The Wolf of Change
Chapter 8 - Colonel Collins
It wasn't until a full month later - after telling his friends his mother needed to see him again and after spending another horrible night in the Hogsmeade house - that as he was walking on his own to the library to get a book for his Astronomy homework that Remus remembered the painting of the man with the wolves. He stepped up to it, getting a few odd looks from passers-by as he stared. "Hello there." Said the man around his old pipe, meeting his gaze. He spoke in very precise, clipped English. Remus frowned, noting that the man wore an old Civil War-style uniform. "Hi." "I've seen you before, haven't I, boy?" "Yes." Remus gulped. People were openly staring now as they past him, but most just dismissed him as a wondering first year. "Why are you so interested in me, boy?" Remus swallowed again, and looked around pointedly. "Ah. I see. Follow me, then." And the man and his wolves darted from the picture. Remus jumped, looking about frantically. "Over here! Do try and keep up!" The man was in the next painting, one of a butcher and some dead pheasants. The butcher was attempting to fend off the wolves as they tried to reach the pheasants. Remus blinked, astonished, and walked up to the painting. "How did you--" But the man had run on again, to the next painting. This continued for some time, Remus gradually becoming more lost and more confused as the man and his wolves turned down countless tiny corridors, each and every one looking the same as the last. Finally, they stopped. Remus sat down on the stone floor opposite the painting they had stopped at. It was a painting of the Forbidden Forest. He wasn't out of breath - the wolf's stamina coming in useful - but he did pant from fear. Just the sight of the Forest again like that was enough to chill him. "So...why have you sought me out?" The man asked, absent-mindedly stroking a wolf's head. Remus clamped his lips stubbornly. "Who are you?" The man drew back a little in surprise. "Why, I thought you knew that, and that was why you wished to speak with me?" The boy shook his head. "Very well. My name is Colonel Richard Collins. I was a wizard in the times of the English Civil War, and I fought alongside the Muggles." Remus shook his head again. "There's something else, isn't there, Sir? Why would someone seek you because of that?" "History of Muggles homework?" "You can see I'm too young to be taking that." "I wouldn't know." Collins said with an air of indignation. "Why are those wolves so friendly to you, Colonel?" Remus asked - going straight to the point; not wanting a drawn-out conversation with the painting. That got Collins' attention. He peered shrewdly at Remus from his perch on a felled tree. "Why do you want to know?" "Curiosity." Remus replied nonchalantly. Collins smirked. "Now I think it is you who is hiding something." "Perhaps. Are you going to answer my question?" The Colonel surveyed him thoughtfully. "Yes. I shall. These wolves are so friendly to me because I am one of them." Remus gasped in excitement. He had wondered, and tried not to hope...but could it be that this man was a-a...like him? "What do you mean by that?" He whispered. The man paused, eyes glinting. He studied Remus further, and a terrible grin spread across his face. "What could I mean, but...I am a werewolf!" Trying to remain unconcerned and unaffected, whilst his insides writhed and jumped, Remus raised his eyebrows. "Oh...Really?" "Yes..." The Colonel hissed, his grin still in place. "Now, boy, what is your secret?" Remus looked up at the painting in sudden realisation and horror. There was a moon in the background of the painting, rising, slowly. And the glint and manic grin on Collins' face were enhanced by the change it was undergoing. The boy gave a shout of shock and leapt to his feet. The picture of Collins laughed, and drew a wand. Remus stopped. "You can't do anything. You're just a painting!" "Imperio!" It spat. Impossibly, Remus felt himself rooted to the spot. His mind went clear and he was floating in total bliss. Come closer to me, Remus Lupin... Remus felt himself moving. The world was so clear and peaceful... Good...yes. Put your right arm out. Come closer! But then a voice inside him shouted out, Why? Why should I? Do not question me! Come to me! No! No? Well, you aren't the only consciousness here... And the clarity and voice disappeared. But Remus could feel the other presence in his head still, it was exerting it's influence on the other part of Remus, the part that usually only came out to play once a month. He tried to fight it as the wolf's thoughts began to overrun his, but he had never been strong enough to overcome it before, and he couldn't now. The last thing he remembered was looking down at his hands and thinking, At least it's not a full transformation...
