Remus looked around the streets of Diagon Alley, having just arrived by international portkey a few moments ago to find not much of anything had changed since he left all those years ago.
The alley still had all the same shops from his youth, a few homeless witches and wizards begging for coins, most likely muggle born who had no families to return to in the Muggle world, and children that couldn't afford Hogwarts. In many ways, it felt like stepping into a time capsule.
He walked to the Leaky Cauldron, doubting anyone would recognize him after all his years spent overseas, but kept his head down just in case.
The place was empty, but it didn't come as a surprise as he timed his arrival for before the lunch rush to lower the risk of being recognized.
He walked up to the bar. "I'd like a room, not sure how long I'll be staying," he said.
"No problem," the barkeep said. "The name's Tom, by the way. Rooms are two galleons per night. Meals are three sickles extra, but lunch and dinner come with a butter beer."
"You look familiar, by the way," Tom said, squinting his eyes. "Have we met before?"
"No," Remus said quickly, shaking his head. "I have just one of those faces," he said, forcing a smile onto his face. "I live out in the country mostly, don't see much of a reason to come into town very often."
"Oh," Tom smiled. "That must be why I recognize you. I probably saw you one of those times. Never forget a face you see, can't in my line of work."
"No, I suppose not," Remus replied, latching onto what Tom said.
"So, what brings you into town now?" Tom asked curiously.
"Nothing much," Remus replied, using the story he had come up with for the trip. "I can't remember the last time I had a day off, and thought I'd see what I've been missing."
"Well, you found the right place," Tom smiled. "You won't find better prices anywhere in the alley."
Remus nodded, glancing at the newspaper on the counter. "What's this?" he asked, looking at the paper, realizing it was a few weeks old.
"Oh, that," Tom said, picking up the Quibbler. "I guess it makes sense that you didn't hear about it. Why don't you read it yourself?" he said, handing him the newspaper. "I doubt you'd believe me without reading it for yourself."
Remus flipped through the newspaper, looking at the pictures, his eyes settling on the picture of the portal, then widening as he realized who it was standing in front of it. "Harry," he breathed. "Is this real?" he asked.
Tom nodded. "Like I said, give it a read. I doubt you'd believe anything I say before that."
Remus nodded, sitting down at the bar. "Have you met him?" He asked curiously. "Harry Potter?"
Tom smiled proudly. "Met him? He spent a good chunk of his summer last year renting a room. He even stepped in when I was about to be evicted, got Dumbledore involved too. Between the two of them, they got everything settled."
"Dumbledore," Remus said through gritted teeth.
"Not a fan, I see," Tom nodded. "I get a lot of that around here. It's a right shame."
"What? What is?" Remus asked, surprised.
"A right mess, that was," Tom said with a sigh. "It's still being worked out, but it turns out that a company, Evergreen's been stealing family fortunes," he explained. "It goes back more than a decade. Anyway, Dumbledore got mixed up in it. Some say he's behind it, others say he was trying to stop them. No one rightly knows, but after everything he's done, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."
'If only you knew,' Remus thought darkly, still feeling a deep anger in the pit of his stomach as he thought about the manipulative old man.
"Does Harry come around a lot?" Remus asked, changing the subject before his anger became obvious. "Maybe I can get his autograph," he joked.
"Not as often as I'd like," Tom replied wistfully. "I was hoping to see him at the start of the summer, but he's a busy kid, got a lot on his plate now. He should at least drop by at the end of summer when he's buying his school supplies. But who knows? Maybe he'll drop in to say hello before then."
Remus smiled, hoping he would get lucky and see his godson. He had enough saved to stay for a few weeks before he had to leave, but had no plans to talk to him, and complicate Harry's life anymore than it already seemed to be. Just seeing him once, making sure he was okay, would be enough for him.
"By the way," Tom added. "Be careful if you go out at night. Werewolf attacks seem to be on the rise."
"W-what?" Remus asked, caught by surprise, wondering if Tom knew his secret.
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know about that," Tom replied. "I don't rightly know what's going on, but a couple of people were turned, recently too, and without a full moon."
"T-thanks," Remus said nervously. "I'll keep that in mind. What about my room?"
"Oh, sure," Tom smiled. "Here you go," he said, handing him a key. "Go straight up the stairs, third door on your right."
"Thank you," Remus said, taking the key. "Do you mind if I take this?" he asked, holding up the newspaper.
"Sure, take these too," he said with a friendly smile, pulling out another stack of newspapers. "That should get you caught up."
"Thank you," Remus replied. "Nothing from the Prophet?" he asked curiously, noticing they were only copies of the Quibbler.
"Not around here," Tom replied, shaking his head. "Canceled my subscription."
"What? Why?" Remus asked curiously, remembering that when he attended Hogwarts it was the most prominent newspaper.
"Didn't see much of a point," Tm replied with a shrug. "Not enough people wanted to read it to justify paying the subscription."
"Thank you," Remus said, holding up the stack of newspapers as he made a mental note to ask Tom later about what happened to the Prophet. "I'll get these back to you in the evening."
"No rush," Tom called out as he watched his new boarder walk up the stairs.
