A Timeless Beauty

Chapter 7

"Sometimes you just need someone to tell you you're not as terrible as you think you are."

I look at the book on my bed as I stare at it quietly. I debate to read over and over while sitting on my bed. It's been two days since I've seen the wolfsbane in his pocket and I can't un-see it.

I looked to Ember, who is sleeping  in her bed soundly. I made sure she was asleep before pulling out the book only to lay it at the end of my bed and just stare at it. If my suspicions are correct I wouldn't want it to go around that the DADA teacher is a werewolf.

Come on and open the damn book.

I shake my head before I finally manage to open to the book. "Werewolves and the history of Lycanthropy" it reads on my copy. I sigh before opening the book and reading it.

A werewolf is a human being who, upon the complete rising of the full moon, becomes a fearsome and deadly near-wolf. This condition is caused by infection with lycanthropy, also known as werewolfry. Werewolves appear in the form of a wolf but, there are distinctions between them and regular wolves.

I scoff quietly at the words I've read nearly a thousand times.

A mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will seal the wound and allow the victim to live on as a werewolf, although tragic tales are told of witches and wizards begging for death rather than becoming werewolves. The Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles, allows the werewolf to keep their human mind during transformation.

I skip over the next page and my eyes land on the bold words

Illness

Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood; thus, when a transformed werewolf bites a human, the bitten will become a werewolf themselves. Most Muggles, however, will die from the extent of their injuries in the instance of a werewolf attack as noted by Professor Marlowe Forfang. If a werewolf is in human form and bites the victim, they will merely gain lupine tendencies such as a fondness for rare meat. Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, will leave permanent scars. However, the fresh wound can be sealed with a mixture of powdered silver and dittany.

Werewolves cannot pass on lycanthropy to their children, and so if having a child with a human partner no lupine tendencies will occur.

I tense slightly as I look at a highlighted paragraph.

If two werewolves mate at the full moon, in their animal forms, something very strange happens. The result of their mating, which has only ever occurred twice throughout history, has been a born Animagus. The offspring will be able to change at will and unlike its parents, will not be forced to change during a full moon. However it is said that they are almost unable to control their actions while transformed and will forcibly change if provoked or feel if the ones they care for are in danger.

I barely look at the paragraph as I move to the next page.

Though they can live otherwise normal lives, on every full moon a werewolf will go through an incredibly painful transformation from a human into a wolf-like creature. They lose the ability to think in a human way, becoming highly aggressive towards humans — even those to whom they are close. Though werewolves usually only infect their victims through biting, they sometimes take it too far and kill their victims.

Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf will attack itself out of frustration. This leaves many werewolves with self-inflicted scars and premature aging from the difficult transformations.

Well that explains the scars scattered across his face. It's the only thing that explains it. The scars, the potion, how  Snape acts around Remus, how happy he looked when I told him I don't mind them.

I look at my calendar through the corner of my eyes, just managing to see what I'm looking for.

The full moon was this Friday, only two days from now. That must've been why he had asked me to watch the class. The moon was slowly taking its toll on him.

It breaks my heart thinking of the pain he has had to go through and will continue to until the end of his days.

The professors must know, Dumbledore wouldn't keep such a secret from the staff. It was smart of him to keep it from the students though. With the noble Purebloods in this school they would get him fired. And with the werewolf laws, he needs this job.

I nod my head to myself, finally making the decision the could cost everything that The Stryker family had kept hidden for years.

I was going to keep Remus safe.

*
Im sorry it's short but the next one will be longer