Moon and Stone

Salazar eyed the clear sky sourly. It had every making of a beautiful night. Not a cloud marred the sky that was just shading into the dark blue of the evening as the sun disappeared from the horizon. A few stars were starting to make their appearance, though moonrise was still a few hours off. Long ago, he would have taken advantage of such a night to walk under the bright full moon with his lovely wife at his side.

...But that was another lifetime.

This night he would spend locked in living stone, a basilisk as his only companion. His lovely wife would be preparing herself for a morning of healing, putting back together what he'd spent the night ripping apart. But...it could be worse. He kept telling himself that, but lately he just felt like...howling his frustration at the moon even when he was still in human form.

This evening, it seemed to be even harder to make himself listen. He could tell himself all he liked that he ought to be grateful, that he was grateful, to have a wife at all, to have friends -- friends, for a werewolf! -- with both the desire and the power to keep him with them safely and care for him after. He even taught children, who would have had no chance of fighting him off on their own. He had a little son of his own, who was not cursed.

He could tell himself.... Salazar frowned out at the too-deep shadows of the wood. It would hurt less if he were out there and could run and hunt...or perhaps not, since Sharessa had been keeping him calmer. He could hurt someone else that way, and he could wake up chilled and torn and aching, agonized with hunger or, worse, with blood he couldn't identify in his mouth and raw meat in his belly.

He could tell himself.... He couldn't quite remember, and the shadows looked darker than they ought.

Then the stone lurched under his feet. Salazar staggered, trying to keep his balance, and Rowena's voice suddenly cried from nowhere and all around, "'Ware! Ware Dementors, and all move inward for safeguarding!"

Salazar hissed a furious Parseltongue curse -- fortunate Sarah wasn't there to hear him -- and whirled around, robes swirling around his legs as he hurried inside to find his fellow teachers. He'd known something was wrong out there! "Rowena. How close are they?"

"None inside, but someone interfered with my charms." Rowena's eyes were flashing when he found her; her hair was down, her feet bare, and she looked on the verge of performing some accidental magic out of sheer fury, probably involving a small lightning storm. The air wavered and crackled around her, then settled as she brought herself under control with a visible effort of will. "Too close. A furlong now and getting closer."

"I'll make ssure the children are all away securely before Godric sseals them in. You and Helga are better at disstance magic than I am. I'll join you in a few moments."

"Good. We'll go try to keep them back from the walls."

"We'll be right there." Salazar nodded sharply at her and hurried off to the Great Hall, where the students were all supposed to be gathering at the warning. It was easier to seal them all into one space than the separate dormitories. On the way, Salazar ran into Helga and deftly scooped their young son out of her arms. "I'll see him settled, love. You meet with Rowena."

Helga grabbed his shoulder and kissed him hard, heedless of who might be watching or the effect on him of the faint taste of blood where she'd bitten her lip. Salazar licked his own unconsciously and nervously as he stepped back; his wife looked up at him, eyes bright and jaw set. "You'll be my thought for my Patronus," she said softly, and then let him go and hurried away.

Salazar let out a shaky breath and looked down at the trusting bundle in his arms. At this time of the month, unfortunately he was not about to be considered the best father out there. But he loved William very much, and vowed to protect him against the coming threat. He hurried into the Great Hall, a hive of (mostly) organized activity.

"Sstudent leaderss!" he called out in a calm but carrying voice. "Come to me with your House counts immediately."

Eight students, picked from the eldest and most responsible students in each house, began making their way toward him at once. He was pleased that all of Slytherin was there already; Hufflepuff was as well, and then there was one missing Ravenclaw who turned out to have been among Godric's students, which meant that there was a missing Gryffindor -- or rather two, because Sarah had cast a finding charm and dashed off in search.

Salazar hissed irritably at the delay, but sent the student leaders back to their Houses, giving William into the care of one of the Slytherins. When he saw Godric come in the doorway, he quickly joined his friend. "We're waiting on two of yours, then you can sseal it."

"Two? Which two?"

"Ssarah went to find Bedwyr. I hope she'll be quick."

"She'd better be," Godric muttered. "In all senses."

Sarah was indeed quick, in all senses; she dashed back into the room white-faced and miserable but with Bedwyr, small for his age and sobbing, clutched by the arm. She tried to speak to them but choked on the words. "Quiet," Godric ordered her, more gently than he might have. "Is that everyone, then? -- Good." There was a brief grinding sound before the stone's motion eased and flowed, sealing all but one opening. "Salazar, let's go."