***
Harry stood outside the Wizengamot chambers, Ted at his side as they waited to be called in for the long overdue inquiry into the battle at Hogwarts.
"Are you ready for this, Harry?" Ted asked. "Do you remember what to say? We can go over it again if you'd like."
"It's okay, Ted," Harry replied. "I'm ready."
"Good," Ted nodded. "Things might go off the rails, especially with Egwu in there. Don't let him bait you," he advised.
"Mr. Potter, they are ready for you," an Auror said, opening the doors to the Wizengamot chambers.
Harry stepped into the chamber, Ted following behind him, and couldn't help but notice all the empty seats with almost a third of the chamber now sitting empty.
Ted had told him earlier that the Wizengamot would eventually replace the missing members, but it would be a slow process with nominations, inquiries, and finally a vote, but with all the bureaucracy in place it could be months if not years before they filled even half the empty seats.
"Hello Mr. Potter," Tiberius Ogden said, looking down from his seat at Harry, projecting an air of authority. "I am the Chief Warlock and will preside over this inquiry. I ask that you answer all our questions truthfully, honestly, and to the best of your ability."
"Of course, Chief Warlock," Harry nodded his head, just as Ted had coached him to.
"Good," Ogden replied, this time smiling. "I'd like to start with these," he said, holding up several copies of the Quibbler depicting the battle at Hogwarts. "Are you familiar with these articles?"
"Yes," Harry replied. "I've read them, and to the best of my knowledge they are accurate."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard grumbling from the rest of the Wizengamot members, nothing he could clearly make out, but he got the distinct impression they were hoping for a different answer.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Ogden pressed. "Any inconsistencies? Any factual errors in their reporting?"
"No, not to my knowledge," Harry repeated, realizing their game. They were looking for anything they could discredit the Quibbler with, something they could trot out the next time the Quibbler caught them out, or something they could use to force a retraction or issue a fine over later.
As the grumbling continued, Harry couldn't help but speak up, despite the warning glance from Ted. "Is that what I'm here for? To talk about what the Quibbler did wrong?"
Ogden banged his gavel, silencing his fellow Wizengamot members. "Mr. Potter, you are here because our community has just suffered a tragedy, and what the public needs now more than ever is unity, and for that we need a better understanding of what happened that day."
"I have something I would like to add, Chief Warlock, if I may?" Scrimgeour asked.
Ogden nodded to Scrimgeour. "Very well, you may proceed."
"I've already had a preliminary meeting with Harry," he said with a practiced smile. "And I can say with certainty that he agrees wholeheartedly with you," he said. "I've already approved a onetime tax exemption for all medical treatments related to injuries suffered at Hogwarts upon his recommendation, and we are currently hammering out the details of a plan to bring more businesses, and higher paying jobs to our community."
Ogden smiled. He knew that appointing Scrimgeour had been the right move. The man took direction far better than Fudge ever did, and most importantly, knew his place, and what his job truly was.
Delores sat to the side of Scrimgeour, taking notes, still fuming as she watched the boy skate by, and the Wizengamot, the cowards that they were, refusing to question him properly, preferring to sweep everything under the rug, than hold him accountable.
"I demand to be heard!" A voice shouted from behind Delores. She looked behind her to see the furious face of Andre Egwu Sr, a vindictive smile working its way onto her face as she got her wish.
"I want the truth about what happened in the forest! Not the lies printed in the Quibbler!" He spat.
"Order!" Ogden shouted, banging his gavel furiously.
Delores couldn't help but smirk as she saw the look in Harry's eyes at Egwu's outburst. 'Not so full of yourself now, are you, Potter?' she thought vindictively.
"I demand to be heard as is my right!" Egwu continued to rant.
Ogden looked at Egwu, his rage simmering as he watched the man break decorum and undermine his plans, but there was nothing he could do to silence him. He needed two-thirds of the votes to eject the man, but with so many vacant seats he simply didn't have the votes.
"You may proceed," Ogden said, "however you will conduct yourself in a manner befitting your station, and this body."
Harry looked up at Egwu, prepared for him this time.
"I want to know what happened in the forest — the truth," Egwu repeated.
"Chief Warlock, this question has already been asked and answered," Ted interrupted. "As Mr. Potter stated, everything has been clearly documented in the articles printed by the Quibbler. If Mr. Egwu has a specific question about what happened, my client can answer, but these wild accusations disguised as questions have no place here."
Egwu glared at Tonks, silently acknowledging that his reputation was well earned, but got his anger back under control, not wishing to squander this opportunity to expose the Potter boy for what he truly was.
"How far in advance did you know about what was going to happen at Hogwarts?" he demanded.
"A few months," Harry admitted, already seeing the trap Egwu was setting, but was prepared for it.
"A few months?" Egwu repeated incredulously. "And you made no attempt to inform anyone what was happening, not even your fellow students in all that time?"
"The group opening the portal had already infiltrated Hogwarts, and were already monitoring the students. I couldn't inform any of them without causing a panic, and tipping them off," Harry explained.
"And you felt that was your decision to make?" Egwu accused. "Did you even consider the possibility you were wrong?"
