"What I don't understand," Flitwick protested as they lowered themselves one by one through the gaping hole in the floor of the Shrieking Shack, "is why they are here. The lunar cycle-"
"They have a potion," Snape broke in. "A variation of the Wolfsbane Potion which causes the same reaction as the full moon. Lupin is a werewolf tonight."
"By Merlin," Flitwick breathed as Moira dropped to the ground beside him. "So at this moment-"
"Remus is not Remus," Moira answered, lighting a flame in her hand and stepping over the roots growing through the floor of the passage with Flitwick directly behind her. Within moments, they were standing ankle deep in snow just a few feet from the Whomping Willow.
"We're too late!" Sirius gasped.
The others followed his gaze to the sky over the castle where a green skull glittered faintly, a snake protruding from its mouth. Without a word, Dumbledore hurried toward the school with Snape, Moira, Sirius, and Filius following closely behind.
"Thesanus!" he cried, his step never slowing as he ran directly toward an outer wall. A stone door sprang open just as he reached it, and slammed shut again just as the last in the party entered.
Harry looked down at what his fellow Gryffindors had been able to scramble together as weapons. The pile included a number of Filibusters, a handful of Canary Creams, three exploding quills, Ron's old broken wand, Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and a number of odds and ends that pretty much completed the pile of useless junk as far as stopping a werewolf was concerned.
"Couldn't someone sneak out in Harry's cloak and get help?" Lavender had asked.
"No way," Hermione answered. "Lupin would smell him in an instant and tear him apart."
Harry cringed at the thought. Somehow, just the mention of it gave him the feeling that he would be torn apart. As he glanced around, he saw he was not the only one shivering.
"Well, we can't just stay here and wait for him to get through that door," Ron said. "And I don't plan on being dinner for a shaggy fleabag."
"Ron, that's Professor Lupin!" Hermione protested.
"No, Mione, that's a werewolf waiting to tear us limb from limb. Professor Lupin ceased to exist as soon as that thing grew claws and teeth."
"First things first," George broke in, "The youngest students should get up to the highest rooms. That way, they're out of the way."
"And the last one's he'll go after," Fred offered. "First, second and third years."
"Maybe they can make a rope out of the sheets and climb down from the window?" Neville offered, quietly.
"It's too high," Angelina countered. "Unless they use the sheets from all our beds and try a lower window." She looked around the room. "That might be our way out. Start gathering sheets form the beds. Then get into the lowest room and start putting together a ladder. Tear them into strips if you have to. Just make sure the knots are tight." A group of younger students ran off, splitting as they reached the stairs to forage for sheets.
"The rest of us should start piling furniture on the door. Barricade it. I don't think it'll hold him, but it might buy us enough time to get out." Harry looked around at his fellow students, surprised that few of them showed absolute fear. He realized that he himself was too geared up for survival to allow himself to think too deeply on the possibilities for a short-lived future.
Tables were turned on their sides and pushed against the door. Heavy chairs were pushed up behind it for added weight. Just about anything that that could be moved was added for support. It was, after all, their last and only line of defense. As they stacked furniture, they heard the heavy door splintering. Vicious snarls were echoing through the chamber, which suddenly felt very small. There wasn't much time now.
The passage brought them to a back entrance to the Great Hall. Dumbledore reached for the door, but Moira waved him off and pressed her ear against the door. Hearing nothing on the other side, she pointed her wand and whispered a few words. The door exploded from its hinges. From the shattered doorframe, they were filled with horror. The staff that had been left behind was lying very still on the floor behind the faculty table. Dumbledore raced instantly to McGonagall who lay on her side, a thin line of blood trickling from her brow.
"Enervate," he said, pointing his wand at her. Her eyes whipped open.
"Voldemort!" she gasped.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Death Eaters! In the school!"
"Minerva, are you injured?"
"They're here, Albus. We must help the children!" She gripped his robes as he helped her to her feet.
"Where are the students?" Moira asked. "Where is Remus?"
"I don't know."
An inhuman cry filled the school. Remus was howling.
"He's under the Imperious Curse," Snape announced gravely, "and I know who Voldemort sent him after."
"Harry." Sirius and Moira both said the name in unison. They turned and ran down the length of the room, vaulting tables, and disappeared through the main doors.
