July 22, 1994

Surry, England

Harry sat at the window of his room looking out into the well-maintained backyards under the moon light. A hand rubbed at his scar, which was still prickling uncomfortable from the dream he only half remembered now. The distinctive green light at the end of it was something he would never forget.

Looking out the window again, Harry saw something moving through the yards. It was a large dark shape that moved like a hunting dog, jumping from yard to yard over the head level walls. As it jumped and move, he could see it was more like an elongated human with a wolf head.

A cold shiver ran down Harry's spine. He had seen something like that a month before and it was not right to be in a neighborhood like that. He reached in his pocket for his wand, having made it a habit to never leaving it at more than an arm's reach away. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he heard it growl at a dog in a yard just three yards away that was barking. The dog backed down and retreated into its small house.

Harry licked his lips. He wasn't sure what to do. The beast started to move towards the doghouse. He could see its matted fur in the light from a kitchen window. Harry was sure he was about to see the werewolf attack the dog. He wasn't supposed to do magic outside of school though. He didn't want another warning like after first year.

It was the middle of the night, so it shocked him when a door opened in the yard to his right. The werewolf was to his left and it immediately perked its ears and turned its head in the direction of the door.

"Last time I do a double shift," a voice said. There was a slight wind and the smell of a cigarette wafted towards him while he watched the thing disappear behind the wall in the yard with the dog and then deftly jump over it a second later. Harry's heart started to pound. The thing was going to go after Mrs. Nash. Harry tried to figure out what to do. He knew a few spells that might help, but after facing Professor Lupin a month ago, he knew he wasn't ready to take on a full-grown werewolf. It jumped another wall and Harry heard a growl.

He didn't think about it. Harry couldn't allow the thing to attack her.

He knew his door was locked, so Harry did the best thing he could. "Hey, ugly," he shouted, his wand in hand, but not using it yet.

The thing stopped in mid stride and looked up at him. "Who is that," Mrs. Nash said getting up and looking towards 4 Privet Drive.

The werewolf turned back to her and gave a howl. Mrs. Nash screamed when it bounded up onto the wall. "Depulso!" Harry's spell ran straight and true, lighting the night white and catching it before it could leap on poor Mrs. Nash. She screamed again and ran inside her house, slamming the door. The werewolf scrambled back up the wall. It howled at Harry before bounding into his yard.

"Bollocks," Harry said rushing to close his window. He was sure the police would be on their way soon, but they would be no match for the beast. Harry ran to his door. "Wake up," he yelled banging on the door. The thing howled again and he heard the thing slam into the house. He thought he heard clawing just below his window. "Wake up," Harry yelled.

"Bollocks," he cried out again. He was already in trouble; mind as well go all out. "Alohomora," he said forcefully. Five mechanical locks opened at once.

"What the ruddy hell is going on," a red-faced walrus of a man burst out of a door at the end of the hall. Vernon Dudley was a man who didn't like anything out of the ordinary, especially at two in the morning. Seeing Harry burst into the hall, his overlarge shirt half falling off his shoulder and brandishing his wand was beyond out of the ordinary for the man.

Harry pulled the door shut hard. Before he could do anything else a meaty hand impacted the side of his head. Harry fell to the floor as the man roared, "You are not doing that ruddy stuff here!"

There was another howl and then they could hear the window shatter in his room. The sound of glass tinkling across the floor was drowned out by a yipping bark. Harry fought the stars in his eyes as he tried to scramble unto his back. Somehow, he had managed to keep his wand. Uncle Vernon was bellowing again. "Colloportus," Harry got off before his uncle could open the door.

Vernon turned the handle and pushed into the now locked door. "What did you..." he bellowed before something slammed into the door with a shrieking howl. The door creaked ominously. It was enough for Harry to shake off the cobwebs in his head and scramble to his feet.

"What is going on," Dudley said coming into the hallway and rubbing his eye.

"Into the bathroom," Harry yelled at them, thinking it was the only place they could hide without a window big enough for the thing to come in. Where was Hermione with some strengthening charm or something, he thought in a panic. The werewolf slammed into the door again and a crack formed in the solid door.

