Thanks to: Cal, Colin Creevey and RandomGerman for reviewing!

Wyatt fled, as usual in Hogwarts the rugged stone walls made for great grips to grab onto so he could leap and glide or simply climb. He threw himself from wall to wall in the corridor outside his cell, getting higher and higher each time then he crawled along the ceiling. Below him he was vaguely aware of Yannis who didn't even reach the end of the corridor before he did despite Wyatt not being able to move as fast as he would've liked, he left the corridor and flew to the nearest window now he was out of the dungeon. He squeezed out of the window, the cold wind battering him but the relief of fresh air was too much and he flew down onto a buttress where he had to pause.

He lay there weakly, gasping for breath as pain reignited through his body. Transforming from a fully grown man into a lizard was not the best idea if some of your bones were broken, his ribs were broken even worse now and he could feel both that they were misshapen and digging into his insides. His feet also felt raw, gripping onto stones was not so easy when James had ripped out his nails which translated to a lack of claws as a lizard. His vision was also extremely disconcerting, since humans saw straight ahead he guess it didn't matter so much James took his eye but as a lizard he lost an entire side of his vision.

Though he didn't need both eyes to see the sea of Inferi below, covering every inch of the grounds he could see were the rotting bodies pressed together. He could see why it would be pretty impossible for Gray to help him, it wasn't like you could just walk through them and the second you slipped up you'd have an army of undead tearing you to shreds from every angle. No human could make it by them. As a lizard though he could simply fly, birds were flying over them without issue. If he aimed for the forest he could just tree hop until he was clear of the anti-apparation wards then it was as simple as transforming back and apparating back to Gray or the Embry's if the base really had fallen, he could manage that…

Yet, he didn't find himself moving. Even though he probably should as he was starting to think he needed medical attention, his breathing wasn't getting any easier. How he could he just leave the other prisoners behind? They were innocent, they were being tortured just because associating with Gray made them look suspicious then there were people like Yannis or Marigold or Sebastian. Going would be a lot easier than getting back and the more time passed the worse shape everyone would be in, leaving them behind could be costing them their lives. They didn't deserve that… Even his dad. Whatever issues he had, he didn't want him to die. He was still his dad.

He had to save them, he just wasn't sure how. Maybe… Maybe he could steal them broomsticks for them and they could fly away? Maybe none of the Inferi would look up, there were only thousands of them down there… Wyatt sighed – or tried to, breathing was still difficult – to himself, he wished he was smarter. He was sure anyone else in Gray would've thought of something already, it was probably so obvious too like something that'd have Rudy pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. At any rate he needed medical attention before he could do anything, Marigold should hopefully help him and maybe be willing to help save the others. If he was then great and if not… well he'd worry about that then, he wasn't good at planning at all let alone multiple scenario plans.

Wyatt braced himself and did the best he could to get his bearings with only one eye, knowing the layout helped which he'd of course memorized. The Hospital Wing at least wasn't that far away from his current position either, it did require a bit of scrambling to get higher but he pushed through the pain of it aggravating his feet. It wasn't the worst pain he'd endured lately. He opted not to go into the Hospital Wing though where Antonius' friend still was, instead popping into Marigold's office to ensure they'd be able to have a private conversation and diminish the risk of anyone seeing. Marigold wasn't there unfortunately – in fact the place looked in such disarray he almost wondered if something had happened - so he waited on the windowsill outside out of view of the room, the window itself was open so he could hear when Marigold returned while still being safe and able to flee if necessary. He was somewhat sheltered from the wind at least, though he felt so beat the ledge seemed almost comfy…

"Bloody hell, they didn't have to completely trash my room. Honestly!" a voice complained from inside.

Wyatt's eye snapped open, he hadn't even realize it had closed and found he was now choking on the air as breathing was not easy. He peeked into the room to confirm it was indeed Marigold, the healer was now fixing up the mess in his office and grumbling under his breath. It was now or never and Marigold even had his back to him, Wyatt crawled back inside the open window and transformed back into a human. He gasped in pain as his broken ribs were contorted again, trying to stand but ended up collapsing and heard Marigold shriek in surprise.

