Prologue:

"I have finally done it!" Professor John Ackerley roared with excitement and laughter. He took a second glimpse at the bright silvery concoction, bubbling in the black cauldron upon the desktop. Various ingredients from an array of magical beings and vegetation, were scattered about and a small bit of parchment, with untidy scrawl scratched all over it, symbolized the correct items for the new found potion, that would change the lives of the wizarding world forever. He ran his wand over the length of the parchment so that the guidelines would duplicate and indefinitely be safe in case the first copy got destroyed in the future. He signed both copies then placed the clone to the side in an old potions book and continued with his work.

It was nearing nightfall and the full moon was due to rise in the clear midnight blue skies at any minute over the isolated landscapes of Northern England. Professor Ackerley ladled a fair amount of the potion into his mouth and he waited for its affects to arise in a chair overlooking the night beyond the windowsill.

John jumped to his feet when he heard a knock at the door, wondering who would interrupt him at that time of night in the middle of nowhere. He swiftly concealed all the evidence for the potion away by using a Disillusionment Charm before answering the repetitive thuds of his long time colleague, Professor Richard Paxton.

"What are you doing here, Richard? You know you shouldn't be here at a time like this," John reminded him, stepping back to allow Richard in anyhow.

"I recently got word of you brewing another new formula, Ackerley." He replied in an irritated tone. John just gazed curiously into the unfamiliar cold and dark eyes of his best mate, for he had never referred to John by his surname before. "You know that we work in this together."

"What do you mean, Rich? I don't understand."

"Oh, don't play games with me! You know perfectly well what I mean." He seized his wand from one of the inside pockets of his elegant black robes and swished it through the air around him, casting a Revealing Spell. Instantaneously, the potion and the mess surrounding it became visible once again and Richard turned around to face John. "I want some answers, now, John!"

"It's nothing, I-"

"I don't really care, actually!" Richard interjected. "You do realize what I am going to have to do with you now." It wasn't a question, but a statement. John knew exactly what must be done and he had to try to stop it; try to show some reality in Richard of the current situation, but how? Richard lifted his wand for a second time that night, but more threateningly that time as he positioned it directly in front of his old companion's heart.

"Wait, I can explain."

"There's no time left to wait! As you can see, you have succeeded in finding a cure for Lycanthropy seeing as you haven't transformed into the monster you are and the full moon has already began to ascend!" John took this pause to glance down at his slim body and in fact, he had not changed into the bloody creature he was meant to be. The potion had worked! There was now a cure for the cursed affair! His number one ambition had come true at last!" I will have to kill you, I'm afraid. We worked for hours at a time on an antidote for this predicament and now you have finally achieved it. You will be the one who gets all the credit for it. Well, I don't think so! You time here is now up and after tonight, I will be the one who is acknowledged as the hero who produced a treatment, and you," he chuckled as if this was all some hilarious joke. "you will be remembered as the traitor who attempted to steal all the glory and died by murdering yourself with your own spell. Or I guess mine."

"Richard, please. Show some mercy."

"AVADA KEDAVRA! Richard shouted, completely ignoring the pleading from John. A flash of green light emitted out from the tip of his wand and struck in the chest of the other man dead on. Instant death followed afterward and he collapsed to the dark paneled floorboards beneath him. "Ha-ha, you won't be causing any more difficulties for me, you filthy little git!" He dropped down to John's side and traded wands with him as it's allegiance would now obey his every command then he set forth for the finished potion. He grabbed the signed piece of parchment next to the cauldron without looking over it and also conjured an empty jar where the potion itself would remain for the time being. But before he could clear the pot of its substance, it had exploded in his face from overheating for too long, leaving Richard to die at once and the piece parchment he was holding with the original directions on it, to burn to a crisp making extremely illegible. The cure that had worked, was no more.

Chapter One:

On a crisp autumn's morning, the Freeman family of four
could be seen rushing through King's Cross Station and
the swarm of regular commuters, seeking for their own
destination. The young boy of eleven and his matching
fraternal twin sister were directing the group forward,
pushing their trolley's ahead of them while their parents
trailed closely behind in their wake. At a quarter to
eleven, they halted before a bare brick wall between
Platforms nine and ten.

"Me first," the girl shrieked with delight that was really
etched in her appearance. She had wore on black robes
that everyone around chose to ignore, along with all the
other possessions on the two trolleys, and wore an
expression of utter ecstasy.

"And you right after her, Rolf," their father added staring
at his son's hazel eyes and patting his hand atop of
Rolf's mop of brown hair. His sister then dashed for the
wall and before anyone could notice, she had vanished
through it. Rolf's feet remained planted in the same spot,
watching the patch of wall where she had just
disappeared through moments earlier and hesitated
before tracing in her footsteps with a running start.