"Albus, Minerva, wake the rest of the staff and search the school for the rest of the students or any Death Eaters," Snape told them. "We'll find Lupin."
"We've got it!" Dennis yelled down the spiral staircase. "It almost reaches the ground!"
"Tie it to something heavy!" Angelina yelled back up. "Then, get out!"
Dennis ran back up the stairs. George and Fred were issuing orders on where furniture needed to be moved and the barricade reinforced. They began sending students up to the chamber to climb out the window with the younger ones. Finally, with only a handful left, the structure began to move. The werewolf was through the door and pushing on the barricade, trying to reach the students.
"Run! Everyone upstairs!" Fred yelled. The last of the Gryffindors turned on their heels and ran as fast as they could up the stairs. The barricade was tumbling down behind them. They didn't have to turn to know the werewolf was in the Common Room.
"Gryffindor Tower!" Moira yelled, grabbing Sirius by the arm.
"How do you know?"
"I can see his claw marks on the floor. He went up."
"Then that's where we're going."
A dozen students were still in the bedchamber when the door was bolted. It alone separated them from prolonged pain and certain death. The beds and armoires were too heavy to push, and the nightstands would add no strength. Quickly, students were slipping out the window onto the ledge to shimmy down a makeshift ladder the hundred feet or so to the ground with frozen fingers and fears of falling or being torn apart. Much too soon, Harry heard the door begin to crack and turned in time to see a claw shoot through the wood.
Moira could hear the screams of terror as they reached portrait that protected the entrance to the Tower. It was torn to pieces, it's frame hanging miserably from the wall. The fat lady had escaped to another picture. The entrance had been blocked by all the furniture in the Common Room. With a blast of their wands, the path was clear. They followed the screams up the winding staircase on the girls' side and found the first door destroyed. Inside, a full-grown werewolf was swiping wildly at a handful of students who were sliding between and under beds to escape his claws.
As soon as they entered, Remus knew they were there. He sniffed and looked back at them, dodging an attempt to stun him, as if he knew it was coming.
"Out!" Snape ordered, and the students too happily obeyed, running for the shattered door as soon as Remus attention was turned from them. However, as Harry slipped behind Snape and through the door, Remus leapt, knocking Snape to the floor, his great claws tearing through the flesh of his arms, before bounding down the stairs for the students again. At a full run, Sirius transformed into a great black dog, never missing a step. Moira followed after with Snape close behind.
The students hadn't quite made it to the exit before Remus stopped them. Angelina was lying against the wall, her right hand clasping her left upper arm as blood seeped out between her fingers. Fred stood protectively over her holding a heavy chair leg in his hands, ready to swing it if the werewolf returned to her. Sirius, who had backed it against the wall, however, preoccupied it. Remus growled low before leaping forward. Sirius leapt at the same instant, clamping his canine teeth into the thick hide of Remus' shoulder. Remus swung a claw, catching Sirius in the ribs, knocking him across the room. Free, Remus bound toward Harry, who was pulling a fallen Hermione up from the ground. Moira flung a stun spell at him, narrowly missing..
She ran up to him, and as soon as she entered his peripheral vision, Remus hesitated, as if torn between attacking her or Harry. Moira took advantage of the hesitation as Snape snuck up from the rear.
"Come on, Remus," she muttered. "Come after me. Leave the boy alone." She backed away. Remus followed her step by step, his eyes never leaving her. Too late, she realized she had backed against a wall.
Remus swiped at her as she darted away from the wall, his claws tearing through robe and flesh, whipping her wand across the room. She fell back against the wall again, blood pouring out of her wound. She sunk to the ground, dazed for a moment, then lurched forward to retrieve her wand. A student's high pitched scream caused her to whip her head around in time to see Snape thrown against the fireplace to land hard among a group of students. Sirius stood between them, trying to push Remus away. Another swipe caught Sirius low, sending him skidding across the floor until the stone wall stopped him.
"Stupefy!" she cried, but Remus had moved more quickly, darting behind her. She turned in time to see another claw flying toward her face. She darted sideways, catching the razor tip along her cheek and fell over debris near the entrance, snapping her wand. Remus was moving toward the children. She spied a suit of armor in the corridor just outside the ruined portrait. She snatched the sword from the armor's hand and rushed to cut him off. The children were huddled together against the wall and Remus stepped closer. Moira dropped and rolled across the floor, avoiding another claw, and then leveled the sword at Remus.