"What did you bring into this house," Vernon said angrily.

"No time. Into the bathroom," Harry yelled at him. The snarling and growling as it hit the door again moved Vernon into action.

"Petunia," the large man barked. "Dudley, in the bathroom."

Vernon ran in first and waited for them to enter before slamming the door. Harry hadn't expected anything less with the door starting to give way to his room and a snarling beast on the other side of it. "Pootterrr," he thought he heard in the snarls and Harry froze. Professor Lupin had not been able to speak when he was a werewolf, how could this one?

An ominous crack of the door almost giving way woke him from his stupor. "Shite," he exclaimed. The creature hit the door one more time and it finally gave way. Parts of the door and the creature crashed to the floor. "DEPULSO!"

The beast didn't have the opportunity to even stand up before it flew down the hall and hit its head and legs into the doorframe as it flew into his Aunt and Uncle's bedroom.

Police sirens greeted his ears through the open door. They were still far away. Harry figured it was minutes before some possible help appeared. He bolted down the stairs not waiting for the beast to get up. "Down here stupid," Harry bellowed, hoping to get the beast out of the house.

He was down the stairs and to the front door before he heard the howl. It sounded pained. Harry hoped he wasn't calling others. Isn't that why wolves howled?

He slammed into the door, trying frantically to unlock it, forgetting he had a wand in his hand. He heard someone scream upstairs. He wasn't sure if it was Dudley or Aunt Petunia. "HEY MORON!" Harry bellowed. He sent red sparks up the stairs as he wrenched the door open.

He almost wished he hadn't. He saw the snarling thing slam into the top of the stairwell.

Harry bolted out of the house, heading towards the park, hoping to get the thing away from anyone it may hurt. The sirens were getting closer. He turned to see it jump out the front door. He was only two houses ahead of it and the thing was faster.

Harry tripped over the curb, his wand up as he cried out "DEPULSO!" again. He saw the spell fly high into the air.

Harry fell onto the sidewalk, landing hard on his wand arm and hitting his head. Dark spots swam in his eyes and felt like the world was spinning. He rolled over to focus on the werewolf. It was almost too him. It jumped at him... CRACK! A purple three decker bus suddenly popped out of nowhere. There was the unmistaken sound of breaking glass and a crash before a body flew away from the stopping bus.

"ERNIE," someone yelled from inside the bus as it screeched to a halt. Harry was able to get up enough to see the werewolf bounce once before skidding across the road then rolling a few times and finally coming to a rest a good fifteen meters or more away. "We hit someone! Oh Merlin! That isn't supposed to happen."

"The guy was in the middle of the road," Ernie said shakily.

"We never hit anyone that called us before. Call the Aurors," Stan Shunpike said getting out of the bus and moving towards the werewolf. The damage to the bus included the driver side headlamp and it was a dark spot in the street it landed in.

"Don't," Harry called out.

He was surprised when a second later, there were a few cracks down the street in front of his house.

Stan stopped. He looked afraid and out of sorts as he first looked towards Harry, then the lump in the road and finally the group of men calling out. "It's the Knight Bus, Captain."

The form wasn't moving and Harry was getting shakily to his feet. "Stan, it's a werewolf," Harry said raising his wand and pointing it towards the form that was now starting to stir.

"Werewolf," Stan shouted before bolting for the bus. "Werewolf!"

"Shite," he heard a man say.

Harry moved a little towards the thing as it got shakily up on one arm. The other arm was hanging limp, as though broken bad. Three men and a woman in burgundy colored leather robes rushed past the bus. He saw one whip his wand and ropes shot out of it as he pointed it at the werewolf. "Stay back," a fifth Auror said moving to the front of the bus. He looked around, his eyes immediately falling on Harry.

The man casually raised his wand. "Wand down, son," he said in a soothing voice.