Rolf caught up with his sister walking towards the
elongated steam engine after materializing onto the new
Platform himself. They helped one another as they
pushed their heavy trunk's into the entrance of the train,
then again subsequently finding an empty compartment.
They reunited on the platform with their parents to bid
their fair wells.

"Bye, mum; bye, pap," Rolf's sister said. She was a little
anxious and wanted to be on her way already. She was
not very patient which was huge to the family because
the long line of the Freemans family were best known to
be sorted into Hufflepuff House and she just didn't
posses the qualities.

"Bye-bye, dear," their mother said. "And bye, Rolf. Have
a great term, you two and stick together, especially you,
Rebekah-Jane..."

"I will, mum, especially with the state of things. Bye,
dad." She gave her dad a tight squeeze around his
middle and he bent down to kiss her on the top of her
head.

"Bye, Hun. We'll see you at Christmas. Now you better
get aboard, it's almost eleven." Rolf and his sister,
Rebekah-Jane obeyed their father and jumped onto the
train. They hurried to the seats they had found minutes
before and waved to their parents. Precisely at eleven,
the Hogwarts Express began to inch forward at a slow
pace. then It picked up speed as it rounded the corner,
out of the station. The twins stopped waving when they
could no longer see their parents and sat down on the
comfortable benches that were long enough to fit eight
more people easily.

"Are you nervous, Rolf?" Rebekah-Jane asked.

"Kind of," he returned which wasn't much louder than a
whisper.

"It will be okay, I will be by your side at all times."

"But what if you aren't sorted into Hufflepuff? Or worse,
what if I'm not sorted in to Hufflepuff?



"You will be sorted there, I promise. Your heart is too big
to be sorted anywhere else. As for me, I will figure it out.
You'll see."

"I'm just a little nervous with that and my monthly gift."

"But you'll be alright. The Headmaster knows of your
condition and he still allowed you to go to Hogwarts. The
staff is at your side if you need them. And I will always be
there for you. You know that. They will find a cure, I just
know it."

"Ha, yeah right! It's been years and there still isn't one! I
am sick and tired of this curse and I am only eleven
years old! Why'd it have to be me?! Why?!"

"I know how you must feel."

"No, you don't, nobody does! I'm a monster and you
know it!"

"Okay, you're over-reacting. Just forget about it and
enjoy the rest of the ride. Make some new friends. Don't
be held back just because you're a werewolf." Rolf just
fumed at this and turned his head to stare out the
window at the passing fields, but he couldn't help but
think about how much his sister truly cared for him.

~*~

Willie Warrenton pushed his trolley through the wall like it
was no big deal and he reappeared onto Platform Nine
and Three Quarters. His own parents had decided to go
into work early and leave him to get to the Train Station
on his own. What parents they were.

He lifted his trunk full of his school things without the
help from anyone else around as they were too busy with
their needs to care. He managed it, anyhow and began
his long search to find an empty compartment. He
started at the front of the train and made his way down it,
but it proved to be very difficult because the slim corridor
was crammed with other students chatting away
excitedly. The train had lurched forward at eleven and he
still hadn't found a decent compartment. Every single
one was filled to the brim with rambunctious students
and that wasn't good enough. Willie wasn't shy or
anything, but he just didn't want to take any chances.
Near the back of the train, he found a compartment with
just two students who didn't look much older than
himself. He decided to come back if everywhere else
was full.

As it turned out, everywhere else was full and so he
plucked up the courage he normally had and returned to
the spot just outside their compartment. He waited for a
second as they looked up at him, but he was lucky
because the corridor was still crowded from everyone
else getting to their desired place, so it didn't feel
awkward. The girl in the compartment stood up,
however, and made to open the door.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked pleasantly. "You
seem uncomfortable and there is plenty of room in here."
Willie nodded as she stood back to allow him in. He sat
down next to the boy in the compartment.

"Thanks for letting me join you guys. Everywhere else is
full. I'm William Warrenton, but you can call me Willie."

"Hi, Willie. I'm Rebekah-Jane and this is my twin brother,
Rolf." She shook his hand.

"Hi, Willie," Rolf greeted, also shaking his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Willie said. He leaned
further back on the seat to get more comfortable. "So,
are you first years?"

"Yeah," Rebekah-Jane shouted with even more
excitement. "I can't wait to get there to get sorted, to
meet the professors, to start classes! It will be great!"

"Yeah," Rolf agreed with a somber tone. He tried to
conceal it, but his sister and Willie had both noticed and
he knew it.

"What's wrong, Rolf?" Willie asked.

"Oh, nothing," Rebekah-Jane answered for her brother."
He's just nervous and this is how he usually acts."

"What's there to be nervous about, mate?" Willie again
asked

"The Sorting. I feel as if I won't fit in."

