A/N- I may have lied slightly when I said last chapter was my last, but here's a little treat for ya!

Chapter 21- Return to Form

Harry kept his eyes peeled as his gaze flitted around the station cautiously. His focus never stayed on one person for too long as he tried to process as much information as possible. Tonks, Lupin and Moody were all on guard duty, with the ageing ex-auror's magical eye whirling around in its socket maniacally. Beside Harry, Sirius, disguised as Padfoot, was curiously sniffing around, his long, pink tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. The black dog didn't move too far as Harry's hand remained holding the dark fur, while he was holding his entire trunk over his other shoulder easily. The twins had long run off to find Lee Jordan, while Mrs Weasley was currently smothering Ron in a bone-crushing hug that was leaving the lanky redhead purple-faced. Ginny was quietly talking to Colin Creevey, who had taken out his camera to take photos of Ron's embarrassing predicament, which made Harry grin when his eyes met Ginny's.

"Hey," said a familiar sweet voice next to Harry, drawing his attention away from the hilarious scene. He couldn't see who it was because of the trunk he was holding, so he put it down and was greeted with the sight of Katie. Her hair was done up it its usual ponytail, but she looked great, if her smile was anything to go by. Harry felt his own smile widen as he let go of Padfoot's fur to embrace the girl, and she melted against Harry's chest before looking up and placing a lingering kiss to his lips. Had Harry mentioned that he loved kissing Katie?

"Hey," Harry echoed back once they parted, though they were still pressed up against each other. He looked over Katie's shoulder searchingly. "Where are your parents?"

"They had to go quickly because of work," answered Katie.

"Oh, right," muttered Harry. Before Katie could say another word, however, Padfoot decided now was a good time to interrupt them as he pushed right through the middle of them, separating them while barking madly to get Katie's attention.

"Oh! Hello Padfoot!" greeted Katie sweetly before she crouched down to pet the excited Animagus enthusiastically. "Have you been keeping Harry safe? That's a good boy!"

Padfoot seemed to be mightily enjoying the pretty brunette's ministrations if his wagging tail banging against Harry's leg painfully was anything to go by, and the raven-haired boy found himself slightly jealous of the bloody dog. Harry almost forgot how much Katie loved animals, even if the current object of her affections was actually a grown man, but he could have sworn Padfoot smirked at Harry, so he decided to intervene at that point.

"Alright, stop sucking up to my girlfriend Padfoot," said Harry as he gently pushed the enormous dog away. Padfoot let out a bark of disapproval, which was echoed by the expression on Katie's face.

"Is someone jealous?" she teased.

"You bloody right I am," growled Harry as he pulled Katie close to him again, and he felt a sense of satisfaction as Katie's pupils almost doubled in size.

"I'm hoping we find a compartment all to ourself," she whispered. "We haven't had any privacy at all."

Harry thought that was the best idea he had ever heard in his life, and he started to eagerly pull his girlfriend along with him towards the Hogwarts Express, but Padfoot's barking stopped him.

"Oh bloody hell Padfoot, I'll see you in the- OOMPH!" Harry was cut off from his sentence and oxygen supply when Mrs Weasley wrapped him up in one of her famous hugs.

"Oh please do take better care this term Harry, you've been in enough trouble as it is," said Mrs Weasley in a way only a mother could. It touched Harry's heart to know that she cared for him just as much as she did her own children, but he also quickly realised that he was about to be in big trouble if he didn't get out of her grasp sooner. So he used a little bit of his super strength to gently pry Mrs Weasley off him, before he placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you for the Christmas, and for putting up with me," said Harry earnestly. "It can't have been easy."

"Oh, nonsense dear," Mrs Weasley brushed off easily. "I've had to raise seven kids, this was nothing."

Harry smiled before enveloping her in another hug. When he let go, he turned his attention to Padfoot and crouched down so that he was eye level with him. "I'll try to write to you more often," he promised before glancing at Katie, who was now saying goodbye to Mrs Weasley, though Harry noticed that there seemed to be some slight tension between the two. "I might need some more advice on certain things."

Padfoot barked knowingly before licking Harry's face affectionately. Harry laughed before standing up and ruffling the top of the dog's head in farewell, then took both his and Katie's trunks and hefted them over his shoulder before leading the way to the train, with Katie, Ron, Hermione and Ginny following closely behind.

