Harry Potter and the Elements of Valor

Chapter Nine - Breaking Curses

Dumbledore allowed Ron and Harry to accompany him to the hospital wing to check on Remus. The lights in the ward were low with a few candles lighting the only patient there. Hermione looked up with worry etching her face as they strode in. She rose from her chair wringing her hands.

Remus, his eyes closed, his graying hair framing his care-worn features, was lying in a bed at the end of the ward. "He's had a nasty curse of some kind put on him," said Hermione as they surrounded Lupin's bed.

Madam Pomfrey came into the room with a bottle of some brownish potion and a goblet in her hand. "I think this will bring him around," she said, bustling to the bedside and tipping the liquid into the goblet, where it sparked and snapped as though alive. She raised Lupin's head and poured the liquid into his mouth with practiced ease, and then stood back, watching him. Harry watched too.

Lupin gasped and opened his eyes. Then he rolled to his side and retched into a bucket that Madam Pomfrey had produced out of thin air and slid into place just in time. In a moment Lupin dropped his head back on the pillow and Madam Pomfrey vanished the contents of the bucket. She peered closely at him, tutted, and pronounced that he would need several more draughts of the restorative over the next two days. "He will need to stay here, at the least through tomorrow," she warned. "Other than that, I believe he is cured."

"Thank you Poppy," said Dumbledore as she walked back to her office.

Remus put a hand to his eyes. "So this is how it feels to be cured," he said hoarsely. "I believe I'd prefer to be unconscious."

Harry was so relieved Remus was all right that he nearly snickered, but quickly fastened a serious look on his face.

"Remus," said Dumbledore, coming closer to the bed. "What can you tell us of what happened tonight?"

Remus opened his eyes and looked at Dumbledore. "I was reading the Evening Prophet when I heard a noise. It startled me, since I hadn't heard anyone on the stairs. It echoes a lot when someone is coming down those stone steps you know. I got up and drew my wand, but before I'd turned, a spell hit the edge of the table where I had just been sitting, and knocked it over. I ran into the center room just as someone fled up the stairs. I followed. The last thing I remember was coming through the doorway at the top. Whoever it was must have been waiting for me. I never saw a thing." Remus closed his eyes again. "Albus, is what we were...looking after...is it still safe?" he asked, tentatively.

Harry and Ron looked over at Dumbledore. "Snape escaped his cell," explained the headmaster.

Remus sat bolt upright and then clutched his forehead in pain, "What! Snape escaped? How is that possible?" Remus sounded more angry than Harry could ever remember him being. "Do they know?" he asked, looking at Harry and his friends.

"Lie back, Remus," said Dumbledore soothingly as he pushed Remus back down against the pillows. "Yes, Harry knows Snape was there. It does appear Snape has been rescued somehow. I have sent word to Arthur and to Bill. They are mounting a search."

"I can't see how he got free. No one had been in or out all day," said Remus sounding tired.

"It appears he did have help," said Dumbledore. "Peter Pettigrew's dead body was found in Snape's cell."

"That's impossible," Remus said, his voice trailing off. "Unless he was..."

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He was a rat."

Remus sighed, "But how did he die, if he was helping Snape escape? I fired off a spell or two, but I was never near that cell."

"You may have hit him with a jinx and he just crawled off to die," said Ron speculatively.

"It would serve him right," said Harry angrily.

Dumbledore did not comment. "Please rest Remus. We can talk again in the morning. Harry, Ron, Hermione, off you go."

"But sir," asked Harry, "shouldn't we search the grounds for Snape?"

"Oh, I'm sure he is well away by now," said Dumbledore.

They were shooed out into the hall while Dumbledore went to talk to Madam Pomfrey.

Although they didn't speak to each other as they made their way back to Gryffindor tower, Harry heard Ron muttering something that sounded like, "filthy Death Eaters," while Hermione looked stony-faced. It was not yet eleven when they climbed through the portrait hole, but the common room was empty except for Ginny. She was seated at a table scratching out an essay on a roll of parchment. Harry thought how dismal the castle was becoming, as it held fewer and fewer students. Ron and Hermione collapsed together onto a sofa and Harry took a seat in a chair near them. Ginny got up and came to sit on the arm of the chair Harry was sitting in.

"What's happened now?" she asked looking from face to face.

Ron explained that Remus had been cursed, Snape had escaped, and about finding Peter's dead body.

"So, Pettigrew is dead then?" asked Ginny narrowing her eyes. "Good riddance."

Harry remembered Ginny talking about Pettigrew's presence during her imprisonment in Knockturn Alley. She had vivid memories of the rat, Pettigrew, crawling over her as she lay captive in the old warehouse.

There was a long pause. "How's Remus doing?" asked Ginny.

"Madam Pomfrey didn't know what they hit him with, but she says he'll be fine. She's keeping him in the hospital wing for the next day or so," said Hermione. "I was so worried, standing there waiting for Madam Pomfrey to come. The people we know just keep being hurt and killed, don't they? I can't bear it." She crossed her arms angrily and Ron put his arm around her.

