First story here ever…hope people think it's alright.

Chapter 1

Harry was back at Hogwarts for another year, and glad to finally be away from the Dursley's once again. It was getting tiring back in Privet Drive, with Dudley being the human equivalent of a blender, destroying all food within his eyesight. Provided his stumpy hands could reach anything any more, which it was gradually becoming harder for him to do. Yet Aunt Pertunia and her Uncle Vernon still treated Dudley as the prince, and Harry as the pauper.

He had made the route on the Hogwart's Express already with Ron and Hermione, where they reminded themselves of the tastes of pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour-Beans (which contained a dust flavoured one, to Ron's disapproval). They arrived on location, fully dressed in their robes, to meet Hagrid guiding another cluster of first years towards those intriguing boats. Harry remembered the occasion where it had been raining so bad that when the first years finally arrived in the Great Hall, they looked as if each one had swum it there themselves. But fortunately for them, today the weather was in a kinder mood.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived at the gates of Hogwarts, they went in together towards the Great Hall as always. On the way there, someone patted him on the back, and Harry turned to see a familiar, but not necessarily welcome face. It was Malfoy, grinning to himself as usual;

"Back again Potter? Come to make yourself the great hero, as always?"

Crabbe and Goyle turned up behind Malfoy, as they always did. They were laughing among themselves, most definitely to back up Malfoy. It was a battle of wit.

"Oh-Malfoy, the great ferret? That smelly white rodent suited you to a tea."

Harry's remark immediately stopped Crabbe and Goyle laughing. Malfoy's face looked as if someone had told him he was related to Hermione.

"Good joke Potter. I wonder what animal you'd be if you were transfigured? A worm? A bug? It must be some sort of insect, I mean, what else would hang around with filth like this-"

Malfoy turned to Ron and Hermione, indicating them by his remark. Harry's anger flared, and before he knew what he was doing, his fist lunged for Malfoy's face. Clearly not expecting this, Malfoy didn't have enough time to dodge the punch, and fell back with blood trickling down one side of his face. But this just provoked Malfoy further. Shaking the blow off, he got to his feet, and ran to Harry so that he could return the punch. Instead of remembering he had a wand, they each turned this into a full fight, with each party's friends looking on in panic, unable to do anything. Malfoy seemed to have had a sudden rush of anger, and became almost savage, scratching and beating- even biting. Harry couldn't see for the blood that covered his face and hands, and tried to shield his head as he found trying to resist Malfoy's frenzied attack did no good whatsoever.

Minutes into this bloodbath, a host of teachers turned up at the scene, including Dumbledore, and Hagrid, who had to wrench Malfoy off Harry's mangled body.

"Harry!"

Ron and Hermione screamed, as they saw his bloodied and beaten body limp from the savagery of Malfoy's madness. As Malfoy was dragged from the scene, by a struggling Hagrid, both Ron and Hermione noticed an amber glint in his eyes, one which they had never seen before, and they had seen a lot of Malfoy angry. Blood was coming from the wound Harry had caused, but also scarily it poured from his mouth, and teeth, not from coughing up, but from biting. He was still struggling to lunge back at Harry once more, but Hagrid was that bit stronger.

Madame Pomfrey appeared in an instant and helped carry Harry's body inside Hogwarts to the hospital wing. Onlookers of mixed other years watched in horror at the gory level of damage that Malfoy had done. Ron and Hermione followed Dumbledore and the other teachers inside closely, their faces concerned.

Chapter 2

Harry opened his eyes to the hospital wing feeling like a stampede had crushed every bone in his body. He could move, but it was difficult to do so. He noticed his vision was slightly blurred, partly because his glasses were on the table beside him, and partly because he started to feel dizzy as he sat up to look around. He took the glasses from the bedside table, and put them on, whereby the world came in to focus. It was night time still, and quiet all around him, with odd students still sleeping soundly in their beds. He looked at his watch, and found it was three 'o clock in the morning. Just as he decided to get back to sleep, a noise from outside filled his heart with terror.

It was a bloodcurdling sound that Harry was all too familiar of. It was the noise of howling- wolf howling; and not a whole pack, but one single, solitary voice. But it didn't sound like it was an actual wolf behind it. It sounded like a person doing a poor impersonation.

All the people who had been sleeping in the hospital wing were now awake. Harry assumed the whole of Hogwarts was, whoever was making the sound was making it loud enough. He hauled his aching body out of bed, to try and get a glimpse from the window if there was anything to be seen. He hobbled over to the window sill, whilst also catching a glimpse of some of the stitches in his neck, and peered through the misty coloured glass unto the plains of Hogwarts below him. The sight he saw made him shiver.

It was Malfoy. But not the Malfoy he knew. Instead of the white haired Slytherin dressed in black robes, there he was covered in white fur, and instead of his usual malicious looking face, there was a horrible representation of the creature he mimicked. He was a werewolf, there was no doubt about it. He wore no robes, for the fur that covered his body, and even though he still stood on two legs, he had claws, pointed ears and a flowing tail. His face had truly been transformed into something only Halloween masks could reproduce. And in the mouth that constantly pelted Harry and his friends with abuse, there was now a sharp set of pointed white teeth.

As he tried to make sense of it all, a torch light had been pointed in the direction of Malfoy, to which he ran off, into the Forbidden Forest. Filch was most likely behind the interruption. Just at that, a light was switched on in the hospital wing, to which Harry turned and saw Madame Pomfrey watching him and the other bedridden students like a hawk.

