Chapter 2

The Hunter took over.

The Hunters instructions were clear.

Find Harry.

And so she would.

Her mind fell into patters ancient beyond recall. She began The Hunt. Once The Hunt began it would not, could not, be stopped untill the quarry was found. Of course this didn't mean that she was hunting Harry in the full sense of the word. Of course not. Not all Hunts end in death some Hunts were like scavanger hunts they were a hunt to find someone. She set off avoiding all living things and bright lights. Her lope could cover a hundred miles in a single night.She would be at Harry's house at around dawn. Her thoughts were filled with the here and now she couln't regret past actions for they no longer mattered. Her mind was not concerned or bothered with what she had done. The man she had killed was going to and had already threatened her exestince. As a threat he had to be eliminated. He was not pack and he was not pup. Pups even human pups were off limits pups were not Prey. And Pack was not enemy. Pack was friends Pack was bothers and sisters and pups Pack was family. The Hunters thoughts filled with images of Harry. Harry was Pack.

She ran into forest and moor country this was life. The earth flew beneath her paws. Her ears cought the sounds of the night, of sleeping birds and crickets. And her nose! Human noses are dull and boring stunted things barely able to smell at all. Her sense of smell was dazzaling. A rich tapestry lais out for her and her alone to unravel. She could track a week old trail. Out of a herd of herbivours with one sniff she could tell the health of the entire herd. But it was not with any of these senses that she tracked Harry. It was a sixth sense that all creatures great and small had to some degree. Yes even humans. Mothers Intuition and a Gut Feeling were the names given to this sense. All that this sense was was a absolute certinty that Harry was in this direction.

As Alex traveled she began to think over what she had done. She had killed a man. Did that make her evil? Was she bad? What…what if Harry hated her for what she had done. Her heart told her it was self-defence that he deserved it. That it wasn't murder it was justice. But her conscience screamed at her. What did you do?You murdered him! Murders belong in jail! And she began to wonder did she belong in jail? And if there was such a place a s Hell would she go there? Of course not she told herself it was self-defence and she did not belong in jail, and Hell couldn't possibly be any worse than the place she had escaped from. She had done nothing wrong. So there! But what about Harry? Would he hate her be disgusted? Alex didn't know but she hopedthat Harry would she her side of it. Harry would know weather or not she was guilty of murder she just knew he would.

That morning as the sun rose she arrives at Harry's house. Tired and footsore she loped around to the back door.The dawns first rays struck her glimmering scales and once more she was in agony.

The Change went backward this time as bones went back to human shape ears migrated south. Snout receded. Knees unreversed. Tail dissappeared. Pale human skin replaced shiny midnight scales. Her hair sprouted back to it's waist length cascade. She lay on the Dursley's back door step panting from the lingering pain. She slowly stood wiping away blood from the lip she had almost bit through to keep from screaming. But Alex was no stranger to pain. She never screamed after the first few times it gave them to much satisfaction. It was then the situation struck her. She was standing at the back door of Number 4 Pivert Drive Little Winging Surrey With NO Clothes On. The Change had ripped her clothes (the litter that there were) to shreds. She went to a window she had to get inside before someone saw her. She called quietly, "Harry!". After about thirty seconds that felt like years to Alex Harry poked his head out of the cuboard under the stairs. His eyes widened with joy and surprise when he saw her face in the window.

She walked thru the paseges of time absorbing the wisdom of the pack-mother before her. Though she did not understand half of what she learned for most of the knowledge is based on instinct which humans are very poor at. She awoke some hours later to the sounds of snores and wheezes (the former being Dudly and Vernon and the later being Petunia). Alex nuged Harry with her nose shivering with the surrpressed desire to run and to hunt. Which was intirly understandable when you consider that she had had no food for almost two days had run almost a hunded miles in those two day and changed three times. Indeed it was quite a feat that she was still on her feet for the changing took an emense amount of energy. Harry opened the door to the cubord silenty sneaking out on catlike feet. Alex followed behind him carefully hoping that her nails didn't click. They didn't. On there way out the back door which was in the kitchen Alex paused. She went to the refrigerater and looked at Harry with puppy dog eyes. Of course these puppy dog eyes were more likely to give you nightmares than anything else. But Alex was pretty good at it thank you very much and convinced Harry to give her the leftover lasanga that no one would miss. "And besides if Aunt Petunia misses it she'll just think Dudly had a midnight snack." Harry confessed. Then they where out! She dashed abought in joy. Remembering not to stray to far from Harry. Harry started down one of the streets staying in the shadows saying, "Come on the parks this way."