Harry was very glad Remus was not hurt but his thoughts quickly turned to the potion brewing away in the dungeon. A few more days and they could plan the ritual to remove his werewolf curse forever. He hoped Remus would be up to it. If not, they might have to wait another entire moon-cycle. Harry didn't like to think of a delay like that when they were so close.

Ron rose and pulled Hermione to her feet. They went off toward the stairs to the dormitories, talking quietly together. Ginny went back to the table to pack up her books. Harry sat staring into the fire. Peter had been able to breach the castle defenses and somehow free Snape. Snape was probably back with his real master, Voldemort. Harry gritted his teeth. He had captured Snape and now the man was free again.

Ginny came over to Harry's chair, dropped her book bag and then sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around him. The scent of her hair against his face gave him a comfortable, warm feeling that offset the worry he felt over the attack on Lupin and the escape of Snape. Ginny smoothed his hair off his forehead and kissed it. "Don't worry," she whispered. "I'm sure Lupin will be alright by next week's full moon. And you can't waste time worrying about Snape just now."

"Do you always know what I'm thinking?" Harry asked her, raising his eyebrows.

She didn't answer, but smiled at him then got up and went off to the dormitories.

Harry stayed seated staring into the fire. Even Hogwarts was not really safe. Pettigrew had broken through the castle defenses. If he could get in, something or someone else might be able to as well. He wondered if they shouldn't be setting guards at night.

He finally climbed wearily to his feet and trudged up to his dormitory room. It had been another long day.

As Harry came into his dormitory room, he thought he heard muffled whispering coming from Ron's curtained bed. Then he heard a loud snore from Neville's bed and Ron went quiet. Harry thought Ron must be having a dream or something as he walked over to his own bed, and began stripping off his clothes. Then he heard it again; a whispered voice saying I should go, Ron, this is really a bad idea. The whisperer was most certainly Hermione. Harry stepped behind his bed and finished dressing in his pajamas, just in case she decided to make a dash for the door. Then he climbed into his own bed and drew all the curtains shut. He didn't really want to know what was going on across the room. He heard small noises for a while, stuffed his pillow over him head, then he drifted off to sleep. At least they weren't rowing, Harry thought with a grin.

In the middle of the night, Harry was awakened by the sound of feet on the floor. He put on his glasses and poked his head through his bed curtains to see two shapes moving in the darkness.

"I really have to go, Ron," was whispered into the moonlight-bathed room. As Harry's eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw Hermione, her hair mussed, standing in what appeared to be, Ron's pajama top, with her back against the door and Ron pressed up against her, wearing only his pajama bottoms.

Ron whipped around and saw Harry. He stood in front of Hermione, blocking her from view and began to stammer, "Uhhh...Hi Harry,....Uhh, Hermione was just,...Uhhh...."

Then Hermione's voice, a high-pitched whisper, was saying, "I was really upset about Lupin, you see, and Ron was...comforting me...and...well...."

Harry shook his head and lay back on his bed. The door creaked open and shut, Ron's bed creaked again, and all was silence. Harry vowed to himself not to mention this incident to anyone. Well, perhaps he'd ask Ron about it sometime. No, he thought, he'd rather wipe that image from his head if possible.

Breakfast the next morning was a bit uncomfortable. Hermione refused to look Harry in the eye and kept blushing every time she caught sight of him. Ron, on the other hand, was strutting around and very pleased with himself. Harry tried to ignore both of them and focus on his plate.

Luckily, Remus was pronounced fit by Madam Pomfrey the next evening and he was back at the staff table at breakfast on Tuesday. As none of the other students had heard or seen what happened, Harry did not expect anyone to remark over Remus's presence. Malfoy was the only one to react as Lupin came in. Harry noticed him furrow his brow as he watched Lupin take his seat at the staff table.

With everything going on, Harry had nearly forgotten the upcoming Quidditch match set to take place on the following Saturday. Mac had pronounced the werewolf potion ready to try. The next full moon would also be on Saturday night, so a decision had to made as to whether the ritual could be tried, or not. Mac and Remus spent their free moments making plans. By Wednesday, it was decided to do the thing on Saturday night. Remus was insisting he was well enough for the attempt. He was to find four others to assist in the ritual, since six were needed, with Harry and Mac rounding out the group.

The week passed in a blur of lessons, whispered hallway conversations between Harry and Mac or Lupin, and Quidditch practices. Harry was barely able to complete his homework these days what with worrying over the outcome of the ritual.

The general level of excitement for the upcoming Quidditch match was somewhat dampened by the small number of students in the castle. The poisoning incident in London had apparently been the final straw for a few more parents worried over the safety of their children, for another ten or twelve students had been packed off home right after the incident. Harry tried to ignore the empty seats in the Great Hall and in his classes. They seemed to accuse him of inaction in the matter of Voldemort, the instigator of all these terrible tragedies.

