I Am Dansmesyeux Riddle

Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN: Three More

Response To Reviews:

Marauder1prongs: I have a Guinea Pig named Drachen.

Nadia Greenleaf: I too wish that Hermine would have slapped Draco. It would have been a bit funnier.

Sue Falkenkralle: I'm so sorry about the cliffhangers (not)!

Lady Melime Alasse: I'm glad that I could answer your question about Dan's name. As for Remus and Jane…I imagine werewolves to be overprotective of their territory.

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Quotes of the chapter:

Collins, John
"Half of our mistakes in life arise from feeling where we ought to think and thinking where we ought to feel"

Charles Swindoll
"I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it."

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Previous Chapter: Making up his mind, he headed toward the dungeons. As soon as the sun was out he was going to the Hospital wing to make sure that Jane wasn't harmed in any way. 

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"Snapey, Dumbledore wants us to show you something." Severus turned over as something poked him in his side. He groaned as he was poked again, and he sat up.

"Damn," Severus muttered to himself. It appeared that he had fallen asleep on the floor last night, and his back was aching horribly. He looked up and groaned again. The last two people that he wanted to wake up to were standing over him: James Potter and Sirius Black.

In a flash he remembered that last night was the full moon. Jane had been with Remus and the two morons that were presently standing before him…something had happened. James and Sirius had to separate them both and…

"Jane," he whispered as he tried to get to his shaky feet. His knees gave way from his sudden movement, and he fell to the ground.

"She is fine," James said as he and Sirius helped Severus up. "But I'm not all too sure that you are."

"Maybe we should get him to Madam Pomfrey and let her decide," Sirius said with glee as they helped Severus sit down on a chair.

"If you do take me there and she drugs me with my own potions you'd better sleep with one eye open. Both of you," growled Severus.

"Was that a threat?" James asked Sirius stupidly.

"You know, I believe it was."

"Why don't you two-" Severus started to say but was cut off.

"Don't stress yourself into finishing that, Snapey. We'll just show you what Dumbledore told us to show you," Sirius stated.

James pulled out a newspaper clipping from his pocket and tossed it to him. Severus was a bit afraid of what he was going to find, but his curiosity got the better of him. He unfolded the paper and the front page headline made his stomach turn.

Disaster in Hogsmeade

A man was brutally murdered in his home last night. He was found, half torn apart with his neck ripped open, in his backyards. It is very hard to believe that this happened in the quiet village of Hogsmeade. Miraculously the man's daughter and wife we unharmed but are, unfortunately, mourning their loss.

Severus stopped reading and looked up at Sirius and James. The first thing that he said was, "You don't think that Lupin or Jane did this, do you?"

Sirius took a quick glance around the room before responding, "We don't know. We haven't talked to Remus or Jane about it."

"You mean that they haven't seen this?" Severus asked. When no reply came Severus snorted. This had to be the weirdest day in his life. He was sitting on his chair, having a conversation with his two worst enemies about two werewolves, one of which he disliked.

"We couldn't show it too Remus. He's still asleep and I guess we didn't bother to wake Jane up either," James said.

"So why did the Headmaster want me to see this?" inquired Severus.

"He probably thought the same thing that we all did; it was either Remus or Jane who attacked that man. After all, they're the only werewolves we know who are around here," Sirius said.

"How do we even know it was a werewolf?" challenged Severus, though he too believed that it had to have been one of the beasts. He rolled up the paper and held onto it.

"We don't," admitted James. "Unless we go and see if Jane or Remus remembers anything from last night."

"I doubt it." Severus stood up and stretched. Before James or Sirius could say anything he said, "If either of you say anything about the Hospital Wing and me, I'll have to hurt you. Now let's get going." He allowed the two Gryffindors to leave before him and before following he took one last glance at the article.

Underneath the writing was a photograph of the man's body. Severus stomach felt uneasy as he saw scratch marks on the wizard's chest and arms. There was no doubt in the ex-Death Eater's mind that a werewolf had done this…the only question was who had done it?

"Come on, Snapey! We don't have all day to stand around!" James called to him and Severus pocketed the paper. He followed his worst enemies out of his private chambers and through the portrait which guarded it without a single word.

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They arrived at the Hospital Wing fairly fast. When they were inside they were greeted by Remus who was lying awake in one of the beds. Jane, Severus noticed, was no where to be seen. Madam Pomfrey came into the Hospital from her office and saw them.

"Now what?" she snapped at James and Sirius. "Weren't you just here before you left to get Severus?"

"Maybe," Sirius said mischievously, grinning at James. 

"Where is Jane?" Severus asked before Madam Pomfrey could continue her conversation with Sirius.

"She left with her friends. Draco and Dan were among them so I figured that you had allowed them to come and get her," replied Madam Pomfrey.

