For the Want of the Moon, the Marauders are Lost
Chapter Eight:
"I had forgotten how quickly night falls at Hogwarts," Torri said, her eyes trained on the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling as dinner began one cold November night.
Snape gave her a wary look. "All Werewolves are accounted for, then?" he asked, noticing there was a full moon that night.
Torri nodded. "There are none in the area." She took a bite of a roll. "AT least there weren't before I came to dinner."
They continued to eat in a peaceful silence between them. The students were s noisy as usual, though. Suddenly, Snape's black owl flew up to them and dropped a letter between their plates. Snape swallowed. "Hmm. It's addressed to both of us."
"Molly's handwriting. D'you suppose they need help?" Torri mumbled through her shepherd's pie.
"I don't know," Snape said, opening the letter. "'Forgive me, Torri, Severus, for disturbing your dinner. I have distressing news. I know you're probably well aware that tonight's the full moon with that excellent ceiling in the Great Hall. But what you probably are not fully aware of is Remus had been sent on an assignment last week. We expected him to have returned by now. Torri, I'm afraid he might be heading to Hogwarts to find you. He hasn't stopped staring at that picture of you and Sirius from the time he returned from visiting you until he left on his assignment. I strongly suggest searching the grounds for him. Severus, please find some potion that may help calm him or something to that effect. Write back in the morning and tell me if you've found him or not. Love Molly...'"
Torri heard a wolf cry in the distance. "Great." She muttered. She stood and walked to Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Molly just wrote to us and said Remus is missing." The wolf's cry was louder and closer now. "I suggest locking the students in here until dawn. I'm fairly certain that's him, so I'll try to get him into the Shrieking Shack. Meet me there with whatever Severus has come up with."
"Good luck, Torri."
She smiled faintly and ran out of the Great Hall as the Headmaster related the situation to the rest of the school. It began to rain as Torri crossed the courtyard. She paused when she heard footsteps behind her. Seeing it to be Harry, she firmly said, "Get back inside, Potter. There's no use for you here." Then, without another word, she began to change.
It seemed she was simply shrinking, but to dog size. She fell onto all fours as silvery-grey fur sprouted all over her body. Finally, with the appearance of her tail, her transformation was complete. She had become a Silver Wolfe. She looked at Harry. Her once dark eyes were a glowing silver. He hadn't moved. She snapped at him to get him moving, then she bounded off into the grounds, searching for the Werewolf.
She heard his cry and detected hi scent. He was somewhere by the Quidditch pitch. She let out a howl, tying to lure the Werewolf to her. He heard her cry and began hunting. When he was roughly twenty feet from her and the Whomping Willow, where she wanted him, he bared his teeth and growled threateningly at her. Her fur stood on end as she answered his challenge.
But something was wrong. There was a new cent now. One that she recognized. It was Harry Potter. She quickly looked around; he was nowhere in sight. Cursing James' Invisibility Cloak, she returned her attention to the Werewolf. He was crouched, ready to attack. Which he did, but in the direction of Harry's scent.
Close to panicking, she leapt at the Werewolf, biting into his neck and knocking him away from Harry. The Werewolf swiped at her, trying to get her off him, tearing at her Wolfe flesh with his razor sharp claws. He released him and attacked again. The two Wolves fought each other viciously until she was able to overcome him. He slumped on the midnight chilled ground. She dragged him under the Whomping Willow, between a gap in the roots, by her teeth.
Since he was twice her size, it took her a while to drag him all along the dirt filled passageway into the Shrieking Shack. There, when she arrived with the unconscious Werewolf, stood Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. Without a word to her, they levitated the Werewolf onto the bed in the upstairs bedroom. She limped up the stairs behind them.
Snape had just poured a light blue potion down the Werewolf's throat when she entered. Dumbledore scratched her behind the ear and said, "Good job, Torri. Severus has given him a sleeping draught. He should sleep until dawn." He smiled at her then left with Snape and McGonagall.
Yawning slightly in her exhaustion, she jumped onto the bed, curled dup next to the Werewolf and fell asleep. She woke just before awn and transformed back into her human form, once again thankful Animagus transformations included clothes. Then she waited for the sun.
She didn't have long to wait, however. Within minutes, the pale sunlight hone on the Werewolf's muzzle and the animal features melted into Remus Lupin's wan and worn face. Torri had her best friend back. Without taking her eyes off his closed pair, she conjured a blanket and pulled it over his unrobed boy.
His eyes flickered open as she brushed his hair away from his face. He grabbed her hand and rubbed her fingers on his cheek. "It's seldom I wake from the animal condition with someone by my side," he muttered.
Torri smiled. "Um, Minerva brought you a change of clothes," she said. "I'll just step out for a bit while you dress, shall I?" Without waiting for a response, she climbed off the bed and entered the hall, closing the door behind her.
Minutes later, the door opened and Remus—now dressed—pulled Torri into a tight hug. He could see the still flowing blood staining the back of her shirt. He wiped some away from her eyes and said, "I'm sorry about all this. You look terrible."
She smiled. "So now I look terrible on top of being short?" she laughed, taking his hand. "C'mon, let's get breakfast."
By the time they reached the castle, everyone was in the Great Hall enjoying breakfast, gossiping about the previous night's events. Remus and Torri stayed long enough to fill their plates, and then rushed up to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey fussed over their cuts, scratches and bite marks.