Now that Gryffindor had picked up a Hufflepuff on their team, Hufflepuff was solidly supporting Gryffindor. With only three house teams, assuming that Ravenclaw was going to be able to field a team, no one was expecting spectacular plays, and the normal game rotation would have to be changed.

The lack of enthusiasm did not seem to have been noticed by Ron, who was as feverishly excited as he had been at the start of the last year. Ginny and Natalie were both strong and clever players, making up for the inexperience or lack of talent of the others. Just as Oliver Wood had been used to doing, Ron would run up to Harry between lessons and propose various new moves or changes in strategy, until Harry had tell him to settle down. He had called as many practices as he could; as many as the house elves would agree to watch over. As a result, he had them guarding the field several evenings a week. Harry thought he heard the elves muttering under their breath about having to stand outside in the dark and the rain for, "that Weasley boy's team."

On the morning of the first match, Harry got up early and dressed in his Quidditch robes, and then rousted Ron. Ron sprang from his bed, complaining that he'd nearly overslept. "It's only seven," said Harry calmly, as he waited for Ron to get ready. He could not pull his thoughts away from the task they would be attempting later that night. Remus had asked Ron to be one of the six to assist with the ritual, and Ron had been honored to be chosen. Harry imagined that Remus would have a very stress-filled day, waiting for nightfall. He refrained from mentioning any of this as Ron cursed his trunk while looking for his Keepers gloves. One thing at a time, Harry told himself. Finish the match, then worry about tonight.

Finally outfitted, Ron followed Harry down to the Great Hall for a bit of breakfast. They were greeted by waves and catcalls as they walked toward the Gryffindor table. After six years of this, Harry was no longer embarrassed and simply waved back. Ron rather enjoyed the attention and encouraged the students to cheer louder. After a glass of pumpkin juice and a piece of toast, Harry sat back and watched for the arrival of the rest of the team. Behind him, he heard Professor McGonagall call Ron's name and motion him to the staff table. Ron looked inquiringly at Harry and then went to talk to her. She leaned forward and spoke to him with an air of seriousness that made Harry worried.

Soon Ginny, Natalie MacDonald, Colin Creevey, and Geoffrey Hooper came in all together. Colin and Hooper looked nervous, but Ginny and Natalie were laughing and talking freely. About a minute later, Kevin Whitby entered the room in Gryffindor Quidditch robes. They had given him Sloper's old robes and changed the name on the back. They fitted him pretty well. The Hufflepuffs hooted and clapped as he too made his way to join the rest of the team, waving in an embarrassed sort of way to his house table.

As Whitby made his way over, Ron plopped down on the bench next to Harry. "Well that was a waste of time," he said, pulling over a plate of bacon.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"McGonagall was asking if I thought Bill would make an impartial referee, with me playing and all," said Ron.

Harry looked hard at him. "Bill is going to referee?"

Ron continued, "I said I thought Bill would try to make fair calls. She said she was afraid there might be people who thought he'd played favorites. I told her Gryffindor didn't care who the referee was as long as they were fair." Ron shoveled eggs on to his plate. "She didn't need me for that, surely."

"Did she say what she was going to do?" asked Harry.

Ron's answer was stifled due to his mouth being full of bacon, but Harry understood him to say, no.

A bright sun beamed down at them as the team made their way to the Quidditch pitch and the locker room. The air was cold but the sun felt good. Inside the locker room, Ron looked his team over appraisingly. "Let's just play our game," he said. "Slytherin isn't all that good. They're slow and they have a new Seeker, owing to Malfoy being taken off the team. So just watch what's going on and play as a team and we should be ok. Ok?" They all nodded. Ron said, "Right then," and led them out onto the field.

The stands definitely looked empty, thought Harry. He had seen them packed to bursting at other matches. The various houses had bunched in together against the chill air, leaving large empty spaces between houses. Bill Weasley strode out onto the field dressed in a referees robe, and angry shouts rose up from the Slytherin fans. Harry sighed. Snape had refereed a match in Harry's first year. As a Gryffindor, he hadn't been happy about that. He was sure Bill would be much more impartial than Snape had been on that occasion.

Professor McGonagall took the large purple megaphone and addressed the crowd. "That will do!" she said. "As you all know by now, Madam Hooch has not returned to school this term. She agreed to work at the Ministry this year, as they are very short staffed. Professor Weasley has kindly agreed to act as referee for our Quidditch matches this year. Professor Weasley played Quidditch while at Hogwarts and I believe will be able to fill in for Madam Hooch quite nicely. The house elves are providing extra protection today for the match. Let's give them a round of applause to show that we appreciate their help." She began clapping and most of the students joined in enthusiastically, with the exception of the Slytherins, who were looking mutinous. "Let the match begin!" finished McGonagall, sitting down and passing the microphone to a Ravenclaw girl with a prefects badge, that Harry did not know.

