Werewolves

Picture of Remus Lupin as a Werewolf

## Physical Characteristics

### Average Height

6-9ft (dependant on humanoid form) when standing straight, but often have a hunch or slouch which varies from slight to dramatic.

### Distinction

Humanoids, cursed by lycanthropy forcing them to turn into wolf like creatures upon a full moon

## Sociocultural Characteristics

### Language

None in Beast form, Varies in Humanoid form

### Members

Fenrir Greyback Remus Lupin Niklaus MikaelsonTyler LockwoodHayley Marshall-Kenner

A **werewolf** is a humanoid being who, upon the complete rising of the full moon, becomes a fearsome and deadly near-wolf. This condition is caused by curse/infection with lycanthropy, also known as werewolfry, passed on through the bite of a Werewolf (see Infection). Werewolves appear in the form of a wolf but, there are distinctions between them and regular wolves. The largest population of werewolves is on the planet Tumore in the Lactea galaxy.

A mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will seal the wound and allow the victim to live on as a werewolf, although tragic tales are told of people begging for death rather than becoming werewolves. The Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles, allows the werewolf to keep their human mind during transformation.

A werewolf cannot choose whether or not to transform and will no longer remember who they are and would kill even their best friend given the opportunity once transformed. Despite this, they are able to recall everything they have experienced throughout their transformation upon reverting to their human form.

## Infection

Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood; thus, when a transformed werewolf bites a humanoid, the bitten will become a werewolf themselves. If a werewolf is in humanoid form and bites the victim, they will merely gain lupine tendencies such as a fondness for rare meat. Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in humanoid or animal form, will leave permanent scars. However, the fresh wound can be sealed with a mixture of powdered silver and dittany.

Werewolves cannot pass on lycanthropy to their children, and so if having a child with a human partner no lupine tendencies, however, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. If two werewolves mate at the full moon, in their animal forms, something very strange happens. The result of their mating, which has only ever occurred twice throughout history ( the Fenrisian and Lupex wolves), has been a pack of wolf cubs — actual wolf cubs — who grow to become very beautiful horse sized wolves with near-human intelligence.

### Treatments

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for lycanthropy. However, some of the worst effects can be mitigated by consuming Wolfsbane Potion, which allows a werewolf to retain his or her human mind while transformed, thus freeing him or her from the worry of harming other humans or themselves. It is a very difficult potion to make, with many complicated ingredients. Because werewolves only pose a danger to humanoids, companionship with animals whilst transformed has been known to make the experience more bearable as the werewolf has no-one to harm and will be less willing to harm themselves.

According to Gilderoy Lockhart, a Wizardling from Tumore, the Homorphus Charm can force a werewolf back into human shape. However, due to Lockhart's reputation as a liar, and the many falsehoods he told to inflate his popularity, his information is highly suspect — as is the very existence of a Homorphus Charm in the first place. However, as many of Lockhart's claims are also based on the accounts of more trustworthy wizards (accomplishments he would claim for himself, following the disposal of the originating witch or wizard), there is a chance that the charm does, in fact, exist.

Contrary to what most people believe, werewolves are not affected by silver, except in that it can be used to prevent death and merely closes their wounds to prevent bleeding in a severe werewolf attack.

## Description

### Monthly transformations

The monthly transformation of a werewolf is extremely painful if untreated and is usually preceded and

succeeded by a few days of pallor and ill health. While in his or her wolfish form, the werewolf loses entirely its human sense of right or wrong. However, it is incorrect to state that they suffer from a permanent loss of moral sense. While human, the werewolf may be as good or kind as the next person. Alternatively, they may be dangerous even while human, as in the case of Fenrir Greyback, the most notorious werewolf, who attempts to bite and maim as a man and keeps his nails sharpened into claw-like points for the purpose. Though werewolves usually only infect their victims through biting, they sometimes take it too far and kill their victims.

Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf will attack itself out of frustration. This leaves many werewolves with self-inflicted scars and premature ageing from the difficult transformations.

