Werewolves at Hogwarts

Chapter 20

Post owls had been coming and going nearly all month, dropping off replies to notes or answers to questions until Remus felt breakfast was always accompanied by a gale of wing wind. The correspondence from werewolves in many walks of life was uniformly agreeable to a meeting in the Forbidden Forest at the January Moon. Remus spoke to Albus and gained permission to go out into the Forest, and also to take his two betas with him. Paul and Charlie whined to come too but Charlie was not yet healed from his brush with the silver, still limping quite heavily. He had been released from the Hospital wing, but was still ordered not to be running about and putting too much pressure on the injured limb. Paul's hands had healed well and quickly in less than two days, but he now bore a filigreed pattern of scars on both palms where the silver etching had burned into the skin. Besides, a meeting of this magnitude was not the sort of thing cubs would be welcome at. Remus thought there would probably be challenges issued and if he lost, then he would be unable to protect the smallest members of his little pack.

Andy gave both the boys a hug and promised she would tell them all about it when they got back, Malcolm nodding agreement as he hunted out old clothes and sneakers that were well past their use-by date. Remus had told them that losing clothes was a common occurrence when werewolves went au-natural. They each had a plastic bottle top from a soft drink bottle, bright red and noticeable. These portkeys would take them straight to the headmaster's office as soon as they were activated by licking, which ensured that no stray werewolf would end up in Hogwarts by accident. If anything went wrong during the expected challenges and Remus lost, then they were to portkey away to safety as fast as possible.

Remus led the two Gryffindors down past Hagrid's hut and then further into the forest. Andy and Malcolm held hands, neither willing to admit they were scared out of their minds. They followed their alpha as he swung along with a confident if silent step, becoming part of the wilderness, as they penetrated deeper into the gloom. His feet made no noise on the path and he seemed to blend with the shadows until they sometimes wondered if they really were following him, or if he had disappeared completely. The place was damp and dank, Remus stooping every now and again to pick up a plant or an interesting mushroom from the side of the path. Sev would appreciate the contributions to his collection of strange flora, foliage and fungi. After an undecipherable time, Remus stopped and raised his head, sniffing the wind lightly before nodding.

"There are about fifteen people already assembled. We will go over to that fallen log and get ready for Moon. Leave your clothes stacked neatly, and you know what to do with your jewellery and things?" He had discussed the concealment of their wands with the pair in the safety of his classroom.

"New betas, Moony?" an Irish accented voice asked out of the darkness and a looming figure appeared out of the gloom.

"Sidestepper, it's good to see you my friend. How is the family?"

"Well, and increasing, my sister has had another baby and my ex wife has taken another husband."

"Are you happy with the arrangement?"

"Yes indeed, we chose well. It ensures the acceptance of my children and the protection of my pack. So, who are these two little betas?"

"Oh, sorry, Sweetbriar Andrea and Storm Malcolm, meet Sidestepper Patrick, an old friend of mine. We fought together during the SVW."

"Only because he has a bard's sweet tongue and ways of making you do exactly what he wants, without ever considering the consequences," Sidestepper teased, bumping the smaller man with his hip. "You smell of the Potions Blender, back with that are you."

Remus stiffened. "I am."

"Oh well, he was always fairly good to you. Take care Moony, there is a ring around the Mistress tonight." The shadow was suddenly empty as the older wolf slipped away.

"A ring around the moon usually augurs for trouble. Remember, if there is trouble then stay out of it. You are both too young to be included in any battles for rank just yet. As teens most of the older ranks will simply ignore you or slap you down hard then walk away. If there are some younger wolves more of your own age then you may find you have to battle but if an older male, or even an older female, challenge you, scent test then back away or submit. Chances are they will back off but if they don't, run away. Forget about stupid notions of honour or anything else, run back to your clothes and stay there."

"What if they won't leave us alone?" Malcolm muttered rebelliously.

"You have a good dose of Wolfsbane in your system, your brain should be working better than anyone here, use it. I do not want to have to report a dead beta to the headmaster, believe me," Remus said harshly, beginning to pace restlessly. "Not long now. Be aware that I am the Beta Prime. If I submit to anyone, you two do the same, quickly, and completely."

"Why?" Malcolm questioned even though he too felt the rising tide of restlessness and anticipation.

"Because I only bow to the Alpha Prime," Remus snapped then gasped as the first fingers of moonrise crept into the hollow. "It's time!"

Rising some ten minutes later, Moony shook out his ruff and sniffed his betas, licking his lips nervously. Sweetbriar was almost in season, damn it! As soon as Storm woke up he was going to be as proddy as hell while trying to protect his mate, and that meant Moony was going to have to stay alert and ready too! Damn!

Sidestepper bowled him off his feet, and stood over him, tail wagging and jaw dropped as Moony chuffed in disgust at being ambushed so easily. Nipping the darker wolf's dewclaw, he made Sidestepper live up to his name and rolled to his feet, ready to give chase. They played together strenuously for a few minutes, growling and charging, pouncing and jumping like a pair of silly cubs before others emerged. Some came eagerly some cautiously, one or two belligerently, heads held low and swinging as they entered the small arena. Moony finished his game and stalked to the centre of the clearing, head high, tail plumed casting his scent wide so that everyone caught it easily.

