Hello! I'm going to wish you all a very Merry Christmas in the case I don't post anymore before Christmas.

Note on this chapter: My kitten Marty actually helped write the first edition of this chapter, but while he is adorable as he about 90% fur, he just isn't that good of a writer. His idea of two lines of "1"s just wasn't doing anything for the plot or description. So I'm pretty sure most of Marty's inputs have been edited out.





"Crucio!" Brogan cried, flailing his wand like a whip at Penelope. She had no time to even attempt a defense before the flash of light struck her body and threw her to the earth. She tried to gasp for air; the wind was knocked painfully from her body. Then her arms were yanked backwards, forwards again. . .her legs were being twisted. Had she air, she wouldn't have been able to scream. The spider on Moody's desk. . . She had pitied it then, but not enough.

She had pitied Brogan.

She cried inside, begging for the pain to stop. She shouldn't have stopped Percy. He had only wanted to protect her.

Then the wolf howled.

At first, she thought it was herself, moaning. Maybe it was the sound a tortured person was supposed to make. But then Brogan spoke. "No!"

She wrenched her eyes open in time to see the wolf, large and grey, pounce into view. Yellow eyes gleamed like jewels, and another growl, deep and threatening, came from its throat. Brogan dropped the wand, his own focused on the wolf's. "No," he repeated.

The wolf attacked. With a flying leap it was on Brogan. Penelope felt the pain slide from her body and struggled to sit up. Brogan tried to defend himself from the wolf's muzzle, but without his wand, he was powerless. The wolf raised a large paw and swiped at Brogan's head. With a faint whimper, Brogan was out.

With a final growl, the wolf backed away from the unconscious man, seemingly surveying its work. Humanlike.

The full moon peered through the tree tops. Penelope understood. She took a deep breath and spoke clearly. "Mr. Lupin."

The wolf turned his bright eyes on her. Yes, it was Remus Lupin. He approached her, trotting softly over the earth. The message in his eyes were obvious.

"I think I'm okay," she replied quietly, rubbing her arms. "Thank-you so much for stopping him. I take it the Order received my owl. I'm just glad they sent a were-wolf. And thank heaven you arrived just in time." She gave a weak smile. "Everyone's saved me tonight. You, Percy-" Percy. With a renewed rush of energy she jumped to her feet. "Oh, no."

Percy lay amid the trees about twenty feet away against a large boulder. Blood oozed from a large gash on the side of his head. His face was chalk-white, the scar crossing it eerily defined.

"Percy," she whispered. She knelt at his side and grabbed his wrist. The pulse was there, and quite strong. "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you." She quickly conjured up a large roll of gauze and pressed it firmly to his forehead.

Lupin had followed her. He froze near Percy, his wolfish eyes wide with surprise. And fury.

Remembering the attack on Brogan, Penelope bent over Percy. "Mr. Lupin, don't hurt him. It's not what you think. He stopped that man before you arrived. He. . ." She shook her head and pressed harder at the gauze. "I actually stopped Percy from hurting Brogan Marchent. Not very smart of me."

Lupin glanced briefly at her as she spoke, but his still-fierce gaze returned to Percy.

Remus was close to the Weasleys, Penelope realized. What was it like for him, seeing the one who had caused that family so much pain?

"He's not all bad," she found herself saying. "He's against Voldemort. He didn't purposely attack Arthur Weasley. He was trying to save Arthur." It sounded ridiculous coming from her mouth. Hadn't she had trouble accepting the story herself? "Look, he has told me everything and I must say that I believe him."

Lupin looked to her, questioning.

Percy's blood was beginning to seep through the gauze. "Lupin, I think it would be best if I got him back to my instructor."

Lupin shook his head. A weird thing for a wolf to do, she decided.

"Why not?"

He turned in the direction of Brogan.

"But. . .but he's still unconscious, thanks to you. He can't hurt us." She pulled out her wand and conjured ropes around Brogan. "There. Now even when he wakes up, he can't do anything."

He shook his head again.

She raked her mind for reasons. It seemed so much more dangerous to remain in the woods. Isn't that where she and Percy had been attacked? But if Brogan was under the Imperius curse, someone had to be around to put the spell over him. The only people around were in the village. The real attacker had to be in the village. "You don't want to leave because if anyone else comes, we'll have the advantage. We'll be able to hear them."

Lupin nodded.

She smiled faintly. "Good plan. I suppose Percy will be fine." Of course he would be fine, now that she thought about it. She had advanced in her studied far enough to be able to handle a little head injury. The blood flow seemed to be slowing as it was. She said a basic cleaning-and-disinfecting spell. He still didn't move, but faint color reappeared in his face. She lifted him up and rested his head in her lap to get a better view of the gash.

Lupin continued to watch her.

"I'm trying to heal him," she said defensively. "He deserves that much, at least." She couldn't be sure of wolf facial expressions, even those of were-wolves, but Lupin seemed to be almost smiling. "You must think I'm insane, hanging around with a suspected Death Eater. But don't forget that I'm also hanging around with a were-wolf. You're not all that popular yourself, Mr. Lupin."

The wolfish smile grew larger, and Lupin curled up on the ground, still watching her and Percy.