The sirens were almost to Privet drive. Harry, thinking he might be okay, let his wand drop to his side and then he sat on the pavement, his chest taking in great gulps of air and him feeling like he had run a marathon. "Shite," the old man with greying hair said as two police cars came blearing on to the street. "Smith, get an Obliviation and Magical Reversal squad here. After that, get that thing somewhere safe. Tonks, get the boy and make sure he's okay and then get a statement. Billings and Trask, get to that house we were called here for. Four Privet, I believe. I'll take care of the Muggles. Shite, get those people into their houses."

Harry looked up to see a young woman with bubblegum colored hair. She looked vaguely familiar, but he wasn't sure why. As she walked up to him and knelt by his side. "Watcher, there. You have a name?"

Harry took in a few more deep breaths. His blood still felt like it was racing. "Harry Potter," he told her. "Is the werewolf caught?" He looked as the man, Smith he thought, kept out of reach of the thing. It was now bound in silvery chains over the ropes.

She did a quick double look before talking. "All right, Harry. It's bound. It won't be hurting anyone. Speaking of which, are you hurt? Did it hit or bite you?" She reached out and touched the side of his face.

"Hey, Tonks, there's a paper over here with some names. It says Harry Potter and Hermione Granger with streets and towns," the man said using his wand to illuminate something on the ground and moving his head to read it.

"Hermione," Harry cried out, jumping to his feet. "Does is say Heathburn Court, Devon." He felt his panic rising.

"Yeah. How do you know," Smith said looking at him suspiciously.

Harry looked around. "I need to get to her. She's a muggle-born," he said at Smith before turning to Tonks. Without thinking, he moved towards the bus. "Stan, you need to get me to 52 Heathburn Court, Devon. Now!"

"Woah, there," Tonks said grabbing his arm. Harry tried to yank his arm out of her hand and she was surprisingly strong for her size.

"We need to get to her. She's one of my best friends," he said pleadingly to her.

"Smith, emergency portkey to the cells," she told the man.

"Listen, you are still a trainee. We need to tell the Captain before we do what you are thinking and the boy can't come," Smith said back.

"I need to get to her," Harry pleaded, knowing of no other way.

There were a series of cracks as eight more wizards appeared around them. "Careful, werewolf," Smith said to the new arrivals. He noticed they wore the same burgundy leather robes. For the first time he noticed that some wore yellow arm bands on their upper arms, while the Aurors wore a black and three others wore dark blue bands.

"You really did find something this time," a taller woman said walking towards Smith.

"Captain wants these people in their houses and you know the rest," Smith told them.

"Hermione! We're wasting too much time," Harry cried out.

"Grassley, Burke. Emergency at 52 Heathburn Court, Devon. Possible other werewolf," Tonks said quickly.

"Shite. Come on, Burke," a redheaded man said to a rather dark-skinned man with a shaved head.

"Sure boss," the man said before disappearing.

"All right, Harry, they'll take care of your friend."

Harry didn't feel any better but seeing eight fully trained and qualified wizards around him, he knew he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't used to not doing anything. He looked at Auror Tonks as though totally lost. "Here, take a seat. Let me take a look at your face and those scrapes on your arms and legs."

Harry blinked and looked down. He hadn't realized that in his fall he must have scraped his right arm and leg. He saw the blood trickling down from the cuts. "Yeah, sure. Is Hermione going to be all right," he asked her. Hermione was one of only two people in his life that liked him for who he was and was always there. He wouldn't know what to do without her.

"I'm sure she will be fine. Now, follow my fingers," she asked. Harry followed her fingers and when they separated, his eyes split and he almost fell over. She helped him stay upright up. "Kind of what I thought."

"Their calling in a second squad and more Obliviators," he heard someone say.

"Any casualties," the man he recognized as the Captain said back.

"Over here, Harry," Tonks said trying to get his attention.

"Is that about Hermione?" His adrenaline had shot up again. "I should be with her." He got up and immediately over balanced.

Tonks took his arm and almost went down with him before she was able to stand him up. "I think the only place you are going is St. Mungo's. Captain," she called out.

