Raised By Wolves

Six years later...

Creeping through the forest with careful and light steps, Harry sniffed the air cautiously before slowly and quietly moving towards his prey - a rabbit that was munching on a plant without a care in the world, not noticing him as he got closer... and closer... He could already taste the rabbit in his large jaws.

'Snap!'

The brown rabbit's ears shot up first at the sharp noise of the twig that Harry stepped on and broken before glancing around, the smell of fear rolling off it in waves. Silently using one the many cuss words he learned from his uncle that his mum didn't know about, he leaped forward, planning on capturing the prey only a few feet away with a the element of surprise and a snap of his teeth. But before he could even close, the rabbit shot off, racing into the grass and gone before Harry even hit the ground with a painful 'thud'.

"Ow..." Standing up, Harry shook his furry head, trying to shake off the pain. "Dang it, I was so close!" he growled. How could he be so stupid, stepping on a twig. That was one of the first things they teach you not to do when hunting.

"That wasn't too bad," said his mother as she emerged from her hiding spot, shaking herself briefly to get rid of the leaves that clung to her fur. "If you had acting a moment sooner, you probably would have caught it." Elysia huffed and shook her head as Harry laid down on the ground, his lowered ears showing how upset he was. "Don't be so upset with yourself, cub. You're only ten - no one expects you to catch your first prey this very moment."

"Uncle Fenrir does," muttered Harry.

One ear twitching in displeasure and rolling her gold eyes, Elysia answered, "Well, no one important expects you to do it." She nudged his shoulder with her snout when he didn't perk up. "Come on, then. Let's try again, mm? Find something new to hunt."

"Alright," Harry grumbled as he stood. He stretched out his lean wolf body before shaking off his disappointment. He raised his nose and sniffed the air, noticing the rabbit was quickly moving out of his range. "I don't smell anything nearby," he said after a moment, his ears ready to fall again.

"Try again," encouraged Elysia. "Remember, the air is always changing, and use your hearing as well."

Nodding, Harry did as he was told. "Maybe... deer... and a rat or two." He grimaced. Personally, he thought rats tasted horrible, and were only hunted when food was scarce, or when someone was really hungry.

"Well, I certainly don't expect you to try and catch a deer," said Elysia with a snort. "We'd need a group to do that. And I've got patrol soon, so maybe its best we don't have time to go around and look for anything else anyway. We'll head back then, and try again tomorrow." She started heading for the way home after making sure that Harry at her side. "Still, you did really well, Harry. I expect you'll be one of the best hunters in a few years time - maybe you'll be picked to train as a hunter during the first coming of age ceremony."

At that, Harry brightened up, his steps a little lighter Even after being in the Estriatus clan for almost six years, he was always eager to prove himself, to show everyone that he belong there, even if he was a human, and worse - at least in their minds - a wizard. He was determined to be the best fighter and hunter of his age, without the use of his magic save for his Animagus form.

Entering the camp some time later, various werewolves said their greetings to them before going on with their business while Elysia and Harry shifted back into their human forms. It was still warm outside, giving the werewolves the perfect time to practice and train their own children before the cold of the next season hit. Of course, not everyone was interested in that.

"Harry, why don't you sit us?" called out Arianna, waving him over to join the group of children that were sitting around her. "I was just about to start your favorite story."

Perking up, Harry turned to Elysia first. "I don't need to do anything, do I?" he asked cautiously.

Shaking her head, Elysia pressed a kiss to his head and ran a hand over his hair, which had gotten rather tame after it had grown to his shoulders and most of it was pulled back with a strip of fabric. "Go on," she urged. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Mum!" Harry said happily before quickly joining the chattering children that were eagerly waiting for Arianna's story to begin. He sat next to the blonde girl who just a year younger then him, who gave him a smile when he arrived, and he knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth.

"How was hunting? Did you catch anything this time?"

Groaning, Harry shook his head. "I missed the rabbit by just a second. A second, Morgan."

