Beast Within - Chapter 1 to 3 - Repost

• 1.

The werewolf tossed Padfoot to the side. Its golden eyes snapped to Hermione, Ron, and Harry.

"Professor!" Hermione yelled.

"Sirius!" Harry called at the same time.

Those golden eyes carried none of the intelligence and kindness Remus had just hours earlier. The creature leaped toward the trio. Harry stepped out in front, pushing the others behind him. On instinct, he raised his left arm to fend off the bite. He had learned the hard way that it was best to give an animal something to chew on while keeping his main hand free. All those visits from Marge were finally paid off.

Except a werewolf was not a dog.

Harry screamed as the teeth tore into his forearm. Some part of him realized that if the jaws had snapped together then it meant the teeth had gone through his bones in the process. He brought his wand around, holding it like a knife, and stabbed it into Lupin's face, aiming for the eyes. A large, clawed hand caught the wand as it wound back for another stab.

The edge of his vision began to lose color. Darkness pressed in on him. Harry gritted his teeth. This was not how he was going to die. There were too many things about tonight that needed to happen. He had to make sure Sirius escaped. He had to make sure his friends survived. He had to keep the dementors away from everyone.

His scream turned into a roar. The wolf paused, considering the strange creature in its maw. It was enough of a break to allow Hermione to blast Lupin with some spell. The werewolf dropped Harry as it tumbled away across the grass.

"Harry!" Someone yelled.

They were too far away for him to make out who it was.

"Get Sirius." He said. "Get him out of here."

He used his good arm to push himself up onto his knees. The world lurched as he tried to stand. There were voices around him. He had lost his glasses at some point. His vision was too blurry.

Harry pushed through the pain and the dizziness. Something was wrong with his right hand. He held it up to see that his wand had been broken. Shards of it pierced his palm and wrist. His hand, while still in one piece, wasn't supposed to bend that way. He tried to move other arm but found it wasn't working the way it was supposed to. He looked down to see that his left arm was covered in blood from the elbow down.

He glared at the direction Lupin had run off. The werewolf was somewhere in the Forbidden Forest now.

"Damn it." Harry grumbled. "How am I supposed to hold a broom with my hands like this?"

The world lurched and his vision went black.

~ ~ ~
Three Weeks Later
~ ~ ~

Harry remained unchanged. His body floated above the hospital bed, surrounded in an orb of golden energy. No spells, potions, or rune could get through. They had admitted him to St. Mungo's as soon as they could. The shell had formed once Harry had lost consciousness. Nurses and Doctors had checked on him hourly at first. Now, they got a status update three times a day when they delivered meals to Hermione.

No one was around when the shell began to crack. The golden orb faded away, seeping into Harry's skin as he settled gently onto the bed. He blinked awake. Hospital sheets, no matter the hospital, always felt the same. At first, he expected to be at Hogwarts, but a quick look around the room proved him wrong.

He was in a private room. Flowers and cards covered two of the walls. To his left sat Hermione. She was asleep with a book in her lap. A thin blanket had been draped over her. The impressive stack of books beside her made him think she had been here for a while.

Harry stretched. He was more than happy to find that both his arms were in perfect working order. Wiggling his toes proved that they were doing what they needed to do as well. He had a couple of new scars. A gnarled bite on his forearm mingles with the basilisk fang scar. The palm of his right hand had a string of small starburst where his wand had pierced his skin.

He frowned. That was a nice wand. How would he get a new one?

Other than that, he appeared to be in one piece. Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed. He shifted forward, testing to see if he could hold his weight. The cold floor made him squeak in shock. He froze as Hermione stirred in her chair.

He let out a long, slow breath as she stayed asleep. Harry smiled at her and leaned forward to see what she had been reading. The entire stack focused on healing magic from around the world. As well as common reactions to lycanthrope infection.

Harry looked back down at his forearm again. He had been bitten by a werewolf on the full moon. The chances of him not being a werewolf were so infinitesimal that not even the Potter Luck could save him. At least Hermione and Ron were safe. He would adapt. It wasn't the first time he had been cursed.

"Sirius." He whispered.

He needed to know what had happened to Sirius.

"Hermione." Harry whispered.

No response.

"Hermione." He raised his voice a little louder.

"Harry." She moaned in her sleep.

Something about the way she said his name sent a thrill through his body.

"I need you to wake up, Hermione." Harry tried to keep his voice even.

"Again?" She grumbled. "Three times was enough."

Harry flinched. What was she dreaming about?

