A/N: - So, here's the new chappie for everyone! I hope you all enjoy it – once again, I can only apologise and say I dedicate this chapter to all my fellow authors. I hope you will be so kind as to leave me a review…thank-you!

Chapter 17 – Playing the Cards

"Professor Lupin – I was wondering if you would be so kind as to assist me in my demonstration,"

"Demonstration?" Lupin looked up from helping Luna protect herself against Neville's various mistakes in attack.

"Using your opponent's weakness to your advantage," Patricia smiled simply. McGonagall remained oblivious to the discussion between the two but Snape was now watching in utter silence, a strange warning glint in his eyes as he focussed on Patricia's facial expression.

"Mr. Malfoy, as you are the student you may attack first and Professor Lupin will not stop you."

"Miss. Peace, I don't think" Snape interjected.

"Mr. Malfoy is a bright young man, Severus, and I believe he will be able to figure out a weakness quite quickly, if Professor Lupin creates a weakness in duelling for him, like pretends to have a slow reaction or doesn't use certain spells…"

"It's not that, I"

"Wands at the ready!" barked Patricia. Only as the counting started did Flitwick and McGonagall look up. Lupin's face was stony but Snape's face seemed to be edging on anxiety. Harry stopped his duel with Hermione, regardless of the fact she had once again disarmed him.

"Stop this madness," he heard Snape hiss to McGonagall, "We all know what Malfoy will summon to use to his advantage…"

"Severus, I am sure Mr. Malfoy does not possess enough brain cells to conjure a plan such as that,"

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin yelled, quickly off the mark with his attack. Malfoy growled angrily and dived for his wand,

"Accio Silv"

"SILENCIO!" barked Lupin and Malfoy fell instantly silent, his mouth opening and closing like that of a fish, "Ferula…" Lupin whispered, grinning as, much to everyone's amusement, bandages whizzed round Malfoy's body at and incredible speed and wrapped him up like an Egyptian Mummy. The entire atmosphere relaxed and Harry allowed himself to breathe easy again. Lupin stepped down and made his way over to talk to Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick while the students giggled at Malfoy's expense as he attempted to untangle himself.

That night was an extremely rough night and Harry knew something was definitely wrong. Tossing and turning in his sleep, he experienced visions of Hermione, Ginny and Luna all being turned to stone; but he ignored them and classed them as figments of a haunted mind.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked Ron in Transfiguration the following day.

"Dunno – but I haven't seen Ginny today either – she wasn't at breakfast."

"Loony Lovegood wasn't there either," a Ravenclaw from the desk behind them piped up.

"Professor McGonagall," Harry got up and tapped his teacher on the shoulder, "may I speak to you?"

"Certainly, Mr. Potter," McGonagall led him to the edge of the room, "now, how can I help?"

"Professor – Hermione, Ginny and Luna weren't at breakfast today and no-one's seen them at all…I had a vision last night that they turned to stone but my scar didn't hurt so I assumed…"

"Mr. Potter, this is a matter that must be looked into at once. I will contact the Order – now, go back to your work," McGonagall's face was stern but re-assuring and she marched out of the classroom, leaving to class to work by themselves.

That evening, Harry was called to Dumbledore's office along with Ron. As he entered, he found the Order gathered round Dumbledore's desk, poring over a piece of parchment.

"Harry, did you do this?"

"Do what?"

"Send this map to us…"

"Map? No, but I saw it in my dream."

"It seems that three young ladies have been kidnapped by a certain Mr. Pettigrew. Tomorrow night we must find them – tonight they will be on full alert for a rescue attempt. Yes, Remus, I am perfectly aware that tomorrow is a full moon. You will remain here this time – Severus, Minerva, Hagrid, Patricia and I will search for the young ladies."

"Why did you call us here?" Harry asked.

"To ask about the map – you may go now."

"What do we do?" inquired Ron on their way back to the Common Room.

"We follow them tomorrow night."

"Are you insane? Voldemort will set his werewolves on us!"

"The werewolves will be preoccupied."

"Whaddaya mean by that?"

"You saw the look on Lupin's face when he was told to sit this one out – he's going to be there for certain!"

"C'mon, they went that way!" Harry hissed as they followed the teachers out of Hogwarts the next night under cover of darkness and the invisibility cloak. Ron had managed to wake Neville while they were getting ready to leave and Neville had insisted on joining them. They followed the teachers to a forest about five miles past Hogsmeade's borders and entered in without a second thought…until they got lost.

"What was that?" squeaked Neville as something moved behind them. Suddenly, three werewolves sprang out of the bushes and began to circle them, growling ferociously. The alpha male advanced on Harry, preparing to spring, when a long and urgent howl sounded not far off. Two of the werewolves picked up a new scent and left but the leader remained. He pounced and a flash of dark brown fur pounced from the bushes, colliding with the black furred alpha and knocking him off balance. The three boys ran while the rusty-brown newcomer fought the jet black alpha.

"Harry, you do realise what just happened, don't you?" Ron gasped as the three of them paused for breath.

"A werewolf just saved us from one of its own pack…?"