Bill adopted a very straight face and asked the captains to shake hands. As usual, the Slytherin captain, Morris Gorrock grabbed Ron's hand tight enough to break bones. Ron gritted his teeth and twisted Gorrock's arm causing him to let go. They both looked daggers at each other before mounting their brooms. Then Bill released the balls and whistled for play to begin. Harry kicked off from the ground and soared to the far end of the pitch where he began looking out for the snitch. Theodore Nott had the seeker position today for Slytherin. He caught up with Harry and gave him a furtive smile. "How's everything?" asked Harry without looking over at Nott.

"Not bad...you?" asked Nott, appearing to ignore Harry as well.

"Can't complain," said Harry. "Have a good game."

"Same to you," said Nott, as Harry made to fly off around the field. Nott and he had a sort of secret friendship, having both helped each other out of tight situations the previous year. It would do Nott no good, however, to be seen as being friendly toward Harry, and Harry was careful not to compromise Nott.

It was a good day for flying and as Harry sailed around above the pitch, the fresh cold air seemed to drive the cobwebs from his brain. Below, he watched as Ginny put in the first goal. The tiny crowd cheered her. Harry smiled as she sailed past toward the other end of the pitch. He scanned the area for the snitch but saw nothing. Nott was not tailing him the way most opposing teams seekers had taken to doing. He was happy not to have another player trailing behind him.

Slytherin tried and missed their goal as Ron made a fairly easy save. Harry saw Natalie get the Quaffle and streak toward the Slytherin goal. She scored making it twenty to zero.

Harry spotted a gold glint coming from the center of the pitch quite near the ground. He tipped his broom handle down and dove for it. It was definitely the snitch. When he was ten feet away, the snitch suddenly streaked off upward. Harry had a time pulling out of the dive and changing direction. Once he was turned back in the direction the snitch had gone, he saw Nott speeding toward a point off to his left. Harry could not make out the snitch owing to the sun in his eyes, but he urged his Firebolt upwards as fast as he could. Then Nott slowed and stopped in midair. The snitch had vanished again. Harry circled around and stopped too. The crowd howled and cheered. Slytherin had scored.

Suddenly, Harry spotted the snitch again, but off to his right. It was unusual behavior for a snitch to move quite this erratically; however, he flattened himself to his broom handle and sped directly toward it. It would be an easy catch, Harry thought, there was no whooshing sound of the other Seeker closing behind him. He just kept his eyes on the snitch as he speeded ahead, until he grasped it easily and raised his arm in victory. A cry went up, fell away, and rose again from the other end of the field, but at once it was replaced by an angry murmur.

Harry heard Bill's whistle calling a halt to the play. As Harry spun around, he saw Nott at the other end of the pitch and knew what was wrong. Nott was also clasping a snitch victoriously in his fingers. Harry looked at the tiny ball, struggling in his hand and frowned. He headed for the center of the field and the ground, where Bill was beckoning both teams.

"What's all this then?" he asked irritably, as Harry and Nott approached. The two teams in their green or scarlet robes were ranged around him all looking annoyed.

"Harry got the snitch," snarled Ron, who had just landed and was striding forward. "Look!" he said pulling Harry hand out toward Bill. "What's the problem?"

"Nott has one too," said Harry. Ron's face flashed from confusion to understanding.

Morris Gorrock, the Slytherin captain, who was considered a great idiot, bellowed, "We won! Nott got his first!"

Bill ignored him. "Let me see those," he said, holding out his hands toward the two Seekers. Harry and Theodore each handed over their prizes. "Someone's played a damned stupid trick by releasing a second snitch. Stay here," he ordered.

Bill took to his broom and flew up to the staff box where he appeared to be explaining the situation to McGonagall and the other teachers. She took up the magical megaphone. "It seems someone has thought it funny to tamper with the match by releasing a second snitch. Anyone who can shed some light on this should see me after the match is over. Professor Weasley has decided to resume play after re-releasing one and only one snitch. The score stands at twenty to ten."

There was a loud muttering from the crowd. Harry spotted Malfoy sitting by himself near the top row of seats and smirking. He thought he knew exactly who had attempted to spoil the match. Malfoy gave Harry a look of triumph as he lazed in his seat.

Bill called for play to resume. Almost immediately, Ginny scored a goal. After a few failed goal attempts by Slytherin, Colin managed another goal for Gryffindor. While the crowd was cheering, Harry caught sight of the snitch again and streaked toward it. He heard a yelp behind him as Nott realized what Harry had seen. Harry was, however, much closer and again, caught the small gold ball easily. The game ended with Slytherin putting only ten points on the board.

The Gryffindors normally held a party following a Quidditch victory in their common room, but owing to the fact that Hufflepuff was also represented, they turned dinner in the Great Hall into a victory celebration. After Harry and Ron had made an appearance and received the cheers of their housemates, they grabbed sandwiches and escaped back out into the corridor. The evening sky was turning pink and dusky as they turned their steps toward the dungeon. They had another job to do before the evening was over and it was much more dangerous than a Quidditch match.

