What Happened After

by MuggleCreator

Another one of those stories of the years between the BoH and the Epilogue. But with a twist. Of Twisted Canon, to be precise. 1998-? Pv 4. NOW UPDATED.

13. Work Watch

A door opens. Four young adults come in. They are all boys.
"I wasn't expecting us to get this job, Morris." Said one with peanut-brown hair and blue eyes.
"Yeah," Another said, with black hair and grey eyes, "I thought your cousins and their two friends were doing it?"
The young man they are addressing, who has turquoise hair and dark blue eyes, grins. "Well, Jag, Rook, I do believe that MuggleCreator decided to keep them in reserve for something else."
The final young man, one with brown eyes and light brown hair, smiled and said, "Bet they weren't exactly happy about that."

'Morris' said, "No, Wulfric, they weren't. But I'll deal with the fallout later – after all, they'll get more 'screen-time' in the idea MuggleCreator reserved them for. Now, we have to introduce the new, improved, What Happened After."
'Wulfric' grinned. "You'd think we ought to be at the front, given we're introducing something…"
"But that's not the case." 'Jag' cut in, "This is chapter 13. The newest chapter –"
"Newest by a long shot," 'Rook' added, "as it's the first of the chapters that was written completely from scratch and posted as of 2014."
'Morris' took over again. "Chapters 1-12 have been tweaked and re-posted. Several things have changed. So please, start from chapter 1 again – not from here."
"Things will make no sense otherwise." 'Wulfric' continued, "MuggleCreator apologises for the wait, by the way, but circumstances dictated it."
"And please review." 'Rook' finished, "MuggleCreator will reward you with a shout-out and possibly a PM."
"Oh," 'Jag' added suddenly, "And this chapter is going to be a big one, probably."

The teens looked at each other, nodded, and stepped back. "Job done," 'Morris' said.
"And now for the real world again…" 'Rook' said.
'Jag' began, as they turned to leave, "You know, I don't understand one thing – how it can be 2014 in here and there –" he jerked a thumb behind him, "but in our time it's, what, 2017?"
'Wulfric' chuckled. "I think some questions are better off unanswered." He said, with a shrug.

'Morris' called, "Come on, guys. What say, given all of us got an afternoon off to do this, we go down to the kitchens and discuss Pack Business with the elves before leaving?"
'Wulfric' grinned. "Brilliant – I've missed the elves' strawberry trifle…."

The door slammed shut behind them.

On Sunday 25th of August, Harry watched Remus carefully. Remus' physical injuries were healing slowly but surely. His memory was also improving, very, very gradually (helped along in fits and starts by full moons). However, due to certain bigoted laws still being in place, he was unable to work. Harry could tell that was eating at him.

Tonks had conferred with Kingsley, a few weeks ago. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to be a full Auror anymore – the experience of almost dying in the Battle and leaving Teddy orphaned had shaken her. However, she still wanted to help the MLE, and still hated the idea of a desk job. For the time being, she had accepted Kingsley's offer of the standard six months of paid parental leave, and was considering her options.

Remus wanted to work. But with laws restricting the types of work he could do, he was unable. Harry was, while happy, concerned. Remus' memory-loss, while making some things difficult, had helped in one regard; Remus was not quite as bitter as before, as he could only remember the first eight to nine years or so of his being a werewolf – most of which he was protected and buffeted by his parents and the Marauders against society's follies. Harry believed he had recently remembered the Marauders' discovery and acceptance of his 'furry little problem'.

So the attitudes of 1998 society (and the years before, documented by his journals) were a bit of a shock. The thing that worried Harry – apart from not wanting Remus to become too bitter again – was that, as Remus still had some of his 'innocence' (so to speak), his Marauder-ish-ness was not hidden under so many layers, built up over years of isolation and rejection as an adult. Harry had a feeling that this new – or rather, renewed – mindset, coupled with his frustration at the current circumstances, would lead him to do something that would cause a reaction. Given what Kingsley had said to Harry a few weeks ago, that would be dangerous. Remus knew this. Still, Harry couldn't help but worry.

So far, all Remus had done was make contact with a group of werewolves he'd apparently fallen in with during his mission in 1996-97. Harry hadn't known, but apparently he'd organised help for them to escape the clutches of Greyback and his ilk, with a safe place to live and such. Remus had contacted them after the Battle, and now visited the place on a semi-regular basis. However, Harry had a feeling, given the papers he'd seen Remus studying and making notes on, that Remus was planning something a little bigger.

That day, as Harry sat watching Remus, the man in question received an owl. Remus took the letter and read it through, his eyebrows raising as he did so. After he'd read it a few times, he set the letter down and looked out the window of the lounge room, seemingly deep in thought. He turned to face the others, his eyes falling on Teddy, who was lifting his chest up using his arms. Remus smiled at Teddy, but his eyes were slightly unfocused.

Tonks noticed, and stepped up beside him. "Is something wrong, Remus?" she asked quietly, looking at the letter, then back to his face. Remus sighed.
"Not wrong, exactly." He said, "I've been presented with an opportunity. An opportunity which, if I was really as old as my memories suggest, I'd jump at – or at least allow the others to push me into doing it. But…" his voice trailed away, and he looked at Teddy again. "Right now…I don't know if it would be worth the risk."

Tonks held out her hand. "May I see?"
He handed the letter to her. She read it through, then looked at him. "Let me get this straight." She said, "Lee Jordan – who was offered a spot on the WWN after the Battle – has asked you to go on his hugely successful 'WizardWatch' program, the one that we tune into every Friday afternoon, as his guest. You'd like to do it, but as the guest is required to talk to the presenter about their life, you're worried about the effect it would have, and whether Teddy would be affected in the fallout."

Remus nodded. "Yes, that's my problem. I knew that I'd have to face a problem like this at some point or other, given my plans for a – well, a 'Werewolf Support Centre', for want of a better name – but in all honesty, I thought I'd have more time." He said ruefully.
Tonks smiled. "It has been about three and a half months since you started laying the groundwork for this idea." She said gently, "And if you don't talk now, then when will you?"
He looked at her. "Can I risk it?" he asked softly, "Can I risk doing this and causing a backlash that will hurt you – and Teddy? I know you can take care of yourself, but Teddy…"

Harry had been listening with rapt attention. He had scolded himself sternly after hearing Remus' first explanation – he hadn't been giving the man enough credit. Now, he spoke up. "Teddy has others who can help shelter him from the fallout, if it came to that. After all, I am his godfather, and Andi his grandmother – not to mention that the Weasleys would help in an instant."

