" Charlie? "

Charlie jerked slightly then relaxed. " Potter! You startled me don't do that! "

Potter shrugged " I wasn't trying to mate but we've called you like a dozen times. Gryffender is having a meeting about house points and some news that might effect the house." He glanced curiously at the book Charlie had been involved in. Charlie had casually covered it up with his elbows before Potter could see what it was.

" Oh err I really need to study. Can you please just fill me in? "

" Well..."

" Please mate? I'll make it up to you I promise! "

Potter sighed and scratched behind one ear. Charlie was a tall thin boy with a shock of brown hair that always seemed to stick up every where no matter how he brushed it or greased it back. His glasses were huge and thick. He had a rather prominent adams apple and a high pitched voice. However that almost seemed like a facade. Those who were foolish enough to tease him learned quickly that he was not only talented powerful wizard but an adept pugilist as well. What he lacked in muscle he made up for in and speed and he usually left bigger boys knocked out on the ground within a few moments. Luckily he had never started a fight and therefore had never been suspended for any.

But Potter didn't care about that. What he cared about was the passion and fierce loyalty to his friends that Charlie had. This year, which was only their 3rd, was a hard year for Charlie who had lost his father. From what he had tearfully told Potter privately the ministry of magic had hired his father, a night things bounty hunter, to go out and capture or kill a Nosferatu by the name of Argou Denosa. Apparently the creature had slipped into a wizarding village and stolen the daughter of a prominent minister. Her husband had gone after her and had not been seen again. Her father had gone to the ministry to hire a hunter.

Charlie's father had sent notes to both the ministry and to his family to keep them updated to his progress. He had come to a village known as the Low Hollow, a shape shifter village. It was here he had apparently come under attack by several night things. The only thing that had saved him was a shape shifter by the name of Fenrir Greyback. The letter indicated that Charlies father didn't trust this man but had accepted his hospitality with the intention of moving on during the day to the castle which had once been a school.

That was the last Charlie had heard from him.

Potter had been horrified to hear Fenrir Greyback's name. The evil shape shifter had fought as a death dealer all the time using Voldemort's fight as a way to turn children. He had managed to turn 5 who luckily were rescued before Greyback could get them into hiding. With a special potion they lived a normal life. Yet worse then that it had been said Fenrir had enjoyed the taste of wizard and muggle flesh even when he wasn't compelled by the full moon to attack. He had killed 3 students during the fight of Hogwarts as it was now called. Potter's father and Neville believed they had destroyed him but he been found badly injured at the bottom of the ravine and taken to the Azkaban prison where everyone assumed he would die.

Potter's father Harry had warned his son to not get involved in any affairs that had any dealings with the shape shifters. Many of them hated non shape shifters for various reasons. Despite this the treaties drawn up had resettled many creatures into areas where they could live their lives and they were clearly drawn through the ministry and something else that was never mentioned or talked about.

Something unknown that had spoken for all magical creatures.

Potter suddenly realized Charlie was looking irritated. He had just been standing there staring thoughtfully at him.

" Alright mate, I'll catch you up at dinner." Potter said. He slapped Charlie's shoulder. They smiled ruefully at each other and Charlie went back to reading a passage that he had found.

Chapter 15

The hunt for shape shifters
Werewolves, weredogs, and other pack shifters

The animal that is a pack animal in normal existence is a pack animal in shape shifters as well. Generally one Alpha male and one Alpha female is in charge of lesser beings in the pack and often times they are the only ones who can produce offspring and make decisions to introduce others into a pack through the application of a bite or blood exchange.

Any person muggle or of magic blood wishing to taint their blood to join an established pack must present themselves to the alpha male and female. Be warned such a thing is dangerous as one might be murdered and consumed before they will be considered to join a pack. Should something happen to either the Alpha male or female the next strongest will take their place. This will be decided by fights in both human and other forms in order to establish dominance.

The quickest way of weakening a pack is to kill the Alpha male and female. Until the next alpha is established the pack will be confused and weak without a leader.

Sometimes killing one alpha will force the other into a solitary existence in which case the pack will again need to establish a new alpha pair.

For any hunter out to kill a shape shifter. If that being is not an Alpha one can send a message to the current Alpha and possibly be given the being in question as the Alpha's will often do what must be done for the good of the pack and especially the off spring...

page 325

Charlie sat back and rubbed his eyes. He was getting desperate. None of this was helping him. As far as he knew Fenrir was probably the Alpha male but he had never heard of an Alpha female so he couldn't very well kidnap what wasn't there to try to force Fenrir to help him now could he?
He flipped to the next page. There was a list of weapons and spells one could use against shape shifters. The ones that might have helped him against Fenrir were out of his league. The weapons were basic and listed under each shape shifter as every shape shifter was different.

Frustrated he slammed the book shut. A piece of parchment slipped out and lazily floated around the table resting briefly on it before hitting the floor. Charlie frowned and picked it up. He began reading his eyes getting bigger and bigger.

" That's it! The one!" Charlie jerked when he heard Potter calling him. " Yes coming!" Charlie stuffed the old parchment in his vest and shoved the book under his pillow before running after his friends to enjoy dinner in the great hall.