The weeks that followed unfolded in a brutal caricature of violence and chaos across Wizarding Britain. Greyback's call to arms spread like wildfire among the werewolf packs throughout the isles, and the night skies became alive with howls and screams as the werewolves ran amok, spreading blood and carnage wherever they passed.
In a quaint village in Yorkshire, a platoon of aurors apparated in the midst of a massacre that looked to be straight out of one's nightmares. Werewolves, feral and turned despite it not being the night of the full moon, tore through patched roofs and splintered doors, their savage howls piercing the night as they rained down terror upon unsuspecting humans, killing and biting without prejudice. Spells flew in colorful arcs as the aurors battled the beasts, having been given orders to subdue the radicals by any means short of the unforgivables. However, for every werewolf they took down, another emerged from the shadows, unrelenting.
"Ossis fragmens!" The senior auror leading the platoon shouted, his bonebreaker striking a charging werewolf, downing it instantly. However, he suddenly cried out as another werewolf's claws raked across his back. Its vicious jaw opened wide, coming down to clamp right on his shoulder. However, before he could strike, a powerful blast of fire blew its head off, raining blood and gore over the auror who stumbled forward, breathing heavily as his junior arrived, quickly casting healing spells over his torn back.
The nights kept echoing with the screams of both the humans and the werewolves. During another attack, a young auror trainee, newly recruited and sent to the fight to fill up the ranks, found herself cornered, her wand arm shaking as she gazed, wide-eyed, at the three werewolves – one male and two distinctly female, that stalked toward her. She could see the feral eyes gleaming with greed and in a sudden burst of desperation, she let out a loud, shrill cry. A massive inferno of fire emerged from her wand, momentarily holding the beasts at bay. Fortunately, the inferno attracted the attention of her fellow aurors and trainees who quickly took care of the werewolves they were fighting and rushed toward her, attacking the three werewolves from behind with well-placed piercing curses straight to the napes of their necks, killing them instantly.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on another dark and chilly night in a more packed wizarding village, the glass windows of a shop shattered as a pack of werewolves rampaged through the streets, their howls and growls haunting in the dark. The cobblestone paths ran slick with blood as merchants and late-night shoppers fell prey to razor-sharp fangs and claws while a few more capable ones defended the village, killing over a dozen transformed werewolves. Almost all witches and wizards barricaded their doors, keeping protective enchantments active throughout and pouring all their efforts into sustaining them as they either aided their defendants or watched the chaos reigning outside in horror. The aurors that arrived were hard at work, stretched thin as they had been lately, and lethal spells kept raining down, killing and maiming more and more werewolves as their numbers kept thinning.
At the ministry, harried employees worked around the clock.
"Another attack reported in the outskirts of Willowbrook, north-east of the village near the bridge!" A breathless auror stationed in the ministry as a part of the response team shouted. The battalion that had arrived barely a minute ago was forced to depart instantly, leaving their injured behind as Millicent Bagnold, the Minister for Magic, watched on in horror alongside Bartemius Crouch Sr., the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"We're going to have to alert the muggles at this rate," she whispered. "Keeping those radicals contained in wizarding settlements won't be possible for much longer. We don't even know how many there are!"
Crouch nodded grimly.
Meanwhile, across wizarding Britain, multiple members of pureblood families remained huddled in their respective family manors, terrified and grim.
"The wards are falling!" The patriarch of one of the families who had advocated for the new laws cried out as he desperately sent most of the women and children to the safehouse via portkey while the men and women who were combat-ready stood prepared for the fight ahead. The same situation was unfolding with more families, most of them being the ones who had been in favor of the new werewolf legislation in the aftermath of that attack on the heirs of multiple pureblood families.
As if synchronized across the country, the sound of claws scraping stone echoed through the halls. Mere moments later, windows shattered as snarling werewolves poured in, numbering in dozens with their eyes gleaming with vengeance. The families' house elves fought alongside their masters and mistresses, aiding them with their unique magic, but none were able to stand for much longer in the face of such savagery. Barely any werewolf managed to escape with its life unscathed, but they did manage to ensure none of the witches or wizards did. That was their revenge, their lives forgettable in the face of their cause.
All over the country, hospitals were overwhelmed, and as the premier magical healing institution, St. Mungo's was not any different either. Healers kept working tirelessly, treating both civilian victims and wounded aurors.
"We're running out of Blood Replenishing Potions! And someone bring more Skele-gro!" One of the healers frantically shouted as he rushed past another incoming crowd of wounded, expertly dodging them.
All the hospitals had the highest concentration of aurors present to guard them against any possible assailants, both inside and outside the buildings.
