Moonlight's Danger

In a world full of witches, wizards, and other magical and supernatural beings, the simple light of the full moon can bring about grievous circumstances. As such, many take care not to be out on nights of the full moon. Terrible things lurked in the darkness. However, 3 young men, attendees of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, rarely heeded this notion. They went out on nights of the full moon, but there was a reason for it. The fourth member of their group had an affliction that he could not help that always made itself known on those nights. His friends had decided to help him and keep him company while he was in such a terrible state. They kept his secret.

Until one day, another young man grew suspicious. He was one the four picked on and made fun of, constantly fighting in the halls at school. Without the ill boy’s permission or knowledge, the 3 friends made a plan to scare the suspicious one.

“Go on, Remus. We’ll catch up once it’s fully dark out. But you better get going so you don’t draw too much attention to yourself, alright?” said one with messy black hair and round-framed glasses. He smiled at his friend, putting a reassuring hand on the other’s shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Yeah, Remus, go on. We need to finish plotting another way to get back at Snivellus for jinxing us in the hallway yesterday. We’ll be out soon, ok?” Another young man with out of control black hair and grey eyes spoke that time, a wide smirk on his face as he considered the prank they were going to pull.

“Thank you, James, Sirius. I’ll see you two and Peter soon then?” A young man with dirty blond hair and light scars across his face spoke up, adjusting his robes as he glanced at the grandfather clock in the Gryffindor Common Room, noting that he needed to get going in a minute if he didn’t want to be in the castle when everything started.

“Of course! Now go, or shit will get really bad,” warned Sirius, his grey eyes glinting with mischief and concern. Remus nodded and turned, walking out of the portrait, through the castle, and out to the Whomping Willow where he picked up a nearby stick and used it to poke a knot in the tree, calming it and allowing him to slip down a tunnel by its base. The tunnel took him straight to an abandoned shack in Hogsmeade. There, he would be safe. There, he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone. By the time he reached the building, the moon was finally reaching its peak, causing his body to spasm and a bone to break. It was beginning.

Meanwhile, James, Sirius, and a pudgy boy named Peter all discussed the plan to get back at Severus Snape, a Slytherin in their year who was always turning his hooked nose up at them and getting into fights with them.

“So, Sirius is going to taunt him into following us outside. Peter will be a rat and stop the tree from attacking any of us. We’ll shove him down the tunnel and let him travel it to face Remus. If that doesn’t scare him, I don’t know what will.” James grinned, round spectacles seeming to glint with the ill intent of the plan. “And we’ll step in if Remus gets too aggressive. It’s perfect!” The other two nodded, Sirius giving a little hoot of excitement that James made sure he quelled quickly, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.

“Mixie. Mixie, can you come here please?” called out Sirius softly. Before him, one of the school house elves appeared with a small pop.

“Yes, Mister Black? What can Mixie do for you?” She spoke in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. The grey eyed man held out a note to her.

“I’d like for you to take this to Severus Snape of Slytherin House, post-haste. It is an urgent note.” The tiny house elf nodded, took the note, and disappeared with a tiny pop. The three grinned at each other, James bringing out his invisibility cloak and covering him and his friends. They then made their way down to the entrance, ready to reveal themselves when they saw the greasy-haired teen. The three didn’t have to wait too long as Severus appeared within ten minutes, black eyes hardened with determination, wand by his side.

“Black. What is the meaning of this note? You’re not trying to prank me again, are you?” He was direct and to the point, voice cut and dry in tone. He stood in front of the group as Sirius snickered.

“Me? Pull a prank on you? Never!” He laughed quietly, barely managing to keep quiet enough to not draw attention to the fact that students were out of bed after hours. “We were just getting ready to go on a late night adventure, maybe find some fascinating potions ingredients, and thought you might like to join us.” The grey eyed teen tried not to smirk as he struggled to keep his tone from being teasing. Severus, however, was having none of it.

“You called me out of bed at this hour, an hour which can get all of us in trouble, by saying you knew something about my mother. What is it you are plotting, you sick, twisted, pile of dung?”

“Awww. Is Snivellus a mommy’s boy? That’s so sweet. And disgusting. Bet not even your mum actually loves you,” he taunted, signalling to the others to exit the castle. Severus grew even angrier, color flooding his cheeks for once.

“You take that back, Black.”

“Why? Because it’s true? Did I strike a chord? Are you a heartless boy because Mommy doesn’t give you enough love? Or maybe your father doesn’t approve of you.” At that, Severus raised his wand, muttering a curse under his breath, sending a streak of red light at Sirius. The other managed to dodge it in time and ducked out of the building, causing the Slytherin to follow. Severus chased Sirius around the grounds for a short time, throwing curse after curse as the Gryffindor led him toward the Whomping Willow.

