A/N: Sorry for the delay. I got stuck writing and rewriting the wrong POV for weeks, and then I had to accept all that work had been for nothing, and then it took a while to write this chapter from a POV I don't like.

It's really frustrating to be stuck at this point of the story when in my mind I'm already writting the epilogue of the last book, several hundred chapters in the future. I also can't wait to write the Third Task and what comes afterwards. But unfortunately all these pre chapters must be written first. Did I mention that I consider the entire first book (the Damned Goblet) nothing but a long building up to the actual story? This is all to make possible the Harry-Severus relationship that will begin to properly develop in the next book (the Bloody Toad). And, well, there is also building up for many other relationships and future events.

I did warn you in chapter one that this is to be a LONG story.

And this is another rather long chapter (10k), so set aside some time to read it without interruptions.

Review if you want, ideally if you have something nice or encouraging to say (I could use some encouragement to get past this bloody night). Cheers!

Chapter 77

Albus' first thought when he saw Remus walk into his office was that perhaps it had been a mistake to consider him for the maze.

Of course his main reason for considering him had been the personal relationship with Harry, which hopefully was close enough, but it had also borne on the decision the relative harmlessness of Remus compared to other werewolves of the same gender and age range. Next to someone like Fenrir Greyback, who had embraced his curse and lived wild for decades, Remus had seemed undersized, weak, physically unthreatening in human form, which should have translated to a less dangerous werewolf during the full moon.

Things had plainly changed over the last year, though. Remus looked definitely bigger, broader, more robust than the last time Albus had seen him, perhaps not as muscularly imposing as Greyback but just as powerfully built, and visibly stronger as well. Werewolves' physical development was dependent of their lifestyle, so it wasn't really surprizing that a year living amongst his kind, running free and wild every full moon, had effected some improvement in Remus, but Albus had expected the opposite, remembering how the constant stress, conflict and hardship inherent of that sort of life had affected the young werewolf during the previous war.

Not only Remus looked fitter and more formidable than ever before, he also looked unexpectedly healthy. There was no limping, no hobbling, no wincing, no shaking, no visible bleeding, nothing in his appearance or movements that suggested he might be in pain or experiencing any sort of discomfort. Of course it made sense that Severus had taken the time to heal his 'guest' before releasing him, and given enough potions or drugs even an agonizing man could be made to walk straight, but Albus had not expected Remus to look so well after a six-hour visit to the Slytherin quarters.

What really unsettled him, though, was the threat that Remus radiated with every step. It wasn't just the physical development that made him look more dangerous, but the aggressive attitude, the almost palpable darkness he emanated, so thick and cold and threatening that Albus couldn't help feeling instinctively afraid in his presence, suddenly assaulted by a variety of doubts, fears and second thoughts.

If was easy to understand why anyone would succumb to impure thoughts at the sight of Remus Lupin —the man was quite an especimen, and he must look even better naked—, but even if Severus were so attracted (which Albus doubted) it was extremely hard to believe he could have gathered the nerve to come intimately close to such an obvious werewolf.

Even in human form, Remus was a walking nightmare, Albus had never seen that so clearly before, had never really understood why Severus was so wary of him the entire month.

And if he looked so dangerous now, what chance would the champions stand against him in the maze?

Perhaps Albus should forget this whole idea and give Olympe green light to negotiate the parole of a French werewolf instead...

Remus seemed to completely drop the attitude when he sat down, all traces of anger slipping from his face as if he had been wearing a dark mask, but Albus was left with the uneasy feeling that he had just had a glimpse of his real face. For the first time, he had seen the creature in him, and also perhaps the dark side of his human self, which clearly wasn't as unfalteringly mild and forgiving as the man strived to be most of the time.

Albus didn't really want to know what Severus had done to bring the wolf so close to the surface.

"I was beginning to fear you would not be able to come," he finally managed to say, willing his heart to slow down after the instinctual fright Remus' entrance had given him.

"Why would you fear that? You had no reason to think I might be in serious danger, else you wouldn't have left me down there with Severus."

The words were innocent, the tone polite, but Remus' eyes were as sharp as Severus' tongue, the accusation in them belying his spoken absolution.

"You said you wanted to stay," reminded him Albus, fighting down the guilt he had no reason to feel.

"I did want to stay, and nothing bad happened, so clearly leaving me there was the right choice."

Again, the words were polite and absolving, but the eyes told another story. Albus was rapidly realizing that Remus' anger when he had walked in had been directed at him, not at Severus —although no doubt it was mostly a projection, and deep down he must be angry at himself, for refusing help when it had been offered.

Albus couldn't help feeling a bit guilty —he had, after all, suspected Remus might have been coerced to stay with Severus—, but there was nothing he could do about that now so he opted for ignoring the polite hostility.

"Well, I'm glad you and Severus managed to work out your differences," he said neutrally. The werewolf glared at him, but he ignored that too. "Are you injured? Do you need medical attention?"

"No, thank you, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look a bit pale," insisted Albus, noticing that indeed the man didn't look quite so well at closer inspection. Now that he was no longer scowling like a werewolf, his exhaustion was evident, as it was the redness around his eyes —a sign of recent crying— and the greyish hue of his skin.

"I lost some blood earlier," said Remus, waving a hand dismissively as if that had happened months ago, "but Severus patched me up and gave me a Blood-Replenishing Potion. It really was just a misunderstanding."

Albus raised his eyebrows.

"Judging by the state of Severus' quarters, it must have been a serious misunderstanding. May I ask what caused it?"

