Remus ran up the stairs as fast as he could go. Deciding that it wasn’t fast enough, he changed into his wolf-form and raced around corners, up the stairs until he had the gargoyle in sight. Just when he was going to change back to his human form, the gargoyle stepped aside and opened. Remus was so happy he didn’t notice Minerva until he ran right into her. Spluttering undignified she stood up and went back upstairs after what she was pretty sure was a wolf.

Coming into Dumbledore’s office again, she saw a very surprised looking Dumbledore with a happily running wolf in his office. Fawkes was flying overhead twittering nervously. It seemed the wolf had playfully snapped at him. When Minerva let the door fall closed, the wolf finally seemed to regain his senses and sat back, just looking at both teachers. Fawkes settled back on his perch.

Dumbledore looked closely at the large brown wolf. He seemed familiar. But…it couldn’t be him, could it? After all, the full moon wasn’t for several weeks.

“Remus? Is that really you?” he decided to ask. A woof, and a wagging tail, were the answers. Minerva was so shocked, she sat down rather abruptly. Remus then changed back. He was grinning like a fool and bouncing on his feet. Then it seemed the normally calm and collected man couldn’t hold himself in anymore and he rushed forward, giving Minerva and Dumbledore hugs.

“He did it! He did it! I’m cured!” This only made the other two blink in confusion.

“Remus, my dear boy, why don’t you just sit for a moment, and start telling us from the beginning, hmm?” Dumbledore managed to calm Remus down.

And so Remus began to tell them. “Last night Severus and I had been giving the Memory Potion to Harry. It worked perfectly, as he remembers everything again, even things from his first year of life. When he woke up this morning I said something to him, which gave him the clue to finishing a potion. He wouldn’t tell me what the potion was for, until it was finished. Then he said it was to change my lycanthrophy into an animagus form. He wasn’t sure if the potion would work, but I took it anyway, and it worked perfectly. I can change at will into a normal wolf, and I feel so much lighter.”

He was indeed practically glowing with happiness. Minerva and Dumbledore took a good look at him and indeed they noticed the change of his hair color, his eyes, and the joy he obviously had now. Minerva stood up and gave him another hug, a few tears escaping her eyes.

“Oh, that is wonderful, Remus, now you don’t have to worry about it at all.”

“I wanted to travel to the colony today. Harry has enough for about forty other werewolves, and he and Severus each started another batch. Together it should be enough to cure the community I know. We can make it public news or something. But I would have to ask Harry about that. I was wondering, Albus, if you would let the werewolves stay here until they’re all cured?”

Dumbledore nodded, and seemed to be deep in thought for a while. When his gaze cleared again, the twinkle was working overtime. “The castle has provided guestrooms on the lower levels. After all the children will return tomorrow as well.”

Remus nodded. Then he stood up and moved to the fireplace. “Can I use the Floo to the Three Broomsticks? I can apparate from there.”

Dumbledore handed him some Floo-powder and both he and Minerva watched Remus leave. Then they went to the kitchens to warn the House Elves of the upcoming guests, and decided to look for Severus and Harry.

Remus stumbled out of the fireplace in Hogsmeade, and only paused long enough to greet Rosmerta with a peck on her cheek (which had her blushing) and the cryptic message (for her anyway) that he was cured. She wondered what he was talking about, but was glad he seemed so happy. She saw Remus step outside and apparate.

Remus appeared in a small clearing deep within a forest. This was where the werewolf community lived. He had spent some of his youth there, before going to Hogwarts. This community was a mixture between Muggle and magical people. They had been hunted for being werewolves and had decided to live together there. It was safe, and they had a lively community, except for those nights of the full moon. Then they would stay in their own houses, not wanting to run the risk of biting a new victim.

Remus walked quickly into the small town. There were about a hundred and fifty people living there the last time he was here, and he wondered who had left, either in death or for some other reason, and who had joined.

He greeted some people he knew and told them to gather everyone to the village square. He had important news. Most people thought it was about the war, being cut of from normal society as they were, they didn’t get so much news. So when Remus arrived in the square, there were at least fifty people there yet. When they looked at Remus’s smiling face they wondered what kind of news he had, because they now doubted it was of the war.

When people stopped coming in, it appeared he had the entire community there. He was saddened to see there were many more people than when he left.

Taking a deep breath, he started his speech.

“I am glad to see every one of you again, and slightly saddened by the fact there’s so many more people here than when I left a few months ago. However, I have some great news. You see, I was at Hogwarts this last month, and have been taking care of an injured wizard you at least know by name. Harry Potter is who I’m talking about. He had lost his memory in a car accident, but regained it last night. With the regaining of his memories, and due to something I said, he had a burst of inspiration. Surprisingly he had us all fooled for years. I taught him in his 3rd year, and never thought he was more than just above average. This was not true, he was training himself in secret and working on a lot of projects, most of which I still don’t know. He was also working on a potion. This potion is now finished. And it is our long awaited cure.”

Remus wasn’t finished with his speech, but when he said ‘cure’ there were so many people talking and shouting that he couldn’t be heard. The leader of the village (the alpha-male) gestured for silence and it came. Remus nodded to him in gratitude.

