CHAPTER FIVE


A/N: An Arguer is a lawyer.


Harry gaped at the letter and Dumbledore made a small sound of irritation.

"I suspected they might do this. Go on Harry, get ready. I will see you at the Ministry," the Headmaster said quickly, getting to his feet and disapparating in a twirl.

Harry stared pale-faced at the letter before slowly getting to his feet, looking around the kitchen.

"Remus?" he said in a quiet voice.

The werewolf was at the bottom of the steps, Sirius at his side, in a moment. "Don't worry Harry, it will go fine," he said warmly, taking a step forward and placing both hands on the boy's shoulders, smiling at him encouragingly. "Dumbledore is the best Arguer a wizard could ask for in court. And he is a much smarter man than Corenlius Fudge."

"Quite. Now, go clean yourself up. No offense Harry, but you look like a sleep-deprived werewolf," Sirius said with a playful smirk.

Harry returned the smile hesitantly, and looked between the two, warmth swelling up inside him.

If it didn't go well, he had somewhere to go, he reminded himself as he headed up the stairs toward his room.


Harry had no one to escort him to the Ministry.

Mr. Weasley wasn't available, and Remus assured him several times that he really didn't want Remus to escort him. Sirius had offered, which had received glares from both werewolves.

"Couldn't I go as his dog?" Sirius asked, frowning.

"No, Sirius. Pets aren't allowed in the ministry," Remus reminded him, sighing as he reached for some floo powder.

"Owls are," Sirius protested. "Bloody specieism. It's outrageous."

Harry patted his arm soothingly. "Who are you fire-calling, Remus?"

"Shacklebolt," Remus said as he started the fire-call and stuck his head into the green flames.

Harry grimaced. He hadn't liked the auror upon first meeting him, and he doubted he would like him more the second time.

"Kingsley's a good guy, Harry," Sirius said reassuringly. "Just isn't the most chatty. Or fun. But you know."

"I don't think he likes me," Harry said.

Sirius shrugged. "Sure he does. Kingsley likes everyone."

"He's said yes," Remus said in relief as he pulled his head out of the fire. "Fantastic. He'll be here in a moment. Are you ready to go, Harry?"

Harry nodded before Sirius stood, touching his bandaged shoulder gently. "That has to go, or there will be questions," he said.

Harry flinched. He hadn't looked at his shoulder without the bandages since he had been attacked. A part of him didn't want to see the scar.

Remus stepped forward, a sympathetic look spread across his features. "He's right, Harry."

"Scars are manly," Sirius said encouragingly. "With that and the one on your forehead, why, you'll be the coolest kid in school."

Remus rolled his eyes at him before offering Harry a small smile. The green-eyed wizard nodded, standing and walking stiffly over to the bathroom.

He rolled up his short sleeve once he was inside, peeling it back to reveal the scar that upon inspection was disturbingly close to where his shoulder connected to his neck.

He stared at the large bandage in the mirror. A frown morphed his features and he pinched his eyes closed for a moment, turning away.

The memories replayed and he winced as his shoulder gave a phantom pain.

He blew out a shaky breath, forcing his hands to unclench as he opened his eyes, glancing back to the mirror.

He undid the top bandage, and let it fall unwrapped.

He grimaced.

The scar was large, with a thin layer of scar tissue covering the distinct bite mark. He reached up a hand, touching the skin gently.

It was oddly smooth to the touch, but not sensitive. He frowned, running his fingers over it a few times before sighing and folding his sleeve back down.

He pulled up the bottom of his shirt, and quickly undid the bandages on his side too.

He glanced at the scratches. The scars looked to be a few months old, not a few weeks. He smiled and offered his silent thanks to Madam Pompfrey, letting his shirt drop down with a sigh.

He heard Kingsley arrive, but stopped to look in the mirror. He leaned in, touching his raven black hairs.

Would they start to grey in a few weeks?

Or would it be a few months?

When had Remus's started to?

He sighed, pulling back and pushing open the bathroom door and heading back into the dining room.

