Forgive the delay, my life always happens all at once. -Puppy
Run Hard, Fly High, Love Deep Chapter 4
The howling suddenly stopped and the wolf turned to Wood with grey eyes. "Emma," he gasped. It wasn't even a question just a truth, the wolf was Emma. She began to growl and suddenly leap at him. Wood fell back pulling the door shut with him. Emma scratch furiously at the door but soon stopped. He turned to see Professor McGonagall running down the hallway to his aide. She knelt beside him and took his hand. He had thought he whacked it on the door when it fell but there was an obvious large bite mark. "It's alright I don't think she was trying to hurt me." He said automatically. He knew she wouldn't be punished for biting him but he couldn't help but defend her. Minerva pulled out a handkerchief, charmed it to a larger size, and wrapped it around Woods hand to stop the bleeding.
They stood up together and Professor McGonagall reached for the handle of the door. Wood could hear destruction occurring behind it and as much as he didn't want to, he felt fear rising in his stomach. The growling stopped with a yelp and he could hear whining. Minerva cautiously opened the door and held an arm out to restrain Wood. The white wolf was limping with a paw in the air, a huge sliver of wood stuck in it. Emma let out another heart wrenching yelp and carefully lay on the floor. There was the sound of running feet in the hall way and the wolf suddenly realized the door had been opened. She met his eyes and he could see her in the wolf and he could hear a voice in his head, "He's coming."
He tried to break free from McGonagall arm but she was strong. "Don't be foolish. She could still hurt you." The growling began again and Emma's resemblance faded away. The wolf stood and began to pace, it's wary growl punctuated by soft cries.
"She's been changing in her sleep, Professor." Wood turned to see Katie behind him. "I woke up to whimpering one night. I pushed back her curtains and she was sleeping as a wolf. I'm sorry, I should have said something."
"It's alright, Katie. I did not cover this particular problem in class. But do you remember on of the dangers of Animagus." Katie took a step back and mouthed Animagus, she had just thought Emma was cursed or a werewolf or something.
"Uh, the wizard can lose their mind to the animal," she said hesitantly. She regretted saying it especially when she saw Wood's face drop.
"Very good Katie, ten points to Griffindor. It is a very long process to loose ones mind in Animagus. It usually takes years. My guess is that Emma has been changing before she sleeps to avoid nightmares. When an Animagus wizard sleeps they can have dreams of the animal they become. As a wolf, Emma probably ran through the woods, hunted animals but it is loosing control of her transformations. Whatever was in that letter caused this." McGonagall's face was fluctuating between worry and hate.
"But what can you do about it?" Wood pleaded. Emma had lay down again and was attempting to remove the sliver with her teeth. At each failed attempt she let out a horrible cry. Each time was causing him pain as well.
"I could make her change form but I'm afraid it would harm her and she may change right back. No, she must change on her own. But I think...Stupefy!" Wood jumped as the white wolf suddenly fell to the floor. He was finally allowed to get past the professor and he bent down and picked up the wolf. "Take her to Madam Pomfrey's," McGonagall ordered and he didn't hesitate. Meanwhile the professor picked up the discarded letter that had lay beneath the wolf and read carefully. "Oh dear," she said. She said a quick spell to set the room right before hurrying to find Dumbledore.
Wood walked quickly but tried not to jostle Emma too much. There were startle cries as he pushed through the halls with the wolf in his arms. The Griffindor team quickly appeared and formed a wedge to keep people out of the way. Soon they reached the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey swept towards they.
She made a quick check of Emma's vitals and an assessment of her wound and led the team to a bed. Wood gave a quick accounting to the Nurse before they were all shooed out into a waiting area. Soon Professor McGonagall arrived and disappeared. Dumbledore also entered shortly after and, after seeing the team look to him hopefully, walked to them.
"I heard talk of a wolf being carried down the hall but told that it's entourage looked fiercer," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Don't worry. With such friends she will not be able to stay away long." He left them feeling better as he joined Snape at the entranceway. They spoke quickly, in low voices, before the potions master nodded and left. Oliver watched it all with apprehension. Dumbledore motioned for Wood to accompany him.
"Mr. Wood, have you ever heard of dream walking?"
"Yes Professor," he answered clearly wanting to provide any help he could.
"From what Professor McGonagall tells me, Miss Ravenhawk is trapped in her wolf conscience." Wood flinched a little at the name but nodded. It was after all her mother's name on the trophy,
"So we have to go in and get her out," Wood finished for him.