“I was not finished explaining. The potion changes our lycanthrophy into an animagus. I took the potion this morning, and look: .....” He changed himself into the wolf form, and ran a few rounds. When he changed back, he went on: “At this moment there is enough potion to cure about 40 others. Both Harry and Severus are making more, to ensure everyone can be helped. They won’t charge you I believe, but perhaps we can help by collecting ingredients? Headmaster Dumbledore has given permission for all of us to come and stay at Hogwarts until we’re cured, and has prepared guest rooms. I know it might take a little while until enough potion has been made for everyone, but at least Harry told me we could go first. I’m hoping that you will all be ready to come with me in about a half hour’s time.”

This caused quite a rush, for people ran towards their homes to gather clothes and some foods. People helped the elderly and the very young. The alpha male looked at Remus, and gave a slight bow in thanks. “It seems Remus that you weren’t such a bad werewolf as I have always said you were. This will surely change the opinions of many werewolves. I have no doubt that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will lose many followers to this. We will have to try and reach as many as possible. I know of several other werewolf communities, both in England as in other countries in Europe. I’ll send them an express owl when we get to Hogsmeade.”

Remus nodded to the other man. Lance was always a strong and wise leader. Then Remus started wondering how they would get all of the people to Hogwarts, after all many of them couldn’t Apparate, and it was too far by broomstick. They didn’t have Floo here either. At that moment Fawkes appeared, holding several objects in his claws. A note appeared as well. Smiling, Remus took them from Fawkes, who had decided that all the children that were looking at him in wonder were good enough to be petted by.

The note said that the objects were portkeys, suitable for fifty people each. There were five of them. Remus guessed it would be enough. The portkeys would be activated at exactly 2 o’clock, which was five minutes away. Quickly, he gathered the first fifty people and let them hold onto the enlarged object. It would deposit the people in Hogsmeade. Just in time everyone had grabbed a portkey. They were all taken, except Remus, who was grabbed by Fawkes. And then there was only silence in the village.

~*~

In Hogsmeade the inhabitants looked up in surprise when so many people suddenly appeared in their town. But they were comforted by the fact that there were children present, so it couldn’t be Death Eaters, and when Fawkes appeared with Remus, they just went on with their own business.

Remus and Fawkes led the way to Hogwarts, which most of the villagers had never seen before. The funny thing was that the Muggles that had been bitten by a werewolf, seemed to have gained enough magic to be able to see it as well. They were now on the same level as Squibs, but Remus wondered if they would keep that when they took the potion.

The children were excited, they would love to see Harry Potter, the wonderful castle and just being somewhere else other than in their own town was a whole adventure in itself. Soon they came to Hogwarts, where the Headmaster was waiting for them.

“Welcome everyone. I will first lead you to the guestrooms, so you can put your things there, and then 40 people can come along to get the potion. Unfortunately the rest will have to wait for a bit longer. The potion takes nearly a full day to brew, and won’t be ready until tomorrow morning. Then about 80 people will be able to take the potion. You see, Harry and Severus need some very special ingredients and a special cauldron, and there’s only two of such cauldrons known in the world. But I’m sure you won’t mind to wait for a bit longer, yes?”

Overwhelmed, the people all nodded and agreed. Looking around in wonder they walked the short distance to the guest rooms and just put their stuff in it. They wanted to see who would be the first to go. The Headmaster had taken the Sorting Hat with him, and they all had to write their names on a piece of paper. The Sorting Hat would decide who should go first, so there would be no fights between people.

After calling out forty names, the lucky ones went with Remus up the stairs, while Dumbledore escorted the others into the Great Hall were a fifth table had been added. They would enjoy a late lunch, while waiting for the others. Most of the chosen ones were children. There were about eighty children in the entire town and about thirty of them would be cured today. There were also ten very elderly people who could go first too.

Severus had enough time to open the door of the Room and guided them into a line, to make it easier. The young children gawped at Harry who was checking the progress of the new potions. They were surprised to see him in a wheelchair, but when he smiled at them, and motioned the first one to come forward, they forgot their awe and were just very nervous. This potion might mean they could return to their own families after all.

The first was a little girl named Tessa. Harry took some hairs from her head, and added it to a goblet only filled for three-quarters, since the children were all smaller and younger than Remus. Tessa sat on the carpet, hissed when she touched the silver and gulped it down quickly. Then she curled up and started whimpering. The other children grew a bit scared, but Remus comforted them, but did tell them it would hurt for a bit. After about five minutes, Tessa sat up, focused and changed into a juvenile wolf pup. Bouncing around the room, everyone was just crying because of the success. Tessa then raced out of The Room towards the Great Hall. She surprised everyone there mid-lunch by jumping up on the table and changing, shouting: “I’m cured, I’m cured!”

The other ones waiting in line drank the potion as quickly as possible, bared the pain and raced down in wolf form. Well, at least, all the young ones did so. The older people (around 60 years old, which was very old for a werewolf) were more careful. And when they took the potion they were checked over by Poppy first. When they were declared healthy they too changed into a wolf and trotted downstairs, now feeling just a lot younger, after all 60 is hardly old when you’re magical. And even the three Muggles felt younger for the first time in years.

Eventually only Remus, Severus, and Harry were left in the room. Harry was smiling, but also trembling from exhaustion, and Severus and Remus escorted him to a meal and his bed. Dumbledore would keep an eye on the potion for now, and Severus would look at them later. Tomorrow Harry could do the final steps and they would be able to cure eighty people.