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger." Harry said in his best McGonagall impression.

"Sorry professor!" Hermione snapped awake. "I didn't mean to fall… HARRY!"

She burst from her chair and wrapped him in a tight hug. Harry returned it, only to realize he was naked aside from a thin hospital gown. He stepped back, taking a seat on the bed, and quickly covering himself with his pillow. She was dressed in a matching set of cloud-patterned pajamas.

"You're awake!" Hermione grabbed his arms.

She quickly examined the bite mark. "Flex your fingers. Any numbness? Are you hungry? Do you need raw meat? Follow my finger with your eyes. Can you see alright? Where are your glasses?"

"I can see fine." Harry soothed her. "Take a breath. Tell me what happened."

She took a deep breath.

"Remus bit you. You fought back, but he broke your arm and destroyed your wand. I was able to push him away with a spell. He ran off into the forest. You passed out and we brought you here." Her voice was shaking by the end. "There was so much blood. I thought we were going to lose you. I thought I was going to lose you."

Hermione leaned forward, kissing him deeply.

"What were you think? Jumping in front of a werewolf? That's reckless even for you!" Hermione continued after she pulled away.

Harry blinked, trying to catch up to what had just happened.

"Did you just kiss me?" Harry asked.

"Yes." She blushed. "Don't distract me. What were you thinking?"

"I was trying to protect you." Harry shrugged. "And Ron too. I didn't want you to get hurt. Or Ron." He leaned in, dropping his voice low. "What happened to Sirius?"

"He escaped on Buckbeak, just like we planned." Hermione matched his volume. "It was almost impossible to get him to leave you. Once they brought you here, he finally had to go. They have a way to reverse the animagus form around the building in case they have a patient that needs to be treated. We couldn't risk it."

"Thank you." Harry hooked a finger on her pants, pulled her in, and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

She gasped.

"What?" Harry asked. "You started it."

"It was in the heat of the moment." Hermione poked his chest. "You scared me."

"How long was I out?" He asked.

"Three weeks." Hermione replied.

Harry froze. "Did you say weeks?"

Hermione nodded. "Not only that. You were wrapped in some sort of magical shield. A cocoon, or egg. Whatever it was stopped everything from getting close to you. No one could touch you."

"I was in a magical egg?" Harry asked. "Oddly enough, that isn't the weirdest thing I have ever said."

"You were bitten by a werewolf." Hermione said softly. "It's been three weeks. They are going to move you to a containment cell. They couldn't take the chance of you transforming."

Harry sighed. "I don't like it, but that makes sense."

A loud sound and a scream made them both jump. Harry hopped from the bed, sliding in front of Hermione, getting between her and the danger.

"Harry." She huffed. "Really! You just woke up. No more heroics."

A rather shocked nurse stared at him from the doorway. Her hands were still held out as though she was holding the lunch tray that was scattered across the ground around her. The nurse hurried out of the room. She returned with a squad of doctors. Hermione stepped back as Harry was put through an extensive examination. An hour later they were finally alone once more.

"So, where are they going to move me?" Harry asked.

"They have a special room for lycanthropes." Hermione sat on the bed next to him.

"You can say werewolf." Harry bumped her shoulder with his.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked. "You haven't asked for you glasses. Can you see without them? Do you have any unusual urges?"

"Unusual urges?" Harry chuckled. "Such as?"

"The books I've read say that the first transformation is the worst." Hermione took his hand. She stroked the back of it lightly with her fingertips. "There have been reports of increased aggression, hunger, and."

The last word was lost in a mumble.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Mating." She whispered.

"I'm not angry." Harry counted them off. "I am hungry, but not overly so." Another finger. "Aside from having a pretty girl in my bed, I'm not horny."

"Harry!" She giggled.

"Did you just giggle?" Harry asked.

"No." She continued to giggle. "I do not giggle."

"Mister Potter?" A female voice spoke from nearby.

Harry turned to see an attractive woman with curly black hair in the doorway.

"My name is Andromeda Tonks." She held her hand out as she crossed the room. "I'm one of the healers that have been observing you."

"Nice to meet you." Harry took her hand and kissed it.

Her cheeks flushed. Harry held her hand for a moment longer. He leaned in, taking a small sniff.

"Do I know you?" He asked as he let her hand go.

"You know my cousin." She smiled at him. "Sirius."

"He's innocent." Harry said quickly.

"I know." Andromeda shook her head. "I've been saying that for years. No one will listen."

"Welcome to my world." Harry nodded. "I'm guessing you aren't just here to say hi."

