Summer of the Wolf Part 2
Gladius opened his eye lazily to look at his human. It has been a little over two years that they had been together, and Gladius has yet to regret his choice to hatch for the young Storm elemental. The Harry-child was special. While he had a mild affinity for wind, like Gladius he was the first Storm elemental in almost two centuries. Their infrequent appearance ensured that people often miss the signs of the Stormbringer.
Now Gladius bided his time. In another two years, both his and his human’s magic will be mature enough for them to communicate. When this happens, he will finally be able to help the child unlock the greater potential maturing in him. For now, he will play the part of the messenger. Ferrying letters from his human to his mate in Switzerland, and try to catch the ever elusive and flirtatious Triton. Gladius knew the ice dragon would be beautiful and powerful at the end of its maturation and wanted to secure his affection before that swine Demetrix (Neville’s dragon) started to get any ideas in his pebble mind.
His human was almost ready, two years was but the blink of an eye for Gladius.
***
The end of the school year was both a relief and disappointment for one Severus Prince. He believed that he finally understood the passion of passing on knowledge to those competent enough to receive and appreciate it. On the flip side, it allowed him to focus on his newest project.
Werewolves.
The raiding of the chamber of secrets by the creature and treasure team, led by his friend Hagrid, yielded an entire library of ‘Dark’ books written by some of the most reviled names in Magical History. The one he was most interested in was written by Ishmael the Prophet. The man was truly a Black Wizard. His experiments were grotesque, to say the least. Thankfully all but one was stable enough to be propagated. It was late one night while he was reading the man’s writing that he encountered the story of the creation of Lycanthropy.
‘And of the Lycan village in the desert, my concoction has mutated their genes. No longer is the trait passed on through inheritance. New lycans will be born of the bite and be bound to the phases of the moon. The Lycan will retain their human physiology the days leading up to the full moon. On the night of the full moon, they will experience a total change in physiology in that of a Lycan, which will be accompanied by the loss of conscious thought to the wolf and immense pain.’
The book went into further details about the change and how it was propagated through the use of potions. The man was so sure about the irreversible nature of his concoction that he even included the full recipe and methodology of the potion. His hubris would be the redemption of Severus Snape turned Prince.
July was hectic and exciting in the Potions department at Avalon School. The apprentices were all placed under the guidance of Master Prince. His every command was obeyed without question. They knew they were about to be a part of a monumental change in the Magical World. It would change their lives forever.
Severus was more concerned with the process rather than the brewing. Avalon boasted several competent brewers, it was the analysis and dissection of the potion he was most focused on. At first, he was sure that he could do it with one potion and be done with the whole thing. As the months moved from July to August though, he realized that the process needed to be undone through potion and ritual to sever the connection to the phases of the moon. The ritual was easily deduced and set up for their test subjects. Remus Lupin was one such subject.
Severus was confused about how he felt about Rem…Lupin. The man was a brilliant wizard and his work in Spell Crafting and Arithmancy was unparalleled. Without the label/stigma of Marauder or Monster attached to him, he flourished. The generous use of and upgraded Wolfsbane potion each month had also helped the man to finally look somewhat healthy. And attractive. Severus could not deny that Remus, dammit, Lupin was an attractive towering man at 6ft4” (compared to Severus’ 5ft10”) who radiated power and demanded respect. A fitting change to the follower he was during his Marauding days.
It was almost time for Avalon to begin classes again. He was so close to deducing this potion. He could feel it in his bones. He just needed a few more days without Lupin crossing his mind to distract him. He would do this. He had to.
***
Hogwarts
The Board of Governors sat in a circle in the Headmaster’s Conference room. The mission of the Chamber of Secrets was very successful. The school’s coffers had tripled with the sale of the Basilisk meat to the Goblins. The other parts would possibly quadruple their current balance in Gringotts.
They were now gathered to learn of what had happened in the chamber and the events that followed. What they were aware of is that a student was harmed during the mission and was now in the Dark Arts division of St. Mungo's.
“The mission started and progressed well with the first recovery of Basilisk skin that was easily dealt with. Things got more tricky when we actually entered the chamber. The seemed to be someone in the chamber who was later identified as the student Cho Chang. A member of my team who happened to be a vampire recognized that the girl’s actions were not her own and she smelled like a person possessed. Surprisingly, she was able to summon the monster which she instructed to attack us. Fortunately, two of our team members were able to block her exits and TEMPORARILY incapacitate her and the invading spirit.” Hagrid paused in his report to acknowledge a question from Lord Stewart
“You said temporarily. Were they not powerful or knowledgeable enough to restrain the possessing specter?”
