Published: November 9th 2024, 3:26:23 am
The night sky loomed over Hogsmeade village, shrouded in a blanket of thick, swirling clouds that veiled the moon. Dark figures emerged from the long shadows cast by the towering trees at the edge of the village. The full moon in the sky revealed their savagery even though no one was around to witness it.
Fenrir Greyback stared at the slumbering village with a savage grin. He could feel his blood pumping in his veins at the opportunity that was presented before him. He was being used as a distraction by the Dark Lord to collect another ally in his war but Fenrir didn’t care about that at the moment. After all, the opportunity to unleash his pack on Hogsmeade residents with the support of Death Eaters was something he couldn’t deny.
“John, you take five men with you to the south.” Fenrir ordered while his eyes trained on the village with hunger.
“Are we allowed to eat them, sire?” Jon asked, licking his lips.
Fenrir grinned at the savagery on display by his elite troops. These men were his most experienced troops, and like him, they had developed a taste for human flesh.
“Feast on as many as you like, but we need to increase our numbers.” Fenrir reminded them, not minding whether his troops went a little overboard as it was a full moon night, “Leave some alive, preferably the females. We need more of those within the pack.”
Some appreciative grunts followed his command. They were solely in need of some witches as his pack had expanded considerably following the Dark Lord’s patronage. With the Giants somehow turned to ashes by an unknown enemy, the Dark Lord increasingly relied on his pack to strike terror in the hearts of wizards and witches.
Therefore, he was allowed to expand his pack at a considerably faster pace, which was not allowed during the First War.
“Alden, you take six men to the north. Cause as much carnage as you want. The rest, follow me.” Fenrir commanded.
Before he led his pack into the middle of the village, he glanced at the Death Eaters working in the background. Some set up anti-apparition wards while others moved towards the Forbidden Forest surrounding Hogwarts. The Dark Lord had sent envoys to the Centaur clan and the Acromantula nest, hoping to gain allies poised to strike at Hogwarts.
Fenrir thought the whole exercise to be a waste of effort. With Dumbledore dead, he saw no importance to Hogwarts. If the Dark Lord wanted to win the war, the Ministry should be attacked.
But he was not about to waste his breath on matters outside his purview. He didn’t care whether the Dark Lord won or not. In fact, Fenrir saw the Dark Lord only as a hurdle now that Dumbledore was dead.
With Dumbledore‘s passing, the Dark Lord was the most dangerous wizard in magical Britain. He was under no delusion the Dark Lord would tolerate his kind once the man took over the Ministry. He was banking on the ICW to intervene should the Dark Lord gain control over the British ministry. Even now, there was a nominal foreign hit-wizard presence within magical Britain‘s borders.
It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord faced off against the might of other magical ministries. It was this opportunity Fenrir was hoping to exploit to his advantage. Not that he wasn’t already doing that. But he knew he could do better and turn more wizards and witches into werewolves. He no longer needed to turn children as he had already trained werewolves under his command.
Now, he needed turned wizards and witches to strengthen the pack. The more radical legislations used against werewolves would ensure he gained a pool of turned werewolves in his service, whether the witches and wizards he planned to turn to accept him or not. They would have no choice but to fight by his side.
Howls started to pierce the night sky, breaking his musings.
“Boys, it looks like the others have started the fun. Let’s not keep them waiting.” Fenrir said with a bloodthirsty grin.
His pack showed their agreement by transforming into their werewolf forms and howling into the night. The transformation began in earnest as the moon fully crested above the trees. Bones snapped and reshaped, claws extended, and faces twisted into muzzles. Their howls cut through the silence, a blood-curdling call that echoed over the village, awakening its residents to the horror on the horizon. A wave of howls followed, each one reverberating through the valley, an ominous warning of the slaughter to come.
He didn’t hold back, transforming into his werewolf form and led the charge into the village. The power that coursed through his veins made it easy to smash through the houses, inns and shops in the village. Along the way, his sharp claws tore through flesh and bones as he unleashed death and suffering upon the Hogsmeade denizens.
The attack was swift and brutal. Fenrir led his pack through the narrow streets, smashing through doors, ripping through walls, and attacking anyone unfortunate enough to be awake. Mr Rockwell, the ageing man who works at Zonko's Joke Shop, was caught trying to board up his windows, his scream drowned by the growls as a young werewolf tore into him. Blood splattered the cobblestone streets as the werewolves leapt from one shop to another, a whirlwind of carnage.
