The Ministry was bustling and busy and big and Remus felt small as he followed after James, who was trying desperately to act normal and upbeat. Outside, he was greeting his coworkers with nods and smiles, but inside his tension was so tight he thought he might just crack his teeth with how tightly he was grinding them together.

"Did you see the score for that match last night? London Layabouts they ought to call'em!" He jested one bloke as he and Remus passed by, "Utterly pathetic!"

"How's your wife, Potter?"

"Very good, thanks for asking, Jordy."

"Good morning James... and -- Oh, hello Remus. How are you?" Annalee McKinnon's heels clicked in the corridor as she slipped out of Sean Buckner's office, hugging her copies to her chest.

"Morning!" James replied, grinning. Remus waved, too nervous to speak. "How are you - and Sean?" He winked.

"Good," she replied in a professional tone. She looked Remus over. "You look ill. Are you feeling well?"

Remus nodded, "I'm alright," he answered.

Annalee didn't press. "Well, I must be off - LOADS to do today in the Minister's office. There are some important new laws we're looking into, and he has a big speech tomorrow to deliver. Did you hear we've just approved a wizarding telly channel?"

"Wizard telly!" James scoffed, "What are they ever going to play on that?"

"They're trying to sign Mr. Scamander to do an educational program, and there's a news program from the Daily Prophet preparing for filming," Annalee said.

"Tell them they ought to do a spin on the Muppets!" James suggested.

Annalee stared at him with a raised brow. "Sure, I'll.. mention it." She waved, "Bye boys," and turned on her heel, headed off down the hall to the quick passage that Minchum had installed to give her quick access from the Minister's office to Sean's copyroom.

Remus said, "Well, Annalee is still Annalee in some respects."

"Yeah," James agreed, chuckling. He turned to his office door, looked at Remus, and asked, "Ready?"

Remus shrugged, "I won't become anymore ready so I suppose so."

James pushed the door opened and they stepped inside.

Underhill looked up from the file he had open on his desk ask James and Remus entered, James holding the door open for his friend as Remus leaned on his cane, wincing at a sharp pain that shot up his shin as he put weight on the right side. Underhill had a pair of reading glasses on his nose, which he took off and cast to the desktop, rising and extending a hand to Remus in greeting. "Good morning, Mr. Lupin."
His eyes flitted to Remus's cane and limp and he flicked his wand to appear a soft chair and waved a palm for Remus to have a seat. "I appreciate you coming down to see me, sir. How are you feeling?"

Remus dropped into the chair. "I am well. Been better, but well, nonetheless... Bit nervous about this unexpected summoning to the Ministry..."

"I do apologize," Underhill said as James set his things down on his desk. Underhill waved his wand and the door sealed and with another flick he had sound proofed the office completely. "I didn't want to put any telling details in the owl incase of interception. You understand? That was part of why I requested through my assistant, rather than a direct summons. This visit and anything said here is completely off the record, Mr. Lupin."

"I... appreciate that," Remus said.

Underhill sat and took a deep breath. "Has Mr. Potter shared any details with you about the case we have been working on investigating in Blackburn?"

Remus hesitated, glancing at James, who nodded, and Remus said, "Some details. Not... extensive. But I've kept up with the information in the paper due to... my own interests."

Underhill shifted his weight forward. "Your personal interests are precisely why I am needing to speak with you." He paused. "The Ministry's policies on many things are crooked and I do not personally align with the beliefs and requirements they hold for particular members of our society. It is no mistake that I have pressed personally to be in charge of this particular case, given the sensitive nature of the information and identities collected in the process of working the case... if you understand what I mean. I intend to respect the privacy of any involved, although many case investigators would be more inclined to share sensitive information due to legal requirements set in Acts set forth in other departments."

"I am sure many appreciate your discretion," Remus murmured.

James was standing in front of his desk, overseeing the conversation, arms crossed over his chest as the pair of them spoke, his eyes narrowed with discernment.

"It is not my secret to divulge in any case," Underhill said firmly, looking up at James and back to Remus. "Currently we do not suspect Fenrir Greyback in the Blackburn case - not as our prime suspect, at least. There have been two victims that have appeared at St. Mungo's that we have been able to pull dental cast information from in an attempt to identify the - the attacker from our registry. We do not believe the bites on either individual matches the record we've got for any werewolf registered with the Ministry, nor does it match other known victims of Greyback's wound - except in the placement of the bite. Those are consistent with Greyback's prior patterns." His eyes flitted to Remus's shoulder.

Remus hesitated, then reached to his shirt's neckline, pulling it back to reveal the half-moon bite scarred on his flesh there.

Underhill stared at the scar and a heaviness fell over the office, the meaning of the scar, and the trust required to reveal it, weighting the air. It was not unappreciated by Underhill that Remus had shown him the scar, and James appreciated the solemnity in Underhill's eyes.