"Apparently Severus thought I was some sort of infiltrated agent, sent by Voldemort to confund Harry and kill Crouch and some elf..." Remus shook his head as if trying to shake off unpleasant memories. "Severus assumed I was making contact with him as a Death Eater, so he attacked me, and I thought he was attacking me because he was a real Death Eater, so I fought back... It took us some time to realize we're actually on the same side." Remus shook his head again and sighed. "Like I said, it was a misunderstanding, and Severus patched me up afterwards."

Albus nodded thoughtfully. It hadn't occurred to him that Severus might have mistaken Remus for a real enemy, but his reaction made a lot of sense —no doubt Alastor would have attacked Remus too, if he had found the werewolf inside Hogwarts at such suspicious time. He supposed it was reassuring that Severus was more inclined to kill a visiting Death Eater than to plot with him, although Albus wasn't so sure he would have reacted the same way if it had been anyone else who had presumably tried to make contact with him —Severus was a double agent, so regardless of his allegiance he could not afford to kill a fellow Death Eater if there was a chance his master would find out.

No. If Severus were to be contacted by a real Death Eater, he would handle the exchange with the calm subtlety of a spy, gathering information and playing his part well start to finish. He likely had only reacted violently in this case because it was Remus, whom Severus would never accept as a brother in darkness regardless of his own allegiance.

It was encouraging, however, that in the end both men had managed to agree they were both on the same side —the light side—, and that upon such realization Severus had decided to heal Remus rather than kill him. Of course Albus knew that the night had not ended there, and he suspected any number of other disagreements had been addressed through the following hours, but perhaps the rest of it had been just sex.

Although if there had been drugs involved...

"Severus has been under a lot of stress lately," he said, trying to steer the conversation towards the substance abuse. "Between the Triwizard Tournament, his exposure as a Death Eater, and Voldemort's return... I gather you already know about all that?"

"I found out tonight, yes. I also know that Harry is a champion, and that he had to rescue Sirius from the bottom of a lake." Remus looked suddenly angry again. "How could you not tell me, Dumbledore? You know I don't get the Daily Prophet in the wild, I depend on you to keep me informed of what's going on, and you didn't even warn me that Voldemort's back?"

"I only received confirmation of Voldemort's resurrection two weeks ago," tried to explain Albus, "I was going to tell you tonight-"

"The Triwizard Tournament has been going on since October," cut him off Remus harshly. "Harry has been a champion since Halloween, and Sirius has been back in Britain for months."

Albus sighed.

"I'm sorry, Remus. I thought best that you knew as little as possible about what was happening here. You could have done nothing but worry while you were undercover, I was trying to spare you some anxiety-"

"Don't lie to me!" snapped the werewolf. "You just didn't want me to abandon my mission. Would you even have told me if Harry had died in some task? If Sirius had gotten arrested and kissed?"

"You agreed to go undercover knowing that it would mean breaking off contact with Harry and Sirius for a while, Remus," reminded him Albus sternly. "It was the same last time, and if you recall back then you were not informed of the McKinnons' or Prewetts' deaths until after Voldemort had disappeared."

"Back then I wasn't so isolated, Dumbledore. Fenrir was coming and going all the time, reporting to Voldemort and bringing news of the war. I heard about the McKinnons long before you told me, you just confirmed it, and I learned about Voldemort's defeat from Fenrir too." Remus narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "For which I should be thankful, I suspect. Would you have ever told me the war was over if I hadn't found out and left the pack on my own? Would you have told me of James' and Lily's deaths? Of Sirius' betrayal?"

"Remus-"

"Were you ever going to tell me that Severus is a Death Eater? Don't you think I had a right to know what sort of wizard was brewing my Wolfsbane last year?"

"Remus!" called Albus sharply. "Calm yourself. I understand that you have gone through a lot tonight, but you need to keep your temper under control. And you need to trust that I have good reasons to do everything I do."

"I'm sure they are good reasons to you, but it is not you who has to risk his life blindly!"

"I do have to decide when to give information, and when to withhold it, and I assure you it is never an easy decision. I would gladly surrender the burden and lay out all my knowledge for everyone to see, but sometimes withholding information is the best way to protect people, both from themselves and from those who would use it against them. I think if you thought about it calmly you would understand and even agree with me."

Remus continued glaring resentfully at him for a long moment, seemingly determined to hold on to his anger, but eventually he deflated and let out a weary sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said, slumping his shoulders and rubbing his face tiredly. "It just has been too much, all at once. I had no idea about anything. Hearing that Voldemort is back, and that Harry's a triwizard champion at fourteen, and all about Severus... Is it true that he tortured Sirius?"

"I'm afraid so," said Albus, relieved to see the man returning to his normal human self. He had not expected to have to deal with an angry werewolf tonight. "But Sirius himself admitted that he had provoked him. Are you sure you don't need healing assistance, Remus?"

"I'm sure, I'm fine."

"A headache or pain reliever, perhaps?"

"No, thank you."

"Shall I call for tea?" offered Albus when he felt confident the werewolf would not throw the tea cup back to his face. "Or would you like to have some breakfast? You might need more than potions to replenish your energy after losing so much blood."

Remus ended up accepting breakfast, but he didn't eat much when the food arrived, which wasn't surprizing after all the physical and chemical abuse his digestive system had probably endured —nausea was a common side effect of Blood-Replenishing and other healing potions, and Albus knew being at the receiving end of a vigorous dark wizard could leave one feeling a bit queasy.