"What is it Tonks. Did he tell you what happened yet?"

"I think Mr. Potter needs to get to a Healer. Looks like at least a concussion, some pretty deep lacerations and not sure if he broke a finger or two," she said in a business-like tone.

The man nodded. "Fine. Get him out of here. Smith, go with them. Stay with him for the night. I'll send Moody along as soon as I can. I need your report and a statement from him as soon as possible."

"Sure, Captain," she said before wrapping an arm around him. "Let's go. Just don't throw up on me."

"Shacklebolt just reported finding two muggles and an underaged witch. They are going to take the girl to St. Mungo's. Check that, one of the adults is going too."

"Tonks, see if you can't get them in the same room. It will be easier to keep an eye on them until we can sort this out."

Harry was starting to feel really dizzy and his stomach wasn't liking the movement of Tonks trying to steady him. He may be almost as tall as her, but she was easily a few kilos on him, even in her small frame. "Was that Hermione," he asked her.

"Yeah. Sounds like you and your girlfriend will be spending some time together," she told him.

Harry blinked. "What, she's my friend," he said confused before they spun on the spot. Harry felt like he was being sucked through a straw. Everything felt squeezed and his stomach revolted. When the warm night air of London hit him, it was all it took for him to keel over and empty the little he had in his stomach.

"Wotcher," she said before putting a hand on his back. "Get it all out. Right, just through here."

By this point, Harry was feeling very unsteady on his feet and spots had appeared in his eyes again. He remembered seeing someone in lime green robes before the world went black.

-oOo-

London, England

Hermione lay in the hospital bed, trying to go over everything that had happened tonight...

Devon, England

It had been such a nice night. Her parents and her had gone out to a play in an outdoor theatre. She always loved a Mid Summer's Night Dream and tonight had been no exception. They had gotten back a little late, but it had been well worth it. At fifteen now, her parents didn't really enforce a curfew or bedtime, so they had had some hot chocolate before bed. It might seem off to most on a warm summer night, but she missed doing this when at Hogwarts.

She had gone up to her room to find Hedwig waiting on the perch in her room that she had bought in Diagon Alley at the beginning of the summer. This year, Harry was writing to her and she wouldn't miss a letter.

Hedwig sat sleeping on the perch, letter on her leg. She gave a soft hoot and accepted Hermione's pet before settling into sleep again. Hermione smiled to see the messy scrawl of Harry's writing. She was thinking that when she sent Hedwig back tomorrow, she should send his birthday present too. It may be a few days early, but she would rather be early than late, and Hedwig was showing up about once every six or seven days right now. If she waited, it probably would be late.

Feeling tired, but not willing to miss out on news about her best friend, she quickly got changed for bed and then plopped onto it. She ripped the top off the letter. She usually very carefully opened her mail, but Harry, and sometimes Ron, were the exception.

-o-

Hermione,

I am glad to hear your summer is going so well. It's about the same around here. Doing some schoolwork at night, other stuff during the day. I really can't wait to see you and Ron again, but I don't know when that will be. Ron has not invited me to the Burrow yet.

Can you tell me more about Runes? Or maybe, if you don't mind, and I can pay you, maybe, help me if I decide to drop Divination and take Runes instead. I really don't like Trawlaney and hate how sleepy I always get in her room...

Hermione suspected it had to do with what happened at the end of the year and the way she was always predicting everyone's death. She had quickly discovered that Trawlaney was a hag and a fake, and still had a hard time believing she had made that Prophesy to Harry.

... I sent a letter to Professor McGonagall about the change, but have not heard back yet. I told her I was willing to do any summer program she would give me, but the summer is almost half over now.

I really can't wait to get back to Hogwarts or the Burrow.

Please write back soon.

I mean if you have the time. I hope that play was alot of fun. I know you were going on the twenty-second and I have no idea how long it takes Hedwig. Don't say that to her though. She is a marvelous owl and I know she is really fast, I just don't know how far away Devon is from here.

I'm going to end this now.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Harry

P.S. If you can send some more treats, I will pay you back.