Remus felt an odd mixture of relief and sickness.

Underhill got up and walked around the desk, stepping up to Remus. He motioned toward the scar. "May I inspect it for similarities to our bite victims?" he asked gently.

Remus nodded and leaned his head away, exposing the scar even more.

Underhill leaned forward and gently ran two fingers along the scar, feeling the shape of the curve, the way the bone beneath indented to the bite, the teeth ridges that still existed in Remus's clavicle. "How old were you that it retained so much damage in your development?" Underhill asked.

"Three, sir," Remus said quietly.

Underhill's brow creased as he did the math quickly. "Oh. The Restriction Act. Was it retaliation?"

"Yes, sir," Remus murmured.

Underhill lowered his hands and Remus shrugged the shirt back into place, staring at his hands. Underhill sat on the edge of his desk, legs hanging like a child. "Don't be ashamed, Mr. Lupin."

Remus shrugged and looked up at Underhill.

"Do you know much about Greyback and his procedure?" Underhill asked.

"No, sir, not a lot. My mentor - and brother in the pack, Ned Veigler... He knew more. He was a member of Greyback's pack in the North Woods for many years after being turned at eleven years old."

Underhill hesitated. "He was eleven?"

"Yes sir, or there abouts. He was taken from home in the night - but his father was abusive, see, and he believed Greyback to be a godsend. That's how bad his home life was... to see someone as cruel as Greyback as a good thing..." Remus shook his head. "The pack has a home somewhere in the Great North Woods, and there are... hundreds... in Greyback's army that reside there. They are under his command as Alpha."

"Alpha... That is a sort of commander?"

"The pack leader."

"I see."

"The connection to one's Alpha is very deep, it literally runs in your veins. The venom that turns a werewolf enters your very DNA, and the Alpha that turned you has a near imperius-level hold upon their loyal pack. The only exception is when another wolf challenges and bests the Alpha and allegiances realign. Wolves can choose to stay with the defeated Alpha, but it's not common once they are defeated..." Remus shrugged, "But all that you likely know from Sixth Year Magical Creatures or Defense Against the Dark Arts classes at Hogwarts. Though Professor Veigler broke code and taught it to us in Third."

Underhill nodded, rubbing his chin. "I see. So if a wolf is positioned under Greyback, he could potentially be commanded and act in ways similar to Greyback's own pattern?"

"More than likely, if you're seeing similarities without matching tooth patterns," Remus nodded.

James was about to say something when there came a frantic banging upon the door.

Underhill glanced at Remus, then got up and with a flick of his wand unlocked the door.

Sean Buckner stood in the frame, clutching a blood soaked Annalee McKinnon, his eyes wide, her body limp against him, "I dunnae what's 'app'ned - I -"

Sirens were blaring.

James leaped to his feet and rushed into the corridor, lifting Annalee up and into the room as Remus cleared everything off James's desk with a flicker of his wand. James lay her on the desk and Sean fell into the room, trembling, as Underhill held his wand steady, standing half in the hall. "What happened?"

"She's just come into me office," Sean's voice shook, "She - she came into me office and she was covered in blood. She's covered in - in blood - an'  she says - she says she's only just escaped -"

James was tearing away the twenty eight buttons that held Annalee's ministry blazer, the shirt beneath was white still, the blood coveringnher chest wasn't her own, and Sean let out a cry of relief and fell forward on his knees, thanking "the sweet babe Jaysus an' 'is mother alike" as he grabbed for Annalee's hand.

"Ennvervate," James cast, pressing his wand to Annalee's chest.

She woke with a gasp and grappled for James, eyes wild with panic. "Sean! Sean?!"

"I'm here, Mo mhuirnin dílis," he said, pushing round the chair Remus had abandoned, his hands grabbing onto hers and pulling her hand to his face. "I haven't left you and I don't intend to."

Underhill was glancing between Annalee and the hallway. The sirens screamed, the corridor red with emergency lights... Sean clutched Annalee's arm and wrist... Remus stared on in horror, leaning heavily upon his wand and shaking his head in shock.

"What's happened, Annalee?" James asked, "Who's - whose blood --?"

"They came into the office - it was s-so sudden, I was d-distracted, and th-they - he w-was collecting his copies from me - they attacked, oh it was so sudden. He t-told me to g-go and I - he was there in m-my arms -- I -- if not for my passage to Sean's - the copies, see it's been takin' me so long... He had a special passageway made for me - Oh gods he's dead!" She started sobbing, and pulled Sean closer, finger gripping tightly to his shirt.

"Who?" James asked, though even as he asked, he feared he knew the answer already.

Mr. Underhill paled and ducked out the door without waiting for the answer.

"The Minister - he's - he - is d-dead," Annalee sobbed, "Harold Minchum is dead."