# The Watchtower - Assessment Chamber
Superman led Harry, Luna, and Gabrielle through the crystalline corridors of the Watchtower, Wonder Woman walking beside them. The others had dispersed—Hal and Carol coordinating with Green Arrow about patrol schedules, Batman retreating to whatever shadowy corner he occupied, the Flash already gone in a blur of red and yellow.
"I want to apologize for Batman's approach," Superman said as they walked. "He's... direct. Sometimes more direct than necessary."
"He exposed my private information to everyone," Gabrielle said, her accent thick with barely controlled emotion. "Without permission. Without warning. Zat was cruel."
"It was tactical," Diana corrected, though not unkindly. "Batman believes information should flow to those who need it, regardless of feelings. He saw a security risk—a Star Sapphire with an obsessive attachment working alongside the object of that attachment—and he addressed it immediately."
"By humiliating me," Gabrielle said.
"By preventing a worse situation later," Superman said gently. "Gabrielle, I know it feels unfair. But imagine if you'd kept the mate-bond secret, and then something happened—you lost control in combat, or the bond overrode your training. Harry would have been blindsided. The team would have been compromised. Batman gave everyone the information they needed to support you properly."
"I 'ad a *plan*," Gabrielle protested. "I was going to tell 'Arry privately. To explain it properly, not 'ave it thrown in 'is face by a man in a bat costume."
"When?" Diana asked, not accusingly but with genuine curiosity. "When would have been the right time? After your first mission together? After six months of working side by side while your bond screamed at you to act? After Harry noticed you looking at him strangely and started avoiding you?"
Gabrielle was silent.
"There's never a good time for difficult conversations," Superman said. "Batman ensured the conversation happened now, before complications could arise. It wasn't kind, but it was necessary."
They entered a large chamber—observation room, assessment space, meditation area. The walls showed views of Earth from orbit, the planet turning slowly beneath them. Comfortable chairs were arranged in a circle, and Superman gestured for them to sit.
"This is where we do evaluations," he explained, settling into a chair that looked almost comically small for his frame. "Nothing formal today—just a conversation. I want to understand how you're all doing, what you need from us, and whether there are concerns we should address."
Harry sat, dismissing his armor with a thought. The Starheart pulsed on his finger, but the elaborate suit of green light dissolved into motes of energy, leaving him in the simple gray uniform the Guardians had provided. It felt strange to be so... normal after three months of cosmic power and elaborate constructs.
Luna sat beside him, her blue uniform still active, her ring glowing softly. Gabrielle took the chair furthest from Harry—deliberate distance, obvious to everyone.
Diana noticed. "Gabrielle, you don't have to sit so far away. Harry won't break."
"I am maintaining professional boundaries," Gabrielle said stiffly. "Carol taught me zis. When ze mate-bond is strong, physical distance 'elps maintain mental control."
"Is the bond that strong right now?" Superman asked, leaning forward slightly. "Being in the same room as Harry—how does it feel?"
Gabrielle's hands clenched in her lap. For a long moment, Harry thought she wouldn't answer. Then, very quietly: "It feels like everyzing in my body is screaming at me to touch 'im. To be near 'im. To make certain 'e is real, zat 'e is 'ere, zat 'e is *mine*." Her voice cracked slightly. "But 'e is not mine. 'E is 'is own person. And I will not—I will *not* let my biology make me into somezing terrible."
"That takes remarkable strength," Superman said. "Gabrielle, I want you to know—what you're doing right now, fighting your instincts to respect Harry's autonomy—that's heroic. That's the kind of self-control most people never achieve."
"It does not feel 'eroic," Gabrielle said. "It feels like torture."
"Most heroic things do," Diana said. Her voice was gentle but firm. "Being a warrior means choosing duty over desire. You're choosing Harry's right to choose over your own biological imperatives. That's the definition of heroism."
Gabrielle looked at her, eyes shining with unshed tears. "And if it never gets easier? If I spend ze rest of my life aching for someone who does not want me?"
"Then you'll have lived with honor," Diana said simply. "You'll have been strong when it mattered. And Gabrielle—" She leaned forward. "—the mate-bond may not define your entire existence. You're seventeen. You have decades ahead of you. The bond may fade, or you may find other sources of fulfillment. Don't assume this pain is permanent."
