THE GAROU
By Reija Linn
Chapter II - Back at the Castle
When morning came, Sirius and Fang brought the unconscious Remus back to the castle. Sirius transformed himself to his dog form, and to his great astonishment, Fang transformed himself, too, after passing the town's borders. He'd warned Sirius that he might find the Crinos form, as he'd described it, a little threatening.
A little threatening was no description. Fangs body, already very massive, grew until it stood over nine feet tall. His clothing seemed to vanish into thin air as muscles grew. His hands and feet changed into massive paws with long, cruel claws protruding from them, and his body was covered in thick, muddy-coloured fur. But most threatening of all was his face. As he took on the new form, Fang's head changed into a wolf's maw with long, sharp, deadly fangs, wolf's ears protruding from it. To top all this, a long, hairy tail sprouted from Fangs fur-covered body. But although all of this was shocking beyond words to Sirius, despite Fang's warning, it also triggered some kind of memory, like a long-forgotten dream. Though his mind told him this... thing before him was a monster to be feared, somewhere in his heart he knew it was still Fang, the strange but overall friendly man he'd spoken with earlier.
Fang scooped Remus up with his long, ape-like arms, careful not to hurt the unconscious boy with his claws.
"Come," he said to Sirius, a raw, guttural tone that was no longer even remotely human. And he ran, across the fields, through the Forbidden Forrest, Padfoot on his heels, with unending stamina, never even halting for breath, not even seeming to notice the dead weight of Remus.
Sirius knew they had only scarce time to get to the castle. Remus had turned back shortly after five, but the transformation had been so straining that despite his wondering at his surroundings, he'd fallen back to unconsciousness almost immediately. And he knew that Madam Pomfrey usually picked Remus up around eight, when everyone else was at breakfast and she could be almost certain that no pupils were strolling about outside or having early Quidditch practices.
Still, they reached the grounds in time. For the last part of the run, Sirius - panting and straining his canine form almost to it's limit, lead the way, and he halted only a short way from the castle, just beyond sight. After transforming back to his human form, he turned to Fang, desperately trying to control the urge to run from his fearful sight. Curiously, Fang's Crinos form hadn't bothered him so much when he'd been canine.
Fang stopped in his run, carefully laying Remus body on the ground. Strangely enough, Remus hadn't woken during the run towards Hogwarts, but right now, his eyelids began to flutter. With growing amazement, Sirius watched as Fang's body transformed once again - to that of a very ordinary looking human. No claws remained, no fur on his body, and somehow, the previously vanished clothing reappeared. Not even the slightly pointed ears or the sharper-than usual carnivore teeth Sirius remembered from before remained. Only the huge scar and the crippled hand were still to be seen. Fang also appeared a little smaller than before, though he was still broad-shouldered, but that, of course, could just be the sharp contrast between the frightening wolf-man form and the normal, human body.
Remus finally awoke, and his confused gaze wandered from Sirius to the unknown man. "Where... where am I?" He asked, nervously.
"Safe," Sirius smiled, hugging his friend. "I'll explain later. We have to get you to the Shack now. Think you can walk?"
Shakily, Remus got up from the ground with the help of Sirius. "Yeah."
"Good. Let's go."
Sirius turned to Fang, a shaky smile on his face. "I... I don't know who you really are, or, or /what/ you are, or why you helped us, but thank you. You probably saved Remus' life. The ministry doesn't take kindly to werewolves who... who hurt someone. Thank you."
Fang returned his smile. "No problem, mate. It's a sin not to aid those who are in need. At least, so I've been told. Never thought much of sin and so myself, but I'll help anyone who needs help and who accepts it from me. Hey, I'm sorry if all of this was a little. Well. If it was too much for you. I know you're running out of time right now, but if you can make it, meet me with your mate here in three days time, after sunset, at the city entrance. We got some business to clear up, I guess, and I suppose I know some folk who'll be better at explaining than I am."
With this, Fang turned and stalked off in the direction of the Forbidden forest. Remus shook his head in confusion. "Who was that? And how did I come here, Padfoot?"
Sirius grabbed his friend, lending him his shoulder to lean on. "Later, Rem. Madam Pomfrey could turn up at the Shack any minute now. Perhaps she's already there. The sooner we go, the better."
