Brutum Exposed: An Inside Look
As 1981 came to an end, so did the eleven year reign of terror of He Who Must Not Be Named. The Wizarding World was thrust into a period of peace, with attacks by Death Eaters and various dark creatures dropping to record lows over the course of the month following. This was credited to the hard work of the various Magical Law Enforcement departments, but the truth was far from ideal in a world trying to heal from injustice at the hand of Death Eaters.
And while it could be argued that the Ministry's actions were in the best interest of the Wizarding World as a whole, what about the best interest of the non-human members of our society? While it is true that a portion of these attacks were conducted by these non-human groups, the individuals involved make up a very small portion of the population. So, why do we blame all of them?
The methods of lowering attacks and increasing the safety of witches and wizards everywhere was kept a closely guarded secret, with Memory Charms used to hide the involvement of certain departments. With the, hopefully final, closure of the Werewolf Capture Unit announced today, many witches and wizards will be asking the same question: "What about our safety?".
With the Ministry now being controlled by the Order of the Phoenix after a brief and violent war, society as a whole should be less concerned about their own selves and more concerned about aiding in the efforts of the Order of the Phoenix to bring equal rights to those who never had them before. The adoption of not caring unless it affects one's self is, in the words of our new Minister, quite close to following in line with the ideals of He Who Must Not Be Named.
As the one who wrote most of the statements shielding the existence of Brutum, I have been tasked with revealing the truth, but as someone who was on the outside of the operation, I knew I could not do it alone. Hearing the truth from research is worlds different than hearing a firsthand account, so I enlisted the help of someone who was unjustly imprisoned for the sole crime of being attacked by a werewolf at the young age of five.
Remus Lupin's attack was the result of an argument between his father and famed werewolf Fenrir Greyback. He joined the Order of the Phoenix at the young age of seventeen, where he fought Death Eaters and worked undercover to gain intel on the werewolves and their allies. He would join them again at the age of thirty five, one of the first to believe Harry Potter's story of He Who Must Not Be Named's return. Yet, he was imprisoned along with the ones guilty of the attacks and the deaths. Is this truly how we want to live as a society? Imprisoning innocents- imprisoning those who fought for our world- because of an ailment they have no control over?
This article is not to convince everyone that all werewolves are innocents. It is very true that there are quite a few who need to be removed from society for our protection- but why are the rest being punished?
And, the question everyone has been asking: What actually happened in Brutum? How did it end?
I have visited with Remus a few times before, first meeting him just as he began employment at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1993. He was pleasant and willing to talk. Now, he's willing to talk again, but to all of the readers of the Daily Prophet instead of just me. I visited him and over the course of the last week, we compiled a list of questions that we believe will help people understand the truth about werewolves. By doing so, we hope to open people's minds to the continued inequality faced by many different creatures in our society based on assumptions we all make- maybe it can open us up to learning about them and living with them, instead of segregating them. After all, wars have been fought and won, but why does it seem any nonhumans continue to be left behind?
We can be the change. Keep reading, learn the truth and work with us and the new Ministry to create a change that is long overdue. Not only for werewolves, but for the others too. It's time that we, as society, realises that it should not be just humans above the rest.
We need true equality.
Read the exclusive Q and A below.
Q: What are werewolf packs really like?
A: I see, and hear, a lot of people discuss them and it seems to me a lot of people hear the word 'pack' and assume what that may look like. It can vary, but it's typically a group of werewolves gathering to help each other survive because they have nowhere else to go. One werewolf may take on the role of a leader or alpha, as many seem to call them, but most packs can be generally peaceful. It's a matter of survival for them, and they tend to join up with the werewolf who bit them. That's not something we can really control, it's an involuntary bond we have and that can make the most violent werewolves the most powerful. And unfortunately, the loudest is understood to be the majority, so Fenrir Greyback having a pack that fits that assumed dynamic has caused it to be a widespread belief, but many who live with him don't take part in any of his crimes. That's not to say there aren't others out there who are like Greyback, but a lot of us are just trying to survive.