"I don't know why you're complaining about that," said Morgan with a roll of her green eyes. "I've never gotten that close to a rabbit before - in fact, I've never gotten within ten feet of one without scaring it away." Instead of being disappointed though that she'd never become a decent hunter, she lit up. "That's why I'm gonna become a healer like Grandma," Morgan said proudly. She had found out at the age of seven that she indeed had gained her grandmother's gift for magic, and while she couldn't sense it like she could, her healing magic was more powerful. Arianna expected her to be able to heal even majors wounds quickly when she was in full control of it, and was obviously going to pick her as her new apprentice when Morgan turned thirteen.

"Shush, now," said Arianna chidingly to the group, though she did give her great-granddaughter a slightly longer look then the others. "I'm going to start now.

"Long ago, when the world was young, man saw animals as only two things - food or danger. Wolves were no exception. They were feared them the most, because when darkness came, they could take down a group of strong men as easily as the moon rises.

"But some of them insisted that it was not the wolves fault that they attacked humans. They said that their homes were to close to the forest, and the wolves feared that we would hurt their cubs. But no one listened, and the village continued to grow, moving closer and closer to the wolves.

"The wolves feared for their families, and one night, planned an attack to destroy the human village. At the same time, the men plotted the same. Our Mother Moon heard these plans, and she wept, for she loved both humans and wolves, and knew that they would wipe each other out if they attack went through.

"So she took the wisest from each, and granted them the gift to change into the other. Men became wolves, and wolves became men, and so on until all that were left were werewolves. She had hope that with these gifts, they would understand the others problem, and convince their clans to change their minds.

"But the human's were too stubborn, and wouldn't listen. They even tried to rid themselves of the werewolves, which they called abominations, and found that while they were stronger, faster, and healed much quicker then they ever could, they had one weakness - if pierced with anything silver, they would be die a slow and painful death. The bright metal was poison to their bodies.

"The werewolves ran, fearing for their lives. The wolves, who already had respect for the moon, pitied them and showed them how to use their new bodies, how to survive. The werewolves thanked them before moving on, going deeper into the forest then anyone had before. And even though they were now outcasts, they thanked the moon, for they all saw the world in a new light. And now, we are not one clan, but many."

Finishing her story, Arianna glanced over the children. "What does the story teach us?"

A few raised their hands, and Arianna picked a young boy. "Yes?"

"That human's are scawie?" he said, his eyes wide in fear of the "scary" humans and their dangerous silver.

"No," said Arianna. "Though is true that human's usually hate what they fear, and what they both hate and fear they usually harm. The story teaches us that despite any situation, we must learn to adapt, and be thankful for every small gift that comes our way. Plus, if the humans and wolves hadn't started fighting, then the moon would have never created our kind. Even though the fighting was senseless, it gave birth to something good."

"I don't see why you like this story the most, Harry," said Morgan as her grandmother stood and let the children go. "I like the one about the two goblins from different tribes, that weren't allowed to see each other even though they loved each other, better." She sighed even as she smiled. "Its such a beautiful story."

"You would like that one better," muttered Harry with grimace. That other story had to much 'love and romance' for his taste.

"What?"

"Nothing..." sighed Harry. He knew better then to mention his feelings for his stories to Morgan. She sometimes got really defensive about them.

"Oi, wiz-kid!"

His head snapping towards the entrance, Harry took off running, leaping onto the large man that had just come into the camp. "Uncle Fenrir!" he said happily. "I thought you weren't gonna be back till next season!" Fenrir, once his teacher and now his adoptive uncle, came around to visit only once a season since he had to get back to taking care of his own clan. And he already come for the summer, visiting not more then a few weeks ago.

"Nah, you kidding?" said Fenrir with a chuckle, ruffing Harry's hair as he did every time he saw him. "Your birthday is in less then two weeks - I ain't gonna miss that."

Even as Harry smiled, someone nearby groaned. "Oh great, I thought I'd gotten rid of you the season," said Elysia as she came up to them with a slight frown, her arms crossed across her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to celebrate the kid's, birthday," repeated Fenrir. "Turning eleven's a big deal for him."

"Uh huh..." After a moment, Elysia shrugged. "Fine. You know where your hut is and as always, you're welcome to stay as long as you want - but could you tone it down on the cursing? He's going to become worse then you before too long."

"Better then becoming some old stick in the mud," said Fenrir with a smirk.

"Old?" Elysia sputtered. "You're the old man!" she snapped back.

"Yeah, yeah. At least I can teach him to hunt better then you can," shot back Fenrir, his smirk getting larger when Elysia snarled.

