Chapter Two of The Saga
The boy's soft honey eyes were narrowed as he crept through the woods a dusk. He had a dusty old cap on his head because it was getting cool outside and his mother insisted upon it. In his hand, he held what looked like a Muggle slingshot; in the other were four silver coins.
"Remus! Remus John Lupin! Where have you wandered off to this time? It's getting late!" the boys mother called.
Remus groaned. "Mum! I'm hunting werewolves!" he called back. He took one of the silver coins in the slingshot and THWAP! it was flung at a tree.
"Remus, come inside now! There are real werewolves out there, and you could get hurt!" his mother said fretfully.
He peered out the window as his mother led him into the kitchen. She sat at the kitchen table and studied her carefree, troublesome son through concerned eyes.
"Remus, you can't do that. You really could get hurt. It isn't funny," his mother said. "What if you get bitten?"
"Oh, Mum, quit being silly," Remus said. His eyes wandered to his mother, then back to the window. And as he gazed out, two evil, yellow eyes were gazing back. His eyes widened.
"Mum," he whispered. "Come look...."
His mother swooped over, gazing out the window. She gasped, calling for her husband, "John... John, come here."
Remus's father was a tall, thin man. He had sandy hair like his son, but his eyes were a deep blue. "Yes, Faoiltiama?" her husband ask.
"Look," she whispered, gesturing towards the window.
John walked over to the window, looking outside in slight interest. He stared back at the eyes that were moving back and forth, for the werewolf outside was pacing and watching them. He didn't move, didn't make a sound.
"It got past your magical barrier... what if it decides to come closer?" Faoiltiama whispered, her dark hair falling into her face.
He said hesitantly, "It won't come closer; there is no need to worry about that. But you," he turned to Remus, "you can't go out there on full moons anymore. It isn't safe." Remus's father's voice was calm, but very firm.
Sighing, Remus said, "But Dad, it won't get me, I know it won't. I'm too—"
Remus's father shook his head. "No, Remus, you can't go hunting werewolves anymore." He left the room and went into his study.
Remus was furious. "It isn't fair, Mum!" he said indignantly. "I know it won't get me!"
"Remus, love, it's for the best," his mother said calmly.
"Well, that doesn't mean that it's fair," he said crossly.
Faoiltiama messed up Remus's hair fondly, laughing at her son's cross expression. "My silly little wolf hunter," she said in a singsong voice.
"C'mon, Mum, don't," he muttered, pushing her hand away. His mother just giggled.
"Off to bed with you now," she ordered, mock sternly.
Remus rolled his eyes. "Mum," he whined as he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom.
One Month Later
It was once again a full moon, and Remus was fidgeting with excitement.
"Remus, your father and I are going across the street to talk to our friends for a while. Stay in the house," his mother ordered.
Stay in the house? he though. No way. He knew exactly what he was doing tonight. Werewolf hunting. That was exactly what he was going to do.
His parents walked aimlessly, his mother glancing back at the house with a worried expression drawn across her features.
Remus raced up to his room, pulling his bedside table drawer open and found what he was looking for. He pulled out his slingshot and a small pouch of silver coins. Then he ran just as fast back down, bumping into someone as he entered the kitchen.
He yelled out in surprise.
"Oh! Remus, love, I'm sorry; I forgot something I borrowed from Anna. I was only going to come back to get it...." his mother said, looking for something in a cabinet. "Ah, there it is."
Remus shoved the slingshot and coins in his pocket. "Oh, okay, Mum. I'll see you in awhile," he said hurriedly. "Bye!"
His mother glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. "Bye, love," she said slowly.
He waited impatiently as his mother left the house, glancing back at him a last time and saying, "Behave."
Behave? When his parents were leaving the house to himself, unlikely to return for hours, did he ever behave? No, of course not. Like the time he burnt down the tent in his back yard, or the time he broke three windows (accidentally, of course), Remus most likely would not behave.
He slid quietly out the back door and slipped towards the forest quickly, eager and unafraid. His eyes held excitement.
A breeze wafted through the night as the sun sank silently, the purple sky darkening considerably. The rustle of the leaves was welcoming to Remus as he crept through the forest. In the distance, he heard something that made his heart pound: a low, haunting howl of the werewolf.
He had an idea.
"Ouwooooo!" Remus howled in response to the werewolf. Another haunting howl returned, closer this time. "Ouwoooo!" He called out again.
The werewolf didn't respond this time. Frowning, Remus howled again. But all he heard in response was the screech of a terrified cat and the growl of an angry wolf, nearer than before.
Remus ran quietly, steadily, through the wooded area, pulling his slingshot out. Poor, foolish boy, most would probably have thought. He didn't actually think he'd survive if he came face to face with the werewolf, did he?
But Remus wasn't thinking. He soon came to the clearing where the werewolf was ripping apart his mother's cat that had escaped some time ago. He winced at the sight, blood spraying from the cat as the yowls escaped from it. The werewolf was merciless and didn't stop until the cat was completely mangled and dead.
Remus shuddered and let out a cry.
The werewolf's head jerked, the blazing yellow eyes meeting his. Hands shaking, Remus tried to shoot one of the coins at the werewolf, but he could barely move. Fear had seized him.
The werewolf took confident steps towards Remus, its head held high. Its sharp teeth were bared as it came closer. Its coat was as dark as the night sky, gleaming in the light of the full moon. It would have been terribly beautiful if Remus hadn't been afraid the dazzling teeth would be at his throat and the sharp claws dug into him in a few moments.
Coming out of his daze, Remus stumbled backwards causing the wolf to growl warningly. He hit a tree, the rough bark ripping through his shirt at his shoulder.
His mind screamed, Climb the tree!
And that's what he did. He scrambled up the tree, causing the wolf to lunge at him. It caught onto his left shoe. He kicked furiously. The shoe came off and Remus pulled himself onto a high branch. He studied his foot. He wasn't bleeding, thank Godric.
The werewolf circled the tree. It stared up at Remus with piercing eyes before nestling at the bottom of the tree, as if to say, You have to come down sometime.
Remus leaned back against the tree, trembling. What was he doing out here? He just wanted to go home.
"If I get out of this alive, I swear I'll do what my mother tells me to do," he vowed quietly. Remus sighed.
Quite suddenly, there was a hiss above him and something jumped onto the branch where he was. Remus cried out in surprise as whatever it was angrily yowled and hissed at him. He studied the creature in the moonlight, his eyes wide. Oh, only another one of his mothers cats.
"Get out of here!" Remus scolded. The cat growled angrily and swiped at Remus with its long claws, causing him to slip slightly, on leg dangling from the branch.
The werewolf below looked up at him and stood up quickly. It backed up a few paces and took a running start, jumping at Remus's leg. Remus moved his leg just in time, and the wolf missed. It howled furiously.
"Bloody cat!" he hissed at the animal that was still swiping at him. "Get out of here!"
The cat's eyes narrowed at it jumped into a higher branch and laid lazily, looking at Remus angrily.
Remus let out a trembling sigh as he leaned against the tree again, closing his eyes this time. He needed to sleep, and he'd go back in the morning and explain what happened to his parents. He knew he would be punished, but he didn't care.
Slowly, Remus drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Just Before Dawn
Remus awoke with a start, looking around worriedly. Where was he? In the forest, werewolf hunting.... Where was the werewolf? He looked down at the ground and didn't see it anywhere. With a sigh of relief, he slid out of the tree.
He walked quickly away, the leaves rustling as he looked up at the paling sky.
He froze.
Please let me be imagining this, he thought as the werewolf behind him growled.
But he knew it was real. He spun around to stare at the werewolf, its eyes looking at him intensely. Its teeth were bared and it stepped closer and closer. It was only a few feet from Remus.
"P-please... d-don't hurt me," he whispered.
The wolf howled hauntingly and dove at him, knocking him to the ground and sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He felt his own warm blood stain his shirt and make the fabric stick to him. He cried out in pain.
The wolf howled hauntingly and dove at him, knocking him to the ground and sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He felt his own warm blood stain his shirt and make the fabric stick to him. He cried out in pain.
The werewolf let go suddenly, howling out in pain also as the sun rose higher into the sky. The howls turned to high pitched screams. Through Remus's teary eyes he saw a woman appear. Her dark eyes were wide and fearful as she gazed at him.
Gliding over to him, she murmured, "What have I done to you, poor child?" She kissed his forehead. "Everything will be all right." She screamed loudly, "Help! Help!" She hoped the boys guardians were near by and she whispered something to him, but he didn't here her.
The pain was unbelievable, he didn't even notice as the woman ran as fast as she could. He slid into unconsciousness.
The Next Day
Remus awoke with a start and bolted into a sitting position, ignoring the horrible pain in his shoulder.
"Oh, Remus!" his mother whispered and pulled him into a hug.
"Mum, where am I?" he asked fearfully.
"In St. Mungo's, love," she said. "You do remember what happened last night, don't you, Remus?"
Remus nodded. It was sort of hard to forget.... He let out a shuddering sigh.
"Mum..." he began. And again, you witness the innocence of children that they lose as they get older. "Mum, do you... do you think that if I listened to what you said and did what I was told... do you think that I..." he faltered, "... that I wouldn't be a werewolf?"
Tears stung his mother's eyes as she drew him into a hug a tighter hug and whispered, "No, love, no... you're a werewolf."
The boy's soft honey eyes were narrowed as he crept through the woods a dusk. He had a dusty old cap on his head because it was getting cool outside and his mother insisted upon it. In his hand, he held what looked like a Muggle slingshot; in the other were four silver coins.
"Remus! Remus John Lupin! Where have you wandered off to this time? It's getting late!" the boys mother called.
Remus groaned. "Mum! I'm hunting werewolves!" he called back. He took one of the silver coins in the slingshot and THWAP! it was flung at a tree.
"Remus, come inside now! There are real werewolves out there, and you could get hurt!" his mother said fretfully.
He peered out the window as his mother led him into the kitchen. She sat at the kitchen table and studied her carefree, troublesome son through concerned eyes.
"Remus, you can't do that. You really could get hurt. It isn't funny," his mother said. "What if you get bitten?"
"Oh, Mum, quit being silly," Remus said. His eyes wandered to his mother, then back to the window. And as he gazed out, two evil, yellow eyes were gazing back. His eyes widened.
"Mum," he whispered. "Come look...."
His mother swooped over, gazing out the window. She gasped, calling for her husband, "John... John, come here."
Remus's father was a tall, thin man. He had sandy hair like his son, but his eyes were a deep blue. "Yes, Faoiltiama?" her husband ask.
"Look," she whispered, gesturing towards the window.
John walked over to the window, looking outside in slight interest. He stared back at the eyes that were moving back and forth, for the werewolf outside was pacing and watching them. He didn't move, didn't make a sound.
"It got past your magical barrier... what if it decides to come closer?" Faoiltiama whispered, her dark hair falling into her face.
He said hesitantly, "It won't come closer; there is no need to worry about that. But you," he turned to Remus, "you can't go out there on full moons anymore. It isn't safe." Remus's father's voice was calm, but very firm.
Sighing, Remus said, "But Dad, it won't get me, I know it won't. I'm too—"
Remus's father shook his head. "No, Remus, you can't go hunting werewolves anymore." He left the room and went into his study.
Remus was furious. "It isn't fair, Mum!" he said indignantly. "I know it won't get me!"
"Remus, love, it's for the best," his mother said calmly.
"Well, that doesn't mean that it's fair," he said crossly.
Faoiltiama messed up Remus's hair fondly, laughing at her son's cross expression. "My silly little wolf hunter," she said in a singsong voice.
"C'mon, Mum, don't," he muttered, pushing her hand away. His mother just giggled.
"Off to bed with you now," she ordered, mock sternly.
Remus rolled his eyes. "Mum," he whined as he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom.
One Month Later
It was once again a full moon, and Remus was fidgeting with excitement.
"Remus, your father and I are going across the street to talk to our friends for a while. Stay in the house," his mother ordered.
Stay in the house? he though. No way. He knew exactly what he was doing tonight. Werewolf hunting. That was exactly what he was going to do.
His parents walked aimlessly, his mother glancing back at the house with a worried expression drawn across her features.
Remus raced up to his room, pulling his bedside table drawer open and found what he was looking for. He pulled out his slingshot and a small pouch of silver coins. Then he ran just as fast back down, bumping into someone as he entered the kitchen.
He yelled out in surprise.
"Oh! Remus, love, I'm sorry; I forgot something I borrowed from Anna. I was only going to come back to get it...." his mother said, looking for something in a cabinet. "Ah, there it is."
Remus shoved the slingshot and coins in his pocket. "Oh, okay, Mum. I'll see you in awhile," he said hurriedly. "Bye!"
His mother glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. "Bye, love," she said slowly.
He waited impatiently as his mother left the house, glancing back at him a last time and saying, "Behave."
Behave? When his parents were leaving the house to himself, unlikely to return for hours, did he ever behave? No, of course not. Like the time he burnt down the tent in his back yard, or the time he broke three windows (accidentally, of course), Remus most likely would not behave.
He slid quietly out the back door and slipped towards the forest quickly, eager and unafraid. His eyes held excitement.
A breeze wafted through the night as the sun sank silently, the purple sky darkening considerably. The rustle of the leaves was welcoming to Remus as he crept through the forest. In the distance, he heard something that made his heart pound: a low, haunting howl of the werewolf.
He had an idea.
"Ouwooooo!" Remus howled in response to the werewolf. Another haunting howl returned, closer this time. "Ouwoooo!" He called out again.
The werewolf didn't respond this time. Frowning, Remus howled again. But all he heard in response was the screech of a terrified cat and the growl of an angry wolf, nearer than before.
Remus ran quietly, steadily, through the wooded area, pulling his slingshot out. Poor, foolish boy, most would probably have thought. He didn't actually think he'd survive if he came face to face with the werewolf, did he?
But Remus wasn't thinking. He soon came to the clearing where the werewolf was ripping apart his mother's cat that had escaped some time ago. He winced at the sight, blood spraying from the cat as the yowls escaped from it. The werewolf was merciless and didn't stop until the cat was completely mangled and dead.
Remus shuddered and let out a cry.
The werewolf's head jerked, the blazing yellow eyes meeting his. Hands shaking, Remus tried to shoot one of the coins at the werewolf, but he could barely move. Fear had seized him.
The werewolf took confident steps towards Remus, its head held high. Its sharp teeth were bared as it came closer. Its coat was as dark as the night sky, gleaming in the light of the full moon. It would have been terribly beautiful if Remus hadn't been afraid the dazzling teeth would be at his throat and the sharp claws dug into him in a few moments.
Coming out of his daze, Remus stumbled backwards causing the wolf to growl warningly. He hit a tree, the rough bark ripping through his shirt at his shoulder.
His mind screamed, Climb the tree!
And that's what he did. He scrambled up the tree, causing the wolf to lunge at him. It caught onto his left shoe. He kicked furiously. The shoe came off and Remus pulled himself onto a high branch. He studied his foot. He wasn't bleeding, thank Godric.
The werewolf circled the tree. It stared up at Remus with piercing eyes before nestling at the bottom of the tree, as if to say, You have to come down sometime.
Remus leaned back against the tree, trembling. What was he doing out here? He just wanted to go home.
"If I get out of this alive, I swear I'll do what my mother tells me to do," he vowed quietly. Remus sighed.
Quite suddenly, there was a hiss above him and something jumped onto the branch where he was. Remus cried out in surprise as whatever it was angrily yowled and hissed at him. He studied the creature in the moonlight, his eyes wide. Oh, only another one of his mothers cats.
"Get out of here!" Remus scolded. The cat growled angrily and swiped at Remus with its long claws, causing him to slip slightly, on leg dangling from the branch.
The werewolf below looked up at him and stood up quickly. It backed up a few paces and took a running start, jumping at Remus's leg. Remus moved his leg just in time, and the wolf missed. It howled furiously.
"Bloody cat!" he hissed at the animal that was still swiping at him. "Get out of here!"
The cat's eyes narrowed at it jumped into a higher branch and laid lazily, looking at Remus angrily.
Remus let out a trembling sigh as he leaned against the tree again, closing his eyes this time. He needed to sleep, and he'd go back in the morning and explain what happened to his parents. He knew he would be punished, but he didn't care.
Slowly, Remus drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Just Before Dawn
Remus awoke with a start, looking around worriedly. Where was he? In the forest, werewolf hunting.... Where was the werewolf? He looked down at the ground and didn't see it anywhere. With a sigh of relief, he slid out of the tree.
He walked quickly away, the leaves rustling as he looked up at the paling sky.
He froze.
Please let me be imagining this, he thought as the werewolf behind him growled.
But he knew it was real. He spun around to stare at the werewolf, its eyes looking at him intensely. Its teeth were bared and it stepped closer and closer. It was only a few feet from Remus.
"P-please... d-don't hurt me," he whispered.
The wolf howled hauntingly and dove at him, knocking him to the ground and sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He felt his own warm blood stain his shirt and make the fabric stick to him. He cried out in pain.
The wolf howled hauntingly and dove at him, knocking him to the ground and sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He felt his own warm blood stain his shirt and make the fabric stick to him. He cried out in pain.
The werewolf let go suddenly, howling out in pain also as the sun rose higher into the sky. The howls turned to high pitched screams. Through Remus's teary eyes he saw a woman appear. Her dark eyes were wide and fearful as she gazed at him.
Gliding over to him, she murmured, "What have I done to you, poor child?" She kissed his forehead. "Everything will be all right." She screamed loudly, "Help! Help!" She hoped the boys guardians were near by and she whispered something to him, but he didn't here her.
The pain was unbelievable, he didn't even notice as the woman ran as fast as she could. He slid into unconsciousness.
The Next Day
Remus awoke with a start and bolted into a sitting position, ignoring the horrible pain in his shoulder.
"Oh, Remus!" his mother whispered and pulled him into a hug.
"Mum, where am I?" he asked fearfully.
"In St. Mungo's, love," she said. "You do remember what happened last night, don't you, Remus?"
Remus nodded. It was sort of hard to forget.... He let out a shuddering sigh.
"Mum..." he began. And again, you witness the innocence of children that they lose as they get older. "Mum, do you... do you think that if I listened to what you said and did what I was told... do you think that I..." he faltered, "... that I wouldn't be a werewolf?"
Tears stung his mother's eyes as she drew him into a hug a tighter hug and whispered, "No, love, no... you're a werewolf."