Unexpected by JAWorley
Summary: Some unexpected changes are taking place in Harry's body, which are sure to make for an interesting 6th year. He will have to rely on Ron, a mysterious man, and a snarky Potion's master to get him through the year.
Categories: Healer Snape, Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape, Teacher Snape > Professor Snape, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape, Snape Equal Status to Harry > Comrades Snape and Harry Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Dumbledore, Ginny, Hagrid, Hermione, McGonagall, Original Character, Other, Petunia, Pomfrey, Remus, Ron
Snape Flavour: Snape is Angry, Canon Snape, Snape Comforts, Snape is Mean, Overly-protective Snape, Snape is Secretive, Snape is Stern
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Fantasy, General, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Supernatural
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe, Creature!fic, Hospitalization, Incognito!Harry, Injured!Harry, Physical Impairment, Runaway, Spying on Harry! Snape, Werewolf!Harry, Werewolf!Snape, Werewolves
Takes Place: 6th summer, 6th Year
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys, Neglect, Profanity, Violence
Prompts: Harry is a werewolf
Challenges: Harry is a werewolf
Series: None
Chapters: 9 Completed: No Word count: 29112 Read: 42004 Published: 28 Dec 2011 Updated: 08 Apr 2018
Under Suspicion by JAWorley
Harry thought Ron was still a little in shock the next morning from all that Harry had told him after the start of term feast. They'd snuck out of the tower and into an unused classroom around midnight so that Harry could fill him in on his last two weeks, including nearly being speared by the hunter's arrows again.

"I just can't believe it," Ron said as they walked to the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast, bags slung over their shoulders. "And he said the- the you know is after you too?" Ron had lowered his voice, aware of Harry's need for secrecy.

Harry nodded, knowing Ron was talking about the Alpha.

"Geez. Maybe we should start taking bets to see who gets to you first."

"I'll bet on Professor Snape," a silky voice said behind them then, and Harry and Ron froze, slowly turning to find their Professor standing behind them with his arms crossed.

"Sir?"

Snape eyed them warily and then said, "It's not even the end of the first day and you're up to something Potter." It was a statement of fact, and Harry didn't bother denying it. Once this man had his mind made up about something, there was no disputing it.

"I'm warning you," Snape said then in a deadly tone, "I desire a mostly Potter free year. And if I have to expel you to get it, make no mistake that I will." He stalked past them then and Harry let out a long breath.

"Right then," Ron said. "Add Snape to the list."

"Add Snape to the list," Harry repeated bitterly. Voldemort, Flagari, Alpha, Snape.

"Anyone else?" Ron half joked, trying to make his friend feel better.

Harry shrugged and said, "We'll see."

* * *

Harry only wished the list of people out to get him could be a matter to joke around about. As if two weeks on the run hadn't been enough, Harry had to worry about just going out onto the castle grounds to go to Care of Magical Creatures or Herbology. At least the green houses weren't right next to a patch of woods like Hagrid's hut was.

First thing in the morning three days a week was Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins. Harry eyed the woods warily as he, Ron, and Hermione walked down towards Care of Magical Creatures right after breakfast.

"Did you hear something Harry?" Hermione asked, noticing that he kept looking in the woods.

"What? No," Harry said then, trying to refocus on watching where he was walking instead, but being unable.

"Then what do you keep looking at?"

Ron nudged her then and said, "We heard some Slytherins talking about werewolves. Rumor has it that one of them joined Voldemort and got bitten intentionally to be stronger."

Normally Harry would have been upset that Ron had put the idea of werewolves in Hermione's head at all, except that they had heard that rumor during breakfast, although Harry was sure it wasn't true. No one in their right mind would want to be a werewolf, except maybe Ethan, and Harry still wasn't sure if Ethan was in his right mind or not.

"Don't be silly," Hermione said. "If they'd been bitten the Ministry would know."

Panic gripped Harry's chest then as he turned to Hermione. "What?"

"All magical werewolves have to register. It's the Ministry's way of keeping them out of office and out of work." She sounded as disgusted as Harry was at the prospect.

"But they can't just detect it," Ron said then. "You have to actually go in and register. I doubt any death eater would."

"And besides that," Hermione continued, as if Ron hadn't said anything at all. "Just look at how the Slytherins have got you and Harry searching out in the forest. I'll bet they've spread the rumor just to scare people."

Harry gave another look out into the Forest. If only Hermione knew that it wasn't a Slytherin Were Harry was afraid of. But later that day both Harry's fears and Hermione's suspicions about the Slytherins would be confirmed.

Almost as if the castle were sensing all of Harry's fears and making him face them down, Harry had had to spend Herbology outside followed by Potions of all classes. Snape had never made them go out on the grounds for class before, but today he had marched them right into the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest to search for ingredients.

Harry stayed right next to Ron and Hermione as he tried to force his emotions to calm, to remind himself that if anyone was out here it would be Ethan, when a voice startled him and set his heart to pounding.

"Haven't seen any strange folk around ‘ere lately have yeh?"