"Hello, Harry," Kingsley's deep voice greeted him. Harry nodded, offering a half-smile in greeting.

"Let's go then. Dumbledore should be waiting," he said, holding out his hand. Harry grimaced. He hated side-along apparition.


Noise.

It took all of Harry's self-control not to immediately crumple to a heap on the ground and cover his ears.

Screeching, yelling, owls' wings, people talking, whispering, gossiping. A million heartbeats, oh it must be, a thousand footfalls. Heels clicking, papers rustling.

Kingsley gripped his elbow to steady him as he swayed in place, an involuntary, wolfish whimper escaping his lips as his wide green eyes spun around to every corner of the room.

The smells hurt. They literally seemed to travel up and register in his mind as a swirling mess of burning.

Too much.

Perfume, cologne, sweat, food, ashes, magic.

He leaned closer to Kingsley, taking in a quick, steadying breath as he locked the smell of steel and clean leather into the forefront of his mind.

Kingsley. Focus on Kingsley.

"Are you ready?" the auror asked calmly. Harry hesitated for a moment, taking a few more hesitant breaths before he nodded.

Shacklebolt began to walk and Harry had to nearly jog to keep pace with his long strides. He flicked his green eyes back and forth rapidly, nostrils flaring as his sharp vision focused from person to person.

"Try to focus on the elevator," Kingsley said in barely more than a breath, never breaking pace. Harry felt a small smile flit across his face at his newfound hearing abilities. "Remus does it by focusing on one thing at a time."

Harry nodded discreetly and turned his eyes to the elevator.

One opened with a small ding!

Then it closed, a few noisy witches in dress robes piling in.

They reached the elevator in no time, and Harry found the lights at the top – which were actually fairies that would spring glowing dust into the bulb on cue – extremely fascinating.

"Why haven't wizards discovered electricity yet?"

Kingsley frowned. "Electricity?"

"Light, without fire, or magic. Power," Harry said.

Shacklebolt eyed him in bemusement. "Why would we need that when we have magic?"

Harry shrugged and waited for the current occupants of the elevator to pile out before stepping forward and inside, leaning on the back wall of the elevator.

A horrid stench flooded his nostrils suddenly as he stepped inside, and his lip curled.

"Hem-hem," an insistent, unfamiliar voice hissed from the crowd outside of the elevator.

A toad-like woman, covered in pink from head to toe and wearing the strongest perfume Harry had ever encountered stepped in, and a growl rose from Harry's lips. He had no idea who this woman was, but he immediately knew – he did not like her.

Or, the wolf didn't.

Luckily, this went unheard as several other wizards piled on, fumbling with papers and mumbling to themselves.

Harry glared at her viciously and Shacklebolt unwittingly placed a firm hand on to Harry's scarred shoulder.

He jerked away from the touch, bumping into someone and apologizing.

The person's eyes went wide. "Harry Potter?" she gasped loudly.

He winced as every gaze – including the woman's with the horrible smell – darted over to his corner.

"Oh Mr. Potter, such a pleasure," the woman he had bumped into said cheerfully, grabbing his hand and shaking it forcefully.

"Hi," Harry said lamely. A person behind her snapped a picture, lips parted in surprise and delight.

The toad-like woman rolled her eyes, a gesture not missed by Harry. He furrowed his eyebrows at her in confusion, unsure of what he'd done to offend her. Had she heard his growl, after all?

"This is our floor." Kingsley's voice cut through his train of thought.

"Escorting a convict, Shacklebolt? I hadn't known you had sunk so low," the toad-woman said in a deceptively sweet voice. Harry narrowed his eyes but managed to hold back the animalistic noises of distaste.

Kingsley turned, arching an eyebrow. "I don't consider children convicts," he said in a condescending way, his booming voice seeming to fill the air of the elevator lift. Every witch and wizard went quiet, a few of their eyes widening as they glanced quickly between Kingsley and the toad-woman.

Harry followed him out of the elevator, head ducked. "Who was she?" the black-haired wizard asked in a whisper, nearly tripping as he darted around an oggling photographer.