Harry led the way into an empty compartment, where he quickly stashed his and Katie's trunks into one of the overhead baggage compartments and sat down. Katie joined him to his ride, while Ron and Hermione looked at them apologetically. Ginny had long since disappeared, and Harry guessed that she'd either run into her own friends or found Michael Corner.

"Sorry Harry, but Ron and I have to patrol the halls for a little while," said Hermione. She waved at the couple before dragging an annoyed Ron out of the compartment, closing the door behind them. The train started to move a few seconds later, and Harry quickly darted over to stick his head out of the window to wave goodbye to his friends. Padfoot was eagerly chasing the train, barking madly and Harry laughed at the Animagus's antics before turning back to look at Katie. To his surprise, she was giving him a sly look, her grin having turned from sweet to downright mischievous.

"It seems that we're alone Potter," she commented wryly. "Whatever shall we do to pass the time?"

Harry felt his eyes widen, and his body react in a way that was slightly embarrassing, but his eagerness to be alone with his girlfriend overran that feeling. He pulled out his wand and magically locked the compartment door before he practically growled as he pounced on Katie and enthusiastically kissed her hard on the lips. Harry felt Katie's arms wrap around his neck to pull him in closer, deepening the kiss while his own went around her waist.

They had never kissed this intensely before, Harry noted in the far off corners of his mind. Their lips melded together perfectly like two pieces in a puzzle which Harry relished in. He could feel his heartbeat speed up, pushing the blood down somewhere he didn't really want Katie to know, but she was pressed up so closely to him that it was impossible to adjust without accidentally knocking her to the floor. Merlin, her lips were so soft! Where had she learned to kiss like that? It was making Harry feel lightheaded and giddy, and he was trying his best to give as good as he got.

Eventually though, the couple found themselves running out of air, so they reluctantly pulled away to catch their breath. It did not last long though, because a mere few seconds later, Katie leaped at Harry, pushing him underneath her and straddling his hips between her legs. Harry found the position both intoxicating and compromising, but Katie's lust-fuelled kisses quelled any complaints that were threatening to spill out. His hand once again found themselves on her waist, while Katie had his collar tight in one of her fists while the other was playing with the messy hair on the back of his head. Harry reached upwards, reaching for her ponytail and in one fluid motion, pulled the hair tie smoothly out, spilling her long brown hair all around them. Harry grabbed a fistful of it eagerly, loving how soft it felt in his hand. Katie let out a muffled moan as his other hand traveled up and down her waist softly, which very nearly threw Harry over the edge, and in response, his free hand began to move further up Katie's side until it was right under her armpit. Just a little more movement and soon Harry would be able to touch her-

Harry's eyes flew open suddenly, and he quickly yet gently tried to pry Katie off of him before he completely lost his wits. Katie seemed to sense his unease though, so she complied and slid off of him back onto the seat, while Harry pushed himself back up.

"I'm sorry, was it something I did?" asked Katie, her face flushed red from their snogging.

"No, you were brilliant!" said Harry a little too quickly, because now Katie was starting to look upset.

"Was I being to forward?" she asked nervously. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me!"

"I thought I was the one being too forward," said Harry. "I just... are we moving a little too fast?"

"What do you mean?" asked Katie.

"I mean, we've only been dating for a little under two weeks now, and already we're having an all-out snogging session in an empty compartment," said Harry. "We haven't even been on a proper date yet!"

Katie sighed before scooting a little bit closer to Harry so that their knees were touching. "Maybe. But in all honesty Harry I'm just as new to this as you are so I've got no idea what's appropriate and what's not," she said.

"Haven't Angelina and Alicia told you anything?" wondered Harry.

"A bit too much, if you ask me. But do you think we should seek someone else's advice on this?"

"I didn't say that, and we did promise to work it out together."

Katie's upset expression turned to one of warmth, and she kissed Harry again, though this one was not nearly as heated as their earlier ones. Harry wasn't sure whether or not to be relieved or disappointed, but for now, it was probably best to take things slowly while his blood was boiling.

Suddenly there was a banging on the compartment door, startling Harry and Katie so much they automatically pushed away from each other. There was a click of the door unlocking before it slid open, letting Ron and Hermione inside. That led Harry to wonder just how long he had been snogging with Katie.

"Bloody gits," swore Ron as he sat down with a huff.

"Language Ron," chided Hermione, but then she looked between Harry and Katie with narrowed eyes. "And just what have you two been doing?"