In the Three Broomsticks, Madame Rosmerta and her aide, Mr Murphy, tried to barricade the doors as the sounds of chaos grew louder. She barely had time to grab her wand before the front windows shattered, and a massive wolf leapt into the room, its eyes blazing with a feral hunger. Rosmerta threw a stunner at the werewolf, but it shrugged off the spell. The beast pounced on Mr Murphy, sending them crashing through the counter. Rosmerta screamed as two more werewolves charged through the wreckage, forcing her to retreat up the stairs.
Many floo calls went up trying to desperately contact the aurors for help. Meanwhile, the villagers tried desperately to stay alive and fight off the werewolf pack attacking their families.
Fenrir could only grin savagely as wizards desperately tried to fight his pack. It was a full moon in the sky – a time when werewolves gained incredible powers. Even aurors would struggle to properly breach the thick skin of his pack.
With increased confidence, he unleashed his savagery on anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.
*****
The warmth of a bustling kitchen filled the house as Harry, Brigitte, and Sirius arrived at the Tonks family home for what was to be an evening of family bonding. Andromeda Tonks greeted them at the door with a radiant smile, her dark hair streaked with a few strands of silver, matching her husband Ted’s greying hair and gentle demeanour. Nymphadora Tonks, in contrast, was a vibrant splash of colour, with her hair currently a mixture of deep purple and a warm, cheeky grin adorning her flawless face.
When they were welcomed inside, Harry found Fleur at the dinner table.
“It’s one large Black family dinner, isn’t it?” Sirius said happily, slipping into a seat with his wife close by.
“I wouldn’t call it large, cousin.” said Andromeda.
“It’s the thought that counts. Besides, the company is much better than all the previous family dinners I attended.” Sirius said with a roguish grin.
With the kitchen full, everyone was quickly seated around the wide wooden table that bore signs of wear and love. Andromeda set down trays of traditional English dishes, and Ted popped the cork on the French wine Fleur had brought.
Harry helped Andromeda bring over the platters of shepherd’s pie, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, and thickly buttered rolls. There was a rich, steaming bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, as well as roasted root vegetables dusted with fresh herbs. Fleur admired the spread, glancing with particular curiosity at the Yorkshire pudding.
"Ah, zis is an English delicacy, yes?" Fleur asked, sniffing the pudding after a careful inspection.
"Yorkshire pudding, yeah. Best eaten with roast beef and loads of gravy!" Tonks smirked.
Fleur didn’t look particularly happy, but she stuffed her plate with the spread on the table.
Harry eyed Tonks and Fleur and then at Andromeda and Ted. As he quietly ate some beef, he observed the interaction between Fleur and Nymphadora’s parents. By the looks of it, Andromeda and Ted knew the two were dating and seemed unbothered by their daughter’s choice. Considering Sirius had married, the chances of House Black going heirless were slim. So, Nymphadora doesn’t have that obligation on her shoulders yet.
As they started eating, Sirius, in typical fashion, shared outrageous stories from his youth, much to his wife’s amusement and Andromeda’s sighs of exasperation. Fleur, delighted, joined in with a few tales from her time at Beauxbatons, causing everyone to laugh when she shared how she once enchanted a particularly annoying fellow student’s robes to burst into butterflies during exams.
But the light-hearted vibe in the room shifted when the conversation moved, almost unavoidably, to the mounting tensions in the wizarding world by the time they started on dessert.
“Things are getting darker by the day,” Andromeda said quietly, her usually strong voice tempered with concern. “The rumours coming through the Ministry… I hear them from Ted. Even though Dora isn’t allowed to tell us much, she can’t hide her worries.”
Tonks shrugged, though a flicker of worry crossed her face. “There’s only so much an Auror can do with You-Know-Who’s supporters cropping up everywhere, so don’t you all get all grim on my account.”
“Well, if you happen to hear anything about that annoying red-eyed troublemaker, just give me a call. Ending that tosser should bring all this to a halt.” said Harry.
“Enough of such grim topics. There is enough doom and gloom out there. Leave that out of the dinner table conversation topics.” Andromeda suggested rather sternly.
No one made a fuss when they were on the receiving end of the infamous Black stare.
“Wow! Andy, when did you learn to channel my mum?” Sirius asked with a snicker, and just like that, the ice broke.
The two cousins exchanged barbs at each other and soon started discussing embarrassing childhood stories.