"Dolores Umbridge," Kingsley said too softly for someone even a foot away to hear. "She'll be in your hearing."

Harry groaned, her horrid stench still burned in his memory. She had looked a bit like a toad, wearing too much pink.

"Envy turns toads green," Harry mumbled suddenly, remembering the witch who turned people into toads in the wizarding kids' stories he'd been reading the other night.

Remus had suggested the stories. He said they'd always helped him when he'd woken up out of sorts.

He was right. They were humorous and new to Harry. It reminded him of his first year at Hogwarts, when everything was still so new to him. And it reminded him there was still so much he didn't know about the wizarding world.

Kingsley smiled, walking down a flight of stairs. Harry kept pace, returning the smile gently.

"Here we are," the auror said, nodding to a large set of doors. "Dumbledore will be here momentarily. Good luck, Harry," he said bracingly, patting the werewolf on the arm.

Harry nodded. "Thank you," he said, anxiety bubbling up as he looked at the intimidating, dark doors.

Kingsley nodded, turning and heading back up the steps.

Harry took a deep steadying breath and pushed open one of the doors.


"Cleared - of all charges."

Fudge's voice rang throughout the room about an hour later, followed by the resounding smack of the wooden gavel. Harry let out a deep breath for what felt like the first time in the past hour.

Harry's chest filled with elation and he jumped to his feet, a smile lighting up his features.

Dumbledore swept out of the court room.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry called after him, picking up the pace and darting after the older wizard.

When he pushed open the doors of the court room and stepped into the hall, Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen. Harry frowned, looking left and right and flaring his nostrils as he tried to pick up a scent.

He began to turn as a strikingly familiar one smacked him practically in the face. It was sweet, like honey and ash. Rustic, almost. But where was it-

"Congratulations, Harry," Remus's voice made him jump.

"Remus!" he cried with a smile. "I thought you weren't coming!" He stepped forward, hugging the man without thinking, relief and joy filling him with warmth at the familiar face. Not having a stable person to hold on to the scent of was dizzying in a place this large. He was honestly beginning to wonder if he would be adjusted enough in time for Hogwarts.

"You thought we'd toss you to the wolves with no way to get home?" Remus asked playfully, returning the brief hug.

"I think Snuffles is influencing your sense of humor," Harry said with a smirk as he moved away from the hug, taking a deep, happy breath and centering his senses on the werewolf.

"Maybe so," Remus said with a laugh. He held out his arm. "Ready?"

Harry nodded, grabbing the man's arm.


"Hey, who's getting an education?" Sirius greeted the two warmly as they apparated into the sitting room. Sirius had a glass of wine in his hand as he smiled up at the two, and he shook it gently as they looked at him.

He was sprawled across one of the loveseats in the sitting room, his legs dangling over one of the leather armrests.

"Yours truly," Harry answered, falling into a seat in the sitting room heavily, the exhaustion from the hearing hitting him like a rock. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and heaved a sigh, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"Such a pity. Drop-outs are statistically the most successful."

"That's a lie," Remus said, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on a coat hook.

Sirius laughed, tossing his head back. "Oh Remus, you tell the funniest jokes."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Where'd you get the wine?"

Sirius shrugged. "Wine cellar. Picked the most expensive looking one. Had some of these in the family for over a thousand years." He picked up the alcohol, tossing the crystal container over to the werewolf who caught it gently, turning it over to read the label.

Remus grumbled something unintelligible, shaking his head and setting it back down on a low coffee table.

"Can I have some?" Harry asked curiously, sitting up and taking a sniff, trying to decide if he'd finally be able to taste the 'light hints of cherry and honey' and whatnot wine critics always went on about.

"No."

"Yes," Sirius said, sitting up.

"No," Remus reiterated, glaring.

"Remus, we both drank firewhiskey when we were his age," Sirius said with an eyeroll.

"One time," Remus snapped.

"And this is one. I haven't forgotten how to count. Here, Harry," he said, snatching up the crystal bottle and pouring half of a short glass.