Winky came into the room, balancing a tray of cups and a teapot. Her ears were pricked up curiously, and she was watching Remus, and Harry, carefully. "Elfs can be helping, too, sirs and miss." She said. Harry smiled at her.
Remus stared at Harry. "I would have thought, after your conversation a few weeks ago with Kingsley, that you'd be warning me against this Harry."

Harry blinked. "You heard….of course, werewolf hearing," he muttered, then said, "I have been a little wary. But you just made me realise…I'd be a right hypocrite if I didn't support you. After all… What's the point of fighting a war against prejudice if it just returns to the status quo?" He smiled grimly. "Do what you think is best, Moony. I'll support you either way." He realised now that things had been brewing for a while; but that Remus, after overhearing the conversation he'd had with Kingsley, and seeing his increased watchfulness, had been a little hesitant.

Andi smiled and added, "After all, sometimes, with the right precautions, recklessness can be… beneficial."
Remus squared his shoulders, and reached across for a quill, some parchment and the ink. "Well then," he said, "I'd better reply with a yes."

By evening, Lee Jordan had replied saying he'd come round on Monday afternoon to talk about the details. Harry went off to Auror Academy on Monday morning, promising to keep his ears open, and asking them to tell him how the meeting went. At breakfast on Tuesday morning he had his answer.

Remus wrote to say that he was scheduled to be the Guest on this coming Friday, the 30th of August; at the meeting he'd been given a list of potential questions and topics that he could think about some answers to. He would go into the WWN studio to do it, and he would be there from about 1:00pm onwards – necessary to have a few practice runs of a few questions and get the music set up (as the guest of WizardWatch also chose the songs that were played between 'questions'). The program started at 2:00pm and went for an hour or so.

Harry checked his schedule, then grinned. This coming Friday, there were no afternoon classes due to Instructor Vickers needing to be 'elsewhere'. He would be able to listen to Remus' time on WizardWatch.

Ron noticed his smile. "What are you so happy about, Harry?"
"Have you heard of Lee's radio program, Ron? It's called WizardWatch…."

By the time Friday rolled around, Harry was quite excited, as well as nervous. He'd sent Remus an owl or two of encouragement during the week. He'd also spread the word through Ginny and Hermione to the others at home.

At five minutes to two, himself, Ron and Sam gathered in the Trainee Common Room, where the wireless/ radio was. Helena was already there, working at something. Harry said, "Hi Helena. Do you mind if we use the radio – I mean wireless – to listen to WizardWatch?"
Helena nodded. "Oh, I'd forgot that would be on today. Do you know who the guest is?" she asked.
Sam grinned broadly. "Remus Lupin."

Helena raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she asked, then glanced down at her work. Sam sighed.
"Helena, we're not going over this again, are we? Look, just listen. You might be surprised. Remus may be a werewolf, but he's not like the stereotype."

Helena looked slightly discomfited. "So you've told me, plenty of times." She said uneasily. "I can't deny he was a good teacher, and kept his darker side hidden reasonably well, until the end of the year, but…."
Ron waved a hand at Harry to stop him from bursting out with something in indignation. Then he cut into Helena's faltering explanation, voice firm. "Helena…When I first realised Remus was a werewolf, I had similar thoughts. But now… I can vouch for Sam's assessment, and back it up with things he's said, but if you really want to get an understanding, then why don't you hear it from his own lips?"

Helena sighed, glancing at the wireless. "All right." She said quietly.
Sam smiled slightly in relief, and nodded in thanks at Ron. Harry relaxed slightly.

They settled in. The music played for the start of the show, then a classical composition was played before Lee came on.
"Hello! Hello, hello, hello. I'm Lee Jordan, and I am the host of WizardWatch. That classical composition was the first song on my guest for today's playlist. My guest is… Remus Lupin!"

"Hello Lee, and everyone," Remus' voice said. Harry could tell he was nervous.

"Hey Remus. You know, I've been wanting to do this interview ever since starting this program. You're quite the character." Lee said.

Remus laughed. "If you say so, Lee. I suppose I have had an interesting life so far…" he cleared his throat. "I was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1960. I attended Hogwarts from 1971 to '78, had the time of my life there, as many do. I fought in the original Order of the Phoenix, lost several friends, drifted for a few years then came back to Hogwarts to teach. That lasted a year, thanks to the position I chose – Defence. When Voldemort returned, I re-joined the Order, and participated in several battles and missions. In 1997 I married and in April 1998 my son was born. A few weeks after that, I participated in the Battle of Hogwarts and survived – though not without serious injury." He paused.
"Oh, and in 1965, I was bitten by Fenrir Greyback and became a werewolf."

Harry raised his eyebrows. Interesting way to start off….
On the wireless, Lee gasped. "You were that young? I'd known you were bitten before Hogwarts, but…gosh. You were five?"
Remus sighed. "Yes."
Helena blinked and frowned, as Sam scowled at thin air, Ron shifted in his seat and Harry sighed.
There was a small pause, then Lee said, "Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. Tell us about your family. You were born in Cardiff, you said?"

Remus continued, "Yes. My dad was Lyall Lupin, world renowned expert on Non-Human Spirituous Apparitions; my mum was a muggle who worked in an insurance office in Cardiff. Both had no siblings. They met when Mum took a walk through the woods and Dad saved her from a Boggart in the shape of a violent man after hearing her scream."

Lee chuckled. "Hmmm….when did she find out the man wasn't real?"
"After she'd been going out with Dad for some months. Mum always had a rather active imagination, so accepting magic was pretty easy for her." Remus continued, "Dad delighted in showing her 'his' world, as she delighted in teaching him of hers."

Harry could hear the smile in his voice. "They loved comparing the differences. Not to see which was better, but to laugh about the similarities. Like music, for instance. Dad loved classical and jazz music, which he could pour out of his wand in an instant – Mum's tastes were for things such as The Beatles, a muggle rock and roll band which she collected the records of."

Lee said, "I see the first song is one from them. It's called In My Life. Let's play it."
"There are days that I remember, / In my life…"

Remus went on. "I was born after a year of marriage, and apparently showed early signs of magic, being rather precocious. My parents, like so many others, held great dreams of my future at Hogwarts and beyond. However, by the time I was four, Dark magical activity across the country was increasing steadily, due to, we now know, the beginning of Voldemort's first rise. Dad was asked to help out the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, as all sorts of Dark creatures were being enticed into helping the darkness spread – even relatively minor ones like boggarts and poltergeists. Dad accepted gladly, and for a few months all was….going well, if a bit dangerous. But then…"

He paused. Harry tensed and leant forward slightly. Remus, in the past, had been naturally been rather reticent about the details of what happened when he was bitten. But now…

"In early 1965, a man was brought into the Ministry for questioning over the death – by werewolf bites – of two young muggle children. Dad was there. The man was called Fenrir Greyback. The Ministry didn't know he was a werewolf – the Registry was badly maintained. Greyback claimed to be nothing more than a Muggle tramp who was utterly amazed at finding himself in a room full of wizards, and horrified by the talk about the poor, dead children." Remus' voice continued sarcastically.

