"Zeph," Cub whispered one evening soon after Dumbledore's departure. "Zeph, I've forgotten to take my potion!"
"Potion?" Zeph asked. He was already tired from the day, and hoping that Cub would leave him alone so that he could get to sleep at last now that he was in bed.
"The Wolfsbane Potion, I'm a werewolf, remember, and if I don't take the potion, its not safe to be around me, and tonight's the full moon! What shall I do?"
"Wolf?"
"He'll have taken it, he always remembers, and he'll be locked in his room by now."
"We'll have to sort it ourselves then," Zeph said resolutely, slipping out of bed.

He pulled on his clothes and went over to the beds where the other two boys were sleeping.
"Wake up, Cub's forgotten to take his potion. Go through to one of the other dormitories, and lock the door behind you." They left abruptly, definitely not wanting to be around a werewolf at the full moon, not that they were at all scared, of course, it just wouldn't be very pleasant.
"How long have we got?" Zeph asked.
"About five minutes, I think - it starts at moon rise, and ends at dawn." Cub looked absolutely terrified now.
"Cub, have you ever had this happen to you before?" Zeph asked, suddenly worried.
"N-no," the other boy gulped. "There was always the Wolfsbane potion, even when I was a baby. But, why aren't you going? It's not safe!"
"Its safe if you're an Animagus, and I am now, and if you thought I was going to leave you to cope alone, you're wrong." "Please, will you put silencing charms around the room, I don't want the others hearing anything." "Okay, and I'll put a strengthening charm on the door as well."

Then they stood there, looking at each other in silence. There was nothing either of them could do at all. Zeph, although he wasn't going to admit it, was absolutely terrified. He'd been told by Wolf that their teachers friends had become Animagi to keep him company, and that he was more human around them, but there was always an exception to a rule.

Cub screamed. His body went rigid. His limbs began to shake violently.

Zeph flicked quickly into his Animagi phoenix form. He flew over - many hours of lessons had perfected that - and perched on the other boy's arm. Cub stopped screaming, gratitude clear in his eyes. The change was happening now.

Cub's ears were growing longer and pointed, he was sprouting hair all over his body, he was growing, and his fingernails became claws. Zeph sprung up into the air as his friend's clothes split as his limbs became more muscular.

The transformation was complete. Zeph stared at him in amazement. He was a werewolf, a young one and quite small, but a werewolf for all that. Cub roared. Zeph flew down to him and dug his claws into his back. He was very glad that phoenixes possessed a few powers like that as he lifted him into the air and held him suspended there, lashing out at the empty space below him and quite obviously terrified.

They stayed there for a long time.

For even longer.

At last, the light of the dawn shone in through the window and the werewolf's body dwindled in size once more. Zeph dropped him lightly onto the bed, then lost control himself and, a human once more, fell on top of him. Cub looked terrible, and that wasn't an exaggeration. His face was gaunt, his eyes looked amber and haunted and he had scratches and bruises all over him. Zeph was at least unharmed, if exhausted.

It was over, and they were both safe.
"Zeph," Cub said hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," said Zeph, his eyes shutting despite his best efforts. "You?"
"Okay, thanks to you."

It was six o'clock in the morning, so they returned to their respective beds and slept.

They were woken at nine o'clock that morning, when Wolf, now perfectly human again himself, unlocked their door to find them sleeping peacefully, relatively unharmed. He breathed a sigh of relief and went gently over to his son.
"Tad?" he whispered.
"What is it?" the boy groaned, opening his eyes. "Morning, dad."
"You forgot to take your potion, didn't you?"
"I . yes, but I'm not ever going to do that again. It was awful dad, really it was."
"I know," Wolf said. "Believe me, I know."

At that, the boy broke down and cried for the first time in years, remembering all of the pain of the night and the pain that remained with him that morning.
"Dad, it was Zeph who helped me. Please, can I tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
"The most secret thing a Lost Boy has," Cub said, citing a tradition that had been established at the very beginning of the school, where one slip could cost your friends their lives. "My name."
"He's saved your life once, what more can you ask? Of course you may. Being who he is, he'll tell you his, so keep his trust as he'll be keeping yours."
"Yes dad. Shall I wake him?"
"Well, let's put it this way. It will be your responsibility if he discovers he's missed half of the day."

Cub slid out of bed past his father, and gentle shook Zeph awake.
"Cub?" he asked. "You okay?"
"Of course. Thank you for last night, I doubt I'd have made it without you."
"Oh, don't worry. Anyone would have done it if they could."
"I'd disagree with that," Wolf said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "It takes great courage to be with a werewolf at the full moon, courage that my friends and you had in great measure."
"Zeph," Cub continued. "I'm going to thank you the only way I can. My name is Thaddeus Lupin, keep it well for me."
"You gave me your name!" Cub grinned and nodded.
"Then you can look after mine. I'm Zephyrinus Granville-Barker. I won't tell you the rest of it, its best forgotten."
"Zephyrinus," Cub said hesitantly. "Okay, I've got it. I'm your man as long as you need me, Zeph. You already command me in Dumbledore's Army, but I'll actually follow your commands now, and the others will too."