* * *
Remus woke up at a desk in the library with a book open in front of him. It was entitled, Lycanthropy and it's Uses by W. Eyre Wolfe and was obviously from the Restricted Section. Remus felt his eyebrows shoot up and his mouth fall open. He looked up to see Madam Pince, the librarian, walking purposefully towards him. "Oh good, you're awake!" She exclaimed. Remus grabbed the book and held the title cover to his chest, backing out of his seat and knocking his chair over. "You do know this is not a public slumber-house! You may come to the library to read in future, but please keep to sleeping in you dormitory!" Remus nodded frantically and headed for the door. "Pick that chair up before you go!" Pince shouted incredulously. "Yes, Miss." He muttered, throwing the chair he had knocked over upright, and bolting from the library. "Don't run in the corridors!" Madam Pince called after him. Remus ignored this cry and ran straight for the Gryffindor dorms. He had to tell his friends something about what had just happened! They were sitting around the fireplace in the huge red armchairs supplied. "You guys'll never guess what's happened!" Remus announced. "We know." James said. "What?" Remus froze. "You...know?" "The whole school does!" Lily said matter-of-factly. "Sure, some nut was running about dressed as a wolf and he shredded a load of paintings." Martin shrugged. "It was probably some numskull Ravenclaw like Charlie or Seph." Remus forced a laugh. "Yeah...I thought it was one of them, too." "What's that book you got, Rem'?" Sirius asked. Remus jumped. He had forgotten he was carrying that still. "I...nothing! I've just got to...go and return it. Right now!" And he turned and fled from the room. "I thought you'd just gone to the library?" Martin called. "Must have forgot!" He said, leaping out of the door. Madam Pince was re-shelving books when he got there. She was standing by the Herbology section and casting replacement spells. Remus snuck up to the desk and slipped the book onto it, before sneaking away again. "Overdue item?" "Argh! Charlie! Don't do that!" Charlie Cookson had snuck up himself - on Remus. And done a pretty good Madam Pince impression while he was at it. "Do what?" Charlie asked, all innocence. "So, good little Gryffindor boy's trying to get out of having to pay fines is he...?" "Yeah. You got me." Remus sighed, holding his hands up. "Oh Madam Pi-ince..." Charlie began. Remus grabbed his shoulders. "Don't!" "The fines that much? Hey, no sweat, Lupin! I was just kidding anyway! I'd never do that to anyone...except a Slytherin!" Charlie rubbed his hands together in glee. "So, ah Charlie..." Remus started. "Did you hear about the idiot who um, shredded a load of paintings just now? Martin thinks it was you." Charlie giggled "Nope, wasn't me - I respect art, me! Can't believe they didn't catch the bugger, though. Didn't someone say he was dressed as a wolf, too? Complete nutcase!" Remus nodded. Was it really me? Did Collins get control of the wolf, and - and use it to get revenge on his fellow paintings? What? How ridiculous does that sound! He's a painting. He couldn't have...could he?
Chapter 8 - Colonel Collins
It wasn't until a full month later - after telling his friends his mother needed to see him again and after spending another horrible night in the Hogsmeade house - that as he was walking on his own to the library to get a book for his Astronomy homework that Remus remembered the painting of the man with the wolves. He stepped up to it, getting a few odd looks from passers-by as he stared. "Hello there." Said the man around his old pipe, meeting his gaze. He spoke in very precise, clipped English. Remus frowned, noting that the man wore an old Civil War-style uniform. "Hi." "I've seen you before, haven't I, boy?" "Yes." Remus gulped. People were openly staring now as they past him, but most just dismissed him as a wondering first year. "Why are you so interested in me, boy?" Remus swallowed again, and looked around pointedly. "Ah. I see. Follow me, then." And the man and his wolves darted from the picture. Remus jumped, looking about frantically. "Over here! Do try and keep up!" The man was in the next painting, one of a butcher and some dead pheasants. The butcher was attempting to fend off the wolves as they tried to reach the pheasants. Remus blinked, astonished, and walked up to the painting. "How did you--" But the man had run on again, to the next painting. This continued for some time, Remus gradually becoming more lost and more confused as the man and his wolves turned down countless tiny corridors, each and every one looking the same as the last. Finally, they stopped. Remus sat down on the stone floor opposite the painting they had stopped at. It was a painting of the Forbidden Forest. He wasn't out of breath - the wolf's stamina coming in useful - but he did pant from fear. Just the sight of the Forest again like that was enough to chill him. "So...why have you sought me out?" The man asked, absent-mindedly stroking a wolf's head. Remus clamped his lips stubbornly. "Who are you?" The man drew back a little in surprise. "Why, I thought you knew that, and that was why you wished to speak with me?" The boy shook his head. "Very well. My name is Colonel Richard Collins. I was a wizard in the times of the English Civil War, and I fought alongside the Muggles." Remus shook his head again. "There's something else, isn't there, Sir? Why would someone seek you because of that?" "History of Muggles homework?" "You can see I'm too young to be taking