"Veela mate-bonds are permanent," Gabrielle said flatly. "Zey do not fade. Zey do not go away. Until 'Arry accepts ze bond or I die, I will feel zis."
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "That's—Gabrielle, that's not fair to you. You shouldn't have to spend your life suffering because of something neither of us chose."
"Life is not fair," Gabrielle said, meeting his eyes for the first time since sitting down. "But I will not make it *unfair* to you as well. You did not ask for zis. You should not 'ave to feel guilty about it."
"Kind of hard not to feel guilty," Harry muttered.
"Then don't," Luna said, speaking for the first time since they'd entered the room. Her voice was serene, thoughtful. "Gabrielle's pain isn't your fault, Harry. And guilt won't help either of you. What might help is understanding."
"Understanding what?" Harry asked.
"Each other," Luna said simply. "Harry, you know Gabrielle was hurt by the mate-bond. But do you know what she's actually *feeling*? Not just 'she's in love with me,' but the specifics of what the bond does to her?"
Harry hesitated. "No. Not really."
"And Gabrielle," Luna continued, "you know Harry is uncomfortable with the bond. But do you know why? What specific fears or concerns he has?"
Gabrielle shook her head slowly.
"Then perhaps," Luna said, "this is an opportunity. Superman asked us here to assess our mental states, to ensure we're stable. But stability requires understanding. So maybe—with permission from both of you—you could explain to each other what you're experiencing."
Superman nodded slowly. "That's actually an excellent idea. Gabrielle, would you be comfortable explaining the mate-bond to Harry? What it feels like, what it demands of you?"
Gabrielle's hands twisted in her lap. "I—it is very personal. Very... *raw*."
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Harry said quickly. "Gabrielle, I'm not trying to pry. If it's too painful—"
"*Non*," Gabrielle interrupted. She took a shaky breath. "You are right. You deserve to understand. If we are to work together, if we are to be teammates, you should know what I am fighting." She paused, gathering herself. "Ze mate-bond is not just attraction, 'Arry. It is not just—'ow do you say—a crush. It is *compulsion*. Every cell in my body believes you are necessary for my survival. Like air. Like water."
She continued, her accent thickening with emotion: "When you are near, I feel... *complete*. As though a piece of me zat was missing 'as been returned. But also desperate. Because you are *right zere* and I cannot touch you, cannot 'old you, cannot—" She stopped, visibly struggling. "When you are far away, it is worse. An ache. A physical *pain* in my chest, like somezing is being torn from inside me."
"That sounds horrible," Harry said quietly.
"It is," Gabrielle agreed. "But ze worst part is ze *knowing*. I know zat zis bond is not real love. Real love is choice. Real love is—is wanting somezing because you 'ave chosen it, not because your biology demands it. And I know zat everyzing I feel for you might just be ze bond speaking. I cannot trust my own emotions. I cannot know if I truly care for you as a person, or if I am simply a prisoner of my Veela nature."
"Carol says you've learned to separate your feelings from the bond's influence," Superman said gently. "Is that true?"
"I 'ave learned to recognize when ze bond is speaking," Gabrielle said. "I can feel it—like a voice in my 'ead, whispering zat I should touch 'im, claim 'im, make certain 'e knows 'e belongs to me. And I can choose not to listen. But 'Arry—" She looked at him fully now, her violet eyes bright with tears. "—choosing not to listen does not make ze voice go away. It is always zere. Always demanding. I am strong enough to resist it. But I am not strong enough to make it stop."
The room was very quiet.
"I'm sorry," Harry said finally. "Gabrielle, I'm so sorry you're going through this. If I could make it stop—if there was any way to break the bond—"
"Zere is not," Gabrielle said. "Or if zere is, ze Veela do not share such knowledge. I 'ave researched. I 'ave asked. Zere is no known way to sever a mate-bond except through death." She smiled, sad and small. "So I will learn to live wiz it. To be strong despite it. And I will not let it control me."
"You're already doing that," Diana said. "Gabrielle, everything you've just described—recognizing the bond's influence, choosing not to act on it, maintaining distance despite the pain—that's mastery. That's control that many adults never achieve."