Harry glanced over at Katie, who was trying to inconspicuously straighten her clothes. Her hair was frazzled and her lips swollen, and he felt an odd sense of satisfaction in the fact the he was the one to do that to her. But he doubted he looked any better. His hair was probably even messier than usual and his lips just as swollen, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to care that much.

"We just talked," he said nonchalantly. Hermione didn't fall for it for a second, but she huffed and sat back in the seat, while Ron was openly grinning at Harry.

"I have to go find Angelina and Alicia," said Katie suddenly as she stood up and straightened her slightly twisted sweater. She bent down however to kiss Harry on the cheek before walking out and closing the compartment door behind her after promising to return. Harry felt an odd sense of loss when Katie left, but Hermione looked ready to burst apart with questions.

"Before you begin Hermione, yes we snogged, and yes, we were responsible," said Harry quickly before Hermione even opened her mouth.

"How did you-" began Hermione.

"Bloody hell Hermione, even I could tell what you were thinking," snorted Ron. Then he looked at Harry. "So how was it?"

"I'm not telling you anything," said Harry with a shake of his head.

"Oh come on mate! At least tell me one thing?" pleaded Ron.

Harry groaned. "Fine. It was brilliant," he said exasperatedly. "But I'm not telling you any more."

Ron and Hermione looked ready to argue, but the compartment door opened again and Ginny and Katie came in. Harry frowned slightly in confusion as Katie sat back down next to him.

"I thought you went to find Angelina and Alicia?" he asked.

"Oh, I found them alright," said Katie in an annoyed voice, "but they were busy snogging the twins!"

"That's a little hypocritical coming from you," said Hermione with a scowl.

"Yeah, but at least we stopped when somebody else arrived," snapped Katie. She then looked at Harry. "Downright rude I say."

"Indeed," mumbled Harry while he wrapped an arm around Katie's waist and pulled her closer to him. She snuggled in closer, making Harry feel warm inside. The five of them sat in companionable silence for a while, during which Harry spent most of his time running his hands through Katie's hair gently. Harry was discovering new things about himself constantly, like how all of a sudden he really liked touching people, in particular Katie. He couldn't help it really, but for some reason his relationship with her was making him become rather affectionate.

"Ron? Ginny?" Harry heard Katie say, breaking the comfortable silence and drawing the attention of the two redheads.

"Yeah?" said Ron.

"Um... does your mum not like me?" asked Katie. Harry stiffened in surprise. Where had that come from?

"Not that I know of, why do you ask?" said Ron. Everyone was staring intently at the brunette Chaser now, and she was looking rather small under their gaze.

"It's just... she doesn't talk to me a lot, and I always catch her looking at me like she's disappointed or something," said Katie as she pushed herself off of Harry's chest to sit up straight.

"I don't think she's staring at you Katie," said Hermione slowly.

"Then who else could she be staring at?" Katie said tiredly.

"She's staring at Harry, and I think I know why," answered Hermione. Everyone turned to look at the bushy-haired witch, and Harry scowled.

"Why would she be disappointed in me? I haven't done anything too bad, have I?" snapped Harry.

"Mrs Weasley is staring at you because she wishes you weren't dating Katie," said Hermione calmly.

"Oh bloody hell," muttered Ginny with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, who would she want me to date?" asked Harry.

"Well..." Hermione trailed off as her eyes flashed over to a now- red-faced Ginny, who looked like she wanted nothing more than to disappear forever.

"Why would Mrs Weasley want me to date Ginny?" guessed Harry cautiously.

"It's because she thinks I still have a silly little crush on you," said Ginny. "She probably reckons that I'm only dating Michael to try and get over you or something stupid like that."

"Oh," Harry and Katie said together, both feeling surprised at the revelation.

"And er-" Katie cleared her throat "- do you still like Harry?" she asked.

Ginny rolled her eyes again. "Of course not. That was just me liking you for your fame, not who you are," she answered. "You're more like a brother to me than anything else. No offence."

"None taken," said Harry. Well, at least it explained why Ginny was no longer blushing like a tomato and running away from him all the time anymore.

"And besides, even if I did still like you, you're dating Katie, and I would never do anything to get in the way of your relationship," continued Ginny.

"Er... thanks Ginny," said Harry a little uncomfortably, yet still touched by the girl's honesty. Katie, however, did a better job at showing her appreciation and she leant forward to embrace the younger girl.

"But what about your mum?" asked Katie once they pull away from their hug.

