Teddy and the Marauders

fourteen

Chapter 14
James Potter

The full moon had been a disaster for all those present. While Padfoot and Prongs had been trying to lead Moony to the forbidden forest, for one of their monthly adventures, when something caught the werewolf's attention. By the time the two companions had caught up with the animal they were supposed to be protecting/guarding, he already had blood dripping down his long, angular snout.

The blood belonged to whatever poor creature it attacked. James hadn't been able to see what or who the creature was in the low light, but once they had safely locked away the poor beast in the Shrieking Shack, Sirius stayed with Moony, and James returned to make sure the creature hadn't been killed.

He were able to find the spot of the attack fairly easily. Even in the early morning light, James was able to see deep crimson splattered all over the snowy grass. James fell to his knees beside the injured animal. He could tell it was a beautiful, almost pure white, mare. The horse was on its side. Its breathing was quite labored and shallow.

"James!" A small voice wheezed. James whipped around to see Peter running from the Shack towards him, he was quite out of breath.

"Pete, bud, just breath." James said to him. "Did Pads send you?" Peter nodded wordlessly. "Good, then you can help me with the horse."

"Help? What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know just yet." James admit "I'm not the best healer"

The two stared at the poor creature. It was unmoving and they would have thought her dead if it weren't for the sporadic rising and lifting of her chest. James try to heal her with every healing spell he knew, limited as they were, but nothing worked. The torn bits of flesh around her mutilated ankle lay there, no closer to being healed than before.

"Is she worth saving, you think?" James asked his mate, quite defeated. "She seems like she's in quite a lot of pain." Peter fidgeted nervously. There was something he didn't quite want to say. "What is it, Wormy?" James asked quietly

"Well- It's just- um- she didn't look like this earlier." His voice got progressively quieter.

"It was darker, and we had to get Moony away." James shrugged.

"No, but James, I think she was a human before." His voice was nothing more than a whisper. James wouldn't have been able to hear if he hadn't been right beside him.

"An Animagus you think?" James asked, almost excitedly. Peter nodded.

"I mean, Moony did shoot back off of it, and what could have done that?"

James thought for a moment. He knew the spell to get Animagi back to their animal form and force them back to humans. Remus had taught them all in case one of them got stuck. He quickly pointed his wand at the horse and muttered the incantation.

Sure enough, Peter was right. The horse's body twisted and shifted in ways that seemed quite painful. When the transformation was complete, there lay the body of none other than Victoire Wilson.

(A/N: New POV. What do you think? Sorry for the shorter chapter. Also, 1.5K READS?!?!? Thank you all so, so much! Happy Easter everybody! -Jul)