Salazar nodded and followed. The students knew what to do -- they'd been tested, but in less trying circumstances -- and the opening was sealing behind them. "Rowena said Dementors, less than a furlong away by now. They're setting defenses now."

"I heard her too. Not the distance, but I can feel them on the ground." Godric grimaced. "They don't quite touch it all the way. At least they can't get through the stone."

"No, but the effects can. We need to drive them off as quickly as possible if we don't want a sschool full of nightmares tonight."

"Believe me, I know." A quick glance. "Are you all right for now?"

"As fine as anyone with Dementorss on the way," Salazar snapped.

"Well, that's not saying much, but it'll have to do," Godric quipped back, then went on, "They'll probably try to surround the school."

"It'll be tough finding ssomething for a Patronuss thiss closse to the full moon," Salazar muttered as they hurried through the corridors to meet their wives. He frowned suddenly. "Do you think a bassilisk's gaze works on Dementors? As a lasst ressort."

"I don't know; I don't think they have eyes." A sudden fierce grin. "But how much does the thought of it working cheer you up?"

The bloodthirsty grin came a little TOO easily this time of month. "Conssssiderably."

Godric clapped him on the back, then looked up to see Helga and Rowena descending one of the staircases toward them. "How is it? And should I stone-seal the hidden entrances, or are the charms enough?"

"Well, the one's too far off to matter." Rowena frowned, coming hastily to his side as if seeking the warmth. "I'd usually call the charms enough, but I didn't have as much warning as I should have liked. They're not after those now, though; they made a circle around the school and when they couldn't find windows or arrow-slits open to them, went to the door. Let's go."

Salazar wrapped his arm firmly around Helga as they followed the other couple out. "I don't know of any way to drive off Dementors but a Patronuss. I don't ssuppose one of you doess?"

"If I did," Rowena tossed grimly over her shoulder, "believe me I would tell you. But the best I have so far is to push them away with wind, and it doesn't work very well."

"I can try sealing them up in stone," Godric added, "but we'd still have to deal with the effects until they suffocated, and I'm not sure they DO breathe."

"There has to be some way of destroying them. Do you think you could seal them in stone and then crush them?" Salazar rather thought Helga regarded Dementors as a sort of roaming injury, which come to think of it sounded about right.

"Never done it before, but that's not to say it won't work. I'm not sure if I'd have energy for that and a Patronus at once, though."

Helga glanced up at her husband. "Try it while we still have Salazar here, then."

"Sssstill?" Salazar interrupted. "As if I'd abandon you in the middle of a battle!"

Helga stopped; Salazar turned to look at her and found her grave. "I hope it will be over before moonrise," she said, very quietly. "But best to make experiments at the beginning."

Salazar's jaw clenched. "Ssso I'm to be sssshuffled off to hide like the children?"

Helga stared at him. "Hide? What do you think the alternative is -- that we pitch you down over the wall to see what happens if you bite a Dementor?"

"At leassst it would be DOING sssomething!"

"Salazar --" Helga shut her eyes. "I can't argue with you right now. I can't. And I don't think I would be able to produce a Patronus at all if you were --" She swallowed. "We still have a few hours until moonrise. Let's try to drive them off before then."

He hissed virulently and pulled away from her as he continued stalking after Godric and Rowena. "We'll drive them off. I'm not about to be sssssent away like sssome ussssselesssss infirm while the ressst of you defend me."

"I never suggested you were useless," Helga snapped back. "I've fought you in that form, remember? I'd prefer not to have to do it again!"

"What are you two quarreling about?" Rowena demanded, turning. "Are you both mad?"

"I'm not quarreling," Salazar snarled, more growl than hiss in his voice now. "And I'm not mad, nor ussssssselesss," he added on a glare to Helga.

Rowena glared at him. "I'm quite sure Helga didn't say you were useless. She said that if Godric is going to try offensive tactics that will keep him from producing a Patronus, we need you supplying one. And she's quite right, so would you both come on?"

He met the glare with a fierce one of his own. "I AM coming! Ssstop acting like sssuch a busssybody! I can't make a bloody Patronusss if you're irritating me and sshe'ss trying to pack me off before I can do anything!"

"I never suggested anything of the sort!" Helga stopped and bit her lip hard; Salazar tried not to look when she broke the skin open again. "Salazar?"

"What?"

"...I love you." She sped up and past him, then stopped at the wall with her wand raised.