A few minutes later, Harry and Ron entered the potions classroom to find an anxious looking Remus sitting alone and staring into space while a group of men huddled in the corner of the room, talking. Mac was fidgeting with the cauldron that Harry knew contained the werewolf cure, and shuffling through the notes they had made. It took a moment for Harry to realize that Charlie Weasley was among the group of men. Remus had asked Dumbledore to be one of the six, but he was nowhere in the room.

"Hello, boys," said Arthur Weasley, looking around.

"Hi Harry, Ron," said Charlie, with a smile.

"Hello," said Harry. He counted to himself. Arthur Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Mac and himself made six. There must have been a change in plan. Before he could ask where Dumbledore was, Mac answered the question.

"Professor Dumbledore is feeling poorly," said Mac. "Arthur was good enough to contact Charlie who agreed to fill in." Harry smiled over at Charlie. At least Charlie Weasley was used to handling dangerous beasts. It could be an advantage out on the lawn tonight, with an angry werewolf. Ron went over to talk to his brother, while Harry took a seat next to Lupin. Lupin had wanted Hagrid to be there, however, Hagrid was not a fully qualified wizard, and Mac wanted to take no chances, so Bill been asked.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked in a low voice.

Lupin looked over at him with a rye smile. "I've always been ready for a cure, but I'm trying not to be too hopeful."

"We were really careful making the potion," said Harry encouragingly.

Lupin put a hand on Harry's back. "I know you were. I just pray I don't hurt anyone tonight, is all."

Harry knew that Bill had a curse that was supposed to immobilize Lupin as soon as he transformed. Bill had even shown Harry how to perform the curse, as a back up. Then they would have to pour the potion into the mouth of the werewolf and form a circle. There was an incantation they had to speak in unison. Harry had copied the words onto six pieces of parchment so each man would have one. After the incantation was read, the beast had to be turned loose, and that was the dangerous part. They did not know how long Lupin would remain a werewolf, assuming the ritual worked. They would all be within striking distance of Lupin at that point. If the ritual did not work, they would have to use shield charms against him until they could get safely back inside the castle. Harry was not scared but he was worried that the potion might harm Lupin rather than heal him.

Mac clapped his hands once and everyone turned to him. "Thank you all for agreeing to come. We are here to perform a remarkable experiment that may free our friend and colleague Remus Lupin, from a long-standing curse. It will be dangerous, and everyone must look sharp. As you all know, we cannot give him the wolfsbane potion to keep him under control. It will make a normal human quite ill, and if our ritual is successful, it would hurt him. Beyond that, you all know the plan," Mac said, checking his watch. "The students will be sent to their common rooms in about thirty minutes. In an hour, we will assemble out on the lawn. The moon will rise about fifteen minutes later. We must be in place and ready at that moment." The group all nodded solemnly. Remus looked as though he would be sick.

He rose and Harry again saw his ragged condition; the result of the prejudice that werewolves lived with. "I want to thank each of you for agreeing to attempt this thing," said Remus. "I can't tell you what it means to me, regardless of the outcome. I ask only that you all stay safe, even if that might mean killing me. I insist you save yourselves and I release you from any guilt over my fate." The room was silent.

"We don't intend to fail, Lupin," said Mac in his deep booming voice. Harry didn't know how the others felt but he had a large lump in his throat at these words and was grateful for the dimness of the room as he wiped a hasty sleeve across his eyes.

Mac checked his watch several times, as they waited in silence. In silence, Mac signaled them that it was time to go out. He handed Harry the stoppered bottle of potion they had so carefully brewed. It was the color of ink. As the men filed past, Mac handed out the parchment sheets with the incantation written upon them. Soon they were back in the warmth of the entrance hall. Everything was still and silent, making their footfalls echo.

Ron pushed open the oak front doors and the darkness and chill air seemed to swirl around them. Harry stepped out into the night and headed toward the pre-determined spot, as far from the castle as possible but still well away from the forest.

The six men formed a circle about eight feet across and Remus stepped into the center. Harry held the bottle ready. "Draw your wands," said Mac, and six wands appeared.

Harry turned to look at the sky. The moon was rising from behind a mountain and as it did, Remus began to transform. It was excruciating to watch. He collapsed to the ground and began to pant. The panting turned to a low moaning growl as his body morphed slowly and painfully into that of a huge wolf. Shreds of Lupin's ripped robes littered the ground. As his eyes changed from gray to yellow, Harry felt the man he knew slip away into a beast, devoid of feeling. As the beast reared and began to howl, the awestruck group moved backward. Bill quickly waved his wand and the werewolf collapsed clumsily in a heap.

Harry uncorked the bottle and approached the wolf as Arthur and Charlie took hold of its head. Mac forced the jaws open and nodded to Harry to pour in the potion. Ron held his lit wand near the large fangs and Harry did his best not to lose any of the precious liquid as he breathed in the rancid breath of the werewolf. It was done. They all stood back watching the shape lying at their feet.