Lee sucked in a breath, and Harry's lips curled into a scowl. "Greyback's filthy clothing and lack of wand were sufficient to persuade two overworked and ignorant members of the questioning committee that he was telling the truth, but – my dad was not so easily fooled. He recognised certain… tell-tale signs in Greyback's appearance and behaviour and told the committee that Greyback ought to be kept in detention until the next full moon, a mere twenty-four hours later."

Lee said delicately, "Let me guess. They laughed him out of the office."
Remus sighed. "Yes… After all, what would an expert on Human Spirituous Apparitions know about werewolves? Unfortunately, this caused my normally mild-mannered dad to get angry. And of course, things said in anger…"
"Have a nasty tendency to haunt you." Lee finished.
Remus replied, "Yes. He… repeated the common thinking many wizards had, and still have, about werewolves; that we are nothing more than 'soulless, evil creatures deserving nothing but death'."

Harry swallowed, as Remus let the words hang in the air for a minute before continuing. "The Committee was embarrassed and sent him away, then released Greyback. They were going to put a Memory Charm on him, so he'd forget about it, but Greyback had a couple of cronies waiting for him outside. They got the jump on the official escorting him out, and escaped. A few months passed. About a week before my fifth birthday, as I slept in my room, Greyback leapt through the window and attacked me. I can still remember the feeling of waking up with the wolf's hot, stinking breath at my throat…" his voice trailed away.

"If it hadn't been for Dad arriving then and repelling Greyback with several powerful spells…I'd have died. But damage was still done. I had been bitten, and infected." Remus swallowed. "Dad never forgave himself for what he said, for what he caused. For…for a long time, he didn't tell me the details – scared, I think, that I would blame him for what happened."

There was another small pause, during which the group exchanged glances. Helena's face was very pale, and she was listening intently now – in the beginning, she'd only half paid attention.
Then Remus suddenly burst out with, "But how can I? How can I blame him for reacting in anger and fear, and parroting the widely held views of society? It's…it's not like he knew any different. Until after I was changed." He sniffed, and seemed to collect himself.

Lee said, "That's…rather noble of you, if I may say so."
Harry was struck by a sudden thought – when exactly had Lyall Lupin told Remus? If it was after his thirteenth birthday (as Harry suspected), then Remus would have had to have re-learnt the knowledge. No wonder he was struggling a bit.

Remus sighed. "But what else can I say, Lee?" he asked, then went on, "He hated himself for the rest of his life. I admit I was…conflicted…when I found out, when I was seventeen," (Harry winced at being right) "but… He, and Mum, sacrificed a hell of a lot for me when I was bitten. For one thing, they stuck by me; they didn't dump me and run – as some families do. And he saw that I was no different from any other child, except for a small time around the full moon when I transformed into something with a completely different personality which my usual self had no control over."

"No. I blame Greyback. There is only a very small percentage of werewolves who willingly, deliberately, infect others. Most would – would rather die than do so, myself included. But it is due to them that the stories of terror, and warnings such as, 'never turn your back on a werewolf, he might just get you' continue."

Remus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Dad and Mum did more than stick by me. Dad spent the rest of his life searching for a cure for me, while Mum was my nursemaid, even as her own body started to fail her due to a stupid muggle disease. Our lives were dominated by the need to hide my condition. We moved around every few months to avoid the neighbours getting too suspicious. I wasn't allowed to play with other children, in case I accidently told them what I was. It was a very lonely existence. Books were my only friends."

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty, exchanging glances with the others listening at the sad note in Remus' voice. Helena was twisting her hands in her lap.

"While I was small, my… containment during transformations wasn't hard; a locked room and plenty of silencing spells were usually all that was needed. However, as I grew, so did my wolfish self, and by the time I was ten years old, I was capable of pounding down doors and smashing windows. Ever more powerful spells were needed to contain me. It put such a strain on Mum and Dad. They… they adored me," his voice was rather thick, "but they knew the wizarding community – already beset with fears at the mounting Dark activity around them – would not be lenient on an uncontrolled werewolf. It seemed I was destined, like so many others, to live my life on the sidelines. Dad began teaching me at home with his own wand, certain that I wouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts."

Lee said, "Yes, that is one question I've always wanted to know; how it was arranged that you could go…"
Remus replied, a smile creeping into his voice again, "One word: Dumbledore."
Lee laughed. "Of course!"

Remus said, "Well, yes. Around my eleventh birthday, he turned up at the place we were currently staying at, and somehow managed to get past Mum and Dad at the door to see me. Within five minutes he was sitting inside, eating crumpets and playing gobstones with me!"
Harry snorted. How typical of the headmaster…

"He knew about my condition. After all he ha – ahem, he had – ears everywhere." Harry was impressed; that was the first slip-up in tense by Remus in ages – not just in terms of the broadcast.
Remus went on, "Dumbledore saw no reason why I couldn't attend, provided certain precautions were taken. So off I went to Hogwarts…and, for the first time in my life, I could experience the joy of friends, real friends."

Harry smiled.

Remus continued, "I was Sorted into Gryffindor House, which was somewhat of a surprise to me – my parents had tried to shelter me from the worst prejudice, but I'd still absorbed enough of the general attitudes to understand that Dark creatures belonged in Slytherin."
Lee spluttered indignantly (echoed by the boys listening, as Helena blushed and scowled). Remus was quite solemn though.

Another song was played; a wizarding song that was a rendition of the Hogwarts school song, with a few extra verses styled in the form of the Sorting Hat.

After it, Remus said, "Well, my school years began. I threw myself into learning. I was swiftly befriended by two cheerful, confident and rebellious boys, James Potter and Sirius Black." There was a small catch in Remus' voice. "I was quite surprised to be honest. They were almost…larger than life, those two, and to think they saw something in me… There are times when I still can't believe it." There was a note of wonder in his voice.

Lee replied, "You can't think of any reason? What about your sense of humour and your kindness?"
Remus said, "Perhaps. You know, it's interesting you mention kindness, Lee. It was kindness that made me befriend Peter Pettigrew, and convince James and Sirius to allow him into the group. Due to who I am, I've always had something of a soft spot for the underdog, which Peter in many ways was, compared to the rest of us…" He sighed.

