Resolutions

By Neurotica

Nineteen

Harry sat far from his family, who'd decided to come visit Hermione, and just watched them, like Remus usually did when he was in a crowd. Emmeline hadn't been seen all day, and Harry knew why. Sirius hadn't outright told him anything that had happened, but Harry was a Marauder, and a Marauder had to be skilled in listening to whispers and reading expressions. Not to mention, he'd taken advantage of his Animagus form to hover over a few select conversations.

He knew what it meant for Remus to go out looking for Greyback—he also knew that one of the werewolves wouldn't make it to moonset. His guardians were always going on about how he was too young to go looking for Voldemort, and how they didn't want him involved in something that could get him hurt. But what kind of example was Remus setting, going after a psychotic werewolf who could probably snap his neck if given the chance? Voldemort was the target they all wanted dead and Harry was supposed to be the one to do it—or so the prophecy said. Here he was, sitting in the hospital wing on the full moon, watching Sirius try to act like nothing was wrong by cracking jokes for Hermione's benefit, and Remus was out there somewhere, possibly preparing to be mauled to death.

Morbid much? Harry asked himself.

He sighed and then started at the sound of someone casually clearing their throat behind him. He turned to find Dumbledore watching him with a patient expression. "Hello, sir," Harry said quietly.

"Hello, Harry," the Headmaster responded. "I wonder if I might have a word with you in private?"

Harry fought down the urge to raise an eyebrow and nodded instead. "Of course, sir..." He cast a quick glance across the hospital wing and stood. Dumbledore led him out of the infirmary and down the corridors silently, Harry wondering all the while what the Headmaster could possibly want to talk to him about. He was pretty sure he hadn't been a part of any pranks in the last few days, considering the last few days had been spent at Hermione's bedside.

The pair reached the stone gargoyles that hid the headmaster's office, and Dumbledore quietly said, "Sugar quill," before they moved aside. Harry stepped up onto the revolving staircase behind the older wizard and they were moved swiftly up to the oak door with the lion-shaped knocker.

Dumbledore opened the door and entered, holding it open for Harry. Harry smiled as he entered—he'd always loved visiting the Headmaster's office... Well, when he wasn't there to be reprimanded for his behavior, that is. "Have a seat, Harry," Dumbledore said, going behind his desk and sitting himself. "Would you care for a lemon drop?"

Harry's lips twitched as he reached out for the glass bowl Dumbledore held out to him. After carefully making his selection, Dumbledore popped a candy into his own mouth, sat back in his chair, and threaded his fingers beneath his beard and chin. Harry heard the flutter of wings and looked to his left just in time to see Fawkes the phoenix soar over to land on the arm of his chair. "'Lo, Fawkes." Harry smiled, running a hand across Fawkes' red and gold plumage. The phoenix emitted a low note of song and Harry's smile increased without realizing. He felt totally at peace with just that solitary note, and jumped a little when Dumbledore began to speak.

"I'm sure you are curious as to why I've asked you here, Harry," the headmaster said. "You know by now, I am certain, where Remus has gone."

Harry nodded. "He's gone to the Underground to look for Greyback."

"He has," Dumbledore said, inclining his head. "It was a decision he made on his own; had he informed me of this plan, I most certainly would have attempted to dissuade him. But Remus is rather intelligent, as I'm sure you've realized over the years of living in such proximity of him, and he knew that if anyone was to be informed of his plan, he would not have gotten out of the castle. Fenrir Greyback has done many horrid things over the years, Harry, and Remus realizes what will happen if Greyback continues to go on, free to do as he pleases."

Again, Harry nodded. He waited for Dumbledore to go on; he didn't think the Headmaster had brought him up here just to discuss Remus...

"Remus and Greyback, Harry, could be easily compared to yourself and Voldemort."

Harry furrowed his brow and considered sticking a finger in his ear to clean out the earwax. "I don't think I understand, sir..." he said slowly.

Dumbledore smiled. "I did not think you would," he said gently. "Greyback and Voldemort have both committed atrocities too numerable to count. Each, in his own way, has found a way to affect yours and Remus' way of life. Voldemort killed your parents; Greyback turned Remus into a werewolf, thus making him an outcast in wizarding society."

"But if it wasn't for Voldemort, Greyback wouldn't have the power he does..." Harry said.

"Quite true," Dumbledore said, nodding. "But remember, Harry, Remus was bitten long before Voldemort came to full power. Seven years, in fact..." he added thoughtfully, seemingly zoning out of the conversation for a moment. The Headmaster shook himself slightly. "I apologize, Harry. I've recently come upon some information that I've not yet fully deciphered."