"We've talked about this before, Rolf," Rebekah-Jane
reminded him. "So what if you don't fit in, we're all
different and meant to express ourselves that way."

"You'll be surprised how well you'll fit in with your House
mates," Willie added.

"Do you understand, Rolf? Are we helping at all?"

"Yeah, a little," he said. He gave his sister the look about
his secret and his sister understood his feelings for not
fitting in. She had known all along what had been
bothering him, but he just wouldn't let the situation go.
Yeah, it must be painful to transform every month.
Rebekah-Jane knew best, always sitting by his side the
following morning. But, no matter what the problem was,
he had to live his life out to the fullest. Take some risks,
make some friends, and learn magic from the best
teachers the world had to offer. Rebekah-Jane tried to
explain that over and over again, and this time with
Willie's assistance. Hopefully he'd just begun to
understand because, Rebekah-Jane and Willie both
needed him as much as Rolf needed them. They were in
this together. "So tell us about yourself, Willie," Rolf said,
changing the conversation.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Your family," Rebekah-Jane said."

"There's not much to tell. I'm an only child raised up by
my hard-working parents. So hard-working, in fact, that
they didn't even bother taking me to King's cross this
morning."

"Really?! That's awful!" Rebekah-Jane said.

"Why did they go into work instead, Rolf asked"

"They believe it's more important, I'd say."

"I'm sorry," Rolf and Rebekah-Jane said in unison.

"It's alright, who needs 'em, really?"

"You do, of course," Rose claimed. "I couldn't imagine
life without my parents."

"Me neither," Rolf agreed.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you spent one day with
the two of them. They're always discussing work and
they never want to have anything to do with me. I mean,
why have a child?"

"How do you cope with it?" Rolf asked.

"I remain in my bedroom, ignoring them as they do to
me."

"I'm sorry," Rebekah-Jane said." It's just awful!"

"So what House do you think you'll be sorted into,
Willie?" Rolf asked changing the subject again.

"Both my parents were in Ravenclaw, so I bet I'll be put
there. How about you guys?"

"Every single relative in our family has been in Hufflepuff,
but I'm about to change that," Rebekah-Jane declared.

"What?! I thought you were going to try to get into
Hufflepuff with me?!" Rolf protested.

"Let's face it, I just don't have the Hufflepuff qualities.

"Then what House will it be?"

"Gryffindor."

"Bekah..." Rolf was interrupted by the compartment door
sliding open, revealing the large cart of wizard goodies
being pushed by a lovable middle-aged woman.

"Anything off the trolley, my dears?" she offered, her
voice sweet like candy.

Rolf shook his head no, having lost his appetite minutes
before, but Rebekah-Jane and Willie both got a small
snack. Willie bought one of everything while Rebekah-
Jane bought Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and a
couple of Chocolate Frogs as she sat back down
opening the box of beans.

"Want one, Rolf?" his sister offered.

"No, thanks," he said. "I'm not hungry.

"You better be later," Willie exclaimed. "I heard the start
of term feast is really something.

"I know. I'll feel better after the Sorting.

"Just stop worrying about it!" his sister commanded. Rolf
just looked at her, but again, he knew that she was right
and that she only wanted the best for him.

The group sat in silence for the longest time, just
watching the ever-changing landscapes pass on by as
the train continued its journey north. Rebekah-Jane had
saved the chocolate frogs for later and instead ate the
beans, coming to find that some were way better than
the others. Willie, on the other hand was a pig and had
done away with all his treats. He was starving, not
having the chance to eat any breakfast that morning.
And to be honest, he was still hungry for more. Sitting
back even further in his seat, if possible, he clapped both
hands to his stomach and began to fall asleep. That
would pass the time up.

Rolf's mind kept racing in his head. He didn't know what
to think. How could his sister abandon him? Didn't she
say that she would try to get into Hufflepuff for him?
What was really going on over in her sneaky little head?
Rolf just couldn't stop worrying; it was unhealthy, making
him more agitated. Without anything better to do, Rolf
opened his trunk from the rack above and chose a
random book to read. Looking at the cover, he saw he
had chosen his Potions book. Shrugging his shoulders,
he sat back down and opened it to the table of contents.

There were a lot of spectacular potions and descriptions,
that he and the rest of his classmates would eventually
learn. It was unbelievable. His sister was right. He had
something to look forward to after all, the professors and
the classes they taught.

The one thing that Rolf was searching for, caught his
eye. He flipped to the correct page, but he wasn't
shocked on what he saw. Barely anything covered the
single page of Lycanthropy. What was there was a rather
grotesque image of a wolf and a description underneath
that said: There is not yet a cure for the Lycanthropy
disease. Potioneers all over the current-day world, have
been experimenting with several ingredients, but no
results have been found. Unfortunately, a cure may
never be found.

There will be a cure if it's the last thing I do!