Harry spun along with Ron to see a tall man with short dirty blond hair standing over Neville, who was trying to pick his Lily Gum flowers carefully. Neville shook a little like he usually did around Snape as he shook his head in response to the man. It only took a moment for Harry to size the man up and know that this was the Flagari hunter that was after him. Tall and lean with a brown leather jacket, a modern Muggle bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows slung over his back.

"What about you?" He turned to Ron who said, "Only you."

Turning back to Neville he asked sternly, "What about wolves? Seen any of them around? Werewolves maybe?"

Neville lifted a shaky finger and pointed at a group of horrified Slytherins which included Draco, Pansy, and Crabbe, who had been the one spreading the rumor in the first place.

"Well don't look at us!" Draco shouted, half panicked. Harry had the feeling that Draco knew this was a hunter too, if not by reputation than by the bow and arrows.

The man raised his brow, but before he could ask the Slytherins anything, Professor Snape came out of the trees and cleared his throat, drawing the hunter's attention.

"You are on Hogwarts school grounds and are trespassing." Snape's voice was stern and for once Harry was glad the man was there as the silent class watched on, uncertain of whom this man was or whom he might be aiming those arrows at.

"Am I? I care nothing for wizard boundaries."

"Perhaps I shall call the headmaster down then and inform him you are disturbing both the boundary and my Potions class."

The man gave a little chuckle then and held his hand up. "I meant nothing by it wizard. I track two werewolves. They've been on the run for weeks and they've run straight past your... boundaries."

Snape looked around at his students, who were still fairly spread out, some standing, others kneeling on the ground where they had stopped to listen in.

"Are any of you a werewolf?" Snape questioned in a threatening way.

People shook their heads and there were murmers of ‘No sir,' and ‘not me.' "See for yourself then. There are none here whom you need to be concerned about. The last werewolf we encountered left three years ago."

Everyone knew he was talking of Remus Lupin, but nobody said anything.

The hunter nodded then and said, "My name is Ignotius Everwood. If any should hear of werewolves, I will be... around." He smiled at Snape then as he spoke in general to the watching audience, and then moved off, deep into the forest.

"Maybe Aaragog's family will get him," Ron said quietly to Harry, unaware that Snape had caught the comment. But before Harry could reply, Snape was barking at the class to pack up their supplies and make a line to go back to the castle.

Feeling on edge as they walked back to the castle at a hurried pace, no doubt so Snape could inform Dumbledore of their visitor, Harry tried to calm his heartbeat, afraid that even though the moment had passed, he was still very close to transforming unexpectedly.

* * *

"Come forth. There is work to be done."

Harry could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and little else aside from the deep voice that bid him to make his way out of bed and out of the castle.

"You will taste flesh tonight. We will feast together."

Harry licked his lips. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. He would just do as he was told and everything would be all right.

"Come forth. Come forth."

"Potter!"

Harry snapped awake and spun to find himself standing in the middle of the Entrance Hall, feet bare and shirtless. Thankfully he had pajama bottoms on but he looked around himself, confused to find himself in the darkened entryway facing down an irate Potion's Master.

"What do you think you're doing out at three in the morning?"

Harry swallowed. He had no idea. He tried desperately to grasp onto the dream he'd been having, but all he could remember was a voice and the feeling that he desperately needed to be outside, breathing in the fresh outdoor air.

"Getting a snack sir?" he asked more than said. He wasn't quite to the oak front doors, so it was possible he could have been on his way to the Kitchens down the corridor off the Entrance Hall.

"Detention Potter," Snape said then, lip curled. "I warned you about your rule breaking this year, didn't I? Not even a week into the term and you're sneaking around at all hours of the night." He shook his head in disgust. "Get back to bed. You can serve your detention Saturday morning instead of going to Quidditch practice."

Harry murmured a quick "Yes sir," as he hurried past him and back up through the castle, heart pounding fiercely. What had just happened? Snape was the least of his worries, he decided, as he woke Ron up quietly a few minutes later so he could discuss his late night unconscious stroll through the castle.

"Didn't Ethan say something about the Alpha being able to control you?" Ron asked sleepily as they sat on the bathroom floor in Gryffindor tower a few minutes later, the only place they could be sure they wouldn't be overheard.

Harry worked it over in his mind, trying to recall the dream he'd been having once again. "I think he was calling to me. He must be close."

Ron shuddered and said, "We can ward you into your bed at night."

"What if he comes into the castle to get to me then?"

"We'll have to ward the tower against intruders then. I doubt he'll get past the fat lady."

"Sirius did," Harry reminded him then, and Ron nodded.

"Come on, let's ward you into the room for tonight and tomorrow we'll figure out something else."

Harry sighed. "Tomorrow is Saturday and I have detention all morning with Snape."

Ron pulled a face and they stood up off the bathroom floor and made their way back into the sixth year boy's dormitory where Ron and Harry both put a spell around the room.

"Just pee in a cup or something," Ron joked as he climbed back into bed, not wanting to be woken again if Harry had to go to the bathroom and thus wake Ron to break his half of the wards.

Harry sighed and climbed into his own bed again, knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep even though he wanted to. He listened to his dorm mates peaceful snores, including Ron's. Why did it have to be something every single year that would keep him from getting a decent night's sleep?

To be continued...
End Notes:
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