The Marauders: Year Four

Werewolf on the Grounds

Werewolf on the Grounds

James lay, sprawled on the ground where he'd landed when Remus had shoved him, staring up at his friend, eyes wide in horror. He'd never imagined the transformation that Remus went through to be such a terrible thing as what he was seeing right now. Remus's mouth was open wide in a silent scream that, had it been audible, would have been most ear-splitting, the agony on his face was quite obvious. Remus's spine cracked so loud that James could literally, actually hear the vertebrae snapping. It was the most sickening sound he'd ever heard in his life.

Remus fell to his knees and clutched at the grass, his fingers digging into the dirt, fur started sprouting all over him, and his neck got bigger and his face seemed to swell out into a snout and James saw, reflecting the moonlight, long, sharp teeth grow from his gums and over his elongated human chin... and then that grew fur, too, and his nose smoothed and turned black and wet and his eyes yellow and the shapes of the pupils altered and ears... tail... claws...

James crawled backwards frantically, suddenly realizing that he was no longer looking at his friend, Remus Lupin, he was looking at a bloody werewolf and there was spittle dripping from his teeth and lips, hungry drool falling... Remus had already smelled the blood... And the werewolf was ravenous for it. The werewolf licked it's lips and it looked at James, coming towards him menacingly.

James looked around, trying to form a plan, trying to figure out what to do, how he'd escape without being eaten... The werewolf started toward him. James rolled out of the way just as the wolf went to pounce upon his prey and he jumped up onto his feet and ran for the Whomping Willow, praying that Peter had got the tunnel open. They could get in the tunnel and close it, James thought wildly, lock the werewolf out of the tunnel and they'd be safe. It was the only way!

"GET IN THE TUNNEL! GET IN THE TUNNEL!" James shouted as he approached the Whomping Willow, but Peter was still standing at the edge of the leaves, which were still twitching in anger, throwing rocks. He hadn't got it open yet. James looked over his shoulder. The werewolf was following him, yellow eyes ablaze. There was no time. "PETER - RUN!" James yelled.

Peter turned to see - saw James and the wolf - and he let out a terrified squeak and -- it looked as though he'd disappeared again, like he had done in February in the snow with Greyback, but this time James knew there was probably a fat rat in the grass just where Peter had been.

James ran, bending to grab rocks as he approached and he aimed, though poorly, chucking rocks desperately into the dark under the tree, unable to pause in his running long enough to do it right. It was hard under normal circumstances to hit that knot. It was even harder with the break of a werewolf coming up behind you... What he wouldn't have done at that moment for Mr. New Scamander's werewolf whistle! He ran out of rocks and he turned to see the wolf leaping through the air toward him and he winced, closing his eyes and holding up his arms to block his face as the werewolf leaped at him, knocking him down, his claws extended, gripping onto James's shoulder. There was a struggling lump under James's back and he realized he'd landed on Peter in his rat form. He tried to arch his back to keep from smashing Peter flat, but the weight of the wolf on him was heavy and he could smell the horrible breath and he thought of the way Fenrir Greyback had played with him, threatening to bite him, and he stared up at this werewolf, such a different experience than it had been with Greyback... but equally terrible. After all, this werewolf... this one was one of his best mates.

The wolf bared its teeth.

James squeezed his eyes shut.

"REMUS -- NO!"