"And also….Kindness, many people say, is one of my good points. But…I also know it ties into a rather large… failing of mine, which comes from having so few friends or even people who were nice to me, I think. With the distance of…years, I can say that I am a little too eager to please others, in the hope they'll stay around longer. I'm working on this – tendency, but, well."
Harry sighed. Yes, that about summed it up, didn't it? He thought sarcastically. Started working on it only recently, too. He then chided himself. It wasn't really fair of him to be frustrated…

Remus went on, "It….backfired on me somewhat during school. I and the other three called ourselves the Marauders, becoming inseparable, or so I thought. I functioned as the conscience, but it was a rather faulty conscience. I didn't approve of some of the things that occurred, that we instigated, but I loved James and Sirius so much, and was so grateful for their acceptance, that I didn't always stand up to them as much as I should have. This can be explained, but not excused, somewhat, by one of the sad paradoxes of being a werewolf. My condition makes me an outcast, but the 'wolfish' part of me, so to speak, needs a pack of sorts around them to feel safe. And, once that pack is found or made….we can forgive a lot of things, for the 'sake of the pack'."

His tone was matter of fact, but with a slightly hard edge. Harry exchanged slightly puzzled glances with the others. Helena looked curious, now.

Lee said softly, "Is that why the werewolves who live on our fringes tend to band together, sticking by each other even though, in some cases, the leader may be of a less than savoury character?"
"Yes." Remus said, "You see, in a pack situation, there is always at least one alpha and beta. If you're below them, it's very hard to stand up to them, to assert yourself or your views, as your very instincts react against that. This is conditioned and reinforced over time, and only a great event – such as, as most of your pack dying – can loosen the ties, and even then only if the wolf lets them. In my pack…I didn't realise until years later that a werewolf, if they don't have a strong personality to begin with, will need to coach themselves if they wanted to be an alpha or beta. In my pack, while my parents and Dumbledore were my betas and alpha, the personalities of Sirius and James ensured that I had a more immediate alpha and beta close by during school."

Harry blinked. He'd had no idea that it was so…complex.

Lee asked, "You say you didn't find this out until later?"
Remus answered, "Yes. After…after the events at the end of the first war, which I explain in a bit, I travelled for some time, undertaking a lot of research where I could in an attempt to understand myself. I'm always seeking to understand myself, for if you don't know yourself how can you comprehend others? The difficulty of course being that I have never been able to get that far."

Harry sighed. Oh, Moony…. He still sold himself so short.

Lee said, "Before we move on, could I ask… When did your friends – the Marauders – find out about your condition?"
Harry could hear the smile in Remus' voice. "In my second year. Of course, when you're sharing a dorm, it's difficult to hide the fact that you disappear once a month. Due to my experiences growing up, I was convinced they would desert me if they knew what I was. But they didn't. On the contrary, they…" he hesitated. "They found a way to keep me company during transformations."

"They became animagi. James was a red stag, Sirius a large, Grim-like dog, and Peter…a rat. Animagi can't get infected by werewolf bites if they're in their animal forms. So, once they'd mastered the transformations – in our fifth year – they joined me in my confinement. We also gave each other nicknames, based on our forms; Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. I could go on, and on, about our escapades – our brilliant moments and foolish acts – but I won't, as that would take all afternoon."

Harry and Sam exchanged grins. Helena gaped, and Ron smiled a trifle wistfully.

Another song was played; The Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends".

"By the time we left school, Voldemort's ascendancy was almost complete. True resistance to him was concentrated in the underground organisation called the Order of the Phoenix, which we all joined fresh out of Hogwarts."

Lee sighed. "And now we come to one of the more anticipated questions… One that everyone has an opinion on, and only a few know the real truth: what happened in the last years of the war that led to the events of Halloween 1981?"

There was a pause and sounds of rustling as Remus seemingly marshalled his thoughts. Harry swallowed, preparing himself, and noting Sam was doing the same. He caught Helena watching them; she blushed faintly at his glance and looked away. Remus went on finally. "Well. The short story is that, due to divergences of interests and things – we…grew apart, for want of a better phrase. James was busy being a boyfriend, then fiancé, then husband and finally father. Sirius was… well… Sirius was trying to make his own way in a world in which he had to battle society's expectations, being the black sheep in a family with rather Dark ideals. I was…struggling in a world that didn't want me. After all, bluffing my way through school was one thing; bluffing way through life another thing entirely. And Peter…I now know Peter realised he had a difference of opinion or – something – with us about the war; and, as he was too timid to 'fess up and talk about it with us, he was drawn over to the other side."

"Distrust – such a common commodity back then – flourished amongst us, we who had once been the closest of friends…" Remus' voice had taken on a detached air, as though he was reading from a script; Harry gathered that, given that for this part he was relying solely on his journals, it was possible that he was. Remus went on, "When it was discovered there was at least one spy in the Order, and that it was possible the main leak came from our group… The distrust spread. Well, except with James; he thought it was the height of dishonour, not to trust one's friends."

Harry smiled bitterly, while Sam sighed heavily beside him. Ron nudged both of them in support, and Helena glanced at them again.

"The rest of us… Peter started manipulating Sirius and I so that we'd blame the other. I was…away a lot of the time. I was doing…certain missions for the war effort, attempting to convince other werewolves that joining violent packs was not the only answer. The difficulty of this – as I've already said, once a werewolf has joined a pack, it's extremely difficult to switch to another – combined with the difficulties I was facing in wizarding society in such things as getting a job and such, made me begin to pull away from my friends. Another reason werewolves form packs mainly comprised of other werewolves is that, as I found out, it's rather difficult to not feel like you're dragging the non-werewolves down with you, by your association; it's difficult not to become bitter about the opportunities they get and you don't. At least, that's what it felt like for me."

Now it was Harry's turn to sigh.

"Unfortunately, thanks to Peter's manipulations, that distance made things…difficult. Sirius, I now realise, had his own worries and secrets – which I'm not at liberty to divulge, Lee, Marauder's honour and all that – but the lack of contact, and Peter, made me begin to wonder…As Sirius wondered about me."

"You suspected each other." Lee said quietly.
"Yes. Though, as we later realised, neither of us quite believed the other would do it of their own volition. I thought that Sirius was being blackmailed into it, that one of his Dark relatives was threatening one of us or the few blood relations he actually cared for. Sirius, I now realise, suspected I was under the Imperius Curse. After all, how was he to know that it's nigh on impossible to imperise a werewolf due to our dual personality? None of us suspected Peter. Sirius, I confess, never had a very high opinion of his smarts; and I refused to think that the one I'd invited into the group would betray us."