Ginny snorted. "Eh, she'll get over it," she said without a care.

Seemingly satisfied with that for now, Katie leaned back into Harry again, her back pressed against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her waist. Harry tucked the top of her head under his chin and closed his eyes. He was slightly worried that Mrs Weasley didn't entirely approve of his relationship with Katie, which was rather surprising seeing as he'd always thought the two women gotten along really well with each other, from what he had seen at least. But from what everyone else had said and/or done, they were quite happy for him and Katie. It was with that thought that Harry drifted off to sleep.

oOoOoOo

The start of the second term of the year was usually smaller than the other feast, though the house elves still created a wonderful feast that Harry devoured. Katie kept having to tell Harry to ease up in case he accidentally choked on his food, though the smile on her face meant that she was only partly worried for him.

The excited whispers had died out marginally by the time dessert was rolled out. When Harry and Katie had walked into the Great Hall hand-in-hand, it had kickstarted the infamous rumour mill amongst all four House tables when they saw them together. Harry had mostly drowned it out, not caring in the slightest that others were talking about him. At least it was better than everyone calling him an attention-seeking ponce. He had noticed, however, a number of disappointed expressions on some witches' faces, as well as a few on some guy's, but Harry actually found himself not caring for once. His relationship with Katie was a good thing.

He would soon begin to question that however, when two shadows loomed over him.

"Hey!" exclaimed Katie as Angelina shoved her out of the way to sit between her and Harry, while Alicia did the same to Hermione.

"Oh no," groaned Harry once he realised that the two older Chasers were giving him death glares. "Is this some coordinated effort you've made with the twins? Because if it is, I'll hex their balls off."

"You'll do no such thing," warned Angelina.

"We're just here to talk," said Alicia in a slightly nicer tone, though she still looked really scary in Harry's opinion.

"Is this the big sister talk?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Watch it Potter, we're the final line of approval you need before you can officially date Ms Bell," said Alicia.

"Now, how long has this been going on?" asked Angelina.

"Define how long. Like how long have we been dating or how long have I fancied her?" asked Harry.

"We already know how long you've been dating," said Alicia.

Harry leaned forward past Angelina so that he could see a red-faced Katie. "Did you tell them we were dating?" he asked.

"Of course. I did it the day after we got together." said Katie, "though I'm starting to regret having said anything in the first place," she added much more quietly, and Harry only heard it because of his enhanced hearing. "And it's not like you didn't tell Ron and Hermione straight away, at least I waited a day!"

Harry sighed before turning his attention back to Angelina. "Fine, I've fancied her since the first Hogsmeade trip after you guys ditched her to go on a double date with Fred and George," he answered.

"That was a long time ago," said Alicia.

"It was like three months," corrected Harry.

"Stop being a smarty pants," snapped Angelina.

"Stop butting into my life," retorted Harry.

"Anyway," said Alicia emphatically. "We were only curious."

Harry and Angelina continued to glare at each other before they backed down, and Katie looked rather done with everything already. Things hadn't quite been the same with the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and the Seeker since Harry was constantly in detention with Umbridge, which had started to cause a rift between them.

"But also to warn you," added Angelina.

"Geez, I'm not gonna do anything to Katie," said Harry in an annoyed voice.

"She's like our little sister," said Angelina, ignoring Harry's remark, "so if you do anything to hurt her, you will be repaid tenfold."

"But we doubt you'd ever intentionally hurt Katie," said Alicia placatingly while staring pointedly at Angelina. "We like to think of you as our not-so-little-anymore brother as well."

"You know, when you say that, our relationship sounds messed up," said Harry in a disgusted tone.

"You know what I mean," said Alicia. "You're a really nice guy with a slight temper problem-" Angelina snorted at that "- but we know you'd do anything for Katie."

"But we'll still hex you into next year if you do anything," said Angelina.

"Okay, now can you two go away now?" groaned Katie. "I want to spend some time with my boyfriend."

"Is that what you've been doing this whole time? Why didn't you come to visit us on the train?" asked Angelina.

"Because you were both sucking the twin's faces off!" snapped Katie loudly, attracting several curious stares.

"Who's been sucking our faces off?" asked a cheery voice.

"Was it a dementor?" said an identical voice. Fred and George had come over at that point, both looking mightily smug as they looked down on the three Chasers and Harry.

"Can't have been, brother, we haven't seen any of them since our fifth year," said George.