Salazar stopped and closed his eyes, wrestling for a moment with himself. He was calm, he was in control. He was Salazar Slytherin, a Founder of Hogwarts, husband to the beautiful and fierce Helga Hufflepuff, and father of the most perfect little boy that ever existed. He wasn't a slave to his anger! He slowly let out a long breath, then snapped open his eyes and pulled out his wand. His eyes trained firmly on Helga, he shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

Helga's spell followed as soon as his -- bright silver serpents intertwined as if by the caduceus spell, and never mind that they could never crawl that way, for they flew -- passed where she could see it. Rowena produced an enormous eagle riding a mighty wind that ripped at the Dementors' rags, then a careening flock of birds of prey that swooped and screeched and tore.

"Expecto Patronum! -- Drive them together!" Godric cried, and when many of the Dementors had converged into a sickening black blot, his Patronus wavered and faded as the earth fled from under the crowd and climbed up to close over them.

The dark miasma of pain and fear surrounding them seemed to lighten a little, and Salazar took heart. "It'ss working, Godric! Keep at it." He directed his shining Patronus to herd more Dementors together like some sort of serpentine sheepdog.

Godric was pale, leaning on the wall. "It's -- hard, touching them like that. Bad enough from a distance, but..."

"Can you do it again?" Rowena asked simply.

"Yes. At least once more, but...I'm not sure about more than that."

She took his hand and, being Rowena, did not trust solely to that as a show of support but cast Ennervate and a Cheering Charm with cool efficiency. "Then let's try to get as many in that once more as we can."

Helga didn't say anything, but simply thinned her lips as her silver badger ran headlong into a cluster of Dementors, herding them towards Salazar's group. "The problem is...I don't think this is just Dementors...It feels like there's something else out there."

"Do you have any idea what?" Godric asked, lifting his wand as if intending to cast another Patronus; Rowena pulled his arm down with a stern save-your-strength look.

"If I knew, I'd be working on it, believe me!"

"Sorry. I was trying to think what you'd most likely sense before we did...."

"I don't know. I'm just getting a vague sense of...something. I don't know!" She sighed. "I don't think this is going to be over by moonrise."

Rowena cast a worried look at Salazar. "Well, I think we've enough Dementors together to try again. Godric?"

Godric nodded, not bothering with words as he gestured to the earth. The roiling mass of black figures vanished into the ground, and the four Founders could suddenly take a deep breath again. Godric leaned against the wall heavily. "Don't -- think I can do that again."

"Can you form a Patronus? Or had you better rest?" Rowena sent her eagles out again, directing them with half her attention as she looked worriedly down at Godric.

Godric leaned over and kissed her quickly, then grinned. "I can now. Expecto Patronum!" His silver griffin shot out of his wand and charged off to join the others in battle.

The four managed to keep up enough joy in one another that the Dementors stayed a respectable difference from the walls -- but they were all four very tired, and Helga's vision was swimming by the time she noticed Salazar's face fixed in a snarl that didn't seem quite entirely due to the Dementors, and his hair growing longer.

She looked east and -- couldn't see a hint of light from the moon, because with Dementors near it felt too dark, but she knew. "Salazar," she whispered, then cleared her throat. "Salazar, Godric, we'll hold them while you go in --"

Salazar snarled, only holding in a howl by sheer force of will. "NO! I'm not going anywhere when you're under attack!"

"Blast it, Salazar, do you want to make this even harder?" Godric grabbed Salazar's shoulder, but pulled back quickly when Salazar actually snapped at him.

Reason reappeared briefly in Salazar's eyes, coupled with horror. "I -- Godric, I'm....I have to go." He turned and ran flat-out through the corridors towards the safety of the Chamber, Godric jogging after him.

"Salazar, other way --" The words didn't register at first; when they did, Salazar wheeled and nearly crashed into Godric as he got back to the turn. "Sorry." Godric sounded entirely too calm when Salazar could feel the moon coming up.... "I had to rearrange this part a bit."

"And you chosssse NOW to tell me? Godric, the moon..." Salazar closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. "There isssn't much time, Godric."

"I know. This way." Godric didn't grab him this time, only pointed ahead along the corridor. The route did begin to look familiar again; Salazar itched to dash ahead but feared he might run afoul of another change. "It's the same the rest of the way," Godric told him after about the thirteenth anxious glance.

Of course, Godric had to be able to shut him in.

And that was the other problem. Salazar swallowed a growl. Part of him was frantic to get to the chamber, frantic enough that he nearly fell down the stairs. Part of him wanted nothing more than to go anywhere else -- strike Godric down and go hunting.