Harry couldn't help himself. "What kind of information, sir?"

"How familiar are you, Harry, with magical numbers?"

"You mean Arithmancy? I took it for a few years, but I wasn't very good at it... That's more Hermione's subject, really."

"Not Arithmancy, per se," Dumbledore said. "But this does include properties of magical numbers. For example, the number seven, Harry, is a very powerful number. It is possibly the most powerful of all numbers. Seven may well be what separates the living from the dead in some cases." He watched Harry for a moment, looking deep into the boy's green eyes with his blue ones. "Your guardians do not know what I am about to tell you; I understand that they are rather protective of you, and do not wish for you to have any information that may put you into harm's way. I, however, believe that since you are now of age, it is time for you to understand what you will be facing. You've gone through many lessons of defensive techniques and Occlumency, and those are very important skills to have, but when it comes time for you to face Lord Voldemort, Harry, you will need knowledge as well as power."

Harry unknowingly scooted to the edge of his seat, waiting for Dumbledore to continue. "I do not wish to undermine the teachings of your guardians; they only want what is best for you, and at times they believe what is best for you is to keep you in the dark about certain things. They told you when you were very young about the prophecy concerning yourself and Voldemort, and they've explained very thoroughly what it meant. If it had been left up to myself, I cannot say I would have chosen nine years of age for that particular discussion. Sirius and Remus both know quite well that you were made of something much stronger than those in your peer group. They are fully aware that you are able to handle information that may not be pleasing to the ears, and not let the information discourage you from living the rest of your life."

Dumbledore sighed. "Regardless of what your guardians will say when they undoubtedly catch wind of this conversation, it is time that I explain a few things to you. Afterwards, I have a favor to ask of you, one which I do not want you to decide on without careful consideration. You are absolutely free to decline, and I will hold no grudges, if that is what you decide."

For a few moments, Harry tried to figure out what Dumbledore could possibly want him to do. He thought briefly of joining the Order of the Phoenix, but whatever this favor was, it seemed far more significant than a group who dedicated themselves to fighting a Dark Lord, if that was at all possible; Harry wasn't sure of anything anymore...

When Dumbledore went on, he spoke quietly, his blue eyes duller than usual—they lacked the sparkle Harry had come to know so well. "What do you know about Horcruxes, Harry?"

In a grassy field, a few miles outside a small English village, two figures appeared out of nowhere. As they fell to the ground, an empty goblet fell between them, rolling away into a row of bushes. The younger of the two figures discreetly put a hand to a pocket of his robes to feel for a tiny potion phial. He silently sighed in relief that it was still intact, even after that rather interesting journey. Shaking his head, he wondered if Snape had made it that bumpy on purpose.

Remus looked to where Greyback had fallen, hoping he'd hit his head and was now unconscious. But that would make this whole situation far too easy... he thought as Greyback pushed himself up on all fours. The older werewolf stood and began walking towards the edge of some trees. Remus hesitantly got up and followed, not wanting to seem too suspicious to Greyback—I've gotten this far, why ruin it now?

Greyback went to a large tree where he could clearly see the village they were apparently targeting that night. "Now we wait, Smith," he growled, smiling darkly with his yellow teeth.

Remus nodded and leaned against a tree behind Greyback. Very carefully, while Greyback spied on his prey, Remus reached into his robe pocket and used his thumb to get the cork out of the potion phial. Keeping his eyes locked on the other werewolf, Remus pulled out his hand, the top of the phial even with the edge of his fist, and put his fist to his mouth, gulping down the potion quickly. He discarded the phial behind him in a clump of bushes. Greyback turned at the rustling the leaves made, but grunted something about rabbits and turned back to the village.

Remus waited for a moment before he felt a feeling he hadn't had in years, the sense that he could do positively anything tonight, and it would all go his way. Greyback was nothing. Smiling, he looked through the trees to the sky and the sunset. Any minute now... he thought. The moon will be up. I'll take care of this little deed and get back to Emmeline.

Five minutes later, his body began to tense, and he vaguely saw Greyback's body do the same before he fell to the ground. The pain was worse than normal that month, he realized. The Wolfsbane potion took away some of the pain of transformation, and since he hadn't taken it but one time, he was feeling the full effects. He writhed on the grass and dirt, hit his head on the base of the tree he'd been leaning on, screamed loudly in pain... Two minutes after it began, the screams of pain turned into howls. And Moony's wasn't the only voice howling tonight...

