Bonjour, mon ami! (French for- 'Hey, Mate!')
Just me again, James is away at Quidditch. I thought another joyous story from my youth would be a nice little diddy for today. Hmm?
Last time on "The Secret Life of a British Werewolf" we watched as Remus John Lupin (The British Werewolf) was infected with the disease- lycanthrope.
However, this tragic event was not the most frightening time is the young Brits life. No, that came about 30 days later. The entire month had been a roller coaster for him. His mood was now entirely dependent on the phase of the moon, but finally came the day of his first real full moon.
This day would change his perception on life entirely.
His mother and him spent the day preparing. Remus was in his room, pacing up and down, and trying to remember the relaxation techniques his mother had taught him. It was very difficult for the young six year old to control his spiraling emotions.
They walked down the ministry passage, receiving glares from the employees who were VERY aware of the reason many many scraggly witches and wizards were filing through their midst.
The halls got darker, damper, and danker. The silence grew to near painful levels. Every step we took seemed like a mile as we wound our way to "The Dangerous Animal Holding Chambers". I could have sworn that I heard vicious growls resonate from the depth of the vast building. Every window provided a glimpse of the cloudy sky was like a slap in the face.
The journey continued in much the same way, until a burly man stopped my mother.
"Number 7689?" My 'identification number'.
"Yes." My mothers voice was quiet and tearful. I clung tightly to her legs.
"It's no longer safe for you to continue. We house animals- he sneers at me -more dangerous that even these scrawny wolves." He yanked me roughly from my mother and strode quickly through the remainder of the halls. The growls I had heard were now clearer and more pronounced.
The most surprising thing, however, was the fact that it was growls.
It was laughter.
The people I would meet monthly for the next five years gave me hope each day things could change. We were a tight little group- but I am jumping ahead of myself.
The burly guard, the one that had dragged me down the hall, chucked my into my cage. That's right. CAGE. He slammed the door and sauntered off. I curled up near the back, and wished I were dead.
"Hello?" A bright voice called timidly into the darkness I protruded from myself like a veil.
"Hey, it's alright. It's not as bad as everyone says. You are new right? First moon by the looks..." I whimpered something like 'it's not?'
"Oh, sweet! Of course not! Think about it, your a smart boy. How many books on lycanthrope have you read that are written BY werewolves?" she laughs light-heartedly.
"Your bones do not simultaneously break the second the moon comes out. Granted a few bones are required to break, but its very fast and hardly painful at all once they had resealed. Once you get into form, the hardest part is getting CONTROL." Her hand had reached through the bars to hold my hand gently as I shook with fright.
"How do I get control?" I asked.
"You have to do all the exercises that they say to do. Meditation, yoga, ALL of it. You won't get control until far past Hogwarts. It's the final phase of the transformation. Maturing as a wolf is equally difficult at times." At the mention of time, I automatically tensed. What time was it? How long?
"DAVE! Time check!" She yelled down the hall. "He's usually pretty spot on to moonrise. It's a gift that has saved us all a bunch of worry."
"TEN!" Dave yells back. I don't hardly notice those minutes pass. Mariette, as I found out her name to be, peppered me with questions, and answered every single question of mine. She knew what I really need right then was distraction.
All the Lycans joked and laughed, but as the years passed I started to hear a forced tone to the laughter closer and closer to the full moon. It was all for the benefit of the child-wolves. The actual transformations themselves alone would be extremely doable.
Its the roller-coaster of a ride that it puts you on that set lycanthropes on edge. Mood and Moon Phase are synonyms. You go from to energy, to being so high-strung that you cannot sleep in a few short days, put your body to hell and back, and then after all that, almost none of the medi-witches will touch you.
Without those friends, to assure me and distract me, I surely wouldn't be here right now. I was that depressed. It's okay Sirius, we will help!
Hang in there.
It's worth it.
Remy