I Will Protect You

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I always longed for the feeling of freedom that shifting would give me. 

I mean don't get me wrong, I loved Hogwarts. I loved wandering through the elaborate corridors, chatting briefly with each painting as I went, checking round each corner for which ghost was waiting to pounce on me next (Nearly Headless Nick and I had an unending jump scare match going - I had to watch my back) and on occasion heading down to the kitchens to check up on the house elves that worked down there - they loved hearing how great their cooking was and they were surprisingly good at helping me revise for tests, particularly Slughorn's quizzes. 

However, shifting was a whole new realm of freedom and independence. I could go wherever I wanted to on the grounds (within reason, the giant bloody spiders seemed to want a me sized meal every time I headed over to their neck of the woods) and no one knew who I was. Being an animagus had advantages and disadvantages for sure. The training was a pain in the backside, I was lucky that my parents taught it to me before I came to Hogwarts, they said I would need an 'escape' from other people and honestly they were right. Another disadvantage was my form as an animagus: a small, dusty brown, doe eyed and floppy eared rabbit. Sure, had it been down to me I would've picked something a little cooler - a dog or a wolf maybe but I could work with it; I could kick like no other that's for sure. It has to be said being found in my animal form is less than ideal, last time I got swarmed by a group of first year girls who wanted to pet the cute little, rather angry bunny, the thought of it sent shivers down my spine, thankfully McGonagall came to my aid. A few of the teachers knew what I was, I was a registered animagi so it wasn't exactly hush hush. 

I ran through the forest, my home, not particularly applying my full attention to how my paws were gently grazing the cooling blades of grass, nor how the wind was still and how the full moon was hung like a light bulb in the night. I was thinking. Previously that evening I had come into a little trouble, I was just on my way out of the Slytherin dorm rooms and I heard someone yell my name. 

"Caspar!" 

I turned to face the caller of my name, Regulus, "Hey buddy." I smiled my american twang in my voice coming across evidently, I gave him a small wave and a smile. The younger boy bounded across the room towards me like a hyperactive puppy.

"I've got quidditch practice tonight! Wanna come watch?"  the third year chimed happily, his black and curly hair flopping in his face nonchalantly. I knew I couldn't tonight - I had to get out, I had been cooped up in these bloody dungeons for days and days and I was getting restless. 

"I can't, McGonagall has me in for a detention again. Sorry." I always used this excuse, I had been told to - Dumbledore himself said to tell people I had detentions or extra homework to cover for my habits. 

"How on earth do you get so many detentions Caspar? You're a literal golden child!" he protested, pouting softly with arms crossed in annoyance over his chest. I ran my hands through my unruly, blonde hair smirking at the boy. 

"Gotta be bad sometimes kiddo." at this Regulus smacked my arm jokingly before drawing me into a hug.

"You better be good enough to come to my games, Mr Fisher." 

I felt like such a terrible friend: I helped him out with his homework, gave him my old notes to get him ahead in class, gave him my absolute all however it was never enough. There was always something I couldn't do and it killed me because that boy was my only friend. When you aren't a popular soul like myself you tend to put your heart and soul into that one person and the third year certainly had everything I could give him.

Unawares I had stumbled into a clearing I tried to avoid whenever possible, my nose twitched softly as I inhaled all of the scents I possibly could: my mind was overwhelmed with danger and I couldn't quite apprehend from what exactly. I went back on my hind legs and tried to get to a height where I could clearly examine my surroundings (which was difficult to do when you're hardly a foot or so tall): my ears falling into my face annoyingly and my breath hitching softly. 

I soon figured out what had my senses in overdrive or rather it presented itself rather obviously to me in the form of a large looking wolf thing. My instincts were telling me to hop my butt right on out of there but my human side pitied the animal with gashes of blood covering it's face and small whimpers erupting from it's throat. 

Whatever possessed me to slowly make my way over to the creature which had now collapsed onto the floor I was sure as hell thankful for it. Nervously I jumped forward, making a small sound to announce my presence in hopes the beast was less likely to devour me if I was more authoritative in my approach. 

It looked at me, lifting it's head from the grass surrounding it's body however it only looked at me. I couldn't help but frown internally at the crimson substance staining it's face and the grass it lay in. Coming closer and closer I could see the panic and worry in it's eyes and I could see the human emotions behind it - it had to be a human, I knew what a werewolf looked like, my grandmother had taught me to remember how to tell them from actual wolves - the fear in the creature's eyes was painful, you had to be pretty weak to be scared of a bunny barely 30 centimetres tall. 

I couldn't help but wonder who the poor person was behind this fur and this being, how they are doing - it could be anyone: a teacher, a student or maybe even a rogue werewolf that had strayed into the grounds. I wanted to help.

It flinched as I nestled my face against it's, I knew it was risky but I wanted to wipe away the blood that was dripping into it's eyes and mouth. I'm sure the human in there would be more than grateful for that, soon my once dusky blonde fur was drenched and matted with blood, I didn't care as the animal seemed a lot more content than it was before - it's eyes were closed and it's breath was evening out. 

As I went to hop away and take a wash I felt a paw blocking my path from the crook in the massive creature's neck. It was holding me in place. Fantastic. I needed to get back to the dorms - I didn't want to leave Regulus alone in the Slytherin common rooms tonight, he would be upset. Although I suppose there was nothing I could do but remain in place and wait to be released from whatever kind of situation I had just gotten myself into.