He shouldn't even be THINKING about hunting with another person in the room, much less his best friend! Salazar let out a frustrated hiss that was nearly a moan. He'd put this off for too long. Would Godric pay the price for it?

It was with a surge of relief unlike any he'd felt when they reached the serpent-carved door that led to the Chamber and hissed it open. Sharessa slithered up to him worriedly. "Father? You're so upset! Are you all right?"

"Better now that you're here, my beauty," he hissed to her, feeling calmer in her presence. "But we have to get inssside quickly."

The basilisk moved aside and then followed so closely on his heels that he nearly trod on her as he stumbled into the innermost chamber. Godric stopped between the serpent doors; Salazar fell to the floor as the transformation began and looked up with mingled relief and rage to see the stone melting shut. He staggered to his feet and hurled himself toward the thinnest point, stumbled over Sharessa, and went down in a heap with her chiding hissing in his ears.

Godric watched through the closing stone as all reason left Salazar's eyes and his body became that of the wolf. It was harder than usual to turn and leave his friend, though he knew Sharessa would be a better companion for Salazar now. Godric shook his head and forced himself to leave, lengthening his strides to return to his fellow defenders. "He's safe. What's the word?"

Rowena turned toward him, eyes bleak. "We know what Helga was sensing. They brought werewolves."

Godric cursed loudly and fluently, kicking the stone beneath his feet in frustration. "Blast it, weren't Dementors enough?"

"Apparently not." Helga closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "At least...if whoever it is has some sort of control over them, it's just as well Salazar is safe."

"Maybe that's why he was so out of sorts." Godric stared down at the black blots and the swifter, raging gray and brown shapes. "Well, a Patronus won't help with them, but we know they won't break stone."

"And at least those we only have to hold off until the moon sets. But honestly, what's next? Vampires?" Helga sighed. "Godric, do you think there's some way you could just...hem in the werewolves? We can't kill them. They could be as innocent as Salazar was!"

"Considering they aren't likely to go anywhere unless someone else happens by -- in which case they're in as much trouble from the Dementors -- I think it's easier to hem them out." Stone was one thing. They'd dig through earth if he gave them the chance.

"That'll have to do. But that still leaves the Dementors. Our Patronuses are keeping them back, but that's it. We'll have to think of some way to actually destroy them." Helga frowned in thought. "Do you think fire would have any effect on them?"

"Worth a try." Godric cast a fire spell down onto one of the black clots; it dimmed almost to nothing at once.

Rowena was frowning down at the remains of the fire. "But Dementors suck away light and warmth. Perhaps they feed on that as much as emotions. If we make it very cold around them, in addition to the Patronuses...it might work."

"They make it cold around them," Godric said, thrown.

"But they also make people miserable around them, and yet it's the good memories they feed on, even if too much of it will drive them off. Like blowing too hard on a new flame." Rowena's eagles still flew, but her next spell frosted the air as it passed.

It didn't seem to have an effect at first, but Helga directed her badger towards the freezing Dementor and harried it while Rowena's spell took full effect. After a few moment, then black dot of the Dementor simply stopped moving. "Is it frozen in place or dead?" Helga asked warily.

"Either way is better for us!"

"True enough, but I'd like to know whether it's going to start moving again."

"We'll see." Rowena was in her element now; icy winds swooped down onto the battlefield with the eagles. The werewolves seemed little happier than the Dementors about the chill -- Godric heard one of them whine, and the sound made his hair rise worse than the growls.

But the cold seemed to be having an effect. Most of the dots were barely moving now, Dementor and werewolf alike. Helga sent her Patronus circling the black dots, reporting back, "I'm not feeling any effect at all now. I think it worked!"

"Excellent." Rowena was scowling, though. "There has to have been someone directing this, surely? I've neve heard of such behavior....."

"Dementors and werewolves attacking together in force?" Godric asked, then snorted. "Not likely."

"Particularly as the werewolves would have been suffering from the Dementors themselves, at least until the moon rose." Helga frowned. "In which case they truly don't seem likely to have come of their own volition...."

"We'll be able to sort that out after moonset. First we need to find out who's behind it." Godric's brow furrowed in deep concentration. "I can't sense anything, but the Dementors have been throwing me off."

Helga eyed them thoughtfully. "Do you think it would help to crush the frozen ones?"

"It can't hurt, and it'll probably be a sight easier doing it to inactive ones as well." Godric nodded sharply. "All right, I don't think it'll matter now, but I'm dropping my Patronus." He did, then closed his eyes and reached out the earth.

