Werewolf
Lirum had been trying their hardest to disappear. The one time a teacher wouldn’t fail to notice them would be when it came to facing their fears wouldn’t it.
“Come on now, pull out your wand. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’ve seen it work for everyone else.” Lupin said calmly, and so they did. Slowly they drew their wand, praying the boggart would take the shape of the basilisk, or even them as just a normal kid. Then it took form.
In front of them stood the man outside the window. He growled viciously as he began to sprout hair all over, stepping toward them. Then he let out a haunting howl and transformed into the grey matted werewolf spattered with their parents' blood.
They felt so small and yet so grown. It was meant to be their fifth birthday.
“One more pleeease!” They begged their parents, grabbing onto their mothers hands and pulling her along.
“Come on, your grandfather will be here soon. You don’t want to be a mess when he gets here, do you?” She asked, holding them back from running away.
“I won’t hide anywhere messy! I promise!” Lirum begged, planting their feet and throwing themself back dramatically. Their mother held their wrists so they wouldn’t fall.
“Oh, I think I know better than that!” She laughed softly, watching her kid try their best to drag her behind them.
“But I’ll be good!” Lirum pleaded. “I won’t hide anywhere messy and I’ll come out as soon as grandpa gets here. I swear!”
“You promise? Pinky promise me right now you’ll come out when your grandpa gets here.” She said bending down and holding out her little finger. “And no getting messy!”
“You drive a Hard bargain!” Lirum said, crossing their arms and staring down at their mother. “Fine, it’s a deal!”
“Ahh, got cha!” Their father cheered, scooping them up and bouncing them while holding them upside down. “Little Li, Little Li, what are you doing Little Li”
“I wanna play hide and seek!” Lirum whined, arms dangling. “Mum said I could!”
“You don’t want to be hiding when guests start to arrive, do you?” He said, setting them back down on the floor. “Why don’t you wait until your grandfather arrives, he’ll play a round with you. I’m sure of it!”
“But mum said I could.” They huffed, running to the window in protest. They took a peek outside and saw a dark man in a rough leather coat that looked a bit too tight for his size. “Oh! Someone’s here!” They squeaked, bouncing with excitement.
“He’s a little early for dinner?” Their father said checking the clock on the wall.
“I don’t think it’s grandpa?” Lirum said, confused. Their father came to join them, only to freeze when the sound of growling started.
“You wanted to play hide and seek right? I’ll help you hide!” He said, trying to force his voice to stay calm, hoisting them over his shoulder as he made his way quickly across the room. The man outside the window began sprouting silver matted fur on his approach.
“What’s going on-“ their mother was cut off by a booming howl.
“I’m gonna close the door and you’re gonna hide in here until we, or your grandfather come back, alright? Don’t come out for anyone else, ok?” He said setting them down in the closet, whispering every protective charm he could come up with. “Don’t make a sound, alright? Just stay right here, and promise daddy you won’t come out.”
“What’s wrong?” Lirum asked, confused by their parents' reaction, their mother scrambling to push something in front of the door and their fathers sudden change of heart.
“Everything’s gonna be ok Li Li. Just promise me you’ll stay right here? You’ll do that for me won’t you?”
“Yeah?” He closed the door leaving only the small key hole for Lirum to see their parents through while their father dashed across the room to their mom. The door began to rattle aggressively.
Bang!
They woke up in the hospital wing again. Apparently this was the place for them to be this year. This time a very shameful Professor Lupin sat beside them.
“Lirum it’s good that you’re awake. I apologise if I’m not exactly the person you wanted to see first thing after…um.” He fumbled awkwardly for the words. “I just had some questions.”
“If you were going to ask about my ‘condition’, as Dumbledore so kindly put it. I’m a metamorphmagus, I don’t have lycanthropy.” Lirum snapped, through gritted teeth.
“You’re boggart, it was a rather accurate depiction of a werewolf’s transformation.” He started, shifting in his seat to face them. “Dumbledore is sympathetic, if you’re afraid.”
“I already said it once! I am not a werewolf!” Lirum shouted. “For your information, I just have dead parents so thank you for the reminder!”
Lupin paused, “From a werewolf attack?”
“Yeah, it was! I was so lucky, I’ve been told! My fifth birthday, what better time? How lucky we were in Hogsmeade, a place old Aurors go to retire or become law officers! That the second the screaming started people came running or I might’ve joined them! How lucky it is to be alive when every time someone finds out they look at you like you’ve got a disease!” Professor Lupin looked at them remorseful, but said nothing. “Or hearing how many purebloods celebrated my mother’s death! Taking back the last haven for wizard kind, they said! How people brag about the hamlet being the last wizard only town in the whole of United Kingdom.” Lirum was out of breath already.
Of course he’d followed them to the hospital wing, just the same as everyone else. Lirum had learned young it was easier never to speak of it. People finding out only every resulted in the same rounds of questions, and pointed stares as they pestered a wound that would never heal. They never wanted to think about what happened, it was done, over, there was nothing that could be done and that was the end of it! Their parents were gone, and they were left behind.