"I was blindsided by what happened on Halloween 1981. What I know now is that James and Lily, due to the threat on little Harry's life, needed to go into hiding under the Fidelius Charm. They'd already been hiding through other means, but the protection needed to increase. Professor Dumbledore offered to be their Secret Keeper, but for…some reason…they chose Sirius instead." Harry shifted slightly, glad of Remus' discretion; though anyone could now, thanks to Skeeter, have a guess at that reason, now was not the time to remind anyone directly. "However, before the charm could be enacted, Sirius had something of a run-in with his mad cousin Bellatrix Lestrange, and so decided that he ought to only pretend to be the Keeper. The real Keeper was chosen to be Pettigrew."

He swallowed, and paused, then went on. "Of course, he betrayed them. Sirius went after him… and was framed again. I believe Sirius laughed after the event because it was either that or cry."

He sighed. "Halloween 1981 marked the start of a very…lonely…period for me. I have to say that, in the days after the event, a rather selfish part of me would have traded the downfall of Voldemort for the return of my friends."

"Selfish?" Lee interrupted, "Hardly. Plenty of other people thought similarly." There was a rather sharp edge to his voice.
Remus' voice was perhaps a little too understanding when he replied a moment later. "Of course, Lee."

Remus continued, "It was a lonely time, but a self-imposed loneliness. I refused to endanger my dad's peaceful existence by returning to live with him; Mum had died when I was twenty. A part of me regrets that decision to leave strongly. But at the same time… He'd protected me for so long; it was the least I could do to return the favour. I lived a rather… hand-to-mouth existence, taking whatever job I could, when I could, always leaving them before my pattern of growing sick once a month at the full moon was noticed by my workmates. I spent a lot of time, as I said earlier, trying to understand myself and my condition as well. I wandered all over the world, trying to find a place I could settle again, but at the same time terrified to put down roots, so to speak, as I was sure that they'd only be ripped up again. I thought that the friendship shared with the other Marauders was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, you see."

A song from a wizard band, Creature Alley, was played. It was called, "Being or Beast", and talked of werewolves, veela, centaurs and merpeople (in separate verses) and the prejudices they faced.

"They only see what I am/ Never the individual inside. / They only see what they wa-ant to see: / A monster, a cheater, a strange freak of nature / That does-n't belong…."

Helena smiled wryly at the song. She glanced at Ron, hesitated then said, "Thank you," very quietly.

After it finished, Lee asked, "Did you start taking Wolfsbane when it first came out?"
Remus sighed. "I would have liked to. I am extremely grateful to Damocles Belby for inventing the Potion; I've – I'd – always wished for a way to control the wolf, to minimise the danger. However, the ingredients used are horrendously expensive for someone unable to have a steady job, and the process of making it…as anyone unlucky to have Potions with me in school will attest, I am no master brewer – quite the contrary. There was a short-lived Ministry initiative to subsidise the Potion, but given this required me to admit to the authorities what I was… I wasn't comfortable taking the offer up. Many werewolves, myself included, actually thought that initiative was designed more for the purpose of rounding up and hounding werewolves than for the purpose of helping them, given the rumours that floated around..."

Lee said softly, "A damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario."
"Yes. I felt I had no choice but to continue living the way I was and dealing with it on my own."

Lee asked, "And you stayed in those circumstances for, what, twelve years?"
Remus replied, "Yes. But then, a few months after my thirty-third birthday, things changed again. Professor Dumbledore found me and offered me a job, teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. I was quite hesitant at first, but was eventually convinced by the insistence that ample Wolfsbane would be provided each month by Professor Severus Snape."

Lee said, "And so you came to Hogwarts, and within a week, I think you were half the school's favourite professor. Certainly the best Defence teacher we'd had in as many years as could be remembered."

Remus spluttered. "I – I don't know about that, Lee. Though I did enjoy teaching. It was an oddly satisfying situation that involved me teaching the children of many who I'd gone to school with – including Harry Potter. In some ways I found my true calling, I think. One of the greatest pleasures, I found, was to identify the ones most in need of help and support – and then doing your utmost to make them realise their true potential. I loved that." He said softly – almost wistfully.

"Unfortunately, it was not to last. If it had been any other year that I'd started, perhaps things would be different. However, the fact remains that the year that I was Defence Professor was also the year that Sirius broke out of Azkaban…leading to quite the uncomfortable journey for me. I should have told everyone – at the very least, Professor Dumbledore – that Sirius was an animagus. But I couldn't bring myself to. The feelings of pack loyalty were still very much in force – especially as a part of me had never been fully able to accept the supposed fact that Sirius was apparently guilty. If things had been different, my silence could have been horrendously dangerous. As it was… a – a series of unfortunate events occurred that nearly proved disastrous."

Harry frowned, and exchanged a glance with Ron. He had had several discussions with Remus about how certain events were not his fault, but Remus still felt tremendously guilty. In this instance, the absence of memories of that night was both a curse and a blessing. At least Remus was using the expression Harry had told him (a series of unfortunate events) relating to the incident, rather than blaming himself outright.

Sam sighed and Helena looked somewhat uncomfortable.

On the wireless, Lee was encouraging Remus to go on. After a moment, he obliged. "We, the Marauders, created a certain Map that showed as much of the school as possible, including the names of people. One very important detail was that we created a fail-safe in the Map to ensure that it could never lie about a person's name, no matter what disguise they were under. It was confiscated towards the end of our seventh year. We hoped, in the true spirit of mischievous rebellion, that it would find its way into the hands of other mischief-makers. At any rate, somehow or other – and I have my suspicions as to how, so please don't confirm them Lee –"

The group listening laughed as Lee sniggered. "Somehow, the Map fell into Harry Potter's hands." Remus continued, "And after a certain escapade involving him going somewhere he shouldn't have, I was forced to…repossess the item. Later that year, I was studying it; in part to remember good times, but also because I had a hunch that well-meaning mischief would be happening. And who should I see on the Map, but the name of one I'd thought long dead: Peter Pettigrew. Also close by was a dot labelled Sirius Black, and as I watched, he caught Peter and was dragging him off. The only problem, the fact that in order to do so he had to grab the boy who believed Peter was nothing more than his pet rat. I dashed out of my office, intent on solving the mystery. However, in my haste I forgot three quite vital things – one was to wipe the Map or take it with me; the second was to remember that I was supposed to be waiting in my office for the night's delivery of Wolfsbane; and the final thing was that that night was the night of the full moon."

Lee groaned. Then he said, "But how could you forget something like that? Meaning no offense, but…"
Remus sighed. "I was stumped by that question for a while after that night. From my research, it seems that – well – the wolf doesn't like being 'muzzled' by the Wolfsbane; quite the contrary. It appears that if something distracts the human mind so that they forget about the Wolfsbane, the wolfish mind will ensure that that information stays forgotten."

Harry gaped. That made sense, but…goodness. Helena gave a startled exclamation. "What? But – but – Merlin. Why is this the first time I've heard anything like this?" she asked rhetorically in incredulity.