It was a peculiar sensation crushing these: he had the distinct feeling that they powdered. This wasn't going to be good for the soil, he thought. Perhaps he'd better find a way to extract their remains. Only then what would he do with them? ...He supposed they might make an interesting weapon. They'd have to test those.

The moon sank slowly.

"Whoever's behind all this still hasn't revealed himself," Rowena said in frustration, sending her winds -- less icy and more razor-tipped -- through the decimated lines, whipping along the back in search of the mastermind.

"We might have to track him down later." Godric gazed out after them, the beginnings of the wind chill on the back of his neck. "If he has any sense at all, which I admit is doubtful, having you freeze his army might have sent him running."

"With any luck, yes." Helga frowned at the remaining dots of the invaders. "Which means we'll be able to go help those poor werewolves once the moon sets."

"If they haven't frozen to death. Perhaps we should restrain them some other way and let them thaw out a bit?" Godric glanced at Rowena, who let the winds die down -- barely. "I know they'd hate silver, and I'm not sure we could maintain conjured nets for all of them anyway. Maybe I can get the earth to hold well enough.... We could let them throw themselves against the walls, I suppose, but I'd rather not."

"I've quite a few ideas." He wasn't surprised that Helga had given the matter even more thought than he or Rowena had. "I just haven't had a chance to try them before. Stunning spells, sleep spells, soothing charms -- I don't know whether they'll work at all, but this might be the best time to try."

"We'll trust your expertise on that, then. Do you need to be closer, or can you do it from here?"

"I was thinking I'd at least try from here."

"All right. Do you need us to do anything?"

"Well, you could try the spells as well. I know you Stun well enough, at the least. Rowena, can you let them warm up once I've tried?"

"Yes, but slowly, so we can make sure it's working." Rowena took a moment to compose herself, then nodded. "All right. Let's get started."

Soothing charms seemed to have no effect. Stunning spells were merely shaken off once the werewolves warmed up. Combining two very strong sleep spells, however, proved to drop them steadily to the ground once Rowena stopped blowing human-scent toward them, and they stayed curled up as the ground and air slowly warmed -- though no one really wanted to test whether it would hold if they got close.

Whether the mysterious person behind the attack fled when his army was first frozen, when the werewolves were neutralized, or some other time in the night was immaterial. By the time dawn's first light revealed the sleeping werewolves and remains of the Dementor army, there was no sign of anyone else. The moon was setting as well, and before their eyes the furry bodies were turning into smaller human forms.

"I'll secure enough space to put them," Godric said quietly, reaching out to move the stone of the castle. Make a place for them, but keep it separate, in case they had come willingly. Most of the people below them were still curled in awkward positions from where they'd fallen as wolves. Most were probably badly chilled.

One or two were children.

Helga was shivering a little herself. "We have to get Salazar."

"Right." Godric was drooping a little in exhaustion, but he shook himself and said, "I'll go let him out of the Chamber. These people...they're going to need some healing. Will you be able to handle everything?"

"I'll have to. I think... some of the students might be able to help, if they would. Perhaps not... well, Sarah could."

Sarah and Meghan were the only students to know about Salazar's condition, and Sarah the only one with healing skills. Godric frowned. "Should I take her with me, then?"

"Send her to help bring them inside and begin, I think. I'll tend Salazar myself."

"You get her and give her instructions, I'll go get Salazar and bring him up as usual." He stepped forward and gave her a quick, fierce hug, then kissed her on the forehead and walked quickly off towards the Chamber.

"Good. Thank you."

Godric made a quick stop in front of the Great Hall to release the students to help Helga and Rowena, then hurried down into the bowels of the castle before any of them could stop him for questioning. He navigated the corridors automatically, his mind busy with everything they had ahead of them. When he reached the anteChamber and started melting back the stone, he called out, "The battle's over, and no casualties. On our side, at least, though Helga's going to be busy for a while."

There was no answer. Godric frowned and melted the stone back faster. Salazar was always at least conscious enough to speak after transformations, especially since Sharessa started joining him, and he'd thought Salazar would be eager to hear news. Sharessa lifted her head, tongue flicking toward him, and hissed anxiously. Godric saw that she had Salazar's head cushioned against her and had curled most of her length around his body. Salazar was lying entirely too still, and he looked worse than Godric had seen him in months.

Godric cursed fluently but softly, stepping inside the Chamber as soon as the opening was big enough. He knelt at Salazar's side and felt at his neck. There was a heartbeat, though lighter and more erratic than Godric would have preferred. "Sal? Come on, time to wake up."

