Chapter 36: Of Wolf and Man
Everything was quiet on Privet Drive as the sun set. Suddenly a pop sounded, like a car backfiring. The occupants of the houses looked outside but did not spy the car but said car had been backfiring so often, they were numb to it by now.. Lucius rounded the corner from the alley he apparated into, stepping onto Privet Drive itself. Lucius had been using this and a few other alleys to do reconnaissance on the Dursleys. He knew their routine, recorded when they left. He knew Vernon's schedule and where he worked. He memorized when Petunia left the street which was not often. She basically went grocery shopping and that was it. He knew the school year would end in a few days, making now the ideal time to act. Word would not reach Potter in time to warn him away from the area. As he stepped onto the street, his arm lit up in pain.
Grabbing his left arm, Lucius sucked in a breath, trying to grit through the pain. His dark mark, carefully concealed for the last 12 years, felt like it was burning through his forearm.
"Not as foolish as I thought you to be, Dumbledore," Lucius grumbled as he stepped back into the alley. "Warding the street against anyone who is marked? Very clever. Yet the solution is easy, if a little unpalatable."
Lucius walked back to his apparition point, trying to soothe the burning on his arm. He focused on his next location. Spinning on his heel, he apparated into a field. Immediately a strong smell of blood, decay and wet animal fur invaded his nose. Usually, he would cast a bubblehead charm but he knew this was the first test of the individual he wanted to meet. If they couldn't take the smell, they couldn't possibly be granted an audience.
Slowly, he walked forward with his hands in the air, his wand carefully stowed. He walked toward what looked like a burrow carved into the field. As he did, he heard low growls as two figures stepped out of the shadows to perfectly flank him. Ignoring them, Lucius cast his gaze forward where a figured sat on a dais of sorts. Two female figures sat on either side as the center figure gnawed on what looked like a human arm.
"Ah Lucius," the figure growled. "What brings you out of your shiny mansion at this time of night, so close to the full moon?"
"Long time no see, Fenrir," Lucius said, keeping voice and his movements even. "How's the pack?"
"Belligerent and numerous," Fenrir smiled. "What do you need?"
"No friendly chatter?"
"You have to be friends, to have friendly chatter," Fenrir answered. "We're not that. No, you'd only come here if you needed something."
"Fine." Lucius rolled his eyes. "Yes I need you. I've located Harry Potter's residence where he spends summers."
Fenrir's relaxed posture evaporated like water in the desert. He sat up and jostled the women off from his side.
"Tell me more," Fenrir's eyes turned blood red as he leaned forward.
"I think Potter is the key to bringing our master back," Lucius began. "At the very least, with Potter out of the way, we will remove the light's favorite shining beacon. That'll give us more… opportunities, shall we say?"
"What do you need?"
"There are some wards on the street where he lives that burn my mark," Lucius rubbed his arm again. "I was wondering if our lord ever marked you."
"No," Fenrir spat the word, still sore at being ostracized from Voldemort's inner circle. "He never deigned to bestow that privilege upon me."
"Excellent," Lucius finally smiled. "I'm hoping you'll be of assistance. Since I can't enter the house, I'll need the residents to come to me. I can get his male guardian but the woman, I'll need your help."
"What's in it for me?"
"Besides a more, shall we say, forgiving, environment in which to operate? You'll get his best friend. She's your favorite: a mudblood."
"What assurance do I have? You don't do a whole lot for us. I mean, look at what I'm reduced to."
"I've never been anti-werewolf but it is political suicide to support anything in that area right now. I need my political capitol just to keep the status quo. If we can get to Potter, whether he brings back our master or not, we can start to change things."
"Alright," Fenrir stood. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to grab the wife," Lucius said. "She goes shopping tomorrow while I grab the husband. Since I can't come to her and I also can't be in two places at once, she'll have to come to me."
That morning, Petunia was heading toward the car, wondering how much longer she would have the opportunity to do so. They were due in court next week, prosecution for everything that had ever been done to the freak.
Precious Lily, Petunia thought in rage. Always the favorite, always special. If only our parents saw her for the freak they were.
Part of Petunia felt bad. She knew what Vernon did to the Freak was a step too far but why should they be prosecuted for it? He just needed to be corrected before he could become a valuable member of society. She opened the door to her car when a stench invaded her nostrils.
