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Chapter 13 - Chapter 13

At the time, Harry had failed to see how Hermione wasn't as surprised by this transformation as she should've been for a muggleborn and raised girl and was actively using Harry for her own protection as was Ronald. As if either of them could realistically shelter effectively behind a boy who was smaller in body mass and height than either of them.

But once again Professor Snape saved Harry's life when the werewolf turned on him. And there was no doubt in Harry's mind Lupin had turned on Harry personally. The wolf hadn't even noticed anyone else was there as was evidenced by the fact Snape was able to send him reeling with a punch to the jaw gaining enough space to get between Harry and Lupin. Considering werewolves were a hell of a lot stronger than normal people, this said everything that needed to be said about the focus of Lupin's werewolf form. Or maybe just how physically strong Severus Snape was when he was angry and panicking. And he had been panicking.

As much as Snape hated Harry, he apparently didn't want him to die or be turned into some kind of a monster. From the safety of Snape's arms, Harry had looked up and seen the fear and horror in the teacher's black eyes. Horror, he knew had to have been clearly evident in his own eyes and expression as well.

But his mind had finally absorbed all it could handle. Harry was deep in shock and all he could do was stand there clutching his teacher's robes and hoping the protection his teacher offered would be enough to save them. Softly and quietly, he was begging his Mum to do something to save them but he was unaware of it at the time. Snape had later told him he rather thought Lily had heard him and sent Sirius back to distract Lupin. He hadn't even felt it when the man puled him closer and pushed his head into his own chest to break the eye contact. Nor did he realize that eye contact had been the reason Snape had pulled him closer. Because even Snape knew Harry had his mother's eyes and at that close of a range he couldn't hide from them. Even if he'd wanted to.

Ron supposedly had a broken leg from Sirius's attempt to get Scabbers from him. Looking backwards through time, Harry had his doubts about that, since that same supposedly broken leg hadn't prevented the redhead from chasing after the three Marauders at a full run over rough, broken terrain that included stairs needing to be climbed, crawling on hands and knees and edging around partial cave-ins and dangling tree roots before Remus turned into the werewolf. Harry and Hermione, who both had healthy unbroken limbs, hadn't managed to catch up to him until they emerged from under the Whomping Willow where werewolf Remus was waiting for them.

If his leg had truly been broken there was no way he could've made that trip without Harry, who was very small, nimble and fleet of foot regardless of the involved terrain, catching up to him before then. Harry had suffered more than a few broken bones in his lifetime and he knew damn well one did not run on a broken leg if one didn't need to. And chasing something after your pet rat wasn't reason enough to run on a broken leg no matter how poor your family was. Or how possessive you were about things you claimed as belonging to yourself.

Hermione was supposedly just as deeply shocked as Harry. And maybe that was actually the truth. After all, knowing in your head something was true wasn't quite the same thing as coming face to face with it. Like Harry, she was muggle raised and for muggles, werewolves, vampires and other creatures of the night belonged in horror picture shows. Mostly B rated ones. Yet here they were being presented with a real live werewolf up close and personal with no director to yell "Cut" when he got to the point of biting one of them. Neither of them could think of what to do to save themselves. Harry was just too unable to handle any more shocks at that time to notice Hermione wasn't quite as shocked as she should've been. Nor had she been watching Lupin. Instead, she had glued her sights on Harry and was observing his reaction to Lupin's transformation. There was a measure of glee in her expression but Harry was in no state at the time to notice it.

As much as Severus Snape hated Harry Potter, he'd never once mentioned that moment of weakness during the days that had followed the event. Or how he had folded his own arms around the boy drawing him closer still and smothering the distressed sounds Harry was making as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. Nor had he ever commented on the low voiced humming he was doing to try and calm Harry down. Nor had he ever mentioned his ruined robes and the two sets of five very obvious claw made rips in the black fabric gained when Lupin had grabbed onto them preparing to rip him away from Harry.

Sirius had abandoned the chase for Peter and come roaring back to save his friend from further attacking the children, knowing Remus well enough to know if he hurt any of them he'd never forgive himself even if they did. Which considering they'd either be dead or turned, they probably wouldn't. Together, the Grim Dog and Werewolf took off into the Forbidden Forest to chase each other and hopefully run across the rat Sirius wanted to find more than anything else in the world. Just as they'd done long ago when they themselves had been students walking the Hogwarts Halls.

Harry had no illusions as to the reason Sirius had abandoned the chase of Scabbers to come distract Remus. He never did have any. Even then he'd known Sirius only did so because Remus was his friend and Remus wouldn't have been able to live with himself knowing he'd hurt someone while in his cursed state.

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