It also quickly became apparent that Remus was only using his right arm, keeping his left one rigidly still by his side even when performing tasks that customarily required two hands. Albus suspected the man had some broken bone, or perhaps a resettled shoulder that was still sore, but as Remus seemed determined to deny any injuries or pain he just filed away the observation and pretended not to notice.

"As I was saying, Severus has been under a lot of pressure lately," he said as he watched his visitor skilfully peel an egg with one hand, "and he hasn't been handling it well. Sirius bit him when he was here in February, and since then Severus' hostility towards Harry has reached alarming levels. Even though he's still on our side," hopefully, "he has been slipping back into dark habits, behaving erratically, mistreating students more than usual... I'm particularly worried about the substance abuse. His alcohol consumption has steadily increased through the year, which is concerning in itself, but he seemed to be under the influence of something stronger tonight..."

Albus looked inquiringly at Remus, who let out a mirthless snort over his cup of tea.

"Severus was under the influence of a lot of things tonight," said the werewolf bitterly. "Vodka, whisky, energy boosters, physical enhancers, probably aphrodisiacs judging by the effects..." Remus shifted uncomfortably in place, avoiding Albus' gaze. "If by stronger you mean illegal substances, though, I don't think so. I would have smelled it on him if he had taken some muggle drug, and as far as I know recreational potions, even dark ones, are only illegal if one administers them to another person without consent. Not that he took anything dark either, I would have sensed that too."

Albus breathed in relief. It hadn't even occurred to him the possibility of dark potions, but he had feared Severus might have been dabbling with muggle drugs again, which would have been much more concerning given the extremely addictive properties of those substances. It was still concerning the amount of alcohol Severus was ingesting, but he was hardly the only member of staff with such problem, and as to the other recreational substances... plenty wizards took aphrodisiacs and physical enhancers to aid their performance, especially above certain age or when they were not sexually attracted to a particular gender, and again Severus was hardly the only member of staff who made use of such substances.

The matter of consent was more troublesome. Remus had all but confirmed that he and Severus had engaged in sexual activities, but Albus very much doubted any or all of it had been mutually consensual. He also doubted Remus had received his own dose of aphrodisiacs or even just enough alcohol to relax him into it. With any luck there had been lubricant involved, but while Severus was generally obsessive about preparation Albus couldn't imagine him offering a finger massage nor any other considerations to a werewolf he despised. Most likely the intercourse had been rough and forcible, a blunt, ruthless act of domination dragged on for hours with the aid of sexual stimulants and physical boosters.

Despite himself, Albus found the mental scenario mildly arousing, and with arousal came shame and self-disgust. Sexual congress inspired by hate rather than love, driven by anger rather than devotion, went against his highest principles, but he couldn't deny that it had been Gellert's darker side he had been madly attracted to. Not that Gellert had ever hurt him or forced him, but Albus knew that having the power to do so had turned him on, and the dark gleam in his wicked eyes when he was in control...

What would people think, if they knew you're not only a pervert, but one interested exclusively in dark wizards?

Severus' taunting words from earlier reverberated inside his mind, hitting the mark again with their shameful accuracy and making him suddenly realize that Remus must have heard every word as well. What had he made of it? Remus was a very tolerant person, Albus knew he would not judge anyone for their sexual preferences, certainly not for their sexual experiences, but he might not be so supportive of romantic entanglements between the leader of the light and genocide dark wizards...

"I won't say that I'm not worried about Severus too," said Remus, breaking through his troubled reverie. "He's obviously not handling the pressure well. It sounds like his situation is very stressful and dangerous, he must be afraid even if he won't admit it, and living in the same castle with some unknown Death Eater who might be watching his every move clearly makes him paranoid. It's no wonder he's so tense, but I think he could handle all that if we all just left him alone. Keep Sirius and myself away from him, tell Moody to stop harassing him, don't touch his stuff nor intrude in his private space, and he'll climb out of his dark hole on his own." Remus shrugged, wincing slightly when his left shoulder and arm accompanied the gesture. "That's just my opinion, though. Severus always wanted to be left alone, as children he never did anything unprovoked, if no one bothered him he just read all day without paying attention to anyone. I doubt he would have ever become a Death Eater if he hadn't been constantly harassed and bullied at school, and I don't think he would make that choice again unless his own allies pushed him to it."

Albus felt his heart constrict, and another wave of shame washed over him at the realization that a man who had just spent six hours being violently and sexually assaulted by his former schoolmate had more faith in Severus than he did. Remus hadn't been in Hogwarts the past few months, true, so he hadn't witnessed the progressive degeneration of Severus' attitude and behaviour, but he had just spent the night with the Death Eater at his worst, so his opinion carried considerable weight.

And he was right. Albus knew that Severus wouldn't be at the end of his rope if they had all left him alone, like Remus recommended. If Alastor hadn't spent the entire year harassing him, if Sirius hadn't bitten him and invaded his classroom, if Albus hadn't searched his quarters and repeatedly demanded to see his Patronus instead of simply trusting him. Remus' visit tonight also seemed to have made things worse, although the fact that Severus hadn't killed him nor taken any serious drugs suggested he wasn't so out of control as Albus had feared.

That didn't mean Severus could be trusted, though. The only certainty Albus had about his allegiance was that it wasn't with him, and that made the man untrustworthy even if he was still on Harry's side. Add to that the hatred Albus had seen in his eyes tonight, and Severus must be reclassified as an enemy, again regardless of which side he chose. It definitely would be imprudent to relax his watch on the wavering Potions Master, although it did seem a bad idea to continue invading his privacy or pressuring him to open up about his internal struggles.