Remus went on, "And that night was quite some distraction – learning that Sirius was innocent and Peter was the traitor. We were nearly able to prove Sirius innocent then; but the full moon…interfered. Due to the circumstances, my condition was exposed to the wider student populace, and so I felt I had no choice but to leave, especially given what had nearly happened."

Lee began, "Ah, 'due to the circumstances'? Don't you mean –"
"I mean exactly that, Lee." Remus said sharply, "As I tried to say before, even if my condition had not been exposed, I still would have left. One close shave was one too many….though leaving was painful."
Lee grumbled, but subsided. Harry wondered if Remus was employing one of his Looks to prevent further comment on the subject from Lee, who obviously wanted Remus to blame Snape. Lee sighed and went on, "And so, after that, what happened?"

"I resumed my previous lifestyle for a year. Then Voldemort rose again and things…changed."
"Oh?"

"Yes. I joined the reformed Order of the Phoenix. It was quite difficult, that first year, when no-one believed us. We did the best we could. Many new members joined, regardless of the Ministry's stance. Including the woman who would one day become my wife: Dora Tonks."

Harry could tell Lee was grinning. "Go on…"
"A cousin of Sirius and protégée of Alastor Moody, Dora quite literally fell into my life in one of the earliest meetings." Harry scented a story about that, and resolved to pester Remus and Tonks about it at some point. Judging from Sam's expression, he wouldn't be the only one.
"She was a breath of fresh air for someone like me….But my own nature complicated things. I fell in love quite fast, but I was too afraid to say anything. I'd become…too used to being rejected outright in terms of friendship due to my condition; I couldn't comprehend why someone would see me as even more than that. I was also afraid that – that any relationship with me would make her an outcast." Remus continued – his voice a mixture of matter-of-factness and solemnity.

He gave a rueful chuckle. "Of course, I forgot one thing: her view on it. Let me advise you now, Lee; don't ever make decisions about someone you love without consulting them first! For, of course, for every argument I had, she had – and still has – a rebuttal for. And really…denying yourself love just because you think someone else deserves 'better than you' will in the long run be detrimental to both. I found that out the hard way."

Another song was played – this time, a Weird Sisters song called, "Never Giving Up (On You)".

"That's a song from Dora's favourite band." Remus went on, "We married quietly in 1997…shortly before Thicknesse became Minister. Dora fell pregnant, and most of the rest of the war was spent quietly. Well, apart from my excursions with you to Potterwatch broadcasts." He hesitated, then went on carefully, "Our son was born in April. It was one of the happiest moments of my life…For a long time, I believed that I'd never get a chance to have a family of my own, even though I wanted one very much. I was afraid of many things – that no-one would love me enough for that, that I would endanger a child, that my condition would be passed on…" He sighed. "Now, it's a wonderful feeling to realise, and continue realising, that your previous pessimism was wrong on many levels."

Harry smiled slightly. That was a very neat way of explaining things; and he loved hearing the happiness in Remus' voice. Remus went on, "We participated in the final Battle, and survived…though I have to admit that like many others we're still recuperating from injuries."

Lee said, "And that brings us to your current activities. I've heard rumours, but what are you doing now?"

Remus replied, "Apart from recuperating and adjusting to being a father, you mean?"
Lee chuckled and Remus went on, "Well. To put it…bluntly, I'm trying to start something that will ensure more werewolves have the opportunities that I had, or something close to it. As I implied earlier in this program, many werewolves want to be a part of wizarding society. At the very least, we'd prefer to be able to control the change, so we're no longer a danger. We'd prefer it to be realised that, while we can be dangerous, it's only on the night of the full moon, and even then only if certain precautions are not taken."

"When you say we…." Lee began.
"I speak for myself, but also at least one pack who were helped to break away from the only lifestyle they thought was possible, by being given another concrete option. They've been living peacefully, holding down muggle jobs and such, drinking Wolfsbane every month. What I want to do is to try to replicate what's being done there more broadly. When a werewolf is turned, it can be a very lonely time, when you're rebuffed at every turn even though you're craving support. I'd like to mitigate that loneliness a bit, by showing what can be done." He said, "Of course, I can only do so much; any change I do can only be incremental, especially given the fact that…that the circumstances of the past years have ensured that laws have been passed that restrict certain… freedoms for werewolves and other 'dark creatures' which many wizards take for granted. But I'll leave speculation on that front to others. All I want to do is create a space where werewolves can feel a sense of belonging in the community. Other things can follow."

Lee said, "Well I wish you luck. I'll certainly support you. But for now, that's all we've got time for. Thanks for coming in, Remus. We've have the last song on your list to lead us out…."

"I used to wonder, / Where the child in me had gone…." According to Lee's explanation, it was a song by a Muggle Australian country singer, Graeme Connors; Remus had probably picked it up on his travels. It was called A Sacred Place. And, as Harry listened, he could not help but think of Teddy, and how Remus had looked when he'd come to Shell Cottage to announce the birth. It could indeed be said that Teddy was Remus' "sacred place".

The program finished, and Harry sat back with a sigh.

"Well done, Moony." Sam said quietly, smiling. Harry nodded in agreement.
Ron said, "All those things about werewolf – psychology? Is that the term? – I wish they were more widely known."
Helena smiled sadly. "Yes, definitely. Maybe then there'd be a better chance of people understanding the circumstances and difficulties, instead of putting their foot in their mouth like I did before now."

Sam waved a hand. "Forget that, Helena. After all, you know better now; you'll be able to spread the word about the true side of things."
Helena snorted wryly. "Yeah, to whom? My brother would believe me I think, but my parents? My Slytherin classmates?" she shrugged slightly. "You know I'm not as brave as you, Sam. I helped covertly with the DA last year when I could, but you, Coral and Raven are the only ones who know that. I fought in the Battle with a few other classmates, but we mainly ran healer-transport duty and protection of the younger ones…"

Sam sighed and began to speak, but Harry cut in. "No-one's asking you to be braver than you feel. But I thought Slytherins were masters at subtlety? We'll be the brash, stubborn ones who agitate for change loudly. You can just work in the background." He smiled at her, and after a moment she smiled back. After all….it was one step at a time.

At the Saturday lunch the next day, everyone was talking about the radio program. Harry was asked to accept the Weasleys' congratulations (along with the well-wishes of Luna, Neville, Hestia and Kingsley) on Remus' behalf, who had chosen not to come that day. Tonks, Andi and Teddy were also staying at Willowwood, but Harry had been all-but-ordered to go.