"Every day," Harry replied honestly, feeling a few of his blocked emotions seep through. "I see their faces, I see the light leave their eyes, I hear their screams, and the silence that follows, so believe me when I tell you that decision I made that day weigh heavily on me, but I know they were the correct ones."
Ogden ground his teeth as Egwu continued with his questions, upending his carefully laid plans, and casting a light on the Wizengamot's own blunders, which was the last thing they needed at a time like this, but the fool was too blinded by his grief to see what he was doing.
"So you unilaterally decided not to inform anyone else?" Egwu asked. "What gives you the right?"
"I informed others," Harry replied. "I attempted to tell Albus Dumbledore multiple times, only to be brushed off or ignored. I informed Cornelius Fudge and Amelia Bones, the only ones to take the threat seriously," he added, feeling his own anger rise to the surface.
"They informed every one of you about the threat, even under the threat of losing their positions," he added. "You were here, Mr. Egwu, while your son was at Hogwarts. So I ask you, why didn't you take the threat seriously? Why didn't you act? Why didn't any of you?" He asked, looking around the room, noting that few if any of them met his eyes.
Egwu paused, remembering how he had been informed beforehand that Fudge was cooking up another scheme to undermine the Wizengamot, grandstanding for the public, and that if he ignored his outbursts, he would get the support he needed to pass the tax bill he had been campaigning for that would save his family few thousand galleons annually.
Then he heard what Fudge actually had to say, talking about preposterous things, and it only reinforced what he was told earlier. How was he supposed to know he was telling the truth?
'But it was all true,' a voice in the back of his head whispered, one he ruthlessly quashed to avoid thinking about his own part in the mess, and about his wife, crying herself to sleep every night.
"You are here to answer my questions," Egwu growled angrily, "not make speeches!"
"That's enough!" Ogden shouted, banging his gavel, trying to regain control of the situation before Egwu spoiled everything.
Lucius Malfoy watched on with interest. For an eleven-year-old to stand in front of the Wizengamot and hold his own against Egwu's increasingly belligerent questions was impressive to say the least, and with only minimal assistance from his barrister.
He subtly signaled one of his allies, who made his way to Egwu, whispering in his ear, mid question. He smirked, seeing the man visibly pale as their eyes met.
"…I have no more questions," Egwu said in a shaky voice, to the relief of many Wizengamot members who wanted to get back to the planned agenda.
Ogden breathed a visible sigh of relief, hoping to move things along, only to have another troublesome member of the Wizengamot stand up.
"I also have questions," Orford Umbridge said.
"You may proceed," Ogden said resignedly, having no other option than to allow it. "But keep your questions brief. We still have a lot on the agenda to get through."
Orford nodded, "Mr. Potter, you saved many lives, and that is to be commended, but from what I read, you didn't prioritize the lives of your fellow purebloods. I would like to understand why."
Harry stared up at the old man, already seeing a striking resemblance to Dolores Umbridge. "I'm not a pureblood, I'm a half-blood," he answered, not understanding where the man was going with this.
"Your father is a pureblood, and at the time was a member of the Wizengamot," Orford replied. "In the eyes of the law, that makes you a pureblood. Now answer the question," he demanded, his voice hardening.
Harry shared a look with Ted, neither of them expecting a question like this before answering truthfully. "I never put much stock in blood status," he replied. "And when covered in blood and dirt, we all look the same."
"But surely you agree that a pureblood life is far superior to mudblood filth," Orford continued, sneering at the thought of them. "From what I'm told, you count many prominent purebloods as your closest friends. You must see the vast difference between them and us, the very backbone of our society."
"I also count many half-bloods and muggleborns as my friends too," Harry replied, making the distinction clear. "And I think we have very different ideas on what constitutes the backbone of our society."
"Chief Warlock, what is the nature of these questions?" Ted demanded. "We are here to discuss what happened at Hogwarts, not blood statuses."
"Quite right," Ogden agreed, glad to have a way out of this, as he wondered how Dumbledore had managed this madhouse for as long as he did. "If there are no pertinent questions, we need to move on. We still —" he said, stopping as he heard a loud bang.
Everyone in the room watched in shock as the large, heavy doors burst open as a mountain of a man strolled inside as if he owned the place.
He was nearly seven feet tall, heavily muscled, with long stringy hair that reached past his shoulders, and wore a heavy leather duster, but the most striking part about his appearance were his yellowed teeth, all of them filed into sharp points.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Ogden demanded angrily. "Who are you? How dare you interrupt this session?"
Amelia stood up, her face going pale as she recognized who it was. "Aurors! Wands out!" she shouted at the slack-jawed Aurors. "That is Fenrir Greyback! Take him down!"
Fenrir dashed forward, moving far faster than a man of his size should be capable, easily dodging the Aurors hastily fired stupefy's until he was standing in front of them, ripping the wands out of their slack hands and snapping them in two.
The Aurors had just enough time to widen their eyes before he gripped them by their throats, lifting them into the air as they kicked and clawed at his hands, struggling to get free.
Their struggles ended an instant later, when he viciously twisted his wrists, and ripped out their throats, letting their bloodied bodies fall to the floor.
