AN - FINALLY! Part three! Wooohooo! Personally, I prefer this chapter to the last, but that's because there's no Hagrid, which i hate writing, as i can't! You'll find from now on in my stories, that Hagrid, if he appears at all, is strangely silent. Maybe I should write a story about how Hagrid goes mute - I could do that! Anyways, the next chapter (which i will write a damnsite more quickly than this one) is the last! Which will make this sotry the only story with more than one chapter that i have actually finished! Wooohooo! Yes, so it features the fabulous trio, and has the finally demise of the Fairy Mother, Woohoo! (I've really got to stop doing that... one last time, Woooooohoooooo!)
Disclaimer - Mine, it's not!
Summary - The Fairy Mother was once the most feared creature in the Dark Forest: the Queen of the Little People. No one can reign forever though. The tale of how a fairy affected Hogwarts' students from the 900's to the modern day.
Part Three… Wolf Lies
Spring of 1973
The Fairy Mother growled, a deep, menacing snarl that emanated from her throat. Slowly, she opened her eyes, she felt dust fall away from her face, and she stretched, shaking away the filth that had settled on her painting while she slept. Three decades she'd been a painting, and she had yet to decide whether it was more enjoyable than being a statue. The last remains of grime fell off her as she shuddered: This is what I've been reduced to? Deciding which of my punishments is the most enjoyable!
Now she noticed it however, there was something not quite right. Oh, the fire was glowing warmly in its usual irritating manner, and the sofas were spitefully looking comfy and inviting, the Fairy Mother glowered at them, somehow hoping that over the past few decades her glare would have weakened them so much that they collapse.
It was quiet. That was it, quiet, unusually quiet. She had learned to block out the every changing happy face of the students, and she only missed them as an afterthought.
She glanced at the window to her left, the sun was only just setting, and this was normally the busiest time in the common room. A thrill of excitement shot through her at the possibility of something other than the normal happening! It was quickly quenched when she realised how sad that was, self pity followed closely behind.
"What do you mean exactly? That he's been lying to us!"
The Fairy Mother glanced down, surprised to find three boys grouped underneath her painting, they had been whispering, until a moment ago, when the tallest of them had spoken out, loud enough for her to hear.
"Shh Sirius! I just think it's a bit weird, him being ill, at the same time, every month, don't you?" The middle of the boys, with scruffy hair and glasses said.
"No." Sirius, the one who had yelled and caught her attention stubbornly replied, "I don't think it's the slightest bit weird, its perfectly normal. James, he is not lying to us. Why would he?"
"Stop being so stubborn, can't you at least begin to wonder why-"
"Maybe you're both right." The smallest of them had finally spoken, and the other two turned round to stare at him.
"What!" They said in unison.
"Maybe Remus is ill every month, but this illness is something he can't tell us, so he has to lie and say it's something else." The two taller boys continued to stare at him, their mouths wide open.
The Fairy Mother smiled. At last, some amusement! She knew exactly which boy they were talking about: Remus Lupin. Even she was not so deep asleep to not notice when a werewolf came to Hogwarts, and as a student no less! Rowena Ravenclaw would have thrown a fit!
"What kind of illness?" James finally asked.
"I don't know, something contagious I guess, that only appears once a month, or where we'd know what it was if we saw him with the symptoms…" It appeared that Peter's train of thought had ended.
"Oh come off it," Sirius said mockingly, "What illness only appears every month! That's ridiculous!"
The Fairy Mother spluttered with laughter, it had taken the little chuffs a year and a half to finally realise something was up with their friend, and they still couldn't guess what it was! Godric Gryffindor's students had always been lacking in intelligence, only they liked to disguise it as "bravery", but this was unbelievable!
The boys continued to argue amongst themselves, and the Fairy Mother wondered what they would do if they did manage to work it out, abandon him most likely. Werewolves had been feared and misunderstood in her time, but things had only got worse as the years went by. They would probably tell everyone too, he'd have to leave the school; he'd lose his friends. Oh, how entertaining that would be!
