Search for the Broken Soul

That evening's meal began as a very merry affair, celebrating Harry's release from Privet Drive. Mrs Weasley seemed happier than anyone - except Harry himself - that he never had to see that part of his family again. She had cooked what seemed like all of Harry's favourite dishes and after he polished off the last crumbs of raspberry cheesecake he sat back in his chair feeling warm and full and deliciously tired.

The noise of the front door creaking open, however, roused the company from their sleepy mood, and Harry, craning his neck round to see who the visitor was, sat up sharply as a familiar face came into view. For one, brief, heart-jolting moment, Harry thought Dumbledore had walked into the room. Then he shook himself mentally, telling himself yet again, that the Headmaster was dead, and was not coming back. No - this was not Dumbledore, and now Harry looked at him properly he wondered how he could have thought so. This man was tall and thin like Dumbledore, with a straggly grey beard and the same long, slender fingers. Something about the stranger was very familiar, and he racked his brains, trying to place him. He also seemed to recognise the strong smell of goats emanating from the man's filthy robes. But his train of thought was interrupted as the old man glanced shrewdly round the little company, his eyes coming to rest on Harry face, and spoke. His voice was deep and rasping.

"'Ello" he muttered, unsmilingly. "No, don't want tea - gotter talk to Remus." And Lupin rose, looking surprised and wary. He followed the man, who had backed out of the room into the hallway, sharp blue eyes flicking over their faces. Mrs Weasley put the kettle back on the shelf.

Nobody had spoken since the man had entered, and Harry, glancing round, saw that most of the adults still looked startled. Then Moody cleared his throat.

"Never thought I'd see him in Order company again - good to see him out of that filthy bar at last," he said, saying the last part under his breath, and Mr and Mrs Weasley nodded in agreement. A few minutes later the man slouched out of the front door without a backward glance, turned on his heel, and was gone. Lupin re-entered the kitchen and sat down, slightly paler than usual.

"What is it, Professor?" said Harry quickly. "Who was he? What did he want?"

Lupin looked up to find them all staring at him in concern, and smiled, though it looked rather forced. "Who was he, Harry? That was Aberforth. Dumbledore's brother," he added, as Harry looked blank.

Harry was surprised; he only vaguely recalled hearing somewhere that Dumbledore had a brother at all. Lupin glanced round briefly the table before continuing in a strained voice.

"He, er - came to tell me there has been a child discovered in the woods. A girl went missing last night, she was found alive - but..." he stopped and swallowed.

Hermione inhaled audibly. "It was full moon last night, wasn't it, Professor?" He gave her a grim, tired look and nodded.

"The girl had been bitten. They suspect Greyback did it, you all know he - er - specialises in infants." They nodded sympathetically, all knowing Greyback had been Lupin's own attacker when he was only four years old.

"That brings the total of werewolf attacks up to twenty-seven since Lord Voldemort came out into the open. Aberforth told me to go into hiding."

There was a collective intake of breath, and Mrs Weasley whispered, "Why?"

Lupin looked at her. "Molly, the girl's parents, and the parents of the other children who have been attacked, are out for blood. You must be able to see why. Anti-werewolf feeling is at its height and Aberforth believes it will be only a matter of days until the Ministry of Magic does something about it. I believe Albus asked him to help the Order should anything happen to him. I'm sure he knows a lot more than he lets on." He rubbed his forehead distractedly. "The Ministry has been bombarded with owls from the parents of children all over Britain; people are terrified. They may pass a law saying all known werewolves must be imprisoned...but that is only a guess," he added hastily as Mrs Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny let out ejaculations of anger.

"The trouble is, everyone now knows what I am - it was all over the Prophet after that year at Hogwarts. He thinks it advisable for me to, as I said, go into hiding until Greyback is caught and the attacks stop. Which I do not believe will happen," he added bitterly. "Greyback has been out there for thirty years and has never been found."

Mad-Eye Moody stood up, both eyes fixed intently on Lupin. "So, will you?" he growled, "Go into hiding?" Lupin was silent for a while, then gave a non-committal shrug.

"If I do, it would mean I could not help the Order. There is no point in hiding safely and being of no use to anyone. It would be best for now just to wait and see whether the Ministry does take action. I shall sleep on it, I think. Don't worry," he added, looking at his friends' worried expressions. "I hope nothing will come of it."

Mrs Weasley rose from her chair, her face anxious. "Have some wine, Remus...you need a pick-up after that news, I think! Oh, my God, when will this end..." she muttered almost to herself as she waved her wand and the wine-bottle tipped some of its contents into one of Sirius' goblin-wrought silver goblets.

No-one answered her, there hardly being an answer to give. Lupin was staring at the table-top, seemingly lost in thought, and took the goblet from Mrs Weasley without looking at it; the next moment his fingers jerked convulsively and he dropped the cup with a stifled cry of pain, the wine cascading over the table-top. Harry and Ron jumped and looked at Lupin in bewilderment. He had gone paper-white and was wringing his hand as though it had been scalded. Everyone else, however, gasped and Mrs Weasley put her hand over her mouth, looking horrified.

"Remus! I - I'm so sorry, I forgot, I didn't think -"

But Lupin shook his head and she broke off.

"No, Molly, I apologise, I should have looked at what I was touching - I'm fine." He smiled reassuringly, though still very pale, and waved his wand once over the table. The spilt wine vanished, and Lupin rose.

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for one evening!" he said cheerfully. "I've caused too much trouble tonight, I had better go upstairs before I make any more. Goodnight, everyone." As Lupin passed Harry on his way to the door, he saw his old teacher's hand was red and burnt-looking, and after he had left the kitchen, nobody spoke for a long time. The meal ended extremely quickly.