Alex followed Harry as he crossed allyways and thru peoples back yards untill they got to the park. Then she took off tearing around trees and playground equipment running for the sheer joy of it. Then she ran back to Harry and Tag your it! He was it there was no mastaking that guesture and she ran always a few steps infront of him doubling back and sitting down a little ways away to watch him untill he almost had her… and then she was off again. A few hours latter they collapsed into a pile of leaves exausted. But Alex was restless she was Hungry! She gave voice to a little whine ,the first noise she had made all night, and got up. She trotted off following her nose. She looked back over her shoulder to see if harry was following. He was. He soon cought up and walking at her side began to talk about the places they passed and how glad he was that she was here. Now his friend was here his only friend mind you but as far as Harry was concerned no one could be a better friend than Alex. And so she would prove to be.

Almost a year passed Alex changed only on night when the moon was full. As she came to look forward to the change the pain decreased because she nolonger fought it but instead welcomed it. That was the year they both turned nine and Alex who wandered around during the day (Harry let her out before the Dursleys woke) had discovered the public library. She could spend all day in there reading abought vampires and werewolves and deamons. Dragons were her personal favorite. Acually any thing large and dangeruse was a must like especially if it was butiful. Of course her idea of butiful wasn't what most girls where she thought (and rightly so) that tiger, wolves, leopards and even hyenas were butiful! But she did not like bugs no sir re bob. Those littly creepy crallies gaver her the creeps. Snakes however where a favorite of hers they where scaly reptilian killers, they were perfect. She even go to watch National Geographics once in a while. One she read a book of quotes at said that education was the road to success. And Alex very much wanted to succed. The only problem was she had never gone to school nor could she now. So she read books on math english history science and had Harry teach her all he knew. It was tough but she with persurvirence (and a lot of long breaks) she got thru and by her ninth birthday has a eighth grade knowledge level. Pretty inpressive for a nine year old. This wasalso the year Dudleys gang became aware of her existance and she showed no mercy.

It was summer that ment that Harry now had more time to spend with Alex. The third day of summer to be exact. Alex and Harry were heading for the Icecream Shop to but an Icecream to share and arguing which was the better flavor stawberry(Harry) or chocolate(Alex) ,and for the record Alex is a chocoholic. Alex had earned the money from an old lady down the street for taking out her trash. Meanwhile Dudley and his gang were board with a capital B. So they decided a little Harry Hunting was in order. They soon spotted Harry and Alex. They of course where properly shocked The Freak had a friend that wasn't alowed. They figured two against five was good odds. It was good odds but not for them. Alex knew a thing or two about fighting of course this wasn't fist fighting or kickboxing nope Alex knew to fight with teeth and claws. Her nail were naturally long but her teeth were her main weapon. As she had accepted the change her teeth had grown into perfect little kittenish fangs. Sadly ther was no poisin in them but they did pack quite the punch.

"Hey girl!" called Dudly. Alex and Harry were blocked three in front and two on the road behind. Dudly continued talking "What are you doing hanging out with the freak, don't you know that hanging out with him earns a beating." Alex however was used to threats and some fat mama's boy didn't scare her at all and she told him so "And I supose you're the one who's going to eh lardo?" her sneer was picture perfect.

One "Get 'em!" from Dudley and the fight was on. They grabbed Harry first or should I say tried to grab him as he easily evaded them giving Polkison a bloody nose in the prosses. Alex had spun around and fast as lightning sliced across the face on one of the two behind them. The other one reched out and grabbed both her arms at the wrist. "Gotcha!" he called in short lived triumph as Alex with a decidedly canid growl sunk her fangs in his arm …

…and jerked. He screamed 'AAAHHHHhhhhhhhhh!" She let go as vivid red blood flowed down his arm. The fight stopped for a moment as the slow minds of Dudley and the others tried to comprehended what had happened. Needless to say they ran.

"Yeowch."Harry comented as they hightailed it out of there. He felt no more remorse than Alex for the damage they had done. The wound wasn't life threating and Dudley's gang had been planning to beat them up.

After that Dudley's gang left them alone. And if Dudley even thought about hitting Harry all Harry had to do was mention Alex. Alex continued to do odd jobs earning herself a small nest egg. This came in handy on full moons because Harry could buy her a roast. Of course she ate it raw but hey it was better (much better) than leftovers from the garbage.

It was when they were ten that Alex and Harry discoved one new and one not so new abilities. One was the abilitie to talk to snakes. Yes they both had it. After saving a few snakes lives they became snake friends. A special hounor that meant that they could call on the snakes for help anytime and the snakes would respond. But this went both ways and so the snakes could call on them as well.

And so the next two years passed. While not being able to gorge themseves they had enuff food. And more importantly they were no longer alone. For the now had each other. Even when they were unhappy even when they wished to cry out aginst the harsh unjustice of the world, when they cried in the middle of the night as they remembered the horrors of their past. They had the other there. A shoulder to cry on. And that was truly all they ever needed.