Q: Without Wolfsbane, a lot of werewolves are dangerous, so what stops them from becoming like Fenrir Greyback?
A: Choice. With or without Wolfsbane, all werewolves are dangerous. Wolfsbane only helps us retain our human minds, what we do after that is all choice. I could still infect people, but with the potion helping me keep my control, I choose not to. That's what separates most of us from the likes of Greyback. We don't all want to infect people or inflict pain. Greyback does. He used fear as a weapon to build his pack, because he wanted power and believed he could gain it if he had enough of a following. Unfortunately, a large majority of the werewolves who joined him were ones with no choice, either infected by him or trying to stay alive after he killed some other pack's leader.
Q: What kept you out of the packs as long as you were?
A: Greyback had not intended to have me in his pack, he had simply bitten me to punish my father. Albus Dumbledore ensured I could still attend Hogwarts, and it was there that I was asked to join the Order of the Phoenix. Had those two events not happened, it is possible I would have had nowhere to go, and ended up with Greyback. Or, at the least, ended up with the werewolves for different reasons than I did. And not all werewolves will get the chance to attend any kind of school, which means they end up with nowhere to go. There are a lot of children in packs who will never see a classroom, all they will ever know is how to live among the packs.
Q: What is it like for the children in the packs?
A: They don't get any education, like I said. And they could, if given the chance. They're human until they're a certain age and then their parents will decide whether or not to turn them. Usually, they do, because it's safer than keeping an uninfected child there.
Q: There have been a lot of murmurs and questions about werewolves being born? What is the truth behind that?
A: I do know Greyback was allegedly infected from birth, and I did meet a few others. The belief is that if a werewolf is born, not made, they're more prone to violence and have a different type of control over their transformed state than the others. It's all belief, I'm not sure there's much proof of them having more control.
Q: I'm going to ask about Brutum. How did it happen? Was there any warning?
A: No, no warning. The Ministry raided the encampment the day after a full moon, likely because they knew we'd be at our weakest. I do not remember a lot from that day, but I do know that there were at least fifty of us the day before, but only around thirty of us when we arrived to Brutum. I do not know if the others escaped or were killed. If they escaped, they must still be staying hidden.
Q: How many packs were arrested?
A: I do not know, there's no real way to keep track of groups of werewolves. In the first week alone, as more and more werewolves were arrested, I witnessed three other leaders killed by Greyback. The werewolves who had followed those alphas were split between giving in and aligning with Greyback or refusing to do so. Some ended up dead. I never did figure out if there were any more pack leaders among us after that. They were not recognised by Greyback if they were there.
Q: And what was it like? How was it set up?
A: There was little food and no shelter. I knew we had to be far North, it snowed a lot, and there was no shelter from the weather. There were very weak enchantments keeping everyone away from the others, but none of the others interacted with each other. I believe it was a survival tactic. Why would goblins risk interacting with the giants or werewolves? It would have been a death sentence and we were already all on Death's door anyway.
Q: Do you believe the Ministry did that on purpose?
A: Weaken us? No, I don't. I think they were in a rush to try to look like they had things under control as soon as Voldemort fell, and by doing that, they simply hadn't considered the long term. I think the conditions were an act of ignorance rather than an act with malicious intent.
Q: But Brutum itself...?
A: I think, as a whole, Brutum was simply an ill-thought plan. The wrong people were in charge, things were not thought out, there was certainly no long term plan in place. I believe this time around, without the Werewolf Capture Unit, things can be handled a lot differently.
Q: The main thing people have wanted to know is what actually happened? Why did Brutum fail?