The Wizengamot stared in horror, not sure how to react to the moment of extreme violence, a palpable silence filling the room.
Harry slid his wand into his hand, hiding it from view as he assessed the situation. He knew about Fenrir Greyback, having read about him in the newspapers, but seeing him in person was something else entirely.
He was a werewolf, known to take a sick pleasure in hunting and torturing his victims, with a preference for turning young children, but as he watched him he realized quickly that Greyback's attention seemed to be focused entirely on the Wizengamot.
He thought about attacking him, but with Greyback's supernatural speed he couldn't chance one of his spells missing, and striking a member of the Wizengamot behind him.
"Watch for now," Merlin agreed. "We have no indication he's alone, and he's clearly here for a purpose, not just senseless destruction."
Harry mentally nodded before his eyes widened, seeing a member of the Wizengamot draw his wand.
'No,' he thought as Greyback spotted him at the same moment, and leaped across the room, snapping his neck, causing another panic amongst the Wizengamot as they scrambled away.
Greyback jumped back from the gallery, landing on the stone floor with a twisted smirk on his lips. "SILENCE!!" he roared as the Wizengamot members all went stock still, staring back at him.
Greyback laughed. "There's always one. One fool who thinks they're the main character. Or is there more?" he asked, scanning the room, his eyes settling on Harry for a long moment, before searching the eyes of the rest of the Wizengamot, apparently satisfied Harry wouldn't try anything.
"Good," he said, when none of them met his eyes. "But if any of you get any ideas, let me enlighten you about the truth of the situation you find yourselves in. You are fat, you are lazy, and you have been living too good for too long, thinking you have power."
"I am here to awaken you from your sweet dreams," he said, pulling out his wand, spinning it in his hand. "All it takes is a few well-placed crucio's, so test me, please, and I will show you agony your kind have never felt before."
Greyback turned around, satisfied they wouldn't try anything as he walked forward, standing in front of Harry, a vicious grin on his face.
"Do you see how they cower boy?" he asked. "How they shake at the mere sight of me? But not you, no," he said, looking at Harry shrewdly. "I've seen what you're capable of. You are a killer through and through, just like me."
"What do you want?" Harry demanded, staring down the werewolf, refusing to be baited.
Greyback smirked, as he turned back to face the Wizengamot. "An excellent question."
'I could hit him from here,' Harry thought, assessing his options. 'Not much chance of hitting anyone else.'
"No, look at his duster," Merlin replied. "Dragon hide, thick too. You don't have the time to charge up a spell before he notices, and anything you can shoot off quickly won't be strong enough to punch the dragon hide."
'Then I go for his head,' Harry thought back.
"No, too much can go wrong. He's faster than he should be, and we don't know what other abilities he has. If you miss, there's no telling how many he'll kill in retaliation," Merlin replied.
Harry nodded, accepting that their only option now was to wait, and see what he had to say.
"My kind have lived under your boot long enough," Greyback said, addressing the Wizengamot. "You make laws against us, treat us like animals, worse than the dirt beneath your boots, but that ends now!" he roared. "We are the strong ones. We always have been, and the strong prey on the weak. It is the natural order of things."
"I am going to build something better, something befitting my kind. A society of wolves, but to do that, I have to carve out the rot, the waste, the old," he finished, staring pointedly at the members of the Wizengamot.
He stalked forward slowly, his eyes meeting with the last person to speak, Orford Umbridge. "Do you know me?" he asked menacingly.
Orford, now shaking like a leaf, shook his head.
"That's too bad, because I know you," he said, his voice taking on a harder edge. "Orford Umbridge. You have made things very difficult for me, and my kind for decades."
"N-no," Orford stuttered, the fear clear in his eyes as he looked around desperately for his fellow Wizengamot members to help him, but none of them would even meet his eyes.
"Yes," Greyback said, grinning widely. "Every law created to make things difficult for my kind, not only did you vote for it, but you championed it. You laughed about it. You said mongrels like me need to learn my place."
"I-I d-idn't k-now. Please. Mercy," he begged, just as a wet spot appeared on the front of his trousers.
Greyback laughed loudly, throwing his head back, a dark and malicious laugh that echoed around the silent chamber.
"Do you want to live?" he asked once his laughter subsided, watching as Orford nodded his head vigorously.
"P-please," Orford stuttered, his whole body shaking. "M-mercy… I b-beg of you."
"What about the rest of you?" he asked, smiling victoriously as many of the Wizengamot members nodded their heads as well, clearly terrified.
"So, you all wish to join me?" He asked, smirking as his meaning set in, and they understood what he was truly asking them.
"We can start with you," Greyback said, lifting Orford into the air as the old man struggled weakly, still begging for mercy.
Harry stared oddly at Greyback, wondering what he was up to. It wasn't a full moon. He had to be transformed to turn someone, so what was his game? Then it hit him — the newspaper articles.
Two people had been turned recently, and without a full moon. Then he saw it, Greyback's teeth extending into fangs.
"Enough!" Harry shouted as he raised his wand, only for Greyback to snap around, holding Orford in front of him as a human shield.