"It is necessary," Gabrielle said. "Because ze alternative is becoming somezing I would 'ate. A Star Sapphire who uses love as a weapon to possess someone. Carol showed me what zat looks like. What she *was*, before she learned control." She looked at Harry again. "I will not be zat, 'Arry. I promise you. No matter 'ow much it 'urts."
"I believe you," Harry said. And he did. The raw honesty in her voice, the visible pain she was fighting through to maintain her principles—that wasn't someone who would break easily.
"Your turn," Luna said, looking at Harry. "Gabrielle's shared what the bond feels like for her. What about you? What does knowing about the bond make you feel?"
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly? Overwhelmed. Three months ago, I was walking to my death. Then I became a Green Lantern. Then I spent three months training on an alien planet. And now I come back to Earth and find out that a girl I barely know is biologically bonded to me and suffering because I don't feel the same way. It's—" He laughed without humor. "—it's a lot."
"Are you afraid of her?" Superman asked quietly.
Harry considered the question. "Not afraid, exactly. But concerned. Batman said Star Sapphires can mind-control through emotional manipulation. That they can make people feel things, create connections that aren't real. And if Gabrielle lost control—"
"I will not lose control," Gabrielle said fiercely.
"You might," Harry said gently. "Not because you're weak, but because you're fighting something incredibly powerful. And if that happens—if the bond overrides your training and you try to make me love you—" He met her eyes. "—I'd have to stop you. I'd have to hurt you, maybe. And I don't want to do that, Gabrielle. You seem like a good person caught in a bad situation. Hurting you would feel wrong."
"So you are afraid," Gabrielle said.
"I'm cautious," Harry corrected. "There's a difference. I'm cautious because I've learned that power without control is dangerous. You've got control now. But what happens if you lose it? What happens if something pushes you past your limits?"
"Then you stop me," Gabrielle said simply. "You use your power to restrain me, to protect yourself, to ensure I do not become somezing terrible. Zat is what teammates do, *non*? Zey protect each other. Even from zemselves."
"That's very mature," Diana said approvingly.
"Ze Zamarons were not gentle teachers," Gabrielle said. "Zey taught me zat love without wisdom is obsession. Zat power without control is tyranny. And zat if I am to wield ze violet light, I must be willing to accept ze consequences when I fail." She looked at Superman. "I 'ave fail-safes. Carol 'as ze authority to strip my ring if I abuse its power. And I 'ave given 'er permission to do so wizout warning if she judges I 'ave lost control."
Superman's eyebrows rose. "That's—Gabrielle, that's incredibly brave. Giving someone the power to take away your ring—"
"Is necessary," Gabrielle finished. "Because I am sixteen. Because I 'ave a mate-bond zat could compromise my judgment. Because I am *powerful* and power requires accountability." She smiled slightly. "Batman would approve, I zink. Even if 'e was cruel about 'ow 'e revealed my secret."
"He was cruel," Diana agreed. "But he was also right that the information needed to be shared. And Gabrielle—" She leaned forward, her expression intense. "—I want you to understand something. You are not defined by this bond. You are a Star Sapphire. You are powerful, competent, and choosing to be heroic despite incredible pain. That matters. That's who you are. Not 'the girl with the unrequited mate-bond.' You're Gabrielle Delacour. Warrior of love. Remember that."
Something in Gabrielle's expression cracked. Tears spilled over, and she pressed her hands to her face. "'Ow do you do zat?" she whispered. "Everyone else sees me as a problem. As a risk. But you—you see me as a person."
"Because you are a person," Diana said firmly. "A young woman dealing with extraordinary circumstances with remarkable grace. That deserves recognition."
Gabrielle wiped at her tears, laughing shakily. "I am supposed to be professional. Star Sapphires do not cry in front of ze Justice League."
"Star Sapphires are powered by love," Superman said gently. "Love includes vulnerability. Tears aren't weakness, Gabrielle. They're honesty."
Luna stood and crossed to Gabrielle, enveloping her in a hug. The blue light of her ring pulsed, warm and comforting, and Harry felt something shift in the room. Hope, he realized. Luna was literally sharing hope with Gabrielle, using her ring to ease the other girl's pain.
"You're not alone," Luna said softly. "Harry and I are here. We're your teammates. Your friends. And we'll help you through this."