-o-

She was happy to hear from him. She always was. It was usually the highlight of her week. She would love to call him, but he had warned her not to because of his relatives.

She frowned to think of that and the way he wrote some things in his note. She had sent him some biscuits she had made with her mother last week. It had just been a nice gesture to a friend she knew didn't seem to get treats like that. It should have bothered her as she thought that, always hearing how his cousin got everything, but it didn't.

She really wanted to invite him over here, but she had been told by the Weasley's that her house wasn't warded properly. That had worried her and she had written to the Ministry and Gringotts to see if that could be fixed or what were the rules.

She had received a few pamphlets from the Ministry, surprised to find out that the laws had been written to protect a magical user, it didn't matter if they lived in a Muggle house or not. Then she had received a letter and cost listing from Gringotts on allowable wards, cost of enchanting, ward stones and the such. She had brought the information to her parents, thinking it would be good to protect them and her while here.

To her surprise, they had agreed to have a representative come to inspect the property. A Gringotts' Representative was due on July 24.

Hermione had gotten her writing board out and was just about to dip her quill into the ink bottle when a howl not too far away caused her to stop. She sat in her chair, not moving and listening. It couldn't be! But hadn't Professor Lupin said werewolves will position themselves near muggle places for a full moon to hunt for victims. She also knew that distinctive howl from Professor Lupin. Her hand started to shake as she heard a second howl farther away.

When the one closer answered back, she shot out of her chair. "MUM! DAD!" she screamed rushing to her bed and diving across it. Her wand was in its box next to her bed, safe for the summer because she wasn't supposed to do magic.

"MUM! DAD!," she yelled again.

A door banged open in the hallway. "Hermione," her father yelled out.

She opened her door as her father was about to burst in. "We need to hide," she told him.

A howling in the distance, definitely closer this time, came in through her open window. "Hedwig, fly," she screamed.

"Hermione, what is going on," her father asked concerned, still in only his shorts and looking disheveled.

"Werewolves," she said in a panic. "We need to hide. No windows," she told him.

Her father looked at her for a second. A growling outside shook him into action. "Jane, into the hallway closet. Hermione, go," he said shoving his daughter out of her room and slamming her door shut.

"Dad," she called as her mum came out of their room and he ran into it. She was in a night shirt with no bottoms.

"Get into the closet," he yelled at her. "Shove the dresser in front of the door if I am not in there in twenty seconds.

"Dan, what is going on?"

A howling came from what should have been right outside the house. Hermione pointed her wand at her door. "Collocorpus. Fortis," she said, magic flying from her wand.

"Hermione," her mum yelled at her. "The Ministry says you can't do that."

"Those are werewolves," Hermione said before repeating the process on the spare bedroom, the bathroom and then her parents' room after her father had run out with a box in his hands.

"In the closet," he ordered.

Hermione moved in the closet. As she did, she heard something heavy land in her room. She clamped her mouth shut, afraid she might scream. The visions of Professor Lupin over them, ready to bite and maul them before Sirius had barreled into her beloved Professor was running in her head. For many nights over the last month, she had had nightmares of that night. Especially the dementors trying to take Harry's soul.

The door slammed behind her father. They heard some muffled barks. The light above their heads swung wildly as her father moved the heavy bureau that was in the hallway closet. He plopped the heavy security box on top of the bureau. Hermione cast the same spells on the door as she had the others.

She found herself wishing she had learned how to cast a patronus after seeing how it could be used to passed messages, but only Harry could out of their year. She promised herself she would bug Harry to teach her as soon as she could.

There was a loud crash and the sound of wood cracking as something gave a yelp. "Dan," her mum said shaking, moving closer to her daughter.

"Hermione, can bullets kill them," her father asked finally opening the case and pulling out his service gun. He put a clip in and checked that the chamber was loaded before grabbing three more clips and putting them in his pocket.

"Yes," she said wracking her brain for information. "Silver is certain death, it's like poison, but anything can kill them if you do more damage than their natural healing ability can handle," she told him. "Getting them in the heart or brain is the best, but I'm not sure if one shot will kill them. They turn back to normal at moon down or sun rise."

