The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

A Gross Oversight

"Danger?" Elva's eyes flashed, "Danger from what?"

"You," Newt said bluntly.

Elva's face registered shock. "From me? How on earth would I be a danger to a werewolf?"

"Well, Ned was afraid, when you overheard, that you would tell others in the village and that the castle might be attacked in an attempt to kill the werewolves," Tina explained.

Elva shook her head slowly, "No. I told no one. And I don't intend to."

"Good," said Newt.

Tina added, "We appreciate that. Very much. It isn't very often that a werewolf can find safety - even, or perhaps most especially, in the magical community. Ned Veigler's been working very hard at getting approved to run a school here, and it would be a shame for him to lose all of the work he's done."

"A school?" Elva asked, "A school of werewolves?"

"A school for outcasts," Newt answered.

Elva looked down, taking this information in.

"For - for people with - with special abilities that aren't acc-accepted elsewhere," he added.

Tina reached out and touched Elva's arm gently. The girl looked up to meet her eyes. "How is it you can change into a fox, Elva?" she asked. "It's very unusual, even in our world, that a person can transform into another beast... and it takes years of practice and study. There's very, very few."

Elva said, quietly, "It started when I was a girl, about twelve, I started to dream of foxes and of... running... in the forest, seeing the world through the eyes of a fox. My family always said I had foxy ways, I observe and hear keenly and my hair has always just grown silver like the arctic fox's fur."

"But you're not from a wizarding family?" Tina asked.

Elva said, "My mother and father were killed by a werewolf when I was very young. My brother remembers the day, he was older, already in his teens by the time it happened. The wolf attacked him, too, left scars on his face, left him craving raw meat on full moon nights, but not transforming." Elva shook her head, "If we were ...wizards... that wouldn't have happened."

"It happened to Ned," Tina corrected her.

Elva looked afraid.

"He wasn't born a werewolf, he was turned, years ago now, and he's been struggling with the consequences since."

Elva drew a deep breath, looking down at her feet. "I would know if we were --" she shook her head, "I'm not -- I didn't even knew you existed, really. Like there's fairy stories and --" Elva shook her head.

"Your-your m-mum and dad - they - they were always fr-from Iceland?" Newt asked.

"No, I was born in London. We moved here when I was a baby, I don't remember London, but there are pictures."

Newt looked at Tina. "You d-don't suppose...?"

"Perhaps," Tina replied.

"Perhaps what?" Elva asked, looking between them.

Tina said, "It wouldn't be the first time we've seen it."

"No it w-wouldn't," Newt said.

Tina nodded slowly. "And it does make sense."

"What makes sense?" Elva asked.

"Perhaps I should owl Queenie," Tina suggested.

Newt and Tina were exchanging an entire conversation with their eyes, and Elva felt on edge, unsure what they were saying, what they were insinuating...