"Petunia Dursley?" Petunia heard. She turned and before she could answer she was knocked unconscious.
She came around a while later in an open, concrete room. The only light came from the windows at the top of the building. She was bound to a wooden chair by her arms and feet. Right in front of her were three people. One of them was Vernon. He was held by a smaller feral looking man. Vernon tried to struggle but the man held him in an iron grip by his neck. Next to him was a stately looking man with long white-blond hair.
"Petunia Dursley," the man said. His voice sounded like silk. "How long I have been waiting to meet you. I met your sister a long while back. We went to school together. She left quite an impression. I wonder; will you make as great an impression?"
"What do you want with me?" Petunia looked around
Lucius walked around her as he talked until she could no longer see him and continued to speak as if he didn't hear her.
"Such a ferocious spirit. She couldn't be quelled, contained and certainly not rebuffed. She was so special she caught the eye of one of our kind. Oh, he loved her for years and years. She played hard to get but eventually, he got past her defenses and wooed her. They had a child. Such a bright, special child."
"Petunia!" Vernon's hoarse voice cut through. "Don't tell these freaks anything!"
Lucius stepped in front of Vernon and lowered himself to Petunia's line of sight.
"Your focus is with me. Don't let anyone else get in the way and spoil what we have."
He started walking again.
"As I said, your sister was so special and her son. My how her son is special. He defeated the Dark Lord at a year old. While your sister didn't survive, he did. Now, that boy is so special that he's idolized, loved even. He's a shining example for all of us.
"Don't you feel wonderful? Your nephew is a hero and your sister is revered. They are special…"
"They're not special!" Petunia finally shouted. "They're freaks, all of them, including you. I loved my sister and then that letter showed up and everything changed, she changed. My parents loved it. Oh it was 'Lily is so special,' 'Lily can do magic,' 'Oh, doesn't she look amazing in her robe?'
"I was the only one to see it for what it was: unnatural. She was freak and went to a school specifically for them."
"Oh Petunia," Lucius ran a gloved hand through her hair. "How wrong you are. Yes your sister was unnatural- not because she had magic but because she stole it. Your entire family? Not a drop of magic. But her? Not only did she steal magic from another pureblood, making them a Squib but she stole so much she became the top student.
"Then she seduced another pureblood in James Potter. She bred with him, putting her stolen magic into her child. I am here to restore the balance. I know you don't care for your nephew but I'm sure you do care for your husband, your son.
"Now tell me," Lucius walked around into her field of vision. "When will your nephew be home?"
Lucius knew the answer to this but he needed to feign like he didn't. That's when Petunia gave him information she did not have.
"I don't know" Petunia did her best to keep her haughtiness, even while Fenrir held Vernon's consider bulk up, easily, with a single hand. "He left us a year ago and we're better for it. His home isn't with us anymore."
"Oh? Now we're getting somewhere," Lucius leaned in and whispered. "Where did he go? Who took him in?"
"Why should I care who took him in?" Petunia screeched.
"I would have thought the answer easy." Lucius cooed. "You see me, a wizard-"
"A freak," Vernon managed to croak out. Lucius would have been impressed if he didn't loathe the fat bastard.
"-I'm quick, Clean. But my friend? He's a werewolf. Nasty creatures. They can take days on a muggle like your beloved Vernon here. I hear the screams are almost impossible to tolerate. Almost."
As Lucius explained, Fenrir pulled his claw across Vernon's neck, blood beading up along the cut, punctuated by pained grunts from Vernon, turning to screams as the cuts got progressively deeper.
"Though for someone like you, I might have to stick around to hear it. So, the answer, dear Petunia, to why you should care is simple. The sooner you tell me, the sooner this," Vernon screamed again, "stops."
Petunia remained resolutely silent.
"Ah Petunia, this could have been so easy. Make it really hurt, Fenrir."
Fenrir moved his hand back to Vernon's shoulder. He grabbed the other shoulder and pulled. Bones started popping, muscles began tearing as Vernon screams reached ear-splitting decibels. Vernon's shoulders dislocated and the only sound, beyond his screams, was of his skin stretching, his arms moments from tearing from the body altogether.