Heaving another sigh, and feeling suddenly all the cumulated exhaustion of the last year on top of his sleepless night, Albus rubbed his eyes under his glasses and tried to decide how to proceed. Part of him wanted to continue discussing the Severus problem, interrogate Remus more closely and take advantage of his insightful opinions to decide how to handle his troublesome spy, but at the same time he felt inclined to drop the subject. There were things about Severus that Albus couldn't freely discuss with Remus, questions he couldn't ask without revealing too much, and no doubt there were also many things that Remus didn't want to discuss with him, painful memories and intimate details about Severus that despite his curiosity Albus would rather not hear. The essentials of what had happened in the dungeons had already been explained, there was no need to know more unless it involved Harry and the maze. And Albus was certain that if Remus' possible participation in the Third Task had been discussed between the two men this conversation would either not be taking place or the subject would have already come up.

"I will keep in mind your advice about Severus," he said finally, clearing the breakfast leftovers from his desk with a wave of his wand. "And if there's something else in regards to him or his behaviour tonight that you would like to share or discuss, I will of course listen." Remus shook his head, and Albus nodded. "Then perhaps we could move on to other matters. You said in your last reports that there has been unrest amongst the werewolves, struggles for dominance and control, could you elaborate on that?"

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"To call it unrest is to put it mildly," he said. "Things have calmed down considerably now, but there has been a lot of fighting and plotting, several deaths and major changes in the power structure of the pack. Fenrir is no longer in charge, he was overpowered by another male in January, and the new alpha gave him the choice of submitting or leaving. He left."

Albus raised both his eyebrows, thoroughly shocked by that piece of news.

"Who is in charge now?" he asked, not daring to hope Greyback's displacement was a good thing.

"A werewolf named Jonas, with Fenrir's former paramour as his second-in-command. He has the support of most females and about half the males."

"Jonas?" repeated Albus with a frown. "I don't remember you mentioning him before."

"I haven't. He's from another pack, one that was settled in Wales until recently. That's the other major change: Jonas has merged all the British packs into one. Except from Fenrir, who chose to leave rather than fight, all the other pack-leaders were killed, along with any wolves who refused to submit or share their females with the new alpha."

Albus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. These were worrisome news. A mysterious werewolf popping out of nowhere and rallying the entire werewolf population under a single leadership? Taking over all the packs and murdering any dissenters? This had Lord Voldemort's name written all over it. Albus had expected Tom to use Greyback again, but it seemed he had found a more powerful werewolf to support, one that in only a few months had managed to put together an alarmingly large army of dark creatures.

At his request, Remus extracted a memory of Jonas and poured it into the Pensieve for examination. It was a simple snapshot, just to a put a face to the name, but Albus could tell a lot from a man's face, and he could tell at a glimpse that Jonas was the Slytherin type.

"Any indications that he might be working for Voldemort?" he asked as he watched the new player scowl on the surface of his Pensieve.

"No," said Remus shaking his head. "Jonas doesn't even know that Voldemort is back."

"He might know and be keeping it quiet," mused Albus. "You said that he came from another pack, Voldemort could have contacted him months ago and sent him to gather all the other packs."

"I very much doubt that. Jonas' pack was just as isolated as Fenrir's, and none of its members had anything to do with Voldemort during the last war. Besides, I don't think he ever planned or even aspired to be in the position he is now. His pack was small, only two females for five males, and he's not the sort to intentionally make new werewolves, so he tried to join a bigger group. Fenrir welcomed him and his people with arms open, he was looking forward to beat down another alpha at the next full moon, and Jonas seemed resigned, but then to everyone's surprize Fenrir lost the dominance contest. The rest was mostly out of Jonas' control. He could have been killed the morning after the full moon, but to his own surprize more than half the pack was willing to support him against Fenrir, and he's gained even more support ever since."

"You said he's taken control of more packs, though," said Albus. "That he went around the country killing all the alphas and claiming all their women. That is not the behaviour of someone who finds himself accidentally in power."

Remus frowned.

"It is the behaviour of someone who had to prove that beating Fenrir hadn't been a fluke," he said in a defensive tone. "Consistently beating every other alpha male he came across, either in wolf or in human form, served to intimidate those who would still challenge him. Also, merging several packs together allowed supporters from different groups to form alliances, while the dissenters fought over who would take charge if Jonas was brought down."

"So Jonas is trying to consolidate his rule," concluded Albus, "clearly aiming for total domination. And given the timing it is extremely likely that Voldemort is moving his strings. He certainly is thinking like a Slytherin. Is Jonas a powerful wizard?"

Remus' frown deepened.

"Powerful enough."

"Does he use Dark Magic?"

"Sometimes. But he's not a dark wizard, and he's not working for Voldemort. I'm actually worried that Fenrir might tell Voldemort about Jonas and get him killed. Now that all the packs are merged, whoever beats Jonas automatically rules over all werewolves in Britain, so-"

"All?" interrupted Albus. "You mean to say that civilized werewolves have also been recruited?"

"No one has been recruited," said Remus, looking annoyed. "And no, I meant all the wild werewolves. Although I dare say many civilized werewolves would consider joining the pack now that Jonas is in charge. Life is better for us in the wild, healthier, together we can protect each other and interact with people without fear of rejection or arrest, and with Fenrir gone there is more equality, less oppression..."

"You said this Jonas kills any werewolf who refuses to share his mate," reminded him Albus. "He doesn't sound much better than Greyback. Or Voldemort, for that matter."

Remus' eyes flashed in sudden anger.

