VIII - The Alpha
Once outside in the gathering dusk the wolves came to a sudden halt. They raised their noses into the Summer evening air; flowers, roses, cut grass, weedkiller, chicken grilling on a charcoal barbeque, frying bacon, dustbin smells, brake dust, fence paint, eggy drains, bus fumes, catshit, dog piss, werewolf...
Werewolf.
Lupinwolf stiffened and flattened his ears back, then slunk in between two parked cars, Snapewolf followed.
They heard a short sharp howl, just two streets away. Lupinwolf answered it.
They moved swiftly and silently, ever so careful to stick to the shadowy side of the parked cars; when they saw a human on the road or path they slunk to the opposite side of the street.
Snape was enjoying moving on all fours, it seemed so effortless, bouncing silently from one paw to the other, he felt regret, pain and ache free...
They went past a garden wall with overgrown honeysuckle, such a heady smell. Somebody over the road was cooking a plum pudding and warming up some custard. Hollyhocks, nettles and blackthorn giving a dusky smell down a side-alley, the smell of old empty lager cans, cigarette butts and kebab wrappers.
Suddenly Lupinwolf stopped, his ears pricking up. Snapewolf peered into a garden to see two eyes gleaming back white in the gloom.
As they approached, the creature gave a low moan and lowered himself slowly to the floor, tucking its tail under him submissively.
Snape recalled Lupin telling him that the smallest pack members were usually put on sentry duty. This wolf was both small and weak-looking, and guessed that it was probably still a child, a teenager at most.
This could mean that one or more of the senior pack members were nearby.
They didn't have to travel much further to find out.
Lupin slowed and moved his tail a little lower. He gave a low rumbling growl. Snape suddenly clocked a considerably larger wolf than the last one, skulking in the shadows of a block of flats, her attention on a human rummaging around the boot of their car.
A she-wolf.
Lupin let out a short sharp bark. She turned her head and narrowed her eyes.
As she approached them both she sidled forwards, her head down and her hackles raised, unlike the smaller wolf she did not avoid eye contact and she did not lower her tail. Her ears were flat back to her head.
Snape assumed by her body language that this female was known to Lupin, above him in rank, and definitely expected his subordination, however, this modified Wolfsbane version of Lupin appeared to have other plans - he aimed straight for her, stalking, staring her down.
The she-wolf's lips drew back in a snarl at his impertinence, she drew herself up to her full height and bristled her nape fur still more.
Submit….submit…
Without even so much as a warning snarl, Lupinwolf lunged, grabbed the she-wolf by the neck and bit down.
There was a dull crunch, and the she-wolf went limp in his jaws.
A tingle of horror ran down Snape's spine. It was obviously a bit too late now, but he found himself wondering if perhaps he should have spent a little bit longer on the potion instead of rushing it through...
As swiftly as they'd arrived in the area, they left, leaving little more than their scent behind. Lupin had dragged the body across the front of the garages and flung at the back of the block amongst the abandoned shopping trolleys and broken pallets. It wouldn't be long before it was found, though of course she would have returned to human form by then…
Snape wondered if he should get an anonymous owl to an Auror to come clean things up before any Muggles came across the body…
He could bet any amount of Galleons that Lupin would have another massive bout of angst about the woman when he transformed back tomorrow.
He then wondered when exactly he started to play patsy to Remus Lupin.
When he unwillingly became his underling pack member, obviously.
He was thinking about all this while following Lupin, who had headed off again, his nose down to the floor, still heading North, towards, presumably Hampstead Heath. This piqued his curiosity; perhaps there was a meet arranged, perhaps he was about to discover the place where every North London werewolf gathered at the full moon.
x-X-x
It took more than one spell to get Mrs Black's portrait to shut up this time, and the teenagers' ears were ringing from her screams about half-breed mongrels for some time after they succeeded.
"Do you think they'll be back before dawn?" Said Ron uneasily.
"Who knows?" shrugged Harry.