A: As I said, there didn't seem to be a long term plan. The Ministry wanted to appear confident and competent, but I don't believe they really anticipated the entire process and Brutum fell because they did not consider what would happen on the full moon. That night was always going to be disastrous, there was never any other possible outcome. Even if the enchantments held, there were still far too many uncontrolled werewolves in one area. There was no outcome that didn't include somebody dying. We were all weakened by hunger and prolonged exposure to the cold, and starved werewolves are far more dangerous.
Q: Tell us about some of the people who died. Who did you know?
A: Only one by name. A man I had met there. His name was Dominic, he had recently been bitten. He did not want to go through a transformation, so he begged for my help. He was nearing forty, and the first transformation could have been deadly for him. I know he was the first death that day. He was desperate and terrified, which was not unusual when you don't know what to expect when the moon rises. I played a small role in his death, which I deeply regret. I made sure no one would interrupt him, or try to stop him, as he hung himself. There were Ministry officials there, and they did not even try to intervene. This was what made me believe, at the time anyway, that the Ministry had no plan other than to let us turn on our own kind.
Q: Is that common, do a lot of newly infected werewolves commit suicide?
A: It does happen often. It's not always someone newly infected, either. It all takes a toll, sometimes it just becomes too much.
Q: What about the others who died?
A: I did not know them. I do know not everyone was identified or registered on the list of prisoners, so I do not know the identities of everyone who died or how they died.
Q: What do you remember from that night?
A: Not a lot, unfortunately. I do know that the Ministry employees who remained after sunset were in grave danger the moment the enchantments fell, and I have always wondered why they had kept employees there. If the enchantments had held, we likely would have turned on each other- which I had believed to be the Ministry's initial plan- but to have humans so close by and only separated from us by weak enchantments, they simply never stood a chance. It was a massacre from the moment the enchantments fell. The giants were able to get away, but I don't really know what happened to the rest. As is usually the case when there is no Wolfsbane, I do not remember entire nights, I can only ever recall small pieces. So, I can not say for sure if I took part in any of the violence that night. It is certainly possible, and something I will wonder for the rest of my life, but it's likely that I will never know.
Q: Would you know? If you killed while transformed? A lot of people have wondered.
A: I believe so. I know I've killed animals in the past, so I would like to believe I'd remember if I ever killed a human.
Q: And what happened after the escape?
A: Nothing. The entire thing was erased from existence. I wondered, for a while, if they'd come after those of us who they knew the identities of, but they never did.
Q: Do you worry it could happen again?
A: Not while the Ministry is in the hands of an Order member. I think we have a lot to learn from our past and it's important we do.
Q: What do you think could be done differently?
A: Supporting the ones who need it. Wolfsbane isn't accessible and accidental infections happen frequently, not to mention the lifespan of werewolves is generally short because of the stress on our bodies. If infected young, most can make it to their fifties- maybe sixties, if lucky- before their hearts give out. Wolfsbane makes the transformations less traumatic on our bodies and could change the average lifespan, but we need to be able to get jobs to afford it. Brewing it is another issue, it's highly complex and a very hard potion to brew. For the rest- the goblins and the giants and other magical creatures- they should be given space among our society. It's their world too, yet the focus has always been on creating spaces for only the humans instead of everyone.
Q: And that's what the Support Services office is meant to do, isn't it?
A: In theory, yes. By taking away the Capture Unit, there's room for the Ministry to help with these things. They can provide education to employers who may be willing to employ werewolves or other creatures, they can help match magical creatures to these jobs or find housing, there are so many possibilities. There has also been talk of partnering with Healers from St Mungo's to provide safe spaces for transformations and access to affordable Wolfsbane brewed by Healers. This could change the rate of infection, if werewolves are given complete control over themselves.
Q: And is that what werewolves want?
A: I think it's what we need. It's never been about wanting these things, I think this type of support is becoming more and more of a necessity. They've never been given the option of actual support before, so what do they do? Anything they can, to survive. With actual, proper support, it could help end the prejudice and allow us to properly integrate into society. A lot of werewolves were once your neighbours, friends and family members, I think it's important we find a way to allow them to return to being those people.