Remus had had a troubled night's sleep on Friday night, due to all the talk about his memories during the day. Teddy had a little cold, so Tonks was staying home with him; and Andi never felt comfortable going to Blossom Burrow unless Tonks was (Harry still hadn't worked out exactly why).

Eventually, the topic of WizardWatch was exhausted, and they talked of other things. It would be September 1st tomorrow, but Hogwarts wouldn't re-open for a few weeks yet; which was quite an odd feeling for those going back, to say nothing of those not returning.

Then Sam turned to Harry. "How have your elves been lately?" he asked.
"Pretty good," Harry replied, confused.
Sam continued, "Mine are acting a little strangely. I was going to help them with the restoration of Grim's Den, and I thought they were happy about that. Recently, though, they've started preventing me from going in certain areas, saying they want to surprise me. Which is all well and good, but I find it odd, too."

Harry blinked. "Now you mention it… The elves – Winky in particular – have been quite… watchful."
Ron broke into the conversation. "You know, come to think of it, Muffy's been disappearing at odd times lately," He said quietly, "and taking slightly longer to respond than usual."
"Do you reckon we should ask them about it?" Harry asked.
Sam shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe give it another week? I dunno…"

The conversation changed to other things. About ten minutes later, Muffy (who'd been helping Mrs Weasley serve lunch) suddenly gave a funny little jerk and put the tray she was carrying down.
"Are you all right, dear?" Molly asked.
Muffy nodded frantically, glancing around. "Mrs Weezy, may Muffy be taking her day off early? The other elfs be – be needing help." She said, grey eyes pleading and possibly…a little frightened?
No sooner had Molly given a confused nod than Muffy popped away with a crack.

The group exchanged glances. Molly said, "If something serious has happened, I hope she takes all of tomorrow off as well, instead of shortening it to a twenty-four hour period or something…." She sighed and shook her head. "Would anyone like any more -?"

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"This is the Aurors! Come out the front with your wands where we can see them!"

"Vickers." Harry breathed, as the entire group stood.
"What the hell….?" Ron muttered beside him.

"Allow me," Kingsley said, taking the lead; though after a moment he allowed his three Ministerial bodyguards in front of him.
"This is Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic! Explain yourselves!" Kingsley boomed, as the group went around to the front of the house.

Alan Vickers stood with at least forty-five more Aurors in official uniform. Most of whom did a double take upon seeing Kingsley and hearing him. But Vickers merely raised his eyebrows. "I fail to see how your status changes anything. This home is the target of a raid based on the laws passed earlier today – surely you were there? I was under the impression it was a full session."

The group paused. Kingsley's eyes darkened. "Whoever told you that information was wrong, Vickers. I was under the impression all business had been dealt with for the week, and have not received any owls telling me of any need for an extended session." He said crisply.

Vickers remained impassive. "Are you certain? For I have a note here indicating one was certainly sent to you."
"To me? Or to my house? If sent to my house only, after twelve-thirty p.m., then I wouldn't have seen it yet. I have been here since twelve-thirty this afternoon. Any of these good people near me can confirm this. And as I Flooed here from my personal apartment, then there will be records of that."

Vickers nodded at one of the Aurors beside him. "Get someone to check that," he ordered, then scanned the group again. "To business, then. Montgomery, take your team and sweep the house for any of the brats. Stebbins, Dawlish, your teams will interview these with me."

Eleven of the original forty-five other Aurors went into Blossom Burrow. The others formed three groups of ten (plus Vickers) and herded the group away from the house. There were enough Aurors for each person in the group to be guarded by two Aurors (excluding Kingsley's three bodyguards, who were largely ignored by the aurors).

Vickers, with four aurors, began "interviewing" the group by herding them three at a time to a sport where they'd dropped a stone with several runes on it which created a "pop-up" interview room, or rooms in this case. Those waiting were not allowed to talk to each other, and the runes prevented communication between those in the 'rooms' and outside.

Kingsley, Hestia and Arthur were first, and by the end of the five minutes they looked furious. After some negotiation, Kingsley stepped out of the charms and gestured abruptly to his bodyguards; Hestia quickly followed. "We're going to the Ministry, to determine more about this…situation." He said coolly to them. Arthur also stepped back and was herded away to another area, within sight of the main group but still unable to talk. As Kingsley passed Harry, heading for the Apparation Point of the property, he was muttering under his breath. Harry caught the words, "… stupid, prejudiced, gits…should've seen this coming after yesterday…"

Yesterday? Harry thought, attempting to keep his expression neutral. Then it hit him. Yesterday, Remus had spoken on WizardWatch! He turned his gasp into a cough, and thought furiously. What laws could have been passed? Remus had said before that various Ministries had created laws about werewolves for nearly everything….except – he suddenly remembered Vickers' comment about "the brats" – the werewolves' kids!

Harry's eyes widened. Oh, no…. As he glanced around, he saw a quick flutter of movement near a corner of the house. Glancing casually over, he saw Muffy's grey eyes peering at him from a bush. Then, just as quickly, they vanished. Harry swallowed. Of course….what had Winky said last week, about "elfs helping too"? Harry drew in a breath and straightened. He thought he'd just discovered what the elves had been doing secretly recently.

Glancing around, Harry met Molly's eyes, who dipped her head ever so slightly; she had seen Muffy too. Molly then glanced over at Arthur; their eyes met and, with a few barely-noticeable twitches of their face, had a silent conversation.

The next group to be interviewed (Bill, Charlie and Percy) finished then, and moved to where Arthur was standing. Charlie was scowling, rolling his shoulders and shifting his weight to release his tension; Percy had a very stiff face, but his eyes were slightly shadowed. Bill was tense; he was released last, and his 'interview' nearly devolved into a shouting match. Harry frowned at this, seeing Ron's scowl; Bill, while not transforming at full moons, still had werewolf characteristics. Harry was certain the aurors were treating him differently due to this.

Molly, Fleur and Fred were called next. Harry watched them. Only a few seconds into Molly's interview, the auror interviewing (more like interrogating, from what Harry could see) her made a gesture, and Molly waved a hand. Muffy appeared, looking at Molly. The auror said something to the elf, who continued looking at Molly and said something firmly. The auror moved towards Muffy, and Molly's posture tensed. She seemed to shout something loudly; the auror glared at her; after a minute (and Vickers glancing at his watch in irritation then entering the room) the auror backed down. Molly addressed Muffy, who spoke. This continued for a few minutes before Muffy was dismissed; Molly remained in the booth for a few minutes longer then was led over to join Arthur and the others.

George finished, seemingly barely holding onto his temper as he left. As he entered the 'waiting room', his eyes met Bill's, who tensed further. Fleur also was held longer than the others in her group, but she finally finished, and left the 'rooms' looking irate. "Come, Beell, we are leaving." She said, eyes flashing and hands clenching and unclenching. Bill looked her over, then nodded. "Definitely," he all-but-growled. He shot a look at the aurors, especially Vickers.

