‹ Prequel: The Battle of Perfecto
Into the Pensieve: Of Blood and Snow
4
“What the fuck…” Don said looking at the extensive wolf pack gathering around him and his fellow wizards. In the darkness of the forest, he could barely count how many there were. A dozen? Maybe more?
“Werewolves?” Dave said, retreating into the middle of the clearing.
“Animagi?” Junix suggested, following suit and retreating.
“Shape-shifters,” Pryce corrected them, dropping from the trees, her eyes were glowing like a cat’s in the nighttime.
Don nodded. “I read in the report that there was a pack of wolf-shifters in this area.”
“What do you think they want?” Junix raised his wand higher.
His answer was quickly answered as a gigantic black wolf raised his head to the sky and howled. At once, a dozen wolves pounced towards them.
*
Pryce: “Stupefy!”
Dave: “Incarcerous!”
Junix: “Impedimenta!”
Don: “Reducto!”
Wolves: “Rwwoooooooo!!!”
The Aurors-in-training did all that they could, but there were too many of them. Don had his cloak ripped and his left arm, which he had used to shield himself, was bleeding freely. Dave had narrowly missed having his head chewed off, but suffered a huge cut on his scalp. Pryce’s wand-arm had been fractured when a wolf had pinned her to the ground. Luckily, she was able to change hands and cast a Knock-Back Jinx against her attacker. Junix was on the ground, his ankle twisted. With enormous effort, he kept knocking wolves away while trying to ignore the pulsating pain.
The canines were too many, and too quick. In another minute they would all be dog food.
Then Don had an idea.
He pointed his wand at the nearest attacking wolf and bellowed, “IMPERIO!”
*
The gigantic wolf’s head jerked sideways, like it had been slapped. It heeled, digging its paws on the ground. It trembled, trying to resist the Imperius Curse. It growled, howled and mewled as it struggled, to no avail. In the end, Don’s resolve had overpowered that of the wolf.
Excellent, Don thought. If his comrades would follow his example, then there would be four wolves fighting for them, leveling the fight. But as the wolf finally submitted to his will, Don noticed the rest of the wolves had stopped charging.
They were all quivering, as though fighting something inside them. Don’s eyes widened as he began to realize what was happening. Somehow, all of them seemed to be affected by the single Imperius Curse.
Don lowered his wand. None of the wolves attacked. They all stared at him, their eyes glazed over, no longer in control of their own bodies.
“The Imperius Curse?” Pryce said. “I can’t believe you used an Unforgivable…”
“To save our lives, Pryce,” Don said, marveling at what he had discovered. “I’m sure the Head Auror would understand. Help the others.”
Pryce looked as though she was about to say something defiant, but she saw Junix writhing in pain, and decided to obey.
“Werewolves?” Dave said, retreating into the middle of the clearing.
“Animagi?” Junix suggested, following suit and retreating.
“Shape-shifters,” Pryce corrected them, dropping from the trees, her eyes were glowing like a cat’s in the nighttime.
Don nodded. “I read in the report that there was a pack of wolf-shifters in this area.”
“What do you think they want?” Junix raised his wand higher.
His answer was quickly answered as a gigantic black wolf raised his head to the sky and howled. At once, a dozen wolves pounced towards them.
*
Pryce: “Stupefy!”
Dave: “Incarcerous!”
Junix: “Impedimenta!”
Don: “Reducto!”
Wolves: “Rwwoooooooo!!!”
The Aurors-in-training did all that they could, but there were too many of them. Don had his cloak ripped and his left arm, which he had used to shield himself, was bleeding freely. Dave had narrowly missed having his head chewed off, but suffered a huge cut on his scalp. Pryce’s wand-arm had been fractured when a wolf had pinned her to the ground. Luckily, she was able to change hands and cast a Knock-Back Jinx against her attacker. Junix was on the ground, his ankle twisted. With enormous effort, he kept knocking wolves away while trying to ignore the pulsating pain.
The canines were too many, and too quick. In another minute they would all be dog food.
Then Don had an idea.
He pointed his wand at the nearest attacking wolf and bellowed, “IMPERIO!”
*
The gigantic wolf’s head jerked sideways, like it had been slapped. It heeled, digging its paws on the ground. It trembled, trying to resist the Imperius Curse. It growled, howled and mewled as it struggled, to no avail. In the end, Don’s resolve had overpowered that of the wolf.
Excellent, Don thought. If his comrades would follow his example, then there would be four wolves fighting for them, leveling the fight. But as the wolf finally submitted to his will, Don noticed the rest of the wolves had stopped charging.
They were all quivering, as though fighting something inside them. Don’s eyes widened as he began to realize what was happening. Somehow, all of them seemed to be affected by the single Imperius Curse.
Don lowered his wand. None of the wolves attacked. They all stared at him, their eyes glazed over, no longer in control of their own bodies.
“The Imperius Curse?” Pryce said. “I can’t believe you used an Unforgivable…”
“To save our lives, Pryce,” Don said, marveling at what he had discovered. “I’m sure the Head Auror would understand. Help the others.”
Pryce looked as though she was about to say something defiant, but she saw Junix writhing in pain, and decided to obey.