"Harry Potter, what in the name of butterbeer are you doing out of bed? You are one of the most injured patients I have come across, and it won't do you any good to be staring out of windows at this time of night! Back to bed at once!"

If only she knew, Harry thought. If only.

Chapter 3

The morning came about quickly after the shock of the night before. Harry woke to hear the sound of Fred and George Weasley talking, among what sounded like a host of other people.

"Bloody hell, look's like Malfoy's tried to kill him!" Said one twin.

"If you ask me, I think he was. I've never seen Malfoy so angry before- and we've seen him pretty angry before then". Replied Hermione. Everyone sounded concerned- but surely the injuries were amendable, Harry thought?

He opened his eyes, and saw Fred, George, Ginny, Ron and Hermione staring back at him. Each one's worried faces changed immediately to smiles, and Harry felt that his injuries were worse than he had originally thought.

"Harry- I'm so glad you're awake! We were all so worried after what Malfoy did. So is the whole school, for that matter-" Said Hermione, interrupted by Ron.

"They had to chain him up Harry! He was going crazy, that Malfoy, absolutely mad!" Ron shouted, not realising how loud he was.

"They just couldn't control him Harry. I swear, even Snape had enough trouble, and Snape is the leader for Slytherin house! We were so worried about you though, and…" Harry interrupted them both now. He needed to tell them...

"Listen a minute you lot! Last night, did you hear anything unusual?"

Ron replied "You heard it too? Harry, so did everyone in Gryffindor, and the rest of the school I thought. Howling- woke us all up. Couldn't tell where it was coming from, but it sounded pretty close".

"Well, I heard it too. Last night, when I was about to go back to sleep, I heard it. I heard him".

"Him?" Questioned Hermione "Who do you mean?"

"I mean, that that sound was…it was Malfoy. He's a werewolf." Everyone's faces turned white with shock. Harry was expecting surprise, but this was a little too much.

"Guys, what's up? What's wrong?" He asked them, suddenly.

Hermione answered- "Harry, if Malfoy was a werewolf, then that would explain how mad he seemed! He's possessed with the spirit of a wolf! But then…oh no!"

Ron picked up "Harry, when Malfoy attacked you…he bit you didn't he? That means…God, Harry you're a werewolf!"

The realisation hit Harry before he even had time to reply. It was inevitable, that if you were bitten by a werewolf, you became one of them too. Just like Lupin had been- and lost his job because of it. He scratched his arm and felt a mark upon it. He looked, and there was his evidence staring right back at him. The marks were puncture wounds. The others could see them too, and looked at him with forlorn faces.

"It's true" he said, quietly. "I am".

Chapter 4

Due to his not-so-swift recovery, Harry had to remain in the hospital wing for the next couple of days. During that time, Dumbledore came to visit him- and gave him some bad news.

"Harry, I know what Malfoy has done. If only we had realised it sooner, that he was a werewolf, we could have done something about it. The fact is that from what he did to you, now we all know what he is capable of in his wolf-like form. I regret to say Harry, and as you may know…you have been bitten by another werewolf, and for that, you are now a werewolf too. You will know from Lupin, that there is no cure for this. And as such, Hogwarts will have to make some serious decisions about what to do with you". Dumbledore sighed. Harry knew a werewolf among other Hogwarts students was a dangerous risk, and one that he couldn't allow to come true.

"Harry, I deeply regret having to tell you this, but…" He paused "It is in all our interest that you, you…leave Hogwarts" He sighed again. "I am afraid once you are recovered, we will have to let you go". The words Harry had dreaded had all come out of the one headmaster he had trusted for so long. It seemed that Dumbledore could not even look him directly in the eyes.

"The effects of being a werewolf are not apparent for the first week, but after that you will start to notice the changes. At night especially, when the full moon rises…you will transform, and-".

"Lupin sent me a letter already Professor". Harry interrupted "I know what to look for…but, where will I go?"

"Do you not know, Harry? The Magic Council, they refuse…" His eyes started to well up with tears "They refuse to let any new werewolves into the world of magic…Lupin and other older victims like him are unaffected, but new bites…Harry, people like you are taken away and…destroyed" A tear fell from his old eyes, and he sniffed.

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He too, was becoming more and more distressed by this news that this werewolf curse had put upon him.

"They want to get you before the wolf sets in". Said Dumbledore reassuringly, yet with tears streaming.

"W-Who are they professor?" Harry asked.

Now Dumbledore was really welling up, and he put a hand over his face to cover what was clearly eating him inside.

"Dementors, Harry. It's Dementors and I'm so sorry". Said Dumbledore, clutching his cloak sleeve and dabbing his eyes.

Dementors were the creatures Harry feared most. He had fought the Hungarian Horntail in the Triwizard Tournament, and the dragon was nothing compared to the life-sucking, and deathly terrifying black shadows that were Dementors. It felt now like they had already worked their magic over him, and all the life in him had been suddenly taken away.

"And, w-when are they coming?" Said Harry, beginning to shiver.

"In two days. I advise that you bid farewell to your friends Harry, and soon. I would help you if I could, honestly Harry, but this is beyond my power. I will leave you to your thoughts- tomorrow you will be well enough to tell your friends and fellow Gryffindors. Once again- I am so sorry". And he walked slowly out of the hospital wing, where at the doors Madame Pomfrey had been waiting for their conversation to be over, but had clearly overheard. Her lower lip quivered and tears ran down her face too.

To be continued.