When he had laid down his knife and fork, Harry caught Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's eye and jerked his head in the direction of the door. They stood up at once, Ron deliberately giving a fake yawn when his mother was facing his way, and looking expectantly at her. She reacted as he intended.

"Bed, all of you, you've had a busy day."

They left as quickly as they could. Harry was burning to ask Hermione many questions but he waited until they were all sitting on his bed and the door was shut.

"What was all that about?" he burst out. "Why did Lupin -?"

Hermione had a strange expression on her face as she answered.

"You didn't do that werewolf essay for Snape in our third year, did you?" They shook their heads. "Well, I did, and I had to research how to kill werewolves, remember? And the only thing that is effective when a werewolf has transformed, the only thing that can kill it, is silver. And the touch of silver is agony to werewolves even in human form, that's why Lupin couldn't hold that goblet. Haven't you noticed he always uses a copper plate and cup?"

Harry nodded - he had noticed it, several times, and wondered now how he could never have asked why before.

"His hand looked burnt," said Ginny, looking at Hermione, who sighed. "I read in Dark Creatures and How to Defend Yourself when You Meet One that silver causes more pain to a werewolf than the Cruciatus Curse does to a human."

Ron was looking green. Harry, who had felt the Cruciatus Curse himself, several times, found it hard to imagine pain worse than that. He shuddered, remembering the terrible agony, the feeling that his bones were on fire, his skin aflame, that he was being sliced with white hot knives....

"D'you think the Ministry really will say that all known werewolves must go to Azkaban?" Harry heard Ron say, as from a long way off, and he forced himself back into the present.

"Dunno," he said. "Seems a bit harsh, doesn't it? I mean, Lupin's never hurt anyone." But Hermione made a small doubtful noise and he looked at her. "What?"

"Well, I'm sure the Ministry remembers he was on the loose in Hogwarts grounds; they could easily bring that up."

"He won't get caught, anyway," said Harry firmly. "He's hardly going to walk into the Ministry on Magic and say 'look, it's me, the werewolf,' is he?"

Hermione just shrugged. "He said himself he probably won't hide so he'll still be interacting with wizards. As long as he isn't recognised -" she broke off as she heard Mrs Weasley coming up the stairs to check on them and Apparated hurriedly to her own room, with a whispered "'Night!"

Ginny gave Harry a quick hug and kissed him on the cheek, before slipping out of the room to join Hermione.

They climbed into bed, each occupied with their own thoughts, but Harry lay awake for a long while after Ron's snores had filled the room, thinking...

The next day was very sombre; Aberforth had been proven correct. The Daily Prophet had arrived with the news that a new law had been passed, more severe and shocking than Lupin had expected. It had proclaimed that any known werewolf, if found, would be arrested on the spot, interrogated, and if found to have ever endangered any person, wizard or Muggle, would be administered the Dementor's Kiss as soon as possible. Following the article containing this news were a series of letters from the wizarding community roaring their approval of the new law. Everyone was very quiet around Lupin that day. He appeared calm, though rather distracted, and spoke very little, seeming to be deep in thought.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny couldn't believe it as they stared at the Daily Prophet. "No way," was all Ron could say. "No way, they can't."

But Harry could think of nothing to say as he re-read the lines of the new law: 'administered the Dementor's Kiss as soon as possible...'

"Harry?" Hermione was looking at him in some concern. "Harry, it will be fine - Professor Lupin will just have to go into hiding, that's all."

"They can't do this!" Harry burst out angrily. "It's not like all werewolves are bad, it's just that Greyback's fault, it's always him who attacks people!" And Hermione and Ron seemed unable to find anything to reply to this, as they agreed completely.

That lunchtime, Lupin told them all as they were grouped round the table, that he had decided he was not going to go into hiding. There was much shaking of heads at this decision and a few people started to speak, but Lupin cut across them, his voice quiet but firm.

"I do not wish to be of no use to the Order for the duration of the war. There are always terrible risks involved in fighting Voldemort; this is just an additional one. And, after all, very few people would recognise me - they know my name from the Prophet but I am not widely recognised in the wizarding community."

Nothing anyone could say would persuade him to change his mind.

The next day, Lupin had gone, away on business for the Order. It seemed everyone had accepted his decision to remain active. Harry felt slightly depressed as he heard of Lupin's departure. His old teacher was one of the few adults Harry felt able to confide in, especially since Sirius' death. He had even had considered telling Lupin about the Horcruxes, despite what Dumbledore had said about keeping Voldemort's secret, well, secret, for Harry had decided that Lupin could be a great help in tracking down the pieces of soul. The man was intelligent, trustworthy and skilled in Defence magic, and surely would be glad to be of assistance. However, Harry's disappointment, even slight annoyance, vanished when he heard where Lupin had gone. Hermione was very pale as she related to Ron and him what she had overheard Lupin telling Moody.

"He going back to join the werewolves, back to Greyback and the rest of them - "

"WHAT?" said Harry loudly. "No. He can't've done. He fought against the Death Eaters and Greyback that - that night - they'll know he's a spy!"

Hermione sighed and spread her hands in a helpless gesture. "He said Dumbledore would have wanted him to keep on spying, that he thinks he might be on the way to persuading a few of them to join him."

"Greyback'll rip him to pieces before he persuades any of them," said Harry flatly.

Ron looked rather sick, but made an obvious effort to speak comfortingly. "Lupin's not stupid, he'll find a way to convince them, somehow..." his voice trailed away into nothing as Harry paced the room in agitation, not noticing Ron and Hermione's attempts to calm him down. What was Lupin thinking of, he thought furiously. He was walking into a death-trap. And it was with a heavy heart that Harry went to sleep that night, dreams punctuated with visions of screaming, bitten children, with Greyback staring at him from a newspaper, lips pulled back from sharp teeth in a malicious grin.