Prologue

Lily Potter held her month old son in her arms as she trekked through the overgrown forest. A bright full moon lit up the night sky, well enough for her to see where she was going. Behind her, James urged her onwards.

Sirius took the rear, twirling his wand absently between his fingers.

Remus led the way.

"No wands beyond this point," he said. "Leave them here. You won't need them anyway."

James and Lily placed their wands on the white rock, next to Remus'. Sirius hesitated, but finally relinquished his too. He had been the least accepting of this. Harry was his godson after all.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Remus said, reading the look on his friend's face. "This is for the greater good."

They reached a clearing in the woods. There, at the centre of a large mushroom ring, stood a white stone altar. A dying fire burned beneath the altar. Seven wolves stood around the circle. Sirius and James tensed at once at the sight of the wolves, but Remus gave them a look to tell them it was safe, and they stepped up to the altar.

"It's time Lily," Remus said. And the red headed witch placed her only son in the arms of the man she knew to be a werewolf.

Remus gently took the tiny boy and placed him on the altar. Harry lay there, fast asleep, bathed in the light of his aupice moon.

"Step back," said Remus, and they retreated outside the circle. Remus dipped his hand into the still burning fire and pulled out a handful of cinders. It burned his fingers, but still he spoke through the pain.

"Luna, take this boy on this night," he said, walking towards the baby on the altar. "Flood this full moon child with your rage on the night of his auspice moon. Gift him with your curse, for I, Remus Lupin, Galliard of the Highest Order, take him as my godson. I baptise him in fire. Let him be reborn."

Lily flinched as Remus smeared the burning cinders over the boy's forehead.

The wolves began to howl.

Chapter 1

"You can't! You won't! You'll be expelled!" Dudley shouted.

In the darkened alley in whysteria walk, his cousin was holding a wand in his face.

"How do you know they haven't changed the rules!" Harry taunted. He was wishing Dudley would attack, just to give him an excuse to unleash his rage on the poor dimwitted Muggle. His anger was close bubbling over. It was always close to the surface ever since he had turned fifteen, but it had become almost unbearable these past few days.

Dudley was visibly terrified at this point, and it took Harry a few seconds to realise that it wasn't just because an underage wizard had pointed a wand in his face. The street had suddenly fogged up, and it was getting incredibly cold.

It struck Harry suddenly, as if someone had unexpectedly doused him with ice cold water: Dementors.

He gripped his wand tighter and tried to navigate through the fog.

"Dudley!"

"No, stop!" he heard his cousin whimper. "What have you done. Undo it now."

"It wasn't me!" Harry roared angrily. But Dudley wasn't listening. His fist collided with Harry's face, and the young wizard stumbled backwards a few steps.

He saw red.

A hot steaming rage coursed through his veins. He lost control completely.

"GIT!" he tried to yell, but all that came out was a roar. Dudley almost wet himself.

Then Harry saw the Dementor. He suddenly realised he'd dropped his wand in the confusion.

No wizard in his right mind would try and tackle dementors without a wand. Very few would try and tackle one at all. But Harry wasn't in his right mind right now. He lunged at the first of the dementors, swiping at his with his hands and snapping at it with his jaws ferally like a cornered animal. An ear-shattering scream erupted from the creature as Harry ripped its arm off its body, and it dissolved into nothingness, the souls it had drunk throughout its miserable life exploding into the night. Harry felt a wild surge of emotion as all the good happy feelings the dementor had fed upon washed over him.

Maybe that was what soothed his rage. He stepped back unsteadily and turned to Dudley, who was mouthing wordlessly.

"It's alright," he said. "I think I killed it."

He was surprised to hear his own voice. It was coarse and husky, and he spoke in growls.

Dudley screamed again and took off running down the street.

And for the first time, Harry noticed how small Dudley had gotten. Or was it he who had become bigger. He looked down at the floor in search for his wand. It seemed so much farther away than usual.

Then he looked down at his hands and his heart almost stopped. They were large clawed animal paws.

"No, this can't be happening," he thought.

Harry stared up at the moon and howled.

He couldn't help it.

"Wake up the whole neighbourhood why don't you," said an amused undoubtedly female voice behind him.

