Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 9: Reactions and Overreactions (pt 2)

Somewhere, Sometime...

The little boy had been lost in the woods for longer than he could remember, and as the night got colder, he'd ended up huddled under a tree sobbing quietly and shivering both from the cold and from fear. For he knew that there was a monster after him, a great and terrible monster that would devour him whole if it caught him. Then, the boy gasped in terror as a demonic howl erupted from farther into the woods. It was some distance away, but closer than the last time he'd heard it just a few minutes before. The boy began to weep piteously. He was alone and cold and the monster would be here soon. Then, as that thought rippled through his terrified mind, the boy heard another sound much closer. He turned and saw that the bushes just a few feet away were rustling as some thing pushed its way through them. And the distant howl that had so frightened the boy was now replaced by a different animal sound. A low, hungry growl.

The bushes parted, and the boy screamed.

A heavily warded and reinforced chamber deep beneath the Temple of Wisdom in Shamballa
6:42 a.m. (local time)

Remus Lupin ("Brother Chandra" to most of his peers at the Temple) awoke with a loud and painful gasp of air before looking around wildly around to find himself nude and alone in a cold, darkened chamber. He gave a relaxed sigh. All was as it should be. Then, he arose and moved to the locked door, stepping gingerly over the stripped carcass of a yak which had been provided by the monks and upon which his other half had dined heartily in the night. At the door, he closed his eyes and spent several seconds waving his hands in a complicated mudra that would have been beyond either the dexterity or the wisdom of a werewolf. The door clicked open, and Remus stepped through to the lighted antechamber where his clothes and wand were waiting. Naturally, the Alohomora Charm would have been faster and easier, but the risk of leaving his wand where it might be smashed by an anger-crazed werewolf was too great.

The English monk calmly dressed himself and then stepped back into his holding cell to vanish the yak's remains and Scourgify the cell. He made a mental note to spend time meditating in gratitude to the spirit of the animal for its self-sacrifice on behalf of his own mental health. He also made a mental note to gargle as soon as possible to get the taste of yak meat out of his mouth. At this point on his spiritual journey, Remus only ate meat while in the throes of his lycanthropic transformation, and he had grown to otherwise dislike the taste of it, especially when it was still raw and bloody. However, years of study had shown that if the Beast was allowed to slake its hunger for flesh on a sufficient quantity of animal flesh, it was less likely to take out its anger at confinement on its own physical body, and the taste of yak breath was a small price to pay to not wake up half-dead and covered in scratches and claw-marks. Indeed, except for the intense recurring nightmare that came with every transformation just before he woke the next morning, Remus considered his transformations almost consequence free.

From his transformation chamber, Remus climbed the many stairs up to his own rooms, bowing respectfully to all the other monks who crossed his path, all of whom returned the bow with equal respect. Back in his private chambers, Remus took a quick cold shower and dressed in fresh clothes. When he returned to his sitting room, there was a small tray waiting on his table containing fresh fruit, rice, fish broth, and juice, along with a folded copy of the Daily Prophet. Remus smiled. In all his time in Shamballa, he had never actually seen a house elf here, but he knew the Temple had some. Unlike the elves back in Britain, however, the house elves of Shamballa were almost never seen in physical form, preferring to perform their duties silently and invisibly.

The wizard sat at his table, popped a peach slice into his mouth, and opened the paper ... only to spit the fruit out after nearly choking on it.

DEATH EATERS ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN!
SIRIUS BLACK! BELLATRIX LESTRANGE!
THE LESTRANGE BROTHERS! AUGUSTUS ROOKWOOD!
YOU-KNOW-WHO S ENTIRE INNER CIRCLE!
WHO WILL SAVE US FROM THE DEATH EATER MENACE?