"Just a minute…" Vickers began.
Bill turned to him, eyes flashing. "You've interviewed both of us. You can't say you have any other reason for keeping us except to further antagonise us due to our unique circumstances. We. Are. Leaving."

Vickers studied him, then stepped closer; Harry had to strain his ears to hear. "I'd be careful about that tongue of yours." He said quietly, smiling coldly. "For two who claim to be full-blooded humans, you certainly go out of your way to act otherwise." He murmured at Bill, then said dismissively to Fleur, "And you can pout all you like; it might get you somewhere with him, or in France, but this is England, now. You play by our rules."

Bill's eyes flashed again, but after a moment he whirled around, striding determinedly towards the apparation point with Fleur at his side – leaving Vickers to smirk and those who'd heard him to simmer.

Vickers' unpleasant smile stretched further. "I think that we ought to do Potter, Burbage and Ronald Weasley next." He said evenly.

Harry straightened his shoulders and moved forwards into one of the rooms. Vickers followed. "Dawlish, I'll handle this one I think." He said, then turned to Harry.
"State your actions since you left the Academy last night." He said.
Harry told him of how he'd gone straight to Willowwood, had a shower and had dinner with Tonks, Remus and Andi after helping settle Teddy. Then, in the morning, he'd left the family to go to Blossom Burrow at 12 o'clock, and had stayed there until now.

"Why didn't they come with you?" Vickers asked.
Harry answered, "Remus' injuries were playing up. Teddy had a cold so Tonks didn't think they ought to go out, and Andi wanted to spend Saturday with them."
"Where is… 'Teddy' now?" Vickers asked.
Harry blinked. "At Willowwood, with his parents and grandmother, I should think." He said, an uneasy feeling coiling in his gut.

Vickers stared at him. "No, Potter, I don't think so. You see, the law passed today – by a vast majority of what I believe was a… almost full session of the Wizengamot – ensures that children of werewolves and other dark creatures are kept safe and protected." The uneasy feeling in Harry's gut grew stronger. "It has come to our attention that there are many such innocents living with undesirables such as werewolves. Imagine our surprise when we came to collect the children and speak with the uninfected adults of some …packs, I believe the word is? The children had vanished. Into thin air, it seemed. Of course, foul play was suspected. We took the undesirables – and their quite frankly deluded partners – into custody, on suspicion of such. And we commenced our search for the children."

He stared at Harry. "Now…I ask again: where are the children?"
Harry became aware he'd broken into a sweat, and that his face was likely pale. "I don't know," he said quietly; anger the only thing keeping his voice steady.
Vickers' eyes darkened. "Where are they?" he repeated.
"I don't know." Harry insisted.

Vickers stared at him silently for a full minute, then said abruptly, "I believe you have elves. Call them. Now."

Harry nodded and shut his eyes. Miffy! Paddy! Kreacher! Winky! He thought. He wasn't about to call the names where Vickers could hear.

The four elves appeared quickly, looking at Vickers, then him. Vickers said, "Elves. I have already had one impertinent encounter with one of your fellows. I do not want that again. I will ask questions, and you must answer truthfully."

Winky trembled; Kreacher kept his face towards the ground as though shamed; Miffy and Paddy looked upset – but Harry could see their set expressions.

Vickers asked, "Where are the werewolf children?"
There was a pause. Then Winky responded; looking at Harry, not Vickers. "They be in many places, sir." She sounded scared, but puzzled. "Winky not understand. Werewolfs and children be … in many places." Her voice had an odd quality to it that Harry at first could not identify.

Vickers scowled. "I mean, you stupid creature, where are they now? When we're looking for them? Where do we find them?"
Winky, still looking at Harry, said, "Now, sir? Winky is not knowing, sir. Winky is not knowing." Again, there was an odd tone in her voice. And the way she repeated that last phrase…

Vickers turned to the other elves, viciously. "And the rest of you? Have you seen the children? Were you ordered to do anything with them?"
"No sir." Paddy rumbled.
Kreacher shook his head furiously, ears flapping. "We only takes orders from – from Master Harry, and he never give us any about werewolf children."
Miffy said, "We is just doing our jobs, sir." She paused slightly. "We is seeing no-one."
With that phrase, Harry remembered. He remembered a night, four years ago, after the World Cup celebrations had ended in disaster. He remembered Winky's actions and words.

Vickers moved towards the elves as if he would strike or shake them. Harry moved to block him, heart pounding in his chest. "They're my elves, Vickers. I think I ought to be the judge of possible punishment for them." Winky flinched, eyes wide and suddenly fearful. Harry allowed his expression to gentle slightly. "And they cannot be punished for telling the truth, no matter how – difficult – that truth is to hear." For it was somewhat hard to swallow – the fact that, if he was right (oh, please, let it be so), the elves had been of more help to Teddy – and by the sounds of things, others – than he. But a painful half-truth is still a truth.

Vickers glared at the elves; they impassively ignored him, staring at Harry. Then Vickers snarled. "Dismissed," he hissed at the elves. They cracked away. Vickers turned to Harry. "I don't trust them Potter. Just like I don't trust you." He enunciated clearly. "I can see this is all you'll give me, for now. But I will be watching you. If you, or any of your friends, fail to show up on Monday morning for Academy training, then I'll have no choice but to find you and bring you in for questioning. And I know you wouldn't want that. After all...you wouldn't want to jeopardise the investigation into the werewolves. It might end badly for your questionable choice of family."

As Harry blanched, Vickers laughed and indicated the 'door'.

Well! How do you like that? I said some things were a bit different, didn't I?
…Actually, the boys said that, above, but anyway…

Thanks for this chapter go to RhodaBush, who is my latest reviewer and follower. Also to knightlu, who has recently followed this story.

The format of the radio conversation is taken from formats used on Classic FM and 774 ABC, who have "Conversation Hours" at specific times with different guests.
I'm a Beatles fan, and given Remus is halfblood, and was a child when they were first 'big', so to speak, I've pegged him as one too. Those of you who've read Wolf and Nymph: A Tale will know that.
I highly recommend Graeme Connors. He's an Australian singer, and has some brilliant songs – A Sacred Place being just one of them. I can't find when it was released, which is extremely frustrating – I'm just pretending it was released before August 1998, hopefully before 1990.

I'm not sure when chapter 14 will appear…It's uni holidays, hence why I'm able to have time to post, but it also means I'll have time to work on my original story that's been languishing on the backburner (I hope). And I want to make some progress with that, so that will probably come first.

Still, I'll try.