Two months later
Zander

"Pickled cockroach's antenna," I quietly read off the list in my hand. I glanced around and spotted it on a higher shelf. There weren't very many bottles left and they were pushed to the back of the shelf. Standing on my tiptoes, I reached for it and my fingers barely brushed it. I stretched a little more and was able to brush it towards me. When I was finally able to grab it and pull it off the shelf, I accidentally knocked another bottle of the shelf.

Right before it hit the floor someone caught it.

"That was close," he said, handing it to me.

I nodded and placed it back on the shelf. I then squinted at him.

"Recognize me?" He asked.

"You do look familiar," I replied.

"Well, I haven't seen you since you were a baby. But you probably recognize me because I look like my nephew Matt." He smiled and I instantly saw the resemblance.

"Nate?" I tried.

He nodded, still smiling.

"Oh," I said simply. "Is he doing well?"

Mr Ludiker nodded. "He's enjoying his job as an Auror."

I blinked. "An Auror?"

"And your friend Millie Marowski."

"Millie," I weakly repeated.

"You didn't know?" He raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"I... I've been very busy and haven't been able to talk much," I replied.

"Uh-huh," he tilted his head.

I turned and started to walk away.

"They said you blamed yourself for the Obscural attack."

I froze and nearly dropped the bottle of pickled cockroach antennas.

Calm down, I commanded myself.

"Obsurial? Those are rare."

"But they exist."

I turned and looked at him.

"Why would you think it's an Obsurial?"

"Zander, I study magical creatures for a living. I know the difference between a "large and invisible beast" and an Obsurial."

"Huh," I kept my poker face. "Wouldn't I have seen it?"

"That's what I wanted to ask. Did you see it?" He folded his arms and studied me.

"No," I replied flatly.

"No? Not in a mirror or anything?"

"If you're accusing me of something why not just do it straight out?" I demanded.

He laughed. "You are just like your-"

"Father? Yeah, I get that a lot," I spat.

"No. I was going to say mother."

"I- What?" I was caught off guard. People had mentioned my mother but never said anything about me being like her.

"No one has ever told you that?"

My silence confirmed the question.

"Oh," he scratched a scar on his chin as he thought about this. "You look like your father but a lot like your mother too. You even act like her."

I wasn't sure how to react so I just walked away.

**
Matt
One week later

Millie twirled out of the ministry doors that I held open for her. She looked like a funny bat in the moonlight as her robes swirled around her.

"Yay!" She chortled as her braid flung out. "We're free!"

"For the night," I laughed.

"Twelve hours!"

"Actually," I checked my watch. "Eight."

She suddenly stopped and frowned at me.

"Killjoy."

"Sorry," I laughed.

"Oh well," she shrugged. "The moon looks lovely."

We both looked up at the big white full circle in the sky, framed with thousands of diamond stars.

"Yeah," I agreed. "It is."

We paused in silence, letting the cool night air press against our faces.

"Well, I'm going home," Millie stated, looking very tired.

"See you tomorrow," I replied as she apparated away.

I started to walk through the silent streets. I listened to my uneven steps. I still had a limp but it didn't really bother me. I could've just apparated home but I didn't for some reason, it felt nice to just walk.

I could hear the occasional stray cat rummaging through the garbage but then I heard something that curled my blood.

A low growl emitted from the alley I was walking by. I looked over and saw two yellow eyes staring at me.

No!

Without me even deciding to, my feet took off. I could hear the werewolf running after me and gaining quickly.

No! No! No! My feet beat out on the cobblestones. My tongue was stuck in my mouth so I couldn't yell for help. I fumbled for my wand and was finally able to grab it right as the werewolf pounced and knocked me over. My wand went flying as teeth sunk into my shoulder. I finally was able to scream, in pain. I felt blindly for my wand as the rabid animal ripped the flesh off. It came in for another bite but I blasted it in the face with a spell.

Blood soaked my robes as I pushed the werewolf off. I was dizzy and couldn't stand.

Millie had told me that you could send messages through patronas so I weakly lifted my wand and blue light burst out of my wand and split into two and then shot down the street.

I watched it go as the world went black.

**
Zander

I blinked awake as I felt something warm and happy touch my hand. I looked up and saw a mountain hare patronus staring at me.