Salazar stirred just a little at his voice at close range, but turned his head away.

"Salazar," Godric repeated. He didn't want to use a spell to wake him; it might be a strain under the circumstances. He cast a light warming charm instead.

Perversely, Salazar shivered at the spell, but his eyes opened a bare slit and his quiet hiss was answered by Sharessa.

"Everyone else of ours is all right," Godric repeated. "I thought you'd want to know. Now... let's get you to Helga."

Salazar hissed again tiredly, his eyes closing as Godric cast Mobilicorpus to float him up and out of the Chamber. Godric put a hand lightly on Salazar's forehead as they walked through the hallway, trying to hide his worry. This was worse than usual...and things had gotten so much better after Sharessa started joining him! He hoped the Dementors or whatever had been controlling those werewolves hadn't affected him too badly...

Helga was already in the bedroom she and Salazar shared, setting out an array of potion bottles, when the two wizards arrived. Godric directed Salazar's limp form onto the bed, being as gentle as possible. "Oh no." Helga set down the last of the bottles and then caught one of them and her wand up again, coming quickly to Salazar's side.

"I know." They shared a look of dismay. "I already cast a warming charm on him," Godric added. "That's all, though."

She nodded and touched Salazar's cheek gently with her wand hand. "Salazar? Can you drink this?"

An incoherent hiss was his only reply, but his mouth opened when she put the potion bottle to his lips. She poured it into his mouth very slowly; a wincing around his eyes suggested that it hurt to swallow, and thinking how much work Helga would be doing with all their captured (or rescued) werewolves too, Godric cast a very careful charm against the pain as well. The potions would take care of most of it, but before they took effect....

Helga emptied the small bottle and exchanged it for a purple flask. A very little of Salazar's color had come back by the time he swallowed the last of that one's contents. It was enough improvement for him to open his eyes, at least, though only halfway. Quietly, he murmured, "Helga..."

"I'm here, love," she told him softly, kissing him lightly.

His eyes closed again for a moment. "Everyone...?"

"Everyone's fine, on our side at least. We're just cleaning things up now."

"Well, Dementorsss... hardly count."

"No Dementors left," Godric spoke up with fierce glee. "But the werewolves are taking more effort."

"...What?"

"There were werewolves behind the Dementors," Godric explained as Helga cast another healing spell. "They came out after the moon rose. We held them until it set, and have them in a makeshift infirmary. Sarah's leading up the efforts down there for now, I understand."

"And she's doing a very good job," Helga added. "I saw to that before I came back here. Do you think you can take some soup now?"

Salazar hissed in alarm. "You have werewolvessss in the ssssschool?"

Godric raised an eyebrow sardonically. "We have for quite some time now."

"Not -- that issssn't -- they came here to ATTACK!"

"A point," Godric conceded. Helga left off after her next healing spell left Salazar pale and shaking, and brought the soup over. "Still," Godric went on, "they're certainly in no state to do so now, and think about it -- if they were behind or among the Dementors before the moon rose, and they must have been, they would have felt the full effects. We're fairly sure someone must have instigated this -- Dementors don't behave that way normally, and it seems at least as likely the werewolves were compelled as not, at least to me."

Salazar sighed. "That doessn't mean you can trussst them. But...I think I know who insstigated it. That or I'm finally going mad," he finished in a mutter.

Helga gave him a frown and a spoonful of soup. "You aren't. But what do you mean?"

"I...heard ssssomething. I remember a little of it before the moon rosse, but it wass clearesst after..."

"You didn't say anything before," Helga replied carefully. "What was it?"

Salazar was silent for long enough that she almost asked the question again, but finally he spoke up quietly, "I knew him."

"Knew him?"

"He isss...from my homeland." A shaky sigh. "I'm sssorry."

"I can't imagine you invited him," she pointed out, "so don't apologize. What was it you heard?"

Salazar closed his eyes and shuddered. "Voiccessss... hisss voiccce. I ssshould never have sssssssent that letter."

Godric blinked. "What letter? I hate to break it to you, Sal, but you're not making any sense."

His eyes opened again. "The letter. The one I sssssent to tell my father I wasss married." He clutched at Helga's hand briefly.

"...Oh." Godric shook his head slightly. "I'd almost forgotten about that one. You never got a reply, though."

"Until lassst night."

Helga stared down at him in horror. "...That was your father?"

"What?" Salazar blinked at her, then shook his head. "No. He wass from my homeland, yesss. But not...my father. I warned you the wizards from my land were very...inssular."

"I take it," she said, "that they don't approve."

