Hogwarts: The Missing Relative - BOOK 3 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

10: The Curse of the Moon

Me and Nico sped ahead of everyone else. Nearing the end of the tunnel, we looked back and saw Snape's head banging against the ceiling. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. Remus gave us a strange look and I pointed to Snape and he started to laugh too. I already felt much more at ease, my dad would be OK.

We got out of the tunnel and found ourselves at the hole in the Whomping Willow. Nico helped me up and then we both helped Remus and Ron up. We let them just drag Pettigrew up with them and he banged his head on the trunk of the tree.

The Willow was immobile at that point and then Harry, my dad, Hermione and Snape finally reached the end. Harry and my dad headed off to talk and I sat with the others. Remus was checking Ron's leg and Hermione was watching in concern.

We all slowly headed for the castle.

'One wrong move, Peter,' said Remus and Pettigrew looked at him, terrified.

The lights of the castle were growing slowly bigger then suddenly a cloud shifted overhead. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground and we were bathed in moonlight.

I slowly turned back around to the others. I was in the lead and Remus, Pettigrew and Ron were behind me, then it was my dad, Nico, Harry and Hermione.

Remus had gone rigid. Then his limbs started to shake.

'Oh no,' I breathed. I remembered Snape's speech, his reason for finding out where we were. Remus hadn't taken his potion tonight so he wasn't safe. We had to leave if we didn't want to be attacked, he couldn't control himself. He'd do something he'd regret in the morning.

'Run!' yelled my dad but Ron was still chained to Pettigrew and Remus, 'Leave it to me! Run!'

Suddenly, there was a terrible snarling noise. Remus' head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Remus had turned into a massive, sandy coloured wolf.

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, my dad transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.

Pettigrew had transformed into a rat and ran away but we were all transfixed on the battle so we didn't realise.

Remus threw my dad off and headed for Nico and the others. Scenarios rushed through my head, I knew how dangerous Remus could be. I had a stupid idea. I picked up a rock and threw it at Remus' head. It hit him and he turned to me.

'No,' I said as he bounded towards me.

I tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. Remus was on top of me. He lunged at me and I raised my hand so it took the blow. I screamed in terror as I realised what was going on. I was going to die, he was going to maul me and I was going to die. My worst fear was being realised, I was about to be killed by the man I trusted the most.

'ARGH!' I screamed as he bit into my arm.

My dad was up again and he knocked Remus away from me. I was yelling in pain. My arm was so sore that I could barely think. The only thought rushing through my head was how much pain I was in, how I wanted it to end. It was too much, my sanity was slipping away with every passing moment.

I looked up and saw everyone gathered around me. Snape had woken up and he was wrapping my arm in a bandage while Nico was holding my other hand. He squeezed it tightly, his eyes brimming with tears. He was trying to hold it together but he was failing. He had never seen me look so weak, I was fading in front of his eyes.

'Black, just stay calm,' Snape was saying but I couldn't. I still thought I was dying, I didn't want to die, I wanted to live. I wanted to see my friends again, I wanted to see my dad being cleared of all charges. I couldn't die yet.

'Her boggart... It's a werewolf,' Hermione whispered and Snape looked up at her.

'No, no, no,' I moaned, 'This isn't real. It's not. I'm not here. I can't be here. I'm dreaming, this is a dream. I'm about to wake up, I'll laugh about it. It's not real, it's not.'

'Molly, we're here, stay calm,' Nico squeezed my hand but I was doubled over in pain. I screamed again, it pierced the night sky. I didn't know where my dad or Remus were, but it seemed nobody cared anymore. 

'Let me see your arm, Miss Black,' Snape's voice was urgent, 'I need to see it.'

'This can't be real,' tears streamed down my face, it couldn't be happening. It was a bad dream.

'She's... she's living her worst fear,' Ron whispered, shock all over his face.

'She faced it in order to protect us,' Hermione said, 'She would have been fine, Professor Lupin was focused on us...'

'What did she do, Miss Granger?' Snape was holding me down, trying to calm me. I struggled against him but I was no match. He overpowered me but I needed to get away. I needed to wake up.

'Professor Lupin threw Sirius off and headed straight for us... Molly was well out of range, she was safe,' Hermione's voice was shaking, 'She threw a rock at him and he changed targets, went for her. In our Defence classes, her boggart was Professor Lupin... She ignored that fear to save us...'

'The hat was certainly correct on this occasion, it seems,' Snape said quietly, 'We need to get her to the castle... There's no changing the fact that Miss Black is now a werewolf, but we can ease her pain. If this bite isn't treated immediately, she will die.'

I was still writhing in pain, struggling to comprehend what they were saying. I felt out of it, surely it was a dream. Remus was safe in his office, he'd taken his potion. He was sensible, he wouldn't forget, he wouldn't wander on a full moon. I must have eaten something funny, it was making my dreams go weird. That was it. Some food must have gone off and I was feeling its effects now, it made my dreams turn to nightmares.

Snape raised his wand and the next thing I knew, the world went black.