In answering these questions, Remus shares the same hope I do- that perhaps together, as a newly reborn society, we may all be able to take part in rectifying the mistakes of our past. If equality was won for only humans in our society, how are we equal?
Tonks had said she would read the article before he woke up, which he agreed to, because they knew she'd be awake first with Teddy and it would give her a chance to consider anything she wanted to ask. However, she couldn't really think of anything. She was angry at the Ministry for allowing Brutum to happen, but one thought settled itself like a thorn in her mind- what if he had killed someone and just didn't remember? She wasn't sure it would actually matter in the end, because nearly everyone in the Order had been forced to resort to killing during the war, so it wasn't as if her hands were exactly clean...
She watched him sleep for a while, his brows furrowed as he slept. The lines and scars marking his face made him appear older for sure, a testament to the years of stress and poverty he had been forced to endure. His facial hair was thicker than he usually kept it, with more silver than the rest of his hair. He seemed to be aging twenty or thirty years beyond his actual age.
Then she thought of what he had said- if infected young, most can make it to their fifties- maybe sixties, if lucky- before their hearts give out.
He had been young, but he had sporadically had access to Wolfsbane over the last few years. Did that mean he could make it into his sixties? Having constant access at his age, would it lengthen what time he got left?
And then she thought of Greyback. He had been older than she had thought he was, already an adult by the time he infected Remus. How had he lived so long?
That didn't matter, of course, with Harry's visions. Harry hadn't told her much since the initial explanation for why he seemed to sleep walk and she hadn't asked, but it worried her. While he had been wrong about Sirius, he had been right about Arthur.
Remus stirred next to her, bringing her out of her thoughts. "You're awake, I can tell by the way you breathe." He said quietly.
"I- what? Do I breathe loudly?"
"It's slower when you're truly asleep." He said, sitting up. "You don't breathe loud at all, it's such a miniscule change. How long have you been up?"
"Long enough for Teddy to have breakfast, play a bit and go down for a nap." She said. "It's around nine, he'll be up again soon."
"Do you have time to help me shower?"
"Yes, of course."
"Did you read the article yet?"
"Yes, it wasn't really what I expected." Tonks said. "Not as descriptive as I imagined."
Remus shook his head as he stood. "We figured we wanted to get the information across without being too graphic." He said as she stood and walked around the bed. She helped him to the bathroom, helping his undress and turning on the shower and then sitting on the counter. She had already cleared everything out of the shower that he wouldn't need, just to help him find what he needed easier. "Do you have questions?"
"How old was Greyback?" Tonks asked after a moment.
"I'm not really sure." Remus said. "Somewhere between fifty five and sixty five, by my estimates. He already had an established pack and reputation by the time he infected me, but my father did say Greyback was younger than him at the time, so I always assumed he was somewhere between twenty to thirty when he attacked me."
"He didn't seem like a werewolf whose body could shut down any month." She remarked.
"No, he was in frustratingly good health." Remus said. "You can always tell when it's coming. Werewolves will slow down, it takes longer to recover each month, they get all sorts of ailments that point towards imminent organ failure."
"And is it always when they're in their fifties or sixties?"
"No, I saw it happen to a woman who had just turned forty."
Her heart sank. "So that's the future we're looking at?" She asked, focusing on one of the tiles on the floor.
"It is a possibility." Remus said. "Are you sure you don't want to find someone younger and healthier?"
"You know I can't." Tonks said. "But, do you think there's anything to do to help that?"
"Help you find someone younger? I'm sure Molly would volunteer any of her boys."
Tonks snorted. "No, I mean help you." She said. "If Greyback lived so long,-"
"There's a reason he did, and it's not good."
"I'm not saying infect anyone, or-"
"It wasn't just infecting. He was also a cannibal, Dor. He gave into every instinct."