At the transformation ended, Moony pushed himself of the ground with four shaking legs and forced himself to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. The werewolf's eyes snapped up as he heard labored breathing, his nostrils sucking in the scent of the other being here with him. He knew at once this other was canine, though not his usual companion on full moon nights. This canine was like him, but with dirty, matted fur, breath that reeked of rotted flesh, and jaundiced eyes. A long streak of grey ran the length of the other's back, and suddenly Moony felt a memory beginning to push its way forward to the forefront of his mind.

Remus and Emmeline were on their honeymoon in Italy, snuggled together on their bed, just talking. They hadn't moved in hours, both of them more than content in the other's arms. There had been a few subjects they hadn't discussed, namely the war that awaited them upon their return home.

Remus had been recounting things from his childhood, mostly stories about his parents and their attempts to fund a cure for their son's lycanthropy. He told her how his mother searched every Muggle medical avenue, hoping for something the wizarding world had overlooked simply due to its Muggle origins; how his father, once the quite successful shopkeeper of a bookstore in Diagon Alley, had invested every knut to researching things, regardless of how people told him continually he was wasting his time.

In return, she'd told him about her own parents—starting with her very happy childhood that had ended with watching her mother's difficult struggle to recover from the death of her father, and the things she'd witnessed the night her family's campsite was invaded by a werewolf. Her eyes closed in memory, she recalled every detail she could remember about her father's attacker—the yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, the rotting breath she still smelled whenever something triggered the memory, the way the light of the full moon shone on the grey fur on the creature's back to make it seem almost silver in color.

"It's something I don't think I could ever forget," she'd told him, her body shaking in fear at the memory. Remus held her tighter, offering what comfort he could. "I dreamed of it practically every night until I was sixteen and my mother begged Dumbledore to teach me Occlumency. And even then, whenever my brothers would talk about it, I remembered every detail I'd been trying to block. Michael and Thomas both dedicated themselves to avenging our father, catching the one who'd killed him. Thomas was always the level-headed of the two—in case you hadn't picked up on that—" She'd given Remus a wry smile; he chuckled softly. "He never grouped all the werewolves together; he always maintained that only one was to blame, and he tried to convince Michael of this, but of course he wouldn't listen—he blamed every werewolf he came across..." She'd taken a deep breath and looked up at her new husband. "The worst of it is that we never found out who it was; my brothers and I had hoped we'd be able to give our mother some closure before her death, but..."

The memory ended and Remus came to the sudden realization that the werewolf in front of him not only caused him and his family incredible pain, not to mention the attacks he'd instigated against countless others, but he'd been responsible for the pain and fear and grief his love had endured for over twenty years.

Moony growled back, not submitting to the other wolf, even though deep down, he knew this other one was his alpha in the pack... No, said a part of Moony's mind. You do not belong to this pack... Your pack is far away, waiting for you to come back. This wolf is a threat to your pack, your family... Your unborn cubs...

Moony didn't need much more prompting than this. As Greyback began to circle him, preparing to strike, Moony wasted no more time. He launched himself at the other wolf, knocking him to the ground, scratching and biting anywhere he could. Greyback fought back, and the two wolves began to wrestle in the dirt and grass. Somehow, Greyback pinned Moony to the ground, his mouth wide open over the other's throat, ready to bite down. Moony vaguely felt teeth tearing into his shoulder instead. Ignoring the pain, he rolled over again and took a swipe at Greyback's face, connecting with his snout. Greyback's yellow eyes narrowed as his tongue tested the injury, finding it covered in blood.

They fought for what felt like hours, neither one submitting to the other. At some point, they left the woods and began their battle on the open field of grass. Any passing Muggle would have probably only recognized them as two dogs fighting.

Finally, it seemed that Greyback's energy was beginning to wane; he was panting heavily, limping, and covered in blood that didn't only belong to him. Moony stood up, careful to favor his uninjured leg, and stalked up on the other werewolf. It was time to end this...

It was nearing midnight at Hogwarts, and Sirius had left the hospital wing in favor of the school grounds. He could see the dark outlines of his Aurors outside the gates as they went about their patrols while he made his way to the lake. He sat down under the large beech tree and stared out into the water, the full moon reflecting off it brightly. He hadn't had much time to think when he heard a pair of feet walking up behind him. Knowing who it was immediately, he didn't turn away from the lake.

Harry sat down beside him, leaning back on his hands, his legs stuck out in front of him. "You're not supposed to be out here," Sirius said quietly.