"That's an excellent point, oh brother of mine," said Fred. "So that leaves us with..."

"Angie and Alicia," finished George. Then he grinned down on Harry. "My my, Potter, seems that the ladies still want you despite your claimed status."

"They were threatening to kill me if I hurt Katie," grumbled Harry.

"We didn't say kill, we said hex you into next year," corrected Angelina.

"What's the difference?" snapped Harry.

"The difference is that one leaves you in a coma, the other leaves you dead," explained Angelina in an annoyed voice.

"Oh, here we go again," muttered Alicia. "Anyway, that's all we have to say for now. Good luck!" She then stood up and grabbed a grumpy Angelina before pulling her away from Harry and Katie, and the two older girls were followed by Fred and George.

"Does that mean I have your approval?!" Harry called out to the retreating seventh-years. Angelina only responded by flipping him off. "I'll take that as a yes."

"What in the blazes was that all about?" said Ron incredulously once everyone settled down.

"My overprotective best friends," sighed Katie as she moved up close to Harry again. "I'm sorry about that."

"I shouldn't be surprised at this point," said Harry. "It's not the first time someone's interrogated me about us."

"Other people have done it?" said Katie in shock. Harry could see her eyes flash dangerously as she looked up and down the table, trying to search for any suspects. Thankfully for the both of them, she seemed to let the matter drop before turning back to her dessert. The ice cream in Harry's bowl had melted, and he sighed in annoyance.

"What a start to the term," commented Ron dryly.

"I just want some peace and quiet for once, is that too much to ask?" complained Harry.

"Perhaps you'll find some?" offered Hermione hopefully. Just then, Dennis Creevey came up to the foursome and handed Harry a note.

"Dumbledore said to give this to you," he said before running back to his friends. Harry unfolded the piece of paper, and unconsciously he grinned.

Dear Harry,

Your lessons with our friend will recommence tonight at the usual time. It is also the full moon tonight.

Hope this finds you well,

Albus Dumbledore.

PS- Cockroach Clusters are delicious this time of the year.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"Got another lesson with Dillon tonight," answered Harry. When Katie read the note over his shoulder, she frowned.

"Why does he want you to know that it's a full moon tonight?" she wondered aloud.

"Dunno," said Harry.

"Maybe you're going hunting for werewolves?" suggested Ron.

Hermione gasped. "Oh no! That's so dangerous, Dumbledore would never allow you to do something like that!" she said.

"Well, there's obviously a reason why Dumbledore mentioned the full moon, but I'll tell you all about it when I come back," said Harry with a shrug. He was actually excited to be going out and resume his training with Dillon, as it had been a while since his lion form had had a proper chance to stretch his legs.

oOoOoOo

Later in the evening, Harry walked to the Headmaster's office alone. Ron, Hermione and Katie had all promised to wait up for him in the common room, despite his protests, yet they had been adamant to know everything as soon as possible.

"Cockroach Clusters," Harry muttered to the gargoyle statue guarding the Headmaster's office, and it moved to the side so that Harry could climb up the winding staircase. The door swung open of its own accord, and without hesitation Harry walked over to the desk, ignoring everything else as he reached for the small teddy bear that was undoubtedly the portkey.

He landed on his feet shakily, a remarkable improvement from the first time he had ever used a portkey back in the summer before his fourth year. The clearing in the Forbidden Forest was clear of snow, which was odd for this time of the year, so Harry guessed it had something to do with magic. High above the tree line, the full moon glowed brightly in the night sky, as predicted by Dumbledore. Dillon was already there, sitting on one of the boulders in the middle of the clearing while sheathing and unsheathing the blades of his gauntlets over and over again. The ringing of metal echoed through the clearing, and to Harry it was a slightly ominous sound that rested uneasy in his chest.

Harry pulled his jacket closer to his chest as his breath fogged up his glasses because of the cold air, then trudged numbly over to the awaiting were-lion.

"Have a good Christmas, Potter?" asked the Scottish were-lion as he looked up, ceasing his actions. He stood up from the rock and shook Harry's hand firmly.

"Very good, sir," said Harry.

"Good, now it's time to get back into the action," said Dillon. "I take it you received the note from Dumbledore?"

"Yes, but I was a little confused by what he said about the full moon," said Harry.

"Your friend Remus has recently been going undercover amongst the werewolf community, and he recently learned that a pack of werewolves was going to be within the Forbidden Forest tonight to spy on Hogwarts for Voldemort," explained Dillon.

