Chapter 6: Reviving the Sacrificial Wolf
Snape felt himself beginning to sweat, even in the chill of the cold stone room. Lupin was just sitting there staring accusingly at him. At least it seemed accusingly to Snape whose imagination was running on overdrive at the moment.
*Albus will kill me if I’ve turned Lupin into a wolf permanently. That document he signed won’t help me. What can I possibly do to enable him to change back? Maybe he’s just tired…maybe rest will help. I’m getting ahead of myself here. Don’t panic until you’re absolutely sure there’s a reason to panic.*
Snape reached out a hand and grasped the bars of Lupin’s cage. “Lupin can you transform back or can’t you?”
The huge wolf whined softly and got up and paced the cage, obviously agitated.
Snape snarled in frustration. “That’s not an answer, damn it! Can you change back?”
The wolf continued its pacing for long moments. Finally it closed its eyes and resumed a sitting position. Time seemed to stretch intolerably as nothing continued to happen, then suddenly the wolf began to howl with pain. Once more the agonizing change came over him and slowly…painfully…he began the long, horrifying, reversion back to humanity.
The Potions Master sighed deeply in relief. *Thank god. Well, this test was an unmitigated disaster! The potion worked exactly as I feared. The only good thing to come out of it is that it appears that I won’t be stuck with a werewolf as a permanent fixture in my basement, after all. While there might be some amusement to be found in putting him on a leash and bringing him to heel, all it would take is one snap of his jaws and I’d be joining him in his cage. Transforming as he does.* Snape shivered in horror at the thought.
Slowly Snape got to his feet as Lupin’s cruel transformation came to an end. Once the exhausted wizard was lying, panting for breath and seemingly unconscious, on the stone floor of the cell, Snape unlocked the cell and went in to see what he could do. He knelt down next to Lupin’s shuddering form and touched him tentatively on the shoulder.
“Lupin? Can you hear me? Lupin?” He took a firmer hold of his shoulder and shook it.
There was no response. He felt for a pulse and found it erratic. Lupin’s skin was clammy to the touch, and he continued to breathe harshly and raggedly. Neither of them was out of the woods yet, apparently.
Hastily he summoned a house elf and told her to get one of the guest rooms ready immediately. Then he picked up the limp werewolf and carried him upstairs to the second floor of the house. Carefully he carried the unconscious man into a bedroom on the front side of the house and laid him gently on the bed, which the elf had already prepared for him. Quickly Snape covered him with blankets in an attempt to warm him up and stop the shivering that had begun when he moved him. The Potions Master removed his wand and attempted to use a diagnostic spell to try to assess Lupin’s condition. It seemed he was primarily suffering from shock. His body had undergone tremendous stresses during the last half hour. Anyone would have trouble recovering from that very quickly.
Snape told the house elf who was hovering anxiously in the background to stay with Lupin while he went and fetched something. She nodded and moved over to the bed as Snape swiftly left the room.
He was back almost as quickly as a house elf would have been, carrying a cup of potion in his hand. He set the cup down on the bedside table and withdrawing his wand from his sleeve, he used it to cast some rejuvenating spells on Lupin. Once the werewolf’s color had improved, and he seemed to be resting easier, Snape attempted to awaken him again.
“Lupin?” he questioned softly.
Lupin groaned and opened his eyes reluctantly. “Severus? Where am I?”
Filled with relief, Snape forgot to be snide. “You’re upstairs in my house.”
Lupin attempted to sit up, but Snape pushed him back down. “Don’t try to move just yet.” He offered him a cup. “Here drink this, it will help you to recover.”
Lupin frowned and glanced up at Snape with a wry little half smile. “I don’t know, Severus. That last stuff you gave me was horrid…is this more of the same? Should I be worried?”
Snape snorted as he held the cup to Lupin’s mouth so the exhausted man could drink. “Oh, absolutely. Now that I haven’t managed to kill you with one potion, certainly my next move would be to try something even more deadly. I’d be on the lookout for assassins in the closet and monsters under the bed, as well.”
Lupin sighed and lay back with a faint smile on his face. “Whatever you say. I think I’m going to sleep now if you don’t mind…and even if you do…” His eyes closed and his voice died away.
Snape watched him carefully for a few moments, reaching out to take his pulse again. Once he’d satisfied himself that Lupin seemed stable and was simply sleeping, he got up off the side of the bed. With a brusque tone, he ordered the house elf to stay and watch, and make Lupin comfortable, and to summon him the moment he woke up. Then with a further frown at the sleeping wizard, he left the room.