Her stomach turned. "Did you ever... eat someone?"
Remus was quiet for a moment, and she was certain she offended him. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. "I'm sorry I can't say yes or no, because I don't know." He said. "It's possible, but it never would have been on purpose. Greyback ate many of his victims. It is entirely possible that something he provided the pack was human meat. I never wanted to know, so I never asked."
There was a long moment where neither of them spoke. Finally, she broke the silence. "You can ask me something really uncomfortable now."
To her surprise, Remus laughed. "I don't need to do that."
"Harry?"
He woke with a start at the sound of his name, sitting up quickly. He didn't know who had said his name and when he put on his glasses and turned on the lamp, no one was around and he was still in bed.
He grabbed the notebook he had gotten from Tonks, opening it and flipping through his untidy scrawling. He tried to remember anything, but the dream was quickly escaping him. He could remember Bellatrix's laugh and a fire, but nothing else. He wondered if he had actually had a nightmare about the Burrow's fire, but something told him that wasn't the case.
If Bellatrix was involved, he could guess what would happen to the female figure he saw some nights. She had changed, he had noticed it a few nights before. She was no longer uninjured, but instead was bleeding profusely from the side of her head. Harry quickly wrote Bellatrix? on the page next to the note about the appearance change. It made the most sense to write it here, he figured, because he had assumed the female figure to be Tonks- and Bellatrix being involved would make the most sense.
The figure he assumed to be Remus had singed clothes and he could briefly remember flames in his dream. That was worrying, because if Remus was alone and a fire started, he would unlikely be able find his way out. However, the chances of him being left alone, Harry knew, were very slim. Tonks and Remus had discussed it for a long time after they all came back here. At some point, the discussion ended but Harry had been unable to tell if they had reached a solution.
All he could think of was Sirius and Arthur. He had seen visions of them too- but the visions about Sirius had been false. The visions about Arthur had been vague until it actually happened. What if, one night, he saw it happen and woke up to find out it had happened after all?
Harry got up, feeling like he'd be unable to get back to sleep and made his way downstairs. At first, he had not wanted to wander around the house- especially at night- not knowing what kind of traps or enchantments Mad-Eye had placed. Now he felt more comfortable, knowing Bill had gone through the house a few times and had emptied it of the enchanted items. It was quiet downstairs, and Harry noticed it was nearly four in the morning.
He sat in an armchair with the notebook, flipping through it. Tonks was the only one who knew about the dreams but now he wondered if he should tell the rest, and maybe tell them how he thought it happened. Tonks didn't even know that much, just that he had dreams telling him they would die again.
But would it help? The figure who called herself Death already said it was unavoidable, the repayments had to be made. He still didn't have much for Colin or Fred. The man he thought to be Fred was dripping wet, but that didn't give him much of an answer. Colin's figure gave even less, blood on the side of his face, and Harry had a slight desire to learn more about those two.
By the time Tonks got up with Teddy, Harry decided. He wrote a letter to Fred and one to Colin, asking Fred to Apparate the younger boy here. He figured meeting here would be easiest. He felt weird, asking only Fred to come over and none of the other Weasleys, but he wanted the four of them to hear it first. If they told others, that would be up to them.
It was already nearly the afternoon when Fred and Colin arrived, and then Harry felt nervous bringing it up. Tonks was the only one who didn't look confused, she had likely figured out why he wanted to meet with them.
Harry took a deep breath. "Ever since the battle, I've been having really strange dreams involving you four." He finally said. "I'm not sure they're simply dreams, more... visions."
"About what?" Fred asked.
Harry looked at Tonks, suddenly unsure if he should say it. She had taken it relatively well, and believed him immediately- but she had also been there when his vision about Arthur came true. So were Fred and Remus, but Colin hadn't been. She gave him a nod, and then returned her attention to Teddy, who had been a bit fussy for a few days. "It's- there's a figure, she calls herself Death." Harry finally said. "She says none of you should be alive."