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "Voldemort's planning on attacking Hogwarts?" he exclaimed.

"Doubtful," said Dillon. "It's more likely he wants to merely see for himself what it's like from an outside point of view, in case he does decide to launch an assault."

"So why send werewolves? They're wild and unpredictable if they're not taking the Wolfsbane Potion," said Harry.

"That's what I intend to find out," said Dillon darkly. "Fenrir Greyback's supposed to be leading the pack tonight, and he's dangerous, even by werewolf standards."

Harry had heard about Greyback. He was supposedly one of the few people who actually enjoyed being a werewolf, and during the last war had earned his infamy through attacking, killing, and turning children of people known to oppose Voldemort. The werewolf was so unpredictable that even Voldemort supposedly had kept his distance from him, and had never actually given him the Dark Mark.

"Time to go Potter," said Dillon before he transformed into his golden-furred lion form. Harry followed suit, turning into his more humanoid black and silver were-lion before taking off after Dillon into the dark forest.

"Be sure to sniff for any canine scents," growled Dillon as the pair ran at a steady pace through the woods. Harry's claws kicked up dirt as he flew through the trees, his dark fur offering better protection against the cold wind than his clothes had. There was no sign of any life anywhere as they ran, even the Acromantulas were unnaturally silent. Not that Harry was complaining, he hated the giant spiders as much as anyone else.

The pair had been running for close to twenty minutes when Harry detected the stink smell of wet dog. He slowed down his pace until he was walking slowly, his nose to the ground. Dillon went back over to him and sniffed the air before growling lowly.

"It's fresh," said Harry. "Multiple scents. They can't have been here more than ten minutes ago."

A horrific howling filled the air, making Harry's hackles raise as a chill traveled down his spine. His ears twisted on the top of his head like radar dishes as he tried to zero in on the direction of the howl. But then, multiple howls followed the first, seemingly coming from everywhere.

"How many do you think that was?" asked Harry.

"Around eight or nine werewolves," said Dillon.

"That was bloody loud, I'd bet anything that everyone at Hogwarts heard it," growled Harry.

"Look for some tracks, it'll be easier to follow them just in case the wind blows the scent away," said Dillon darkly. Harry complied and lifted his head up slightly to get a better view of the ground. Thanks to his night vision, it wasn't hard to spot the tracks, which were heading directly for Hogwarts. Harry growled to let Dillon know that he had found the trail before taking off at top speed. Everything was a blur for Harry as he moved impossibly fast through the forest. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and the dark thoughts of what might happen if the werewolf pack made it to the school before he could reach them in time. If even one werewolf laid a filthy paw on any of his friends, there wouldn't be enough of the bastard to scrape off the ground. It was these thoughts that spurred Harry onwards, making him almost desperate to find the pack.

The wet dog smell grew even stronger the closer Harry and Dillon got to the school, which made Harry angry. These werewolves were probably not on any Wolfsbane, which meant they were bloodthirsty and would try anything to get to Hogwarts, regardless of the orders Voldemort had given them. Harry hoped that the wards surrounding the castle and its grounds offered protection against the beasts, otherwise a lot of lives could be lost on this night.

When he heard the impatient snarls and gnashing of teeth not far ahead of them, Harry and Dillon slowed down and crouched into a stalking position. They silently stalked forward, relying on their instincts to get them close enough to the unsuspecting wolves. Hidden behind a fallen log barely ten metres away from the nearest werewolf, Harry chanced a peek. Dillon's prediction was true; nine werewolves of various fur colours were all pacing in a line, stopped by an invisible barrier that seemed to halt their march. Harry idly wondered if the wards were charmed to prevent were-cats onto the Hogwarts grounds.

The werewolves were similarly shaped to Harry's were-lion form, but only about half as tall and less muscular. Their bodily proportions were also far more abstract than his own; instead of the gorilla-shaped arms and torso, they were thinner, their arms longer and had no tail. The majority of the werewolves' fur was either a dark grey of brown, with one russet-furred wolf amongst them.

The largest werewolf was the one who drew Harry's attention the most. It was the only one not pacing along the invisible border, which meant that the werewolf had some measure of control over itself. It was easily the largest, with light grey fur and a large head attached to a thick neck. Harry glanced over to Dillon, who gave an almost imperceptible nod to confirm the big werewolf's identity. This was Fenrir Greyback, the deadliest of all known werewolves.