He felt Harry shrug. "I'm feeling a little rebellious tonight," he responded.

Sirius chuckled a little. "Can't sleep?"

"Haven't tried, really," Harry said. "But I didn't feel like going back to the hospital wing with everyone else..."

The Auror finally turned to look at his godson. He looked older somehow, not the same seventeen-year-old kid he knew and loved. "Everything all right, Harry?"

Harry sighed. "Not really," he said. "Dumbledore and I had a long talk tonight."

"Yeah? What about?"

Harry hesitated. "He wants me to help him with something," he said. "And he said I'm free to decline if I decide I don't want to..."

Sirius furrowed his brow. "What does he want you to help with?" he asked slowly, not liking the direction this conversation was taking.

"He told me about the Horcruxes."

"Oh," Sirius said, his heart dropping somewhere around his shoes. He knew Harry finding out about how it was Voldemort had been keeping himself alive was inevitable, but he'd hoped he and Remus would be the ones to do this. Makes sense, I suppose, he thought. It's not like we've really done much of anything to prepare him for facing Voldemort. A few jinxes and counter-curses aren't going to keep him alive... And Dumbledore's just as concerned with Harry living through this final bloody battle—hopefully not literally—as we are. "And what exactly does he want you to do?"

"He thinks he knows where one is," Harry said. "He wants me to go with him to retrieve it and destroy it."

Sirius looked at him sharply. "What? Why you?"

Harry shrugged. "Because he thinks I deserve this, I suppose. I don't know, Sirius..." He sighed again. "I kind of think it's about time I take an active part in this war. It's not like I've done anything else..."

Sirius turned away, his jaw locked. "Where is this Horcrux?" he asked long moments later.

"He didn't say..."

"Are you going to go with him?"

"I wanted to see what you thought first."

Sirius smiled a little bitterly. "It doesn't matter what I think, kid. You're a man now; you've got to make your own decisions. I may not like it, but Remus is right. I can't protect you forever." He shook his head. "And you have no idea how hard that is to admit..."

"So you're okay with this?" Harry checked.

The grin on Sirius' face didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm about as okay with this as you were when I first told you about Naomi being pregnant."

Harry nodded. "Not at all, then," he said, grinning.

Sirius reached up and ruffled Harry's hair. "I'm okay with it as long as you're not hurt," he said carefully. "I've done everything possible to protect you and it's getting to the point I've been dreading since your mum and dad told me about the prophecy. You will have to face Voldemort at some point, probably sometime in the near future, and you've got to do everything possible to ensure that you are the one to live through it. If that means going off with Albus Dumbledore to some unknown location to find an item that probably has more power stored up in it than the both of you combined, then so be it."

"He wouldn't take me if he thought it would be too dangerous... Would he?" Harry said.

Sirius shrugged. "There are things out there that are too dangerous to be around, Harry. Voldemort's Horcruxes are a good example of those things. Without them, he's as mortal as you or me. The only way to destroy Voldemort once and for all is to destroy those Horcruxes, as I'm sure Dumbledore's told you."

Harry nodded. "Have you heard from Remus at all?" he asked a few moments later.

Sirius shook his head, looking back out at the lake. The giant squid lifted his tentacle out of the water a few times, splashing water all around him. "No," he said quietly. "When Remus chooses to disappear, he's not going to be easily found. I've sent patronuses to track him, we've checked the Order map... He doesn't want to be found right now, and until he contacts us or comes back, we're not going to hear from him."

"What do you think he's gone out there to do?"

"Honestly?" Sirius said, turning back to look at his godson. Harry nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. "I think Remus has gone to take care of Greyback once and for all..."

"You mean Remus is going to try to kill him?"

"Yes," Sirius said bluntly. "Remus takes threats to his family and friends very seriously, and Greyback's been a threat, not only to us, but to the entire world for many years. I think he would have done it years ago if we would have let him."

Harry sighed. "Well, that'll be one less monster in the world."

"You seem confident Remus is going to make it out of this."

"You're not?"

Sirius' lips twitched. "Remus was always a force to be reckoned with. When he gets angry, and I mean really angry, look out. He's not a murderer by any means, but he's not just going to sit around and watch all these people be attacked—it's not Remus' style to sit on the sidelines and not try to do something."

"Why hasn't anyone tried before?" Harry asked. "There've got to be others who want Greyback gone."

