The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 2

TW: Brief mention of blood

The hunter shot the Cruciatus Curse at Anna, who quickly rolled out of the way before countering with the Jelly-Legs Jinx, which he easily deflected. "How the hell did you even get in here?" Anna demanded as they shot spell after spell at each other.

"It was fairly simple." The hunter responded. "The wards are only up when the gate is closed, and it was quite easy to make the old man think that it was you at the gate. We have ways of watching you, you know. You really should be careful where you buy your Crups from."

"Cody?!" Anna gasped in shock, her surprise knocking her off balance, and she was knocked back with a spell. She sat up, the hunter's wand inches from her face. "Cody's real name is Gerald." The hunter responded. "One of the Dark Lord's people found him, an orphan. He was taught to be an Animagus. It wasn't an accident that you saw him in the shop window that day."

Sweet little Cody...a spy for Voldemort?

"I'm supposed to take you alive..." The hunter clicked his tongue. "But I'm sure that the Dark Lord would understand if I killed you in self defense."

The full moon was high in the sky now, its light streaming in through the windows.

"There's just one thing that you haven't taken into consideration." Anna said, a smirk on her face. "For a female werewolf, the full moon is like their period, and you don't mess with a girl who has blood coming out of her uterus." She raised her foot and kicked the hunter in the groin, grinning as he moaned in pain and stumbled backwards.

Anna growled as her transformation began, and she lunged at the hunter, causing him to fall and drop his wand. She leaped over to where the wand was, picking it up in her mouth and using her massive jaws to snap it in two. The hunter was basically defenseless now, and he knew it too. He quickly stood and ran out of the library, causing Anna to roll her eyes. He was a coward without his magic. She remembered Edna's words, there had been more than one hunter, she would have to find the other one and deal with him as well.

She slowly padded out of the library, and yelped as a spell narrowly avoided hitting her.

"I won't be letting you go so easily." The other hunter said. Anna looked around, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Then, as another spell was shot at her, she saw a shadow at the bottom of the stairs. She leaped down them in two bounds, jumping at the man. He ducked, and she skidded before rolling onto the floor. The man towered over her, a dark smirk on his face. "The Dark Lord wants to make an example of you, well, an example can still be made with your head delivered to him on a silver platter. Diffindo!"

Anna yelped loudly in pain as a long cut was made in her side, she could feel blood beginning to mat her fur, and she whimpered as she struggled to stand up.

"Such a pitiful thing." He kicked her, causing Anna to yelp again."

"Hey you son of a bitch!" Suddenly Peggy was standing there, and Cedric. Cedric glared venomously at the hunter. "You're going to pay for hurting my fiancee, you mother-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as he shot a spell at the hunter, who flew back against the wall and crumpled to the floor. Cedric then dashed over to Anna, kneeling beside her. "Her wound isn't that bad." Cedric said in relief. "It's long, but it isn't that deep, she'll be alright."

Anna whimpered as she slowly stood up; they didn't know about Philippe, she had to show them.

"Anna, don't move." Cedric said sternly, but Anna ignored him, limping up the stairs, and Peggy and Cedric followed behind her. Anna walked to where she had left Philippe and Edna, relieved to see that they were still there. But Philippe wasn't looking good at all, his breathing was extremely shallow and there was barely any life left in his eyes.