Harry crept forward the tiniest of fractions, his glowing green eyes zeroing in on the nearest target, a smaller werewolf with dark grey fur and a white patch over its right eye. Harry let his instincts take over, and his body tensed up in preparation to pounce. His body seemed to know when the right time to attack was, without his mind even having a say in it, which was fine by Harry. Sometimes instinct trumped logic.

When the patch-faced werewolf was close enough, Harry leapt forward. All the tension in his body traveled down to his legs before pushing him up high into the air like a spring. He extended his arms out in front of him, claws facing towards the unsuspecting werewolf. He bared his fangs and let out a mighty roar that startled the birds in the trees above them, as well as the werewolves. Harry pounced on the patch-faced werewolf, pinning the smaller creature to the ground with one hand almost effortlessly and crouched over it. He roared at the other werewolves, and most of them took a few steps backwards in fear, but Greyback held his ground and snarled at Harry in defiance.

"Bloody mutt," growled Harry. The patch-faced werewolf was clawing at Harry's underbelly, and though its claws barely cut through him, it certainly angered him. Harry struck down and clamped his massive jaws over the wolf's neck, his sharp canines piercing through the soft flesh effortlessly. Blood filled his mouth, and with a jerk of his neck, Harry ripped the werewolf's throat out. He spit out the piece of flesh in disgust, and he for a moment he felt horrified that he had just killed a man as the werewolf died underneath him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it as two more werewolves jumped at him.

Dillon joined the fray then, knocking two werewolves out of the way before leaping onto another and bit the top of its head. The gold-furred were-lion twisted his head and there was a loud snap, and the werewolf dropped lifelessly to the ground. Harry in the meantime, backhanded one werewolf so hard he sent it flying into the air, where it crashed into the trunk of a massive tree before falling to the ground. It didn't get up. The other attacker was absolutely manic with bloodlust; it leapt at Harry with surprising speed and strength and forcing him backwards. Harry grabbed it by the throat and held it at bay, but the werewolf was relentless as it snapped its jaws, sending spit flying everywhere. Harry snarled at the wolf before grabbing one of its legs and lifted it above his head. The werewolf struggled mightily against him, but Harry was far too strong and with another roar, he dropped the werewolf onto his knee. There was another loud crack, similar to when Dillon had broken one of his opponent's neck, and the werewolf fell to the ground. It whimpered slightly before trying to crawl away, but Harry grabbed it by the back of the head and twisted, snapping its neck and killing it.

Harry chanced a quick look at Dillon. Two werewolves lay dead nearby, and he was just finishing his third by pinning it to the ground and brutally clawing at its chest. Blood and gore flew everywhere, staining Dillon's fur, and he only stopped when the werewolf ceased trying to defend itself because it was dead. Only Greyback and two more werewolves remained. All three of them were glaring at Harry and Dillon, their sickly yellow eyes oozing hate at them. But they were also afraid. Harry could smell it wafting over them like a sick wave, and that made him grin in pleasure.

"Which one of you wants me?" he asked. The three werewolves looked at him, before the two smallest werewolves charged at Dillon, while Greyback rose to the challenge. Harry was slightly wary of the Alpha werewolf, he was notorious for his cruelty and cunning for a reason. The grey werewolf snarled at Harry menacingly before charging straight towards Harry.

The black were-lion sidestepped Greyback's charge, but the werewolf was faster than he expected and it twisted its head around and clamped down on Harry's forearm, spilling blood. Harry scrunched his face up in pain before he lifted his arm high up. Greyback held on tightly, which only angered Harry even more and he grabbed the werewolf by the scruff of his neck, making sure his claws pierced the soft flesh. He heard Greyback whine in pain, but the stubborn fool continued to hold on to Harry's arm, so he bit Greyback in the side. His canines sank through fur, fat and meat before piercing right through Greyback's shoulder blade, and that was when Greyback finally let go, howling in agony. Harry threw the grey monster away from him, roaring angrily before confronting Greyback again.

He had fallen to the ground and was trying to get up, but his wounded side and loss of blood was weakening him. Harry stalked forward on all fours, eager to finish him off, but a large hand on his shoulder drew his attention away. Dillon was standing there, his fur covered in blood and his icy-blue eyes hard and determined.

"Don't stain yourself with his blood," he said.

"I've already done that tonight," snapped Harry before pushing Dillon's arm off him.