“A valid question that will be addressed soon. We were able to subdue the beast fairly easily with no major injuries. Julian and Pamela were able to reveal the other secrets of the chamber. There were several rooms and a vault much like the ones at Gringotts, which contained what we believe to be the Slytherin Fortune. Also, we found a hidden library and a stocked potions laboratory that is large enough to house an actual class. Finally, we found the curse on the Defense position and it has been broken by a combined effort with Parcelmagic and curse-breaking spells. This school can once again have a steady DADA teacher. I would suggest getting someone with experience in teaching this time.” The final comment caused most of the Governors to chuckle as they knew that though Julian was knowledgeable on the subject, it often took the students several sessions to grasp the lessons. This meant that not a lot was covered, especially among the lower years.
“And what of the possessed girl,” reminded Stewart.
“I, along with the headmaster escorted her to the Hospital wing in preparation for the exorcism. When we got there, the headmaster decided to disturb the spells constraining the spirit. It gave the spirit an exit that left the girl trapped in her own mind despite being unharmed. I will take, at the very least, three months to find and rehabilitate the girl. If the spirit had been exorcized as we had planned, this process of rehabilitation would have taken, at most two weeks. Also, it also made it possible for the spirit to wipe the girl’s memory clean.”
“Headmaster, what do you have to say for yourself?” Questioned Lord Pucey
“I was not privy to the spells that constrained the spirit and so when I cast my spells to identify the kind of possession and spirit, it, unfortunately, disrupted the spells. It was totally unintentional and it was with great sorrow that I informed Ambassador Chang and his wife of my part in this situation. They have forgiven me for my thoughtless actions.” Dumbledore was sure that this would be the last of it. He already saw several of the Governors and Heads of House agreeing with the Changs with subtle nods.
“Excuse me. Headmaster, I was not aware of you gaining a Mastery of the Dark Arts, Mental Arts, Ritualistic or Runic Magic. When did this happen?” This one question from Governor Potter caused the others to look at him with interest.
“Governor Potter, I have dedicated my life to fighting the Dark Arts. I do believe that would grant me some leverage to the title of Master, or at least Journeyman in the field.”
“Is that so? If that is the case, what spell did you use to identify the spirit and please explain what the expected results of this scan would be?” If he were a lesser man, Dumbledore would be sweating. However, he would not be implicated by a mere muggle-born, no matter the surname he now bore.
“Well Mr. Tonks (subtle), it was a spell I learned in my travels to Central America. I was created by the Aztecs who had trouble with possessions rather frequently. What it does, is that it gives the caster a glimpse into the motivation and methods of the invading spirit and thus made it easier to identify the spirit. The incantation is Fugiam dominum hac revertens.” Pleased with the plausible bullshit he just spouted, he leaned back in his seat to survey the effect of his ‘explanation’.
“The Aztecs have had problems with possession. But it is well documented that the possessed person is sanctioned to death as they have no means to extract the spirit as we do. So either you lie Headmaster, or whoever taught you that spell is having a good bloody laugh at your naïveté.” Hagrid narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster.
“I do not believe you, Headmaster,” interjected Lady Longbottom, “It seems as though you are concealing something from this body. For what reason is yet to be determined but that does not mean we cannot act. Base on Mr. Hagrid’s recount and your lack of a truthful account I propose that the governors move to have the medical bills of Miss Chang be covered from your personal funds Headmaster. Also, I move to have you placed on probation for the next year. What say the rest of you?”
This was far from what he expected. These weak, powerless interlopers were interfering with his kingdom. Knowing that his protesting would only make the situation more damning, he hung his head in an attempt to show contrition.
A privacy screen was erected around the Governors as they discussed what was proposed. It was the longest fifteen minutes in the life of Albus Dumbledore.
“We have decided to accept Governor Longbottom’s proposal. With this in mind, we have listed the rules that will be enforced during your probation.” Lord Nott passed a sheet of parchment to Dumbledore with a smirk on his face. The only tell that the Headmaster was furious, was the glint of fury that passed over his eyes just before it was smothered.
“Excuse me. I feel it important to ask if before I go, I could be informed of the status of my application for the post of the Magical Creatures post.” Dumbledore almost lost it then. Almost. All eyes turned to the half-giant.
“We were not aware of your application. Since we are all here, we can just do the interview right now. Headmaster, would you be so kind as to retrieve the applicant's resume,” Lord Greengrass said.