"Please help me…" Wyatt choked out, clutching at his ribs and trying to stand back up again.

"What in the world?!" Marigold complained and Wyatt felt the older man hook his arm under his to support him, guiding him towards an entrance not previously there, "Come on, the Shadows are all looking for you- They ransacked my quarters too!"

"Sounds like them…" Wyatt muttered as Marigold led him further into what had to be his quarters, ultimately laying him down on a bed.

"Well I guess on the bright side if they already searched my area they're less likely to do so again so you're safe… somewhat," Marigold mused and took out his wand, waving it over him and Wyatt noticed his face was all beat up, "You know we were trying to get you off Blood-Replenishing Potion not put you back on it because you gave yourself internal bleeding and a punctured lung, at least they're not cursed wounds so it's easy enough to heal."

"What… What happened to you?" Wyatt wondered and groaned in brief pain as his ribs contorted a final time, this time resetting them and healing them.

"James happened. Wanted to make sure I wasn't involved in helping you escape so he tortured me."

"I'm sorry," Wyatt offered guiltily, wondering if James would or had hurt anyone else over his escape, "Did James torture anyone else?"

"Just that poor kid he has for a slave- even after saying he didn't think there was any way a muggle slave could've done anything! He's such a sadistic Shadow fuck! Bastard," Marigold spat as he stopped to wave his wand in the air randomly, the news saddened him but the older man's tone surprised him.

"I didn't realize you were so anti-Shadow," Wyatt admitted curiously and some vials of potion flew into the room, evidently summoned by the Healer.

"Neither did I, turns out sadistic torture really pisses me off," Marigold mused before handing him the potions, "Drink. It'll help with your breathing, the other is Blood-Replenishing Potion."

"Okay," Wyatt agreed and obeyed as Marigold started waving his wand at him, he did find he was breathing a lot easier now and he didn't feel in so much pain.

"So what's your animagus?" Marigold asked out of the blue and Wyatt almost choked on the Blood-Replenishing Potion.

"Ex- Excuse me?"

"Only way you could've contorted your ribs like that is transformation, probably a much smaller critter. Also makes sense how you got out of your cell," Marigold explained, taking the vials from him and twirled his wand away from him again, "I'll patch you up the best I can but then you should really get out of here, its crawling with Shadows and I doubt you'll be able to get away so easily a second time."

"Yeah, I know," Wyatt sighed as another vial floated into the room, he tried to sit up but Marigold pushed him back down gently as he took the vial, "But I… I can't just leave everyone else here to be tortured to death, they're innocent. I thought maybe… between us we could… I don't know, save everyone."

"That's madness," Marigold scoffed, uncorking the vial and glancing at his eye, "Okay, open what's left of your eyelid wide as possible. It'll feel weird and cold but I need to apply this salve, the burns are starting to get infected so I need to nip it in the bud."

"Okay," Wyatt agreed nervously, doing as told and Marigold started to apply the salve to his eye socket. He shuddered both at the thought and temperature, he was right it felt very disconcerting and cold, "So why is my idea madness?"

"Well for starters there are guards, James may not have that many people but he has enough – there's one outside the Hospital Wing right now for crying out loud! They use Specters to check in so word travels fast if anything were to happen to them and something would need to happen to them, the only time they won't be fully staffed is the full moon otherwise-"

"Wait, they won't be here on the full moon?" Wyatt wondered with interest, trying to sit up but Marigold pushed him back down as he was still working with his eye.

"Don't want to risk their precious little lives if anything goes wrong and Sebastian bites anyone, I think there are only going to be one or two max."

"Is Yannis one of those one or two?" Wyatt asked hopefully, he'd really like to repay the boy's kindness by saving him too if possible.

"No, James keeps him pretty close to him and James isn't risking his precious cowardly hide," Marigold grumbled in answer, not the answer Wyatt had wanted unfortunately. There wasn't anything he could do about it though, other lives in more immediate danger were at stake right now. Some other time maybe, if they could survive this first.

"So how is Sebastian doing anyway?"