As the night wore on, each member of the group took turns sharing stories, from their Hogwarts days to their present lives. Harry found himself feeling a rare sense of family—a mix of bonds forged by choice and history rather than blood. Andromeda even shared stories of her sisters, Bellatrix and Narcissa, but carefully steered clear of darker memories, preferring to focus on the good times before the Dark Lord tore their family from within.
Fleur’s grace and poise paired with Tonks’s quirky humour was an unlikely combination. Yet, they were laughing and swapping stories of their respective homes—Tonks's tales of her strange Auror adventures and Fleur’s memories of Beauxbatons and seaside in France. Brigitte followed suit with more stories from the French school and her family in France.
But that warm moment came to an abrupt end when a shiny silver patronus appeared in the middle of the table.
“Tonks, your presence is required at the Ministry. Come quickly.” the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt came from the Patronus before it collapsed.
Troubled looks were exchanged between Andromeda and Ted while Nymphadora tried to play it off as a normal occurrence. While Tonks said her goodbyes and made some flimsy excuse of the aurors being understaffed to do proper paperwork, Harry got a jolt when one of his wards was triggered. He focused his mind on finding the source of the disturbance, and he was bombarded by the vision of the Forbidden Forest, specifically close to the former nest of the Acromantula clan.
‘Huh! So, setting up a detection ward close to the area wasn't a waste of my time.’ Harry thought with a savage grin.
Before he could make an excuse to leave the Tonks household, the locket connecting him to his other Knights flared up. Harry took out the locket, and on its silver surface was a short message in red letters.
“Werewolves in Hogsmeade. Help!”
Harry was immediately on his feet, and he gathered his coat to leave.
“Harry! Where are you going?” Sirius asked in alarm.
He looked at the concerned faces staring back at him.
“Pest control.” Harry said shortly before his body dissolved into silver mist.
“No, wait! Don’t rush into things like I did.” Sirius shouted.
That actually gave Harry pause, and he rematerialised.
“You’ll need help. I’m coming, and we can pick up Moony along the way.” Sirius suggested promptly.
“Actually, we can’t take Remus today.” Harry said, sneaking a glance at the night sky where a full moon was shining brightly.
“Wait just a minute. What is going on?” Ted asked with a look of frustration.
“Werewolves are attacking Hogsmeade. I know a couple of students living in Hogsmeade, and they just called for help.” said Harry.
“I’m coming.” Sirius jumped at the chance to lay onto the Dark Lord’s allies.
“I’m coming azz’ wiill’.” Fleur was on her feet, her blue eyes shining with resolve.
Harry’s instinct was to object, but then he remembered Fleur was a skilled witch. Though he had great confidence in his skill, he was not arrogant enough to think he was all-powerful.
“Okay.” Harry said, nodding at the French witch. “I appreciate the help.”
“Sirius.” Brigitte called, her eyes shining with concern, “Be careful.”
Sirius nodded before turning to Harry and Fleur. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll inform the Order.” Tonks said after kissing Fleur goodbye.
Rushing out of the Tonks’ home, they ran to the edge of the wards and apparated away.
******
Harry, along with Sirius and Fleur, apparated far away from the Hogsmeade village, but it was a vantage point from which they could see the village in its entirety.
The once-lively streets of Hogsmeade were unrecognizable. Fires burned in the windows of the Three Broomsticks, the Hog’s Head had been partially demolished, and screams echoed through the village, punctuated by the guttural growls and bone-chilling howls of Fenrir Greyback’s pack. The werewolves had spread throughout Hogsmeade, their eyes gleaming in the shadows, ripping through doors and walls, hunting anyone they could find.
“There eez’ a ward.” Fleur said after using a mild detection charm.
“This is merely a distraction.” Harry said grimly, hearing the desperate screams of people from the village.
“A distraction for what?” Sirius asked.
“For something they’ll never get and pay a great price.” Harry growled before shouting, “Dobby!”
“Master Harry called Dobby, sir.”
His trusted elf popped into existence before him.
“Dobby, I want you to set off the traps you lay near the nest. But make sure you’re not noticed or caught in the trap.”
“Dobby will take care of it, sir.” Dobby nodded before popping away.
By that time, Fleur had managed to breach the wards surrounding the village. He could feel the anti-apparition wards collapsing.
“We stick together no matter what. There is a full moon in the sky. The werewolves will be stronger and faster tonight.” Harry warned before the three of them stepped into the village.