"Jonas is different," he growled. "There are things an alpha wolf must do to keep everyone in line. Showing that he can take any female he wants, and kill anyone who objects, is one of those things. Unlike Fenrir, however, Jonas only does that when they defy him, those who prove themselves willing to submit are allowed to keep their women exclusively most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"He can't very well control himself during the full moon, can he?" snapped Remus. "He rarely takes unwilling women in human form, though. Jonas actually protects the females from unwanted attention, he doesn't tolerate rape, and he doesn't condone the abduction of muggle women or boys for entertainment. Sounds much better than Fenrir and Voldemort to me."

"I admit that he does sound different," conceded Albus, "but he might not be as different as you think. Offering protection to the females might seem noble, but it could be simply a self-serving strategy to gain the loyalty —and the willingness— of a significant portion of the pack. Likewise, forbidding the kidnaping and abuse of muggle women might seem right-minded, but it could be a simple control tactic to make sure Jonas is the only one who can provide entertainment —if all the pack females are under his protection, and there are no other women available, then anyone desirous of company must curry his favour."

"Jonas is not like that," said Remus hotly. "You don't even know him, Dumbledore, and you directly assume even the good things he does are motivated by evilness? You don't think werewolves can be decent?"

"I didn't say that. I am simply pointing out that the tactics Jonas is using to take control and gather support are very similar to those used by Lord Voldemort. And given the timing of this development, we cannot assume they are not connected."

"They are not," stated Remus with certainty. "You're focusing your paranoia on the wrong person, Dumbledore. Fenrir is the real threat. All the other werewolves are currently accounted and under control, while Fenrir is out there, on the loose, probably looking for Voldemort. And Fenrir getting in touch with Voldemort would be really bad."

Albus rather thought Voldemort getting in touch with Jonas would be really bad. A werewolf strong enough to beat down Fenrir Greyback, powerful enough to keep his entire kind in line, charming or cunning enough to win over all the females and even civilized werewolves like Remus... Albus was still convinced that Tom was somehow behind this unexpected change of leadership and suspicious pack-merging, but even if he wasn't, there was no doubt that once he heard about Jonas he would try to recruit him. And it would not be hard to corrupt a werewolf who already shared his views about power, dominance and social segregation.

"Greyback certainly is a concern," he mused out loud, "but I'm guessing he will lay low for the moment. What I find interesting is that so many within his own pack were so eager to support another alpha. It indicates a level of discontent much higher than I had thought, especially amongst the females. Clearly Jonas has capitalized from that, but perhaps we could use it too. Women who wish to be better treated, men who wish to maintain exclusive relationships with their women... those are people craving for civilization. Werewolves who might turn their backs on Jonas too if a more civilized alternative were offered."

Remus narrowed his eyes.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I am thinking that perhaps if you approached these people —cautiously, of course— and spoke to them of the sort of life they could have if they returned to the wizarding world, some of them might decide to leave the pack. They can't be happy living as they do, unable to deny their bodies or partners to whoever is in charge, even if whoever is in charge now is somewhat better than Greyback. It hurts a man's pride not to be able to protect his woman-"

"Jonas protects the women," said Remus sharply. "He is the alpha, so all the females are his to protect, and he decides who gets to fuck them. Other men's pride is irrelevant."

"That despotic attitude is precisely why people might want to leave the pack," observed Albus, slightly taken aback by Remus' uncharacteristic crudeness and callousness. "Men can only tolerate such oppression for so long, and women don't like being treated like property-"

"It is not oppression," argued Remus, "it is order. And with all due respect, Dumbledore, I don't think you're qualified to say what women like or don't like. Certainly not what werewolf women like."

Albus pursed his lips. He didn't appreciate having his opinions dismissed because of his sexual orientation, but he couldn't deny his lack of intimate experience with women so he gestured for Remus to continue.

"Women like to be claimed and possessed, Dumbledore," said the werewolf. "They want to be protected and dominated, owned by someone who will take good care of them. They also really like sex, and in the case of female werewolves they all like it rough, and are rough themselves, so they need strong, tough males who can handle them and fuck them as hard as they want. Muggle men are too fragile and weak for them, and most human wizards would either refuse to touch them or would chain them up like animals, so they need werewolf men, both for protection and for sex. They also need the companionship and support of other females like them, women who understand and share their situation —being unable to bear children is a big issue for them, it would make them miserable to live in a comunity where women went around carrying toddlers or comparing their pregnancies." Remus paused to take a deep breath. "There is a reason why not a single female left Fenrir over the years. Why they all choose life in a pack even if they are mistreated. They are as happy as they can be, living as they do, and if they all put up with Fenrir or with their respective alphas —and I assure you the other alphas were not much more civilized than Fenrir— there is no way any of them will leave now that Jonas is in charge."

Albus scratched his beard while he contemplated the sad conundrum of werewolf women. The convoluted workings of female minds and bodies had always puzzled him, but he could understand the desire to be claimed and possessed, to have someone stronger in charge. He also could relate with the inability to have children of his own, and he knew how lonely it was to live surrounded by people who didn't suit one's needs, to watch others grasp so easily what one could never reach.

"Perhaps they could be persuaded to leave in small groups," he said after pondering the problem for a minute. "That way they would still have a sense of pack, and suitable companions to cover their needs. You could approach specific females or males who are likely to take others with them if they leave —couples who would follow each other, friends and close allies-"

"What part of they don't want to leave you don't understand?" snapped Remus, his temper rising again. "Jonas is not keeping them prisoner, they are all free to go, and yet they stay. Even if some wanted to leave, where exactly would they go, Dumbledore? You talked about offering them a more civilized alternative, but what is that alternative? Living like pariahs in human society? Rejected everywhere they go, mistrusted, hated for what they are, exploited, discriminated, forced to live in poverty and inequity? Why would they choose to live like that and hurt themselves every month transforming in a cage? Or would you provide them all with civil rights, education and access to Wolfsbane? Would you intercede for them if they killed or infected someone by accident?"