"Just keep your wands close, they've both had Wolfsbane, and didn't seem interested in attacking us, but we just can't be too careful," Added Hermione.
"Do you think the other wolf's from the pack Remus is infiltrating?" Frowned Ron.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "They seemed a bit friendly for that. But then, what do I know, I've only ever met two Werewolves, Remus and Greyback, and they're hardly the best of pals are they…"
"If he's invited someone else in here, though, that means the Fidelius Charm is broken…"
Hermione looked thoughtful. "You would think so, but there might be a bit of a loophole - if the person was in werewolf form at the time… The charm might not apply to magical beasts, like it doesn't apply to House Elves."
Ron frowned. "But then when did Remus let him in?"
The trio looked at one another confusedly.
x-X-x
Lupinwolf led them both through Highgate Cemetary, past all the old imposing, famous tombs glowing white in the moonlight. He then led them down a dark, leafy lane heavy with the scent of tree pollen. There were a few foxes about, and they all turned tail and fled the moment they spotted them.
Finally, they reached the outskirts of the Heath. Lupin took a sharp left off the path and headed into the trees. After five minutes of trotting through the urban woodland, Snape caught the musky scents of numerous lupine individuals long before he spotted them.
The pack came into view, a circle of gleaming eyes, blue, gold, yellow and bronze, scrawny and not so scrawny, young and healthy, old and decrepit. There were around thirty wolves in all, and he noticed that none of them were as big as they were. Greyback was also not among them.
The eldest, most grizzled wolf of the gathering came forward to sniff Lupin, growling slightly. Lupinwolf remained still, keeping his tail straight out behind him, not a greeting, and not submissive. The grizzled wolf's nose lingered longest at Lupin's jawline, and Snape wondered if he could smell the she-wolf's blood on him, because soon after that he suddenly whimpered and backed away, his ears flying back and his tail turning under. The other wolves shifted uneasily at his reaction, looking at one another.
Lupinwolf gave a sharp bark and jumped forwards the grizzled wolf, his hackles raised, the old wolf flinched and let out a long, gutteral moan, turning away.
Snape decided to step forwards then, too, and the eyes of the pack all shifted to him. They all stood, some of them yelped, some swayed, others paced uneasily. One let out a short howl and the others joined in.
He guessed this would now be the moment for a challenge, but none came.
Where was Greyback?
It seemed they did not have to wait much longer, for as soon as he thought of him, his scent came to him on the breeze.
It was overpowering, feral...
There was a rush of paws, and Greyback flung himself into the clearing, snarling, and rearing himself up on his hind legs. Greywolf was as big and as tall as Lupinwolf, and his grey fur was so pale he was almost white. His muzzle and face were heavily and ugily scarred, his chin, chest and front paws were dark red, stained in blood from earlier kills. His ears laid flat to his head, orange eyes blazing with fury.
While the other wolves yelped and lay down submissively, Lupinwolf let out a nervous moan, then turned tail and ran back through the bushes. With him gone Snape definitely didn't fancy his chances either, and followed suit.
They broke cover from the trees and pelted away across the Heath on all fours, the full moon glowing brightly above them.
x-X-x
Like the last full moon the pair of them woke up to find themselves sleeping alongside one another. Unlike last time, however, they did not wake up in the safety of Grimmauld Place's cellar.
Also, unlike last time, they remembered everything that had happened, and everything that they had done...
Snape stared around at the grim concrete walls of Lupin's garage hideout.
"Is Hampstead Heath a regular meeting spot?"
"The Heath is the meeting spot for the North Londoners, yes. The Southerners meet on Clapham Common. Every second moon the packs congregate together in Hyde Park - Greyback heads these meetings..."
"Who was the she-wolf?"
Lupin looked up bleary-eyed, and swore under his breath as the rest of the night's exploits came into sharp focus. "Mina Finehair… She's high up in the Hampstead pack, and is also one of Greyback's partners…"
"Was..." Corrected Snape.
