The Space Boy and The Red Head

33 - The Sleepover

Friday - 3rd May 1996

Lee crept along in the shadows. Trying to stay as quiet as possible as to not alert Professor McGonagall of his presence. After lots of practice he found it rather easy to move around unnoticed in his squirrel form, though he often would forget he had a tail and accidentally trap it in doors.

He listened from just round the corner as the teacher spoke to one of his best friends. Only catching snippets of conversation. Something about the silver burning, be back at sunrise, and good luck were the only elements he picked up on. He heard the door being pulled shut as McGonagall left. It was an old heavy door. Similar to a prison, a small hatch that served as a window into the cell. Not much bigger than Lee was now. He climbed through without hesitation.

"What are you doing in here? I told you to wait outside!" Apollo backed as far away from the squirrel as possible. The chains binding him to the wall rattling as he moved. Lee ran forwards, running up Apollo's leg and settling on his shoulder.

"Lee you can't be in here, It's too dangerous! Get out! I don't want to hurt you. Please." Apollo begged. Trying to shoo the squirrel away. Lee stayed put. His little squirrel hands trying to pull at the silver collar around his friends neck, seeing where it was already blistering. His efforts were futile as it would not budge. His paws covered in blood now. He looked sadly up at his friend.

"I know it looks bad, and it hurts a bit. But it's for the best that it stays on Lee." Apollo said. He lifted the squirrel from his shoulder placing it on the ground.

"You really do have to go now. I can feel it starting and I usually do this bit without the robe" he tried to joke, but his face fell when his friend didn't budge. "Seriously Lee, you have to go. This isn't funny anymore"

The squirrel dashed into the far corner of the room. The restraints on his friend were too tight for him to reach him from this distance. Apollo huffed as he watched the squirrel sit down then cover its eyes with its little hands. He was furious at Lee for putting himself in so much danger, he was terrified of what he might do to his friend, ashamed of himself for letting this happen and disgusted by the sick feeling in his mind as the moon rose outside.

Apollo ripped the tattered cloak off quickly. Chucking it to the corner Lee was in, successfully landing on the rodent. He just hoped that it would smell strongly enough of werewolf to mask Lee. Thankfully the longer Lee spent as a squirrel the weaker his human scent was becoming.

The squirrel stood transfixed. Peaking out from a hole in the tattered robe. Its ears ringing from the agonising screams and snapping of bones from across the room. The clanging of metal chains as limbs thrashed around. Screams died out, reborn as a long howl. He watched in horror as Apollo was torn apart from the inside out, only for a monstrous beast to stand in his place. Snapped from his trance as the snarling beast lunged towards him, stopped only by the silver chains he was bound by. Lee dashed back into the shadowy corner, he had underestimated how horrific it would be to watch, and how truly unsettling the beast was to witness. It was only now he really understood why Apollo had been so scared to let Lee in with the monster, Lee was terrified.

Lee took deep breaths to compose himself, slowly bringing his heart rate back to something closer to normal. Mustering up all of his Gryffindor courage he stepped out of the shadow, tail alert behind him. The Wolf stopped what he had been doing immediately, claws still raised to the chain round his neck, still covered in blood. It growled at the squirrel and Lee let out a quiet squeak. The wolf charged at him only to be yanked backwards by the restraints. Lee felt slightly more at ease seeing them holding back the creature.

Lee felt a little bit braver now. He darted from the corner he was in to the other, still just out of reach of the wolf. It charged at him again, though yet again the chains held it back. Lee did this a few times, running from corner to corner of the wall opposite the wolf. Relieved that it had stopped tearing at its own skin and thankfully it was not devouring a squirrel sized Lee whole. The wolf grumbled lowly, the sound bouncing around the cold stone walls. It had grown tired of not being able to reach the little rodent. It turned its back to Lee and started scratching at the door, nails breaking and leaving long bloody smears across it.

Oh no. Not good! Lee thought. He ran forward, towards the wolf. Leaping onto its back, clinging on by its coarse hairs. It thrashed and swatted, trying to shake the squirrel off but it stood steadfast. Now Lee was in a spot of bother, he had to find a way out of this before the wolf could get him. Trying to watch for a pattern to its madness, waiting for an opportunity to retreat. It took a while but Lee soon saw his moment. Pushing off with all his might, he sprung out, momentarily gliding through the air. His little paws made contact with the stone wall and used it to propel himself back to safety. He landed with a soft thud, just out of reach.

Lee was panting heavily from his efforts as the wolf stared him down.  It was pissed off now. But Lees plan had been a success. It had stopped attacking itself, its focus shifted back onto him. Hairy arms outstretched as the wolf tried to claw at him.

Throughout the rest of the night Lee continued to taunt and occupy the werewolf. Only occasionally had it gone back to tearing its own skin when it grew tired of the squirrels antics. Lee watched as something else seemed to draw its attention now. He tried desperately to make it look at him again as it frantically began howling and crying. It tried to itch its skin as its fur, stained red with blood, began to disappear. Lee heard the sickening snapping noise again as bones broke and began to reshape once more. The hideous beast slowly turning back into his friend. He too transformed back, but only after he was certain that Apollo was human again.

He grabbed the tattered robe from the corner and draped it carefully over his friend.

"Shit Apollo. It's going to be ok. McGonagall and Pomfrey will be here soon for you. Just hold on." He soothed. Apollo whimpered in his arms as Lee tried to apply pressure on some of his wounds to stop the bleeding.

"But hey, at least we know that the plan works. I'll just have to get better at distracting you" he tried to cheer the other boy up.

"You never should have come in here. I could have hurt you, I could've killed you." He sobbed.

"It wouldn't have been you. It would've been the other guy. Plus, it all turned out ok didn't it?"

"But I'm responsible for making sure the other guy doesn't get the chance. And It might not turn out ok next time. It's just not safe."

"I don't care if it's safe. I'm going to be there, to help you, whether you want it or not" Lee puffed his chest. "And that sounds like my cue to leave. I'll be back later with breakfast. Get some sleep"

A key turned in the lock and Lee dashed quickly to hide behind the heavy door, slipping through it after the teachers walked into the room and he managed his escape before the staff could see him.