"I get your point, Remus," said Albus holding up a hand to halt the ranting werewolf. "I admit I don't know how good an alternative we could offer. Probably not good enough, being things as they currently are in the wizarding world. But I still think we should try to persuade as many werewolves as possible away from Jonas' influence. He is mostly supported by the females, you said, and he in time uses the females to control the males. Take a significant number away, and his rule will crumble, those who remain might turn against him or scatter-"

"And that would be bad, Dumbledore! Where do you think scattered werewolves would go? There is no place for them in the wizarding world, and they can't simply upgrade themselves to alphas and form new packs. As long as Jonas lives they all belong to him, they can't break the connection, so they will look for someone who can do it for them. I guarantee you that any werewolf that leaves the pack will end up under Voldemort's protection, and once he hears the tale Voldemort will try to get Jonas killed so Fenrir can take charge again."

"That might be preferable in the long term," reflected Albus. "Greyback might be more savage, but he had less support amongst the werewolves, and he has proven himself weaker. If he got back in charge now, chances are he would not last long, some female would probably murder him in his sleep the first time he relaxed his guard. And with neither Jonas nor Greyback to bind them together, the werewolves would be free to truly scatter and form smaller packs, some of which might prefer to hide from Voldemort rather than join him."

Remus stared at him for long seconds, a storm visibly gathering in his eyes.

"I tell you that most werewolves are happier with Jonas, that he keeps everyone in line, that he doesn't support Voldemort and never will, and your response is to hope Voldemort will kill him?" he asked in an icy tone that sent a shiver down Albus' spine. "You would prefer my kind to be back under Fenrir's brutal control, or half-scattered across a country soon-to-be in war, than safely contained by Jonas? Why? What do you have against him?"

"I don't have anything against him," said Albus placantly. "Like you said, I do not know him personally, so I cannot form a definite judgement about him. But I do know his type, Remus, and I have lived and seen enough to know that power corrupts, if held for too long or in too large quantities. Jonas has too much power already, and Voldemort can offer him more, it is just a matter of time-"

"You have power too, Dumbledore," cut him off Remus. "A lot of it. Should we expect you to jump into bed with Voldemort the moment he offers you more? Or have you already done that?"

There was an explosion of exclamations in the office as all around them outraged headmasters and headmistresses reacted to the scandalous insinuation. Remus didn't relent, though.

"Is that why James and Lily didn't trust you to be their Secret Keeper? I know you offered, and it would have made sense for them to accept, but they didn't. They didn't even tell you when they switched Secret Keepers from Sirius to Peter. I know why they mistrusted me, but what about you? Did they suspect you were likely to spill the secret during pillow talk with Voldemort?"

"That's enough, Remus," said Albus sharply. "I expect this sort of insolence and mockery from Severus, not from you."

"I'm not mocking you, Dumbledore, I am seriously asking. You said power corrupts, if held for too long or in too large quantities. And you have been the most powerful in Britain for at least half a century. So why should people trust their lives to you? Why should you be more trusted with power than Jonas? I know Voldemort isn't his type."

The portraits let out a collective gasp —they existed for drama— and fell completely silent on their own accord. Albus remained silent too, not willing to submit to such offensive interrogation, but as Remus seemed to be seriously questioning him —unlike Severus, who had been simply aiming to humiliate and hurt— he found himself giving serious thought to what his answers might be if he could be completely honest with someone other than himself.

Of course it was ludicrous the notion that Albus could ever 'jump into bed' —literally or figuratively— with Lord Voldemort, even if Tom probably was his type, but he couldn't deny that Remus had gotten the measure of him quite accurately. That was what Gellert had offered him, after all: power and a place in his bed, and Albus had been sorely tempted to say yes to both. He had said yes, actually, yes with all his heart, and there was no telling whether he would have ever taken it back if Ariana hadn't died the way she had.

Albus was hardly immune to temptation, and as he had verified tonight, even at his age he was still hopelessly attracted to dark wizards. Darkness called to him, he didn't trust himself with power, so why should anyone else trust him? What made him better than that Jonas fellow?

Well, for starters, he wasn't a werewolf, nor a dark wizard, he didn't have Dark Magic running through his heart and brain at all times, so he was intrinsically more pure, harder to corrupt if just as easily tempted. Most importantly, though, Albus had chosen to fight against his inner darkness. And that was where the differences between wizards truly lay: in the choices they made. In the sort of life they chose to lead, the company they chose to keep, the kind of magic they chose to wield. In the limits they allowed or didn't allow themselves to cross. Jonas, like many werewolves and dark wizards before him, had chosen a life of conquest and self-indulgence, using his natural gifts to subjugate and oppress, to kill and tyrannize, while Albus had spent most of his life denying his darkest urges and striving not to abuse his own power. His choices placed him unmistakably on the side of the light, anyone who had met him in the last fifty years would swear on that, and yet...

