¤ ¤ ¤

The sun was setting over the green, the sky was a gradient of pale orange to a deep violet when Pomfrey had ushered Janna over the slopes then to the Whomping Willow where she said to Pomfrey that she would be able to go on by herself. Even to the protests of Pomfrey Janna explained that she would be better off going alone since she had taken a very strong numbing potion. Janna also didn't want to be caught with Ash in her possession.

The tunnel seemed to be more like a cave, the walls felt like permafrost to the touch, nothing offered warmth besides the flares that glowed ahead of her from Ash who was sat on her shoulder warming her skin there. The tunnel seemed to stretch forever, Janna stopped at a point, thinking that maybe she could just shift in the tunnel... but she might get pummelled by the Willow in a black out.

Finally Janna felt the wall ahead of her in her blurry vision then she felt the wooden ladder, her fingers felt the wooden trap door above her when they travelled up. She pressed hard upwards before the thick wood door creaked open blam! the door fell back onto the floor letting dust snow down on Janna's head, Ash squeaked at Janna swatting his tail in front her eyes, a blinding flash of white light hit Janna's eyes, next thing she felt herself falling onto the tilted four poster bed.

Ash pushed his tail away from her eyes and he dug through her hair to see Janna's face, she slowly lifted her hand to pet his fur coat, he purred like a cat pushing his head into her palm. Janna shivered in the cold so Ash could only wrap Janna in the blanket sides under her, he pulled a pillow to her head forcing her head to roll onto the pillow. After that he moved to her trainers, he sat on her ankle like a bird thinking of how to take the shoes off, he noted when he saw her tying her school shoes that she always pulled one of the laces.

The ferret dropped onto the floor, a small thonk of the wood echoed below Ash, he jumped up and clung to the one lace but only hung off the lace he pulled his body down causing the lace to loosen and let the sting dangle. Ash did the same with Janna's other shoe before loosening the string like Janna did, the first time he undid the shoe he was clinging to the actual shoe and when the lace loosened, he pulled causing himself and the shoe to clatter to the floorboards.

Meanwhile Janna felt Ash's shenanigans at her feet, she was staring to one of the windows watching the cloudy sky release snowflakes, cold air rushed through the Shrieking Shack causing there to be an eerie moan through the rooms, Janna shivered as she felt a cold wind come past her back, causing her hairs to stand up on her neck. The clouds drifted aside to reveal a beam of silvery light which lit the dim Shack even more.

There was violent snap as Janna's head jerked back as though someone was pulling her hair, she screamed letting her throat rattle as the transformation began, her skin bubbled like something was trying to dig a way out through her skin, she curled into her stomach as her arms elongated before falling off the bed. Snuffles watched in horror, with his nose pressed against the glass of the portrait, as Janna's back came into view from the other side of the bed, there were thick tufts of hair with the whisker like hair on her stubby tail.

Janna held her stomach with her claw like hands, as her snout changed there was blood coming from her darkening nose, blood bled from her gums as the teeth reshaped and pulled themselves out. Through the uncomfortable numbness Janna clawed at the floor, her amber green eyes were shifting to a more darker red and back again, Janna kept blinking trying to gain control as she kept blacking out, seeing her claws ripping at the wood on the floor causing splinters to lodged in her pads.

Finally the last bone clicked, the fur on her was thicker and more glossy but around her paw and snout was caked in blood which stained her coat. The wolf laid on the floor breathing heavily, trying to pull her wits together but control was getting tougher and tougher to gain as the moon began to move.

Possibly for two hours the wolf laid on the floor, wincing in pain, her eyes were fluttering unable to stay awake, finally the wolf stood up, lifting her back left leg as she hobbled down the stairs.

Ash stayed under the bed, his white coat had scarlet splotches from Janna coughing out her blood, he shivered as he watched her eyes change colour. Above his hiding place Snuffles had watched from the bedside table, soon he was moving to the portrait above the mantel piece where the wolf was shaking as she reached the landing but as she reached for the next step her paw slipped sending her tumbling down the steps.

Her shoulders hit a corner of a step causing her to thrash on the spot causing her back leg to get caught in a step and hit a corner, she yanked her leg out causing splinters to pierce into her skin. Finally she rolled off the last step, landing in a heap at the bottom of the steps.

The wolf's eyes flickered to a shade of green again, she winced in pain, unable to move from the pain in her back left leg. Why is it always that leg? Janna asked herself before feeling lightheaded, her eyes fluttered open, suddenly shutting for  good.

Her breathing become softer signalling she has fallen asleep, so Ash leaned through the railings, he wrapped his small tail around a vertical wooden bar in the railing, above the landing he looked under the floor and his face appeared on the roof, he saw the wolf in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs. With a pop and a burst of white flakes he appeared at her back leg where the splinters were lodged, he gentle took a splinter in his paws and pulled it out only seeing the wolf kick its leg out, Ash jumped over the paw throwing the splinter over his shoulder.