"Okay! Okay! Stop!" Petunia screamed. Fenrir stopped pulling and let Vernon's arms fall limply by their sides "I honestly don't know where he went but he went with a family. The last night, a family came. A girl with her parents. She blew Vernon back from the door, destroyed the door to the Freak's room. Shortly after, two women joined. One said she was a teacher, the other sounded like a cop."
"What did she look like?"
Petunia hesitated and Fenrir tensed to pull again.
"I didn't catch her name but she had bushy hair, looked about his age."
"See? Wasn't that easy? Now... His suffering can end. Avada Kedavra!" Vernon slumped over dead. Petunia shrieked in terror as Fenrir let go of Vernon, his body slamming hard onto the ground with a resounding, final thud.
"Now… your suffering can begin. Crucio."
Petunia screamed in agony as white hot needles poked and prodded her. She broke her legs trying to thrash in her chair. The arms of the chair snapped, her arms still bound to their remnants. In her thrashing cut and scraped her legs with the wood attached to her arms. Petunia screamed and screamed, the pain unbearable. Her mind warped and snapped as she wished for the pain to stop, for some break. Just before her mind broke completely, the pain stopped.
"Now you see, Petunia," Lucius cooed. "How powerless you are. What you would call unnatural is just power; power you will never ever know. Enjoy your last moments, Petunia. You'll be reunited with your precious Vernon soon enough. When you see Lily, tell her to not worry: her son will be joining her soon."
Lucius rolled his shoulders back and turned to the other man.
"Alright Fenrir. I think it's time to send a message, don't you agree?"
Fenrir smile turned positively feral. Slowly he moved toward Petunia who no longer had the energy to scream. The last thing she saw was a mouth full of yellow teeth. With a snarl they moved toward her throat.
Back on the alleyway to Privet Drive, Lucius smiled as Fenrir walked back to him
"Is it done?"
"They'll get the message, loud and clear," Fenrir grinned.
"Did anyone see you?"
"I'm not that careless," Fenrir rolled his eyes.
"Excellent. Now we move on to the next phase," Lucius grabbed a hold of Fenrir's shoulder and popped them out to their next location.
"Where are we now?" Fenrir tried to work through his nausea and get his bearings.
"This is the home of Miss Granger," Lucius said. "I had a thought that the mudblood would be involved so I had Crabbe track down her address. Now we'll just have our appetizer before the main course."
They walked down the street toward the Tudor house, its white accents standing resolute among the other houses. As they got closer, the air got warmer and warmer. Lucius pulled out his wand, ready to curse the door. As he did, the heat became oppressive. A barrier lit up and threw Lucius back. Fenrir saw this and charged for the door, only to be burned and thrown back harder.
"What the hell?" Fenrir played the part of the dog he was and started licking his wounds.
"Someone," Lucius knew who. "Has paid the goblins to ward this property."
He pulled out his wand and started to scan.
"Top of the line too. Someone paid an impressive amount of gold for these. It would take at least five people to properly assault and take them down, probably closer to ten."
As Lucius finished talking, he noticed a few neighbors taking notice of them. It was just past midday and the amount of magic required for assault would certainly register with the ministry.
"We need to move on from here; we're attracting too much attention. We'll get Potter but it won't be today. The train should be arriving soon and the kids will be home. We have to come at this another way."
"Just take me back to my den," Fenrir growled. "We've had enough fun for one day."
As Lucius was dropping off Fenrir, Amelia was arriving at Privet Drive, ready to collect the Dursleys for the trial tomorrow. She arrived on the doorstep and knocked.
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley," she called out. "I am Amelia Bones with the DMLE. I am here to collect you for the trial tomorrow."
There was no response at the door. Sighing, she drew her wand, unlocked the door and entered. Once inside, she dry heaved at the smell of blood that was rank in the house. There was blood on the entry way. Stepping by the stairs she moved into the living room. Once there, she saw what was left of Vernon. He was drawn and quartered, his head placed on the table in the center, his arms pointing toward the kitchen.
There, Petunia was hung from the ceiling, bites littering her body with a long cut across her abdomen. Her intestines were pulled out and used to write a word with a message below it written in her blood:
TOUCHABLE
THE HUNT CONTINUES, SOON HE WILL JOIN THE OTHERS.
