April 10, 1890

He kept an eye out for the advertisements, and finally caught one when he was actually interested in talking to the person who had written him over the summer. There was perhaps some risk that they were different, but really - how many people could possibly be looking into werewolves in Britain?

For the sake of anonymity, Kieran was using the Augurey Beak Cafe as his return address for this.

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Diagon Alley Post Office, Box 309

I hear you are seeking subjects affected by lycanthropy for interviews, discretely. I am an individual affected with lycanthropy. I am not registered with the Ministry of Magic and am available for your questions.

A.

  

April 11, 1890

Dear A,

Thank you for writing! Your letter comes at a particularly fortuitous time in the scope of my research and I am quite pleased to have another opportunity of collecting information if you are willing to share it.

Let me pause here to mention that your participation in this research is completely voluntary. If at any point one of my questions makes you uncomfortable, you may choose not to answer it without affecting the compensation scheme laid out on the enclosed page. Your safety and privacy are my top concern, and at no point will I ask or pressure you to identify yourself. None of the information you share with me will ever be published in a manor that connects it back to you. That being said, if you so elect you may choose to specify that any particular details you share with me are not available for publishing even in an anonymous format.

With that out of the way, these are the questions with which I usually begin. Feel free to answer with as much or little detail as you find necessary:

1) To the best of your recollection, what were the circumstances under which you first became afflicted?

2) What was your initial reaction to this situation? Did you know immediately after being bitten that you were affected, did you discover it at sometime in the following weeks, or during the next full moon?

3) What was your first full moon experience like? How has the experience changed with time?

4) How long have you been living with lycanthropy?

5) As you mentioned that you were not registered with the Ministry of Magic, what specific factors lead to your decision not to register yourself?

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 12, 1890

M.

1. I was in the Forbidden Forest near dawn and was bitten on my shoulder before the werewolf transformed back into himself.
2. I was bleeding heavily. I apparated to the hospital and knew I had been afflicted because I knew what bit me; I left after my shoulder was patched and before the healers could figure things out fully. I took precautions (well, I took myself to the forest) under the assumption that I had been transformed and found it to be the case the next full moon.
3. Shitty. It's still shitty, but I've made changes since then. I don't remember the full moon so I'm not sure how the experiences themselves have changed.
4. Since October 1884.
5. I need to have a job to pay rent; my employer would not keep me on payroll if they knew. It's always been pretty simple that way, I guess.

A.

  

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set by MJ!

April 13, 1890

Dear A,

Thank you very much for your responses; I am being entirely genuine when I saw they are quite fascinating and I hope you will indulge me in some further questions. (The first portion of your payment is enclosed)

1. You wrote "[I] was bitten on my shoulder before the werewolf transformed back into himself," which I take to mean that you actually witnessed the transformation. If that's the case, this is incredibly valuable from a research perspective since, as you can imagine, there are few ways to safely witness a werewolf's transformation and most of what we know on the subject is anecdotal. I understand that the experience was many years ago and you may not have been in a condition to see well, or to process what you saw, but if you can answer any of the questions below they will be extremely valuable to me:

a. What was physically occurring during the transformation?
b. Did the creature seem to anticipate the start of the transformation in any way, or did he appear to be taken by surprise?
c. Was the start of the transformation linked to any external stimulus that you could identify (for instance, the rising of the sun or the obscuring of the moon behind an obstacle)?
d. How did the werewolf react to the transformation? Did he seem to be in pain or resisting? If so, was this reaction consistent throughout the transformation or did it come on at a particular juncture?
e. Did you note any similarities in appearance between the werewolf and the man (for instance, a shared hair color, a shared scar or other deformity, etc)?
f. Was the man conscious upon conclusion of the transformation?
g. If so, what did he do or say? How did he leave the area?
h. Did he notice you? If so, how did he react to seeing you? Did he say anything? Did he try to assist you with your wound in any capacity?

2. It is remarkable that you were still able to apparate after having sustained such an injury. Do you remember how the healers treated the wound at the hospital? What did you tell them about the origins of the injury?

3. Blacking out the experiences during the full moon is quite common, though I've not yet determined whether those afflicted are entirely unaware during the transformed period or whether the mind, as a sort of defense against trauma, buries these memories upon the night's completion. You wrote, however, that you have made changes; I imagine you mean you have changed the methods you use to contain or control your transformed self during the full moons. Can you articulate what you current do, and what the impetus was to change your habits?

