Call On Me
Chapter Twenty Four- Unmasked
7 Months Later
CAITLIN
"Okay, Caitlin! One more push!" Madam Elkin said.
I was lying on a cot with my legs drawn and slightly parted. It was time to have the baby.
Remus, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were all waiting outside the hospital wing.
With all my remaining strength, I pushed.
Pretty soon, I heard a baby crying. I relaxed back against the cot.
"It's a girl," Madam Elkin said beaming.
She had wrapped the baby up in a blanket and put it in my arms. I beamed happily.
REMUS.
I nervously began pacing outside the hospital wing. I heard a baby crying from inside the hospital wing.
I was still a bit nervous until Madam Elkin had come out and said that everything was fine. We could go in now.
I immediately headed over to Caitlin.
"Hey," I said softly.
"We've got a daughter," she said beaming at me happily.
I put a hand on her forehead and smoothed back her bangs. I leaned close and gave her a kiss before turning my attention to the baby.
"What are you going to name her?" Madam Elkin asked grinning.
Professor Snape came around to the other side of Caitlin's cot and sat down. He kept his eyes on the baby.
Caitlin looked up at me.
"I was thinking of maybe calling her Lily Ann,"
I smiled.
"I think that's a lovely name,"
"That's a wonderful name," Professor McGonagall said softly.
"I've got to check them over," Madam Elkin said as she came over and took the baby from Caitlin's arms. "Both the Mum and the baby. You can come back in later on around 5."
"I'm staying right here," I said firmly.
"Let him stay," Professor Dumbledore said gently. "They need to be together."
Madam Elkin nodded.
Professor Dumbledore came over and gave Caitlin a fatherly squeeze before he, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall left.
As soon as they left and Madam Elkin took the baby to the other end of the hospital wing, I glanced toward the doorway. There stood Sirius, James, Peter and Lily.
I nudged Caitlin.
"I see," she whispered.
The four of them approached us. I looked over at Madam Elkin. She didn't appear to see them. She was concentrating on the baby. I turned my attention back to them.
"You dog you," Sirius grinned broadly as he stood by me.
They weren't transparent though. They looked solid.
"The baby's beautiful!" Lily gushed next. "Too bad I wasn't able to see her born."
James and Peter sat on the edge of Caitlin's cot.
Immediately, I felt guilt flooding over me when Lily had said that.
Lily came over to me.
"Remus, I know you had to do what you did. No way in heaven am I blaming you okay? Stop blaming yourself,"
I swallowed a lump.
"It still haunts me," I said as my voice started cracking. "Every day."
"Well stop," Lily said in a scolding tone. "It wasn't your fault."
I gave her a weak smile.
Lily threw her arms around me and hugged me. Immediately, I felt a warmth and the guilt seemed to go away.
She released me and turned to Caitlin.
"I think that was really sweet of you to name the baby after me," she said smiling. "But you didn't have to."
"I wanted to," Caitlin said softly as tears began forming in her eyes. "We miss you guys so much."
"I know," James said quietly. "We're watching over you three though."
Caitlin began sobbing. Sirius gave her a hug. Then James, Peter and Lily. I sank onto Caitlin's cot and put an arm around her shoulders.
"We'll be watching over you three always," Lily said softly winking at Caitlin.
Just then, Madam Elkin came over carrying the baby.
"She's fine, healthy as a horse," she said. "Who were you talking to?"
"Our--," I said turning my eyes back onto where James, Sirius, Peter and Lily had been standing. They were gone.
"Selves," I finished.
"The baby's fine," Madam Elkin said handing me Lily Ann. "I'm just going to check over Caitlin now."
I cradled the baby in my arms. She looked up at me and cooed, grabbing onto my tie.
I smiled.
After a few moments, Madam Elkin finished checking over Caitlin.
"She's fine too," she announced.
I spent the rest of the evening with Caitlin and Lily Ann.
After a few days, Caitlin was well enough to leave the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore conjured up a crib to put beside Caitlin's bed in the dorm. All the Gryffindors were excited to see the baby.
"She's so cute!" Nick gushed.
"She looks like you, Professor Lupin," Kelly said beaming.
I smiled.
Caitlin was sitting on the couch in the common room holding the baby. I was sitting next to her.
"What's her name?" Mario asked.
"Lily Ann," Caitlin replied softly.
"Lovely name," Kelly said. "I'll see you at dinner. I've got class."
She eagerly waved and left the common room. The rest of the Gryffindors scattered as well.
"Did the Ministry find out who was distributing that parasite in the butterbeer?" Caitlin asked curiously.
I shook my head.
"No. That's what has them worried and baffled at the same time,"
"Worried?"
"Well, who knows what this person would try again. First it was a parasite, who knows what could happen next."
She nodded.
I had decided to ask Caitlin to marry me. I took a deep breath.
"Will you marry me?" I asked flatly.
Caitlin's eyes widened and she didn't reply right away. I nervously sat, waiting.
"Yes!" she cried breaking into a grin.
I broke into a grin as well and threw my arms around her carefully hugging her without squishing the baby.
I gave her a kiss as well.
Caitlin left Lily Ann with Madam Elkin while we headed down to dinner.
We sat at the table with Kelly and the rest of the third years.
After dinner, we headed back upstairs. It was a full moon out and just as I hit the landing, the sharp pain shot across my abdomen. I dropped to my hands and feet and began changing.
CAITLIN.
Remus changed right there on the landing. Luckily, no one saw him. Remus' human form was gone and all that remained now was the beautiful gray and white wolf.
The wolf yawned and stretched, flexing his forepaws.