A black wolf, not unlike Storm in colouring and conformation, stalked forward on stiff legs, circling the Beta Prime with aggression in every line. Moony growled softly, his ears flattening, his lips lifting away from sharp white fangs. For a second it looked as if the show of aggression was going to scare the challenger away but then the darker wolf lunged, his jaws aiming for Moony's throat. Moony took him on the shoulder and slammed into him with every ounce of his huge body. Braced for the impact, he took the challenger by surprise by giving a little and twisting away, so that the dark wolf sprawled on the dirt at his mercy. With no wasted movement, Moony clamped his jaws on the challenger's throat and ripped it wide open, blood and white cartilage exposed to the night air. The challenger yelped and screamed, writhing in agony on the leaf mould at Moony's feet while Moony stood stiff legged over him, snarling into his face. Finally, despite the pain, the challenger managed to submit and was begrudgingly allowed to stagger to his feet and weave a crooked line out of the circle of meeting.

Moony strutted over to the slightly raised rock at one end of the clearing and stepped up, glaring at the assembled wolves with blazing amber eyes. He raised his muzzle and began to howl, a deep, belling note in the depths. Listening, Sweetbriar and Storm had learned that every howl meant something, each member of the assembly adding a variation on the theme. The pack leader chose the subject and gave the first line, the pack members building and reinforcing the theme and its attendant issues in the chorus.

Tonight the theme was Duty; what was duty? What did it mean to the individual, to the pack and to the massed Clans?

It told of the Alpha Prime's duty to the masses, the Beta Prime's duty to the Alpha and the under clans.

'What was the pack Alpha's duty to his pack, to his mate, to his cubs?' One line of the howl challenged.

'Loyalty, protection, nurturing,' came the reply from another group in the clearing.

'What was the Beta's duty to the Alpha? What was owed to the pack and to the cubs?'

'Loyalty, protection, nurturing,' came the reply. 'Protect the pack, make it prosper, nurture all the cubs as your own, make them prosper, follow the Alphas, through loyalty make them prosper.'

'A werewolf's duty was to protect, nurture and support the pack, the Assembly and the Alpha Prime against all outside influences.'

Moony finally settled down; nose on tail and panting slightly from the strain of his efforts. He had given the assembly the message, reinforced the message and spelled it out in the teaching; there was little else he could do at this point. Now was the time of the wolf, not the time of reason. Sweetbriar and Storm joined him, curling around him in a huddle that said support and loyalty as he rested. Storm groomed his ears while Sweetbriar groomed his back and neck until a strange blue wolf appeared, nosing in on their gathering.

He seemed to want Sweetbriar to run with him but she lay down hard, keeping her tail firmly around her hind quarters despite the stranger's interest. She even nipped him on the nose when he became too familiar, Storm rising to growl deep in his throat. The interloper snapped at the younger wolf almost contemptuously and tried to put a paw over the young bitch's back but Moony bit his leg, not hard, just a warning. It was enough and the blue wolf slashed down with his jaws obviously trying to lock his teeth in Moony's spine but the older, wiser wolf was not there. He had rolled and was on his feet, his teeth exposed in an angry snarl.

Sweetbriar tried to rise but the dark one was covering her, trapping her between his body and the ground. Moony glanced at her and simply charged, his shoulder taking the would-be rapist in the chest and literally bowling him across the dirt, into a tree. Stalking forward, Moony very deliberately fastened his fangs on the back of the blue wolf's neck and applied pressure in a slow and inexorably way, until the wolf screamed in panic, twisting to get away but finding himself trapped and almost crippled. Finally Moony let the pressure off and the blue one slunk away into the shadows.

Chuffing in disgust, Moony resumed his position at the centre of the clearing and continued to hold court, accepting the submissions the other wolves were quick to make when he was comfortable again. Even Sidestepper, an old friend, submitted to the Beta Prime in order of rank, the hierarchy reconfirmed for another moon. Storm also submitted to his Alpha, for the first time willingly and wholeheartedly, without any rebellious thoughts to trouble him. Moony was indeed a better wolf than he and much stronger, cleverer, and faster, that had been proven this night.

Sweetbriar also submitted carefully, offering herself to the best Alpha male in the clearing. Moony slapped a paw over her hindquarters, driving her into the dirt so that she didn't broadcast her tantalising scent onto the breeze, but he didn't take what was offered. He did promise, in the recesses of his mind where Remus Lupin hid, that he would have a severe word with the girl when they reformed on the morrow.

~~*~~

Deep in the shadows the first challenger lurked, a snarl on his lips and fear in his heart. Moony had taken him out so easily it was laughable, despite him having the advantage of Wolfsbane to preserve his human intelligence. He knew Lupin was an inoffensive little man who was as gay as Kelly's Hatband and as effective as a wet noodle. He was a school master of all things! However, the damned faggot had almost ripped his throat out and forced him to crawl in the dirt like a lowly worm. That was twice Moony had avoided death in one form or the other, and he couldn't possibly manage a third lucky escape unless he had some very powerful spells and charms on him. And he probably did! After all, he worked for Dumbledore and lived at Hogwarts, which made him almost impossible to intercept under normal circumstances.

Not waiting for moonset, the black wolf slunk away to where his clothes had been hidden deep in the forest. As soon as he finished changing he was going to have to go and report his second failure to Mr White, who would not be very happy, not at all!