Greyback laughed, "Go ahead and try it," he taunted, bringing his fangs down on Orford's shoulder, only to stop at the last second, and bodily throw Orford into the crowd, knocking over several Wizengamot members in the process.
"Did you seriously believe I would sully the blood of the wolf on you useless fools?" he laughed. "You are the past. You have no place in my new society!"
Knowing he wouldn't have a better shot than this, Harry raised his wand, shooting an ice bullet at Greyback's chest, right between his neck and the top of his duster, only for the werewolf to twist out of the way, taking the hit on his shoulder instead.
Harry watched as Fenrir's shoulder rocketed back after the hit, staggering him, but it wasn't strong enough to get through his jacket, and within the blink of an eye he had another hostage held out in front of him.
"Try that again, please," Greyback smirked viciously, digging his blackened fingernails into his hostage's neck until he drew blood.
"Leave," Harry replied, glaring back at him. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."
"You wound me, Harry," he said sarcastically. "To think you of all people would protect these sheep. What right do they have to the power they wield? By what right do they command me, or even you, when it should be the other way around?"
"I have no interest in ruling over anyone," Harry replied.
"Too bad," Fenrir replied. "You would have made an exceptional werewolf."
"I'm giving you a chance to walk out of here," Harry said, keeping his wand trained on Greyback. "All you have to do is leave, and not hurt anyone else."
"A tempting offer," Greyback replied, and Harry knew immediately he had said the wrong thing as he saw the vicious grin form on his face.
To the shock and growing horror of the Wizengamot, they watched Greyback transform before their eyes, but not into the form they expected.
Instead, he transformed into a wolf-human hybrid, his towering height increasing another foot as his muscles bulged, and his eyes turned yellow, his face elongating, taking on the appearance of a wolf as his hands grew, turning into wicked razor-sharp claws.
He laughed, a deep, inhuman sound as he closed his fist, popping the head off the screaming Wizengamot member as a shower of blood erupted from his neck.
This set off another panic as the Wizengamot members made a mad dash for the door, only to watch them slam shut with a loud thud, trapping them all inside.
They banged on the doors, firing spells desperately, trying to break through, but it was no use. The heavy oak doors remained sealed shut.
The doors, now centuries old were made to be spell resistant, ironically as the last line of defense against an attacking force, but now used against them, trapping them inside a slaughterhouse.
A few of the braver ones turned their attention to Greyback, firing spells at him, but their attacks were nowhere near strong enough to blast through his duster, the few that even hit him.
Harry could only watch as everything turned to chaos, with the Wizengamot's spells more often hitting each other than striking Greyback as he tore through them, getting up close, and slashing them viciously.
Every time he lined up a shot, he couldn't fire as a Wizengamot member stepped into the line of fire, or Greyback placed himself between them, almost as if he could sense when he was about to attack.
Harry looked back at the door in frustration. There was no time to blast through it, not before Greyback killed half of the Wizengamot. In desperation, he aimed at a section of the wall beside the door, feeling his forearm burn as he sent an exploding hex, blasting through it.
Over the roar of the blast he shouted, "Run!" pointing at the hole.
The Wizengamot members rushed out, pouring through the hole in their desperation to escape, but it only lasted a moment before Harry heard the unmistakable sound of screams now coming from the other side of the wall.
Fenrir laughed mockingly over their screams. "Did you really think I came here alone?" he asked, making it obvious what awaited those who ran.
Harry stared back at Greyback. With so many of the Wizengamot now out of the way, he could at least attack him, but not with spells. There was still too high a chance Greyback would dodge, and he couldn't afford to waste an ounce of his magic in his present condition.
Harry exhaled, pushing his magic into his muscles, something he hadn't done since the battle at Hogwarts. He felt them burn the moment he did, still not recovered enough to attempt this, but with little other choice he had to push forward.
He dashed across the room, surprising Greyback with his burst of speed as he ducked under his punch, and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, directing his magic into his biceps as he threw him across the room.
Greyback flew through the air, landing with a loud crack against the wall as a spiderweb of cracks formed behind him. He slid to the floor with a grunt, but was back on his feet a moment later, letting out a feral roar as he saw red.
As Greyback dashed forward, Harry switched his wand into its dagger form, ducking and weaving around the werewolf's punches and slashes, his wild attacks forcing him to step backwards as he searched for patterns in his attacks, looking for any opening he could exploit.
It came a few moments later when Greyback overextended, throwing a right hook. He turned to his side, slashing at his wrist.
Greyback roared in pain, pulling back his wrist before the blade struck bone, taking a step back as he regarded the boy with grudging respect. He had managed to strike at his exposed wrist instead of the sleeves of his jacket, which would have protected him from the attack.
Harry went on the offensive, jumping into the air as he coated his fist in iron skin, smashing it into Greyback's jaw, and sending him staggering back.
He worked his wrist as he landed, already feeling the strain from using the technique, and knew he would have to use it sparingly.
Greyback roared with fury, snapping his head back to face Harry as he lunged at him, clawing, punching, and kicking as he fought to land a hit of his own.
Harry jumped back in desperation. He could see the attacks coming, but he wasn't as fast as he used to be, not even as fast as he was before the battle at Hogwarts.
