Once in a Blue Moon

CHAPTER EIGHT

Remus watched calmly as the giant, silvery-blue orb of the full moon rose over the horizon. He had long since removed his clothing; content with the gentle breezes that caressed his soon-to-be-fur-covered skin. He inhaled deeply, taking in the wet ash and pine smells that permeated the air around him. He wasn't worried about intruders. He had chosen a secluded enough spot in the middle of a densely wooded park. Most of the trees had already begun to change, leaving a wake of acrylic red, yellow, and orange colored leaves. Remus gasped as he felt the wolf-change take hold of him again. There was nothing in the world he could do to stop it from happening. He was used to this now; he accepted it. He let his human mind merge with the bestial phantom that haunted his psyche. It didn't matter right now. His friends were safe now...Voldemort can't find them...and he, Remus Lupin, couldn't hurt anyone...that's all that mattered...

Despite the underlying feel of melancholy apprehension, the Potter house was bright and festive. Lily had just placed a warm dinner on the kitchen table, and went off to fetch Harry from the nursery. James poured some aged wine, and, with a sly grin, dipped his forefinger into the nearby pumpkin pudding. Lily reentered with a small, squirmy, and giggling Harry in her arms; causing James to quickly stuff the sticky, sweet-pudding-covered finger into his mouth. The Potter family sat down to dinner, and toasted to Halloween as a soft breeze picked up the fallen autumn leaves, and the trees rustled in the wind outside the small-unseen cottage...

Wolf-Remus let out a blood-curdling howl and dashed into the thicket. He stalked between trees and around bushes, searching for something to hunt. So far his hunt was unsuccessful. No blood. No meat. Hungry, Wolf-Remus thought to himself (if you could truly call it 'thinking'). He growled at the cold night air, inhaled deeply, and sneezed. Suddenly, Wolf-Remus broke out into a heavy run, in hot pursuit of a solitary, ill-fated rabbit. He watched as his prey took its final misty breath, and snapped its neck like a twig. The stench of blood silently filtered through the early fog and into the chilly night air...

A tall, dark figure appeared in the small town as a breeze took up the many colored leaves. Most of the cottage lights were already out, as people were trying to discourage the various groups of roaming children from knocking on their doors to request sweets. This sinister looking man placed a long, thin hand on a low hanging sign with red paint and gold lettering. He scanned the rows of small houses, and smirked when the narrow, red slits of his eyes locked on an unseen dwelling, with a dozen or so flickering candles in the window. It was the only house on the entire block that was shrouded in spells for protection and invisibility. Voldemort began to advance on his prey; leaving the small, hanging sign that read Godric Hollow to creak and swing in the now distant breeze...

Wolf-Remus devoured the rabbit with feral intensity, and began to sniff around for more food. Loud growls and snarls (that were not his own) met his sensitive ears. Wolf-Remus froze where he stood; his ferine mind recognized the sound of another dire wolf when he heard it. Predator. My territory. Challenger, Wolf-Remus thought. It took him two seconds to decide what to do, and without another moments hesitation he pounced on his would-be contender. DIE...

Harry sat giggling in his high chair, taking mushy handfuls of squash and pumpkin from his small bowl into his mouth. Most of the food ended up on his clothing, and a great deal of it landed on the floor. James chuckled as Lily tried to clean Harry off, her hands and arms becoming smeared with vegetable juice in the process. Harry continued to make his playful mess, but Lily just smiled and threw a sideways look at James.

"Just like your father," she said. "Always misbehaving."

James winked and put his hand over Lily's free one. At that moment, a strange, new feeling tugged deeply at James's heartstrings. His face must have showed it, because Lily looked at him curiously and frowned.

"What's the matter, James?" she asked. The concern in his wife's voice quickly brought James out of his daze. He smiled gently and reassured Lily that nothing was wrong. His answer seemed to satisfy his wife, as she went back to the impossible task of getting Harry to eat his food in a some-what dignified manner. But the feeling James had slithered from the center of chest, into the pit of his stomach, where it continued to gnaw at his insides. He pushed his plate of un-eaten food aside: he was no longer hungry...

The Dark Lord slunk along the cobble stone path; his red eyes darting every which way. His loyal (if somewhat thick and annoying) young servant, Wormtail, trailed behind him like a hamstrung dog. He would have liked to avoid bringing the buffoon along, but (unfortunately) he was crucial to getting his revenge on this particular family: on the family who had already defied him three times. Voldemort was going to make sure they did not succeed in doing so ever again...

James tried to laugh off the feeling: tried to act like everything was normal. He took over spoon-feeding Harry while Lily cleared the table by hand. She didn't mind, really, as she had done so for years before becoming a witch. The Potters didn't use magic or wear magical clothing while they were in hiding, just in case they were being spied on. Although they looked and acted like Muggles, James always kept his wand handy, just in case...

Wolf-Remus seized upon the snarling creature. He felt his teeth meet tough flesh, and reveled in the taste of fur and strong blood. Its pain-induced yelps sent him into an uncontrollable frenzy: he bit, clawed, and tackled the challenger into submission. It lay in a furry lump on the patch of grass in front of him. He threw his head back and howled, declaring his victory. It was a moment of wolfish pride, and a very foolish move on Wolf-Remus's part, as the other were-creature took this opportunity to regroup and attack...

James turned on the faucet and waited for the water to warm up. It was his turn to do the dishes, but the sound of Harry squealing joyfully in the next room distracted him from his appointed task.

Harry had just laughed, splashed, and giggled his way through a much-needed bath; getting his mother thoroughly soaked in the process. Now, he was playing contently on the living room floor; a small, stuffed hippogriff clutched firmly in both hands. Lily sat on the floor next to him (blissfully dry - thanks to a quick change of clothing), gently stroking the wisps of black curls that sprang from his head.

