Harry Potter's sister ~~~ Fanfiction

Speech on werewolves part 106

When most of the student population had sat down for dinner, Dumbledore tapped his glass to get everyone's attention.

"Good evening." He began. "In response to the recent debate in Hogwarts about the appointment of one of our teachers, the Board of Governors, who have opted to join us this evening, and I have consented to a request from a group of students to hold a presentation on the topic of Lycanthropy rights. So please can everyone welcome Healer Wallace Wackenbush and Mistress Morgan Stone."

There followed a polite round of applause, though Harry noted that some of the older students seemed to have pulled dark looks.

Healer Wackenbush was up first, he began by explaining what werewolves actually were.

"A werewolf is a human who suffers from the Lycanthropy curse. This curse causes them to transform in to a feral and dangerous beast on the night of the full moon. Otherwise they are not the least bit dangerous. Despite what certain sources would have you believe, a werewolf during any time other than the full moon is no more dangerous than any other human life form."

That basic definition was more important than people realised. Because, although nothing direct was said, a lot of the general prejudiced descriptions of werewolves hinted that they were constantly a danger to anyone around them.

Healer Wackenbush went on to explain the medical sufferings werewolves underwent as a result of their transformations.

"Werewolves in there beast forms, by their general nature, don't like being confined, if there is no one or nothing to bite or alternatively nothing to keep it distracted a werewolf will bite himself. But even those who can be distracted can still suffer severe physical trauma from the transformation in and out of human form. The Wolfsbane Potion allows significant relief from the sufferings, and additional, non-magic painkillers and other medicines have reduced the sufferings of those with the condition. However the Ministry refuses to allow St Mungos to provide werewolves with Wolfsbane, unless they pay a hefty price for it, this is despite the fact that the hospital has the budget and the fact that this would greatly deteriorate the threat infection in the first place."

More than a number of heads turned at that point. Wizards generally considered werewolves to be dangerous creatures, but it never occurred to them that they were only dangerous on the night of the full moon or that there existed a means with which to counter the danger posed by the beasts they become.

As Wackenbush continued to talk, he went into greater detail the suffering that Werewolves underwent, suffering that could easily be overcome, by simple medical treatment. Granted it had only been since Emma suggested to Madam Pomfrey that Muggle medicine could help, that most of the methods had come about. But that didn't change the fact that Healers were discouraged from aiding those who suffered from Lycanthropy.

After a few minutes of speaking, Wackenbush allowed his old friend Mistress Stone take the stand.

She was a historian by profession and had researched a lot into the history of the werewolf.

"The earliest recorded werewolf was in Ancient Greece in the mid seventh century BC. though no one is particularly certain how the werewolf came to be there are many interesting theories. Some say that the first werewolf came about after a Wizard and a common true wolf were sacrificed by a Dark Lord in a perverse ritual which turned that Lord into a Werewolf. Others say it was an early Animagus experiment that went wrong. Some even say that the first werewolf was the result of a pregnant Animagus wolf giving birth in her Animagus form."