Amongst the Hunted Moons

Notes:

Welcome back my fellow readers, wanted to let you know before we got started that this will probably be a shorter chapter than normal.

As to why? Well, I've had some sleeping issues pop up in the form of night terrors. Don't worry they're normal and are already going away, I actually got some sleep last night!

Anyway, we are almost to the full moon where Harry finds his hunt for the year and the real meat of the story is.

But enough with this mortal talk, on with the show!

Defense Against the Dark Arts tower, Hogwarts, November 20th.

It was a few weeks before I could catch Professor Lupin alone again, with Quidditch practice, training with Atalanta in hand-to-hand combat, and Hermione's tutoring sessions, I barely had free time for myself let alone trying to talk to him alone. Today was my lucky break, Professor Lupin had dismissed the class early, and with it being an off day in training and Hermione burying herself in the history section looking for something, though what she hadn't told me or Ron about, I had some rare free time today.

"Umm, Professor do you have a moment to talk?" I ask as the last of the class leaves the room, Professor Lupin looks up at me after he drapes a dark curtain over the tank of the dark creature we had been studying this week with a smile.

"Of course Harry, I also told you to call me Remus outside of class." He says with a tired smile, he looks pale and sickly, his face flushed red as if he was running a fever.

"Right, umm sorry," I say as I scratch the back of my head awkwardly, "I wanted to ask if you've considered what I asked about last time we had tea," I say hopefully, as I shift my weight from one foot to the other, getting antsy from all the standing around. He sighs and drops his head before rubbing his eyes.

"I have Harry." He says as a pit begins to form in my stomach with anxiety feeling it, he looks back up at me with sadness in his old eyes, "I don't think you understand what you're asking me to teach you, Harry" I open my mouth to tell him I did but he holds up a hand to stop me, "I'm not talking about spell itself, but the intricacies behind it, it is a very old and powerful esoteric spell. The reason that it's a post-NEWT spell is that it needs an older core to be able to cast, even then very few can successfully cast the spell, there are only five Wixen in this whole school able to cast the spell myself included in that number." He says with a defeated sigh.

"But if the Dementors show up again, I need to know how to defend myself. I don't…" I hesitate not wanting to tell him what I hear every time they're near me. "Want to fall off my broom again, I-I spend too much time in the hospital wing as it is," I say as a joke, but he just looks at me oddly before his lips press in a thin line.

"I doubt they'll show up at the next game, Dumbledore was very cross with them. You'll be fi-" he tries to tell me but I cut him off.

"And if they show up anyway? What then?" I ask as I feel the anxiety give away to a hot coal of anger and my voice raises with it, "I fall and hope someone stops me before I hit the ground and die?" I ask him, not yelling but getting louder with each word, all he does is avoid my eyes and apologizes.

"I'm sorry Harry, you're not ready yet." He then turns and gathers his things at his desk and begins to walk towards his office door. I can feel my teeth grinding, I want to curse and yell but that never helped when I was little, and it wouldn't help now. So, I say something I know he couldn't ignore.

"Lily, it's him," I say in a whisper, something a normal person couldn't hear but Professor Lupin still stops, hand raised to open his office door, "Get Harry and run, Go!" I say louder this time, "Please take me, kill me, not my Harry. Kill me instead-"

"Stop." He whispers out, but I don't.

"Step aside you silly girl, step aside. No, please have mercy-" I continue, my voice dead as the words echo in my head, replaying like some horrible movie I can't get away from.

"I said stop!" He says louder, not in anger but in desperation not to hear anymore when he realized what he was hearing.

I turn to him, the same desperation choking my voice as I say "I hear them every time those things are near me, it took a while to figure out what it was but I-I can't hear it again I…" my voice cracks with emotion "I can't hear that again, please." I ask him again, but he doesn't say a word. Just standing there, not saying a word, not helping like most adults in my life, after a minute I growl out "Fine, be like that." I turn and grab my bag and storm towards the door.

"Wait,…" he says as I make it to the door, stopping me and I turn back to look at him, his eyes wet from holding back tears as a look of profound sadness settles on his face. "It won't be until after the holidays, with my illness acting up again and midterms coming up, the best chance to teach you is after the holidays, Harry." He says in a defeated tone of voice.

I look away from him, shame burning in me for what I had just done. "I-Im sorry for…" I trail off, not really knowing what to say, I had just told the man the last words of his best friends before they died. He'll probably hate me as McGonagall and Snape do, but I hear him sigh out.

