AN: This will be my first lengthy fanfic so please bare with me. ANY tips and/or constructive criticism is welcome. I have a few chapters written but it may take me a bit to get back into the swing of things. It's been a while since I've written anything. In the mean time, enjoy!
Chapter 1
September 1, 1977
With a glance over his shoulder, Remus eased the heavy wooden door open and tiptoed inside Argus Filch's office. Sirius and James followed suit as Peter tossed the invisibility cloak over himself and the Map to stand as lookout. Once inside he glanced around the old, dank room. There was a desk at the center of the back wall, a small coat closet to the right of the door, the large window overlooking the Forbidden Forest was to the left with a loveseat facing it. Parchment with tea stains scattered the coffee table and desk.
"You're positive it's in here, Pads?" James asked rummaging through one of the desks drawers. There was a bunch of random junk that had been confiscated by mischievous students throughout the many years Filch had been in service of Hogwarts. Several decks of Exploding Snap and Gobstones, various chess pieces, a quill that was wrapped tightly and tied to a heavy rock and a Snitch that James had nicked after a win 2 years prior and Filch had taken an hour later. As he pocketed the snitch and closed the drawer he turned to Sirius.
"As positive as possible since I watched ol' Filch sulk in here with the bag and not leave with it," Sirius answered while tossing the loveseat cushions across the room.
"I still can't believe you got our whole years worth of dungbombs confiscated after being off the train all of 10 minutes," Remus muttered, pulling random books off the shelf to look behind them. An old leather bound book that looked as if it had seen its better days landed on the floor with a dull thump. Slowly the cover flipped open and pages started following its lead. All three boys stared as the book continued fluttering through its pages. All of a sudden it stopped on a blank page and an elegant handwriting in gold scrawled a paragraph.
"She knows the power in which you seek.
She is the light in which you need.
She is marked as his enemy.
She is the only way to defeat the dark one."
Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes as Remus finished reading aloud.
"Looks like one of those joke books Zonko's started selling last year. There's probably a section on fake prophecy bullshit. Put the book back and go check the closet, Moons."
Remus cast a quick Gimino, pocketing the original, and carefully slid the copied book into place before approaching the closet, a faint glow coming from under the door going unnoticed by all three Gryffindors. He twisted the knob and pulled when a young woman toppled on him.
"What in the fuck?! Is Filch keeping women locked up in his closet?" Sirius screeched, back pedalling and tripping over a cushion.
Remus' eyes were wide and amber. This wasn't just a woman. She was like him. She was a werewolf.
May 10, 1998
Hermione pushed through the protests coming from her lungs and calves. Being on the run, starving for a year didn't do too much for her stamina. A familiar green curse whizzed by her right ear and she picked up her pace. She could hear the sounds of dueling and screams of wizards and muggles alike behind her.
Voldemort had won. Harry and Ron were dead, the former killed by Lucius Malfoy while his Master had the boy distracted. Ron was murdered by none other than Fenrir Greyback. His grinning face soaked in Ron's blood as he turned to her was forever etched into the back of her eyelids. At the thought of Greyback, the two day old bite on her left shoulder twinged. The Order was in ruins, the only members remaining were Hermione, Ginny, Bill, and Kinglsey Shacklebolt. All others were either dead or locked away in Azkaban.
They had been hiding in a muggle village on the outskirts of London. Someone must have caught a glimpse of them as a team of Death Eaters blew the little shacks door clean off the hinges not two hours ago.
A tree root was protruding from the ground far enough to send her spiraling towards the dirt and leaves. On impact she heard a familiar crack of bones and pain shooting through her right side, she knew she was done for.
"Now I've got you, mudblood. That wolf isn't here to save you this time. Pity-" Dolohov's deep raspy voice was cut off as a flash of green erupted behind him. He dropped to the ground, lifeless. Draco Malfoy stood a few feet behind him, wand raised and tears flowing freely down his cheeks.
"Draco?" Hermione whimpered. "What are you doing? Stay away from me."
Draco knelt beside her trembling form, he slipped a thin chain around her neck, a familiar weight resting between her breasts.
"I've always admired you, Granger. Now go, save us all." She began glowing, brighter and brighter until the light pulsed once and she vanished.
September 1, 1977
Remus peered over the unconscious woman, his nose twitching slightly at the assault on his senses. He had never been around another wolf after Greyback had infected him. Her scent, honeysuckles and parchment, lay hidden deep under the overpowering smell of dirt and blood.
A thin gold chain was tangled in her hair and her hand clasped around whatever was hanging from it.
Her long chestnut hair was matted and oily, her skin was covered in scratches, mud and scars. The thin, white blouse and jeans she donned were littered with holes. Her left arm laying upwards revealed the slur that was carved into her arm only months prior. The word 'Mudblood' shone like the full moon on a clear night sky, the jagged letters looked angry and puffy.
With a sharp intake of breath her eyes jerked open. Her chocolate eyes wandering all over the place before settling on Remus's now amber ones.
"Remus?" she croaked, her voice sounding as if she hadn't used it in days.
The door creaked open and Peter's head poked in.
"Filch is on his way back here. Did you find th-" he closed his mouth once his eyes focused on the girl still sprawled out on the floor. "Who is she?" he asked quickly.
"Sirius? H-Harry?" the girl mumbled, looking at each of them, blurrily, in turn. Remus helped her into a sitting position before opening his mouth to ask a question.
"We can interrogate her in a bit, Moony. We've got to sneak out of here before Filch gets back," James said lifting her thin body from the floor. Remus let out an involuntary growl at the action before a shocked looked stole over his face. The girl looked James in the eyes then a frown marred her features.
"Hazel?" she muttered then promptly passed out in his arms.
"Found them! Let's get the fuck out of here," Sirius called, holding up a shrunken bag that reeked of rotten eggs.
The four Marauders hurriedly made their way into one of the secret passageways that lead to Gryffindor Tower with the unconscious girl in tow. Once safely in their dorm room James placed her gently on his bed before he stepped back, staring at Remus.
"What the fuck was that, Remus? Did you really growl at me?" James whispered, disbelievingly.
"I-I don't know. I didn't mean to. It was an accident. Just seeing you hold her made Moony react negatively. She's-" he cut himself off, he shouldn't reveal her secret. "We don't know if she's dangerous or not. Maybe he was just being protective?" he guessed.
James looked at him a moment longer before shrugging as well.
"That's good enough for me. Just try not to do that again. Now, to bring attention to the elephant in the room. We have found a girl that looks like she has been through hell and back in Filch's coat closet while searching for our dungbombs. Should we take her to the infirmary? We don't know what kind of injuries she has."
The other three boys seemed to agree. Remus gathered her into his arms, leaving the boy's dormitory.
What a start to our final year, he thought walking through the portrait door.