"As long as I can be with for damage control, he should survive the transformations," Marigold confirmed and Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief, the healer looked saddened though, "After that he should be good, which is also bad. If he survives the night they're shipping him off to the Werewolf Army they've been rebuilding, since werewolves lose their mind and follow an alpha without Wolfsbane… it doesn't matter if he's unwilling. He's more afraid of that then possibly dying, I'm not sure he'll be able to cope with what they'll make him do, even if the war ends in our favor."

"Isn't that all the more reason to escape while we still can?" Wyatt queried as Marigold finally seemed to finish with the salve on his eye, instead moving back to his wand and healing his torn up fingers, "Come on, its perfect. Barely any guards, a werewolf on our side, your inside knowledge and my stealth."

"There's still no way you can just waltz out with everyone, which I would have finished explaining before you so rudely interrupted me."

"Sorry."

"The others are in no condition to move with the exception of Auriga, James only lets me heal people enough to keep them alive so they're in bad shape. Koray and Byron are out of the question, the kid doesn't even legs and Koray's in the worst shape of anyone. Pollux and Grant may manage a little but Grant's still in bad shape, the kid is pretty unhurt but James screwed up his lungs pretty badly a few years ago and he can't cope with much exertion," Marigold explained briskly making Wyatt worry for his dad before the older man threw his arms up in exasperation, sarcasm dropping into his tone, "Oh yeah I almost forget, there's also a freakin' million Inferi standing right outside of the freakin' door!"

"Yeah… that's kind of a problem," Wyatt admitted, trying to wrack his brain as he finally got to sit back up.

"Only 'kind of' a problem?!" Marigold protested incredulously and Wyatt felt his face flush a little as he hung it, he supposed it was a big problem considering the others weren't also winged lizards, "Though I suppose that… theoretically Sebastian might be able to get away, werewolves are pretty fast and even at his age he's going to bigger than Inferi. If he makes a mad dash through them and can shoulder the pain of some of the inevitable wounds they'll manage to inflict on him, maybe he could even carry Auriga or some lighter people. But that's it! And even with that he'll die when he transforms back without my intervention, or another decent Healer I suppose."

Wyatt felt like a light lit up inside his brain.

"You're a genius!" Wyatt blurted out, head shooting up brightly and slapping his fist into his palm, "It's still like a week to the full moon, isn't it? Sebastian hasn't started taking Wolfsbane yet?"

"Not yet…" Marigold confirmed hesitantly, looking completely a loss, "Why don't I check you for head injuries again?"

"No!" Wyatt brushed it off, batting aside the Healer's hand as he went to raise his wand at him again, "Think about it, Marigold! Sebastian's a werewolf, when the full comes around he can bite me-"

"What?!"

"-If you give me Wolfsbane too then I should keep my mind too-"

"I… That's never been tested!"

"-Theoretically it should work though!" Wyatt insisted determinedly while Marigold folded his arms again, "And I'm an adult, I'll be stronger then Sebastian and we should have enough strength between us to carry everyone- including you! So come dawn you can save Sebastian and I'll take us to my people in Gray, everyone will be fine. It's perfect, that way everyone gets out alive."

"Or dies horribly," Marigold complained and Wyatt opened his mouth to object but the healer continued first, "Besides, you're forgetting a massive hole in your plan that makes it downright impossible from the get-go."

"What?!"

"You're an animagus, you can't become a werewolf."

"Ev- Even if I'm not transformed at the time?" Wyatt stammered out, feeling his hope sinking like a rock while Marigold merely shook his head, "Well mayb- maybe one of the others will be willing to-"

"Did you miss the part when I said they're in bad condition?!" Marigold interjected testily, "Or are a child but you'd need a healthy adult and that's assuming anyone like that was even insane enough to damn themselves to a life of lycanthropy for the one time in their lives it's going to be a positive thing in the first place!"

"A healthy adult, huh?" Wyatt repeated thoughtfully and as he looked at the healthy adult standing cross-armed in front of him, it occurred to him who was perfect seemingly in the same instant it did for him.

