Chapter Four: Choices
Harry pressed himself low the moist ground in a concealed wait. His light gray eyes watching the werewolf in front of him with a steeled gaze. For reason's unknown to him his only urge right now was to kill the creature in front of him in the most vile way, and from the look in the enemy's eyes one truth reigned. Though before Harry could launch an attack his ear's perked as another wolf lept through the vines, a large female wolf with white fur snarling at the werewolf.
"Rowena?" Harry thought to himself only to have the female turn to him, gray eyes meeting gray.
"Yes cub, we'll talk later though. We have a virus to take care of." And as if on command the larger black wolf leapt at the female in a fury of swipes. But Harry was ready throwing the other male back against a tree when he rammed himself into it. Harry snarling as the larger male swiped him across his side and sent into toppling into near by bush before he could regain his balance. Harry reemerging from the bush to find Rowena latched on to the male's arm, Harry soon following suit bite deep into the other arm. Though the next effect was beyond anything Harry could have expected, the other male stopped howling in male and fell to the ground limp. Harry could feel the pulse in his mouth go faint before it stopped all together, Harry removing his fangs from the creature leaned his head back and let out a loud howl into the night air. The howl sending an unearthly russle through the forest before Harry began to dig into the wolf in front of him in a maddening hunger, his meal lasting ten mintues before he stepped aside to allow Rowena to eat some as well.
Harry backing up slowly and licking the fur around his mouth from the dripping crimson fluid that gushed out of the prey. Harry walking around the clearing sniffing around for anyone else that wanted to challenge him, before finally sitting down again Rowena walking over to him and laying in front of him.
"What happened just then?" Harry asked realizing his human mind had regained control over the wolf in him, soon finding himself back into his human form and panting heavily. Rowena looked up at him for a second before returning to her human form, which is when Harry realized he was stark naked as was his mother in front of him. Harry blushing a deep scarlet aimed to hide in a bush only to be stopped by Rowena who was chuckling.
"Calm down cub, there is no need to hide from me. I dare say we'll see alot of each other like this, during transformation and training after all." She said sweetly sitting them both to the ground, Harry still keeping his gaze away from her body no less. "Now then to answer your question cub, for one we merely cleaned up a little sickness."
"A sickness? The werewolf? Why did I want to kill it so bad?" Harry asked turning attention to his mother's eyes in wonder. Rowena tilting her head some so her raven hair fell into her face.
"Quite simple, its force of form. Wolf Prophets and Werewolves are natural enemies, which holds true to most creatures when it comes to Werewolves. They are a disrespect to our kind, they spread like a sickness destroying everything around them. If given free roam they would take over everything and killing all others that couldn't convert." Rowena explained in a vemous tone, Harry feeling something inside him agreeing as well.
"But what about it just dropping dead like that?" He asked and here Rowena's brow furrowed.
"Dark creatures are natural poison to each other that's normal." She said pausing for a second. "But it should have at least taken a few mintues for the genes of our kind to destroy his own, turn back into your wolf form please." Rowena said backing away from Harry some, Harry raising an eyebrow didn't question and soon shifted back into his wolven form after finding the same pull of his magic tug at him. The lean black wolf staring at the woman in front of it.
"Now open your mouth for me." His mother asked politely, Harry compling and opening his mouth only to hear Rowena gasp. "Turn back Harry." She whispered quickly, Harry again shifting his form and staring at her. "Your teeth aren't that of a wolf's." She said with a puzzled look. "But that of a serpent."
Ron panted heavily as he slid to the ground his neck bleeding freely. His blue eyes shifting around the room in a panicked fright, his wand clutched in his hand. He cursed under his breath as his body spasmed again sending him reeling back to his back. He had been on his way to pick up Harry when he was attacked, something that could have been avoided if both him and Harry weren't betrayed. Dumbledore had come to both him and Hermione the night before, asking them both to spy on Harry in exchange for joining the Order. Ron had been appaled by the thought of betraying his best mate's trust, while Hermione jumped the idea of helping Dumbledore. At first Ron believed Hermione was going to help spy on the order to give the information to Harry, but he soon found out she had no intention of such actions.