His one saving grace was that despite Greyback's power and speed, he didn't have any real training, relying on power attacks and wild swings with a cobbled-together brawling style he'd likely picked up fighting other werewolves.
Then it happened. He saw the attack coming a fraction too late. Out of position, and too slow to dodge it, he quickly shunted his magic to his stomach, coating it with iron skin at the point of attack.
It was just enough to prevent Greyback's claws from tearing through his flesh, but still sent him flying backwards through the hole in the wall he created earlier, bowling over a few Wizengamot members in the process, but also cushioning his landing as they slammed into the wall on the other side.
Harry groaned underneath the pile of bodies as he frantically looked around for Ted. He had lost track of him during the fighting, and the last he saw of him was when he ran out of the Wizengamot chamber.
As he finally got to his feet, he heard another roar, this time from further down the hallway as he spotted another five werewolves, nearly as big as Greyback, and just as imposing, but thankfully without the dragon hide dusters to protect them.
He could see a pile of bodies at their feet, at least four in Auror robes, clearly bitten, and unmoving, and what could only be Wizengamot members, torn limb from limb.
That's when another sickening realization hit. They weren't just attacking indiscriminately for the sake of causing chaos. They had a plan, selecting their targets carefully.
He reached down, picking up a wand he saw lying on the ground. It wouldn't be as powerful as his own wand for spell work, but it would allow him to attack with both wand and dagger at the same time.
He raised the wand, sending out a spray of ice bullets, watching as they struck the werewolves, staggering them, but not piercing their hides, or knocking them down.
He cursed mentally. The wand wasn't suited to him, not well enough for the ice bullets to do any real damage.
He glared at the wolves as they roared at him, their other targets forgotten as they charged at him. He ran forward as well, sending out another spray of ice bullets, but this time more careful in his aim as he targeted their eyes, noses, and groins, hoping the softer targets would be enough to do more than stagger them.
Blood exploded from the first wolf's ruined eye as it roared in pain, but it was only enough to slow him down for a moment, before charging forward again.
The one that took the ice bullet to the snout crashed to the floor, but moments later was back on its feet.
The third one screamed in agony, bowling over the other two as it fell to the ground, clutching its groin.
Harry stared at the wolves still running towards him grimly. He had thinned their numbers, at least for the moment, but fighting two on one was never an easy prospect.
He fired another spray of ice bullets at them, but this time they were both prepared for his attack, diving out of the way, then shooting back to their feet as they ran at him again, and worse, the two he knocked over earlier were back on their feet again, running towards him as well.
Harry came to a stop as he took a breath, watching as the four werewolves barreled towards him. He had to time this perfectly, use the narrow hallway to his advantage, and prevent them from attacking him all at once.
As the lead wolf drew within his reach, he jumped into the air, coating his heel with iron skin as he landed a spinning kick on the werewolf's jaw, a loud crack filling the air.
He put all his strength into the attack, sending the werewolf crashing heavily into the wall, the stone spider webbing behind it.
As he came down, he tucked himself into a ball, rolling over the head of the next werewolf lunging at him, rolling down his back, and quickly snapped back to his feet.
Before the werewolf could turn to face him, he dropped the wand, jumped on the werewolf's back, grabbing a fistful of its fur as he stabbed its back with his dagger over and over again.
He could hear the werewolf screaming as it clawed at its back trying to reach him, but he had chosen his position well, just out of its reach as he continued to stab it, the werewolf's movements growing weaker as it finally collapsed to the ground.
He stood up, staring down the three werewolves still on their feet as they came to a stop, not sure of what to make of him, growling menacingly as they realized he wasn't the easy prey they had expected.
Harry could feel the werewolf's blood dripping down his shirt and pants, sticky and wet, knowing that he made a gruesome sight, but thankful that the curse only took hold after a bite from a werewolf instead of just their blood, as he used the brief reprieve to gather himself.
He glanced down, hearing the werewolf he had kicked into the wall groaning. It was injured, but clearly not the same as a normal werewolf, leaving him with no idea of how quickly it would recover.
Taking no chances, he dropped to his knee, slashing its throat as more blood spilled onto the stone floor.
He heard the werewolves feet pounding on the floor even before he looked up and knew what was coming. He rolled forward, between the legs of the first charging werewolf, slashing at the tendons on the back of its legs as he rolled clear, hearing it roar in pain as he jumped into the air.
Kicking off the wall, he avoided the second werewolf by a hair's breadth, watching as it crashed into the other fallen werewolf, but as he came back down his luck finally ran out.
In the air, he couldn't dodge. His eyes widened as the third werewolf's jaw opened wide, preparing to maul his neck.
He did the only thing he could and held out his forearm in front of him, but the werewolf had chosen its angle of attack well, forcing him to use his arm holding his dagger, preventing him from attacking with it.
At the last moment, he sent a surge of his magic to his forearm, using iron skin to protect himself as best he could before the werewolf snapped his arm like a twig.
He felt the bite force of the werewolf wearing down his protection far quicker than he expected, and with only a few seconds before it was gone, he coated his fist in iron skin, landing a series of rabbit punches to the werewolf's eyes and snout, targeting its soft tissue, doing what he could with the limited range of motion he had.