Mediwitches and healers worked frantically, separating those who had been bitten from those who were not. They could not afford to have any attacks from the inside. Those who were bitten kept crying to be released from their confines but the aurors were unrelenting, their orders to keep them restricted absolute. Even children could not be spared the confinement, and it was evident in the aurors' demeanor how much they hated having to do this but knew they could not afford to overlook anything.
The numbers of injuries and casualties were fewer than the department had forecasted so far – something that stood as a testament to the efforts of the auror force in mitigating the attacks – but the situation was unfortunate all the same. At least it gave the Ministry a clue of how lacking they were in this department, and more budget had already been allocated to the DMLE.
It did not take long for factions to start forming across wizarding Britain. In the Ministry atrium, protesters kept clashing violently, forcing the auror force to divide its numbers and efforts.
"Protection for humans!"
"Rights for werewolves!"
The two sides were violent, and the aurors struggled to keep the peace as fists and hexes flew. The reporters from various newspapers frantically dodged the curses being fired, their Quick-Quotes Quills scribbling furiously as they documented the civilian strife.
The conflict was showing signs of having spilled overseas as well, with werewolves throughout Europe on the move to Britain, leaving carnage on their way. Already, discussions had been held among several member nations of the ICW on whether they should be interfering in what was quite clearly the internal affair of Wizarding Britain. In the end, they decided to focus only on their respective territories and all it caused was more strife with the werewolves in those nations as they were either captured or killed if they left the aurors with no choice.
Throughout Europe, the number of werewolves kept thinning over the weeks as the conflict kept rising. The toll was staggering after weeks of relentless attacks and counterattacks. Entire villages lay in ruins, parts of pureblood family manors destroyed with their patriarchs and most competent members having been killed, leaving most without an heir. Hundreds had been reported dead or missing, and the auror force was stretched to its breaking point.
The economic impact had also been severe. The goblins of Gringotts did not hesitate to impose strict new security measures, restricting access to the bank premises which slowed down transactions and threatened to cause a major financial panic if the noose was tightened even further. Many businesses in wizarding settlements, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade had closed, unable to operate in the climate of fear.
It was no surprise that a black market for silver weapons and protective amulets flourished in shady places like Knockturn Alley. Desperate witches and wizards were ready to pay exorbitant prices for anything that might keep the werewolves at bay. Crooked merchants peddled fake cures and dubious protective artifacts to the panicked populace, taking full advantage of their fear to make quick gold.
Meanwhile, the clashes between the civilians escalated after weeks of tension. Extremist groups emerged on both sides, gaining traction quickly. A militant anti-werewolf organization calling itself the 'Silver Fang' emerged, advocating for the complete eradication of werewolves for their crimes. Conversely, a radical pro-werewolf group known as the 'Lunar Liberation Front' began attacking known pureblood estates and businesses while targeting Ministry properties as well.
Hogwarts was not spared the tensions either. Students with known werewolf relatives started to face ostracism and bullying, and the professors and other students were hard at work to prevent any incidents. It was impossible to always succeed, and Dumbledore was forced to take extreme measures, announcing that any student found to have any involvement in such deplorable actions would be expelled on the spot.
The Gryffindor Common Room was, as had become the norm since the attacks started, a hive of tense activity, with clusters of students huddled about, mostly around copies of the Daily Prophet as they discussed the developments in hushed tones. The warmth of the fireplace did little to quell the chill of apprehension that had settled over the castle.
As usual, the front page presented a grim headline.
WEREWOLF ATTACKS CONTINUE: MINISTRY STRUGGLES TO CONTAIN THREATS
The Ministry had already published the first list of known werewolves a couple of days ago, and it had taken the entire school by surprise. There were dissenting voices against the headmaster and the professors for allowing werewolves to live amongst them for years, with several parents also expressing their anger and demanding answers.
In a corner near the window, James Potter paced back and forth, his brows furrowed. Sirius Black lounged in an armchair, his eyes worried. Their usual carefree demeanor had long become a thing of the past, and a sense of grim seriousness had replaced it.
"This is madness," James whispered, running a hand through his messy hair. "These attacks… these are only going to make things worse for everyone."
"They already have…" Frank replied grimly from his seat on the couch. "I never expected things would get so worse, especially at Hogwarts."
"Makes me kinda glad Moony's not here anymore," Sirius muttered. "No clue how he's been holding up, but it must be better than what he would've suffered here in the castle."
"It's not just Remus either," Fabian said quietly, sitting with his twin Gideon alongside Frank, their usual mischievous grins having vanished entirely. "Think of all the other werewolf students who are away from this place now."