And yet, James and Lily had not trusted him. Why not? Albus had not been offended nor surprized at all when the Potters had declined his offer to be their Secret Keeper —people generally preferred to put their trust in friends or family, and it was practical to choose someone who came by the house regularly, in case they needed to reveal the location to an unplanned visitor—, but he had wondered last year, when he had learned about the switch of Secret Keepers, why they hadn't told him. Had they been suspicious of him? Could they have learned about Gellert and decided Albus couldn't be trusted? Bathilda had lived near the Potters, and Albus had seen her at their funeral, could she have told them? It would be just like her to share scandalous, old-dated Godric's Hollow gossip with a new neighbour over tea...

While part of his mind turned around these troubling thoughts, the rest of it was engaged in a tense staring contest with his defiant visitor. Albus had expected Remus to quickly wither under his gaze and apologize for the uncalled rudeness, but at least a minute had passed and the werewolf was still glaring hostilely at him, daring him to say one more word against his new alpha. It was obvious that Remus didn't truly believe Albus would ever join forces with Voldemort, but it was also clear that he didn't intend to back off unless Albus did too.

"Perhaps we should put this subject to rest," suggested Albus finally, hoping they could move on without having to discuss Gellert.

"Perhaps we should," said Remus coldly. "I must be going, anyway. If I don't return soon they'll start wondering where I am, and apparently Jonas is a monstrous dictator in league with Voldemort so I should not provoke him by sneaking out without permission."

"I am merely advising caution, Remus. Jonas-"

"-is a werewolf and therefore cannot be trusted. I've been hearing people say that my entire life, Dumbledore, I don't need the reminder. Now, if you don't mind, I really need to take a shower-"

"I'm afraid that will have to wait, Remus. We still have matters to discuss."

"I don't have anything else to report, Dumbledore," growled the werewolf as he climbed to his feet, craddling his injured arm against his midriff. "And I've had enough human prejudice for one night, thank you."

"Please, Remus, this is important," insisted Albus. "It's about Harry."

That gave the man pause, and after struggling with himself for a moment he reluctantly sat back down. His grudging attitude was eerily reminiscent of Severus when he didn't want to be somewhere, however, and, like it often happened with Severus, Albus was half-temped to let him go without even mentioning the original reason why he had summoned him to his office. This meeting definitely hadn't gone as he had originally envisioned it, so far, and Remus wasn't proving much more tractable than Severus, nor was it much clearer where his allegiance currently lay —the fact that he hadn't told him about Jonas until now, sitting on the information for months while the new alpha consolidated his rule, at the very least cast doubt on his reliability as an informer.

Albus studied the ill-tempered werewolf sitting across his desk, feeling more than a bit chilled under his glare and wondering if it had been a mistake to send him undercover with his fellow creatures. He had initially assumed that Remus' emotional instability was Severus' doing, a residual effect of whatever had happened down in the dungeons, but it was clear now that the problem went further back, and that the personality changes ran deeper than a temporary state of shock. Of course Remus had valid, human reasons to be angry at Albus, and his unusual bad mood could be easily excused after the night he had had, but there was something essentially different about the man, a boldness and sharpness about him that had been absent or dormant in the past. A year living in the wild, and several months under the influence of that Jonas character, seemed to have matured him as a werewolf and altered his views about pack segregation, making him more understanding and supportive of those who chose that way of life. It even sounded as though he would choose that life for himself, now, when a year ago he had found the idea of joining his uncivilized kinfolk extremely distasteful and degrading.

Remus seemed to have embraced his cursed nature, and such development raised numerous concerns and uncertainties. How frequent were his bouts of werewolf temper? Was he struggling with darkness, like Severus, giving in to his inner creature more and more every day? The man still proclaimed himself against Voldemort, but how long would that last if his new alpha —whom Remus genuinely and almost fanatically supported— decided to join the dark side? He still seemed to care about Sirius and Harry, but how much did he care? Had he found someone he cared about more, perhaps? Remus plainly had some experience with werewolf women, could there be one in particular keeping him glued to his pack? That would explain why he was so fiercely loyal to Jonas, if the new alpha had granted him mostly-exclusive rights over some female while protecting her from the attention of other males.

Would this wilder version of Remus accept if Albus invited him to participate of the Third Task? And if he did, would his participation increase Harry's chances of survival, or would it decrease all the champions' chances? Albus couldn't be certain, but he was fairly sure that it would be possible to find a less dangerous werewolf than Remus within the same gender and age range —the ones imprisoned in France ought to at least be less physically developed, after years or decades forced to transform in enclosed spaces. There was also Remus' strategical value to consider. Was it worth it to risk his life for a slim chance that it might help Harry survive? Not that it was very likely that the werewolf would end up being the victim in the maze, but with Harry's track record slaying class 5 magical creatures the possibility couldn't be dismissed, and if that happened Albus would lose his only informant amongst the werewolves.

Was buying some extra time for a boy already doomed to an early grave worth such risks? Perhaps not, if Albus were certain that Harry had to die in order for Tom to be defeated. But he wasn't certain. The Prophecy suggested either of them had a chance to outlive the other, so there might be a way...

"Well?" pressed Remus impatiently. "What about Harry?"

Albus met the werewolf's eyes again, and saw that behind the irritation there was concern, anxiety, grief. Human emotions that indicated some degree of caring. Would that be enough?

"I saw him tonight," said Albus. "Pomona found him sleeping in a greenhouse a few hours ago. I happened to be outside looking for you, at the time, so I escorted him back to Gryffindor tower."

All traces of irritation or anger fled Remus' face, leaving only worry behind.

"He was in a greenhouse? Alone?"

"Yes, for some reason Harry decided to sleep on a pile of mulch. He didn't say much when I woke him up, but he seemed upset, angry, and he mentioned having seen you..." Albus hesitated. "Did you two argue, perhaps?"