that." "I wouldn't know." Collins said with an air of indignation. "Why are those wolves so friendly to you, Colonel?" Remus asked - going straight to the point; not wanting a drawn-out conversation with the painting. That got Collins' attention. He peered shrewdly at Remus from his perch on a felled tree. "Why do you want to know?" "Curiosity." Remus replied nonchalantly. Collins smirked. "Now I think it is you who is hiding something." "Perhaps. Are you going to answer my question?" The Colonel surveyed him thoughtfully. "Yes. I shall. These wolves are so friendly to me because I am one of them." Remus gasped in excitement. He had wondered, and tried not to hope...but could it be that this man was a-a...like him? "What do you mean by that?" He whispered. The man paused, eyes glinting. He studied Remus further, and a terrible grin spread across his face. "What could I mean, but...I am a werewolf!" Trying to remain unconcerned and unaffected, whilst his insides writhed and jumped, Remus raised his eyebrows. "Oh...Really?" "Yes..." The Colonel hissed, his grin still in place. "Now, boy, what is your secret?" Remus looked up at the painting in sudden realisation and horror. There was a moon in the background of the painting, rising, slowly. And the glint and manic grin on Collins' face were enhanced by the change it was undergoing. The boy gave a shout of shock and leapt to his feet. The picture of Collins laughed, and drew a wand. Remus stopped. "You can't do anything. You're just a painting!" "Imperio!" It spat. Impossibly, Remus felt himself rooted to the spot. His mind went clear and he was floating in total bliss. Come closer to me, Remus Lupin... Remus felt himself moving. The world was so clear and peaceful... Good...yes. Put your right arm out. Come closer! But then a voice inside him shouted out, Why? Why should I? Do not question me! Come to me! No! No? Well, you aren't the only consciousness here... And the clarity and voice disappeared. But Remus could feel the other presence in his head still, it was exerting it's influence on the other part of Remus, the part that usually only came out to play once a month. He tried to fight it as the wolf's thoughts began to overrun his, but he had never been strong enough to overcome it before, and he couldn't now. The last thing he remembered was looking down at his hands and thinking, At least it's not a full transformation...
* * *
Remus woke up at a desk in the library with a book open in front of him. It was entitled, Lycanthropy and it's Uses by W. Eyre Wolfe and was obviously from the Restricted Section. Remus felt his eyebrows shoot up and his mouth fall open. He looked up to see Madam Pince, the librarian, walking purposefully towards him. "Oh good, you're awake!" She exclaimed. Remus grabbed the book and held the title cover to his chest, backing out of his seat and knocking his chair over. "You do know this is not a public slumber-house! You may come to the library to read in future, but please keep to sleeping in you dormitory!" Remus nodded frantically and headed for the door. "Pick that chair up before you go!" Pince shouted incredulously. "Yes, Miss." He muttered, throwing the chair he had knocked over upright, and bolting from the library. "Don't run in the corridors!" Madam Pince called after him. Remus ignored this cry and ran straight for the Gryffindor dorms. He had to tell his friends something about what had just happened! They were sitting around the fireplace in the huge red armchairs supplied. "You guys'll never guess what's happened!" Remus announced. "We know." James said. "What?" Remus froze. "You...know?" "The whole school does!" Lily said matter-of-factly. "Sure, some nut was running about dressed as a wolf and he shredded a load of paintings." Martin shrugged. "It was probably some numskull Ravenclaw like Charlie or Seph." Remus forced a laugh. "Yeah...I thought it was one of them, too." "What's that book you got, Rem'?" Sirius asked. Remus jumped. He had forgotten he was carrying that still. "I...nothing! I've just got to...go and return it. Right now!" And he turned and fled from the room. "I thought you'd just gone to the library?" Martin called. "Must have forgot!" He said, leaping out of the door. Madam Pince was re-shelving books when he got there. She was standing by the Herbology section and casting replacement spells. Remus snuck up to the desk and slipped the book onto it, before sneaking away again. "Overdue item?" "Argh! Charlie! Don't do that!" Charlie Cookson had snuck up himself - on Remus. And done a pretty good Madam Pince impression while he was at it. "Do what?" Charlie asked, all innocence. "So, good little Gryffindor boy's trying to get out of having to pay fines is he...?" "Yeah. You got me." Remus sighed, holding his hands up. "Oh Madam Pi-ince..." Charlie began. Remus grabbed his shoulders. "Don't!" "The fines that much? Hey, no sweat, Lupin! I was just kidding anyway! I'd never do that to anyone...except a Slytherin!" Charlie rubbed his hands together in glee. "So, ah Charlie..." Remus started. "Did you hear about the idiot who um, shredded a load of paintings just now? Martin thinks it was you." Charlie giggled "Nope, wasn't me - I respect art, me! Can't believe they didn't catch the bugger, though. Didn't someone say he was dressed as a wolf, too? Complete nutcase!" Remus nodded. Was it really me? Did Collins get control of the wolf, and - and use it to get revenge on his fellow paintings? What? How ridiculous does that sound! He's a painting. He couldn't have...could he?