"Precisely. And I think it should be you to go." They had stopped at the edge of the curtains and Oliver felt suddenly very small.
"But Headmaster you can't mean. . . Snape! You should send him. She calls him her father."
"I'm aware of Miss Ravenhawk's love for Servius but now I believe you have a tighter bond. Among other things you share one of her great passions, flying." Suddenly Oliver realized what Dumbledore was implying. "I always enjoy watching a good chase Mr. Wood. And the one on the night of her arrival was no exception," Dumbledore said with a wink. "It's a pity she didn't become a seeker like her mother. They share the same fearless passion."
"You saw her mother play?" Wood asked with eager curiosity.
"Yes." Dumbledore looked over the top of his glasses as if he was about to reveal a great secret. "It was in fact the only time I cheered for a Slytherin win. And that's saying a lot because at the time I was the Head of the Griffindor House." Wood smiled at this and looked to the curtains in front of him. He took a deep breath.
"I'll do it Professor," Wood answered, now full of confidence.
"Good. Now while dream walking you will have to take control. You can change yourself but nothing in her world unless she isn't looking," Dumbledore hinted. Wood nodded and both of them turned to the Potions master as he entered. Dumbledore took one of the offered vials and handed it to Wood. He then pulled back the curtain and ushered him to a chair by Emma's side. She had been released from the Stupify spell but her paws were twitching in sleep. Oliver couldn't resist reaching out to stroke Emma's soft fur. "It'll be alright Em," he told her. Madam Pomfrey suddenly seized his arm and for a second Oliver thought he had done something wrong. But she was simply pealing away the makeshift bandage on his hand. He had almost forgotten the bite, though now it throbbed. She was going to heal with a spell but he pulled back his hand insisting he wanted it to heal on it's own. Madam Pomfrey tutted at him and went to retrieve a salve to keep it from getting infected. All patched up, he watched as a spell was cast over Emma to make her drink the potion. His head snapped up as Snape begin to read an incantation. The teacher stopped and placed a hand on Wood's shoulder.
"She likes you beyond her better judgment so don't disappoint me." It wasn't really a threat Wood knew, though he did cringe a little. Snape was asking Wood to bring his adopted daughter back. Oliver took a deep breath and downed his potion.
The room grew dark around him and Wood stood. Where was everyone, he couldn't see? Suddenly fog began to roll around him and he felt fear rising in his stomach. He stepped forward and but jumped back suddenly as a twig snapped beneath his feet. There was a howl in the distance and he looked up suddenly to find himself in the woods. Out in the distance standing on a hill was a glowing white wolf with grey eyes. He could hear Emma's voice in his mind, "He's coming." It was almost a cry, and he could hear the despair in her voice. The wolf disappeared over the edge of the hill and Woods yelled after her to stop. He raced after the white shadow for what seemed like forever before Dumbledore's words came back to him, "You can change yourself." His mind spun for a moment, change himself to what? But then it came to him. Who better to chase a wolf that a wolf? He was still running when his arms reached down to the ground and his legs shorten. He could feel his eyesight and hearing growing keener and the wind gently flowed through his fur. It was amazing almost like flying! No wonder she didn't want to change back. He chased her through the trees. She was playing and her beautiful laughter echoed in his head. "Can't catch me!" she beckoned as she slipped just out of his grasp. Finally he got her corner in a rock circle. He pounced on her and they pranced around each other playfully. "Chase me Em" Wood cried as he ran off ahead. He could hear her running behind him calling him. He slowed a little to let her catch up and in his mind he imagined a cliff. "Come on Em let's fly!" She teased him saying wolves can't fly. Sure enough as he imagined a cliff appeared before them. He ran hard for it and at they last second he imagined his hands reaching out to hold a broom and he was flying. He looked back, afraid she would still standing on the cliff but just then a white blur whizzed by him. He then heard her voice against but this time it wasn't in his head.
"Come on Wood," she called out to him. "Let's see what you're made of." He was about to follow but she was starting to fade. The broom below him was becoming transparent and his feet felt grounded. He was sitting. The midnight sky altered and he suddenly remembered where he was, the in the hospital. It had grown dark and there was only a single candle by the bedside. "Oliver?" His hand felt movement and he looked down to see it was resting on Emma's very human stomach.
"Emma!" he exclaimed and tackled her. When he pulled away there were tears in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked, her sadness making his heart sink.