"They don't care what I do. I'm not even human anymore, remember?" His voice was very bitter. "But they don't want me passssing on sssecretssss to outsssssiderss. Or worssse yet, to the Muggless from our home."

"Should we be sending to bring Meghan's family away?" Godric interrupted as that connection came to light. His words were cool and efficient, but his hand had come to rest on Salazar's arm, a little away from a newly-healed wound.

"It probably wouldn't hurt." Salazar sighed. "They noticced her firsst flare of magic, but didn't think anything of it until they connected her to the sschool I ssstarted. I brought thisss on you. I'm ssso ssssorry..."

"Salazar," Helga said firmly, "you are not responsible for your former neighbors being idiots. I'll speak with Rowena when I go to look after the others, and we'll arrange it. Did... this person seem to be acting for all the wizards there? We'll try for stealth, of course, but just to know...."

"He wass probably acting alone. They don't like outssiderss, and they don't want to draw attention to themsselves. But he probably went back home after you defeated him, and they won't allow outssiderss to have him."

Helga snarled softly in a way that made Salazar open his eyes and look alarmed. "Will you forgive my being glad you're away from them, despite the cause?" she asked after a moment. "And do you think they will be watching and attack any party we send?"

"They alwayss watch for outssiderss. They'll attack anyone who threatenss them." He managed a slight, pained shrug. "If it helpss, they'll be furiouss with him for drawing sso much attention to them. He won't be back."

"Should we take it no one else will, then?"

"I doubt it." Salazar sighed. "But that doesssn't change the fact that you have werewolvesss in the casstle! You don't know that they were all coercced into helping him. What if they're jusst as likely to attack in human form as wolf, and you've left our sssssstudentssss down there!"

"Do you think we didn't take care? They're away from the main part of the castle and Rowena and I spelled all those back to sleep who were waking up." Helga leaned down and kissed his cheek. "They won't be doing much of anything for a while, and Rowena is with them."

"Don't want you hurt," Salazar murmured. "Be careful."

"I will be. I promise."

Salazar hissed quietly and closed his eyes again. After a moment, Helga put her hand against his cheek. "I think he's asleep already. My goodness...what happened down there, Godric?"

"I don't know. He wasn't even conscious when I got there -- not much, anyway."

She frowned. "His transformations haven't been that bad since he got here. If it was the dark wizard.... Maybe I should stay with him...."

"No doubt he'd appreciate it. On the other hand, while I'm sure he'd appreciate your company more, I could stay with him for a little while if you need to go check on the rest...?"

"But what if he gets worse? I don't even know if that's the real reason, or why else it could be.... But if he affected Salazar this way, it might have had other effects on the ones who were being controlled." She hesitated and bit her lip, her instincts as a wife warring with those of a Healer. "I should go...but you'll call me if there's any change with Salazar?"

"Of course I will. It may be because he was that agitated before, too.... But then I don't know what being among the Dementors might have done to the others."

She sighed. "I'd best check. I don't want to leave, but..." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Take care of him."

"Don't I always?"

She smiled fleetingly at him and slipped out the door. Godric sighed and pulled up a chair to sit watch over Salazar. He had to admit he was happy for the chance to rest a bit himself, after all the stoneworking during the night. He wouldn't be much use in the infirmary anyway.

...He just wished Salazar didn't look so pale that he could almost think he was sitting watch over a corpse.

He leaned closer, watching for signs of breath. They were there, though subtle. After some time, Salazar's eyes flickered open, just for a second, and shut again. "Did... you want sssomething?"

"Just making sure you were breathing. I promised Helga I'd look after you, and she's one woman I'd never cross!"

Salazar smiled faintly, still with his eyes closed. "Wise of you."

"Mmm. I try not to be entirely stupid. How are you feeling?"

Silence, though punctuated by a reassuringly long and visible breath. "Very tired. I -- Godric, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry. I'll have to... tell Helga...." Salazar was flagging again.

"It's all right," Godric said quietly. "The Dementors were affecting all of us, and we wondered once we saw them if whatever was controlling the werewolves out there might have been affecting you too." He set his hand lightly on Salazar's chest, the hand glowing a soft red as he fed energy into the other man. "Helga understands. Just rest."

Salazar shuddered. "Just what you all need, my going madder than usual, falling under hiss control.... I still don't think -- you don't know -- we can't be sure --" He trailed off and panted for a few moments, then burst out, "I realize you don't think they wanted to, but you just dragged half an attacking army into the school!"

