Chapter Text
We Are The Predators
Chapter 1
“I think we lost them,” Neville said breathlessly, between pants as he staggered to a nearby tree and slumped down. The area dark, a set scene for the worst apocalyptic movie ever produced. Only this was no movie set, this was real life, a real apocalypse that nobody had seen coming. Nothing stopped the bombs, the horror, the soul-destroying hunger that followed them around as they went from place to place. They were used to the constant starvation, but still their stomachs growled loudly in search of nourishment. The most they managed to get were some mushrooms and grains while they scavenged for food. Sometimes – rare as it was – they found things like carrots and such. None of it did any good for them really, they needed proper sustenance, meat, which they hadn’t had for…Merlin, Neville didn’t even know. Not that it mattered, they’d soon all be going to meet their makers.
Harry stared at Neville while he tried to regain his own breath. He was afraid for both Neville and Luna, they were skin and bone…he knew they weren’t going to make it much longer, none of them were. The radiation poisoning (from the recent bombing) would eventually do them in. However, he couldn’t just lay down and die and let the hunters find them. It just wasn’t in his nature. They’d lost so much already, living was painful, tortuous. He never imagined this would be his life, he thought foolish he’d have a life worth living once he successfully defeated Voldemort.
Luna slid down beside Neville, curling into him, frozen to the bone. They hadn’t seen the sun in a long time, longer still since they’d felt the heat of its warmth.
“I can’t believe we’re having to run away from those fuckers,” Harry hissed out through gritted teeth, but there was two dozen of them and only three of them. They had no strength; their claws no longer made an appearance and their healing – if it worked at all – was glacial. Neville and Luna didn’t know how to fight without their magic, he was trying to train them up… but against professional assassins/hunters? Yeah, even he couldn’t help them there. Two dozen people with guns, knives and all manner of items that weren’t legal in the UK – not that anyone was around to stop it – they didn’t stand a chance. Which was sickening, they had been magical once upon a time, and a werewolf to boot, now they were useless, and it felt wrong on every level possible.
Neville made a sound of agreement, “Not long now.” it was said with such hopeless bitterness, as he clenched his hands into fists. They’d used the bombs; nobody was going to survive now. Not even them, the hunters chasing them either.
Harry stared at Hogwarts through the trees; it hurt to look at the crumbled ruin sight that it had become. Never saw the day where Muggles could see the sanctuary that had been upheld since the very foundations of the school had been laid by the founders. Worse still he couldn’t feel her, tears stung his eyes, he’d always been able to feel her. Her warmth had got him through a whole lot of dangerous situations. Nothing rolled down his cheeks, despite the heartbreak written across his face. He did not have the water to produce tears; such was their dehydration.
Raising his hand, he attempted a spell to protect them, to shield them, but naught worked. Magic was dying, even for those who had a magical core. The wizarding world, the supernatural world was over. The world had ended. Sighing in defeat, his arm dropped uselessly to his side. Fuck. His eyes flashed red in his rage, turning away from the school, he grimaced at the sight of the dead Centaur hung from the tree, with dozens of spears protruding out of its body. He didn’t need to look to know there were dozens of more all around. Most of them were skeletons now, others still had meat on their bones, but that was useless to them, it was saturated in wolfsbane. Eating from them would kill them all. It was too new for his comfort, glancing to where he last saw the hunters, he jumped into action. He was taking no risks.
“We need to keep moving, it’s too open, we have to move further in,” Harry told them, reaching over, he hoisted Neville and Luna up, even in his weakened state, he could do it easily. “Go,” they staggered instead of walking, just so physically incapable of continuing. The damn hunters had everything they’d need to make more weapons. The herbology and potions stores as well as the green houses had everything they’d need, mistletoe, Aconite, hell even Rowan if they wanted to. He spitefully hoped they all ran into the whomping willow.
They were in threadbare clothes, that were full of rips and tears, which did naught for the cold suffusing them. Once upon a time, with real meals, they’d been warm, like living radiators Mione used to say. The only reason they stayed around their waists was due to the string they conjured and tied around themselves. They truly were gaunt, emaciated, they couldn’t see how bad they were themselves, no mirrors but they saw each other and knew the damage had to be bad.
