Chapter 2: An Uncertain Way Forward

A few days had passed since word got out that Harry Potter had been attacked by some unknown dark creature. Though rumors circulated amongst the students, no one knew for certain what exactly had attacked the Boy-Who-Lived. Some said that he had tried to get too close to a Unicorn in the forest, others guessed that maybe it had been one of Professor Hagrid's projects he had for Care for Magical Creatures class. Some went even so bold as to say that Harry was attacked by one of the long rumored werewolves that were said to live in the forest, though many a student disregarded that statement as completely farfetched. No, the widely most accepted rumor was hat Harry was attacked by the Hippogriff Buckbeak. This was plausible as the Hippogriff in question was supposed to be executed for having previously attacking a student. Though many Slytherins were adamant in their belief that it had attacked the idiot while he attempted to set it free, but most others settled on Harry crossing paths with it during one of his famous passed-curfew adventures.

Despite all the commotion permeating throughout most of school, the hospital wing remained deathly quiet as the young man who was the center of all the commotion had yet to regain consciousness since his fateful encounter with the werewolf.

Madam Pomfrey had finally managed to convince the large crowd of red headed siblings and the bushy-haired girl, who had basically lived in the hospital wing since the night of the attack, to leave so that she could focus on monitoring the boy's condition. With classes over, there was nothing to keep the group of students out of her hair, but finally managed to convince them to either get something to eat in Great Hall or return to their Common Room, with the promise that if the situation changed, they would be informed immediately. Finally the hospital wing was shrouded with a peaceful silence once again.

Madam Pomfrey began performing diagnostic spells on the unconscious teen shortly after the room was vacated. His vital signs were normal except for an abnormally high heart rate, but she suspected that was due to his body trying desperately to combat the infection. Content that his condition was still stable, she moved towards her office to prepare the potions she had been giving the boy every few hours to help his body recover. When she finished, she returned to administer said potions but was greeted on her way back by a pair of emerald green eyes.

"Mr. Potter?"

She received no response. His eyes were fixed onto the white ceiling above his bed, as if focused on some minute detail, oblivious to the world around. After first double checking her diagnostic spells, finding no discernable difference in his condition, decided to summon Professor Dumbledore and inform him of these recent events.

The Headmaster strode into the hospital wing with strict countenance, moving directly to Harry's side, with wand in hand. Immediately he placed his hand over the boy's face and began to mutter various incantations so low that the nearby nurse couldn't hear what was being said. Before she could ask what the esteemed wizard was checking for, he stopped his musings, seemingly content that whatever he was checking for wasn't serious.

"Mr. Potter? Can you hear me?"

Harry's eyes remained ever fixed above, the only indication that his condition hadn't worsened was his continued breathing.

"Harry, I need a sign to know that you are alright."

Still he received no response.

Dumbledore turned his attention to the medi-witch. "How long has he been like this?"

"It started shortly before I contacted you Headmaster. I was making his potions when I saw that his eyes were open. I checked to see if his condition had worsened and called you immediately after."

Albus frowned, not knowing what caused his change but was startled that there was nothing they could do to change it. He was unfamiliar with the symptoms of a fresh werewolf bite, and desperately needed answers. Not knowing how much time they had, he pulled out his wand.

"Expecto Patronum". Immediately afterwards a silvery phoenix left his wand and hovered in front of him for a few minutes. "Remus, Harry's condition has changed. Your presence is needed in the Hospital Wing to help determine the cause of these events." The phoenix immediately flew out the doors and further into the castle to deliver its message. After watching it leave, Dumbledore turned his attention back to the young man who would possibly be forced to bear another great burden, and did the only thing he could do until Lupin arrived….wait.

After several agonizing minutes, the doors behind him burst open. Albus turned around but the figure he saw coming through was not Remus Lupin. Hermione Granger was striding forward as if on a mission looking desperately towards her best friend.

"What's happened? Is he alright?"

"I'm sorry Headmaster she saw your Patronus relay your message and insisted on coming with me," came a voice from just around the corner. Lupin walked into the hospital wing, out of breath from trying to keep up with the young lass in front him.

"It's alright Remus. I daresay that even I would probably be unable to stop Miss Granger from checking on her friend."

Hermione began to blush realizing that she very nearly have gotten in trouble, but these thoughts were quickly abolished as she stared into Harry's unmoving eyes. Lupin walked u beside her and stared inquisitively at the boy who was slowly growing to become something like a nephew to him.

"Now that is a little startling." The werewolf continued to study the patient, attempting to discover the reason behind his catatonic state.

"Have you seen anything like this before?" Hermione asked seeing the look of surprise the covered the Professor's face.