The headmaster quickly excused himself to retrieve the document that he had almost destroyed when he received it. Luckily he did not. He took the time to swallow a calming draught. It would not do to have these people dying in his conference room because of a slip of his temper.
He quickly popped one of his calming lemon drops (not actually drugged, but soothing to the old man) into his mouth and took a deep breath. He knew that his plot to keep the Half-breed from reentering was moot. All he could hope is that Hagrid proved to be a horrible teacher and fired at the end of the year.
****
August 28
Today marked a new era in Magical Britain. The summer months were dominated by the work being undertaken by the Potions Department. Severus Prince proved himself to be as brilliant as his hubris predicted.
This day marked the first day, since he was four years old, that Remus Lupin could no longer claim to be cursed with Lycanthropy.
Flashback
“This is the last test that we can do before the beginning of the semester. Our summer students are all up to par and will require formal introduction and orientation into the general school population.” All the leaders of the various segments of the Potions research were gathered in a conference room along with the five test subject.
“Master Prince, are you ready to proceed with the final ritual?”
“Yes, Grand Master Blake. The subjects will need to ingest the final formula, which has been prepared to the specifications of the text, and then submit to the conversion ritual.”
Lupin looked at both Potions Master as the bantered back and forth. He was beyond nervous. Over the last two months, he had been poked with needles, drunk the vilest of concoctions, and endured quakes from extreme detoxification treatments to rid him of the toxic Wolfbane he had been taking for years. He hoped this will be the breakthrough he was hoping and praying for since he was eight and could understand his plight.
An apprentice entered the room carrying five small vials. One for each test subject.Lupin took his in hand and waited patiently (impatiently) for further instructions.
“Okay, listen up. You will drink the potion in hand, all of it and then proceed to one of the ritual rooms afterward. Drink the potion in your own time, there is no rush. Please note that once you consume the potion, there is no going back. The ritual must be done or you will die. Also, you have to willingly enter into the ritual or the consequences will be detrimental. If you wish to no longer participate, this is your last opportunity.” With his lengthy monologue done, Prince turned and entered one of the attached ritual rooms.
Without hesitation, Remus downed the potion and walked towards the room Severus entered.
“Take off ALL your clothing, and lay in the center of the pentagram.”
The ritual Master was an old Druid from Orkney whom Remus interviewed himself. He made eye contact with Severus and gave him a nod of respect before starting to disrobe. He knew that Severus would do his best in ensuring the ritual went smooth and so he choose the room he would be in.
Severus POV
Lupin entered the room seconds after I did. My heart quivered just a tiny bit at the level of trust this powerful man had in my work, and in me. I was so focused on the man that he missed the words of Master James( Druid).
My breath caught in my throat as Lupin easily removed his outer robe and shirt in one go. His chest was well sculpted with bulging muscles that were almost well hidden by a layer of brown hair. The hair covered the pectoral muscles and down the abdominals and trailed off into the desired unknown.
Before I could process the image before him, Lupin proved that he was still youthful and a FREE spirit at heart. His trousers were around his ankle and off to the side in swift, economical motions, and wearing no undergarments. When the man straightened, I almost swallowed his tongue. To say he was well endowed would be a gross injustice to the man.
Neutral POV
It was then Severus realized that he wanted Lupin to possess him. He wanted to belong to Lupin, Remus, in the best and worst ways.
Lupin POV
As soon as I disrobed, I smelt lust in the chamber. It smelt distinctly Severus. It was good to know that my mate found me sexually appealing. If all went well with this ritual, Severus would be squirming under me before the night was out, screaming my name and begging me to claim him.
I followed the instructions of the Ritual Master in a lustful haze. Today seemed to get more promising as the time passed.
End of Flashback
****
The ritual was more successful than anyone could have imagined. It seemed as though the curse drew its power from the phases of the moon. As the ritual was completed on the day of the full moon, the curse would be at maximum power.
The ritual was designed to break the chains of the curse and release the power it possessed, which would work in tandem with the potion taken before the ritual to repair all the damage inflicted on the body by the curse.
The fluctuation in the power of the curse, however, was not accounted for. The result was that the excess power had no outlet. It, therefore, did something else. It reconstructed the Magical core and expanded it. Considering the power of the curse was about two-thirds Lupin’s original power, the man’s core increased by about one-third, changing his power classification from Sorcerer to Warlock. Equal in power to the current Headmaster Flitwick.
If Severus thought Lupin was attractive and powerful before the ritual, he was in for a treat.