“Are there any caves here? Somewhere we can get warm?” Luna enquired, her teeth chittering, how she missed the warming charms, missed food, missed normality. She often daydreamed about her children, being back home, but it just hurt more in the end to think of them and what could have been.
“I don’t know,” Harry confessed, staring intently all around, prepared to do his all to protect his pack. “But there could be Acromantula’s in here still, be very careful…they have a taste for human flesh.” He warned them, belatedly realizing they might not know, Ron did not like to brag about that part of their adventures. In fact, he’d like to forget it ever happened, except in his nightmares, which he had often, Harry recalled from their teen years. His heart ached thinking of his fallen brother – in all but blood – his pack.
Neville and Luna didn’t react at all; truth was they’d rather die at by Acromantula’s legs and teeth than hunters. At least their death would be quick with the spiders they reckoned.
“I can’t do it anymore,” Luna said, dropping down, exhaustion written across her blackened dirty face. “I’m done, I’m sorry.” She’d gone as far as she could for them, she just didn’t have any energy left to move. Everything hurt, places she hadn’t even realised could hurt. Even after all these long lonely years.
Once upon a time Harry or Neville would have carried her without question, but neither had the energy to do so. The end was near; they could all feel it even if they wished to deny it.
“There’s nowhere to get water.” He rasped out, their magic no longer easily conjured water for them to slake their thirst. Staring up at the sky, “How long has it been since we saw any stars or the moon?” there was naught but ash and ruin around them. Even the trees were dead, bare and charred by whatever had been dropped upon the Forbidden Forest. What the bombs hadn’t destroyed the hunters had systematically decimated.
“Too long,” Harry murmured, joining Luna on the ground, whatever energy he had flagging utterly. If the hunters found them now…they would be easy prey. The entire sky was grey, not with clouds, he had no idea what it was, but it was permanent, he hadn’t seen bare sky for…too long.
“Teddy would have graduated University by now.” he said quietly, after perhaps an hour of silence, his heart aching for his godson. How he missed his blue haired little boy. Grieving the little boy who hadn’t got to grow up. Remus and Tonks had sacrificed their lives for him, and it was for nothing.
“Lorcan and Lysander would have finished Hogwarts,” Luna murmured in quiet desolation, they had died with the rest of the Scamander’s in one of the first bombs the muggles had dropped on them. She never regretted anything more than letting her Ex-husband have them that day. If she had just said no…they would still be with her. Shivering violently, she curled herself against Neville so very tired and afraid. You’d think she’d stop being afraid of death after all this time, she’d be reunited with her father, her children, but she refused to just lay down and die in the mud. She knew Harry wouldn’t survive their death; her and Neville had mated. They would never be forced to live without one another. Harry would be all alone, the idea scared her than her own eventual death. Whatever happened, they hoped Harry went first, she didn’t want to imagine what would happen without them.
Neville just tightened his hold on Luna, wishing so much that things were different. Regretfully, it wasn’t to be, there was nothing they could do to help this desolate wasteland they were living in. It was borrowed time, he knew that, they all did. The second that nuclear bomb had gone off…it was just a waiting game. They had been too close to the blast radius. Their healing was reduced to nothing before it, he very much doubted as they were they could survive radiation poisoning.
The worst of it was the loss of his magic, he’d lost his first, then Ron, then Hermione before Luna did too. Harry had his the longest before it too puttered out. Now the radiation that was poisoning everything, food, animals, people, humanity had destroyed itself – the world – rather than live with the idea of people that were simply different. Poor Luna still didn’t understand how it could have happened.
“I really thought they’d be able to stop this,” Luna murmured sorrowfully, she’d been unconcerned to begin with, they had magic after all, how could they be defeated? There had been talks of using the time-turners in targeted attack to prevent exposure or the actual attacks and save as many as they could. They’d fought in a damn war as teenagers for this, to die slowly and in excruciating agony. “Maybe we should have let Voldemort win.” Perhaps then the world would be safe for them. That they would remain untouched by what was happening out here. A foolish dream nothing more.