"No. I've never seen anything like this. Harry's current state is another anomaly added to his condition."

"What do you mean?"

"Most people who receive the bite only lose consciousness for a few hours, perhaps a day," Remus' face fell as he remembered that he is the reason for Harry's affliction. Despite the assurances from all those who knew that it wasn't his fault, he couldn't help the feeling the guilt that he had ruined the boy's life. Beyond that, he felt he betrayed James, Lily, and Sirius by not only failing to protect Harry, but being directly responsible for his current predicament. "The fact that he's been unconscious for three days is startling to say the least. Coupled with this," he motioned towards Harry, "I daresay that his situation isn't looking up."

Hermione's own guilt was beginning to well up inside her. She knew that Harry would always act to benefit to help others, even at the cost of his own safety, didn't the feeling that she could've done something to prevent this. She could've argued with him and stayed with him, or ran faster to get Dumbledore, or even thought of some way for her to stop the werewolf herself. All her time learning spells and pouring through books and she felt utterly helpless, unable to help her friend. Her eyes began to water at these thoughts so she redirected her thoughts back to the present.

"Oh Harry, I'm Sorry."

With a painful and sharp gasp, Harry bolted upright in his bed before succumbing to the pain of lingering injuries. Needless to say, this caught all those at his bedside off guard, causing all them to jump back. They watched in amazement as his eyes began to regain focus and began to regain himself and reenter consciousness.

He attempted to move again, but something on his right arm kept him from using it to help himself up. Looking down he saw that his arm was fastened into a sling that kept his arm and shoulder in place. He reached with his other arm to grab his glasses from his bedside table, before Hermione sprang forward and put them on for him. He smiled at her appreciatively before looking at everyone else who had gathered in the room.

"What happened to me? And why does my arm and chest hurt so much."

At that line of questions the room became somber. All those at Harry's bedside looked away from Harry, seemingly refusing to look at him. He noticed that the two who seemed the most crestfallen were Professor Lupin and Hermione. He wanted to question this observation but decided that he could wait to find out those answers. It was several moments before the thick silence was cut by the words of Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry… the night you rescued Sirius," he paused seemingly try to gather the right words to say, "you were attack and gravely injured in an attempt to save Miss Granger."

He immediately understood Hermione's react now. He reached for her hand, looking her in the eyes as he did. He squeezed her hand and gave her a sympathetic look, hoping to convey the message that it wasn't her fault. He received a smile that didn't quite reach the girl's eyes, but decided that he would push the issue later.

"What was it that attacked me?"

He was greeted by another pregnant silence. He didn't understand why they all seemed reluctant to tell him what attacked him. His eyes drifted to each person around him, hoping that his stare would force the truth out of them, before finally setting on his parent's best friend. Some of the memories of that fateful night began to flood into his mind, giving a sympathetic look towards the DADA Professor.

"Lupin…." Harry began, but he was quickly interrupted by the Professor.

"I'm sorry Harry, it was I who attacked you that night."

"It's okay Professor. Madam Pomfrey will fix me up and then everything will go back to normal."

He realized quickly that something was up when Hermione began to cry after that last statement. She immediately flung herself around him, leaving a confused Harry to awkwardly pat her on the back.

"What's wrong?" He asked, not seeing the reason for his best friend's sudden loss of composure.

Madam Pomfrey stepped towards the bed and with a broke voice stated, "I'm sorry Potter…but it…it isn't just slash marks."

It took a moment for her words o truly sink in to Harry. When he finally registered the meaning of her words, he pulled his gown off of his right shoulder and was immediately greeted by the sight of a black set of bite marks. In that moment, the time seemed to stop as Harry stared blankly off into a corner of the room, trying to come to grips with the fact that he wasn't exactly human any more. He looked back to Lupin with the greatest look of sorrow, sympathy, and fear.

"Moony…"

Professor Dumbledore stepped forward and coaxed Hermione from the boy's arms and motioned for Madam Pomfrey to follow him. "I suggest we give these two some time before we bother them again." And with that, the three of them left the infirmary leaving Professor and Student behind.

Neither one of them was willing to look the other in the eye. Remus out of guilt and Harry out of sympathy. Not a word was said between the two for several minutes.

"It wasn't your fault Moony. You didn't know what you were doing." Harry was trying to diffuse the tension in the room, but it seemed his statement only made it rise further.

'No Harry, it is my fault. I was foolish enough to not drink my potion. My carelessness is the reason for your suffering and for that I don't deserve any forgiveness." Remus still refused to look the young man in the eye. He felt the lowest he felt in his entire life, even worse than almost killing Serverus. He didn't deserve Harry's forgiveness, nor did he want it. He wanted to be punished for his lapse in judgement.

