The Marauders: Year Six Part 2 #Wattys2017

Not Much of a Competition

"N-now you've t-taken your aconite?"

"Yes, I have."

"I'm promised to have the Wolfsbane for - for the F-February moon."

"It's alright."

"I meant t-to have it sooner, of course, but it's qu-quite rare yet and --"

"It really is alright, Mr. Scamander." Ned Veigler's eyes shone in the darkness of Professor Uruquat's office. Ned, Elphinstone Uruquart, Newt Scamander, and Albus Dumbledore stood about the room, the shutters drawn tight as the last bits of sun peeked in around the cracks. Ned sat in the cushiest chair by the fire, his face drawn in a wince of pain as he clutched his side. A teacup perched in his other hand had aconite leaves floating about.

Newt looked wholly apologetic and anxious. 

"How about little Bradley, then?" Ned asked weakly, "Oughtn't you be with the child as the full moon rises?"

Newt's head turned. His briefcase lay open on the chair opposite of Ned, and strange noises emitted now and again from within, as well as the flickering form of Dougal the demiguise, who sat on the top rung of the ladder leading into Newt's laboratory, peering out over the edge of the briefcase, too worried to stay wholly invisible. "Teeny is- is seeing t-to him," Newt replied. "St-still young yet. Th - the little one st - still finds it qu - quite exciting to change..." He looked quite sad and jangled.

"Perhaps a bit of tea for you, Mr. Scamander?" Dumbledore said, his voice gentle. "I find that a spot of tea always helps to calm the nerves."

Newt turned about, "Oh - I - yes, perhaps."

Dumbledore waved a wand and produced two cups of chamomile tea, piping hot. He took one himself and smiled as Newt reached for the other, his eyes meeting Elphinstone's over the edge of the cup as he took the first sip. "A lump for you, Mr. Scamander?" he asked.

"N - No. Thank you." The cup chattered against the saucer as Newt held it, his hands shaking.

Elphinstone was pacing by the window and he peeked between the shutters, his hand going to his wand, which was tucked in a sort of leather holster on his hip. "Nearly time then," he said, and he crossed the room quickly.

"Thanks to you once again, Professor, for allowing us to use your study for the transformation," Dumbledore said. "It is quite important that we keep Professor Veigler well tended until we've managed to work out exactly what is going on with the moon cycle symptoms that he is having."

Newt looked at Dumbledore, then back to Ned. Unspoken, of course, was the fact that it was not only Ned having the symptoms, but also Remus Lupin. Though Remus's condition was unknown to Professor Urquart.

"Yes, thank you," Ned said, his voice gravelly and low from the pain he was in. "It's the only room in the castle that I know will keep me in once I've transformed. Fortified it myself when I taught here, years ago."

Elphinstone Urquart nodded, "Of course, Mr. Veigler. I only wish I could do more."

"A solid stunner will be quite enough, sir," Ned said with a weak smile.

Newt Scamander quickly sipped from his tea cup, his face pale.

"Ah. The moon rise," Dumbledore's voice was quiet as he nodded at the shutters, but none of them needed look to see that the moon was indeed risen, for the evidence was all too clear.

The golden light at the cracks in the shutters had turned silver as they spoke, the sun's rays too weak compared to that of the moon's reflection of it, and the night had come and Ned Veigler dropped the teacup he'd been holding. It shattered on the floor and Dumbledore quickly waved his wand and the cup resumed it's unshattered state and hopped up on the desk across the room. Newt put down his cup on the table and reached quickly to close his briefcase lid, shoving Dougal's head down in as the demiguise's eyes had widened with concern for Ned Veigler, his body gripped by the moonlight.