Chapter 6: A howl to the moon

The cave entrance was only a few feet away, and Harry was growing nervous. The night was silent, and the full moon's brightness was piercing through the thick trees of the forbidden forest. He looked behind him to where he figured Ron and Hermione to be hidden. He signaled for them to stay put while he moved forward, and without warning he dodged to another tree closer to the entrance. A few more trees forward and he would be inside the cave. Making his movements quick and quite, within seconds he was safely inside the cave's darkness.

A branch snapped behind him and Harry spun around dropping into a defensive position, "Damnit Ron, let the whole forest know where here." Hermione whispered. Harry sighed in relief and turned back around, "Lumos." The end of his wand lit and the cave entrance was illuminated. Hermione and Ron followed him inside before pulling off the cloak. "So, where's this necklace?" Ron asked as they traveled further into the cave. Harry shrugged as they traveled deeper and lower underground. They had yet to come across any enchantments or traps.

Before long they reached the end of the cave, finding a sort of den. In one corner was a ratty blanket, sort of a bedding and in the center a pile of wood for a fire. "This is a trap." Harry said turning around to face his friends his senses on high alert. "Yea, but Dobby wouldn't put us in danger." Hermione said. Ron pulled his wand from his pants and stood prepared. "Ron, you need to get Hermione out of here." Harry said starring behind him. "No, I'm not leaving Harry. You need me here." Hermione said furious. Ron noticed Harry's focus on something behind them and before he could turn around to see what it was a growl broke the silence.

With swift movements, Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione pulling them behind a jutting rock to give them enough protection so they could apperaite away. "Harry we're not leaving you here alone." Hermione said. Harry turned to her and grabbed her by the shoulder, "The necklace is around its neck. I've got to stay and fight, but I can't do so knowing your in danger." He said. "Harry we came to help, we're not leaving you." To focused on trying to get his friends to leave, Harry didn't see the paw coming his way. The paw connected sending Harry flying back into the cave wall. Hermione screamed, while Harry struggled to catch his breath that was knocked from him.

The werewolf's attention was turned to Hermione and Ron, turning its back to Harry. Remembering the spell he had used against Draco last year flashed across his mind. His friends were in danger and he wasn't about to lose them too. "SECTUMSEMPRA," The werewolf's back was ripped open and blood spurted everywhere. With a howl he fell to his knees, its wounds deep and all over its body. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Ron nodded fear and horror playing across his features. Grabbing Hermione by the shoulders, he side-along apperaited the both of them out of there, leaving Harry to fend for himself.

His training came to mind as his stood back to his feet, wand at the ready. The werewolf was pissed and raised to his hind legs. With a growl he charged Harry. "Flagrate," a line of fire left the tip of Harry's wand and hit the beast in the chest, but it was still coming at Harry. At the last second he rolled to the side, pulling a knife from his belt and stabbing the werewolf in its mid section. It howled in agony and fell to its knees. Realizing this enclosed area was no safe place to fight a werewolf, Harry ran toward the entrance hoping to get some open ground.

The entrance was just ahead, and the werewolf was fast on his tracks. Once outside of the cave he dived to the left and rolled behind a tree. Seconds later the beast came crashing out of the entrance, saliva dripping from its fangs. Knowing he only had one chance at getting the necklace, he quickly thought of a spell that would allow him to get close enough to get it. Of course some spells wouldn't work, but he'd be damned if he gave away his hiding spot for nothing. "Levicorpus," With a startled growl, the werewolf was flung upside down hung from one ankle. Of course the rest of his body could move, meaning he could very well get sliced and diced if he got to close to one of its claws. "Accio necklace." Nothing happened.

Dread filled his heart, he would have to physically remove it from the wolfs neck. Careful not to get close, he found a long stick and used it to reach out to the necklace. With much effort he was able to the necklace wrapped around the stick and with a pull the necklace ripped from the wolf neck, but landing on the ground. Once again Harry tried to summon it, but nothing worked. So again he reached out to pick it up with the piece of wood. Only this time the werewolf was smart and bite at the stick, catching it in its powerful jaw and snapping it in two. Quickly he looked for something else to use, only to be alerted to the crunching of branches.

A cloaked figure appeared from within the thickest part of the trees. With a whispered curse Harry ducked behind a large tree and prepared to battle. "Now how did you get up there?" The man said and his voice was one Harry couldn't forget. Lucius Malfoy. A man who was suppose to be in Azkaban. He watched as Lucius released the werewolf from his current predicament. It made a wounded sound as he landed on the ground rather rough. Once back on all fours, it began to sniff at the air. This was his last and only chance. "SECTUMSEMPRA," Harry shouted pointing his wand at Lucius, who's chest spilt open, a repeat of what accrued earlier inside the cave with the now pissed, werewolf.

Lucius fell to the ground, his body next to Harry's prime goal. With his only chance about to pass him by, Harry dove and felt his hand clasp around the blasted necklace. His quick movement gathered the attention of the now furious and raging werewolf. Lucius moaned next to him and with the necklace now in his hand all he had to do was apperaite back home. As he scrambled to his feet, pain rippled across his back. Soon he was soaked with his own blood. Not knowing fully what cause the pain he crawled towards the brush near by. Screams tore at the silence that filled the night. Looking back, Harry saw a gruesome sight. Lucius was being torn apart by the werewolf, eaten alive. With dread Harry realized that a claw had torn open his back, with hope he wasn't poisoned. But the truth of the matter, hope is dying with this war.