"A lot of them are just trying to live out normal lives though," Gideon muttered. "They've also been thrown to the wolves, so to speak."
"These laws…" James chuckled humorlessly. "They've just thrown those people right into Greyback's arms. And all because of their prejudice against these creatures."
Frank massaged his temples, trying to stave off the headache as he gazed at them in concern. "I don't think this is only about the werewolves anymore," he said softly. "This is going to affect everything. How the ministry will work going forward, the public fear and their reaction… we're already seeing factions forming around the country… our whole society is changing."
"You're all right," a calm voice cut through the tension as Harry approached the group calmly, assuming his place by the fireplace as he leaned against the wall. "And that's why we need to think beyond this immediate crisis."
Despite being their age, he had an air of maturity and leadership about him that drew them in.
"Dealing with the werewolves is the Ministry's concern, and that includes the fallout of their legislation as well," Harry continued. The others listened attentively as Harry's face turned thoughtful. "Voldemort's still out there, biding his time. This werewolf situation… it's playing right into his hands."
Harry was not delusional. He knew how resourceful Voldemort was, and even though his plan of taking werewolves out from Voldemort's army while weakening his pureblood support had worked more or less flawlessly, he knew that the bastard was capable of coming up with something to not only overcome this setback but to profit from it as well. He hoped with all his might that he didn't, but he had to count on it. It was always better to prepare for the worst.
"Divide and conquer," James said disdainfully, earning a nod.
"Exactly," Harry agreed. "He will use this fear, this division, to his advantage. As Frank just said, factions have started to form. People are not united. We would be fools to think that he won't use this. When he makes his move…"
"The people will be too occupied with fighting amongst themselves to stand against him," Sirius finished grimly.
"What can we even do about this then?" Frank asked as he leaned forward, his hands clasped and his elbows resting on his thighs. "We can't just sit by and do nothing."
"We prepare," Harry replied, his eyes glinting. "We learn. We improve. We make connections… connections we wouldn't have thought of before… it's time to reach out and eliminate the divides that existed before. Always remember what we're fighting for here."
"For our future," James said firmly.
"For the innocents who have been and would be caught in the crossfire," Sirius added.
"We have a massive advantage over Voldemort right now," Harry continued, his hands comfortably nestled in his pockets as he gazed at their group. "He doesn't know about us, or our plans. But we do know about him and what he wants. There is no attention on us. We can do whatever we want, learn and become as capable as we can be… all the while being completely out of anyone's sight."
Sirius straightened in his chair, a spark returning to his eyes as he gazed at Harry. "All right then, oh wise leader. What's our move then?"
"Voldemort is the endgame," Harry replied. "Everything we do now is to prepare for him. And there's a lot we gotta do."
Attentive, everyone listened to Harry who stepped off the wall and joined them on the couch, explaining their way ahead.
-Break-
The Hogwarts library was quiet, with nothing but the rustling of parchment and the occasional whisper audible. Madam Pince, the strict librarian, sat high in her chair, her hawk-eyed gaze daring anyone to cause any ruckus and break the tranquil silence.
At a secluded table near the Restricted Section sat Lily Evans with her childhood friend Severus Snape, with stacks of books on the desk in front of them as their quills scribbled on their respective parchments. The warm glow of the lamplight cast long shadows across their faces as they pored over thick tomes and worked on their respective homework.
Every few seconds, Lily's focus would waver as her eyes would fall on the day's edition of the Daily Prophet placed on the desk by the side, its headline both foreboding and repulsive.
She had been avoiding reading the article the entire day, being in no mood to subject herself to the negativity it would induce. She had heard the words being thrown around by those who had read it, and all it did was make her even more agitated.
Finally, she set her quill back into the inkpot and with a sigh, the redhead reached over, dragging the newspaper to herself. Her lips pursed as she read the headline, tracing the words with her fingers as if trying to make full sense of them through touch alone.
"It's horrible, Sev," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "These new laws, these attacks… it's as if everyone's lost their minds at once. Listen to this: 'Twenty more werewolves were killed in the attacks last night when they attempted to destroy the village of Brackenford, including four civilians who attempted to fight them off until the aurors could arrive.'"
Snape nodded dispassionately, his dark eyes glinting in the lamplight as they remained trained on the parchment, his quill still scribbling nonstop.
"It was bound to happen eventually. Werewolves are dangerous creatures. After what they did to Lucius, Rudolphus, Rabastan, and the rest, they shouldn't be surprised. The Ministry has only been doing what it must to protect people."