"Let us now recite the incantation. Point your wands at Lupin," said Mac. They read in unison from their parchment and a strong yellow light sprung from each wand tip striking the werewolf as they spoke the final word. It seemed to jolt him. Then Bill released his jinx and they watched as the great wolf shook its head and attempted to stand.

"Now is the most dangerous part," said Mac. "Wands up." Six wands were again raised. "Do not let him bite you," said Mac. "Have your shield charms ready. We do not know how he will react."

Suddenly there was a yowl so painful it made Harry wince to hear it. The werewolf stretched up and growled at the ring of men. Huge jaws opened and the rangy gray body sprung at Charlie, who repelled the beast with a flick of his wand, sending the wolf in Harry's direction. Harry took a step back and readied his own charm. The werewolf however, seemed disoriented and broke through the circle running wildly out across the lawn. Then he began to stumble, his legs failing to work in concert. He slowed and wobbled dangerously, then began to crawl like a wounded animal toward the forest.

Harry had restrained himself thus far and had not followed, or broken the circle, however, they couldn't let Lupin reach the forest where they might never find him. He turned and ran after Remus, but the werewolf's great speed meant Harry was far behind. He heard Mac calling him back, yelling that Remus was still dangerous and not to approach too closely.

Harry's stomach was in a knot. What if the potion had been wrong? What if it was killing Remus?

As the werewolf came to a near halt, falling on the cold earth, Harry approached him cautiously. He could hear feet beating toward him across the grounds and the shouts of the other men to stand clear.

"Remus?" Harry said tentatively. The great wolf turned its head up toward him and snapped its jaws menacingly. Then as it stretched out again to attempt to climb to its feet, it began to transform into the body of a man. The moonlight streaming down through an opening in the clouds showed the white smooth skin of a human. The wolf's hair was receding as Harry watched. The pointed ears were turning back to human ones, the paws, back to normal hands and feet.

"Remus!" Harry said again, bending low over the body. There was no response, but there was breathing. The others were running toward them as Harry knelt next to Remus and removed his own cloak to cover his father's old friend. Mac hurried up, last to join the circle of men staring down at Lupin.

"Don't cover him yet boy," said Mac, breathing very hard as he caught up to the rest of the group. "We must first see if there are any remaining effects of the full moon." He quickly knelt next to Lupin's head. The ring of wizards cast shadows that fell over the body, and Mac gestured for the men to move back out of the path of the moonlight so that Lupin was bathed in it, looking pale and cold as he lay twisted on the hoarfrost. Mac raised one of Lupin's eyelids. Harry recoiled momentarily as the yellow wolf's eye met his gaze. Even as he watched, these too began to change to the gray eyes that Harry knew.

Mac grunted as he pushed himself heavily to his feet. "Go ahead then young Harry and wrap him up, then let's get him inside. I think the initial danger has passed."

The mood of the men shifted and they began to talk quietly and hopefully amongst themselves. Arthur Weasley levitated Lupin across the lawn and up to the castle steps, where Mac stopped him. "We should cover him completely. It would do no good if students were to see him in this condition." Bill immediately removed his cloak and soon Lupin's body resembled that of a corpse, wrapped from head to foot.

The party made a silent progress to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was ready for them and directed them to the small side room where Harry remembered that Percy had been kept for a time the previous year. Lupin was placed in the bed and Madam Pomfrey made to shoo them all out. "I'm sorry Poppy," said Mac briskly. "We need to keep a strong guard on him until he comes around." He looked at the somber faces. "I'll stay and perhaps, Arthur, would you be so kind?" Arthur nodded.

"But, do you think it worked? Is he cured or not?" asked Harry anxiously.

"We won't know for certain until tomorrow night. If the moon has no effect, then we will know we were successful. So, we will have to wait and see."

Harry and the others wordlessly turned to go but he heard Mac say to Mr. Weasley, "Wands out I think," as they left the ward.

Sunday morning was cloudy and the wind had picked up. As soon as Harry rose from bed, he was keen to go visit Remus. He did not bother waking Ron, but dressed quickly and hurried to the hospital wing. Harry pulled open the door and slipped in silently. He did not want to be sent away by the matron before having a chance to look in on Remus. Harry rapped quietly on the door to the little private room. He heard a chair scrap inside and the door was opened by a sleepy looking Bill Weasley.

"Oh, Harry! I was expecting my replacement. Charlie was going to take the next shift," Bill said with a yawn. "Come in."

"How is he?" asked Harry in a whisper.

"He hasn't come around yet, but he's been sleeping quietly. Conner decided we could go on with only one guard until tonight."

"Do you think the cure worked?" asked Harry.

Bill sank back onto the wooden chair next to Remus's bed. "You know it's too soon to tell, Harry. Tonight is when we'll know for certain. I think it looks good so far. Conner seems pleased. Remus will owe you quite a debt if it did work."

Harry nodded absently. He simply hoped that whatever they had done had not made Remus worse. He looked deathly pale lying under the white sheets and even Harry could tell that his old teacher's breathing was very shallow.