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “You must miss them a lot.”
“Don’t tell me how I feel.” They tried to stand from the bed only to receive a glare from madam Pomfrey. “I would like to leave.”
“This is the second time you’ve passed out since the train ride! You are not getting up from that bed!” She answered sternly.
“I understand that you don’t trust me, but I didn’t mean for that to happen.” Lirum’s attention snapped back to Lupin.
“I tried to warn you!” They snapped. “I said that I’d take the failed grade, but you-“
“I know, I made a mistake, and I’m sorry for that as well.” He apologised calmly. “I failed to realise just how much we had in common.”
“Don’t you dare.” They growled. “You don’t get to just make everything better with some pretty words.”
“Do you know that werewolf’s name? It was Fenrir Greyback.” Lupin said tentatively. “We met him at about the same age.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me!” Lirum shouted, shaking.
“I’m not, I’m covered in scars. They should be apparent enough to tell you something happened.” He said thoughtfully. “I’m sure they told you he had a certain niche for children of wizarding families.”
“They told me nothing.” Lirum snapped again. “It was bad enough that I'd seen what I’d seen. The most anyone would tell me was that I was lucky I did end up with lycanthropy, and that most weren’t as lucky.”
“They said thay because Fenrir Greyback is, perhaps, the most savage werewolf alive. His mission in life was to bite as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome the wizards. Before you were born He who must not be named promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specialises in children…Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards” He took a deep breath. “That was likely his intent behind…what happened.”
“Oh yeah, and if that’s true why are you still here! Mauled but not turned? If it’s his specialty he doesn’t seem very good at it! Two of his targets are here and intact!” They couldn’t trust him. He wanted them to slip up and say something that would prove whatever he thought of them.
“My father had made anti werewolf comments. He’d said werewolves ‘deserved no less than death’. That provoked Greyback, he wanted to teach my father a lesson.” Lupin spoke soberly about his supposed experience.
“Mauling you would only prove his point further! Giving him a real reason to persecute werewolves! If you’re going to lie to me you’ll have to do a better job-“ The realisation struck them. ‘Dumbledore is sympathetic’ The reason he’d stayed asked them about lycanthropy. “You’re a werewolf.”
“Lirum, calm down. You’re under a lot of stress. Let's re-think this. We can’t have you passing out again.” He stood from the chair starting to panic, Lirum had caught him.
“We’re not two failed targets! That would be incredibly unlikely! One of the most vicious werewolf’s let two targets escape? He wouldn’t, he turned you and left you to prove a point!” Lirum insisted. “Why would you tell me any of this?!”
“At one point our boggarts were the same, before mine was the moon. I learned how lonely that is, to have survived something horrible. I’ve felt the same disgusted stares, except mine where deserved. You have a right to know what happened, and who to blame.” He resigned, hanging his head for judgment.
“Are you joking?! I can’t believe this! Is this some self sacrifice mission?! You’ve come to me, after finding out my greatest fear was a werewolf, to rile me up, so I’ll go after you?! I will not be your excuse to punish yourself! You will not use me to feel validated in your self loathing!” Lirum was beyond tired again. The emotional acrobatics they’d been through were taking their toll. “Can we please get a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who doesn’t want to kill us or be killed please!”
“That’s not exactly the reaction I was expecting.” Lupin mumbled concerned.
“I’m not helping you here! You better be a damn good Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor!” They snapped rolling over since madam Pomfrey was watching them closely to make sure they wouldn’t get up.
“You’re not going to tell anyone?” He asked, obviously confused.
“No! Now get out!” They shouted, grabbing a pillow and holding it tightly against their head.
“You just accused your teacher of being a werewolf and your first response was to go back to sleep?”
“Look I swear in werewolf trama club-“ Lupin choked hearing them. “Or whatever you thought was going to happen by telling me we were attacked by the same werewolf was going to do, your secret is safe so long as you never mention anything about this conversation to another soul, do you understand?”
“Pardon?” He said shocked. “I don’t believe this is a healthy response.”
“Look, I have to much to deal with already between being a prefect this year, now the only fifth year prefect for ravenclaw meaning I have to work twice as hard, revision for my O.W.L.s with the boy who keeps rejecting me, tutoring two of my underclassmen, and now being harassed by a homophobic boy, to deal with my new werewolf teacher. So, if you don’t mind I’ll just tap out now.” Lirum huffed, throwing the blankets over their head.
“This is not how I thought this would go.” Lupin laughed.
“Sorry to disappoint you professor, but I don’t enjoy talking about these things! And you’ll not be getting an apology for the shouting!” Lirum sat straight up throwing the pillow at their Professor. “Now I’m emotionally exhausted and need some rest because I have to go on patrols tonight so politely, Get Out!”