Rolf thought to himself. He couldn't believe his eyes. He
slammed the book rather hard on his lap, causing his
sister to look over to him and Willie to wake up from his
sleep.

"Whuzzat?" Willie yawned sleepily.

"What's up, Rolf?"

"Oh nothing, I was just reading my Potions book," he
replied, hiding his true feelings. Rebekah-Jane knew that
there was more to discuss, but Willie let it slide. Rolf
wasn't ready for Willie to know his secret yet and his
sister would just have to understand. He knew she did as
she closed her box of beans for later and went back to
staring out the window.

"You know, you two might want to get dressed."
Rebekah-Jane suggested. "It's getting darker, we must
be there soon!"

"You're right, Bekah. Can you leave for a sec so we can
get dressed?" Rolf asked.

She left the compartment and the moment she was out
of sight, the two boys had opened their trolleys to get out
their uniforms. When Rolf stood up, however, his potions
book had dropped from his lap to the floor. He decided to
ignore it for the time being and undressed instead.

Rebekah-Jane reentered a few minutes after to find her
brother and Willie just getting comfy in their spots again
and she took her seat to do the same. Rolf picked up his
book noticing that it had opened when it fell. When he
got a clearer look at the page it had landed on, he
discovered a single piece of paper that was not a part of
the book. Hiding the book and paper from sight, he
squinted his eyes to see what was written on the paper.
The heading said: A successful cure for Lycanthropy.
The Loannes Potion. Below that were the directions for
the concoction. There weren't very many at all, just a few
ingredients, the number of clockwise and counter-
clockwise stirs, and the temperature needed for it. The
only true problem would be the time it took to brew the
potion. At the bottom of the page was the signature from
the brewer: Signed by Professor John Ackerley, a
current werewolf.

The piece of paper with nothing, but scribbles, had
changed Rolf's life just then. The potion seemed so
simple, too. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to
brew up some for himself and those of others who had to
deal with the horrible transformations every month.
Hiding his excitement, Rolf placed the paper back in the
textbook and returned it to his trunk. When he took his
seat, an announcement from overhead sounded through
out the train.

"We will be arriving at Hogsmeade Station in five
minutes’ time. Wait for the train to come to a complete
stop before exiting the train and please leave your
belongings behind as they will be taken up separately.
Thank you for your time."

Five minutes later, the train had finally arrived at the
station. The train corridors filled up rapidly, but Rolf, his
sister, and Willie were lucky; being at the rear of the
train, they were able to leave it easily. The platform was
becoming crowded, but since most of the students were
still trying to get off the train, it wasn't too bad yet.

"First years, first years, come this way, please! Do not
follow the other students to the carriages!"

Rolf, Rebekah-Jane, and Willie obeyed the commands
from the new figure at the far end of the platform, near
the front of the train and lined up directly in front of him.
He was very tall, maybe seven feet, and he was bald
with a heavy brown mustache. His eyes were a kind
blue, but when angry his ripped body and arms could
tear anyone apart. He introduced himself as Scott Sorin,
and the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts.

When the rest of the first years had finally lined up
behind Rolf, his sister, and Willie, Mr. Sorin introduced
himself for the second time.

"...Now follow me to the boats! And stay to the path! You
wouldn't want to stray off the path into this forest, not
with all the creatures you'd find in there."

Tall trees with thick trunks lined the path on either side.
Mr. Sorin had succeeded in terrifying the first years, that
they followed right behind him taking care of not to even
glance into the forest. They rounded a bend in the path
and a couple feet ahead was the shore to a dark lake.
The skies above were so clear with not a cloud in sight
that it would be smooth sailing to the other side.

"Three to a boat!" Mr. Sorin announced. Rolf, Rebekah-
Jane, and Willie climbed into the first boat after Mr. Sorin
climbed in his. The other students climbing in theirs were
meeting new friends. When everyone was settled, the
boats drifted through the smooth water magically on their
own, the water clear enough that some first years
spotted a rather big creature swimming just feet beneath
them. "You'll get your first view of Hogwarts on the other
side of this curve here." Sure enough, the castle could be
seen sitting atop a cliff with its may towers and turrets.
The place seemed so inviting, especially to those like
Rolf. All that could be heard in the background, were the
ooh's and aw's of the first time seers.

The boats reached the opposite shore in what seemed
like just a couple of minutes. The students were just in
too much awe to even notice that they could get out. Mr.
Sorin lead the first years to the stairs and the boats
continued to the boat house where they remained for the
remainder of the year. At the top of the never-ending
stairs was the entrance courtyard and behind the double
door entry, was home. The first years huddled around in
a group behind Mr. Sorin and watched as he went
straight up to the doors and knocked rather hard on them
three times.

"We're finally here!" Rebekah-Jane shouted.

"I know!" the other two said excitedly.

The doors in front were now opening.