"No, Neville, "Harry cut in, "that werewolf wasn't part of the pack – he was under the effects of Wolfsbane; I hate to say it, Ron," he grinned wryly, "but I told you so. Lupin is following us."

"That was!"

"Professor Lupin, yes,"

"But he wasn't supposed to be coming on this mission, remember?" Ron looked completely bewildered.

"I think 'supposed' is the key word in there Ron…and we aren't supposed to be here either!"

"I suppose so."

"Come on, we have to keep moving – Lupin won't be able to keep up that pace of fighting forever," Harry grimaced and the three boys were off again.

Moving swiftly through the forest, the howling continued and was dangerously close to them. Harry saw a flash of rusty brown fur in the bushes alongside the three of them and his heart started to race even faster than it had already been going.

"Harry, there's a werewolf following us!" Neville squeaked, terrified.

"I think…hope…it's just Lupin…" Harry replied hesitantly.

"Just Lupin? Just Lupin? He's a bluddy werewolf!" Ron's voice was incredibly high-pitched.

"He's our teacher and is a member of the Order," Harry reprimanded his best friend, "and he saved our lives back there, remember?"

"Chill out, mate. Come on, can you blame me for being a little freaked?"

"I suppose not – let's keep moving."

Harry and the others finally caught up with Dumbledore and the other teachers, keeping themselves hidden.

"Harry, we have to show ourselves – we're in really big trouble either way." Neville urged them on.

"Fine, we'll" Harry was cut off by a low growl. A wolf was emerging from the shadows. It was the leader of Voldemort's werewolves, the one who'd fought Lupin. Dumbledore and the other teachers whipped round and gasped almost in unison as the rest of the werewolf pack emerged from the darkness. Hearing a noise behind him, Harry risked a glance backwards. The rusty-brown coloured newcomer had herded the three students towards the teachers and was now prowling in front of the combined group of three students and five teachers.

"Lupin! He was supposed to stay at Hogwarts," Snape exclaimed, drawing a silver dagger out from his robes as the werewolves advanced menacingly. Lupin was positioned in front of the students, eyes fixed of Voldemort's alpha werewolf, but he looked up as Snape drew the dagger and his wolfish amber eyes shone momentarily with a flicker of fear. One of the werewolves launched itself at Snape, who plunged the dagger into its heart with deadly accuracy, drawing it out again almost instantly. With a final anguished yelp, the werewolf's body went into spasms and it choked on blood mixed with silver. The werewolf's body turned back into the form of a middle-aged man, convulsed a final time, and then lay still; dead.

"Anyone else?" Snape smirked. Lupin gave Snape a filthy look which clearly said, you idiot! They're uncontrollable monsters! But his wolf face whipped round in fury as the alpha male leapt at Harry once more. Lupin, switching to defensive mode, leapt onto the wolf's back and sunk his teeth in. Yelping furiously, the alpha reared up and knocked Lupin off balance, proceeding to fling him roughly to the ground several metres away. The alpha whimpered to the distant moon and skulked back to the depths of the forest after shooting one final dirty glare at Lupin, who was trying to get back to his feet again. In a sudden puff of red smoke, Pettigrew appeared and stood triumphantly in front of the Hogwarts group, silver hand flung out as a warning to the werewolves.

"Well, well, I see you've found our hideaway. It is indeed a shame that you won't live to tell the tale," Pettigrew laughed coldly, "our werewolves will dispose of you with no great difficulty…" and he was gone.

As Pettigrew vanished, the werewolf form of Lupin made his way back towards the Hogwarts party once more and continued circling them, fighting off any werewolf that tried to attack. There was a far-off howl and all of Voldemort's werewolves' ears pricked up and they sped off in the direction of the howl, helpless to resist. Only Lupin remained, and there was an awkward silence before Dumbledore finally spoke,

"Remus, you have quite possibly saved our lives. But I must ask one more favour of you since you are here. I must ask you to go ahead and scout around to look out for any of Voldemort's recruits." Dumbledore sighed as Lupin's ears perked up and he raced off into the forest. Turning to Snape, Dumbledore added, "Severus, I want you to keep that dagger and your wand at the ready."

"Yes, Headmaster,"

"But whatever you do, don't stab Remus."

"I assure you, Headmaster, that I will not be harming Lupin," Snape's face was dark, "I know what he looks like as a werewolf."

"Then I advise you to use that to our advantage."

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Harry, Ron and Neville, I cannot send you back to school alone and I certainly cannot spare anyone here. So, for the while, you will have to remain with us,"

"And find Hermione, Ginny and Luna?"

"And find the young ladies,"

"Headmaster, do we know who sent the map yet?" Snape interjected.

"No…but I suspect it may have been Peter Pettigrew."

"Peter Pettigrew? Are you insane!" Hagrid exclaimed, "Why would he be helping us?"

"He wasn't. He was luring us to him – the lair of Voldemort is in here somewhere but I know it is not as the map says or we would have found it by now. I have been foolish indeed."

"So we're lost?" Ron piped up.

"Yes, Ron, I'm afraid we are."

A/N: - And there you have it – hope you liked it! Next one up as soon as I can!