"I'm so sorry, I just wanted to be lost I wasn't thinking," she broke out into tears again and Oliver held her close. "I'm so sorry." There was a rustle of curtain and Madam Pomfrey's head stuck through. Wood smiled at her and nodded to her reassuringly. A few minutes later Emma's started to shake. At first Oliver though it was from crying and held her tighter and then she opened her mouth and started laughing. He pulled back a little and looked into her tearing eyes but now they were full of mirth. "What is it?" he asked bemused.
"Did I?" She was trying to speak but she wasn't laughing to hard. "Did I bite you," she finally said with a little cringe. While he didn't really find it that funny Oliver could help but laugh.
"Love nip," he teased as he held up the bandaged hand.
"Why didn't get it healed?" She looked at him with amazement; lifting the bandage she saw just the damage she had done. "Ugh, It looks horrible."
"I wanted a souvenir. It's not often your girlfriend turns into a wolf and bites you." Finally seeing the humor he chuckled a little. "Plus I will be a good story for our grand kids," he joked. She was going to protest to the whole notion of grandkids and the extreme hokeyness of the comment but he silenced her with a kiss.
"I see we are minus one wolf," Dumbledore said, announcing the teacher's presence. McGonagall beamed down at them and Snape merely watched.
"Your were right Professor about the flying. As a wolf she said it was impossible but she followed right behind me." Dumbledore know that it was probably more than her love of flying that caused her to follow him but he merely smile.
Oliver sat on the couch by the fire. Emma lay stretched beside him with her large white head lying in his lap. Her treatment was to transform every night for a few hours. The Griffindors had become accustom to the great white wolf in their common room and to Oliver quietly reading homework a loud to it. Most never connected it to Emma, but those who knew talked to her the same as they would any other night.
One particular night Crookshanks wandered in to find Hermione and Emma lifted her head and let out a growled. Crookshanks went wide-eyed and scurried back up the steps much to Ron's immense pleasure. He was snorting and cackling as Hermione scolded him. Harry just shrugged and told her it was fair play. But most nights passed peacefully with Oliver gentle stroking her fur, sometimes scratching behind her ears. Once he asked her what it was like, feared that he treated her too much like a dog in that state. But she assured him that as a wolf she liked to be pet, especially scratched behind the ears, and when she held his hand in her mouth, as she sometimes did, it was like holding his hand in hers, with a little more drool of course.
They were never parted in the next month; she even joined him at Quidditch practice, sometimes playing, sometimes doing her homework in the stands. Madam Hooch or Professor McGonagall often sat with her, of course saying that they were just there to see how practice was going. But now they had two Griffindor Quidditch players to worry about. The teacher's attention was worrying Wood. He was afraid to lose her, especially since McGonagall handed him a letter with a bloody paw print.
"Do you remember the pain?" it wrote. "Do you remember screaming, unable to help as I killed your mother? I know where you are little one. I'm coming for you."
"That's what she said when I first saw her." He looked up at McGonagall's concerned face. "In the dream before I could catch her she said, 'he's coming." There was silent moment and Wood dreaded asking what he knew he had to. "Was she put under the crutacious curse, when her mother was killed?" He spoke in a small voice, uncertain if he should be talking of it since Emma refused to.
"She was," McGonagall answered. "She was still under the curse when the American Aurors found her a day later." Wood wanted to be sick. That kind of pain for 24 hours? "Not many could have lasted that long without going mad and we still don't know how she did it," McGonagall said, finished his though. "The assassin is still lose and next time he wants to finish the job. Keep a close eye on her Wood, she is very dear to me but I can't be with her all the time."
"Was it Malfoy?" He spit out the name as if it were a curse. "Did he send the bounty hunter?"
"No I don't believe so," she said a little surprised he knew so much and a little taken back by his anger. "While I have never thought well of Mr. Malfoy he did seem to love Emma and her mother." She paused for a moment, considering if she should tell him more. "There are rumors of a book kept by Voldemort listing the people he sent assassins after. It would pay the killer money on the person's death. This is substantiated but it says the assassin is bound to finding them, obsessed if you will. It is very important," she stressed. "That you be careful. He is a very dangerous man."
"I'll protect her professor," he promised.
"I'll protect you," he promised to the wolf as he petted her snowy white fur. She had fallen asleep and her paws were twitching in dream. He had read up on Animagus and it was all right as long as it wasn't meant as an escape. The rules of Animagus were complicated and mostly unclear. The books he read only held warnings and almost every third line said 'it depends on the wizard'.