"You're lucky no one saw you," I whispered at the wolf grinning.
The wolf just reared up on his hind legs and placed his front paws on my shoulders. I rubbed his neck.
Suddenly, there was a loud 'bang' coming from the entrance hall. Intrigued, I turned around. The wolf dropped to all fours and we began heading back downstairs.
We just reached the door way and froze.
There standing in the front entrance hall, was Lord Voldemort.
I gasped and raised my hand to my mouth.
Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall and the rest of the teachers all stood in front of him with their wands aimed at him. I heard Remus growling beside me furiously.
"How'd he manage to get on the property?" I mused quietly aloud.
"So how did you like my little bonus surprise in the beverages?" Lord Voldemort hissed, his eyes flashing.
"You killed innocent students," Professor Dumbledore said angrily.
"I was aiming to destroy one of your students, that inhuman you are letting stay here,"
Immediately, my ears pricked.
"What has Remus Lupin done to you?" Professor Dumbledore said narrowing his eyes.
"I wanted to kill off everyone he cares about so he'd join my army," Lord Voldemort said coolly. "It worked."
"No it didn't," Professor Dumbledore said firmly. "You're wasting your time. LEAVE HERE AT ONCE."
Remus angrily charged at Lord Voldemort.
"Remus no!" I whispered terrified.
Lord Voldemort looked up as the wolf charged him full speed. He easily dodged the wolf, who skidded on the floor and regained traction. The wolf stood squarely on all fours, head lowered; ears flat sideways and his upper lip pulled back exposing white canines and incisors.
Remus snarled, snapping his jaws at Lord Voldemort.
Lord Voldemort saw me standing in the doorway. I gasped and tried to hide, but it was too late.
"Come here," he ordered.
"LEAVE THEM ALONE," Professor Dumbledore snarled, his blue eyes flashing behind his half moon spectacles.
"Shush," Lord Voldemort snapped flicking his wand at Dumbledore whose knees buckled and he dropped to his knees.
It was as an invisible force was drawing me close to Lord Voldemort, even though I was trying to resist.
"Who is this pretty witch?" he asked oily.
No on replied. Lord Voldemort grabbed me by the throat and forced me to face the wolf.
For a moment, the wolf stopped snarling.
"So," Lord Voldemort said smugly. "I take it the wolf is in love with this pretty witch?"
The wolf began snarling again. I could hear the rumbling in his throat.
"She is lovely," Lord Voldemort said pressing his face against my hair. I made a disgusted face and turned my face away.
"She can watch her lovely pet die," Lord Voldemort said icily as he shoved me forward. I landed on my hands and knees beside the wolf.
"Will you join my army?"
The wolf only snarled in response.
"No?" Lord Voldemort asked mockingly. "THEN DIE!"
He aimed his wand at the wolf.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"NOOO!" I howled and threw myself on top of the wolf. I felt the jet of green hit me in the back. Blackness swallowed me up.
THE WOLF.
Caitlin was lying on top of me. The jet of green had hit her in the back. Immediately, the teachers opened 'fired' on Lord Voldemort.
I carefully crawled out from under Caitlin's body and gently nuzzled her with my snout. She wasn't moving and her eyes were opened staring lifelessly up at the ceiling. Rage began filling my chest. I stared down at Caitlin and felt an enormous growl rising in my chest. I slowly retracted my upper lip exposing my teeth again. I flattened my ears out sideways.
Ignoring the jets of lights shooting from each wand tip, I charged again at Lord Voldemort. Since he was so pre-occupied with fighting, he didn't see me until I was right on top of him. I leapt onto him, knocking him onto his back. The teachers stopped firing.
I stood over him, and snapped my jaws, trying to get at his throat.
He put his wand up, but I clamped my jaws around it, snapping his wand in half. The broken halves fell away. He was powerless now as I continued to try and get at his throat. He raised his arm, but I bit down on it and violently tugged at it. I felt a warm gush of blood. I knew the teachers could hear me snarling from a few feet away.
He struggled to get me off of him, but I managed to overpower him.
I snapped my jaws again. This time they were inches from his throat. Finally, he couldn't fend me off any longer. I managed to clamp my jaws on his throat and I bit down. Blood gushed from the four puncture wounds. He stopped struggling after a few moments and his mangled arm fell limply to his side.
He was dead.
I continued to have a go at him.
"Remus," a soft voice said. "It's over."
It was Professor Dumbledore. He had crouched down beside me and put a hand on my back. I ignored him and continued to attack Voldemort.
"Easy," Dumbledore said in a quiet, soothing tone. "I'm so sorry about Caitlin."
At the mention of her name, I started up again.
Finally, Dumbledore put his arms around me and dragged me away, still snarling and snapping my jaws.
"Bring Miss Andrews up to the hospital wing," Dumbledore said quietly.
I was still snarling and trying to break loose of his grip, but he had a gentle but firm hold on me.
We entered the hospital wing. Immediately, my eyes fell on Lily Ann and I growled even more and tried to break free.
He put me on a cot.
"STAY," he ordered.
I snarled at him.
I went to get down, but he pulled his wand out and aimed it at me.
"I'm serious," he said. "STAY."
I tucked my hindquarters into a sitting position and just glared at Dumbledore as Professor Snape and McGonagall entered the hospital wing with Caitlin's body.
"What on EARTH HAPPENED?" she cried.
"Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore said simply. "She stepped in front of the Killing Curse for Remus."
They put Caitlin's body on a cot.
I continued to growl and I flattened my ears out sideways, warily watching the teachers.
Madam Elkin began sobbing softly.