When nightfall came again, it was to find all six men again assembled around Lupin's hospital bed. Mac had opened the curtains fully so that the moonlight would fall directly upon Lupin. It was the final test. Remus had not yet awakened and Harry found this worrisome, although Mac and Madam Pomfrey did not appear to be concerned.

Mac said "Wands out," and they each raised their wand in nervous anticipation. Mac extinguished the candles and they waited in darkness to see if the experiment was successful. Slowly, moonlight streamed in through the window, making a rectangular pattern on the stone floor. The light moved across the room as the moon outside arced upward over the low cloud cover. Soon the light slid over the bed, covering the unmoving man in ghostly light.

Lupin's eyes suddenly sprang open and he scrambled into a sitting position, gasping. The men tensed and six wands were extended a bit further toward him. He pulled his hands toward his face, turning them over in the moonlight. He looked directly through the window at the great cold moon and then, to Harry's astonishment, he laughed. "It worked!" he gasped. "It worked." The room full of men broke into excited talk. Harry heard none of it. He continued to stare at Lupin, whose laughter had changed to tears, his face wet and exultant at the same time. "Thank you," he said to the room in general. "Thank you," he repeated, looking into Harry's eyes.

It was hard to dampen Harry's mood over the next week. Lupin spent a few days recovering in the hospital wing, but was soon back teaching his class. There was something different about him now that the curse had been lifted. Harry was sure he looked younger. There was certainly a spring in his step.

"You'll get credit for this discovery, Harry," said Hermione as they waited for Magical Beings class to begin. "Any werewolf can be cured now. This is history making," she said. Harry did not care about all that, he just grinned at Remus as he came into the classroom looking healthy and happy.

By the end of the following week, the school in general had heard the news and the Daily Prophet had run a story about the newly discovered potion. They of course, got the story mostly wrong. The Ministry was credited with unearthing the potion and the ritual, and Mac was threatening to storm the office of the Daily Prophet to make them give Harry the credit. Harry did not care. As he went off to bed, he was satisfied knowing Remus was well.

Harry's four-poster, with its velvet hangings closed, was a snug and dark cocoon. When light flared inside it in the middle of the night, he jumped and scrambled to a sitting position, shielding his eyes. The light was extinguished, which did not help, for now the blackness showed no outlines as Harry tried to rub away the residual effects of the brief glare of light from his eyes.

A voice whispered in the dark in an agitated way. "Harry, you have to wake up!" it was saying. "You have to help me!"

Harry recognized the desperation in the tone of the voice and realized it was Ginny. "What is it," he asked hoarsely, still trying to shake off the wooly feeling of sleep and to bring the room into focus. He reached for his glasses.

"It's back, Harry. I can feel it. I can feel him trying to....to draw me to him or something. Please get up Harry." There was raw fear in her voice.

He struggled to comprehend why she was there and what it's back might mean. He rubbed his eyes hard. "Umm, Ginny, it's all right," he said in as comforting a tone as he could manage. As this was happening, Harry suddenly understood what she meant. "The mark...it's back?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yes, I think it is. I can feel something there," sniffed Ginny. "You have to look Harry," she said imploringly.

Harry was aware of Neville snoring lightly across the room. Ron rolled over in the next bed, muttering. It would be best he thought to get out of the dormitory room and into a place with more light. He climbed from his bed in the darkness and picked up his wand, which he stuck into the waistband of his pajamas. Then he led Ginny by the hand out on to the landing, closing the door behind them.

In the dim glow from the candles lighting the stairs he could see that Ginny's red hair was rather wildly disheveled. She was wearing some overly large pajamas that might have been hand-me-downs from one of her brothers. They were maroon paisley. Harry tried to think. He rubbed his eyes again. As his brain began to click into gear, he knew he would need more light. An idea came to him. "Come on," he said, leading the way down the spiral stairs. "Tell me what happened."

Ginny looked as frightened as he had ever seen her as they moved down the stairs. "I was asleep," she started obviously trying hard to control her rising panic. "I was having a dream...something silly...then everything went black. In my dream, I felt really scared, I couldn't find light. Then I saw a death eater mask. It came closer and closer. I couldn't move. Then the mask melted away and behind it was his face." Ginny blanched, then murmured, "Lucius Malfoy's face. Then the voices started again in my head, as they did when I was being held in Knockturn Alley. I could see Malfoy's lips moving telling me things, giving me orders...I don't know. All I could hear were the sound of the voices and I couldn't make out what they were saying."

Harry had stopped at the very next landing which was the dormitory room designated for the new first year boys. There were no first year Gryffindors this year, so the room was unoccupied. When she paused, he pushed the door open, and they moved inside. Harry lit his wand and a faint light illuminated the space. He lit the candles around the room with a wave of his wand. Ginny's face was damp with tears, or sweat, or both. Harry started to open his mouth, but Ginny stopped him.

"That's not all Harry," she said, her voice nearly a whisper now. "I woke up standing in the common room and I had my wand out. I don't know what he'd told me to do, but I keep thinking of being controlled by Riddle. He could have made me do anything, I think. I could have hurt someone, Harry."