"Matt?" I asked, recognizing his patronus.

It opened his mouth and croaked "Help" and then faded.

I was out of my seat in a second and then stopped. I didn't know where he was.

I looked up in relief when another patronus slipped through the wall and stopped in front of me. A wolf. Millie.

It opened its mouth and Millie's voice came out. "I'm taking Matt to the ministry hospital."

I didn't wait for it to fade before I quickly apparated to the entrance of the ministry hospital.

I hoped it wouldn't be bad. He was okay, just minor injuries. But I was wrong.

**
Millie

Matt's face was sober and slightly quirked up in pain as he slept.

Zander and I had volunteered to sit with him after they had bandaged him up. Matt's family was on their way.

Zander was leaned over and staring at the floor, his fingers tapped against his knee nervously.

"Are you okay?" I whispered to him.

Zander regarded me from the corner of his eye.

"I'm not really the concern right now, am I?" He whispered back.

I shrugged. "Well I know he's doing but now I want to know how you're doing."

He stared at me. "For the most part I'm functioning. What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"Good."

"Yeah."

Suddenly Matt's uncle burst into the room. His face was white and his eyes red. He stared at Matt with horror and shame.

Zander and I stood.

"Mr Ludiker, he's trying to sleep," I quietly said.

"This is my fault," he muttered. "I was supposed to watch him, make sure he'd be safe."

"Mr Ludiker, I don't-." Zander's words died on his lips as his father appeared in the doorway behind Nathan Ludiker.

Mr Ludiker turned around and began to apologize profusely to Mr Whitehurst. "Cosmo! I didn't- I'm sorry- He- They- This is my fault!"

Mr Whitehurst calmly took Mr Ludiker's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Nathan, please calm down. You're going to wake the boy."

Zander and I looked at Matt who's eyes had drifted open just a crack. Mr Whitehurst noticed as well and calmly led Mr Ludiker out of the room.

"They know each other?" I mumbled to Zander.

"Mr Ludiker said he saw me when I was little so they have probably known each other for awhile," Zander muttered back.

"H-hi, guys," Matt said weakly.

We turned to him.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

He winced as he tried to move. "Can you guess?"

Zander glanced over the potions on the table by Matt and curled his lips back in disgust. "None of these are very effective potions."

"Do you have anything better?" Demanded a nurse who had just walked in.

Zander tipped his chin up. "As a matter of fact..." he paused and seemed to realize something "...no."

"Thought so," the nurse sniffed.

She checked Matt's shoulder.

"Is he..."

The nurse shot Zander a look and he shut up.

She handed Matt a potion and patted his hand as she handed him a potion. "Drink this all gone before I come back." She waited for him to nod before she motioned for us to follow her.

Out in the hall Mr Ludiker was still talking to Mr Whitehurst.

"I should have known. Of course she would do this, she tried to do it before. I'm sorry-."

Mr Whitehurst saw us as the nurse closed the door behind us.

"Nathan, shut up or calm down or both before I boil you," Mr Whitehurst commanded, pushing Mr Ludiker into a seat.

Mr Whitehurst walked over to us and asked the nurse "What's the news?"

"When did you suddenly become so interesting in my friends," Zander snapped at his father.

"I've known Nathan Ludiker since before you were born," Mr Whitehurst snapped back. It seemed he was saving his patience for Mr Ludiker and not sparing Z any.

"Well, Mr Whitehurst," the nurse interrupted, obviously anxious to break up the family tension. "There's no easy way to say it but we couldn't do anything."

Mr Ludiker looked up and looked like he already knew what she was going to say.

"It looks like Mathew Ludiker is a werewolf."

There was silence and then Mr Ludiker started to let out shuddering sobs.

Zander passed a hand over his face and looked at me. I stared back at him, not sure what to say.

The nurse looked at all of us and dismissed herself back to Matt.

"Cosmo, you know what this means, right?" Mr Ludiker swallowed.

"Of course, Nathan."

"Can you do anything?"

Mr Whitehurst turned slightly and opened his hands a bit at his sides. "I'm not sure. No one trusts werewolves for so many reasons and I don't think they'll start now. It would just be a waste of time and money."

"Time and money?!" Zande practically shrieked. "You're not going to help Matt because of time and money?!" Zander walked up to his father and got in his face. "Matt is a good fellow and hundreds of people know it. Just because he got bit by some stupid beast that will make him different every full moon doesn't make him a bloody killer."