Severus mentally kicked himself. He had completely forgotten about Draco, Dan, and the others. Now he had to find out where they were. "Did they happen to tell you where they were going?"

The nurse shook her head. "They left without a word to me. I would have stopped them but you know you're the only person who can handle them all at once."

"Damn!" cursed Severus.

"I know where they are," Remus stated. "They were talking rather loud when Draco suggested that they go outside."

"Outside?" Severus repeated with a note of panic in his voice.

"What's wrong, Snape?" James asked as Severus pulled out the article. He showed it to the three last Marauders.

"What?" Sirius inquired. "I don't get it."

Severus pointed to the picture and explained, "These claw marks were made by a werewolf but not an adult one."

Remus read the article to himself and fell silent. He was hoping that everyone would forget he existed for the moment. Werewolves weren't his favorite topic.

"Were they made by a young werewolf?" James questioned the Head of Slytherin.

Severus shook his head and said, "They were made by a teen werewolf and not just one. There had to have been at least two or three of them."

"How do you know?" Sirius growled.

"Because, judging from this picture, Jane and Remus's hands don't fit the size. Jane's are too small and Remus's are too big. How do I know that there was more than one? I can show you that there are different marks on him. Almost each scratch on the man is made by a different hand. They're all different looking, different depths. And there are about four different scratches."

"Damn…" James said. "You thought up all that by looking at the picture?"

"That's why I used to like picture books!" exclaimed Sirius. "A word is worth a thousand pictures."

"Umm…Sirius," said Remus. "I think you meant to say that a picture is worth a thousand words."

"Right…" Sirius said. "What did I say?"

As the Marauders had their fun Severus snuck out of the Hospital Wing and made his way down to the front doors. Hopefully Jane and the others were OK. After all they were only playing outside and Hogwarts was a safe place for them to do so. When he stepped outside he looked about for any sign of the Death Eaters' children but found nothing.

"Dan! Draco! Jane!" he called. Although he got no response, the sound of shouting reached his ears. He followed the sound and saw that Jane was fighting with a boy that was at least three years older than her (Dan and the others were watching from the side). The boy had an appearance of an animal and his long, tangled brown hair added to his appearance.

The boy easily picked up Jane and slammed her into the ground. Both of the kids were baring their teeth at each other. The boy's teeth were razor sharp but Jane's looked absolutely normal. Two other boys were cheering the one that was fighting on. They were obviously older than him, but they shared the same wild appearance.

"Get off of her," Severus snapped at the boy as he made his way over to the children. Immediately his presence caught the attention of the three boys. They left Jane and the other kids alone and advanced on him. 

"Bossy human," the boy in the middle growled. He appeared to be the oldest and dominant over the other two.

"I think I found our mystery werewolves," Severus mused aloud.

The werewolf on the left looked offended to be called a werewolf by someone else. "We didn't mean to kill that human, if that's what you're talking about. He wasn't who we were after," the werewolf who fought Jane said in an angry tone. 

"Then why did you come here? Who exactly were you after?" Severus asked them, still backing up.

"We sensed other werewolves," answered the leader. "We thought that all werewolves lived like we do. I heard someone once say that werewolves are stronger in larger numbers."

"I think you'd better talk to the Headmaster if you are going to terrorize the school grounds," Severus sneered. "Besides, if you really didn't mean to kill that man, you wouldn't hurt me or anyone else."

"Fine," growled the leader.

"Now that we have that matter settled, would you mind telling me who you are?" Severus asked.

 There was a long pause before the leader werewolf said, "I'm Drachen. These are my best friends Zing (me motioned to the werewolf that had been fighting Jane) and Kapu."

"Drakon?" repeated Dan.

"No," growled Drachen. "It's pronounced Draw-chin."

"I'm not sure that I can say that," Draco said.

"I can not too," Play said. His older brother, Blake, was doing a good job of keeping him and their sister, Kristen, a safe distance away from the three werewolves.

"Then don't say my name," growled Drachen.

"Come on. Leave them alone," Zing said, placing a hand on Drachen's shoulder. Drachen pulled away, his eyes never once left Severus.

"I don't trust you. You're going to turn us in, aren't you?" inquired Kapu. "That's what the last human said, invited us in and-and she-"

"I'm no going to turn you in," Severus vowed. "I have found no reason to."

Drachen bowed his head in his friend's direction, causing Zing to look at the ground. Without a word Drachen turned, and his friends followed him. They continued walking until they were out of sight.

"Well at least I don't have to watch after them," Severus grumbled to himself. Eventually he took the children back inside and they all got something to eat after their brief encounter. 

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A/N: I didn't feel comfortable posting this chapter because it seemed…not right…I dunno. The three werewolves are important characters for the second part but I'm not too sure at the moment so don't hold me to that. A plus will go next to the penname of the person who can figure out what word I used from the German language to make Drachen's name. Here's a hint: search without the "n" at the end.