"Army." Godric smiled sadly. "Salazar, we took precautions, but they could be innocent and they need healing. We did the same for you; why should they be any different just because they came all together instead of one at a time?" He let out a breath and added, "Some of them are children."

"I thought you were mad when you did it for me. Onccce I figured out what you meant...." Salazar opened his eyes again, looking a little unfocused. "Sometimes I still think sssso. After last night...."

"I'm not going to get rid of them just because they're werewolves when the last werewolf we came across became dearer to me than a brother," Godric said firmly. "You've been a very good friend, and an excellent teacher. Your students love you. We couldn't have started this school without you. So calm down and get better."

"You realize, even if he forccced them to come here before they transformed, they could still be under compulsionss."

"That had occurred to us, yes. But I think between us we could break any compulsion they might be under. I told you, we ARE taking precautions. You don't have to worry about us."

Salazar subsided again, leading Godric to consider the possibility that he was actually going to rest. "Alwaysss worry about you." Apparently not. "And I meant... after the way I acted lasst night."

"I know what you meant. I also discarded it as pointless."

"You don't lisssten, do you, Godric?"

"I listen. I also make my own decisions."

"Godric, I tried to bite you!"

"But you didn't actually bite me."

"Twiccce."

"And you didn't do it once. I told you, we were ALL feeling the effects then. None of us were in the best of shape."

"None of the resst of you attacked your own."

"None of us had the wizard who was controlling those werewolves affecting us as well."

"How do you know I did? How do you know he wass affecting me?"

"Seems logical. You weren't acting like yourself."

"But I was. That's jusst the trouble."

"Will you stop arguing and rest?"

"Jusst... please be careful."

"With the other werewolves or with you?" Godric asked quietly.

Salazar looked at him and then shut his eyes again. "Both."

"We'll be as careful with you all as you deserve to be."

"You're really not encouraging sometimes, Godric."

"You're not very optimistic sometimes, Salazar."

"I prefer my sssurprisses to be pleasant ones."

"Getting to know you HAS been a pleasant surprise. Maybe it'll be the same with these new werewolves. We're not going to be stupid about it, but we're going to give them a chance, same as you."

"God knowss they likely need one. If they were forcced."

"The children need the chance regardless. They'll get it here. And those that weren't forced will be...dealt with before they're trouble to anyone else."

Salazar shuddered a little. "True enough."

"And you, my friend, are no danger to anyone, so stop worrying. Everything's all right."

Salazar sat right up at that, going deathly white but catching himself on his hands before he could fall back, and then reached out to clutch at Godric's arm. "Don't say that. Godric, if you want me to believe you know what you're doing, know what you're talking about, if you want me to believe you're being careful, don't -- ever -- say that again."

"You're no danger to anyone," Godric repeated firmly, putting his free hand on Salazar's shoulder and pushing him gently until he lay back down again, shaking slightly. "As long as we take the proper precautions. The difference between you and the dangerous werewolves is that you don't WANT to hurt anyone. You put up with being sealed into a stone chamber every month just so you won't hurt anyone, even though it's bloody obvious that makes it harder for you. You scared us this time, Sal."

"Jussssst. It'ss -- I'm sstill dangerous, Godric, I almost fought you to keep from going lasst night --"

"And in the end you almost broke your neck running down there so fast."

"You don't underssstand -- I wanted -- I was afraid, if I turned --"

"You'd fight us. You think the thought hasn't occurred to us? Believe me, it has. But we've restrained you before and we could do it again if we needed to."

"Even if it's jusst one of you?"

"If you're just starting the transformation, yes, I'm fairly sure I could stop you long enough to get you restrained."

"That'ss... good."

"Regardless of what you seem to think, Salazar, we're not fools. We talked a great deal about the possible dangers before we first invited you to stay here. None of those have changed, but we have grown fond of you in that time and we've built something wonderful together. You think we're going to jeopardize that just because of some dangers we've known about all along?"

"I would not ssay you're fools. I feared you were letting... affection blind you, and I am not ssure how you plan to handle -- how many werewolves, if all ssstay to the next full moon?"

"Not all of them survived the cold we used against the Dementors," Godric said softly, "and we don't know how many will want to stay. If they do, we'll come up with something that won't endanger the students."

Salazar hesitated, then nodded and relaxed a little against the pillows. "I... imagine sso."

"See? You didn't fall in with complete idiots. We know what we're doing, Sal."

"I will grant the firssst but not the ssecond. You jusst make it up well."

Godric grinned broadly. "That too."

Salazar kept his eyes open barely long enough to roll them.

*****