"No." She gave him a small, sad smile. "We need to move you to a secure area. You'll be staying there until after the full moon."

Harry hopped off the bed. "Lead the way."

• 2.

The room wasn't too bad. It had to have some sort of expansion charm on it as it took up way too much space. The room felt like it stretched the entire floor, but they had passed other rooms to get here.

"We'll be monitoring you." Andromeda said. "And we'll check on you in the morning."

"Thanks." Harry gave Hermione a hug. "I'll be ok."

"I'm supposed to comfort you." She hugged him tightly.

"A kiss for luck?" Harry asked.

She glared at him. Then gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"That doesn't count." Harry sighed.

"Yes, it does." Hermione countered.

Harry stepped forward, sweeping her into his arms. They kissed deeply, his tongue tentatively touching hers. When they stood back up, Hermione had a happy smile on her face. She blushed brightly once she remembered that they weren't alone.

"The full moon is a three-day process." Andromeda smiled at the duo. "Starting tonight you'll spend your time here. In the morning we'll check on you, but you'll stay here until the moon is no longer full."

Harry nodded. "I don't think I'll mind. It looks bigger than the room." He paused. "What about food?"

"There are some stashes of food hidden around the room." Andromeda explained. "It took some testing, but that seems to provide some enrichment to a transformed patient."

Harry sighed. "Here we go."

He stepped into the room. It was like stepping into a forest. He could just make out the ceiling. They had managed to room even have some cloud cover. He paused for a moment taking everything in. Harry followed the sound of running water to find a pool with a waterfall.

Harry shucked off his gown and stepped into the water. It had a gentle slope to it allowing him to get to the depth he wanted without being such a shock. The water was a few degrees cooler than the room. Harry lounged against edge of the magically made pond.

He relaxed, listening to the sound of the waterfall. It was about an hour later when he felt something different. A pressure inside of him was building. It started around his chest, pushing hard against his bones. His skin began to pull taught.

Harry looked down at his hands as they shifted into claws. His skin wasn't growing excess hair. It gained a shimmer. He watched in awe as scales emerged and settled into place. Harry dragged himself out of the water as he felt the muscles in his torso begin to tense. His bones cracked and groaned audibly as they moved to their new placement. Harry closed his eyes tight, breathing through the pain. An intense tingle along his scalp before traveling across his jaw and covering his entire head.

A mighty roar echoed through the room as Harry stood on new legs. His breath came out in ragged huffs, expelling small wisps of smoke each time. He could feel his new body. Power raced through him with every heartbeat. He reveled in the sounds and smells now open to him. Harry let out a long sigh before scrunching up his brow.

Wasn't he supposed to be a mindless beast?

Harry examined his new body at greater length. His skin was now an all too familiar midnight black scales. The last time he had seen them was on the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Thankfully he hadn't turned into a giant snake.

He turned back to the water, hoping to get a look at his new form. His head was hard, sharp angles that he had only seen in storybooks. He would have thought he was looking at a dragon if it weren't for the flame-colored feathers atop his head in place of hair.

He recognized those as well. Phoenix feathers.

Luckily, his eyes were still his. Somewhere in the transformation his scar had vanished. He didn't miss it.

Harry paused for a moment. Were the black scales from the basilisk, or due to his hair color? Would that mean he could kill, or petrify, with a look? There had to be a way to test it without hurting someone.

As a reply, he felt something shift over his eyes. Turning back to the water he saw a slight sheen to his gaze. He concentrated and the shimmery barrier retracted. It slid back into place with little effort. He stood looking into the water, watching his eyes go back and forth for longer than he would have ever admitted.

Only the rumble of his stomach brought him back to the present. The transformation had taken a lot of energy. He needed food.

His new and improved senses led him to a stash of uncooked meat. It looked to be a leg of some sort. Harry was hungry, but raw meat didn't appeal to him. If only he could cook it.

A heat burned in his chest. Naturally, he opened his mouth. A gout of flame covered the leg, charring it nicely. Harry blinked, staring in shock at the slightly overcooked piece of meat in his hand. His hand, that hadn't been damaged or seemingly bothered at all by the fire.

Harry took a bite. It was crunchy and burnt, but damn was it tasty. Harry gnawed on the bone, making sure to get the last little bits of meat. He walked back over to the pond and placed the bone near his discarded gown. Harry didn't want to make some poor interns dig through the room to clean up the mess.