"You're going to look just like your father," she cooed and planted a kiss on his forehead.

James came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. She leaned into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder as he lightly kissed the nape of her neck.

"Well, I thought about it Lily," he declared nobly. "And I think it would be nice if we had more children."

Lily smiled - not missing the husky quality of her husband's voice - and turned to face him. "I am NOT giving birth in the Room of Requirements again," she replied with a quick glance in Harry's direction. "Besides, I think we should wait until we can come out of hiding. It isn't really safe for any of us right now."

James frowned; feeling slightly rejected. Godric Hollow was a small, peaceful kind of town, and he didn't mind the concept of raising a family here. (His kids would liven the place up in no time)! James began to wish that he hadn't brought up the subject, when his mind became otherwise occupied with the feeling of Lily pressing her lips firmly against his. Now that's more like it, James thought to himself. However, their avid embrace was cut short by a very loud (and very adorable) yawn from Harry, who had curled up on the floor, using his stuffed hippogriff as a pillow. It was way passed Harry's bedtime...

Wolf-Remus broke apart from his adversary; his shoulder and right foreleg were bleeding heavily. He was standing down wind of his opponent; smelling sweat, blood, and some other unknown scent that made his muscles twitch and his heart race. The creature obviously hadn't faired any better than him during their scuffle. It was tired and hungry; he was bigger and still high off the death of his prey. Wolf-Remus glared at contestant; a rich, full-toned growl resonating from deep within his throat...

Voldemort hissed a low incantation and ordered his servant to stay behind. The candles by the living room window, as if sensing his evil presence, extinguished themselves, and the hairs on the back of James's neck stood on end. Within seconds, the cheery Potter dwelling was transformed into a cold, dark tomb.

James whirled around, brandishing his wand at the tall, hooded figure with red slits for eyes. He yelled a rough warning to Lily, who quickly scooped up the now-wailing Harry and dashed towards the bedrooms. James proceeded to rattle off every curse, charm, and hex he had ever learned - from the Conjunctivitis Curse to a Full Body Bind - and to no avail.

"Protego," The Dark Lord replied, knocking each spell away as if they were Billywigs. And before James could utter another incantation, the Dark Lord cried, "Avada Kedavra," and a flash of bright green light hit him squarely in the chest. He collapsed on the hard wooden floor with a stark, earth-shattering thud.

Voldemort's cruel, high-pitched laugh rang out eerily though the house as he walked through the living room and into the kitchen: his ample dark robes muffled his steps and gave him the appearance of gliding across the floor. He took his time taking in the little things: family pictures on the wall, unwashed dishes in the sink, a dirty baby bib, and the various toys that littered the floor. Voldemort knelt down and picked up a small, white baby rattle with little, yellow lightening bolts painted on it. He smirked and crushed it in one hand before continuing through the cottage ranch. He strolled through the hallway; savoring each moment. Finally, he was going to put an end to this silly, prophecy nonsense...

Wolf-Remus and the she-wolf grappled and fought on their hind legs; snarling, growling, and biting deep into the other's skin; weaving in and out of each other's attack line. With all of their spinning and twirling, it looked as if they were dancing...

The Dark Lord discovered a closed door at the end of the hallway. He could hear the Potter-girl whispering through heavy sobs and large tears. Most of what he heard was indecipherable babbling; he could only make out one word - 'love'...

Wolf-Remus and the she-wolf danced to a slower tune. They still bit and snarled as they clung to each other, but the long night hours were getting the better of them. They were loosing their strength; their movements became pulsated and erratic.

Eventually they fell to the ground, where Wolf-Remus pinned the unnamed werewolf on her back. He continued to nip at her muzzle as he pushed down hard on her wriggling form. The she-wolf howled in pain, or was it pleasure? When it was all over, the two werewolves, exhausted from their nightlong ordeal, curled up against each other, and fell asleep. It was a strange end to an even stranger battle...

It only took Voldemort a few seconds to get passed the Colloportus Charm that held the door shut. Once inside he discovered Lily standing defiantly in the middle of the nursery, directly between him and the ultimate prize - Harry Potter. He raised his wand at Lily's face and grinned manically. He offered to spare her life, if only she would give him the child. Lily refused point-blank; refusing to relinquish her position in between her son and Dark Lord. Confronted by this blatant disobedience, Voldemort struck her with an Unforgivable Curse. Lily's body crumpled to the floor, where she died with the name "Harry" still on her lips.

Voldemort turned to glare down at the helpless child, crying out for his mother from the crib. He snickered at the very notion of this fidgety, pink worm ever becoming strong enough to defy him. He had triumphed over the boy's parents, and now he would slaughter the son; securing his place as the most powerful wizard who ever lived. Voldemort leveled his wand at Harry's face, spoke the Killing Curse, and waited for the inevitable...

The cold night air went deep into Wolf-Remus's bones, but he didn't care. This savage being didn't know the difference between friend, food, or foe. All it knew was that it went to sleep happily exhausted that night next to its mate, under the eerie light of the Hunter's Moon...

The brilliant green light of the Unforgivable Curse hit Harry directly on the forehead. A spell that powerful at that close of a range should have disintegrated his tiny, baby body. But that night something amazing happened; something that would change the course of Wizard History forever; something that would earn Harry the fame and gratitude of nearly every wizarding family in the world; something that would earn him the name: The Boy Who Lived.

No sooner had Voldemort uttered the words "Avada Kedavra," than the Curse rebounded upon him. The Dark Lord's merciless laugh and billowing robes transformed into wind and a pile of dark cloth, and, remarkably, the Potter child had remained virtually untouched. A few moments of profound silence passed before Harry started to cry again, and blood trickled down his face from a thin, lightening bolt cut on his forehead...