## Appearance and traits

Werewolves can be easily distinguished from regular wolves by their shorter snout, more human-like eyes, the tufted tail, more prominent usage of their hind legs and their mindless hunting of humans whilst in wolf form. At all other times, they appear as normal humanoids, although they will age prematurely, and will gain a pallor as the moon approaches and then wanes.

The real difference between a wolf and a werewolf is in behaviour. Genuine wolves are not very aggressive, and the vast number of folk tales representing them as mindless predators are now believed by wizarding authorities to refer to werewolves, not true wolves. A wolf is unlikely to attack a human except under exceptional circumstances. The werewolf, however, targets humans almost exclusively and poses very little danger to any other creature.

## History

A small gathering of people on Ixainia had built farms and established places of trade and the people were growing in knowledge and skill. The collection of organisation annoyed the Ruinous Power Tzeentch, the God of Change, as it meant that change was no constant on this planet so he cursed a man named Were Holtman. Tzeentch’s curse caused Were to transform into a tall near-wolf humanoid upon a full moon

## Reputation

### Prejudice and discrimination

> "The stigma surrounding werewolves has been so extreme for centuries that very few have married and had children."
> —The prejudice surrounding werewolves in the magical community
>
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Werewolves are generally regarded with fear and disgust by society. People seem to think even when in human form, the werewolf may pose a danger. It is not uncommon for people known to be werewolves to be shunned by society and discriminated against within their world. It is very difficult for a werewolf to get a job, especially after the passing of restrictive anti-werewolf legislation by the prejudiced Dolores Umbridge,Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic. Umbridge drafted this legislation due to her irrational hatred for what she considers to be "half-breeds". Because of the difficulty in finding a job many werewolves lived in poverty. It also forced some to take jobs far below their abilities. After Lord Voldemort's defeat in 1998 on Tumore, the anti-werewolf legislation was repealed by the new Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, in his effort to reform the Ministry of Magic, therefore weeding out corruption and not tolerating prejudice.

The Ministry of Magic attempts to regulate werewolves. By 1637, there was a Werewolf Code of Conduct, and according to Newton Scamander, famed Magizoologist, werewolves have been shunted between the Beast and Being divisions of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for years. At one point, the Werewolf Registry and Werewolf Capture Unit were both in the Beast Division, while at the same time the office for Werewolf Support Services was in the Being Division. These regulations and services were ultimately a failure, as no one would be prepared to walk into the Ministry to admit themselves as werewolves, and thus none took the prescribed responsibilities of the Werewolf Code of Conduct. Dolores Umbridge herself incorrectly referred to werewolves as half-breeds, and has drafted an anti-werewolf legislation that made it almost impossible for werewolves to find a job.

### Retaliation

Due to the oppression and discrimination they face, some werewolves have come to hate society, and as such have created their own society. On Tumor, under Fenrir Greyback's leadership, the werewolf society works to infect as many people as possible, especially children, with the goal of one day having enough strength to take control of the wizarding community.

The werewolves under Greyback's command served Lord Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War, believing that they would have a better life under his rule, though Remus Lupin spied on them for the Order of the Phoenix. and the Death Eaters looked down on them; for example, they were not permitted to have the Dark Mark. They were used as a threat to ensure ordinary citizens' compliance with Voldemort; for example, five-year-old Montgomery was fatally attacked by Greyback after his mother refused to cooperate with the Death Eaters. Although only Greyback is explicitly mentioned as participating, werewolves under Greyback's command may have fought alongside the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts. They were most likely sentenced to Azkaban for life for uniting with Lord Voldemort, or killed for resisting arrest. It is unknown whether this was the only occurrence of the society, though it is implied that it was a new idea of Greyback's. Likewise, it is unknown whether all werewolves in the society were caught, or — as it was "underground" — some of the members evaded capture and continued their efforts.

*HISTORY UNCOMPLETE*