"You won't touch them, Remus."
A low growl emitted from his throat. A claw shot out at her, but she caught it with the blade, drawing blood on his arm. He cried out; then stepped closer.
Moira leveled the sword once more.
"Fight it, Remus. It's just a spell. Fight it!"
The growl continued. Another claw shot out, but she was ready. Moira evaded the blow, then sunk the tip of the blade into his wrist, hoping to wound him enough to draw back, not to seriously injure him. He drew back hurriedly.
"You won't hurt these children, Remus. I won't let you."
He lurched sideways, his claw gripping Harry and jerking him toward his gaping mouth. Moira dropped her shoulder and rammed it into Remus' chest. It knocked him to the ground, but did not break his grip. Harry was screaming, his arm pulled from its socket. She dropped her foot hard on Remus' injured wrist, breaking the grip. Several students pulled Harry back into the safety of their huddle, amid Remus' furious screams.
"It's the Imperious Curse, Remus! You know how to break it! Fight it! Don't listen to the voice in your head!"
He climbed to his feet, his eyes aglow with rage. Slowly, he paced back and forth before her, his eyes locked on her. Behind her, Moira could hear Snape stirring. Sirius was trying to stand, but stumbled to the ground. From the corner of her eye, she saw him change back into his human form, his leg lying awkwardly behind him, broken.
Moira adjusted the sword in her hands. It was getting harder to hold with her injured arm. Black spots were dancing before her eyes. Remus continued to snarl at her as he paced. Moira was listening for Snape to fully awaken.
"Where's my wand?" His voice was shaky.
"Behind Remus," she told him, her eyes still trained on the werewolf. Remus stopped and got down in a pouncing position. He roared loudly. The students screamed.
"Don't do this, Remus. Don't make me hurt you." If he lunged at her, they would both fall back into the students. She knew she couldn't let that happen, even if it was Remus. "Please, Remus," she pleaded, shaking her head slowly, "don't make me."
His muscles tensed. His eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he shot forward, claws flailing, mouth stretched wide revealing his dagger teeth.
"Moira!" Sirius screamed.
Moira braced herself behind the sword, her eyes shut tightly. The hilt of the sword jabbed her hard in the chest, but she held her ground. The cry of a wounded animal and the weight on the sword told her she had stopped him. Sirius yelled something she could not make out. She heard the gasps of the students, then nothing. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Remus' wide amber eyes, his human eyes, staring back at her.
"Oh, gods," she gasped.
Remus Lupin fell to his knees, blood seeping down his stomach where her sword had been.
"Moira?" The word was a whisper as it fell from his lips. His eyes were trained on her, beseeching, as if he had met the ultimate betrayal. He collapsed to the ground.
The clamor of the sword echoed loudly as she dropped it and rushed to his side.
"Remus? Remus, hold on!" She cried, pressing her hands against the gaping wound. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Hold on, Remus!" Snape had staggered over to them and pressed his own hand over Remus' wound.
"Finnegan! Get me my wand!"
Remus was shivering. She wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head in her lap. His eyelids drooped.
"Seamus! Now!" Snape growled beside her.
"No, Remus. Don't close your eyes. Please don't. Don't give up. Please!" she pleaded. "You can't leave me, Remus. You have to fight. I love you. I love you. Don't leave." She touched his cheek. His eyes trained on her for a long moment, then closed. "No. No, Remus. No!" She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his hair. "I love you. I'm so sorry. I love you."
She was unaware how long she remained like that, whispering apologies and sentiments into his deafened ears until Hermione Granger touched her shoulder.
"Professor O'Shaughnessy?"
Moira kissed Remus and wiped the tears from her eyes. She realized her shaking hands were covered with his blood. Remus' blood. She balled her hands into fists, clenching them until the shaking stopped. Rage coursed through her body, calming her to its submission.
"Help Harry and Sirius," she told Hermione.
"Where are you going?" Snape asked as she stood and strode across the room.
"To find whoever did this."
"Moira! No!" It was Sirius this time, but he couldn't stop her with a broken leg. Nor could Snape who was hurriedly trying to help Remus.