Gradually gathering her energy, she spread her fingers and gripped the canvas she'd been embedded in. Power surged from her fingertips, and she felt the colours and pattern of the paint around her change. Instead of the dark forest and tree she'd been portrayed on before, she now sat in a grassy field, the moon shone brightly behind her, and the shadow of a wolf moved in the background.
Calmly, she cleared her throat. The smallest, Peter looked up at her painting, but quickly away again. More loudly, she coughed, and said, quite politely she thought,
"Anything I can help you with boys? Problem you can't solve? Equation you can't find the answer to? I'd be happy to lend a hand to three handsome lads like you." To finished speaking with a grin that showed her sharp and pointed incisors.
The three boys turned to look at her, but to her annoyance they merely grimaced and turned back to each other, the tallest muttering "No thank you."
"Now, that's not very nice. You'll be surprised by how much I know about your friend Mr. Lupin."
They all stared at her condescendingly, "What does a portrait of a simple fairy know about this!" James asked.
"I'm not a simple fairy honey, or a portrait. You should be more polite to your elders, I am more than one thousand years your senior, and the Fairy Mother does not look kindly on those who are rude. Especially when she offers help." The Fairy Mother's eyes flashed dangerously.
"The Fairy Mother!" Sirius barked, "A myth! You are nothing more than charmed paint!"
The Fairy Mother flicked out her tongue to lip her lips, all the boys saw was a quick dart of black moving over her mouth before it was gone. She shook herself, dark and veined wings trembling with anger.
"You be careful boy, or I wont tell you what's wrong with your friend. And I'm sure you're all dying to know."
"Go on then," Sirius challenged, grinning smugly, "What is wrong with him?"
She smiled, and spread her hands out, pointing to the scene around her.
"Isn't it obvious? I changed my background just for you." The three boys frowned at her, confusion evident. The Fairy Mother's black beetle eyes sparkled with humour. Slowly, keeping eye contact with the tallest boy, she howled, letting the sound waver and fall, and then rise again in pitch. She was rather pleased by how realistic it sounded. I really can do some amazing things when I try, she mused.
"I always thought," she said when she had finished her imitation, "that wolves were the most ferocious of all beasts."
The paling of their skin and widening of their shocked eyes was enough to keep her cackling for the next ten years.
The Fairy Mother was feeling bitter – more than usual. She had overheard, only a few days ago, the werewolf's friends plan to become animagus, and help him. It sickened her; people surely weren't that loyal when she was free? Were they?
Much to her disgust, the four friends barrelled in through the door into the common room at that moment, cheering and shouting. They were covered in mud, and one of them, James she thought his name was, was wearing Quidditch robes.
She heard a frustrated sign nearby, and turned to look at a red head who was watching the four with an expression of annoyance. "It's just Quidditch," she muttered, "Do they really have to make so much noise?"
"I know exactly what you mean dear," The Fairy Mother said, surprising the girl who turned to stare at her, "They do that all the time, sneaking out after hours and coming back making such a racked they wake me up."
"Really?" The girl's green eyes were flashing with interest.
"Oh yes, I'm surprised you don't hear. And what they say about their fellow students! Well, it's just horrible!"
The girl suddenly looked worried, "Have they ever said anything about… well, me?"
The Fairy Mother bit her lip, pretending to be unsure, "Well, I didn't want to say – it's so horrible, it would really hurt your feelings."
The girl's face fell, and her eyes suddenly looked watery. The Fairy Mother tried to look sympathetic, but she feared the grin she was trying to hide was making her mouth twitch.
"Hey Evans!" A yell came form across the room, the girl, presumably Evans, turned to look. It was James. "Did you see the match?"
Evans glared at him, her lip curling, "Oh, sod off Potter! I don't care about your stupid Quidditch Match!" She turned and stomped up the staircase to her room.
A bewildered James Potter flicked his gaze to the Fairy Mother accusingly. She merely smiled, chuckling lightly. Who said no good ever came from lying?
Wooooooohoooooooooo!