"How'd you get firewhiskey?" Harry asked curiously, drawing the wine toward his face and taking a sniff.

"We-"

"-That's enough," Remus snapped, hazel eyes flashing with irritation. He took a deep breath and sank into the loveseat nearby with a sigh. "I don't support this," he said as Harry raised the glass to his lips tentatively.

"Relax, Remus, you make us sound old," Sirius groaned.

Harry smiled and took a small sip.

The strong taste was something even his werewolf sense of smell hadn't prepared him for. He nearly choked, quickly setting down the glass and grimacing. "What on earth was that?" he asked in disgust.

Sirius gave a barking laugh. "This stuff is foul," he said cheerfully, taking another drink.

Remus laughed as Harry winced.

"Oh, God, the lingering taste is even worse," he said, standing up sharply, his face contorting oddly.


The next day, Harry went to Diagon Alley with Remus and 'Snuffles' to get his school things. Diagon Alley proved surprisingly easier to handle than the Ministry. Remus assured him he was just learning how to block things out.

He also got to see Hedwig again. She had still been at the Dursleys, waiting for him and only leaving to hunt occasionally, but Dumbledore had dropped her off. She was hiding from Harry at present, but he assumed that was more so because he'd left her on accident, and she was sulking, and had very little if anything to do with his lycanthropy.

It was then only five days from Harry's first transformation. The waiting hung like a thick blanket of stress in the air.

He could feel it now, in his bones. Every night there was a slight ache, a twinge. He was weaker, he slept for longer hours.

"Sni – Snape is here," Sirius's voice called from the sitting room and floated into the kitchen where the two werewolves had received the go-ahead to make brownies.

Remus's expression morphed into a look of guilt as he got to his feet.

"Why's Snape here?" Harry demanded.

"Be nice. He's making Wolfsbane for you. Which he is not required to do."

Harry blinked. "Oh."

Remus headed toward the sitting room with Harry at his heels, and offered Snape an apologetic smile. "Hello, Severus."

Snape blinked at him coolly and pulled out two vials of Wolfsbane Potion. Remus's eyes widened in surprise as he handed the potions to him.

"You know the dosage. Once a day, until the full moon."

"This is-"

"-The potion is not more difficult to make in larger amounts," Snape said dismissively.

Sirius's eyes widened just slightly in surprise, his lips parting.

"Severus," Remus said, frowning at the vial. "Thank you."

Snape offered him a small, condescending look in silence. "Good-bye," he said stiffly, turning and walking back into the fireplace.

"Thank you, Snape," Sirius said in a clipped tone as the Potions Master gathered up some Floo powder.

Snape sneered, throwing the powder down and disappearing with a quietly muttered address.

"I don't understand." Harry frowned.

"He made some for me," Remus murmured softly, turning one of the vials over in his hand. He handed one of the blue potions over to Harry.

"But why?" Sirius said suspiciously.

"People change, Sirius," Remus said gently.

Sirius's lip curled distrustfully and he glared at the small vial, eyes narrowed into slits.

"Right, Harry, look," Remus said suddenly. "See how the vial is split off into five segments?"

Harry nodded, tilting the blue-filled vial to the right and watching the light reflect prettily off the vial against the sunlight. He resisted the urge to watch the dust particles dance around - that was horribly distracting.

"You drink one segment a day, the five days leading up to the full moon. It only pours out a single segment each time it is opened, so no need to worry about measuring it out. It tastes foul, but don't try to add anything for the flavor. Wolfsbane can be very poisonous when this potion is tampered with."

Harry nodded and pulled off the cap. Remus did so as well. Blue smoke rose from the potion, swirling into the air. Harry cut off air travel through his nose, not wanting to catch a whiff and be tempted to back out.

"Bottoms up," Harry said, his anxiety written across his face as he forced a smile.

He tipped back the vial's contents into his lips and swallowed rapidly.

"Oh God," Harry choked, clenching the vial.

Remus shuddered, eyes pinching closed as he began screwing back on the lid to his own vial, shaking his head at the taste.