"Everybody wants Greyback gone, Harry," Sirius said dryly. "But no one has the nerve to walk into the Werewolf Underground and challenge him. In all honesty, it's odd to say this, but I don't think anyone but Remus could do it and make it out alive." He looked at Harry thoughtfully. "Kind of like you and Voldemort in a way..."

Harry chuckled. "Dumbledore made that connection tonight too," he said.

Sirius nodded and started playing with the grass under his hands. "What say you and I go visit the house-elves? I haven't eaten since lunch..."

Yawning, Harry nodded. "Sounds good," he said. "Digesting everything Dumbledore told me is making me hungry too."

Sirius stood and held out a hand to help up his godson. He draped an arm around the younger wizard's shoulders as they walked back to the castle. He didn't want to say it aloud, but Harry was on his way to being a hero. He may not know everything he needed in terms of defending himself with a wand, but he had the power and definitely the attitude. Voldemort just wanted people dead and he didn't care who he was killing. Harry didn't want to be a killer or a murderer; he just wanted his friends and family to make it through this war. It'll be over soon, Sirius tried to tell himself. Somehow, Harry will defeat Voldemort, and we can all live our lives as normally as we ever have...

Just before dawn, a dark figure Apparated into the woods just outside the small village where the two werewolves fought the night before. He didn't know what he would find, but wanted to see what was left of the two beasts. He'd recognized Lupin in the Underground just before he and Greyback used the portkey to disappear. It hadn't only been the use of Legilimency that achieved this, but the mannerisms Lupin was using—spending most of one's life as a spy did have some benefits.

He waited until the muffled screams in the grassy field ceased before even attempting to leave the trees—he had no desire to see a werewolf transform to his original state. If a Muggle were to pass by the field now, they would have seen nothing but a bloody mess and probably would have called their policemen.

Snape only raised an eyebrow at what was left of Fenrir Greyback as he made his way to Lupin. "Well, Lupin, if you had to do it at all, at least you did it well," Snape muttered, looking at Lupin's now unconscious form. It was the closest to a compliment he'd ever give the other wizard and he was semi-pleased Lupin probably hadn't heard a word of it.

Snape quietly set to work, conjuring Lupin a pair of robes—every man deserves the dignity of at least having clothes that haven't been torn to shreds, even if the man in question was one Snape loathed. Once the more serious of Lupin's injuries were healed to the best of Snape's ability, Snape stood over him, pointed his wand at Lupin's chest, and murmured, "Ennervate."

Since Lupin's unconsciousness was caused mostly by exhaustion rather than a wand or spell, it took a few moments for him to wake. When he did open his eyes, he merely raised an eyebrow at the wizard looming over him.

"Hello, Severus," he said hoarsely. "If you've come to kill me, please do it quickly. I'd rather not suffer much more."

"As tempting as that is, Lupin," Snape said, "I am not here to kill you. I'm taking you back to Hogwarts so you can receive proper medical attention. I'm sure that useless lump you consider a best friend has drunk Hogsmeade out of its firewhiskey supply in worry by now."

"Why, Severus, I never knew you cared," Lupin said dryly.

Snape only pursed his lips. "Are you able to stand or shall I use Levicorpus to transport you?"

Lupin rolled his eyes, but pushed himself up. "Not necessary, thank you," he said. As he stood, his eyes wandered over to the dead werewolf not far from them. His face was expressionless as he turned away. "If it's all the same to you, Severus, I think I'll Apparate on my own."

Though he was tempted to tell Lupin it probably wouldn't be a good idea to Apparate in his condition, he held his tongue. "As you wish," Snape said indifferently. He turned from Lupin and Disapparated with a pop. He'd meant for his destination to be just in front of the Hogwarts gates, but he instead appeared on the platform of the Hogsmeade train station.

Lupin appeared behind him a moment later with another pop. "New wards," he explained. "They don't allow Apparition anywhere near Hogwarts."

Snape nodded stiffly in acknowledgment and set off at a brisk pace through the sleeping village, leaving Lupin to limp behind him. They barely reached the gates before Aurors swooped down on them, led by Nymphadora Tonks and her insufferable pink hair.

"Snape, what are you—" she began. She looked past him. "Remus! Where in Merlin's name have you been? Everyone's been worried sick!"

Quite used to being looked over, Snape waited impatiently for Tonks and another Auror to help Lupin up the hill. Tonks took out her wand, preparing to send a patronus to any number of people, but Lupin pushed the wand down. "I'd rather not announce my arrival, if you don't mind, Tonks," he said with a tired smile.

