The Huge Magical Snake Problem

Attack on the Wolf

Harry tried to keep calm as he stumbled in his room after his Uncle, who was pulling him by the ear.

"I'm tempted to not let you get dressed, boy!" Harry pulled on a pair of trousers he had worn earlier in the week. He retreated until his bare back hit the far wall next to his bed. He gazed nervously up at Vernon, who was obviously upset. He pounded over to where Harry was and grabbed him around the neck, and threw him face-first onto the bed.

Yeah, Harry was definitely starting to panic. He heard a belt being drawn out of the loops, and the rattle of the metal at the end. He then heard the whistle of the belt until crack! the belt split his back, and Harry bit his tongue to keep from crying out. Vernon growled at the response, and lifted the belt up again. Harry tried to fight back, but Vernon kicked his thigh and calf twice, making him collapse back onto the bed. What the heck was this?

By the time his Uncle had stopped, his mouth was bloody from biting his already ragged tongue. Harry gasped out in pain, almost choking, and he could almost smell Vernon smiling evilly. At least it was over. Well, turns out he was mistaken. Vernon flipped Harry over, harshly turning him over on his tattered back, causing him to gasp and hiss. He raised the belt again, just over his chest. This time, he shouted in pain every time. He didn't take so long on that side, because he was crying out in agony. Obviously, his chest was more sensitive than his back.

Eventually, the pain abated, and Harry took rough, obstructed breaths through his mouth. "You deserved that a long time ago," Vernon snarled. He sounded a bit tired, from his arm swinging like that. Harry shivered uncontrollably, crawling over to the back corner of his bed. He curled up into a ball, not even daring to glare at his Uncle.

Vernon stomped out of his room, slamming the door closed behind him, and locking the door. Harry heard him storming down the steps through the rushing of blood in his ears. He seemed to have lost his glasses, and everything was blurry. Harry whimpered in agony at his cuts and bruises complaining at being stretched, and uncurled just a bit.

Oooh, the pain! Harry hissed in another breath and determinedly laid down on his side, his back facing the door. Vernon never had gone this far, before. He had always stopped before he had broken skin and drawn blood. Now, Harry could feel it prickling down his back and chest.

Harry pulled in another sharp wheeze when his scar gave a particularly nasty twinge and started burning in harmony with the rest of his back.

It seemed like the only way to escape the pain was to sleep. He pulled his blanket (which was now dotted with blood) up over his shoulders and closed his eyes. Eventually, sleep did claim him, in a haze of red.

Immediately, his dreams centered around Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It seemed like the dark wizard had gained a lot more followers than what he had at the last Triwizard Task. He seemed to be in a large, ornate dining room that was dark and gloomy (of course). He was watching everything out of the Dark Lord's eyes, and he was speaking to the group as a whole.

"Today, my loyal followers, we will be attacking an Order member's house. We have managed to get the location after someone faithful managed to... convince a very helpful person to tell us where we were supposed to be going." He smiled nastily at a dark figure Harry presumed to be Bellatrix Lestrange. "This will bring a great blow to Dumbledore's side, for the home we are attacking is owned by none other than one Remus Lupin."

At that statement, a lot of the Death Eaters sat up straighter. One howled. Harry guessed that one to be Fenrir Greyback. He remembered someone in the Order mentioning him and his non-human qualities, how he was more wolf than human. This was bad! Really bad! Remus was about to be attacked and he couldn't do-