"You didn't know what you were doing Moony. I forgive you," but the words seemingly fell upon deaf ear as Remus continued to wallow in self-pity. "I don't blame you-"

"Well You Should," Lupin suddenly roared out, "I let you down Harry. I betrayed your parents by letting this terrible fate fall upon you. They trusted me and Sirius to look after if anything happened to them, and now I've damned you t a terrible fate."

Harry had never seen Lupin like this. He had always seen the man as someone who was constantly in control of himself, someone who could always see the light even when things seemed darkest. Now he was seeing a different side of his parent's best friend. He was seeing a tortured soul. A man who was forced to look in the mirror every day and see the evidence of the curse he was afflicted with.

Remus deemed to compose himself after that. Turning around to face the door, he turned his head back slightly, still refusing to look at Harry.

"Perhaps it is best if I just leave. My being a part of your life has brought nothing but pain and hardship on you for the rest of your life. Yes. It is best if I just leave." With those final words began his march towards the door.

Harry's anger began to flare up as Remus began to walk away from him. He couldn't believe the man's self-pity went that deep that he'd abandon the son of one of his greatest friends. His blood began to boil and after Remus had made a few steps forward, it finally broke free.

"You think that you've betrayed their trust because of this!" The tone and anger in his voice caught Lupin off guard causing him to whirl around and meet the angry teen's gaze. "You're abandoning your best friend's son at a time when he needs as much help as he can get." Harry eyes pierced daggers through Lupin who could only shrink slightly farther away as the tirade continued. "You think this bite is a betrayal of their trust? No. If you walk out that door, out of my life, instead of sticking with e and helping me through this, then you truly will be betraying not only their trust, but their memory!"

The old wolf gazed at the young man before him, who looked like a mirror image of his best friend in all but his eyes. It was in those eyes, that Lupin saw the truth in the boy's statement and finally began to relent from him former decision. He began walking back over to bed he was just standing by, and decided to sit on the end of it continuing to stare Harry in the eyes. After a few moments of silence, a small smile graced the older man's face.

"You know…I sometime forget that you are James' son in more ways than appearance. Your father took loyalty and abandonment very seriously and saw it as the ultimate betrayal." The sadness in his eyes returned but there was something slightly different about them. "I'm sorry for that Harry. I should've realized that you need me now more than ever to help cope with your furry little problem."

A smile grace both of their faces, evolving into a light laugh the earlier tension finally dissipated.

"I just figured you needed a little help to see that you sticking around would be better than letting me figure all this out on my own."

Harry was glad he managed to convince him not to leave. He needed someone who would understand what he was going through. Hermione would read every book she could about it and understand, but he needed someone who could connect to his experience on a more personal level. That sat in a comfortable silence for a few more moments before Harry asked the question he most desperately needed answered.

"What'll happen to me?"

"Well Harry, the answer to that question is difficult to say. Every case of lycanthropy is different. One person, such as myself, could become very thin, and sickly looking, while the next person could possibly become more fit. Certain feature of your appearance or personality could become more lupine. Some of your senses might become slightly more heighted or not at all. We won't know for certain until your first full moon. After that your body will begin to accept it's new condition and we can determine the extent of your changes."

"I'll be at the Dursley's at that time. Will I be able to take a Wolfsbane potion to keep people safe?"

"No, that won't be an option Harry. The Wolfsbane potion during one's first transformation could possibly alter it to the point that you either turn permanently or it could possibly kill you. We have to let your body be able to transform uninhibited in case you transform."

Harry nodded in understandably at his words, accepting that what he was being told was the truth. He was so busy contemplating the possibilities of these changes, that he almost missed Remus' last words.

Puzzled, Harry asked, "In case I transform. What does it mean if I don't transform?"

Realizing that he said something he shouldn't have, Remus bowed his head realizing that he would have to tell Harry about the grave possibilities if he didn't transform.

Author's note:

Boom! Cliffhanger! Sorry to end the chapter there but I felt that that particular revelation was suited better for another chapter. You can probably guess what the other possibility is but I'm not going to spoil it. I just wanted to point out a couple of things here before I forget about them

There will be one or two references in the coming chapters to the movies Van Helsing and Teen Wolf. In addition to this there will be a lot more than a few references to MTV's Teen Wolf as well. Not enough to call this a full on crossover but enough to make it fun.

Some people were wondering whether this fic will be Harry/Fleur or Harry/Hermione. I don't see this story as clearly one or the other but both relationships will have a lasting impact on the story.

This story will get progressively more AU as time goes on. I feel as though many of the events in the book work well with the added factor of Harry's condition and this story is more about how this one change begins to take it in a new direction.

As always thank for reading.