A bit bemused, Tonks nodded. "Sure," she said. Instead, she used her wand to take down the large chains wrapped around the gate. She glanced suspiciously at Snape over her shoulder, but after a whisper from Lupin, she gestured for him to enter.

Snape gazed up at the castle and felt an emotion he'd not experienced in months wash over him—he was careful to hide it from those around him. The first thing he was going to do after his undoubtedly endless meeting with the Headmaster would be a long, hot shower—those were quite rare in the Dark Lord's castle. After that, a tall glass of brandy before the fire in his private quarters, followed by sleep in a bed that was more than a wooden board with scratchy blankets covering them. Even Severus Snape felt at home at Hogwarts...

Remus walked up the path to the castle doors with an Auror on either side of him to keep him upright. His knee was bothering him more than usual, but his shoulder where Greyback had attacked him the night before wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He glanced briefly over his shoulder at Snape, who was keeping his distance from the others; Remus was unable to understand why now, of all times, he would choose to help.

But that was only one of the mysteries flowing through his mind. The other large one was how he was able to remember exactly what had happened. He supposed all his years of using the Wolfsbane potion must have had some sort of effect on him—he'd have to ask Snape... Or maybe Madam Pomfrey would be a better choice for his inquiry.

He preferred not to think of what he'd seen when he'd opened his eyes, after Snape, that is. He'd never killed anybody before, and murdering someone as he had wasn't something he was at all proud of, even if the victim had been a man who'd done what he had. How could he face his wife now? Surely she'd see how dangerous he was and decide it was better to raise their children away from him, right?

Okay, now you're just being stupid, said a voice in his head. He smiled a little at how much it sounded like Sirius.

"You think you can make it from here?" Tonks asked as they reached the stone stairs. "We're supposed to be patrolling..."

"I'll be fine," Remus said. "Thank you for your help."

Tonks and the other Auror whose name Remus couldn't recall nodded at him, Tonks looking a bit hesitant to leave him at the stairs, and turned back to the gates. They passed Snape with nothing but another suspicious glance.

"After you," Remus said when Snape caught up with him at the foot of the stairs. Snape moved up the stairs to the doors and hesitated. "You pull them open..." Snape glared at him for his teasing tone. Remus shrugged. "Wasn't sure if you remembered after being away for so long."

Snape pulled one of the doors open and entered. Remus caught it before it closed again. The pair didn't make it any further than the entrance hall when they heard footsteps. They turned and found McGonagall, her eyes concentrating on a roll of parchment in her hands. She glanced up quickly at the two of them, and back down to what she was reading, then did a double take. "Severus," she said, obviously shocked. "Remus... Where have you two... Never mind. To the headmaster with the both of you... Come along."

Remus raised an eyebrow at Snape. "Is it just me or are you getting déjà vu from our time as students as well?" He swore he saw a shadow of a smile on the other wizard's face. Feeling like students who'd been fighting again, they both followed McGonagall to Dumbledore's office.

Once there, Remus understood why McGonagall was so insistent on their coming to Dumbledore rather than the hospital wing or anywhere else. The Headmaster seemed to have been waiting for them, his hands folded patiently on his desk. Remus and Snape both took a seat before his desk without a word as McGonagall left the office. "Good morning, gentlemen," Dumbledore said to them quietly. "I believe you each have a bit of explaining to do, but that can wait. First, you both look as though you could do with some nourishment. Remus, your family is waiting for you, if you wish to go to them. If not, you are free to have your meal here..."

Remus thought for a moment. "I think I'll eat before going to them. If I don't, Sirius will eat everything the house-elves give me..."

Dumbledore nodded, seemingly knowing that wasn't the exact reason Remus was reluctant to see his family at that moment. "In that case, we shall eat."

A charmed paper airplane was soaring through level two of the Ministry of Magic, under the door leading to Auror Headquarters. It had only come from level six, but had been charmed to fly quicker than usual—the recipient eagerly awaited the information it contained. It flew through the open door of the Head Auror's office and was snatched out of the air.

Sirius read the memo, slightly paling at the news. If he hadn't received a patronus from Tonks moments before, the news probably would have made him a bit panicked. She said Remus is fine, though, he reminded himself. So this other werewolf Magical Creatures discovered... That must be Greyback... Bloody hell, Remus... He took a deep breath and released it as he reached the end of the memo that explained exactly how the werewolf was found. After crumpling it up and tossing it into the waste basket at the end of his desk it gave a loud belch as it swallowed the parchment—he grabbed his wand, left his office, and told Proudfoot he was taking the rest of the day off.