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Several hours later Remus Lupin opened his eyes and frowned confusedly. For a moment he found himself wondering where the heck he was. Then memory clicked in, and he realized he was in Snape’s house. Apparently in one of Snape’s guest rooms. He glanced around. In a very nice guest room at that.
He pushed himself up on his elbows. Yes, indeed. He was in one of Snape’s guest rooms, wearing a very nice pair of midnight blue silk pajamas, lying on a set of very nice soft cotton sheets, and being stared at by a very attentive house elf.
The elf squeaked when she noticed he was awake and vanished suddenly.
Lupin smiled. * I’ll bet the “master” is about to be informed that his “guest” has awakened. I’ll bet Severus has been concerned that I’d die on him, and he’d have to use that release form to explain what happened to Albus.* He chuckled to himself. * It would have almost been worth dying if I could’ve watched Severus trying to explain himself to Albus and Sirius.*
Then he sighed and his expression sobered. *Damn it. That potion worked just like Severus thought it would. It felt so good to be able to put the wolf in a box and seal it up, but dragging it out early…that was agony. How could anyone contemplate doing that on purpose? It was the most painful transformation I’ve ever experienced!*
Just then, the door opened and Snape walked in. He paused in the doorway for a moment and looked Lupin over carefully, then he strode over to the bed and perched on its edge, down by Lupin’s feet.
“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly.
Lupin rotated his neck and rubbed his sore shoulders. “Like I was just trampled by a herd of Hippogriffs. Severus, that was the most painful transformation I’ve ever experienced, and believe me when I say that an ordinary transformation is plenty painful enough.”
Snape nodded thoughtfully. “It appeared to me that you were having some difficulty reversing the change. Was that true?”
Lupin nodded. “Yes, transforming into the wolf was so hard and painful, that I couldn’t seem to summon up the energy to transform back right away. I’m not usually so exhausted after a transformation. The potion allowed the transformation, but it didn’t make it easy.”
“Perhaps not, but it did make it possible. That’s the problem. I’m sorry that this was so hard on you, but surely you can see now why this potion can’t ever be used again.”
“I honestly believe that it wouldn’t be as much of a problem as you think, Severus. Especially once any werewolf actually tried it, but I suppose all it would take is for one twisted individual to use it to kill someone, and it’d be all over for the rest of us.” He sighed, sat up, and leaned back against the headboard. “So what now…back to the drawing board?”
Snape got up and walked over to the window, staring out into the afternoon sunshine. “We still need to see if you can successfully suppress the transformation tomorrow night. In the meantime, I’ve decided that I need to take a little trip back to Slytherin’s Castle.”
Lupin frowned. “Why? How is a pile of ashes going to help you?”
Snape turned and looked at Lupin. “We don’t know that everything was destroyed. All I have are a lot of tantalizing bits and pieces. I need to be absolutely certain that we didn’t leave anything of value behind there. The fortress was magically carved into the side of a mountain. The structure itself had to have survived the fire. It’s just possible that some of the contents did too. I need to know one way or the other if I’m going to proceed with this experiment.”
Lupin nodded. “Okay. Sounds logical to me. I’ll go with you. When do you want to go?”
“Are you sure that’s wise? This has taken a lot out of you. I plan to go tomorrow. You’d be free to rest here for the day. I’d be back in plenty of time to see if you can successfully block your transformation tomorrow night.”
Shaking his head, Lupin said, “I feel okay, really. That little nap I had did wonders for me. After a full night’s sleep I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m not letting you go back there alone. What if the vampires are still there? You might need me…Sweetmeat.”
Snape glowered at him. “You do believe in living dangerously don’t you, Lupin? I believe I warned you about using that name with me ever again. Did you foolishly assume that I wasn’t serious?”
Lupin suppressed a smile and shook his head, outwardly very sober. “Of course not, Severus. My apologies. Now can I come?”
Snape nodded shortly. “Very well. We’ll leave in the morning. You might as well stay the night. I’ll have some dinner sent up and your clothes are being cleaned at the moment. They’ll be ready in the morning as well.”
Happily leaning back into the extremely comfortable pillows, Lupin smiled in delight. “Why thank you, Severus. I could get used to treatment like this.”
Snape frowned and stalked over to the door. “I wouldn’t if I were you.” Was his parting comment, as he left the room and closed the door firmly behind him.