Gabrielle clung to Luna like a lifeline. "I do not deserve zis. I am a liability. A risk. I should not—"
"You deserve support," Luna interrupted firmly. "You deserve friends who understand what you're fighting. And Gabrielle—" She pulled back, looking the Star Sapphire in the eyes. "—the mate-bond doesn't make you evil. It makes you human. Well, part human. But the point stands."
Despite everything, Gabrielle laughed. "You are very strange, Luna Lovegood."
"Thank you," Luna said serenely. "I try."
Harry watched them, something warm settling in his chest. This was what teams were supposed to be. Not just people with complementary powers, but people who *cared* about each other. Who supported each other through impossible situations.
"Harry," Superman said, drawing his attention. "What do you need from us? From the League, from your team, from anyone. What would make this situation easier for you?"
Harry thought about it. "Honestly? Just... time. Time to process, time to figure out how to work with Gabrielle without making things worse, time to adjust to being back on Earth after three months in space. Everything's moving so fast. I just—I need things to slow down for a minute."
"We can do that," Superman said. "You're not required to start hero work immediately. Take a week. Visit your friends, reconnect with your family, figure out your new normal. The world's been managing without you for three months. It can manage for one more week."
"What about emergencies?" Harry asked. "If something happens—"
"Then we handle it," Diana said. "The League exists for exactly that reason. You're not responsible for every crisis, Harry. You're allowed to rest."
"I'm not very good at resting," Harry admitted.
"Then learn," Diana said firmly. "Being a hero is a marathon, not a sprint. If you burn yourself out in the first month, you're no good to anyone. Pace yourself."
"I'll try," Harry said.
Superman stood, moving to the center of the circle. "All right. Assessment time. Harry Potter—" He looked at Harry seriously. "—you're carrying a lot. The trauma of war, the responsibility of cosmic power, the guilt of surviving when others didn't. How are you really doing?"
Harry opened his mouth to say "fine," then stopped. These people had earned honesty. "I'm... coping. The training on Oa helped—Kilowog didn't give me time to wallow. But I think about Fred Weasley. About Colin Creevey. About everyone who died. And I wonder why I get to be here, why I get to have power and protection and a second chance, when they don't."
"Survivor's guilt," Superman said quietly. "I know it well. When Krypton died, I was the only one saved. For years, I wondered why I deserved to live when billions died. What made me special."
"What answer did you find?" Harry asked.
"That I didn't deserve it," Superman said simply. "No one 'deserves' to survive a tragedy. Survival is random, chaotic, often meaningless. But what you do with that survival—*that's* what matters. You can let guilt consume you, or you can honor those who died by living well. By using your second chance to help others."
"I'm trying," Harry said. "But it's hard. Every time I use the Starheart, I think about how Fred would've loved to see it. How he'd have made jokes about me being a space cop. And then I remember he's gone, and it—" His voice cracked. "—it hurts."
"It will hurt for a long time," Diana said. "Perhaps forever. But Harry, pain is not a sign that something's wrong. It's a sign that you loved them. Honor that love by living the life they can't."
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
"Luna Lovegood," Superman continued, turning to her. "You've spent three months learning to wield hope. You saved an entire planet from despair during your training. How are you managing the weight of that responsibility?"
Luna tilted her head thoughtfully. "I don't see it as weight. Hope is light—it lifts rather than burdens. When I share hope with others, I don't lose any of my own. If anything, I gain more. It's like lighting candles from a flame—you don't diminish the original light. You multiply it."
"That's a beautiful way to see it," Superman said. "But Luna, you're also sixteen. You've taken on the responsibility of being a cosmic emotional anchor. Doesn't that ever feel like too much?"
"Sometimes," Luna admitted. "On Teron Five, when I was trying to help an entire planet recover from trauma, there were moments I felt inadequate. Like my hope wasn't enough, wasn't strong enough to make a difference. But then I'd see someone smile for the first time in months. Or I'd watch a child play again, rediscovering joy. And I'd realize—I'm not supposed to fix everything. I'm just supposed to remind people that fixing is possible."
"You're very wise for someone so young," Diana said.
"I've had good teachers," Luna said. "My mother taught me to look for the wonder in everything. My father taught me to question assumptions. And the war taught me that hope isn't about ignorance—it's about choosing to believe despite knowledge of darkness."