"Absolutely not!" Marigold shrieked, "I will not become a werewolf!"

"Ah come on, it's perfect!"

"Stop saying everything is perfect! Nothing is perfect! Your whole plan is built on luck and conjecture, it could just as easily lead to everyone dying horribly!"

"They're going to die horribly anyway!" Wyatt protested, based on how they'd treated Leebin and how he was barely okay after being rescued he very much doubted release of those tortured was an option, "Might as well give them the possibility of living and escape, I bet they'd chose that and we can leave anyone who isn't up for it anyway."

"I'm not up to it! I'm sorry but I draw the line at destroying my own life on the off chance your plan won't fail horribly."

"Why do you hate werewolves?"

"I don't!" Marigold insisted, looking rather offended, "I don't hate my other patients either but that doesn't mean I want to be afflicted by their ailments or injuries, I'm not a lunatic."

"Well what's your plan then? Hmm?" Wyatt challenged as he stood, "Just slowly watch innocent people slowly tortured to death?"

"You're a part of Gray, finish escaping and get help."

"If they had a way past the Inferi they probably would've done it already, getting through a mass of Inferi is just as difficult for them as it is for us. Except for them, they have to not only get in but get out with extra people so it's even worse and if I leave we lose whatever edge and chance we have of saving them. You've said yourself the others are in bad shape, at best it'd probably take Gray more time then they have and you also said yourself Sebastian will be taken away after the next full moon. My plan is the only way," Wyatt explained, feeling more and more confident in his argument. Not blindly confident though, he still knew he wasn't good at this, "Unless you can think of something better or are fine with damning innocents to death."

"When did it become my fault?" Marigold complained, moving away from him in exasperation, "I don't think wanting to still be able to have a life like the others should be too much to ask, becoming a werewolf would be like committing suicide and there's things I still want to do in my life."

"Like what?" Wyatt wondered incredulously, not thinking of anything he wouldn't still able to do as a werewolf unless all his life goals revolved around being human during the full moon.

"I- I'd like to see more of the world… when it's not so… erm… destroyed. Also, to get over my fear of traveling to see said world," Marigold stammered out, seemingly taken off-guard at being put on the spot or maybe it was embarrassment, his expression wasn't the easiest to read all when he was so beat up, "I want to finally be respected and… and to… to finally fall in love, I hear forty-five is the new twenty-five. Maybe start a family…"

"And you can't have those things as a werewolf?" Wyatt wondered, feeling pretty sure werewolves were perfectly capable of those things.

"Of course I can't!" Marigold snapped at him irritably, "You don't think I get enough hate for existing with a name like 'Marigold?!' Or being the one kid branded a 'freak' in Muggle School because weird stuff always happens around me and me alone?! Or being despised by my own house in Hogwarts because I was the only 'mudblood' in Slytherin?! Or still being hated outside of school and being passed over time and time again for any sliver of a promotion no matter how hard you work just because Slytherins are 'cowards' now and evil because of one bad guy and his followers – not all of whom even were Slytherin! – regardless that they also wanted me dead?! Or still being hated back in school just because you're replacing such a well-loved long standing staff member of Hogwarts even though it's hardly my fault she wanted to retire – which is a perfectly reasonable request and right that people have! – in her old age?! And you want to add lycanthropy – a terrible, painful, life-changing condition - on top of all that?! My life will be over!"

"I think you're being slightly overdramatic."

"I think you're being quite underdramatic!"

"That's not even a word!"

"That's beside the point!"

"Marigold?" a small voice questioned.

Wyatt immediately transformed and dived behind an overturned box on the table at the end of the bed, despite recognizing the voice he wanted to be cautious. He peered around the box using his good eye and sure enough, saw the familiar mop of honey-colored hair as the small First Year werewolf Sebastian Libra wandering weakly into the room. He wore a look of concern and seemed much paler then Wyatt remembered, or maybe it was just the new black bags under his eyes made the contrast more noticeable.

"What are you doing out of bed?!" Marigold demanded of him, hurrying over and casting his wand over him quickly as if to make sure he was okay, "You need to rest."