"No Harry, I'm sorry." He says and it surprised me, I look up with im sure was a look of confusion on my face as he explains, "I'm sorry for a lot of things Harry, I should have…" his lips pressed into a firm line, "I should have guessed that was what you would have heard, but I didn't think you'd remember it. You were only one when it happened, I had no idea the Dementors could draw on memories from that young. I'm sorry Harry, I've failed your mother and father in many ways, but this one I won't." Professor Lupin tells me, with a voice full of regret and purpose.

I open my mouth to say something, but I can't find the words, so I simply nod my head and leave. I shut the door behind me with a sigh, I hated that, hated looking weak or showing something like that to anyone. I shuddered just outside the door and hear Professor Lupin enter his office, I decided to take a long way around to get back to Gryffindor Tower. The walk will help me clear my head.

I take a moment to think if I should go see Hedwig before deciding against it, she was probably asleep and would be cranky if I woke her up before dusk. I take off for the main part of the castle taking the back corridors and passages like I always do, they were better than the main hallways so full of people, loud, noisy, slow people. I never understood why everyone seemed to move at a snail's pace to get somewhere like they wanted to be late or had liked the overcrowded hallways; it was beyond annoying to me. Too many smells, too much noise, too many people.

Just last week when Atalanta was acting as a bodyguard for me she had asked why I always take the longer routes to class, I had explained, and unlike Ron who looked confused, or Hermione who had asked a lot of questions, she had just nodded and accepted it.

That's what I liked about Atalanta, she would ask something and never judged me on the answer, never interrogated me on the answer, just accepted it or explained a possible reason why. It was only when we arrived at class had she told me what the possible reason was, enhanced senses. Sight, hearing, smell, and even taste could be improved by pulling on the hunt and that is what I was probably doing. This was just another reason why she was so sure my divine parent is one of the hunt, I accessed it far more easily than she could. I wonder about them from time to time, how they feel about having a useless freak for a kid, they were probably ashamed of me, Atalanta had told me I should try praying or burning an offering in their name, to try and forge a connection to them, but I don't know, I feel like it wouldn't work. That they were the type to ignore it, it was just a feeling, one of the bone-deep ones that settled in my gut and wouldn't leave. Maybe I should pray to them next time I was on a hunt, maybe that would get their attention, and maybe they could help me get away from the-

I shook my head to rid myself of that thought, no one was going to help me with that, I was just an unwanted freak, it didn't matter where I went. It didn't matter in the long run, once I turn seventeen I can leave there, I would finally be free from-

I hear something when turning along the charms corridor, like labored breathing, someone trying to breathe through a straw and wheezing out of one. I stop and listen, the sound was coming from a flight of stairs that went up to the sixth floor, walking over to it and following the sound to a large portrait of a dark-haired man holding a shield and a wand looking at me, "Thank Merlin someone showed up, listen here boy," I flinch slightly at the word but the man continues, "There is the first year of my old house behind me, she seems to be affected with something. You need to tap your wand against my frame thrice and get her to the hospital wing. I've tried to contact her head of house but the man is teaching at the moment and not in his office."

I blink twice before pulling out my wand and tap on the frame three times, the portrait opens up with a pop and swings wide to reveal a landing leading to a set of stairs that lead down, laying against one of the walls is a first-year by her size, but she looks thin and frail, her breath coming out in short

weezing gasps that sound painful. Black lines run over her face and hands stand out on her pale skin, as if something was creeping through her veins with her blood. Her eyes were shut so I couldn't tell if she was unconscious or not, but I waste no more time as I scoop her up, she feels bone-thin and light as a bag of feathers; did someone do this to her? My blood aches at that thought, for someone to attack a first year like this wasn't a nice thing to do, it was like the Chamber of Secrets all over again.

I take off in a burst of speed, running as fast as my legs could carry me making it back to the main hallways of the castle, they were mostly empty by now thanks to everyone returning to their common rooms but still a few stragglers left in the corridors. I slip around and through them, as I make my way to the hospital wing, taking the shortest path I know, hauling the little girl in my arms up the flights of stairs and around corners, nearly knocking over plenty of people but I pay them no mind as I hear her breaths become more labored and her heart beating more erratically, a shock of panic shoots through me. She was getting worse and my time was getting shorter, so I did something I didn't think I would do so soon, I prayed.

Please, I need help, I need to get her to the hospital wing, I need to be faster. I don't want to let her die.

As I turn the next corner I could have sworn I heard a scoff before I feel my ears pop, everything becomes clearer, I watch what little students move even slower like they were moving through tar as I feel my legs move faster, I move through the people like wind through the trees. I push myself harder than ever before and I can't help the smile that splits my face, it felt amazing moving this fast, I felt amazing as I jumped on the railing and run up it to avoid a large crowd of Hufflepuff as I turn the final corner and rush down the hall, crashing through the door with my shoulder screaming "Madam Pomfrey!" It takes no time at all to hear her call back.