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yes. Harry found out that I went to Privet Drive last summer, to check on the wards, and he was angry because I didn't even say hello. And because I never wrote to him nor was part of his life at all until last year." Remus shot Albus another resentful look, but thankfully he didn't voice again those old grievances. "We didn't part in the best terms."

Albus nodded. He had already guessed what might have upset Harry, so he didn't learn anything new in that regard, but prompting Remus to talk about the boy did serve to better gauge the man's feelings. And it was obvious that Remus still cared about Harry. It was there in his eyes, the worry and anguish, the guilt and regret, making him look entirely human instead of a struggling mixture of man and beast. There was anger too, of course, but it was the sort of anger that masked emotional pain, not the vicious spite of a werewolf.

Hoping he was making the right decision, Albus took a deep breath and plowed on.

"Did either Harry or Severus explain to you the champions' situation?" he asked probingly. "Do you understand how the Goblet of Fire works?"

"Harry told me that it somehow prevents people from helping the champions. Severus refused to explain anything, but he confirmed that Voldemort is behind the whole thing."

Albus nodded.

"And did Harry tell you that Sirius was his hostage in the Second Task?" Remus nodded. "Did he tell you that Sirius gave himself willingly to the merpeople?"

"He said that you brought Sirius to Hogwarts and put him to sleep at the bottom of the lake," said the werewolf, glaring at him accusingly again.

Albus sighed.

"It is true that I arranged it," he said. "It is my duty as a judge to procure anything the Goblet demands for the tasks, and the Goblet selected Sirius as Harry's hostage, so I asked him to come to Hogwarts for the Second Task. I did not force him to participate of the task, however. Once I had explained the situation, Sirius agreed to be put in an enchanted sleep and to be taken hostage by the merpeople. He knew it was a possibility that Harry would fail to rescue him, and that the merpeople would kill him if he was still underwater when the time ran out, but he also knew that if the hostage was not provided Harry would be automatically executed by the Goblet of Fire, along with myself and all the other judges representing Britain."

As expected, Remus' resentful expression was replaced by horrified disbelief —the standard reaction to the truth about the Goblet of Fire and the Triwizard Tournament. Albus let him reel in that shocking revelation for a few seconds before continuing.

"I am explaining this so you can understand that just as Harry is forced to participate in the tournament under penalty of death, we judges have little choice but to obey the Goblet's instructions and provide everything needed for the tasks, be it hostages, creatures, enchantments or any other sort of challenges." He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out the stack of Goblet's directives (Albus had been allowed to keep all the originals until the Second Task, and had been given copies ever since). "I didn't force Sirius to participate, but if he had refused my fellow judges no doubt would have insisted that I brought him by force. The most I could do to protect Sirius was keep his name to myself and claim that the Goblet had chosen Harry's dog as his hostage."

Albus passed across the desk the directives for the Second Task, including the slip of paper with Sirius Black's name in it, and gave Remus a few minutes to peruse the Goblet evidence. He saw the moment when some sort of understanding dawned in the werewolf's eyes.

"This is why you asked me to come to Hogwarts tonight?" he asked, looking suddenly uneasy. "You need me to be Harry's hostage for the Third Task?"

"Not exactly," said Albus slowly. "There will be no hostages to rescue in the Third Task. Instead the champions will have to traverse a maze, sorting out a number of obstacles that we, the judges, must put on their way. The first champion to reach the center and touch the Goblet of Fire becomes the winner."

Remus nodded, but he looked confused.

"What do you need me for, then? Harry said that no one can help the champions train, and I doubt he would accept help from me anyway."

"I did not ask you come because of your Defence skills, Remus," said Albus regretfully.

"What, then?"

Albus hesitated, suddenly assaulted by another wave of doubts and second thoughts. What if this didn't work? What if the quarrell between Remus and Harry weakened the bond between them? Harry's feelings were technically irrelevant, but his rejection might alter the way the werewolf felt about him...

"Do you care about Harry, Remus?" he asked bluntly.

Remus scowled.

"What sort of question is that? You know damn well that I do."

"How much do you care?"

"Enough to kill or die for him. So there's no need to beat about the bush, Dumbledore. If you need something from me, something that might help Harry survive, just tell me and I'll volunteer for it."

Enough to kill or die for him. Albus wondered briefly whether such devotion would extend far enough to kill his new alpha if Jonas ever became a distinct threat to Harry. Right now, though, what mattered was that Remus might care enough to be willing to kill or die in the maze. Enough to perhaps spare the boy if he ran across him at his most dangerous.

Albus took another deep breath.

"The Third Task falls on June 24, Remus," he informed him. "It is scheduled to start at dusk, around 10 PM."

The werewolf looked at him expectantly.

"So?

"That's two weeks from now."

"So?" repeated the werewolf, looking more irritated by the second. "Somehow I doubt you're inviting me to come cheer Harry up. Whatever it is, just spit it out, Dumbledore. I don't have all day."

Albus gripped his wand tightly, bracing himself for what was sure to be a bad reaction.

"The next full moon falls on June 24, Remus," he said gravely. "The night of the Third Task."

Remus continued glaring at him for several seconds, apparently too aggravated and irritated to connect the two events in any relevant way. His anger faltered when realization hit him, replaced by rapidly scalating horror, but he didn't seem to fully grasp what Albus was saying until the last Goblet directive —the one commanding the presence of a male, mature werewolf inside the maze— was levitated into his hands.

Remus read the instruction, saw the sketch of the maze on the other side, raised his horrified eyes to meet Albus' apologetic gaze...

And then hell broke loose.