"I'm sorry," Sebastian apologized guiltily, averting his eyes nervously while Marigold kneeled to be closer to his chest which was where he'd been injured, "You said you'd only be a minute so I got worried, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Marigold said more gently and lowered his wand, seemingly satisfied with the boy's health for the moment, "You just have to remember to put your health first."

"How is your health? You look hurt and then you didn't come back," Sebastian wondered with concern.

"I'll survive, don't worry about me," Marigold brushed it off and put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, prompting Sebastian to actually meet his eyes, "Come on, we should get you back to bed. You need to be resting and try to sleep, okay? I can't give you a Sleeping Draught with the other potions you're on."

"I'm sorry," Sebastian apologized again, averting his sorrowful gaze again, "It's hard to sleep."

"I know but you need your strength," Marigold urged him also in a tone of concern as he got to his feet, starting to guide Sebastian back and their voices faded out as they got further away.

Wyatt could do nothing more than wait, for the first time in what felt like a long time he wasn't waiting in excruciating pain though the loss of vision continued to unnerve him as a lizard. He figured Marigold would have to come back eventually to carry on their discussion, Wyatt used the time to try think of a less life-altering plan but he was drawing blanks. After about an hour or so, the Head Healer returned.

"You still around? I need to finish healing your more minor injuries," Marigold offered, sounding utterly defeated. Wyatt heard him heave a heavy sigh, "And… And you win, I was being selfish. I'll do it, I'll become a werewolf and we can try save the others."

Six year old Vathan Lestrange opened his eyes tiredly, seeing darkness was still all around him. It wasn't day yet, something else had awoken him in the middle of the night. He hadn't woken from a bad dream at least which he was glad for, it wasn't like Brutus was around to comfort him anymore. He sighed, sorrow swelling in his heart at the thought.

Brutus was gone. He didn't know where he was or if he'd even survived what had happened, the not-knowing was the worst. It left too scared to hope but too hopeful to despair, he didn't know how you were supposed to feel when you didn't know what had even happened and you were just stuck in conflicted limbo. He was unfortunately used to the feeling with his brother Oathan but now the both of their fates were unknown, same went for poor little Omega. The only difference was the person who'd supported him through it was now part of the problem, based on things he'd said before vanishing and what Sal had said he wasn't sure he'd ever see him again even if he was alive. He didn't understand. He just didn't understand.

Vathan sighed sadly once more, it really didn't help he was incapable of doing anything to take his mind off it. He was bedridden, recovering from a broken spine so his thoughts hadn't much else to do besides torture him. It was also why he couldn't sit up to investigate the cause of his awakening, the Healers had made it pretty clear he needed to stay lying flat or it'd mess up the magic and he'd take even longer to heal. It was taking so long anyway though that Vathan wondered how much worse it could possibly be.

He turned his head of dark hair which had a slight wave to it, spotting a person in the room not previously there. Sal Riddle, the Shadow Master she wasn't there for him. In the bed beside him lay Lazarus, her and Brutus' other son. He was barely alive, Vathan had heard a lot of words like 'critical condition' being said by the Healers about how he was doing lately and seen Sal burn a lot of people alive accidently in anger because he was still not better when she returned, then stuff would blow up because she was mad that they were dead. Stuff like that was why she scared him sometimes.

She wasn't doing anything scary right now though, she was just cradling Lazarus in her arms gently. Lazarus had yet to wake up. Vathan desperately wished he would, he did care a lot about the toddler and wanted him to be okay. He felt like they could all do with some good news right now too, maybe if he did then Brutus would hear about it if he was alive and come back with the others and they could all be a family again.

That didn't happen though. Sal just stayed for a long while, holding her son. Only when daylight started to touch the sky did she lay him back down, tucking him comfortably back into his blankets and planting a kiss on his forehead with a look of love. Lazarus didn't even stir, eyes remaining firmly shut. She stepped back, wiping tears he hadn't noticed from her eyes. Upon lowering her hand, her angry expression had returned and she vanished into the darkness once more. Vathan thought that was one good thing, he sure was glad to not be one of her enemies right now. Those people were screwed.