“Get back here, Black! Stop running like a coward!” But Sirius just smirked and ran behind the calmed tree, quickly transforming himself into a massive black dog and coming around the other side, growling at Severus. The teen stopped in his tracks, staring at the beast with a slight look of fear. Before he knew what was going on, Sirius launched himself at Severus, chasing him right into the tunnel by the Willow and barking loudly to scare him into following the path. Seeing no other way out, the greasy haired teen did walk the tunnel until it spat him out in an unfamiliar place. The building was falling apart with huge claw marks everywhere. Wood was splintered and broken. Tables were upturned and chairs destroyed.

“What the hell…” he muttered, looking around before a low growl from behind him caught his attention. The teen felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as adrenaline rushed through him. Adrenaline and fear. Slowly, Severus turned around, only to find himself face to snout with the largest wolf he’d ever seen. Black eyes stared right into bright green as saliva dripped onto a leather shoe. The wolf’s mouth was drawn back in a snarl, saliva pooling between pointed teeth. Severus didn’t think he’d ever been so terrified in his life.

Trying not to make too quick of a movement, the teen started backing away as un-threateningly as possible, but he stepped on a broken piece of a chair leg, snapping it and causing a loud noise to echo through the house. A loud noise that prompted the wolf to attack. With a loud growl, Remus charged Severus, mouth open wide and a paw raised to bring down on his arm which he’d raised in defense. The sound of a snapping bone resounded through the room as Severus screeched in pain. Blood dripped from the fresh claw marks at a rapid rate. He held the now useless arm with his other hand and tried to make a getaway to the tunnel he’d come out of. However, the wolf blocked his path, snarling and snapping at him. So the teen turned tail and ran through the house, the wolf following and swiping at his legs, effectively tripping him. It was then that Remus tried to bite him.

The wolf brought its muzzle down, mouth open wide with the intent to chomp down on any part of Severus he could reach. The teen grabbed a piece of wood by him and held it in front, watching with unbridled terror as the wood was destroyed by the powerful maw of the wolf. He was done for. That was it. That was where he’d die, and no one would ever find him. No one would even care, either. The wolf reared back to bite again, Severus bringing up his arms to shield himself futily. With a strong clamp, Severus’ arm was caught in the jaw of the creature, causing him to howl in anguish as the bone snapped and teeth penetrated skin and muscle.

It was agony. Absolute agony. It felt like fire was running through his veins. Everything hurt. He couldn’t hear anything but the rushing blood in his ears and the echoing snap of his bones as Remus continued attacking him after the bite. Slashes appeared all over his body, bones broke beneath powerful bites. And then...it was gone. The consistent infliction of pain. Gone. He dared to open an eye only to see an elegant stag in the room as well, fending off the wolf with its antlers, stomping a hoof on the ground. But the agony returned quickly as someone tried to move him.

“Hush, Severus. You’ll be in the hospital wing soon. Just hold on, ok?” The voice was dim in his ears, but it sounded oddly like Sirius, a very concerned tone lacing his voice. “Come on, Peter. Help me move him, but be careful. Remus really did a number on him…” That was the last thing Severus Snape heard before he passed out from the sheer pain of his injuries, blood having pooled beneath him and continuing to seep out of his body.

When he woke, he was in the hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore sitting right next to him, glancing down at Severus over half-moon spectacles.

“Headmaster! Remus Lupin is a-”

“Yes, Severus, I know. I knew when I invited him to the school.”

“Then why is he still here? He’s a danger to everyone! He… He attacked me!”

“I am aware, Severus. You’ve been here out cold for three days now. And I’m afraid I must impart unfortunate news unto you. Seeing as you were attacked by a werewolf and bitten in the midst of said attack… Severus, you will now be afflicted by the same curse that affects Young Mister Lupin.” The teen felt his breath hitch and not just from the pain racking his body. He was… one of them? A mindless, deranged killing machine? What had Lupin done to him!?

“Now, before you exclaim in anger, it will help nothing, Severus. It will solve no problems. What needs to be done now is finding a safe place for the both of you to transform from here on out throughout your tutelage at Hogwarts and to find you a safe place for the summer. Are you willing to cooperate?”

“Why hasn’t he been expelled? Or Potter, Black, or Pettigrew? They set me up. They called me out of bed after hours and tormented me.” Hard, black eyes searched blue for some sort of answer before they filled with tears. “Was I attacked for nothing?”

“I’m sorry, my boy, but none of them have been expelled seeing as it cannot be proven what they may have done. Not to mention, James Potter saved your life by subduing Remus.”

“Yes, well, I wish he’d have let me die,” Severus stated before he could stop himself. Albus gave him a quick squeeze of his shoulder.

“No, you don’t Severus. Life is too meaningful to throw away in a situation like that. They did the right thing, saving you. Now, are you willing to cooperate with the arrangements once I find something, or not?” Reluctantly, Severus Snape nodded in affirmation, already running through all the ways he could get back at the Marauders for ruining his entire life. Karma would show them. They’d get what was coming to them. By the time he was through with them, they’d all wish they would have let him die at the hands of a monster instead of saving him and turning him into one himself.