"We shouldn't be." Remus said. He had told them he had been shown his own memory from the battle and Harry had explained the Resurrection Stone and Horcruxes to him, though Harry wasn't sure if Remus believed him at first.
"No, she tells me it was out of her control." Harry said. "That when I came back, I somehow pulled you four back too, and it should not have happened that way."
"But it did, that isn't our fault." Colin argued.
"No." Harry said. "But she said she's owed four. That there's a balance, and it's been disrupted. She was owed five at first, but it was always going to be me or Voldemort."
"Why us four?" Colin asked. "Out of everyone there,-"
"We're connected, she said. I knew what it was like to be an orphan, the Weasleys have always felt like my family and you- you were an innocent and weren't supposed to be there-"
"So now what?" Fred asked, worry evident on his face. "You were right about Dad a couple years ago, what else are these visions saying?"
Harry held up the notebook. "I keep track of what I can." He said. "There's always four figures and I can't see their faces but they resemble you four. They've changed a bit, too."
"Changed how?" Remus asked.
"I think I'm seeing how you die." Harry said. "At first, the one I assumed to be Tonks, she didn't look injured at all. I assumed, maybe that meant another Killing Curse. Now, though, she's covered in blood. And last night, I can't remember everything, but I do remember hearing Bellatrix. I think she's involved somehow."
"What if I take Bellatrix out first?" Tonks asked. "If she does find me,-"
"You have not fared well in duels against her so far." Remus said and she looked offended. "The last time, she did technically kill you."
"Not good enough, apparently." Tonks shot back.
"The one I believe is Fred, he was covered in blood at first." Harry continued. "He's not anymore, but now he's just soaking wet."
"And the one I think is Colin, he was wet at first but now the side of his face is covered in blood." Harry said. "The one I believe to be Remus hasn't changed, he looks like he's been through a fire."
"But you can't see our faces." Tonks said. "So is it possible it's not us at all?"
"The resemblance is close." Harry said. "There's something about Remus and Fred that isn't identical, and I'm not sure why."
"So, what do we do?" Colin asked. "Do you think we can avoid it somehow?"
"Even if we do, it could change again." Fred said. "If Harry said it's already changed once, then it could again and again until..."
Tonks and Colin exchanged looks. "Do you ever see when?" Colin asked.
"No." Harry said. "I'm sorry. I don't know if that would make it easier, or-"
"I don't think it would." Remus interjected. "I imagine having a countdown would make things worse, actually."
"I think the easiest thing would have just been staying dead in the first place." Tonks said, and Colin and Fred stared at her. "I'm just saying, I think it would have been easier than coming back only to find out we get a few extra months or a couple more years."
They were interrupted by an owl tapping on the kitchen window. Tonks was on her feet quickly, handing Teddy off to Harry.
"So, do you think I drown or...? I just won't go swimming." Fred said.
"I- I don't know." Harry said. "It's not like the vision I had with your Dad, where I saw the snake and everything, it's different. I wish I knew, I'm sorry."
Tonks had disappeared upstairs, coming back downstairs only a couple of minutes later, dressed. "I need to go to the Ministry, Dawlish has called a meeting for all Aurors." She said. "Will you be okay to handle things here, Harry?"
Harry nodded. Tonks muttered a 'thanks', disappearing into the kitchen. It was three hours later, and an hour after Colin and Fred finally left with any information Harry could give them, that she returned.
It was bad news, he could tell the second he saw her face.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"They- uhm, they found a mass grave." Tonks said. "At Azkaban. St Mungo's is still trying to figure out how many bodies in total, but they found some of our missing Aurors. A lot of them would have had no one to identify them, so that's why we were called in. The Death Eaters preserved them somehow, they- they looked so freshly dead." Tears hit her cheeks.
"Dora..." Remus started. "I'm sorry-"
"Alastor was among them."