Lily frowned, tucking a stray strand of crimson hair behind her ear as she gazed at the moving image on the front page. It was grim, and she was surprised that they had not censored it in any form.
"The werewolves are people too, Sev. People with an affliction they didn't choose. They're victims. This law… it's treating them like animals."
"Aren't they, though?" Snape asked, his lips curling in disdain. "Earlier, it was once a month. But now, we're seeing cases of permanent transformation. Substance abuse. People like Lupin, for instance. I always knew there was something off about him."
Lily's hands tensed, her grip tightening on the newspaper. "This isn't about Remus. It is about innocent families being persecuted. Families torn apart. Lives ruined… There are radicals, but most of them are innocents who are forced to do something or they would either die or be killed either way."
"Innocent?" Snape scoffed, taking his eyes off his parchment as he straightened and leaned back in his chair, putting his quill away. "They're monsters, Lily. We used to think it was only once a month, but now? Who knows what they might do whenever they wish? Always hiding, always lying…"
"Sev, please," Lily said, exasperation creeping into her voice. "Can we focus on the bigger picture here? This law was brought to make lives easier, but all it has done is create uncontrolled violence and dissent amongst the masses. People are being forced to go into hiding. They're getting desperate. Innocents are losing their lives, including the werewolves. It has made things much worse, not better."
"Good," Snape muttered, his eyes darting toward the Restricted Section. "The further away those monsters are, the better. It was my luck that I didn't go to Hogsmeade with the others that day, otherwise I would've been their food myself. They're barbaric monsters. I'm sure there are books over there in the Restricted Section that could teach us how to permanently deal with their kind."
Lily pushed the newspaper to the side where it fell over the edge of the table and onto the floor. Madam Pince easily spotted it and gave the redhead a sharp look, who grimaced and picked it up, folding it properly and putting it by the side.
Turning back to Snape, she glared.
"You don't mean that," she hissed, leaning slightly over the table. "Listen to yourself right now!"
"I mean exactly what I said," Snape leaned forward as well, matching her intensity. "Think about this, Lily. Lupin's been here for years, pretending to be normal. Just like us. Who knows what could've happened? What if he'd lost control? We all would've been in grave danger."
"But the point is that nothing happened," Lily replied firmly, her emerald eyes blazing. "We can keep talking about what ifs and could've beens, but what matters is the fact. And the fact is that nothing ever happened. Remus is a kind person. He's never hurt anyone."
"Is that so? He's kind, hmm?" Snape's eyes narrowed. "I guess you didn't see what he's been doing to the others over the years in the name of pranks. He runs with Potter and Black! He's just as bad as they are. Forget the others, have you forgotten all the times they've tormented me?"
Lily took a deep breath as she leaned back properly in her seat, trying to calm herself. The mere mention of James' name brought back the memories of what had been happening between them for the last few weeks, and she did not want to think about it.
"Look. This isn't about your little quarrel with Potter and Black. We're talking about innocent people's lives being destroyed because of an unjust law. We're seeing the proof right in front of our eyes. I've seen how sad they all have been since Remus had to leave Hogwarts. Can't you see past your personal grudges for once, Sev?"
"Unjust law?" Snape sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's about damn time the Ministry did something to protect normal wizards from those beasts. Or would you rather wait until someone gets bitten? Or killed? Wait… it happened already! And it would've happened to me as well if I hadn't remained in the castle!"
It seemed as if someone had poured cold water on her for a moment as Lily simply stared at a sneering Severus Snape. Marlene's words came rushing to the forefront of her mind, talking about the true face of the one she called her best friend, and how she was choosing to remain blind when it came to him.
"Normal wizards?" Lily's voice came out in a growl, rising slightly, and drawing curious glances from the nearest occupied tables that happened to still be two tables away. "What exactly do you mean by that, Severus? Who gets to decide what's normal?"
Snape faltered for a moment, realizing that he had treaded onto dangerous ground. "I just meant… people who are not afflicted. Who are not werewolves and who don't pose a danger to others. Surely you can see the difference?"
"Right," Lily drawled, her voice and gaze icy. "And I suppose you have opinions on who else might not be 'normal' enough? Muggleborns, perhaps? Or would be it another word you'd like to use?"
"That's not what I meant," Snape backpedaled, his pale face flushing slightly. "You know I'd never… I'm just saying… Lupin and his kind"
"His kind?" Lily stood up suddenly, her emerald eyes blazing and her chair scraping loudly against the floor. Her gaze was disdainful, filled with a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Listen to yourself, Severus! You sound just like those pureblood supremacists. 'His kind'? What next? You'll say rounding them up and putting special marks on their robes would be right as well? Just like the Ministry did, at the behest of the same pureblood supremacists?"