“Or it would have been found out sooner,” Harry sighed resignedly, it was a very familiar conversation, one they’d had dozens of times. “I’m honestly surprised they managed to cover up those attacks.” They weren’t just small ones; the Death Eaters had attacked entire towns! Technology had come a long way since Voldemort though, or had, since now nothing worked. The hunters still pursued them despite the fact the world was a barren wasteland now. They too would end up dying, no human could go without food and everything was contaminated, poisoned.
It was a matter of being the last man standing.
“Do you think they feel any regret?” Luna asked mournfully, scratching at her arms, they were downright filthy. They also smelt dreadful, but their noses had grown accustomed to the smell. Especially as they grew weaker their sense of smell waned. “They’ve killed themselves, the planet…everything is gone.” It was all gone. They’d killed all those innocent animals, innocent kids, people, just because they were different. Destroyed an entire world, for what? what was so bad about being different?
Harry lay down fully against the earth, there was no hum of magic, no sound except their own breathing. He scratched his chin, the irritation of his beard still getting to him. “No,” a dark laugh left his lips, “They’re the type to cut their own nose off to spite their face.” They’d killed themselves in an effort to eradicate all magical kind. They’d done the unthinkable a week ago, detonated the atomic bombs. Now there was no hope for anything to survive on this planet. Maybe the last few would regret it, when they realized they’d essentially endangered the damn world to prove their superiority, but who was going to have the last laugh really? Because it sure as hell wasn’t going to be anything living on this damn forsaken planet.
Harry’s hand went to his heart, he could feel the pack bonds with Neville and Luna lessening, without magic even their werewolf spark had puttered. He was terrified of losing those two tethers, afraid of what would come of him. Of them.
All they could do was lie there and watch it happen. The saviour of the wizarding world, just as helpless as a muggle.
They were supposed to be the predators!
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be in the end,” Harry murmured, “It’s kind of poetic, Hogwarts has always been and always will be my home.”
Neville choked, “Same,” oh, he felt exactly the same, Longbottom manor had never been home, not since his parents died anyway. He’d moved out the moment he could, he was glad to be well shot of his grandmother. Being at Hogwarts had been…more of the same actually, but at least nobody tried to kill him there. He’d been safer than when he’d been in his own home. It was Harry who made him see what they put him through had been wrong, and in turn Harry shared some things with him that he hadn’t even told Ron and Hermione – although, they likely guessed – and it had clinched it for him.
They more felt than saw Luna move, as she began to dig into the earth, “Luna…what are you doing?” Neville asked, watching his mate dig into the dry, ruined earth with her bare hands which had her shift claws out. None of them could do the full or partial shift anymore.
“Lu—” before Harry could finish that sentence, a very familiar red stone was lobbed his way absentmindedly by Luna, as she continued to dig.
“Luna you can’t,” Neville said grasping her hands, hauling her away from the hole she’d dug. “If you set a fire, we’ll be breathing more radiation.” He could feel it, the slow cloying march towards death.
Harry stared down at the stone, a little stunned, he had honestly forgotten about that. The resurrection stone, he’d dropped it here, all those years ago. Teddy. His parents. Sirius. Remus. Hermione. Ron. His Pack, the people he’d lost along the way. Well, he’d almost died here over a decade ago, seemed almost fitting that he’d find this and be comforted in the end, was it not? To see their loved ones one last time in life before crossing over and joining them.
Merlin, how had it come to this?
Shaking off the thrall, no, he had to stay in reality, he couldn’t just lose himself in all those he’d lost. It was so tempting, so very tempting to face the end with those he loved, but he had to be present for Neville and Luna. He threw it away – pathetically it didn’t go far he was all but human again now – it lobbed and dropped against a tree which was surrounded by stone pillars that blended in with the rest of the forest.
His little boy.
He bitterly regretted it as soon as he did it.
A small splat hit his face, causing Harry to blink, only for horror and realisation suffuse him.
“Hurry!” Harry snarled, picking up Luna’s legs, Neville took her front and they both bolted for cover. Barely even reacting to the thorns, thistles and stones hitting their bare feet – shoes had become a thing of the past – as they moved. It didn’t take them long to find something, it was no cave, merely shelter under a tree where it’s roots had created a cavernous space, it was something at least.