TBC
By Reija Linn
Chapter II - Back at the Castle
When morning came, Sirius and Fang brought the unconscious Remus back to the castle. Sirius transformed himself to his dog form, and to his great astonishment, Fang transformed himself, too, after passing the town's borders. He'd warned Sirius that he might find the Crinos form, as he'd described it, a little threatening.
A little threatening was no description. Fangs body, already very massive, grew until it stood over nine feet tall. His clothing seemed to vanish into thin air as muscles grew. His hands and feet changed into massive paws with long, cruel claws protruding from them, and his body was covered in thick, muddy-coloured fur. But most threatening of all was his face. As he took on the new form, Fang's head changed into a wolf's maw with long, sharp, deadly fangs, wolf's ears protruding from it. To top all this, a long, hairy tail sprouted from Fangs fur-covered body. But although all of this was shocking beyond words to Sirius, despite Fang's warning, it also triggered some kind of memory, like a long-forgotten dream. Though his mind told him this... thing before him was a monster to be feared, somewhere in his heart he knew it was still Fang, the strange but overall friendly man he'd spoken with earlier.
Fang scooped Remus up with his long, ape-like arms, careful not to hurt the unconscious boy with his claws.
"Come," he said to Sirius, a raw, guttural tone that was no longer even remotely human. And he ran, across the fields, through the Forbidden Forrest, Padfoot on his heels, with unending stamina, never even halting for breath, not even seeming to notice the dead weight of Remus.
Sirius knew they had only scarce time to get to the castle. Remus had turned back shortly after five, but the transformation had been so straining that despite his wondering at his surroundings, he'd fallen back to unconsciousness almost immediately. And he knew that Madam Pomfrey usually picked Remus up around eight, when everyone else was at breakfast and she could be almost certain that no pupils were strolling about outside or having early Quidditch practices.
Still, they reached the grounds in time. For the last part of the run, Sirius - panting and straining his canine form almost to it's limit, lead the way, and he halted only a short way from the castle, just beyond sight. After transforming back to his human form, he turned to Fang, desperately trying to control the urge to run from his fearful sight. Curiously, Fang's Crinos form hadn't bothered him so much when he'd been canine.
Fang stopped in his run, carefully laying Remus body on the ground. Strangely enough, Remus hadn't woken during the run towards Hogwarts, but right now, his eyelids began to flutter. With growing amazement, Sirius watched as Fang's body transformed once again - to that of a very ordinary looking human. No claws remained, no fur on his body, and somehow, the previously vanished clothing reappeared. Not even the slightly pointed ears or the sharper-than usual carnivore teeth Sirius remembered from before remained. Only the huge scar and the crippled hand were still to be seen. Fang also appeared a little smaller than before, though he was still broad-shouldered, but that, of course, could just be the sharp contrast between the frightening wolf-man form and the normal, human body.
Remus finally awoke, and his confused gaze wandered from Sirius to the unknown man. "Where... where am I?" He asked, nervously.
"Safe," Sirius smiled, hugging his friend. "I'll explain later. We have to get you to the Shack now. Think you can walk?"
Shakily, Remus got up from the ground with the help of Sirius. "Yeah."
"Good. Let's go."
Sirius turned to Fang, a shaky smile on his face. "I... I don't know who you really are, or, or /what/ you are, or why you helped us, but thank you. You probably saved Remus' life. The ministry doesn't take kindly to werewolves who... who hurt someone. Thank you."
Fang returned his smile. "No problem, mate. It's a sin not to aid those who are in need. At least, so I've been told. Never thought much of sin and so myself, but I'll help anyone who needs help and who accepts it from me. Hey, I'm sorry if all of this was a little. Well. If it was too much for you. I know you're running out of time right now, but if you can make it, meet me with your mate here in three days time, after sunset, at the city entrance. We got some business to clear up, I guess, and I suppose I know some folk who'll be better at explaining than I am."
With this, Fang turned and stalked off in the direction of the Forbidden forest. Remus shook his head in confusion. "Who was that? And how did I come here, Padfoot?"
Sirius grabbed his friend, lending him his shoulder to lean on. "Later, Rem. Madam Pomfrey could turn up at the Shack any minute now. Perhaps she's already there. The sooner we go, the better."
TBC