Chapter Eight:
"I had forgotten how quickly night falls at Hogwarts," Torri said, her eyes trained on the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling as dinner began one cold November night.
Snape gave her a wary look. "All Werewolves are accounted for, then?" he asked, noticing there was a full moon that night.
Torri nodded. "There are none in the area." She took a bite of a roll. "AT least there weren't before I came to dinner."
They continued to eat in a peaceful silence between them. The students were s noisy as usual, though. Suddenly, Snape's black owl flew up to them and dropped a letter between their plates. Snape swallowed. "Hmm. It's addressed to both of us."
"Molly's handwriting. D'you suppose they need help?" Torri mumbled through her shepherd's pie.
"I don't know," Snape said, opening the letter. "'Forgive me, Torri, Severus, for disturbing your dinner. I have distressing news. I know you're probably well aware that tonight's the full moon with that excellent ceiling in the Great Hall. But what you probably are not fully aware of is Remus had been sent on an assignment last week. We expected him to have returned by now. Torri, I'm afraid he might be heading to Hogwarts to find you. He hasn't stopped staring at that picture of you and Sirius from the time he returned from visiting you until he left on his assignment. I strongly suggest searching the grounds for him. Severus, please find some potion that may help calm him or something to that effect. Write back in the morning and tell me if you've found him or not. Love Molly...'"
Torri heard a wolf cry in the distance. "Great." She muttered. She stood and walked to Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Molly just wrote to us and said Remus is missing." The wolf's cry was louder and closer now. "I suggest locking the students in here until dawn. I'm fairly certain that's him, so I'll try to get him into the Shrieking Shack. Meet me there with whatever Severus has come up with."
"Good luck, Torri."
She smiled faintly and ran out of the Great Hall as the Headmaster related the situation to the rest of the school. It began to rain as Torri crossed the courtyard. She paused when she heard footsteps behind her. Seeing it to be Harry, she firmly said, "Get back inside, Potter. There's no use for you here." Then, without another word, she began to change.
It seemed she was simply shrinking, but to dog size. She fell onto all fours as silvery-grey fur sprouted all over her body. Finally, with the appearance of her tail, her transformation was complete. She had become a Silver Wolfe. She looked at Harry. Her once dark eyes were a glowing silver. He hadn't moved. She snapped at him to get him moving, then she bounded off into the grounds, searching for the Werewolf.
She heard his cry and detected hi scent. He was somewhere by the Quidditch pitch. She let out a howl, tying to lure the Werewolf to her. He heard her cry and began hunting. When he was roughly twenty feet from her and the Whomping Willow, where she wanted him, he bared his teeth and growled threateningly at her. Her fur stood on end as she answered his challenge.
But something was wrong. There was a new cent now. One that she recognized. It was Harry Potter. She quickly looked around; he was nowhere in sight. Cursing James' Invisibility Cloak, she returned her attention to the Werewolf. He was crouched, ready to attack. Which he did, but in the direction of Harry's scent.
Close to panicking, she leapt at the Werewolf, biting into his neck and knocking him away from Harry. The Werewolf swiped at her, trying to get her off him, tearing at her Wolfe flesh with his razor sharp claws. He released him and attacked again. The two Wolves fought each other viciously until she was able to overcome him. He slumped on the midnight chilled ground. She dragged him under the Whomping Willow, between a gap in the roots, by her teeth.
Since he was twice her size, it took her a while to drag him all along the dirt filled passageway into the Shrieking Shack. There, when she arrived with the unconscious Werewolf, stood Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. Without a word to her, they levitated the Werewolf onto the bed in the upstairs bedroom. She limped up the stairs behind them.
Snape had just poured a light blue potion down the Werewolf's throat when she entered. Dumbledore scratched her behind the ear and said, "Good job, Torri. Severus has given him a sleeping draught. He should sleep until dawn." He smiled at her then left with Snape and McGonagall.
Yawning slightly in her exhaustion, she jumped onto the bed, curled dup next to the Werewolf and fell asleep. She woke just before awn and transformed back into her human form, once again thankful Animagus transformations included clothes. Then she waited for the sun.
She didn't have long to wait, however. Within minutes, the pale sunlight hone on the Werewolf's muzzle and the animal features melted into Remus Lupin's wan and worn face. Torri had her best friend back. Without taking her eyes off his closed pair, she conjured a blanket and pulled it over his unrobed boy.
His eyes flickered open as she brushed his hair away from his face. He grabbed her hand and rubbed her fingers on his cheek. "It's seldom I wake from the animal condition with someone by my side," he muttered.
Torri smiled. "Um, Minerva brought you a change of clothes," she said. "I'll just step out for a bit while you dress, shall I?" Without waiting for a response, she climbed off the bed and entered the hall, closing the door behind her.
Minutes later, the door opened and Remus—now dressed—pulled Torri into a tight hug. He could see the still flowing blood staining the back of her shirt. He wiped some away from her eyes and said, "I'm sorry about all this. You look terrible."
She smiled. "So now I look terrible on top of being short?" she laughed, taking his hand. "C'mon, let's get breakfast."
By the time they reached the castle, everyone was in the Great Hall enjoying breakfast, gossiping about the previous night's events. Remus and Torri stayed long enough to fill their plates, and then rushed up to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey fussed over their cuts, scratches and bite marks.