"Mister Potter, I swear if you are back here for something so soon I will strap you to a be-" she stops dead as she comes from her office and see the girl in my arms, she wastes no time before telling me to put her on a bed in which I quickly move to do as she makes it to me and the girl, wand out and casting spells.

She mutters a curse under her breath, before casting a spell I couldn't even understand or let alone pronounce before turning to me.

"Mister Potter, go into my office and use the floo to contact Professor Snape, use Severus Snape's office, tell him that Astoria is having an attack, he'll know what you mean. Go now!" She orders me and I shoot off to her office, skidding to a stop in front of the fireplace before grabbing a handful of the green powder from the mantel and tossing it into the fire calling out the location, the fire turns green, and spins in place before the coals turn dark poisonous green.

"Umm, Professor Snape?" I call into the coals, "are you there? Can you hear me?!" I call letting some of the panic bleed into my voice.

"Potter, what in Merlin's name are you doing?" He snarls out, I must have disturbed him doing something, but I answer him anyway.

"I'm in the hospital wing, Astoria is having an attack, Madam Pomfrey is with her right now." No sooner had the words left my mouth that he had cursed.

"Salazar's sodomites!" He had said, pretty sure he was talking about the death eaters there, "Move out of the way boy I'm coming through." He orders and I back away as the floo bursts into green flame and he steps out before breaking into a run down the wing.

"Severus!" I hear Madam Pomfrey call as Professor Snape charges down the way.

"I'm here, how long?" He asks obviously knowing what was going on more than I did, as I follow.

"No clue, Mister Potter brought her in less than a minute ago." She says and Professor Snape's head snaps to me before turning back to the girl and pulling a large bottle out of the pocket of his robe before tapping with his wand and flicking it towards the girl. Madam Pomfrey starts to cast more spells in quick succession as Professor Snape turns back to me, his eyes narrowing a bit when he looks at me, caution coloring his face for a moment before going blank.

"How long has she been like this?" He asks in a low but serious voice.

I open my mouth to answer but I feel my ears pop and my legs begin to cramp, but I'm able to choke out through the pain "I-I don't know sir, I fou-found her inside a secret passage by the Charms corr-corridor and r-r-ran her up her-here." I'm barely able to make out as the cramps begin to spread, my breath comes out rough like I can't get enough in my lungs and I stumble back grabbing the metal frame of the bed behind to keep myself standing as the I feel it spread to my back and neck, I grit my teeth as blood rushes to my ears and thoughts begin to get hard to form, all I want all I want, …

Is to hunt.

To chase something, it didn't matter what.

And I can hear the heartbeats behind my closed eyes, one weak and fluttering, it wouldn't do, better to kill it quickly, no. I shouldn't do that.

I hear a squeal of something as I squeeze the bed frame harder, I'm not a killer, I'm a hunter. But the heartbeats one fluttering with panic now, it will run first then I could chase it No! I let out a ragged breath, I need to get away, it's singing to me, I need it. I want it.

"Harry!" A voice screams at me and I'm finally able to breathe, a gasp escapes my lips as I draw in a breath and collapse to a knee before opening my eyes. Professor Snape is standing in front of Madam Pomfrey with his wand out, pointing down, but still at the ready.

"Are you okay Potter?" He asks, not relaxing, I don't think I can speak so I just nod my head, I can feel the sweat on my forehead and running down my back as Professor Snape begins to relax, "Are you sure?" His voice is soft.

"Y-Yeah, I just-just need some air," I say as I stand, my body feels sluggish as I stand and begin to move to the door, my head swimming as I leave in rush trying to get away from people as Professor Snape calls after me, making my way to the astronomy tower and climbing the stairs to the top before pushing the hatch open and dropping to my knees before rolling onto my back. It was quiet up here, away from the heartbeats of other people I feel the pull of the hunt begin to recede with the soreness, as I close my eyes I can hear the voice that had called my name say something as I pass out.

"As the hunt feeds you, you feed the hunt. But beware for if you don't, because the hunt will feed on you instead."

Notes:

Well, that was a fun chapter. Harry finding out the backlash of a hunter not hunting when pulling on the domain.

I can not overstate how dangerous of a domain it is, I'm pulling inspiration from The Magnus Archives with it. My head canon is that the hunt is one of the oldest domains, if not the oldest domain predating humanity by many, many centuries. I'll probably get more into it later on with Artemis.

Did I put Astoria in this just so I have a reason to have another Daphne scene? Maybe. Or perhaps it was a maiden in trouble and Harry wanted to do his saving people thing.

Also, weird that Hermione is looking through the history section, wonder what that is about?

The next chapter is gonna be longer because we move into the full moon where Harry gets his hunt for the year.

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