"Well at least I'm the better fighter - I proved that when we first meet!"

"I hadn't eaten or rested well in days. Fight me now and we'll see who's better."

"Mum," whined Harry. "Please, no fighting." Every time they got together, they seemed to have something new to argue about. It seemed like they would never get along - and the only reason they were even near each other was because of him.

After a long minute of glaring at each other, Elysia sighed. "Harry, why don't you go play with Morgan," she said gently, gesturing to the young girl that was still waiting for him. "I have to talk to Fenrir about something."

"But mum..." said Harry hesitantly. He was pretty sure if he left them alone they'd get into another fight, and some times they even got physical.

"Its alright, wiz-kid," said Fenrir with a grin. "I'll be just fine on my own. Go play with your girlfriend."

Flushing and mumbled that Morgan was not his girlfriend, Harry finally did as he was told and went to go play with Morgan, who was happy to play a few games with him. Elysia waited till her son was out of hearing range before she spoke. "Its not like you to come back like this, Fenrir," she said, leading him to her hut. "Last time you did, you brought bad news."

"Aw, you ruined the surprise," teased Fenrir. As they got comfortable in the hut, he sighed. "But you're right, I don't have good news... In the wizarding world, some kids before the age of eleven while get letters inviting them to a school that will teach them magic. Sometimes it'll come from Durmstrang, sometimes from Beauxbatons, but I'm pretty sure that if Harry gets a letters, it coming from Hogwarts."

"How will they even know where he is?" asked Elysia, trying to hold back her panic. "We're in the middle of a bloody forest."

Fenrir tried to grin when he heard Elysia curse, but couldn't do it as he shrugged. "They always know, don't ask me how. What I'm trying to tell you is that there's a high probability that someone's gonna come and find him once they know where to look. He is famous after all."

"They've been trying for six years and haven't found him," said Elysia coldly. "They must not be looking very hard."

"It probably doesn't help that no one seems to even know he's been missing," added Fenrir. "Albus Dumbledore, the man behind Hogwarts and some Order that was trying to keep the peace during the war, probably has been keeping things under wraps so he doesn't look bad for losing him." He tilted his head to the side. "What are you going to do if a letter does come? Its possible that Harry just might want to go to one of these schools."

"I'd let him go of course," said Elysia softly. "I would never stop him from leaving. And my parents will probably agree."

"He would learn how to control his magic," agreed Fenrir, "though its already pretty damn good for a kid his age."

"Besides, he need to be with his own kind, even for a little while," Elysia said. "He had a choice when he was young, but it was an obvious choice - stay with us or go back to the people who hurt him. Now, he can choose to stay with them once he's finished he's schooling or come back to us."

"You know he'll only be seventeen when he finishes, right?" asked Fenrir with a raised eyebrow. "He maybe be an adult in their world and almost one in ours, but ain't that a little young to choose where you'll stay for the rest of your life?"

"Maybe... I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Elysia stood. "I should tell my parents that we need to inform the patrols that someone might be coming."

"Oi, there's something else you should tell 'em," said Fenrir as he also stood. "There's something evil movin' out there, wandering the woods close to us. I sensed it's presence when I was comin' in."

"Evil?" asked Elysia, already on alert. "What is it?"

"Not completely sure," said Fenrir with a shake of his head. "It smelled human, but it felt like a spirit at the same time." He rolled his shoulders, the only sign of how disturbed he was by whatever was out there. "And I just know I've meet it before, but damn it all, I can't remember when or who it was."

Sighing, Elysia nodded as she moved towards the door. "I'll let them now. Thanks for the information."

"Hey," said Fenrir as he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from leaving right away. "Everything's gonna be alright," he said firmly. "In the end, I mean."

"I hope so, Fenrir," said Elysia softly before she shrugged off the touch and made her way to her parents hut. After all, all she ever wanted for Harry was his happiness. But what if that happiness meant that he had to leave her?

After informing her parents of the news, and with both of them agreeing with her thoughts, Elysia decided to sit outside and watch her son play. She smiled as Harry and Morgan chased each other in their wolf forms, the black cub chasing the blonde, who was always just a few inches ahead of him. Some thought that they were grow up to become mates, but Elysia could just see that they enjoyed each other because Morgan was the first, besides her and Fenrir, to accept Harry for who he was when he joined them.