"What do you need from us?" Superman asked. "What would make your job easier?"
Luna thought about it. "Partnership. I work best when I'm supporting others—when my hope can enhance their will or love or whatever they're fighting with. So I need Harry and Gabrielle to trust me. To let me help them when things get hard."
"We trust you," Harry said immediately. "Luna, you're probably the person I trust most in the universe right now."
"Besides Ron and Hermione," Luna corrected.
"Besides Ron and Hermione," Harry agreed, smiling.
"And you, Gabrielle Delacour," Superman said, his tone gentler now. "We've talked about the mate-bond, about the pain you're managing. But I want to know—beyond that, beyond Harry—how are *you*? As a person, as a hero, as someone who just spent three months with the Zamarons."
Gabrielle was quiet for a long moment. "I am... learning," she said finally. "Learning zat I am more zan ze bond. More zan my Veela 'eritage. More zan ze girl who looked at 'Arry Potter wiz 'ero worship when she was eight years old." She paused. "Ze Zamarons taught me zat love is action. Not feeling, not instinct, but *choice*. And I am choosing—every day, every moment—to love ze world instead of just one person. To fight for connection and 'ealing and beauty instead of obsessing over somezing I cannot 'ave."
"That's remarkable growth," Diana said.
"It 'ad to be," Gabrielle said simply. "Because ze alternative was becoming a monster. And I refuse to be zat." She looked at Harry, her expression complex. "I will always care for you, 'Arry. Ze bond ensures zat. But I will not let zat caring consume me. I am a Star Sapphire. I 'ave responsibilities beyond my own feelings."
"I'm glad," Harry said quietly. "Not that you're in pain—I hate that. But I'm glad you're choosing to be strong. It makes working together feel less... dangerous."
"It is still dangerous," Gabrielle said honestly. "I am not perfect. I may fail. But I will try not to."
"That's all anyone can ask," Superman said. He looked at all three of them. "My assessment is this: you're all stable. You're all dealing with significant challenges, but you're doing so with remarkable maturity. Harry, you're managing survivor's guilt and cosmic power. Luna, you're wielding hope while maintaining your sense of wonder. And Gabrielle, you're fighting a biological imperative with sheer force of will." He smiled. "I think Earth's Lanterns are going to be just fine."
"Should we do zis every week?" Gabrielle asked. "Ze assessment?"
"For the first month, yes," Superman said. "After that, we'll see. But Gabrielle—" He moved closer to her. "—I want you to promise me something. If the mate-bond becomes too much, if you feel yourself losing control, you call for help immediately. Don't wait until you've done something you'll regret. Reach out."
"I promise," Gabrielle said. "Carol 'as made me swear ze same zing. I will not suffer in silence."
"Good." Superman activated his communicator. "Batman, Diana, we're done with the initial assessment. All three are cleared for operations, with weekly check-ins."
Batman's voice came through: *"Understood. Contingency plans are being finalized."*
"You're really making plans to stop us if we go rogue," Harry said, shaking his head.
*"Yes. And you should be grateful. It means I think you're worth saving if something goes wrong."*
The communicator clicked off.
"He's really intense," Luna observed.
"He's Batman," Diana said, as if that explained everything. And somehow, it did.
"All right," Superman said, clapping his hands together. "You three are officially cleared. Welcome to Earth's superhero community. Try not to break anything too important."
"No promises," Harry said, and despite everything, he was smiling.
They stood, preparing to leave, when Gabrielle spoke up quietly: "'Arry? Could we—could we speak? Privately? Just for a moment?"
Harry glanced at Superman, who nodded. "Take your time. We'll be outside when you're ready."
The others filed out, leaving Harry and Gabrielle alone in the observation chamber. Earth turned slowly beneath them, beautiful and fragile and home.
"I want to apologize," Gabrielle said, not looking at him. "For everyzing. For ze bond, for ze awkwardness, for making your life more complicated when you already 'ave so much to deal wiz."
"You don't need to apologize," Harry said. "Gabrielle, none of this is your fault."