"You're not thinking properly about this, Lily," Snape protested, now standing up as well. Several students were openly staring now, and Madam Pince had already stood up to move out of her seat and get over to tear into them. "I'm just being realistic about the danger"
"The danger?" Lily's voice was trembling now, barely contained fury evident in every syllable. Marlene's words were ringing in her ears. James' voice was ringing in her ears. She glared at Snape with unhidden disgust. "The real danger is this kind of prejudice. It's people like you, spreading fear and hatred, that is tearing our world apart! Don't you see? This is exactly how it starts. First, it's werewolves. Then who? Muggleborns like me? Half-bloods? Purebloods who don't agree with you? It never ends!"
"Lily, please," Snape begged, realizing he had made a massive lapse in judgment and gone too far. "I didn't mean it like that! You know how much I care for you! I'd never think"
"Did you use that vile word for muggleborns when you were working on that Defense project with Marlene?" Lily asked curtly, glaring, and Snape felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut. His eyes widened, and Lily's breath hitched. Her world felt as if it had come crumbling down around her, as she realized Marlene had indeed been telling the truth.
She had thought Severus was different. She had thought he understood what it felt like to be judged unfairly. She had always defended him when people said he was wrong and was headed down a dark path. She had always insisted he was a good person.
But now… now she knew how wrong she had been. It had taken her so long to realize that he was just as bad as the rest of his former friends who were not dead, killed by radical werewolves.
'Maybe even worse, considering his past,' Lily couldn't help but think, her disgust overwhelming her. She worked quickly, gathering her books and stationery and stuffing them haphazardly into her bag.
"Lily, wait" Snape reached out to grab her arm, but she quickly jerked away before he could even touch her. Even being in his presence felt vile now.
"Don't you dare come close to me," Lily hissed, glaring hatefully at Snape who stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. "I don't even know who you really are, Severus. The boy I grew up with… he would've seen the injustice in this. He would've cared. And he would've never become a prejudicial racist of such high order to ever utter those vile words about anyone! It's ignorant racists like you who use their power to ruin innocent lives!"
Snape stilled, his fear and concern evaporating entirely as he registered those two words she had called him. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her glaring visage.
She knew. She knew what it was like at his home. She knew what his monster of a father was like. She knew why he treated him and his mother the way he did. And for her to call him that!?
Snape lost it. His wand flew in his hand at a moment's notice as he leveled it at the only true friend he had left, at least until a few minutes ago.
"What did you just call me, you filthy mudblood!?" Snape asked in a dangerous whisper, and Lily stilled, her eyes wide and unseeing as she registered what Severus, her childhood friend, had just called her. Her hands shook, her body shivering, as she gazed at his livid face that was filled with so much hatred that she had trouble believing this was the same Severus Snape she had met years ago.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and Lily watched in disbelief as Severus was flung back against a massive shelf, his wand clattering on the floor. A loud grunt forced its way out of him as he slumped over, with multiple books falling all over him. One thick tome with metallic bindings over it fell right on top of his head, knocking him out.
All this while, Lily remained rooted to the spot, her mind blank. She didn't even notice that her bag had fallen off or how tightly she was gripping her Hogwarts robes as tears slowly trickled down her unblinking eyes that remained trained on the fallen figure of her former friend.
"Lily! Are you okay!?"
The redhead barely registered the frantic and concerned voice of Marlene who rushed over with Alice in tow, both having been seated a few tables away from her. The two girls arrived, and Alice quickly grabbed her cheeks, wiping her tears off as she shook her gently.
"Lily?" The brunette asked cautiously, frowning when she didn't respond. The tears kept coming, and they both bit their lower lips softly, wrapping their arms around their friend who remained unresponsive, her eyes fixated on the unconscious wizard.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Alice said softly, earning a nod from Marlene who dropped to pick up Lily's things and slung the bag over her shoulder. The two girls slowly led their friend toward the exit of the library where they were met by Madam Pince who arrived with her lips pursed. Her eyes, usually strict and full of warning, softened slightly as she gazed at a stoic Lily whose tears showed no signs of stopping, and she gave them a small nod.
"I shall take care of things here," the librarian said, allowing the girls to leave. She turned to the gathered crowd and raised a curt eyebrow, watching how they quickly got back to what they had been doing. Her eyes darted from one side of the library to the other and slowly, she walked over to where Snape remained buried under dozens of books, unconscious.
TBC.
Check out the link on my profile for early access and more of my work. Chapters 27, 28, and 29 are already up.
Thanks for reading.