4. You likely do not need me to tell you this, but many werewolves do not last as long as you have without exposure or coming to some sort of harm, during the full moons or otherwise. I have no question on this point; rather, I thought I ought to acknowledge the difficulty of what you've done and the immense stress your situation must have placed you in, throughout the years.

5. Your decision to remain covert for financial reasons is entirely understandable, and as my research indicates, quite common (the only factor more often cited is a desire not to lose social connections with family or close friends). Do you think, if there were a career (or other method of sustaining your lifestyle) which allowed you to live openly with this identity, you would choose to do so? I understand a question like this may be difficult to consider in the hypothetical, but I think phrasing it this way helps illuminate certain things, if you will indulge me.

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 15, 1890

M.

1. I may dissappoint you on the transformation -- I do not remember much of it. The wolf seemed to be in pain, but not resisting - I saw more of a blur of motion than any distinct colors, as far as its physicality was concerned. I could not tell how much of the transformation was spurned by the changing of any external conditions, either; there was, as you could guess, a lot of blood loss on my end.

He was conscious. He kept apologizing to me. He pressed my jacket to my shoulder to try to help with the bleeding, but I was not tremendously friendly about the whole thing, so I did not ask for his help otherwise. I have never seen him again.


2. They stopped the bleeding, using dittany and other potions, I think. I said that a different creature attacked me, although cannot for the life of me remember what. Like I said, I didn't tell them my name.

3. Magically enhanced steel chains in a magically barricaded room.

4. It is not, necessarily, that I have not come to harm - every werewolf who tries to restrain themselves will do some injury to themselves the night of the Full Moon. However, that's preferable to getting caught, or hurting anyone else, and I have never caused too much damage to my own person.

5. If there were something that ensured I would not come to harm, and could remain financially solvent, sure, I would consider it. I just don't think such a thing will ever exist.

A.

  

April 17, 1890

Dear A,

I am not disappointed in the slightest! I understand the difficulties associated with giving an accurate accounting of an event like that, with it being both so long ago and so traumatic, and I do appreciate your taking the time and effort to write articulate what details you do recall. As I mentioned before, these instances are so rare that even the most seemingly insignificant details are incredibly valuable.

(On the subject of value, the second installment of your payment is enclosed — though it feels so crude to even mention it as this amount really is quite a pittance compared with my appreciation for your answers thus far)

On the subject of restraint and ensuing injuries: I am afraid my research bears out your claim to a certain extent, though some who have written to me have found methods of minimizing or mitigating the damage done during full moons. Do you have any of these methods yourself? If so, I would be interested to know what they are, how you first learned about them or had the idea to try them, and how effective you find them to be.

Thank you for indulging me with the last question in my prior letter (the hypothetical). It may seem frivolous to think about such things when, as you stated, any sort of future that incorporates them seems impossible. I ask it because I think it illuminates what factors in our society actually push those afflicted with lycanthropy to secrecy — and while there may not be much interest in this particular avenue of research in the wider community at the moment, it interests me. I am hopeful that one day the wizarding world will recognize that this current system of driving werewolves into the underground, so to speak, is problematic and needs to be changed — and at that point this data will be highly relevant, as we cannot hope to encourage those with lycanthropy to come forward unless we first address all of the things that currently prevent them from doing so.

Of course, I am also hoping that when this becomes relevant it is because there has been a profound shift in thought and policy, and we will be seeking to provide support services and resources for those in your position, not to simply add their names to a registry as though they are already criminals of a sort — but you may think that hope too optimistic or naive, which I understand. I know it is a distant dream, but that is the point and the power of research: to change the way people think.

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 18, 1890

M.

Dittany is particularly useful when you can get it; it helps with most of the scarring. In terms of ways to deal with it, I have a question for you - has anyone ever mentioned animagi to you? Does anyone know anything about it?

The problem, I think, is that to advocate for werewolves you need werewolves. And who would be willing to self-advocate?

A.

  

April 19, 1890

Dear A,

I disagree; I think in order to advocate for werewolves, you need facts, and the magical community has thus far been uninterested in finding any. I'm hoping my research can change that, and when people know something more about lycanthropy they will necessarily fear it less; we always fear most what we do not understand, after all, and therefore understanding is the first step towards any sort of positive change.

You'll have to give me more clarification on your question of animagi, I'm afraid. Do you mean has someone afflicted with lycanthropy ever staved off a transformation because they were occupying an animagus form on the night of the full moon?

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 20, 1890

M.

I suppose I phrased that incorrectly; my guess is that werewolves can't become animagi, but of course I haven't tested that myself, and have no intention to. I mean other people, in an animagus form. Would a werewolf still try to hurt them?