The potion worked its way down into Harry's stomach, burning the whole way down. He felt his heart pump faster, a cool film of sweat spreading across his forehead as his legs trembled and his muscles ached.

His vision spun and he pushed his weight back into his heels. Distant voices reached his eardrums, someone was touching his arm, gave him a light shake.

His vision went out, but he felt his eyes still open and his legs beneath him.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, his pulse was in his ears.

His mouth was dry, goosebumps were raised all over his body and he felt himself begin to tremble.

People were panicking, around him. He could hear raised voices, shouts.

"Harry? Harry can you hear me?"

His vision faded back in. Harry blinked several times, head still aching as his senses reluctantly started again.

He was still standing, somehow.

"He'll pay," Sirius snarled. "Poisoning him, I want to know what the hell he did. Knew he didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart. 'People change' my arse."

Remus frowned and shook his head. "Snape had no way of knowing which of us would take which vial."

"Maybe he didn't care," Sirius snapped, pacing the floor. "Let me go knock him around a bit. I'm sure I can get an answer for you."

"What's going on?" Harry asked, his own voice sounding distant.

"We don't know yet Harry," Remus said gently. "Can you tell us what just happened?"

Harry blinked. "I sort of, blacked out? Like I was going to faint. But I didn't."

Remus led him over to a seat and Harry sat down. He felt something cool drip down toward his eye and reached up a hand, using a shaking hand to wipe away the watery sweat.

"I don't think this was Snape's doing," Remus said after they allowed Harry a moment of quiet - aside from Sirius's pacing.

"It just happened coincidentally a moment after he drinks the potion that Snape was so kind to provide an extra bottle of?"

"I'm not saying it was coincidental. I'm just saying I don't think Snape intended for this to happen," Remus argued.

Harry blinked numbly at the room around him, flexing his hand as sensation returned. "I don't think this was Snape, either," he said finally. "It doesn't make any sense."

Sirius snarled unintelligibly. "You both need to stop thinking so well of people," he snapped.

"I'm just saying if Snape wanted to kill me, I don't think this is how he'd go about it," Harry said, pressing a hand to his temple and closing his eyes.

"And if it wasn't meant to kill you right away?" Sirius challenged. "Let's say it tampers with the transformation. It makes the wolf so neurotic that you die in the process. Snape claims it was an accident with the potion, and-"

"-Sirius," Remus said harshly as Harry sucked in a sharp breath.

He felt as though the air had been sucked from his lungs and his eyes widened as he stared at the ground.

So if it wasn't made to kill me off the bat... It could be made to make me suffer? Or kill me slowly? Or worse?

He thought of the wolf's horrible bite and imagined inflicting that on himself. He started to shake, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Harry, I didn't mean that, I'm sorry," Sirius said softly. "I'm sure you and Remus are right. It was just a bad side-affect to a new potion. No big deal," he said in a very gentle tone.

Harry blinked, nodding and getting to his feet. "I'm going to my room," he said shortly, walking past the two.

"Harry," Remus said, getting to his feet. "Don't worry. A potion of the nature that Sirius is talking about doesn't even exist-"

"-Don't worry about it," Harry said dismissively as he walked up the steps. "I'm just tired."


Harry buried his face into his pillow where he lay, face-down on his bed.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice asked softly from outside the door.

Harry lifted his head. "Come in," he called, reaching over to his bedside and pulling over one of the chocolate pieces of popcorn-shaped candy.

Hermione had gotten them for him. They were muggle candies. He'd never seen Dudley eat them, but they were very good, in Harry's opinion.

Ron stepped in after her and Harry rolled over on to his back, glancing up at the two reluctantly.

Ron hadn't been the same since Harry's attack. Hermione had been doing her best to convince him he was being stupid, but he liked to insist he didn't feel any different about Harry.

He just didn't want to be around him, or for Hermione to be alone with him, and Harry had found that his heartbeat went wild when Harry raised his voice.

Yes, clearly didn't feel any different.

Harry sighed, pushing himself into a sitting position and nodding to the seats by his bed.