Mr Whitehurst looked like he was trying to keep his temper. "Even if I was able to do something the poor boy would be buffeted and ignored by his colleagues as well as people outside the ministry and be forced to resign anyway."

"I should have kept a closer eye on him," Mr Ludiker began to mutter again. "Helped him. I should have known."

Mr Whitehurst turned away from Zander and to Matt's uncle.

"Nathan, stop," he said wearily.

"Of course she went for a werewolf," Mr Ludiker continued to mutter. "She did it before, why not try it again?"

"Mr Whitehurst, who is she?" I asked.

Mr Whitehurst ignored me and looked down at Mr Ludiker. He looked tired and frustrated, I may have even imagined it but maybe even a little sad.

"She would have found some way," he told Mr Ludiker heavily.

"You could have done something, Nate," Mr Ludiker continued to mutter to himself. "Made sure Matt never went home alone. Watched him every full moon. Or even-."

Mr Whitehurst grabbed Mr Ludiker by the collar and hoisted him out of his seat and close to his face. "Nathan, shut up. So you failed, we all failed. This isn't the first time we failed. But we can still try. Please, SHUT UP!"

Mr Ludiker shook his head. "She's gotten three and she won't stop until she furthers it and destroys them and us."

"We've hit rock bottom," Mr Whitehurst hissed. "How can we go any farther?"

"Just think," Mr Ludiker said urgently. "You can probably guess. You always thought like her. After all, she's your-."

Mr Whitehurst's eyes slid to me and he interrupted Matt's uncle. "Nathan, I am telling you now and I will not repeat myself. SHUT. UP!"

Mr Ludiker looked at me too and then Mr Whitehurst dropped him back into his seat.

I glanced around to find Zander but he was gone. He had somehow silently slipped away while we were talking. I hoped it was before Mr Whitehurst had lifted Mr Ludiker.

"You'd better find Zander," Mr Whitehurst said. He had gone back to a tired and frustrated voice. "If I go after him I probably won't be seen again."

I don't think he was joking and we both knew he was right.

I quickly walked away to find Zander. It took awhile but I suddenly heard his voice. He sounded aggravated. I followed the sound and nearly passed the room he was in. The door was only opened a crack. I walked up and raised my hand to push the door open but through the crack saw Zander slam a curly white haired girl against the wall. He had his hands around her neck and murder in his eyes.

"It was you, wasn't it?" He yelled at her.

I froze, not sure what to do.

She choked, trying to respond but he was squeezing to tightly.

"You set the werewolf on Matt!" He yelled. "Why? I'm already at her bidding. Was it to convince me to be more obedient!?"

She was clawing at his hands and was able to gasp out "I can't answer questions... if... no air."

He released her but pointed his wand between her eyes. She ignored the wand and messaged her slender neck.

"Why?" Zander demanded again.

"Look, she doesn't always tell me her reasoning behind stuff," the girl growled. "I just do what she says and am lucky to not get tortured."

Zander pressed the wand into her head and she grasped it and tried to pull it away.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you."

Her face was measured as she regarded him.

"What good will it do besides put another murder on your hands?" She replied simply and confidently. "You may not like me but I know you feel guilty really easy. You still feel bad for Oblivarating your father and friends. Besides, you won't cause her any pain, she doesn't care about me."

He oblivarated me? When?

"What is her plan?" Zander hissed.

"I told you, I don't know!"

"Well you send her a message. Tell her to stop messing with my friends or else."

"Or else what?" The girl quirked her perfect eyebrow.

He sighed heavily and raked his hand through his hair.

"Tell her to please stop messing with my friends and I'll stop being disobedient."

The girl nodded and disappeared.

Zander stood there silently. I backed away from the door and then walked forward and through the door so that it sounded like I came from down the hall.

"Zander?" I called.

He quickly walked out of he door and to me.

"Hey, Mil."

"Um, let's go back to Matt, okay?"

He nodded.

"Uh, is there something you want to tell me?" I asked.

He pretended to look confused. "Like what?"

I hesitated. There must be a reason he was keeping his secrets. "Nothing."

A/n: Wow, I think this is my longest chapter in this book to date. 2542 words!