Harry turned around immediately and looked down at the figure of a woman. She was dressed in Muggle clothing, and looked generally unimpressive.

"You want want to return to a less conspicuous form so we can get out of here," she said, not looking at all surprised to see a seven foot monster.

Harry very much wanted to turn back into himself, but he had no idea how.

"Just... think human thoughts. Try and relax. Stop being so pissed off," the woman advised.

Harry wondered what human thoughts were, and what sort of thoughts he was thinking now if it wasn't human thoughts. He also had time to wonder why the woman wasn't carrying a wand if there were dementors about. He suddenly remembered the dementors and looked around.

"Relax, kid," said the woman. "I took care of the other one. Ok, let me help you a little."

She pulled a small wooden flute out of the waistband of her jean and started to play. It was happy little tune, like something wandering minstrels would play in a mideival marketplace. Harry felt his anger subside almost at once. He suddenly felt soothed and happy and content, and wanted nothing more than to listen to the music, and maybe dance or sing to it--

She stopped playing.

"Now, your clothes are a little... well there's no point gathering them up," she said. Harry looked around and noticed his muggle clothing was strewn over five metres on the pavement. Even his shoes had somehow managed to burst open. He also realised he had returned to his normal shape and size. He felt somewhat relieved.

"Come on, let's go," the woman said. "I'm Jenna by the way. And you are?"

"Harry, Harry Potter," Harry muttered stupidly, still trying to collect his thoughts.

Jenna showed no reaction to being introduced to the most famous person in the wizarding world, who also happened to be stark naked.

"Nice to meet you Harry," she said. She was now texting someone on a small red mobile phone, but Harry didn't notice. "Are you cold?"

This was probably not a very bright thing to ask, considering the boy was currently naked and shivering in the cold night air.

"A little," he said. "Well, a lot."

Jenna nobly took off her coat and put it around the teenager's shoulders. Then she went back to texting.

"Ok, let's go to the bus station, someone will get us from there," she said, stuffing the phone back into her jeans pocket.

"Someone... who?" Harry asked.

Jenna ignored him and kept walking. But Harry was starting to feel some of his nerve return to him after the whole ordeal, and suddenly was in need of answers.

"What is going on?" he asked. "Are you a witch?"

Jenna stopped walking and turned around to face Harry. She was shorter than him, and probably just as skinny, but somehow he got the feeling that even without a wand she could beat him silly if she wanted to. Maybe it had to do with the look she gave him.

"Of course not, silly boy," she snapped. "I'm a werewolf, like you."

Harry flinched as if she'd brandished a whip at him.

"But... I haven't been bitten. I can't be a werewolf. Is this some spell you cast on me?" he could feel his anger rising again.

Jenna just rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What a load of bollocks they feed mage kids," she said, turning back around and starting towards the bus station. "Don't be stupid, it has nothing to do with being bitten."

"What do you mean it has nothing to do with being bitten," Harry yelled, running to catch up. "I happen to know a werewolf, you can't play this trick on me."

"You're a full moon child alright," she laughed. "Always so touchy and so convinced you're right."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Harry was flat out yelling now. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE!"

"This wasn't funny to begin with," Jenna said, completely unperturbed by his outburst. It was almost as if she'd been expecting it.

Harry was becoming more and more convinced that this was just some crazy dream, or this woman was playing a very nasty trick on him. Jenna kept walking until she reached the bus station.

"That's it, I'm going home!" Harry said.

"No you're not," Jenna said, as he started to walk away.

"Yeah?" Harry said angrily. "Yeah I am. Try and stop me."

"You're not, you're wearing my coat," Jenna called after him. "You can't walk away with my coat. That's stealing."

Harry walked back hurriedly and stripped off the coat, throwing it violently at Jenna's feet.

"Keep your coat," he said. "I don't want it."

Naked once more, he started to walk down the street towards Privet Drive. But he had only gone a couple of steps when a large red car pulled up next to the bus station, and a very familiar voice called out from it.

"Jenna," called the voice. "Is that... Harry?"

Harry turned around to look at the person in the car, who seemed just as surprised to see him.

"Lupin?"