"You know," Harry said, folding his knees up to his chest. "I just realized - where's Ginny?"

"Why do you need to know?" Ron snapped.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded, eyes narrowed.

Harry felt an unbidden growl rising in his chest that didn't seem to go unheard by the other two occupants of the room. Hermione's eyes widened and Ron stood up, heart racing.

The werewolf groaned, throwing his face back into his pillow. "I'm sorry," he mumbled around the pillowcase.

"Don't be," Hermione said. Harry strained his ears but didn't hear any sign of Ron sitting back down. "Ron was being ridiculous."

"He growled at me!" Ron protested.

"Because you yelled at him," Hermione replied shortly.

Ron reluctantly sat back down and Harry carefully lifted his eyes from his pillow, eyes darting over to them nervously.

"It's all right Harry," Hermione said.

He huffed, pushing himself upright again. "I don't mean anything by it," he said sincerely, green eyes focused on his best friend. "It just has been sort of happening. I don't know why."

Ron shifted uncomfortably. "I know, mate," he said finally, sighing and looking at the ground. "It's just... weird, is all. Now that you're, err-"

"-Furry," Harry provided with a crooked smile.

"Furry?"

"It's what Sirius and I decided to call it," Harry explained. He yawned, stretching back across his bed and shivering. "I don't see how it's different though. You were all right with Remus," Harry said, frowning.

Ron sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's just a weird thing to get used to."

Harry resisted the urge to laugh. It was of course typical for Ron to be the one needing to get used to something that would change Harry's life forever, when Harry had already begun to accept it.

"Ginny is staying at the Burrow," Hermione answered his previous question. Harry flicked his gaze over to her, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Why?"

Ron flushed and Hermione opened her mouth before snapping it closed, hesitating nervously.

"Dad - just thought, that, for the first month, while uh, you were healing, and all that, um-"

Harry blinked as the meaning of Ron's stumbling words hit him. His lip curled and he let out a deep, angry exhale with a hint of a snarl.

"-No, Harry, honest, not like that, they just thought you needed your space, and-"

"-And there wasn't space for me in a house that's four stories tall?" Harry sneered.

Ron flinched, digging his nails into the armrest of his chair. "No, well, they just thought, that maybe-"

"They? Mrs. Weasley too?" Harry snarled, straightening up further, green eyes wide with anger.

"Harry, maybe you should calm down," Hermione said gently.

"Don't tell me to bloody calm down," Harry snarled, snapping his head to face her.

Ron shifted his weight toward Hermione, body tense. "It's not like they were unfounded!" Ron snapped. "Look at you!"

Harry reeled back like he'd been hit. "Excuse me?" he spat.

"You're damn well about to jump us, snarling, spitting and growling all over the place!" Ron snapped, face setting into a look of anger.

"What the hell gives you the idea I'm about to 'jump you'?" Harry snarled, leaping to his feet, hands balled into fists.

"Ron, Harry, quit it," Hermione snapped, getting to her feet. "No one's going to 'jump' anyone-"

"-Then stop getting so worried, Hermione," Harry snarled, wheeling to face her. He could hear her pounding heart and see the tension in her body.

"I'm not worried," she snapped, stepping up to him with a glare.

He glared down at her and for the first time noticed the way he was twitching. He pulled his hands into tighter fists before forcing them to relax and flexing, then balling them up again.

"Sit down, would you?" Ron snapped, getting to his feet and edging in between Harry and Hermione.

Harry felt something curl in his stomach as the enraged redhead pushed in between the two, his shoulder brushing Harry's scarred side as he did.

It was only four days from the full moon. The sun had just begun to set and Harry swore, he could feel the moon's soft glow against his skin from the window. His mind blanked, pushing back into the memories of the attack.

White, blinding rage flooded his senses and he moved forward.

Ron flew back into one of the chairs, toppling it over and his leg getting trapped beneath it. He scrambled to pull his leg free and gaped up at Harry, who was now growling low in his chest, eyes glazed as he glared down at the redhead.