The werewolf growled stubbornly, refusing to let go, thrashing around, and smashing them both into the walls and floor.
Harry grit his teeth, knowing he was running out of time, and with all its thrashing, the werewolf made it even harder for him to land the hits he needed to break free.
In a moment of desperation, he increased his perception, feeling as if time slowed down around him as he released his dagger.
He watched it fall, waiting for just the right moment, knowing he only had one chance to get this right.
'Now,' he thought, lunging forward with his free hand, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of his dagger, then shoved it through the werewolf's ear, and into its brain.
The werewolf staggered, its body shaking and twitching for a long moment before finally releasing its grip.
Harry pulled back his arm quickly, breathing a sigh of relief when he didn't find any wounds, but the fight was far from over with two werewolves left to contend with, and worse, they knew he was a threat, and wouldn't just charge blindly at him again.
He stared back at them, breathing hard as wizards and witches ran screaming around them in a panic, looking for an escape route they wouldn't find.
Greyback had clearly planned this out, turning the entire building into his own personal death trap.
Then the werewolves did something he didn't expect. They stepped back, but not out of fear, at least for him, but something else, Greyback emerging from the Wizengamot chamber.
Greyback stepped forward, the other werewolves moving out of the way to let him pass, sensing not just him, but his intent as well.
"Impressive," Greyback said in his deep, inhuman voice. "You have killed three of my best, not an easy task," he said as the Wizengamot members backed away, not even bothering to raise their wands against him.
"Think how much stronger you would be if you joined us," Greyback offered again. "The power, the strength — it's like nothing you've ever felt before," he laughed. "With you, we would not have to settle for just Britain. All of Europe could be ours."
"No," Harry shook his head in disgust. "I'm nothing like you, and I will never be a part of something like this."
"You've killed, just like me," Greyback retorted. "Admit it. It felt good, didn't it?"
"No," Harry denied, recoiling at the thought. "I killed because I had no choice. You kill for the sick pleasure you get from it."
Greyback laughed, a cold, cruel sound. "You are a naïve boy. Look around you. Do you think they will just sit back and allow you to change their world as you see fit? Take away their power, their prestige? Their ill-gotten wealth? No," he shook his head. "They are far too invested in keeping their little fiefdom exactly as it is. It needs to be destroyed."
"And replaced with what?" Harry demanded. "A country where werewolves rule, and everyone else is a second-class citizen? That isn't change. It's the same thing, just with someone else pulling the strings."
"No," Greyback growled, his humor evaporating. "Never compare me and my kind to those parasites," he spat. "They don't have the strength to rule. I do."
Harry glared at Greyback. His options, the few he had were diminishing quickly. There were no reinforcements coming, no Aurors to aid him, and no way for anyone to escape.
"Perhaps my mistake was giving you the choice," Greyback said, thinking out loud. "When they turn on you, when they shun and vilify you, despite all you have done for them, you will join us."
"Try it," Harry said, raising his dagger. "See what happens," he taunted.
Greyback threw his head back, laughing, his mood seemingly changing on a sickle. "Oh, Harry, you will make a fine wolf. I can see it already. Turn him," he said, watching as the two werewolves stalked past him growling.
"I've already killed three of yours," Harry replied. "Two more will make no difference," he bluffed.
"Perhaps you're right," Greyback agreed.
Then Harry heard the unmistakable sound of clawed feet clicking on the stone floor, the hairs on his arm standing on end as he glanced back, seeing four more werewolves stalking toward him.
As if by some unspoken signal, they all surged forward at once, going on the attack.
Harry jumped in the air, kicking off the wall as he smashed his knee into the jaw of the first werewolf, using iron skin for good measure as he sent it crashing to the floor.
As he descended, he increased his perception, feeling time slow down around him as he watched the clawed hand of another werewolf swipe at him.
He tucked his feet just as the werewolf reached him, planting them on its outstretched arm, using it to springboard back into the air, slashing its face with his dagger on the way up.
He twisted his body as he came back down, landing a kick to the side of its head, and sending it crashing into the other wall.
When he landed, the other wolves were on him in an instant, swiping and clawing at him, showing less skill than Greyback, but their numbers more than made up for it.
He dodged and weaved around their attacks, but they were coming too fast for him to counter, forcing him to go on the defensive as Greyback's laughter boomed in the background.
Each time he saw an opening, another werewolf struck, forcing him to retreat for fear of being slashed or bitten.
Their plan was clear: wear him down until he either got tired or made a mistake, then it would be over, and the worst part was, he couldn't see a way out of it.
He got a few minor hits in, but nothing like before. The werewolves seemingly anticipating his attacks, and far more cautious as Greyback watched on from the sidelines.
Then it finally happened, he slipped on a puddle of blood, landing hard on the ground.
The werewolves took full advantage, biting and clawing at him, forcing him to use iron skin on his entire body to prevent them from turning him, but he could only keep up the defense for so long before he ran out of magic, or burned out his already damaged pathways.
The werewolves were smarter too, attacking with an actual strategy this time instead of like mindless beasts. Greyback had to be behind it, but he didn't understand how.