"He's been helping with the situations I mentioned in the letter. He's actually been a big help. Probably done more than I have. The wizard that runs this village, Mr. Dormand, is definitely in league with Voldemort. This Brown organization is out to destroy the Order. Percy's the one that found that out. He doesn't even care for the Ministry of Magic anymore, surprisingly enough." She pushed away a lock of red hair that had infiltrated the gash and gazed at Percy. There was something sweet about him when he wasn't awake. He was kind of cute. No. She didn't need to be thinking that way. She had already dumped him. That part of her life was over.

And why did she need to tell herself that?

She sighed and conjured up a bandage for the gash. "Thanks for trying to protect me."

There had been times over the past few years when she had really missed him.

A light breeze rustled through the branches overhead, then faded into nothingness and a fresh scent. The woods were awfully beautiful at night



Penelope awoke to the scent of something delicious. A small fire crackled happily in the path, the sparkle of a smoke-screen spell over it glinting in the morning sunlight. Lupin, no longer a wolf, bent over it, poking at bacon in a frying pan which hovered over the flames. He looked worse for the wear, terribly pale and thin-she had seen him post-transformation before. He smiled hesitantly at her, still eyeing Percy with some suspician.

"Long night, wasn't it, Miss Clearwater?" he asked. "I'm sorry to make you stay out here all night, but after seeing Mr. Marchent here attack you-" He nodded at Brogan, who sat dismally on the other side of the path-"I didn't think returning to the village was a safe idea."

"Good thing it was a full moon," Brogan said softly. "Miss Clearwater, I'm so sorry. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't gain full control."

"It's okay," Penelope replied, stretching. She had fallen asleep sitting up. Percy's head still lay in her lap. "I knew it had to be Imperius"

Brogan still looked sick. "I could have killed you. I heard my voice starting that spell and everything. . ."

"Many a talented wizard has suffered Imperius," Lupin said. "I'm just sorry I had to. ." He blushed and made a swiping motion with his hand. "Yeah. Well, do you know who did it to you?"

Brogan shook his head. "I have no idea. I was in the village, and I heard a voice I didn't recognize. Everything else is so blurry. How's your friend?"

Penelope glanced down at Percy. He still was unconscious, but the gash was healing. "He should be fine."

"Are you sure about him?" Lupin asked, pulling the pan off the flames.

"I am. I told you last night, he's on our side."

"But that night. If he wasn't going to attack Arthur, how did he know someone would be there?"

She didn't answer. She stared at Percy.

"Penelope. . ."

She took a deep breath and met Lupin's eyes. "I don't know. I know that he's on our side now, at least for the most part."

Lupin's eyes glinted. "What do you mean by 'now'?"

Something choked at her throat. "He never said he had never been a Death Eater," she said quickly. "He said. . . he said that after the Ministry admitted Voldemort had returned, he didn't care anymore. I think it didn't matter to him anymore, so he just joined whatever side was the easiest. But he's not on that side anymore. I know that."

Lupin sighed and pulled a slice of bacon from the pan. "What makes you so sure?"

She shrugged.

"I understand you two used to be a couple back at Hogwarts. Are you sure your senses still aren't clouded by some remaining affection for him?"

Penelope gave a dry laugh and looked back at Percy. "Do you have any idea how much I've hated for him the past three years?"

Lupin chewed the bacon and smiled. "I see."

"I don't love him anymore, Mr. Lupin."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." She didn't want to talk about this anymore. "These are the letters Percy found." She pulled them from Percy's robes and handed them to Lupin, who read them.

"Interesting," he finally said. His face was grave. "Brogan, have you read these?"

"I don't know anything about them," Brogan said. "I only became suspicious after my attack."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Do you still expect us to believe it was a dragon that attacked you?"

He shook his head. "I can trust you now. It was a spell, one I've never seen. I think Dormand hit me with it." His face reddened with hatred."

"Why did you claim it was a dragon?" Lupin asked curiously.

"That's what Dormand and Winston told us," Peneloped answered. "So it was a spell. And you just played along with it when we asked you?"

"I didn't know what else to do," Brogan confessed. "It was just after I woke up. I could have been wrong about anything I remembered."

Lupin sighed again and passed the pan around. "The Order will have to know about this, of course. Really, Penelope, when Dumbledore sent you out here, I didn't think it would become this intense."

She laughed. "This really isn't helping with my training." She gasped. "Oh, boy. I never returned from "herb gathering" last night. What are they going to think I've been up to?"

Brogan's mood pivoted as he doubled over, snickering.

"I take it you really are no longer under Imperious. Well, Lupin? Is it safe to return now?"

"I guess you'll have to go back sooner or later," he replied, looking in the direction of Dragon's Tooth.

"I'll help you take. . .Percy back," Brogan offered, confusion spreading over his face. "Is that his real name?"

"Yes," Penelope said. "I don't you should tell anyone else. Lupin, are you going to tell his family?"

Lupin didn't speak for several long moments. He shook his head. "I don't think it's my responsibility. I don't know what chaos that might cause. Is that fine with you, if neither of us says anything?" He groaned. "If Molly ever finds out, she'll kill me."