Fear gripped his heart as he stood on shaky feet. A final look at Lucius made Harry turn away with bile rising in his throat. Scraps were all that remained. Torn flesh, crushed bones, and blood. Blood was everywhere. The werewolf was feasting on Lucius's remains. With his mission complete, and finally worry over Ron and Hermione, Harry apperaited back to the edge of the anti-apparition near Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He felt the brush of the ward around the house, he'd cut it a little close. The sky was begging to lighten, signaling dawn's approach.

With careful steps, he made his way towards the back door of the house. He just knew everyone would be awake and in the living room, closest to the front door. Hopefully he could sneak in the back and up to his room without notice. Slowly he opened the back door, and sighed in relief when it didn't make a noise. With luck he'd made it halfway up the stairs when he heard the conversation going on in the living room. "Remus, it's almost dawn and Harry's still not back. Did Tonk's find anything?" Hermione asked. Remus shifted in his seat, "Nothing yet, the cave was clear, although they did find a body. Ripped to pieces they said. Their just not sure who it was." Hermione gasped, which was suddenly muffled, she'd covered her mouth with her hand.

Guilty that they were afraid if he was dead made him go back down the stairs and into the door frame of the living room. Hermione stood from her seat on the couch and rushed him, throwing her arms around him. "Oh Harry. I was so scared when you didn't follow right after. Not to mention its been over an hour since we got back. Of course I was furious at Ron for apperating us back here." He winced as her arms wrapped around his back. She noticed his pain and pulled back, shocked to find her hands covered in blood. "Harry?" He stopped her with a raised hand. "It's just a scratch. Besides I came away with the gold." He raised his hand , the necklace in his palm. Remus stood from his over-stuffed chair. "Harry if you were scratched by the werewolf, theirs a chance…" Harry cut him off, "We'll deal with that later. Right now I need to shower and focus on destroying this."

"Harry if your poisoned, we need to act now," Remus said. Harry just looked defeated, "Fine, let me shower so we can see just how bad it is. Hermione and I will hit the library afterwards and start on this blasted thing." Remus agreed that cleaning up would help see how badly hurt he was, although he wanted to argue about not resting. Harry wasn't for it, and headed upstairs. Once inside his room, he carefully stripped and stepped into his adjoined bathroom. He turned on the water to the shower and waited for it to heat up. Once warm he stepped in, wincing as the water stung at his back. Carefully he washed the wound from all traces of dried blood, and then cleaned his body of the grim and dirt that coated it.

Once cleaned he stepped out and dried off, before pulling on a fresh pair of sweats. He left his undershirt off so Remus could examine his back. About 10 minutes had passed since he'd disappeared upstairs. Sore from the night's events, he padded softly downstairs. Tonks was back and sitting down on the couch in the living room. She stood when he entered the room, clearly mad that he'd run off half-cocked as usually and as a result he'd gotten hurt.

" I do hope your pleased with yourself. Running off, facing werewolves and putting yourself in unnecessary danger." Tonks glared her words dripping with worry, anger, and disappointment. He pulled out the amulet and held it in the air for them to see, "I got what I went for, and made it back alive. Don't worry so much." Tonks hands rested on her hips, her lips now a thin line, " Harry, you're the chosen savior to the wizarding world. You die and so does our hope, and chances of winning the war." The second those words left her lips, Harry looked at Tonks in disbelief. "So I'm just the 'Chosen One'. I've tried so hard to live a normal life and since last year it's blown up in my face, so okay I am the 'Chosen One' meaning I have to live some crazy life where my family is dead, my mentor dead, and training at all hours of every day while watching my best friend date my other best friend whom I have feelings for, but no…I'm the bloody 'Chosen One' so I have to suffer as part of my job description." By now Harry was yelling and Tonks was upset by what she had said out of anger.

Before she could apologize he had turned and gone upstairs. A few seconds later the door slammed and Remus walked into the room with a arm full of books and Hermione following him, her arms also loaded down with materials. "What was that about?" Remus asked, Hermione looking up the stairway to where her best friend just disappeared. "I said something I shouldn't have and now Harry is mad at me." Her sentence was interrupted by a loud explosion upstairs and a curse that sounded much like Ron. Dropping her books Hermione mad a bee-line to Harry's Room.

The door was blown of its hinges and the room was full of smoke. With a wave of her wand, the smoke was magically cleared. The room was covered in ashes and large white hole stood in the center, the impression that Harry had been standing right in that spot. Inside the circle lay the amulet that Harry had retrieved earlier. "Oh bloody hell, where did Harry go?" Ron asked. No one had a answer.

Authors note: Sorry for the wait, as a apology a nice cliff hanger. I hope you all enjoyed and please review. I live for them. Also if anyone is interested I'm still looking for a beta. As I'm sure as you were reading you found errors, that is why. I can create and imagine, just don't ask me to check my grammar and spelling.

"SECTUMSEMPRA" is the spell Harry used on Draco in book 7, that he read out of the potions book.

Until next time my faithful reviewers and readers who don't review,

The Wigster