Harry winced, the pain of the acid rain adding to the pain already suffusing him, oh, he was so very tired. He joined the other two, huddling together for some semblance of warmth that wasn’t to be had. Both of them curled around Luna, exhaustion had them going under even if they didn’t feel remotely safe.
Then Harry woke up in utter agony as he felt the last of his pack bonds snap, his tether to his humanity…gone in the blink of an eye.
He woke screaming and howling his outrage to the world, until the echo’s howled back.
“No, no, no, please, no, this cannot be happening, it can’t,” Harry wheezed, shaking them ineffectually, “Wake up, please, Luna, Neville, I can’t do this without you. Please let me go with them.” broken dry sobs left him, this couldn’t be, it couldn’t.
Luna had passed away first, Neville, her mate, had followed right afterward.
With shaky hands, Harry lovingly tried to clean them up, leave them more presentable. Placing their hands on their chest, with their wand in hand. They might not have magic anymore, but they were wizards and witches and they were entombed with their wands. He was alone, he was truly alone now, the gaping hole in his chest hurt so much more then even his own body. It wouldn’t be long now, not long at all, death would soon nip at his heels and he’d be reunited with everyone.
Still in a sense of shock, he began to literally dig a grave with his bare hands, uncaring of the cuts he received, or the two nails he lost in the process. However, it was a very futile exercise, the ground too solid, the roots too thick and deep to be moved. The shock soon gave way to frustration and rage, before a howl of pure unadulterated grief swamped him, and he took off his human mind gone, leaving behind a feral intensity that wanted to do one thing only, look for someone to blame for the attack. Retribution. Rage. Sheer feral spite kept him going.
Harry started attacking a group of hunters that had been tracking them for the past week. He grabbed their weapons – ignoring the shots, truthfully, he couldn’t feel them – and began to smash the weapon against their faces with all the strength he had left in him, which surprisingly was enough. He didn’t stop for a long time. They worked in groups of three or four, Harry in his mindset did not care, he was feral, part of him wanted it to end, wanted them to succeed in killing him.
So, he may join his loved ones again.
Harry never came back to himself, not even after he had massacred every single hunter using his Hogwarts as a base after losing Luna and Neville.
The hunters had no longer resembled humans, just bone, flesh and blood splattered all over the once lush Quidditch pitch. Which was where they would remain for years to come, completely ignored by Harry as he continued to defend his home in all his feral intensity, any who approached the school received the same fate. Three years of people coming and fleeing – if they were extremely lucky – until the long winter was over at long last.
The rest of humanity had died, mass starvation inevitable with global food production ruined.
Harry Potter himself, continued to live on even after that day, watching over Hogwarts, with three bullet holes in him that should have killed him instantly. He had never eaten in years, hadn’t drank, but kept his home safe, and the memory of his pack alive in his very feral heart. Keeping his human mind – fragile and broken as it was – safe from breaking further.
The closest Harry came to himself, was when he went to the tree to see Luna and Neville. Guarding them something fierce in death, that he couldn’t do in life.
It would remain that way until Harry chanced upon a small red familiar stone, and with it the world would re-write.
I would have liked this to be a bit more grim, messy but this is what the muses came up with so here we go! :) now I've actually got the urge to have Fred and George as part of Harry's pack as well as Luna and Neville as well as Ron and Hermione (pack adjacent) and of course the pups *spoilers* although really you guys can all guess who at least one is ;) this will be a story that's began way before The Hale fire (how long though I'm not quite sure yet!) I've just got a few decisions to make on that front! so do I have older stiles in this brought back with Harry since he's close to everything that happened? there will be other reasons of course. who else will be paired? who will end up with Stiles? Derek? Fred? George? so yes none of the 'Teen Wolf' pack will be made yet, and likely not ever especially NOT Scott McCall, those that like him should back away, although to be fair he won't be in this much if at all, really so there's going to be no real bashing him...oh who am I kidding yes there's going to be bashing but older guy bashing no the human kid ;) hehe R&R please and take care everyone and remember to keep hydrated in this heat x