"Harry!" Hermione cried in shock. She reached forward, placing a hand gently on to his unscarred shoulder.

"Don't touch him Hermione!" Ron cried, scrambling to his feet again.

Harry shook violently as he fought the memories away, blinking in quick succession until his surroundings reappeared.

This is Ron, and Hermione.

Hermione was speaking to him gently, firm pressure on his shoulder. He was being asked to sit down.

He sat. Slowly, mechanically, eyes still glazed and distant.

"I'm sorry," he said in a numb voice, eyes scanning in front of him before focusing weakly on to the redhead.

Ron stared at him in blank confusion.

"I didn't mean to," he finished.

Ron didn't say anything. Harry pulled his legs up to his chest on his bed where he sat, and wrapped his arms around them, eyes drifting closed.

The door swung open, the young werewolf noted. He sniffed.

Remus.

Unsure warmth filled his chest and he lifted his head, eyes searching out the older wizard.

Remus's expression was filled with concern. He was saying something rather quickly, but Harry for the life of him couldn't distinguish the words. He might as well have been speaking another language.

Ron and Hermione got up and left the room. Remus walked over very slowly, speaking gently as he did.

Harry watched him, and waited for his ears to start working again so he could respond to whatever it was Remus was trying to say.

"-Harry?"

Harry's head jerked up as he recognized his name. Remus stood hesitantly just a foot away, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"'Lo, Remus," Harry said, finding his voice again. He tilted his head, frowning at the wizard, who looked very concerned.

Remus's shoulders sagged in relief, a soft smile turning up the corners of his lips.

"How are you feeling?"

Harry hugged his knees tighter to his chest, burying his face in the top. He shook his head.

"Not good?" Remus supplied.

Harry's shoulders collapsed forward.

"Want to tell me what happened?"

Harry thought it over for a second. Then a minute. Then a few minutes.

Remus didn't say anything. He just slowly sat down in one of the seats by Harry's bed, and waited.

Finally, Harry forced himself to uncurl and nodded, offering a half-shrug.

Remus nodded in agreement, expression soft but unreadable.

"Ron, was, angry with me," Harry started slowly, eyebrows furrowing as he began the story. "I asked where Ginny was. That made him upset, I think? I don't think it was my fault. Hermione was upset with him." Harry nodded, agreeing with himself.

Remus nodded.

"We dropped it. But then, it came up again. I don't remember, exactly what happened. But I growled at him. They're worried about Ginny, I think. They think I'd hurt her. That upset me, I don't want to hurt anyone."

Remus let his eyes drift closed in thought and made a non-committal 'hmm' noise. Harry continued. "I stood up and Ron said I looked like I was going to jump them, or something. I'd never hurt Ron and Hermione," he said the last bit very quickly, his back straightening as he did. "But then, he sort of bumped into me and tried to get in between me and Hermione, because, I think he thought I might hurt her, and then-"

Harry paused, looking down at the ground and frowning, his head tilting to the side. "-And then I don't really know. I sort of drifted off, somewhere in my head, and when I got back, Ron had been knocked over, and everyone was very upset with me."

Harry took a few unsure breaths, opened and closed his mouth a few times before nodding and scooting back toward the center of his bed, nodding.

"No one's upset with you Harry," Remus said softly, offering the younger werewolf a reassuring smile.

Harry observed him quietly. Remus's face was pale, and the usual lines on his face were even darker. He had dark shadows under his eyes, and his lips looked dry and thin.

"You look ill," Harry said without thinking.

Remus laughed. "Look in a mirror," he said with a smile.

"I don't feel like myself," Harry said, shivering and rubbing a hand up the side of his arm.

"That makes two of us," Remus murmured. "It's normal."

"I don't see you knocking people into furniture and growling at them," Harry said, flopping on to his back on his bed and staring up at the ceiling.

Remus laughed. "When I was your age, I did," he said. "You learn to avoid conflict. And the people close to you learn what sets you off. Which is, everything but chocolate."

"Do you have some-?"

Remus laughed.