"It's ok, Ginny, really," he said in what he hoped was a comforting way. "Let's have a look, shall we? I mean, perhaps you just had a bad dream or something." This was a very lame thing to say and she shot him the briefest of pained looks as she turned her back to him and pulled up the back of her pajama top. Harry bent down a bit, pulling the back of her pajamas out of the way.

The mark was definitely back. Not only back, but now even more pronounced than it had been at Godric's Hollow. The angry red welts defined a cruel looking symbol, which marked Ginny as a slave of Lucius Malfoy. He ran his fingers over it with a sick feeling in his stomach. Lucius Malfoy had again called the curse down on Ginny and Harry had to act fast, before she went the same way as Percy.

He let out his breath and looked quickly at his watch. It was two in the morning. It was at least four hours until first morning light. There was no point in traipsing all over the castle in search of a teacher, or the headmaster, or even awakening Madam Pomfrey. He knew what needed to be done after all, and this room would serve as well as any. In the morning, he would get Dumbledore.

"Harry?" asked Ginny tentatively.

"Yes, it's back," he said. He felt her shiver. He hadn't taken his eyes off the mark; hateful thing that it was.

"Take my wand Harry, before I hurt someone."

Harry took the wand she offered him and laid it aside. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her wet cheek against his chest as he hugged her. "I'm going to do the counter-curse, Ginny. We'll just stay in here for the next few hours, shall we?" He felt her nod.

She was breathing hard. Through gritted teeth she said, "I can't let that filth, Malfoy control me. I won't let him. Do what ever you have to do," she said. "Do it before it gets worse."

Harry ripped open the curtains from the nearest four-poster and had Ginny climb onto it. His experience with this curse told him Ginny might scream when he did the counter-curse, so he performed a silencing spell to keep their voices from being heard outside the room. Ginny lay down with her back to Harry and hugged a pillow to her chest. Harry had done this awkward spell often enough to know the best way to perform it. He pointed his wand and murmured the counter-curse, "Non stigma servitum," and then dropped his wand as he flattened his hand against the mark.

The icy sensation he remembered from the last time snaked up his arm and into his shoulder, then rippled across his back. The feeling was very strong this time. At the same time, Ginny gasped and bit down hard on the edge of the pillow, curling herself up into a tight ball. She seemed to be willing herself not to fight him. She was breathing very hard, then a long low moan escaped her, and he was force to hold her down as she struggled against him. Soon the feeling in Harry's arm died away. He relaxed and removed his hand. Ginny was shaking violently and Harry climbed on to the bed next to her and held her tightly until she took a great shuddering breath and slumped limply into unconsciousness.

Harry pulled back the blankets and laid Ginny under them on her side. The he inspected the mark again. It was a bit fainter then it had been at first, but it was still more pronounced then it had ever been at Godric's Hollow. Harry shifted Ginny slightly and covered her up. He crossed to the door and locked it, although he didn't think anyone was likely to come in here. Then he stepped to the window and looked out across the grounds, bathed in pale moon light.

"Damn Lucius Malfoy," he snarled into the darkness. Why couldn't he have left her alone? As he looked out across the dark grounds, not really seeing them, a momentary pin pick of light flashed from a spot along the tree line near the gates, or at least he thought it had. When he strained his eyes into the darkness, it was not there.

For the next hour, Harry sat and watched over Ginny. Then without attempting to rouse her, he performed the spell again. She did wake though, and gave a small scream before gritting her teeth and tightening once again into a ball. When he was done, he asked, "How do you feel?"

"Very weak," she relied. "Very, very weak." She went limp again but managed to say, "Thanks," before lapsing into oblivion.

Harry was feeling especially tired. Still he had to mind Ginny and not let her get up or attempt to leave the room. As he snapped awake for the third time in five minutes, he decided to charm his watch to wake him on the hour. Harry climbed onto the bed with Ginny and laid down next to her, throwing his arm over her. He was sure he'd notice if she moved, and he drifted into a restless sleep.

He was waltzing with Ginny in a large empty ballroom. The edges of the room were dark. He was wearing a white suit and she, a long white dress. They were smiling at each other as he guided her gracefully around the dance floor. Suddenly the hand he had against her back felt wet, and when he raised it, he saw it was covered in blood. There was blood on the back of her white dress too. Two figures seemed to be watching from the shadows, unmoving, as the music spun crazily out of control. Harry began to scream soundlessly as Ginny slumped in his arms.

Harry sat bolt up right on the bed and saw to his horror that Ginny was gone.

Harry leapt off the bed looking wildly around the room. Why had he tried to do this alone? Her wand was missing and the dormitory door was standing open. Harry grabbed up his own wand and was about to run from the room when a premonition overtook him. He tore to the window. The pin- point of light had re-appeared, and was visible near the tree line by the gates. Harry swore as he spun around and sprinted down the stairs.