Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 123: Mimbulus mimbletonia

"You mean like for potions ingredients?" Harry asked, rolling the fine strand between his index finger and thumb.

"Well, can you think of some other uses for unicorn hair now that you've used the locating spell on it?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Well, you could use it to find things... can you locate potions or other things that use unicorn hair? Like the way Aminah's wand also sang when the spell was cast? It wasn't so loud, though. Was that because her core hadn't been exposed to moonlight for as long? These strands that we just found... will they keep singing like this or does the moonlight fade after time?" Harry wondered.

Harry heard Aminah approaching from behind Professor Lupin, her progress noisy because of all the leaves and sticks underfoot.

"Those are all really good questions, Harry. You're on the right track... let's head... Oh, hold on, Ami...nah... stop!" Professor Lupin yelped and stumbled, landing heavily on the ground at Harry's feet.

"Professor? Are you okay?" Harry asked, reaching for him as the professor thudded against his legs.

"What's going on?" Aminah cried out.

"Wait—don't let the unicorn hair touch me!" Professor Lupin said forcibly, scrambling on the ground.

Harry drew his hand back—the strand of hair still held between his fingers.

"Wait... why?" Aminah asked.

"Are you allergic to unicorn hair?" Harry asked as he transferred the hair carefully to his hand that was holding his staff and then bent down again to help Professor Lupin stand up. Harry was surprised to find that Professor Lupin was trembling.

"Yeah, it's something like that," Professor Lupin said as he stood up—moving a few feet away from them.

"What happened, sir?" Harry asked, his brows knitted together.

"I didn't think this through... please forgive me," the professor said, his breath labored. "I should have told you that I can't touch the unicorn hair."

"Why not?" asked Aminah. "You're not a werewolf, are you?"

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

"Er. Yes. I am. I should have taken Healer Jordan's advice and told you from the beginning... Of course, she was right," Professor Lupin said with an edge in his voice.

"Lycanthropes can't touch unicorn hair... and vice versa... it's the light/dark dichotomy... Professor Kettleburn said that it was part of Nicholas' Flamel's theory... we studied it last year in Care of Magical Creatures... that was right before... I was injured," Aminah said.

"Yes, exactly. Spot on, Aminah."

"So are you also working with Arig?" Harry asked.

"Yes—of course, you know about Arig's condition," Professor Lupin muttered.

"Gah. I hate that word. 'Condition.' It sounds like we all have the plague or something," Aminah moaned. "But why didn't you want to tell us?"

"Well, yes. I can see why you think of it as an odious word... though the 'Condition' that plagues me ... and believe me—it is like a plague... well, maybe what I truly suffer from is other people's fear and misconceptions. That is the true 'Condition' and it hounds me wherever I go and in everything I do. The Center is an unusual place... I wish... well, it is neither here nor there. But at any rate, it is just recently that it has been able to provide a safe haven for Lycanthropes where we can learn how to adapt to this rather dramatic change in our bodies with very little of the typical loathing and prejudice. Arig is truly lucky... as far as werewolves go... and even though he lost a limb in the process, I admit that I do harbor some envy for his situation... to not have to hide the true nature of the tragedy of what happened to him from the people he is closest to... that is a gift that few Lycanthropes can enjoy," Professor Lupin said.