He nodded and pushed them back. "If they come through, you use your wand in anyway you need. I read that pamphlet your Professor gave us. You are allowed to use magic in life threatening situations."

"Yes, dad," she said.

The pounding on the door to her room had continued as they talked. When the door finally broke, her mum screamed as something heavy hit the wall outside the room. "No, no," Hermione said. She immediately started casting any spell she knew to make the wall stronger or to repel them.

There was some barking and yipping before something heavy hit the door. "Will my bullets go through your spells," her father asked aiming at the door. Some scratching started at the wall. She cast the spells again, unsure if it was helping.

"I don't know," she said almost panicked.

"Damn, we don't have a phone in here." The scratching stopped and the next bang on the door was heavier. The door creaked.

"Dan, what do we do," her mum said wrapping an arm around her.

"The ministry should send someone to investigate with how many spells I have used." Hermione was hoping, casting another reinforcing charm on the door. Seeing some hangers swinging on a rack next to the door as her father tried to keep the bureau against the door gave her an idea. "Forvectes!" The hangars flew out of the racks, dropping the clothes and winter jackets as the hangers flew to the door. She transfigured some heavy bars and bolts on the door.

"I had no idea," her mother said behind her.

After a moment, the werewolves stopped banging on the door. It was quiet for a moment before something heavy hit the wall and it cracked.

She let out a yelp and her mother screamed.

"You aren't getting my family," her father said, letting off three shots. The first two bounced off her spell, ricocheting into the room, just missing them. The third went through the wall followed by a pained yelp.

"Hermione, cast if again," her father ordered.

She did as ordered just before there was another bang into the wall followed by scratching. "Where are the Aurors," she cried out loud. She was fighting through her fear to protect her parents. She was sure with this amount of magic it would be more than just an owl with a warning.

The scratching stopped and then two heavy bodies hit the hall. The spell held for the first, but the wall cracked and caved inward a few inches. " Fortis!" She screamed, trying to reinforce the wall again. Looking around, she grabbed some clothed and threw them at the wall.

"What are you doing," her mother asked.

She flicked her wand. "Turres!" She didn't know the transfiguration spell for it, so she used the Latin. She needed a strong wall, like a castle wall. To her surprise, the clothes and jackets started to transform into a thick stone looking wall. As she did it, the werewolves hit the wall again. The wall shifted with the impact, but when she stopped the spell, the wall was inches thicker now.

"There," she said, swaying on the spot as she felt suddenly lightheaded. She had never transfigured that much stuff before into such a substantial form from something light weight like clothes.

"Hermione," her mother called out as she felt herself dropping.

... when she had woken up, she was in a bed in a hospital. Her mother was next to her.

In the bed across from her, she could see her best friend. He was sleeping, the bruises on his face fading from the bruise salve the healers had used on them.

She was trying to focus on Harry, her heart still breaking to know her father was in a different room. The healers had not been sure if he had been just scratched or bitten. Either way, a chunk had been taken out of his arm when the wall had finally failed.

They had been lucky the Aurors had shown up about the same time. Her father had killed one of them, but the other got him before the Aurors subdued the werewolf.

She felt a hand on her head as a stray lock of her bushy hair was wiped out of her face. "You should get some sleep. The Aurors are outside the door and it's still early."

Some light had crept into the room from the windows.

"I should have done more," she told her mum, a tear running down her face. Her father was most likely a werewolf now, doomed to the same fate as so many others of their kind. The fact Harry was there too from a werewolf attack was bothering her. How could they have both been so unlucky to be in the right place at the right time to have this not be related?

Her mother's voice was strong, but she heard the pain and fear in it. "Oh, princess, you did so much. If you hadn't warned us or done what you did, we would all be dead. Your father is a strong man, he will make it through this."

Hermione didn't have the heart yet to tell her mother just how not right this would probably be. Instead, she closed her eyes against her tears and buried her face into her pillow.