"Are you alright, Elysia?"

Her smile grew as Lucas sat next to her. "I'm fine," she reassured him. "Just a little tired."

Even though it was clear that he didn't completely believe her, Lucas nodded and just sat with her. He had wanted to become her intended not long after Harry was excepted into the clan, but Elysia had kept him at a distance. She didn't need a mate right now, not until her parents were ready to retire, and even though he would be a good one, she knew he wouldn't be strong enough to except the role of Alpha. Someone would fight him for it, and she didn't want that.

"... I'm worried for you, Elysia."

"Huh?" Elysia blinked. "Why's that?"

"Because you're past twenty years old and still haven't found a mate," stated Lucas bluntly. "Don't you feel like you're missing something?"

Elysia sighed. She understood his concern, for someone not having a mate at her age was practically unheard of. Even her parents worried for her. But no one could for her to bond with another at the moment, and all they could do was watch as she wandered around without her other half.

And truth be told, sometimes she did feel like something missing. But she didn't have any feelings towards anyone in her clan, or in the males she meet during the meetings between the wolf clans that was held once every few months.

"I just haven't found the right person," Elysia repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "That's all. No need to worry. Why, are offering to bond with me?" she teased.

"Maybe once, when Harry first came around," Lucas admitted with a shrug, not noticing Elysia's eyes widening. "But then of course I found Grace, and I couldn't be happier."

"And I'm glad for you," said Elysia.

"Besides, now I think of you more as a sister then anything," smirked Lucas. "And as your unofficial brother, I need to get you a mate before you get all old and wrinkly."

"Hey!"

They talked for a few minutes before Lucas was called over by his new mate, Grace, who came from another clan and was already swollen with their first child. Elysia watched them kiss and walk away with a slight twinge of envy. She would never have someone like that. Eventually when her parents stepped down she would have someone that would be strong, and be a good Alpha for the clan, but would probably not really want her. At this point, she was sure her parents were looking for someone outside the clan for her to mate with.

"Don't tell me your jealous of them?" said Fenrir with a snort as he sat in Lucas' old spot. "Please, that kid ain't good enough for you."

"And of course, you know what's good for me," said Elysia with a roll of her eyes, even though she smiled.

"Damn right, I do," chuckled Fenrir, and with a friendly growls, the two started bickering again. So involved in it they didn't notice the small and knowing smiles they were receiving from anyone that passed by the scene, and even Harry couldn't help but grin.

"When do you think they're gonna get together?" asked Morgan with a yip to catch his attention.

"At this rate? Never?" said Harry, shaking his head. His ears twitched as the bell rang for dinner. "Come on, I'll race you to our clothes," he said with a nod towards the small pile of clothes hidden under a nearby tree. And the two sprinted off, not knowing that in a few hours in a large castle hidden somewhere in Scotland, Harry's life would start to changed forever - not for the first, or even second time.

Perhaps the third time is the charm...

"Do ya think it'll work, Professor Dumbledore?"

Sighing, Dumbledore looked up from the book to the large man that towered over him. "I certainly hope so, Hagrid." They'd been waiting for this day for almost six years. The day that the letters went out to the children that would accepted into Hogwarts. The day that the location of Harry Potter would be revealed.

They never found the Boy-Who-Lived. After months of searching, they had to give and go on with their lives, no matter how painful that was to some. They only thing that made it better was that they knew he was alive, thanks to the book that Dumbledore and Snape had looked at so long ago. And now, they would find out where he had been all this time.

It happened as the clock chimed midnight. The book started to glow a soft white, and two nearby quills glowed the same white. Both rose up into the air, dipping itself in a nearby ink bottle before they floated over to a stack of papers and envelopes that were already ready and waiting, one scratching out the name of Abbott, Hannah, and her address while the other started writing her letter.

The two wizards waited some what patiently, watching as two more quills joined the first set to start writing out the boys names. It was the magic of the book, made by Rowena Ravenclaw herself when the school started, so she didn't have to waste time writing out letters to each of the forty some students that were invited each year. It was a bit like the Sorting Hat the Gryffindor had left behind.