As Harry, Fleur and Sirius entered the village, they saw the signs of the werewolves’ brutal handiwork firsthand. Shattered windows, splintered wood, and blood spattered across the cobblestones were the scene that law before their eyes. Under the light of burning inns and homes, they could see bodies and limbs lying prone on the streets. It was a ghastly sight.
They moved cautiously, slipping between buildings and using shadows to stay out of sight. The sharp scent of burning wood and fresh blood filled the air. Then, they heard a howl from down the street, louder and closer than any they had heard before.
In a narrow alleyway near Honeydukes, Harry spotted a hunched, dark figure in tattered robes, teeth bared in a feral grin. The dark brown fur and yellow eyes that glowed in the dark made it clear it was a werewolf. With a feral growl, the wolf came charging at them with terrifying speed.
“Confringo.” Fleur cast the blasting curse.
A yellow ball of magic struck the werewolf right on its chest and smacked it back a few feet. But the beast just shrugged off the spell and stood at its full height.
“Use more lethal spells.” Harry shouted before the smell of ozone became prevalent as the tip of his wand cackled with lightning.
With a jab of his wand, a bright beam of lightning cracked through the air and struck the werewolf head-on. The werewolf howled in pain and writhed on the ground as volts of electricity burned through its body. A burnt smell reached his nostrils as the werewolf became a charred corpse within a minute.
“Show no mercy. They won’t hesitate to kill you or do worse.” Harry warned while looking at Fleur, making the French witch nod jerkily.
The Elder Wand in his hand was thrumming with magic. He could feel an unnatural excitement s he moved further into the village at the prospect of unleashing himself in full against the werewolves. The opportunity came immediately when they came upon four werewolves terrorising a family of three.
“Here, you beasts!” Harry goaded them.
His plan worked as the werewolves focused on Harry instead of the family under their mercy. A werewolf jumped straight towards him, showcasing its excellent physique.
“Suffusio.”
A torrent of water formed from the tip of his wand and encased the creature in a ball of water.
“Glacius.”
The ice spell immediately turned the water into ice, leaving the werewolf trapped inside a ball of ice. Fleur immediately followed it with a strong gouging curse that punched a hole through the ice and the abdomen of the werewolf.
“Nice.” Harry grinned.
Fleur grinned at the compliment and they were back at it again.
Sirius batted away a werewolf that tried to sneak towards them using a shield charm and a banishing spell. Harry noticed the other two werewolves surrounding them, so he acted immediately. He traced a circle above his head with his wand.
“Indomitus.”
A pale blue shield in the form of a sphere formed around them. A werewolf tried to swipe at them with razor-sharp claws, but the shield repelled the creature. Sirius followed it up by banishing a block of rock he conjured. The werewolf howled in agony, and the distinct sound of its bones snapping could be heard as the stone smashed into its body.
“Battio inflammata.”
A fiery battering ram slammed into the werewolf, crushing it against a wall. The beast fell to the ground and whimpered pathetically as it struggled to move.
Another werewolf tried to slam its entire body into the shield, but Harry’s spell was firm. Fleur ensnared the creature in a charm that put the beast in a disoriented state. Upon closer inspection, Harry saw that the werewolf was fighting off the spell by hurting itself.
Harry didn’t give it time to regain its full faculties.
“Intabeviscus.”
A bolt of dark purple-coloured spell struck the werewolf straight on its chest. The beast let out a blood-curdling scream as its skin melted away and a fist-sized hole opened up where its heart was supposed to be. Dark red blood oozed out of its mouth as it fell dead to the organ liquifying curse.
Harry couldn’t help but let out an appreciative hum as he stared at the Elder Wand in his hand. The organ-liquefying curse was as dark as a spell could get, yet he hadn’t fed as much negative emotion into the spell.
‘The perks of using the Elder Wand, I suppose.’ Harry thought with a shrug.
There was a brief stillness in the air, broken by a whimper from the werewolf lying on the ground, its bones broken under their assault. Harry eyed the beast before slashing his wand dismissively. Its beastly head was severed clean from its shoulders.
“Come. Let’s put the rest of these beasts out of their misery.” Harry said coldly, turning away from the butchered werewolves on the street.
The cold wind that ruffled his hair carried the scent of death, blood, ash and despair. But, soon, the werewolf pack of Fenrir Greyback would reap the whirlwind, for they had attracted his ire on this otherwise peaceful night.