Between the two lines was a unique lightning bolt, drawn in blood. Amelia quickly moved to the exit where she retched everything in her stomach. She tapped her badge twice and then waited for backup. Carefully, a team of Aurors processed the house and found the presence of hairs that their scans turned up as werewolf. She was so focused on her investigation team, she never noticed a beetle flying away.
"Why didn't the wards work?" Amelia wondered. "Why wouldn't they deter a werewolf?"
At that exact moment, who should appear but Albus Dumbledore.
"Amelia," Dumbledore turned and addressed her. "What is happening?"
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley are dead," Albus stepped back as if slapped at Amelia's report. "We have evidence that it was a werewolf. Why did the wards you set up not deter the creature?"
"They were set for humans," Dumbledore said. "Anyone bearing the Dark Mark would have had their mark burn until the pain became intolerable."
"So any creature, which you knew Voldemort and his followers employed, could have gained entry as easy as walking into Diagon Alley. You got so focused, you never considered anything beyond Death Eaters, didn't you?"
Dumbledore stumbled and collapsed on the failures were all coming home to roost.
"At least Harry is safe," Dumbledore said.
"For now. There was a message that seemed to indicate the next target, the true target, is Harry Potter. The train should be arriving soon; I'm supposed to pick up Susan."
"Alright. Step one: protect Harry," Amelia looked around. "Shacklebolt! Tonks! I need you to head to the Granger residence. From there, we'll have a rotating guard around the Grangers and Harry. If he's a target, you can bet they will be as well. Outfit for werewolves."
"Roger, boss," Kingsley walked to Tonks and they apparated out together.
"I am going to meet with Harry and the Grangers, just in case they're going to make another attempt while they're out in the open," Amelia locked eyes with Dumbledore. "In the meantime, Hogwarts should have its wards upgraded, guarded against werewolves."
"That will be difficult," Dumbledore said. "I just hired Remus Lupin to fill our vacant Defense position. He is a werewolf."
"Which any changes to the wards would keep him away," Amelia nodded. "Is it possible to restrict the wards to the grounds? Lupin could transform in his office as I assume you are providing him with Wolfsbane?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Severus is brewing it as we speak. I will work with the wards but the grounds are huge, especially with the Forbidden Forest. The ambient magic within that forest negates any warding. However, the wards will keep werewolves away from the grounds and the castle itself."
"That will do. I'll be in touch."
Amelia left messages with the Aurors to keep processing the scene and popped into the apparition point in King's Cross. She stood in front of the portal between the station and the platform. Her eyes flicked around the station, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing, she turned toward the barrier just as Harry walked out with the Grangers and, to her surprise, Susan.
"Good Afternoon," Amelia said. "We've got a problem."
"Good to see you again, Amelia," Helen said. "We're about to go out for some Chinese food. Would you like to join us?"
"What's Chinese food?" Susan asked.
"It would give us a good opportunity to talk," Amelia said.
Arriving home a short while later, Harry and the Grangers sat down to dinner in their formal dining room with Susan and Amelia. Susan dug into her Orange Chicken with Lo Mein and her eyes widened.
"This is amazing!" Susan looked to her aunt who was similarly impressed with the beef and broccoli she was having.
"Alright," Richard said in between bites of his spring roll. "What's the problem?"
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley were murdered," Amelia said to gasps around the table. "Our investigation is still ongoing but all signs point to it being at least one werewolf."
"Was the werewolf working alone or did a wizard perhaps hire them?" Harry asked.
"Werewolves aren't really assassins for hire. They don't associate with anyone outside their own pack and especially hate working with wizards."
"But didn't Voldemort work with werewolves?" Hermione asked.
"He just allowed them to do what they want to do. He just gave them more opportunities to do it. Anyway that is not the most important piece of information. At the scene, they left a message that seemed to indicate they were going to come after Harry next."
"Well good luck to them if they come here," Harry said. "We hired the goblins to install wards on this place. It would take a full squad of wizards to assault them, according the Gripclaw. The goblins specialty is warding against creatures like the werewolves. Since the goblins live underground, they needed to make sure a pack of werewolves would not set up a den anywhere near them."