Lupin went ashen. "Oh Gods... I only meant to pick her up and throw her...I didn't know my own strength… Your potion has made me feral…wild…!"
"On the contrary Lupin, I think it made you focused and decisive..."
The Gryffindor shook his head worriedly. "Greyback will rip me apart when he finds out I killed her..."
"Or you'll rip him apart," replied Snape coolly. "You are of equal size to him now when transformed, and I reckon stronger…Not to mention you have retained the use of your nonverbal magic...I think you should challenge him..."
Lupin brushed off his tweed jacket and put it on. He held his hands out and laughed bitterly at the Slytherin. "Do I look like Alpha material to you, Severus?"
"And do I look like Headmaster material to you?" Rounded Snape, his eyes narrowing challengingly. "Your sorry-excuse-for-a-human self might not have Alpha inclinations, Lupin, but your wolf does, thanks to me. Your wolf could easily seize control of the North Pack. If you want to be of any use to Potter in the near future, and to the outcome of this war I suggest you think about it…I can brew you all the potions you might need..."
Lupin raked a hand nervously through his hair.
30th August 1997 - Malfoy Manor
"My friends," hissed Voldemort to his black-robed followers, "we are gathered here this evening to celebrate the appointment of not one or two, but three new Hogwarts' staff members. Please raise your glasses to Deputy Headmaster and Headmistress, Amycus and Alecto… and the new top man… Headmaster Severus Snape…"
Wine goblets clinked all around him. Somebody laughed maniacally.
Severus Snape closed his eyes as he stood, all emotion cleared from his mind…
It was going to plan, every single hellish step…
Lily...He thought. If you are watching...This is for you...
x-X-x
After the meal, there was time for 'mingling' and talking to the depressingly ever-more-occurring Death Eater recruits, a few of them from the upper years at Hogwarts, a couple from Durmstrang, and older wizards who had joined just to be on the more powerful side. Feeling stifled, Severus inched gradually towards the door until he found himself outside on the patio area, where it was both quieter and cooler. There was a pergola covered in flowering honeysuckle, he inhaled its scent and it helped calm him a little.
A sharp scent of sweat mingled with werewolf musk blew across the way. His stomach dropping, Severus turned to see Fenrir Greyback eyeing him from across the patio.
"Severus...Congratulations on the top job..." growled the werewolf. "Who could ever imagine such a pallid, scrawny human would make for an Alpha…And yet look at you now..."
Snape's heart skipped a beat, but he rallied. "It may be surprising for you….But as I have always told my Slytherins, persistence and cunning will get you anywhere you wish to go…"
Greyback's nostrils flared and he showed his pointed teeth. "And if you don't have those, I find brute force and ignorance works just as well..."
The Slytherin raised an eyebrow. "For a while, until guile wins over..."
The wolf looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I have my eye on you, Snape. My Mina is still missing and I sense you might know something about it…"
"Severus," A voice called. It was Lucius Malfoy.
Snape raised his glass of wine at Greyback in a mocking salute, and excused himself.
"Lucius, I have to say that was most impeccably timed..." He smirked.
"Don't mention it, one should never have to suffer conversations with undesirable sorts at gatherings….My congratulations to you, by the way," added his old school associate smoothly. "Do you have any ideas as to what your first changes will be once you get inside the school? Surely it's about time McGonagall should be put out to pasture, the old cow has been teaching for far too long in my opinion. Her demotion - or even sacking - would certainly take Gryffindor House down a peg or two..."
"As tempting as that might be, my dear friend, I think I shall wait a short time before imposing the more radical changes, but do not worry, punishment shall certainly be imposed more severely on Gryffindor House from the very first day of term, to counteract the unfair bias shown by the former Headmaster for so long…"
Lucius smiled and raised his glass. "Well, I shall certainly drink to that…"
Severus raised his glass, and as he toasted his pretend glee, he wondered precisely which echelon of wizarding hell he had lied his way down to now...