A.

  

April 21, 1890

Dear A,

Your guess is an interesting one. I haven't seen anything in the way of proof that those afflicted with lycanthropy would not be able to become animagi, and in fact that seems slightly counter-intuitive to me since werewolves are otherwise able to wield magic as well as they could before being bitten, to the best of our knowledge. Those who have achieved animagus transformations and those who have lycanthropy are both such small segments of the population, however, that it seems unlikely there would be much natural overlap, so it may be difficult to say. But, this is hardly relevant now that I understand your question.

It is an intriguing question, because it is fairly well established (and documented in my latest publication) that werewolves do not harm dogs. Many of those I've corresponded with over the years have used a trained dog during full moons, as the company seems to pacify werewolves somewhat and generally leads to less injuries as a result of fighting against restraints. Whether or not they would have this aversion to harming any animal or whether dogs are only spared due to their comparable form, it is harder to say conclusively. I have seen no evidence of a werewolf attacking or killing an animal other than a human while transformed, but — well, it is difficult to prove a negative. Is the lack of evidence proof that it is impossible, or only indicative of a lack of opportunity? I couldn't say.

I am not certain, either, whether a werewolf might know or sense the humanity of a transformed animagus. As I mentioned earlier, the populations are both so small that there is unlikely to be much overlap. It certainly hasn't come up in my research previously.

Why do you ask? I would be interested in whatever you have heard, even if it is only a rumor; so many start with a grain of truth and are therefore usually worth investigating.

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 22, 1890

M.

My friend - a friend who knows, although I prefer to keep this as secret as possible - is trying to become an animagus. He believes in the proof of the negative; or, rather, he thinks it's an interesting thought experiment. My preference is not to kill him.

A.

  

April 23, 1890

Dear A,

Fascinating.

Would you be open to engaging in an experiment of sorts? It would be quite illustrative, I think, to undergo your next full moon with a small animal of the non-canine variety in close quarters. While its survival would not, in my mind, constitute definite proof that a werewolf would do no harm to an animal, it would allow us to form a much more sophisticated hypothesis when considering the question of whether you would, during a full moon. I understand the idea may not be particularly appealing, especially if you are at all squeamish around blood or dead things, but — I imagine you might be willing to try, if you are entertaining the idea of allowing your friend to accompany you.

He sounds like a good friend, by the way.

I can obtain an animal for you, if you are willing to try it, but this would require us to exchange it somehow — it depends on what, exactly, you are comfortable with. Perhaps I can rent a cheap room at an inn and leave the animal there, then owl you the key?

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 24, 1890

M.

Sure -- the thought brings me no joy, but I'd rather hurt something else than a person, if I have to hurt anything.

He is a good friend. He's brave, and probably stupid, but he's a good friend.

I'm fine with your proposed method. Can I ask that the inn be in London?

A.

  

April 25, 1890

Dear A,

London is quite convenient for me. Enclosed is the address of the inn I intend to use; it primarily caters to Muggles and has a restaurant and pub on the first floor, so going in and out should be fairly discreet. I was thinking the second of May would suit; that way you don't have to care for it long before the full moon. That should help you not get attached, too, I think. Please let me know at once if another date would suit you better.

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

April 26, 1890

M.

The second of May is fine. I'll retrieve it then.

A.

  

[left in the hotel room with a rabbit]

May 2, 1890

Dear A,

I've left the rabbit, a cage, and about a week's worth of food; if it lasts through the week and becomes inconvenient we can arrange for its return. If it doesn't last I should also prefer it was returned (or whatever is left of it). The state of the body may prove illustrative. In either case please advise so we can arrange either a drop-off or an alternative delivery address as the post box at the office won't accommodate something this large.

When you've finished here, please slip the key into the drop box by the front desk. There is no need to check out in person and the staff shouldn't go looking for the key until tomorrow afternoon.

Sincerely,
M

Postscript: I chose a rabbit for two reasons: first, that it is considered a prey animal and particularly is common prey for wolves; and second, that I read once (but cannot independently confirm as I am hardly a zoologist) that it is possible for a rabbit in a near-death situation to be frightened to death. For our purposes this seemed ideal... it's the best descriptor we can have of behavior during the full moon without having an actual observer present. Any threatening but nonlethal behavior might cause the rabbit to go into shock. If you discover it dead without any obvious cause, this is probably what has happened — I promise there is nothing wrong with it, so please don't be alarmed.

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules