All three couldn't help staring at it. It was a wolf just like Harry's,
made from tinfoil and about the same size, except that this one was sitting
down with its head cocked to one side as if listening for something.
'Where did you get this, Dobby?'
'Dobby's friend gave it to him, sir, when he was released. So we wouldn't forget each other. It is my most prized possession. Is it a bad thing?'
'I don't think so, it's just a puzzle, that's all. So your friend's still a slave of the Malfoys?'
The odd tightness came back to Dobby's face and they decided not to push it further. They stayed a bit longer until Dobby had forgotten the whole incident before making their excuses. They didn't say a word until they got to the common room. They didn't know what to say. They were all thinking the same thing anyway - who was Dobby's friend and why would he give a silver wolf to Harry? This had just raised more questions than it had answered.
Harry put the wolf on the table in front of them.
'We've got to find out who Dobby's friend is.'
'Well done, Ron, any ideas?' The sarcasm was unmistakable.
'It couldn't be the Malfoys playing another dirty trick on you like they got Dobby to do a few years ago, do you?'
'That was nothing to do with the Malfoys. It was just Dobby being paranoid. But last time it was because of that diary. What could it be this time? Nothing weird at all has happened this year, at least no weirder than usual, and Dobby isn't involved, he didn't know anything about it.'
'Why a silver wolf, what does it symbolise, if anything? And that dead rabbit that came with it? This thing just gets more bizarre the more we look at it.'
'Maybe Dobby's friend gave it to me as a thank you for getting him freed.'
'But he said he was still a slave of the Malfoys, how could he get out to leave it on your doorstep?'
'Yeah, I suppose you're right.'
They discussed it long into the night, but no answers were forthcoming. The wolf stood peacefully gazing up at the endless moon, singing its silent song.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next evening in the library, Ron and Harry were working on a Potions essay, which Hermione had naturally finished ages ago, when she came up and dumped a large book on their table.
'Watch it, 'Mione!' Ron hissed at her, his quill had just narrowly missed being flattened.
'Look at it.' Hermione pointed to a picture covering the right hand page. It was a photo of something they all knew.
'That's that engraving up in the Astronomy Tower, isn't it?'
'Yes, but look at it!' Hermione pointed fiercely at two figures in the engraving, 'They're identical to the silver wolves!'
When Harry looked at it more closely he could see what Hermione meant. The whole thing was the picture of a woodland clearing filled with wolves and. things. He quickly read the caption underneath it; "Upon climbing the Astronomy Tower, observers can't fail to notice the stony portraits of magical creatures. By far the most interesting is the above which has long been known as the Wolven Door. However, despite many investigations, there is no evidence of the stonework being a door of any kind or that there is any kind of secret chamber behind it.
"The Astronomy Tower and its decorations have been accredited to Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who was a keen Astronomer and have a passion for all types of magical creatures."
Hermione slammed the book shut, it was one of her favourites - Hogwarts, A History - and set off towards the exit.
'Where are you going?' Harry asked.
'To have a closer look at the Wolven Door, of course. Are you coming?'
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They walked past carvings of phoenixes, dragons, manticores, hippogriffs, centaurs, unicorns and countless others before reaching the Wolven Door, about halfway up the tower.
The engraving itself was huge - at least twice their height and about six feet wide. The detail in it was incredible. They could make out different types of trees and even individual hairs on the bodies of the wolves could be distinguished. It was these creatures that they looked at.
'They're not wolves, they're werewolves!' Ron said in surprise. 'Look, there's a full moon and everything.'
He was right. The only thing that held any colour apart from the natural grey of the stone was the white of the full moon and its rippled reflection in a lake. The werewolves themselves were all in different stages of transformation - some were completely lupine, some were wholly human and some were neither. A few looked almost human except that they had wolf-like tails and ears. All of their eyes had been inlaid with yellow crystal so that they glinted at the watchers.
What they saw in the carving didn't tie up with what they knew about werewolves at all. To them it looked like the transformation was a happy occasion. There were even a pair of half-changed lovers holding hands in the moonlight while their compatriots danced and sang around them. Sitting on the edge of the lake was a wolf staring into the water with its head cocked to one side - Dobby's wolf.
'Whoever made this didn't know anything about werewolves,' said Hermione, 'Look, there's no sign of pain like Lupin goes through and they'd all be killing the people there by now. I wonder why it's called a door, though?'
'No one really knows,' a different voice from behind made them all jump.
'Remus, what are you doing here?'
'I've just finished taking my first class of first years. The main topic of conversation being "Are you really a werewolf? Really?" I think they got the point that I was by the end.
'I've just seen your friend Storm, by the way. The NERO woman has been in this morning, the poor rith looks a little the worse for wear. I think they took her up to see Madam Pomfrey for an expert opinion.'
'Cheers, Remus!'
The three took off towards the hospital wing, leaving Lupin staring at the Wolven Door and shaking his head in pity of the misunderstanding of the people who carved it.
When they reached it the door was slightly ajar and they peered through the crack. They could see Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid and a short, dumpy woman in dark green robes crowding around something. A sharp yelp let them know what the something was.
'Have you got a camera, Poppy? We need to take photographs of this as evidence.'
'You think yeh've got a case then, Mrs Mackley?'
'Without a shadow of a doubt, sir. This is one of the worst cases of rith abuse I've seen in all my years,' a thick West-Country accent rang clear in the empty wing.
'It's awful, I have to say.'
'Stand aside, there. Let's have some light,' the brisk voice of Madam Pomfrey ushered them all out of the way while she took pictures of the newly revealed Storm. Hermione gasped in horror. The rith was covered in horrible lumps all the way up both her arms and legs and worse, two livid scars bisected her face. One ran from the base of the left side of her jaw, across her left eye and stopped halfway up her forehead, the other ran at an angle across her muzzle.
'These are definitely bleed scars?' Professor McGonagall asked.
'Oh yes,' Madam Pomfrey and Mrs Mackley said at once, but it was the NERO woman who continued, 'Bleed scars are always this shape, but its not just the scars that worry me. It's how many there are. There are several laws in reference to rith-bleeding including that it cannot be done more than twice a year and that it must be done by a licensed bleeder and reported to NERO. Properly done it shouldn't leave a scar at all, but this poor creature has been severely and illegally overbled. I doubt if any of these were reported to us.'
'But you know who it is.'
'I do, yes, and by thunder we'll have them up for this. No wonder this poor beast always got such a reputation in the ring for being a thoroughly unpleasant animal, she was probably in a great deal of discomfort with these being hidden away.' The NERO woman patted Storm on her head. 'I would, of course, normally tell you who this creature belongs to, but due to these exceptional circumstances, you understand of course.'
'Of course.'
'But wha's her name, her pedigree name I mean,' It was unlike Hagrid to want to know about anything that didn't involve size of teeth or poisonous ability.
'I suppose it can't hurt - it's Bluestorm Spirit-of-the-Sky. A fine name for a fine animal.'
'Not eavesdropping, are we?' The voice of Snape hissed behind them. In his hands was a small vial of green liquid.
'By no means, Professor, we had just come up to see Storm. Professor Lupin told us she might need friends around her.' Harry had said this unnecessarily loud so that everyone in the hospital wing would hear them. Hagrid opened the door.
'Hello, Professor. Come on in, you three.'
Storm wagged her tail when she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, but it went as stiff as a ramrod and her ears laid flat against her head when she spied Snape, her lips just beginning to draw off her teeth.
'Thank you, Severus,' Professor McGonagall said, relieving Snape of the potion. He turned away and swept out without a word. 'I'm afraid Severus and Storm don't get along,' she explained to the bemused Mrs Mackley.
'I believe I have all the evidence I need,' said Mackley, gathering her things, 'I will have the camera sent back to you once we've had the photographs developed. We will inform her owner of her whereabouts, and of the case we are filing against him. If he decides to collect her then I'm afraid you will have to hand her over. But let's just hope that doesn't happen.
'Oh, and Mr Hagrid, if you get a chance a striking could be just the thing she needs to perk her up a bit. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Take care of her.' The short woman left with a cheery wave.
Hagrid took the potion that Snape had brought and beckoned Storm over, 'Come on, Storm, this'll make your hurt all better.'
Harry noticed for the first time a bright red tattooed number glowing down the length of Storm's leg, but the rith was having nothing to do with the potion. She wrinkled her nose at first scent of it. Hagrid sniffed it. He coughed and spluttered
'Cor blimey! What's he put in this?'
Harry reached down into his pocket and withdrew a half melted chocolate frog, 'Here, will this help?'
'Cheers, Harry.' Hagrid poured the potion onto it, and as soon as Storm got wind of it she was there, her eyes bright with longing. She ate it without even tasting the brew poured on it.
'What's that, Hagrid?' Hermione asked, pointing to the tattoo.
'It's called a veiled mark. Most riths have one, it tells you who they are and who they belong to, but they're kept hidden unless people need to see them. There's only one thing with 'em, they won't show up unless there's no other spells on the creature. That's how all this came to light. Whoever owns her had covered it all up with concealment spells.'
'That's awful.'
'But at least somethin's bein' done about it now.'
'Where did you get this, Dobby?'
'Dobby's friend gave it to him, sir, when he was released. So we wouldn't forget each other. It is my most prized possession. Is it a bad thing?'
'I don't think so, it's just a puzzle, that's all. So your friend's still a slave of the Malfoys?'
The odd tightness came back to Dobby's face and they decided not to push it further. They stayed a bit longer until Dobby had forgotten the whole incident before making their excuses. They didn't say a word until they got to the common room. They didn't know what to say. They were all thinking the same thing anyway - who was Dobby's friend and why would he give a silver wolf to Harry? This had just raised more questions than it had answered.
Harry put the wolf on the table in front of them.
'We've got to find out who Dobby's friend is.'
'Well done, Ron, any ideas?' The sarcasm was unmistakable.
'It couldn't be the Malfoys playing another dirty trick on you like they got Dobby to do a few years ago, do you?'
'That was nothing to do with the Malfoys. It was just Dobby being paranoid. But last time it was because of that diary. What could it be this time? Nothing weird at all has happened this year, at least no weirder than usual, and Dobby isn't involved, he didn't know anything about it.'
'Why a silver wolf, what does it symbolise, if anything? And that dead rabbit that came with it? This thing just gets more bizarre the more we look at it.'
'Maybe Dobby's friend gave it to me as a thank you for getting him freed.'
'But he said he was still a slave of the Malfoys, how could he get out to leave it on your doorstep?'
'Yeah, I suppose you're right.'
They discussed it long into the night, but no answers were forthcoming. The wolf stood peacefully gazing up at the endless moon, singing its silent song.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next evening in the library, Ron and Harry were working on a Potions essay, which Hermione had naturally finished ages ago, when she came up and dumped a large book on their table.
'Watch it, 'Mione!' Ron hissed at her, his quill had just narrowly missed being flattened.
'Look at it.' Hermione pointed to a picture covering the right hand page. It was a photo of something they all knew.
'That's that engraving up in the Astronomy Tower, isn't it?'
'Yes, but look at it!' Hermione pointed fiercely at two figures in the engraving, 'They're identical to the silver wolves!'
When Harry looked at it more closely he could see what Hermione meant. The whole thing was the picture of a woodland clearing filled with wolves and. things. He quickly read the caption underneath it; "Upon climbing the Astronomy Tower, observers can't fail to notice the stony portraits of magical creatures. By far the most interesting is the above which has long been known as the Wolven Door. However, despite many investigations, there is no evidence of the stonework being a door of any kind or that there is any kind of secret chamber behind it.
"The Astronomy Tower and its decorations have been accredited to Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who was a keen Astronomer and have a passion for all types of magical creatures."
Hermione slammed the book shut, it was one of her favourites - Hogwarts, A History - and set off towards the exit.
'Where are you going?' Harry asked.
'To have a closer look at the Wolven Door, of course. Are you coming?'
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They walked past carvings of phoenixes, dragons, manticores, hippogriffs, centaurs, unicorns and countless others before reaching the Wolven Door, about halfway up the tower.
The engraving itself was huge - at least twice their height and about six feet wide. The detail in it was incredible. They could make out different types of trees and even individual hairs on the bodies of the wolves could be distinguished. It was these creatures that they looked at.
'They're not wolves, they're werewolves!' Ron said in surprise. 'Look, there's a full moon and everything.'
He was right. The only thing that held any colour apart from the natural grey of the stone was the white of the full moon and its rippled reflection in a lake. The werewolves themselves were all in different stages of transformation - some were completely lupine, some were wholly human and some were neither. A few looked almost human except that they had wolf-like tails and ears. All of their eyes had been inlaid with yellow crystal so that they glinted at the watchers.
What they saw in the carving didn't tie up with what they knew about werewolves at all. To them it looked like the transformation was a happy occasion. There were even a pair of half-changed lovers holding hands in the moonlight while their compatriots danced and sang around them. Sitting on the edge of the lake was a wolf staring into the water with its head cocked to one side - Dobby's wolf.
'Whoever made this didn't know anything about werewolves,' said Hermione, 'Look, there's no sign of pain like Lupin goes through and they'd all be killing the people there by now. I wonder why it's called a door, though?'
'No one really knows,' a different voice from behind made them all jump.
'Remus, what are you doing here?'
'I've just finished taking my first class of first years. The main topic of conversation being "Are you really a werewolf? Really?" I think they got the point that I was by the end.
'I've just seen your friend Storm, by the way. The NERO woman has been in this morning, the poor rith looks a little the worse for wear. I think they took her up to see Madam Pomfrey for an expert opinion.'
'Cheers, Remus!'
The three took off towards the hospital wing, leaving Lupin staring at the Wolven Door and shaking his head in pity of the misunderstanding of the people who carved it.
When they reached it the door was slightly ajar and they peered through the crack. They could see Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid and a short, dumpy woman in dark green robes crowding around something. A sharp yelp let them know what the something was.
'Have you got a camera, Poppy? We need to take photographs of this as evidence.'
'You think yeh've got a case then, Mrs Mackley?'
'Without a shadow of a doubt, sir. This is one of the worst cases of rith abuse I've seen in all my years,' a thick West-Country accent rang clear in the empty wing.
'It's awful, I have to say.'
'Stand aside, there. Let's have some light,' the brisk voice of Madam Pomfrey ushered them all out of the way while she took pictures of the newly revealed Storm. Hermione gasped in horror. The rith was covered in horrible lumps all the way up both her arms and legs and worse, two livid scars bisected her face. One ran from the base of the left side of her jaw, across her left eye and stopped halfway up her forehead, the other ran at an angle across her muzzle.
'These are definitely bleed scars?' Professor McGonagall asked.
'Oh yes,' Madam Pomfrey and Mrs Mackley said at once, but it was the NERO woman who continued, 'Bleed scars are always this shape, but its not just the scars that worry me. It's how many there are. There are several laws in reference to rith-bleeding including that it cannot be done more than twice a year and that it must be done by a licensed bleeder and reported to NERO. Properly done it shouldn't leave a scar at all, but this poor creature has been severely and illegally overbled. I doubt if any of these were reported to us.'
'But you know who it is.'
'I do, yes, and by thunder we'll have them up for this. No wonder this poor beast always got such a reputation in the ring for being a thoroughly unpleasant animal, she was probably in a great deal of discomfort with these being hidden away.' The NERO woman patted Storm on her head. 'I would, of course, normally tell you who this creature belongs to, but due to these exceptional circumstances, you understand of course.'
'Of course.'
'But wha's her name, her pedigree name I mean,' It was unlike Hagrid to want to know about anything that didn't involve size of teeth or poisonous ability.
'I suppose it can't hurt - it's Bluestorm Spirit-of-the-Sky. A fine name for a fine animal.'
'Not eavesdropping, are we?' The voice of Snape hissed behind them. In his hands was a small vial of green liquid.
'By no means, Professor, we had just come up to see Storm. Professor Lupin told us she might need friends around her.' Harry had said this unnecessarily loud so that everyone in the hospital wing would hear them. Hagrid opened the door.
'Hello, Professor. Come on in, you three.'
Storm wagged her tail when she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, but it went as stiff as a ramrod and her ears laid flat against her head when she spied Snape, her lips just beginning to draw off her teeth.
'Thank you, Severus,' Professor McGonagall said, relieving Snape of the potion. He turned away and swept out without a word. 'I'm afraid Severus and Storm don't get along,' she explained to the bemused Mrs Mackley.
'I believe I have all the evidence I need,' said Mackley, gathering her things, 'I will have the camera sent back to you once we've had the photographs developed. We will inform her owner of her whereabouts, and of the case we are filing against him. If he decides to collect her then I'm afraid you will have to hand her over. But let's just hope that doesn't happen.
'Oh, and Mr Hagrid, if you get a chance a striking could be just the thing she needs to perk her up a bit. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Take care of her.' The short woman left with a cheery wave.
Hagrid took the potion that Snape had brought and beckoned Storm over, 'Come on, Storm, this'll make your hurt all better.'
Harry noticed for the first time a bright red tattooed number glowing down the length of Storm's leg, but the rith was having nothing to do with the potion. She wrinkled her nose at first scent of it. Hagrid sniffed it. He coughed and spluttered
'Cor blimey! What's he put in this?'
Harry reached down into his pocket and withdrew a half melted chocolate frog, 'Here, will this help?'
'Cheers, Harry.' Hagrid poured the potion onto it, and as soon as Storm got wind of it she was there, her eyes bright with longing. She ate it without even tasting the brew poured on it.
'What's that, Hagrid?' Hermione asked, pointing to the tattoo.
'It's called a veiled mark. Most riths have one, it tells you who they are and who they belong to, but they're kept hidden unless people need to see them. There's only one thing with 'em, they won't show up unless there's no other spells on the creature. That's how all this came to light. Whoever owns her had covered it all up with concealment spells.'
'That's awful.'
'But at least somethin's bein' done about it now.'