"Bloody traitor." Ron cursed under his breath feeling another spasm spread through him, and he grabbed his neck with his other hand. He had fled that morning in hopes of getting to Harry to warn him, but he had fallen asleep during his treck and was attacked by a vampyre. He had been bitten before he managed to grabbed hold of his wand and blast the creature back with the sun light charm, the vampyre was slain but the damage had been done. If only Hermione had come with him to warn Harry they could have fought the vampyre back, but now as he lay bleeding and alone in the open field his only throughts were to get to Harry to warn him.
"Please, who ever is listening." Ron managed coughing up blood, onto the green grass. "I need to warn him. He as saved my life and the life of my family. I only wish to help him." Ron begged as he coughed up more blood. "I need to help Harry." He managed before falling on his face with his eyes closing, never noticing the bright flash of light that consumed him.
Harry stared in shock as Rowena held him close to her, his mind processing the knowledge of what she told him. Shaking his head to clear it he decided he would find a reason for the mystery later. Harry looked up to Rowena smiling at her, content for now to forget about his transformation, he had a mother now and for now that's all that mattered to him.
"So tell me son, what profession do you seek after your schooling?" Rowena asked brushing the hair form Harry's face, Harry furrowed his eyebrow's as he turned his face to hers. Before he would have said Auror but after all that had happened with in the last year he had no answer anymore. Shaking his head he looked down at his hands and shrugged. "Well, when we get back to the castle to set your classes will find out then won't we?" She said in a pleasant tone kissing him gently on his cheek, Harry smiled to himself as a single tear fell. Opening his mouth to reply he stopped short when a white blast of light filled the clearing making him shield his eyes and grab his wand. Though the light quickly faded it left a limp form in the grass, Harry's new sense of smell quickly picking up the sent of both his best friend and blood. Standing quickly he rushed to the bleeding red head, pulling his body into his arms and turning to his mother.
"We need to help him." Harry said quickly looking to her for an answer. His mother nodding quickly shifted back into her wolf form, Harry needing no explantion laid his best friend on his mother's back and shifting back into his own wolf form. Nodding his head to her he raced back to the castle as quick as he could manage, leaping over logs and ducking trees as he ran. Pondering how Ron even managed to get to this time, and more so how he was injured so badly. Though his thoughts were cancelled as he found himself on the grounds of Hogwarts, shifting back into his human form as he ran towards the doors. Bending his shoulder down some he slammed into the doors and pushed them open, not heeding the pain in his shoulder as he continued the familiar running towards the hospital wing. Though he skidded to a stop and looked around at the paintings on the wall, there were quite a few less then in his time but still enough.
"Find Hufflepuff, or who is head healer now." He barked to the paintings before contining his running, later he would come and say sorry for his rude behavior but now wasn't the time. Clutching the railing as he skidded around another corner he found himself at the hospital door, pushing it open in haste. "Miss Hufflepuff? Are you here?" Harry called out into empty room breathing heavily. A few mintues later a very peeved looking woman slammed open her office door, marching up to Harry with a blazing fire in her eyes,
"What is it boy?" She snapped in a cold tone, Harry's eyes twitching for a second at the way she spat boy at him. Biting his tongue for a comment he didn't have a chance to answer as his mother came through the door after him, her front covered in blood as she held his limp friend. Helga tore her eyes away from Harry onto Ron and pointed to the bed behind her. Noding her head in silence Rowena rushed to the bed and put the dying boy there, Helga speaking gravely to the two of them.
"Out with you both, I will take care of my charge." She said in a cold tone making her way over to Ron, not casting Harry a second glance. Rowena nodding to Helga stiffly turned back to Harry and began ushering him out of the room, Harry taking his last glance at the room saw a bend Helga muttering something over his best friend.
Ron's entire body hurt, as though he had been pounded with a thousand bludgers at a short range hit. Not trusting himself to move just yet, he opened his eyes expecting to find himself still in the field, but instead found himself staring at a ceiling. Squinting his eyes from the bright light looked to his right to find a row of white linen beds. 'What am I doing in the hospital wing?' Ron thought to himself though his blood ran cold when he thought of it. 'Bludger, they found me.' He cursed in his head, gathering his bearings to turn to his left and find the faces of Hermione and Dumbledore. 'Better get it over with.' He thought to himself and turning his head, only to find a grave looking woman with red hair staring back at him.