"Harry, you've killed three monsters already. Don't allow yourself to become one by killing Greyback," urged Dillon.

"He's less than an animal. He's worse than a monster!" roared Harry.

"We still need one survivor, so that Voldemort knows not to come after Hogwarts," insisted Dillon. "He can be the one to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies."

Harry continued to growl at the wounded werewolf, but the human side of him understood the logic, as much as he hated to admit it. So he ceased his hunting and let Greyback escape into the darkness of the forest, before turning back into a human.

Harry winced as the pain in his arm returned. "Bloody prat had a strong bite," he grunted as he inspected the damage. His arm was covered in blood, with several puncture wounds leaking more out. Because it was a werebeast's bite, it was going to take longer to heal but Dillon seemed confident that it wouldn't leave a scar. The older were-lion wasted no time in sending Harry back off to Hogwarts, telling him that he would deal with the mess.

Harry trudged back up to the school, walking instead of taking the portkey seeing as it was easier than going all the way back to the clearing. He was careful to avoid any teachers or prefects out patrolling, sticking to the shadows and letting his enhanced senses act as early warning sensors. It was relatively easy to get back to the Gryffindor common room, and he saw Ron, Hermione and Katie waiting by the fire as promised.

Katie was the first to notice, and she leapt up from her seat and dashed towards Harry before slamming into his body, pulling him into a hug tight enough to rival Mrs Weasley's.

"You were gone a lot later than normal, we were worried that something bad had happened," said Ron. Harry looked over at him before showing him his injured arm. Ron's eyes widened in surprise, while Hermione gasped.

"Harry! You're hurt!" she exclaimed. Katie quickly released Harry and looked him over, then she too gasped when he saw his bleeding forearm.

"You wouldn't happen to have any Essence of Dittany on you, would you?" asked Harry ruefully. Katie led him over to the chairs and pushed him gently down while Hermione handed him a small glass bottle to him. Harry unstoppered the bottle before pouring a small amount over his wounds. The effect was instantaneous; the wounds began to slowly yet visibly stitch themselves back together as the bleeding stopped, and Harry sighed in contentment.

"What happened?" asked Ron.

"Bloody werewolf got a lucky hit on me," grunted Harry.

"A werewolf?!" exclaimed Hermione while Katie's face turned pale.

"Yeah, Fenrir Greyback," affirmed Harry. now it was Ron's turn to turn pale.

"What were you doing fighting Greyback?" asked Rob once he recovered.

"Dillon learned that Lupin had gone undercover within the werewolf community to see if Voldemort had planned anything," explained Harry. "He found out that Voldemort was sending a pack of werewolves led by Greyback to spy on Hogwarts and if possible, turn a few students. But Dillon and I went hunting them tonight and fought them."

"Well that explains the letter," said Hermione thoughtfully. "How many of them were there?"

"Nine," answered Harry.

"Nine?!" repeated Ron in surprise.

"Yeah, it was almost too easy," said Harry. "We got eight of them before we let Greyback go to tell Voldemort what happened." He was proud to see that none of them flinched anymore at the use of the Dark Lord's name anymore.

"What do you mean, 'you got eight of them?'" asked Katie cautiously.

Harry winced slightly. He was going to have to tell his closest friends that he had killed three werewolves tonight, and though they were mindless beasts now, in the morning they would have been people, men and women.

"We killed them," he said, a little more bluntly than he intended. Hermione and Katie gasped, but Ron looked grim as the news settled on them.

"Harry, how could you!" said Hermione accusingly. "They were people!"

"They were also part of Greyback's pack, which means that they wanted to be there and kill people Hermione," defended Harry a little harshly.

"Harry's right Hermione. People like Greyback are monsters, I'd put them on the same level as You-Know-Who," added Ron. "When you think about it, Harry and Dillon were just putting down some rabid animals."

"But- but they were people!" argued Hermione, and Harry could feel her conflicting emotions. Now that the adrenaline of the hunt and battle had died down, he was starting to feel a little disgusted with himself also.

"I think if Harry had the choice, I don't think he would have killed them," said Katie quietly, looking at Harry like she wanted to believe it. And she was right, Harry never wanted to kill those werewolves, but it was something that had to be done in order to protect everyone in Hogwarts.

Harry also had a sneaking suspicion that those weren't going to be the last lives he took before this war was over.

A/N- Okay, this time for real. See ya in a year!