He took his place back in the pond. It was a bit colder than before, but that was probably due to his transformation. Harry tried to process what was going on. He had been bitten by a werewolf, but he turned into some sort of dragon. The scales and protective filter on his eyes were obviously from the basilisk, while the feathers and fire were from Fawkes. He didn't remember seeing the phoenix ever breath fire, but he had been suffering from blood loss at the time.

Harry sighed. There was also the fact that he seemed to still be in control of himself. Did that mean he could still speak?

ŞHello?Ş

Harry huffed. Parseltongue, of course. That was incredibly helpful. A smile crossed his face. He could still write.

He hopped up out of the pond and began to explore the area. It took a little bit, but finally he found a tree that would work. He carefully pealed the bark away from the trunk and set it out on the ground in front of him.

I'm still me
Can speak in parseltongue
Werewolf + Basilisk + Phoenix?
Need to test if gaze is deadly

Harry carefully took the piece of bark back to the pond. He placed it carefully by his gown. Now all he could do was wait. Being awake all night seemed like a bad idea. However, he had just woken up from a three weeklong coma. It was time to hunt down those other stashes of food. He wasn't sure how many there were. Harry hoped that he'd be able to get better at cooking them before he ruined them all.

Tomorrow, he needed to ask for something to do.

• 3.

Harry woke to the sound of the door opening. He hopped from the flat of his back to his feet. Quickly, he grabbed the discarded hospital gown and slipped it on. Last night had been incredibly boring after the first few minutes. He found the hidden food around the room and experimented with cooking them. He found it easier to make a fire to cook with than using it directly from his mouth. His claws made it incredibly easy to strip the meat from the bones. After that he just kind of lounged in the pond. When he got bored with that, he made a little log cabin out of the leftover bones. At some point he had fallen asleep.

The mouthwatering scent of Andromeda Tonks drifted closer as she approached.

CLAIM.

"Mrs. Tonks?" Harry called out.

"Yes, Harry?" Her voice was farther away than he expected.

"I don't think it's safe for you to come much closer." Harry could feel his cheeks warming up.

"I know this might be uncomfortable, but I need you to answer me truthfully." She hadn't moved any closer, but she hadn't left either. "You're having an increase in a primal urge. Can you tell me what sort?"

"Um…" Harry looked up to the ceiling.

"Do you want to attack me?" She asked.

"Sort of." Harry replied.

"Eat me?" She pressed.

"Maybe." Harry felt a rumble in his chest.

"Oh." Andromeda gasped. "Mating."

"Yeah." Harry closed his eyes, focusing on his breath.

It didn't help. He could smell her. Her scent was masked by her soap and the cloud of funk that came in when she opened the door. It took every bit of his self-control to stay still.

"Unfortunately, we have to press on." Andromeda spoke after a moment. "You must learn to control these urges if you are going to rejoin society."

Harry nodded. "That makes sense. Just, move slowly, please."

"Understood." Andromeda replied.

He could hear her heartbeat as she drew closer. It was fast, even with her controlled breathing. Harry closed his eyes, trying to think of anything else. He ran through quidditch drills and tried to think of all the wand motions for the spells he knew.

"Harry." She was too close now. "I need you to open your eyes."

Harry shook his head.

"It's going to alright." Her voice was soft and soothing.

"No, it's not." Harry spoke through gritted teeth.

Her scent was intoxicating. He could feel her heartbeat.

"Is there a guy who could do this?" Harry begged.

"We can't chance you attacking someone." Andromeda sighed. "If you're having this much trouble with your instincts, I would be worried that you'd see a male as a threat."

Harry nodded. He hated how she made sense.

"Please, Harry." She moved closer. "I need you to open your eyes and look at me."

He did. She was standing a little out of arms reach. Andromeda was wearing a set of healers' robes; her curly black hair was pulled back away from her face. Harry let out a long, ragged breath.

"Well done." She smiled at him.

Harry felt the urge to lunge at her. To claim her. The only thing that stopped him was the glint of a gold band on her finger.

"Are." He spoke through gritted teeth. "Are you married?"

She looked at him. "Oh. Yes, happily."

The urge eased. Harry found himself crossing the distance between them. Andromeda watched him closely. Harry stepped into her personal space. He rubbed the underside of his chin on her neck, marking her.

PACK.

That seemed to settled things. Harry vaguely recalled seeing cats do something similar.

"Oh." Andromeda rocked back a bit, with a giggle. "That was unexpected."

"I wanted to…" He blushed. "Claim you."

"And yet here I stand fully clothed and unravished." Andromeda waved a hand at herself. "Well done."