"How do you feel boy?" She said in a cold tone, looking him over with her dark blue eyes. Ron tried to answer her boy his mouth couldn't move, his jaw hurt to much to try so. Though the woman curled her lips in a sneer. "What's the matter boy, is a simple answer to much for you?" She snapped glaring down at him, Ron stared at her for a moment but a feeling not quite his own boiled him wrentching his mouth open.
"I'm fine." He replied in a equally cold tone, forgetting the pain that was running through his body. He wasn't going to show weakness to some woman he didn't even know. Growling he pulled himself off the bed to stand, his legs feeling weak but he denied them the right to crumble under him. The woman stared at him for a moment then stood herself, giving Ron a full look at her. She seemed tired and her eyes held bags under them, her lean body shining in the light of the room. Though before she could speak another word to him, two more people entered the room. Another woman with warm gray eyes and raven hair burst into the room followed close behind by a boy with the same features. 'Mother and son.' Ron thought to himself looking over at them, though his thoughts snapped when he noticed a lightning bolt scar on the boy's forehead and a familiar scent to him. The boy's eyes widened with happiness at looking at him, and made his way at a blinding speed across the room.
"I thought you were dead for sure." The boy said grabbing Ron up in a hug, while two emotions flashed through Ron. One being extreme pain, while the other was a sense of dawning. The boy that was holding him was Harry, even if he did change in appearance he knew it was his best friend. Breathing a breath of thankfulness he hugged him back, both of them lost in their own happiness forgetting the other two women in the room.
"What was wrong with him?" Rowena asked in a hushed voice, her concern for her friend evident in her voice as she looked over Helga's lean body. She must have done a serious amount of magic for her to shift in appearance as she had done. Helga looked down for a moment then back into her friends eyes.
"He was bitten by a vampyre." She said in a hushed tone, Rowena taking a gasp at the knowledge. "His magic was unstable, and the transformation incomplete. He must have killed the creature before the job could be finished. I had to use my own blood to equal out the balance to save him." Helga finished cursing lightly under her breath, as Rowena spun her around to look her in the eyes.
"You did what!" She whispered in a quick tone with her eyes wide. Helga slapping her hands away stared back with a cold determination.
"I saved him." She snapped back, looking over at the boys as the broke apart. "I swore when I became healer of this school that I would protect any charge that came my way in any way I could." She said in a chilled tone.
"But he is-" Rowena began but was cut off but a cold Helga.
"I know he is my son." She snapped back, turning her eyes to the smiling red head. "Male or not, he is my child Rowena. I will do right by him." She replied turning away from her friend and heading over to the two boys, standing directly in front of Ron and staring at Harry with cold eyes.
"My charge needs rest Mr. Ravenclaw, now excuse yourself." She said in a cold tone staring at the boy for a moment then Rowena with a nod to take her son, before turning back to her own to look into his eyes as they stared back at her. They stood staring at each other until they head the soft click of the door closing before Helga spoke again. "Did you at least destroy the creature that harmed you?" She said in a hushed tone staring back at Ron.
"Him and his friend." Ron replied remembering the second vampyre that attacked him right after he blew the first to hell. He ended the second one in mid flight with the same spell. Helga looked at him, as if gauging him taking a step back and looking him up and down again.
"Then I can make a warrior out of you yet." She said with a faint smile then made a motion to the bed for Ron to sit. Ron raising his eyebrow made no complaints feeling his body on the verge of giving up took his seat on the bed and let his body relax. Helga stared at him for a moment before flicking her wrist to create a chair next to her, Ron trying to hold back his surprise from the use of wandless magic.
"I will make no attempt to hide my distrust in men, nor my inability to see why they are even needed for anything other then breeding." She said in a even tone, though Ron could hear the distaste in her voice. "But as my apperentice and son, hopefully I can find some redeem able traits in you." She said looking at Ron, only to find the boy had fainted.
Hey there,
updating the story guys... hope you like it. Sorry it tookso long to update.
Leon