He felt his desperation sink in as he kicked and slashed at them with his knife, but the werewolves were quick to realize the threat, first pinning down his knife arm, then his other limbs, trapping him.
'No!' Harry thought in desperation, refusing to let it end like this, not after everything he'd been through. He dug deep, looking for something, anything to turn the tables on them.
His eyes widened as he found something deep within the recesses of his mind, something powerful, coiled tightly within his psyche.
Without no time to think, he reached for it in his desperation, suddenly feeling a swirling mass of pain, grief, and rage, instantly recognizing it as the emotions he'd locked away.
Before the emotions overwhelmed him, he channeled them through his magical pathways, hoping that whatever came out would be enough to save him.
Harry's eyes glowed, but not white like at the battle of Hogwarts. This time it was a dark, inky black that seemed to suck the light out of the room.
He felt a surge of strength, of magic, but also a rage like he'd never felt before.
His magic exploded outward, slamming the werewolves into the walls and ceiling with enough force to blast them through the thick stone walls.
Harry slowly stood up, chunks of stone landing around him, pushed away by an unseen force before they struck him as black glow slowly surrounded his body.
Harry didn't say a word, his black eyes meeting Grayback's, and for the first time the alpha werewolf flinched, averting his eyes.
Greyback looked at his wolves, the elites, the ones he had chosen specifically for this moment, lying on the ground dead, or heavily injured, and knew something had fundamentally shifted.
He could feel the power rolling off the boy in waves, strong enough to even make his wolf's blood cower — the hate, the anger, all tightly controlled by the boy, but threatening to explode outward again at any moment.
He took a shaky breath, watching the Aurors pour through the holes in the wall. The advantage no longer his, he silently signaled his wolves to him.
Greyback nodded to Harry, conceding the battle as the Aurors pointed their wands at his pack, demanding their surrender. The idea would have been laughable, if not for the boy staring him down.
It was time to go, but not without one last show of power to demoralize them with.
He smiled seeing the shock on everyone's faces as a portal formed behind him and he and his pack stepped through, leaving the witches and wizards to deal with the chaos they left behind, confident that he had delivered his declaration.
"H-harry," Ted said, slowly making his way over to him. "Are you okay?"
Harry looked at Ted, his eyes flickering before slowly returning to their normal green, and the black shroud receding as he dropped to one knee gasping for breath.
"Harry?" Ted asked again, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"I-I'm okay," Harry replied, breathing hard as sweat poured down his face.
"W-what was that, Harry?" Ted asked, his awe mixed with shock.
Harry shook his head. "I don't know… I didn't think I could do that."
He looked around, seeing the Aurors looking at him, the members of the Wizengamot and other ministry staff ranging between fear, respect, and awe.
"Come on," Harry said firmly, looking around at all the destruction surrounding him as he shakily got back to his feet, pushing what he'd done to the back of his mind as he focused on the injured. "We're not done yet. We need to make sure everyone is okay… get the ones who aren't to St. Mungo's."
"Harry," Ted replied. "You did your part. Just sit down, take a breath."
"No," Harry shook his head, now more determined than ever. "Nothing's going to happen if we don't make it happen."
Ted looked around, seeing the Aurors standing around, all of them, waiting for someone to tell them what to do, but no one wading into the chaos to take charge.
"You," Harry said, pointing at one of the Aurors. "Take three of your friends. You're going to move stone, check through the debris. See if anyone's under there. NOW!" he snapped when the Auror continued to stand there slack jawed.
The Auror snapped to attention, falling back on his training with a shout, "Sir!" as he grabbed three of his friends, getting to work.
"You!" Harry said, pointing to another Auror. "Get three of your friends. Find the most injured, the ones that need St. Mungo's right away. Use the floo to get them out of here," he ordered, watching the Auror jump into action.
"The rest of us are going to check on everyone else. Do what you can with any healing spells you know."
Egwu watched from the sidelines, a hand covering his head wound from when a chunk of stone landed on him. Thankfully, it hadn't been large enough to knock him out, but he was still bleeding profusely.
After seeing the boy fight, he was more convinced than ever he could have done more, he could have saved his son, but he let his personal feeling get in the way of doing the right thing.
He looked around at the dismembered bodies, heard the agonized cries of the injured and dying, convinced now more than ever he needed to expose Potter for what he truly was.
Even now he was playing to the crowd, making himself out to be the hero, when anyone with sense could see he was simply opportunistic, using this attack to build his own reputation at the cost of everyone else.
***
Hi! Thank for reading. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. What did you think about the introduction of Greyback and the return of Remus to the story? I wanted Harry's battle with the werewolves to show how he's changed since the battle of hogwarts. One of his abilities I mentioned in the first book is that Harry remembers everything he's done. Its a massive advantage in terms of his ability to learn, and improve, but in this case is also a double edged sword. He remembers everyone that died in perfect clarity.
Please take the time to review and let me know what you think of the story.
If you would like to support me and my writing, please consider visiting https://taplink.cc/jumpin for all the stories I'm currently working on and early access to chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Legacy of Shadows along with some character portraits for Merlin, Morgan and Nimue, and an audio versions of the chapters.