"But it affects you anyway," Gabrielle said. "And I—I want you to know zat I meant what I said. I will not let zis bond control me. I will not make you uncomfortable. If working togezzer is too difficult, I can request reassignment. Ze Zamarons can send me to a different sector—"
"No," Harry said firmly. "Gabrielle, you're French. France is your home. You shouldn't have to leave because of me."
"Zen what do we do?" Gabrielle asked, finally meeting his eyes. "''Ow do we work togezzer when my biology is screaming at me every time I see you?"
Harry thought about it. About Batman's warnings, about the mate-bond's power, about the girl standing in front of him fighting so hard to be good despite impossible circumstances.
"We figure it out," Harry said. "Together. You keep doing what you're doing—maintaining control, being professional, not letting the bond override your judgment. And I—" He paused. "—I learn about Veela mate-bonds. I understand what you're fighting. And I try to make things easier for you without compromising either of our autonomy."
"'Ow?" Gabrielle asked.
"I don't know yet," Harry admitted. "But Luna's right—understanding helps. So maybe we start there. You teach me about Veela culture, about what the mate-bond means beyond just 'biological attraction.' And I—" He smiled slightly. "—I get to know you as a person. Not 'Fleur's little sister' or 'the girl with the mate-bond.' Just Gabrielle."
"You want to be friends?" Gabrielle asked, and there was something fragile in her voice.
"I want to be teammates who trust each other," Harry said. "Whether that becomes friendship, whether it becomes something else someday, whether it stays purely professional—I don't know. But I do know that hiding from this, avoiding each other, pretending the bond doesn't exist—that's not sustainable. So we face it. Together."
Gabrielle's eyes shone with tears. "You are very kind, 'Arry Potter. Kinder zan I deserve."
"You deserve kindness," Harry said. "Everyone does. Especially people fighting as hard as you are."
She wiped at her eyes, laughing shakily. "I am supposed to be composed. Star Sapphires do not cry twice in one conversation."
"Star Sapphires are human," Harry said. "Well, part human. But the point stands. You're allowed to feel things."
"Zank you," Gabrielle whispered. She took a deep breath, visibly steadying herself. "I should let you go. Your friends are waiting. 'Ermione and Ron—zey must be desperate to see you."
"They've been patient for three months," Harry said. "They can wait five more minutes." He paused. "Gabrielle, one more thing. If you need help—if the bond gets too strong, if you're struggling—you can talk to me. Not because of the bond, but because we're teammates. Okay?"
"Okay," Gabrielle said softly. "And 'Arry? Ze same goes for you. If you need somezing—support, 'elp, just someone to talk to—I am 'ere. Not as your mate. As your friend."
"Friends," Harry said, testing the word. It felt right. "Yeah. I think I'd like that."
Gabrielle smiled—the first real, unguarded smile he'd seen from her since arriving at the Watchtower. It transformed her face, made her look younger, less burdened. "Friends," she agreed. "It is a start, *non*?"
"It's a good start," Harry said.
They stood there for a moment, the tension that had filled the room earlier finally dissipating. It wasn't perfect—the mate-bond still existed, the complications still loomed, the challenges hadn't disappeared. But it was better. They'd faced the problem honestly, talked through it, found a path forward that respected both of them.
It was, Harry thought, exactly what teammates should do.
"Come on," he said, heading for the door. "Let's go face the rest of our complicated lives."
Gabrielle followed, and as they left the observation chamber together, Harry felt the Starheart pulse with approval.
*Well done,* it said. *You chose compassion over avoidance. Understanding over fear. That's what makes you worthy of me.*
*I'm just trying to do the right thing,* Harry thought back.
*Yes,* the Starheart agreed. *That's exactly my point.*
Outside, the rest of the team was waiting. Superman smiled when he saw them. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's complicated," Harry said. "But we're dealing with it."
"That's all we can ask," Superman said. "Now—who wants to learn how to fly to Britain at supersonic speeds without causing sonic booms?"
"That's possible?" Harry asked.
"With the right technique," Superman said, grinning. "Come on. I'll race you."
And as they took to the sky—three Earth Lanterns and the Man of Steel, flying toward Britain and home and whatever came next—Harry felt something he hadn't felt in months.
Hope.
Not Luna's cosmic hope, though her blue light certainly helped.
Just... regular human hope. The belief that maybe, despite everything, despite the complications and the trauma and the impossible choices, things might actually be okay.
