Chapter 7.1
Entering Grimmauld Place

Angel walked across the alley toward the entrance to #12 Grimmauld place, his grandfather's house. Although he had been here a few times as one of the students in the order, this time it would be different, walking through the house as a member of the family.

He paused and rubbed his hands across the front door, feeling the peeling black paint crumble away at his touch. He ran his eyes along the brass knocker. Even though it was in the form of a snake, he thought he had never seen one so beautiful. He reach out and grasped the knocker with every intention of gaining entry, but when his fingers touched the metal, a type of energy rushed through him and his heart raced. It seemed to him that the house was engulfed in spirits, the remnants of his ancestors. Air whipped around the house and through each window and opening , rushing across his ears, pulling him into an uneasy emotional embrace. Was this a welcome home or was it just imagination?

Unwanted emotion was welling up and swirling around inside him. "Just open the damn door," he thought to himself. But waves of understanding kept hitting him. For his entire life he felt he was alone and belonged nowhere. Inside himself, he had created a 'safe place' where he could hide from the world, never realizing that he was locked inside. He had now escaped that prison and was coming 'home' a free man, someone who belonged.

Then, to his amazement, not only did the winds embrace him; he again heard that familiar whisper, a whisper he had never heard outside the castle before. It was almost pulling him into the house and this time he was going to follow.

He had just taken the brass ring in his hand and begun to knock when he heard a scream coming from the alleyway. It couldn't be more than a block away. He squinted into the dimly lit street but saw nothing. Again a scream echoed through the alley, this time even more loudly. Ignoring everything else, he pulled out his wand and walked quickly toward the source of the scream, intent only on helping whoever he came upon. Without realizing it, he had soon walked three blocks from #12.

There was a kind of pricking sensation as the hair on Angel's neck 'stood up' He felt someone was nearby, but just out of site. In the distance, illuminated in the light was a metal bench. Squinting , Angel saw someone hunched beside it. He rushed forward, hoping the person was still alive, but as he came within a few yards, Angel leapt backwards.

The 'someone' lifted his head and bared his teeth, growling. Moonlight silhouetted the creature, but there could be no mistake, this was a werewolf. Nowhere to run, no chance of making it back the Grimmauld place, Angel gripped his wand tightly and began slowly backing up, looking for something to jump behind; all the while not taking his eyes off the creature. "Think," he said to himself, "Come on and think."

But no stroke of brilliance came. His mind was blank. Angel pointed his wand directly at the werewolf as it came slowly forward. The wolf stopped a few feet in front of him. What was going on? Was the wolf enjoying this?

From directly behind him, Angel heard a growl and then felt teeth slash him. There was a second werewolf. His attempt to aim the wand at his attacker was futile. He could no longer feel his fingers and fog was quickly taking over, a burning sensation was coursing through his veins and his head was swimming. As the light dimmed, he could still hear the attack, but it was no longer real to him. He was still there, but seemed detached from what was happening. Last things he remembered were the growls of the attacking wolf, the howl of a single wolf in the distance and what looked like a man watching……..

……. and then darkness.