As the book finally got to the P's, both Hagrid and Dumbledore watched the envelopes the carefully, waiting for it to scrawl out the name of Harry Potter. And finally, the first quill wrote out;

Mr. H. Potter.

On the Floor of Elysia's Hut

The Estriatus Clan

Lovell Forest

Edinburgh

"Lovell Forest?" said Hagrid with surprise as the Headmaster plucked that envelope out of the still growing pile and placed it on his desk. "Estriatus Clan? Never heard of 'em before. Have you, Professor?"

"I've heard the name," said Dumbledore, a slight frown on his face. "Though, I can't recall anything about them at the moment." He stood, moving towards the large shelf full of books that reside on the opposite side of the room. "Maybe I have something here -"

At that moment, the Floo flared, and Snape stepped into the room, his dark robes bellowing behind him and reminding the others why he was not so secretly called the Bat of the Dungeons by his students. "Do we have an address?" he asked, without even any greeting.

"Good evening. Yes, I believe we do," said Dumbledore as he searched the titles of his books. "I'm just have some trouble remembering why I know it. Please, take a look at it and tell me if you know anything about this place."

Taking up the envelope after a curt nod to Hagrid, Snape glanced over the address, frowning. "Estriatus clan..." A moment later, he took a sharp breath that one might mistake for a hiss. "Damn."

"What is it, Professor Snape?" asked a slightly started Hagrid, gaining the attention of Dumbledore. "Do you recognize the name?"

"Unfortunately." Snape looked towards Dumbledore, and only the older man saw the slight fear in his dark eyes. "Albus, this is the name of a very large and very anti-human clan of werewolves."

"Werewolves?" said Hagrid loudly after a long moment of silence. "That can't be right! Professor Dumbledore..."

"No, I'm afraid Severus is right, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, lifting his hand up to rub his eyes. "I've suddenly recalled where I heard the name - Remus named them as one of the few clans that would not participate in the war. Mostly because they avoid all contact with humans." He glanced over to Hagrid. "I would rather send Remus with the letter, but since he's out on business, would you still mind taking it?"

"I don't mind at all," said Hagrid with a shake of his large head. It would pretty hard for a werewolf to hurt a half-giant, and he couldn't turned thanks to the creature blood he had already. "I'll leave right away."

"Thank you, Hagrid." Sealing a letter inside the already filled out envelope, Dumbledore handed it off to Hagrid, warning him to be careful none the less before he left. When he was alone with Snape, he sighed heavily. "I don't know what to think about this... Not that I'm not happy that Harry's alive, and we can find him now, but..."

"One has to wonder why a clan of werewolves would keep a human child in their midst," supplied Snape. "And I have no doubt by now that he's shown signs of magic, and yet he's still there."

"My thoughts exactly," said Dumbledore. "I always knew that it was impossible for Harry to be found by a wizarding family, since they would have let the whole world now that they had found the Chosen One, but I always suspected a Muggle family. Never a clan full of werewolves."

"At least we've found him," said Snape after a few long minutes of silence had passed.

"Yes, that is good news," Dumbledore agreed with a smile. "I shall have to let Minerva know, she's been so worried the last few days."

After a few more minutes of conversation and ending with polite goodbye, Snape went back through the Floo to his summer home. As he stepped out the fire place, he let a long sigh, a small frown creeping across his face. Even though no one was sure why Harry was in the middle of a forest with a clan of werewolves that were thought to hate humans and wizards alike, they knew where he was. And the first step to making sure that Harry was safe and sound was getting him out of there.

'Don't worry, Lily, I won't fail you this time.'

"He is close..."

Nodding at the voice as it hissed in displeasure, the pale man stared down the trees that were in his path. "Master, we can not go any father." They could both sense werewolves prowling around as they protected the forest and, unfortunately, all inside it from danger. "What can we do?"

"We wait."

"For what, Master?"

A dark chuckle. "For him to come out, of course."

At that, the man eyes widen by a fraction in relaxation before narrowing with glee. "Ah, I see. A wonderful idea, Master, most excellent."

"... The wolves sense us. We leave now."

"As you, wish, Master." With a loud pop, the intruders to the Lovell forest was gone long before the patrol from the Estriatus Clan reached him, all whining in confusion as they wondered why the path suddenly ended there.