"But you can't stay in the house all the time," Amelia countered. "Which is why I am giving you around the clock protection. Both you and the Grangers as they are at risk as much as you are."
"I also might have another asset to help us," Harry said. "Hermione, Helen, Richard? When we were in the Hospital Wing after the events with the Chamber, we were confronted by Lucius Malfoy. He had coerced the board of governors to suspend Dumbledore and Malfoy wanted to know why Dumbledore was back so soon. When he was there, I threw the diary to him, which he subsequently dropped. Inside it was one of my socks and it was caught by none other than… Dobby!"
Harry spoke the name louder and a small pop brought the tiny creature into the dining room.
"Dobby told me that if a house elf is freed, they die once their magic runs out," Harry said. "I couldn't let that happen, so I bonded with him. I asked to be able to pay him but he said that the bond would not truly form if I did that. Therefore, as requested by Dobby, I am paying him in clothes."
"Dobby," Harry turned. "These are the Grangers. Hermione is my best friend and their parents are the closest thing I have to parents as well."
Harry didn't notice the look of pride that lit up Richard's face, nor the happy tears that appeared in Helens eyes with his comment.
"With me at school, I won't have a lot for you to do but what I was hoping is that it would be possible for you to keep an eye on them and, should they run into any trouble, if you could pop them to safety, Preferably to Potter Manor. It is almost finished and when it is, the goblins will ward it as well."
"Mister and Missus Granger," Dobby bowed. "Mistress Hermione. I am pleased and honored to meet you. Harry Potter considers you family so Dobby will too."
"You had him lighten my trunk didn't you?" Hermione glared at him.
"I asked him to, yes," Harry said. "You pack a lot of books and sometimes you forget how heavy they are. I was hoping to make it easier for you to carry them."
"Thank you, Dobby," Hermione addressed the elf.
"No, I'm the one who should be thankful," Richard laughed. "Princess, Harry is right. It was nice not having to carry 3-plus stone (A/N: 50 pounds) of books."
"Back to the matter at hand," Amelia said. "Tonks will be assigned to watch over you. Her shapeshifting abilities will make it easier to conceal herself to disguise the fact that you are being guarded."
"One question," Helen spoke up. "We are taking a trip to France for two weeks. How would that interfere with that?"
"I would ask that Tonks be able to accompany you," Amelia said. "Even though I doubt werewolves would be able to cross the channel unnoticed, there is a chance they were not operating alone."
"We've booked everything," Richard said. "Hermione? Would you have a problem sharing a room with Tonks for the trip?"
"No. She's keeping us safe," Hermione said. "Sharing a room would be fine."
"Then yes," Richard turned toward Amelia. "We would be happy to have Tonks join us. I will call to get an extra ticket and assure the hotels that we will have an extra guest."
"That settles it then," Amelia moved toward the door and called out. Soon the familiar locks of Tonks walked in. "Congratulations Tonks, you're going to France."
(A/N: I wrote this chapter months ago. I was watching the Dark Knight when I did so you might pick up some elements from Heath Ledger's Joker in Lucius Malfoy. The only thing I haven't figured out is what to do with Dudley. My first thought was for him to be sent to a military academy but I'm not sold on it. Would be open to suggestions.
Fenrir's response to how his family is doing is a quote from Morbo in Futurama.
I meant to post this chapter tomorrow but I had to post this. One, because I really liked how this chapter flowed together and also because I need to vent a little frustration. I stumbled across the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on TV yesterday, specifically the scene where Ron leaves. I have to give Rupert Grint credit for playing the character exactly as he's written but that doesn't change my distaste for how he's written. He's a jealous and lazy with a major inferiority complex. He never supports Hermione unless he gets something out of it himself and never fails to belittle the things that are most important to her, while abandoning Harry when Harry needs him the most. It got me up in a lather and I needed to vent a little. I know some love Ron but I just find his entire character poorly written and wholly distasteful. Maybe it's just because Hermione is my favorite (with Luna right behind) and her ending up with him just never made sense. Thankfully, fan fiction is a thing and I can read writers who do better by Harry, Hermione, Neville and, sometimes, Ron. Anyways, rant over. I had to get that off my chest. Thank you all for reading, for all your comments, follows and favorites.)