It was a start.
And for Harry Potter, who'd spent so long just trying to survive, a start was more than enough.
—-
# The Shrieking Shack - Three Months After the Battle
Fenrir Greyback crouched in the darkness of the abandoned shack, his scarred hands flexing with barely controlled rage. Three months. Three months of hiding like a wounded animal while his body healed from the curses and hexes that had nearly killed him during the battle.
The silver burns across his chest still ached. Some witch—he hadn't seen who—had hit him with something that had felt like liquid fire. He'd barely escaped, dragging himself into the Forbidden Forest while everyone was distracted by Potter's dramatic transformation.
Cowards. All of them. Celebrating their precious victory while the real predators slipped away.
But Fenrir Greyback hadn't survived forty years as a werewolf by being stupid. He'd hidden. Healed. Waited for the Ministry's manhunt to lose momentum. And now, finally, he was ready to remind the wizarding world what happened when they thought they'd won.
"Remus Lupin," Fenrir growled to himself, testing the name like a curse. The boy he'd bitten decades ago to punish Lyall Lupin's insults. The werewolf who'd rejected his own nature, sided with Dumbledore's pathetic Order, died playing hero.
"Died with his blood traitor of a wife, leaving an orphan behind."
An orphan.
Fenrir's lips pulled back from his yellowed teeth in something that might have been a smile. He'd heard about it from sympathizers still loyal to the Dark Lord's cause. Remus Lupin's son—Teddy, they called him—barely a year old, being raised by his grandmother. Protected, loved, sheltered from the darkness that had claimed his parents.
*Protected.*
The word was laughable. Wizards always thought their wards and spells could keep out the monsters. They never understood that the worst monsters looked human most of the time.
Fenrir pulled out a scrap of parchment—directions to Andromeda Tonks's cottage, purchased from a Death Eater too desperate for gold to be cautious. The security would be significant, certainly. The child was Harry Potter's godson, after all. But Fenrir had learned long ago how to slip past wards designed by people who thought werewolves were only dangerous during the full moon.
Fools. He was *always* dangerous.
"Remus rejected what he was," Fenrir muttered, his voice rough as gravel. "Tried to be one of *them*. Died for it too. But his son—" His hands clenched into fists. "His son will learn what it means to be a werewolf. What it means to hunt instead of hide. What it means to be *powerful*."
He'd bite the child. Infect him young, like he'd done to Remus. Watch as Teddy Lupin grew up knowing that the monster who'd killed his father had also made him into a monster. It would be poetic. A legacy of violence passed from generation to generation.
And if the child died from the bite—well, some lessons required blood.
Fenrir stood, his joints cracking after months of cramped hiding. The moon would be full in three days. Not ideal—transforming made him obvious, drew attention—but the wolf's strength would help if Potter's friends tried to intervene.
Besides, there was something fitting about attacking on the full moon. Remus had always hated what he became during those nights. Hated the wolf, hated himself, hated everything about their shared nature.
His son would learn better. Or die trying.
Fenrir shouldered his tattered cloak and moved toward the Shack's exit, moving with the predator's grace that had kept him alive through decades of hunting. The wizarding world thought the war was over. Thought they were safe now that the Dark Lord was gone.
They'd forgotten about the wolves.
That would be their mistake.
"Coming for you, little Lupin," Fenrir whispered into the darkness. "Time to meet your father's maker."
And the Shrieking Shack, which had once sheltered a terrified boy during his monthly transformations, stood silent as a different kind of monster slipped into the night.
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Hey fellow fanfic enthusiasts!
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Whether you loved it, hated it, or have some constructive criticism, your feedback is super important to me. Feel free to drop a comment or send me a message with your thoughts. Can't wait to hear from you!
If you're passionate about fanfiction and love discussing stories, characters, and plot twists, then you're in the right place! I've created a Discord (HHHwRsB6wd) server dedicated to diving deep into the world of fanfiction, especially my own stories. Whether you're a reader, a writer, or just someone who enjoys a good tale, I welcome you to join us for lively discussions, feedback sessions, and maybe even some sneak peeks into upcoming chapters, along with artwork related to the stories. Let's nerd out together over our favorite fandoms and explore the endless possibilities of storytelling!
Can't wait to see you there!