet Auror. It was hard to like someone that didn't like you.

Collins glanced fearfully up at the sky, only patches of it visible through shadowy tree boughs. "Is it safe?" she asked. She stepped closer to Hasan, as if wanting his protection. Collins could take care of herself just fine as long as she had a wand in her hand. Hasan, as always, seemed oblivious to her attempt at flirting.

"Isn't it a full moon?" Collins asked Hasan when he hadn't said anything.

Teddy snorted, impatient. "That was last night." Everyone else looked at him and he realized his mistake. He scrambled for an excuse. "Lunar cycles are important to a lot of potions, don't you pay attention?"

Collins shook her head and said with her usual scorn, "None of the rest of us are related to a Potions Master."

Teddy glanced towards Harry for his reaction, but Harry was distracted by the Alpha who had materialized out of the woods. Teddy had already recognized the Alpha's scent the moment they arrived. Teddy had known the Alpha must be close but, even expecting him, the Alpha managed to give Teddy a shiver of fear.

The Alpha seemed to emerge out of nothing. Even when he was out of the deeper shadows, the moon only illuminated him enough to emphasize his hulking figure. Between that and his shadowed face, he had an eerie, almost unearthly, presence. Teddy figured the Alpha achieved this by paying close attention to light sources but the effect was still quite a feat to pull off without any magic. Teddy supposed that the Alpha resorted to these tricks because he wanted to keep the upper hand over a pack of wizard werewolves. The same logic probably applied to a bunch of wizard police.

The Alpha had been a Muggle before he was changed, and now experienced the double stigma of being both a werewolf and a Muggle. The Alpha needed his mystique and intimidation to make up for his lack of magic.

The Alpha stepped forward from the denser trees and the moon highlighted bulging muscles and the plethora of scars that crossed over his skin. He tilted his dirty-blond hair from his face and gave the group a blank stare. The rest of the group stared back, caught in the Alpha's spell.

Harry caught his balance quickly enough and abruptly started into explanations. The Alpha had agreed to let the Aurors on the grounds for the investigation, but only if they had a werewolf guide at all times. Tonight the Alpha had chosen to escort them.

Harry then introduced the Aurors. The Alpha responded to each introduction with an impassive once over and a nod of acknowledgment. When it came to Teddy, the Alpha gave no indication that he recognized him, and instead gave the same sardonic nod he had given the others. On the one hand, Teddy was grateful that the Alpha, despite being a Muggle and mostly flippant to the wizarding world's taboos, was respecting his desire for secrecy.

On the other, Teddy did not know the Alpha well enough to read any body language that might indicate who the victim was. Teddy had never enjoyed being part of the pack and had never bothered to try to fit in. Now he cursed himself for it because it had made him blind to anything he could have picked up now from the Alpha. It also had blinded him to whatever dangers had come into their pack and forest.