Werewolves

Werewolves are witches and wizards suffering from a dark curse which causes them to physically transform at full moon and experience other symptoms. They are canonical to Harry Potter. [1] Here we'll explain how werewolves are dealt with at Absit Omen.

Infection

Lycanthropy (or “werewolfry”) is a magical illness caused by a curse. When the saliva of a werewolf gets into the blood of a witch or wizard, they are cursed. This is most often through a werewolf bite at full moon.

A magical curse, not a virus or microbe, is responsible for the infection. It is incurable, but the symptoms can be managed.

Muggles cannot be infected with lycanthropy, their injuries will however be permanent disfigurement.

Transmission

Scratches from a transformed werewolf will not confer the curse. But these wounds are very difficult to treat and never really heal properly. Nearly always they leave vivid scars. Deep enough wounds, like bites in human-form are enough to transmit certain characteristics such as cravings for meat.

Bites from a human-form werewolf have been known to cause a weak curse with no transformation. However, the victim may experience lupine characteristics such as more body hair, cravings for meat and a penchant for the outdoors. They are not required to register with the Ministry.

Werewolves cannot pass on the curse to their children, so if one has a child with a human partner no lupine tendencies will occur.

Some have interpreted this as an inability to have children, which is untrue. It is extremely risky, given the violent nature of monthly transformations, and as such, usually avoided with sufficient protection, but not impossible. However, expecting mothers are strongly advised to give birth ahead of time while they are human; because the curse is not passed on, the child remains human even during a full moon, which puts both mother and child at risk. Although werewolves are sturdier than normal wolves, their bodies are still poorly equipped for human childbirth.

New Infections

If a witch or wizard survives their injuries in a werewolf attack, they are nearly sure to be cursed and become a werewolf. A bite will cause extreme pain at the wound, strong fatigue and malaise, and a sharp temper.

Since the late 1990s the advice to anyone who has been bitten is to be given an emergency dose of Wolfsbane Potion. This is to attempt to ward off the full curse and to alleviate these initial symptoms. (See below for St Mungo’s protocols.) The new werewolf will be very sickly and weak during that first month as the curse takes hold and will crave meat and take on aggressive personality traits. Their first transformation will occur at the next full moon.

After the first transformation, the between full moon symptoms may diminish or fade as the werewolf becomes more accustomed to the curse.

St Mungo’s Protocols for New Infections

The standard of treatment for St. Mungo's Hospital is, generally, as follows:

Patient is stabilized and any life-threatening injuries are addressed.
If there is a chance of a werewolf scratch or bite, those wounds are treated aggressively with salves and potions as werewolf injuries are caustic on their own.
A full dose (about 12oz) of Wolfsbane Potion must be drunk, preferably when the patient is conscious. This is routine, but has not yet been proven that this emergency dose is at all effective in preventing the curse from setting in.
Depending on the severity of the injuries, patients are kept in hospital for observation for at least 10 days.
St. Mungo's is required to pass along information regarding werewolf registration.
Even at this stage, St. Mungo's is not prepared to affirm a patient has been cursed. They make a report to the Werewolf Wing who does an investigation to confirm an attack. Paperwork, paperwork ...
Because the first lunar cycle is so intense for new werewolves, bed rest is usually insisted upon.
If there is any change the patient has contracted the curse, they are required by law to report to the Ministry of Magic in the event of a transformation. It is then that their status is confirmed.

St. Mungo's is autonomous from the Ministry of Magic and different hospital leadership can make changes to this procedure so long as it complies with the law.

Symptoms

On the outside, once transformed, they may have glowing eyes and/or retractable claws and fangs. Werewolves look much like normal wolves—all the way down to the tips of their tails. How wolfish one looks outside a full moon depends on the werewolf itself. Extremists (such as Fenrir Greyback[2]) may exhibit pointed teeth, claws, and an abundance of body hair as well as enlarged irises, like a dog's.

A werewolf's strengths largely depend on factors such as build, training and personal fitness. However, a werewolf may enjoy heightened senses, a sturdier constitution, improved night vision, and/or faster reflexes.

Particularly in the approach to full moon werewolves experience an increase in hearing, sense of smell and overall sensitivity. For example, werewolves may be more sensitive to smells which would have passed unnoticed before. Some werewolves have reported being able to smell vampires vs. humans for instance.

As the full moon approaches werewolves also experience an excess in energy, leaving them tense, restless, and easily agitated. Among newer or more feral werewolves, this usually manifests as violent mood swings.

Managing Symptoms

Since the 1970s the production of Wolfsbane Potion has become a standard treatment, allowing werewolves to manage the curse safely.

See Wolfsbane Potion for more detail.

Werewolf Law

Given the contagious and violent nature of the curse, a law-abiding existence can be oppressive, even embarrassing, and often unfair. Wealth and social status notwithstanding, it can be difficult to find a job. As such, many avoid registration—for which there are severe legal repercussions.

See:

Use in Potions and Artefacts

Werewolf saliva, as the bodily fluid through which the curse is transmitted, is both magical and contagious. It is a key component of the Direwolf Curse.

Werewolf claws often also have magical properties.

Myths

Some werewolves have a sensitivity to silver, but not all. It manifests like a metal allergy; affected skin may develop a rash, severity dependent on pressure and length of exposure.[3]
Wolves do not normally like werewolves. Nor do other animals, particularly those considered prey. Being a werewolf does not grant honorary kinship. The curse is its own musk; without it, the werewolf is still a(nother) wolf, therefore something to fight or studiously avoid.
Forming packs do not actually make members individually, physically stronger. For more information, please see Werewolf Culture.

Controversy

The last few years have not been kind to werewolves.

In 2008, tainted wolfsbane and a new form of the curse had been deliberately engineered by the WBA.
It led to the creation of direwolves and a rash of werewolf attacks (“the Ides of March”[4]) in 2009.
In 2010, werewolves and muggles alike were abducted, thrown into an arena for sport on a full moon (“Werewolf Games”[5]).
Due to the stigma, some sympathizers have taken to more covert measures of support (“Underground Werewolf Clinic”).

Known Werewolves

According to the 2012 Inquiry into Safe House Security [6], there are an estimated 4,000 known registered and unregistered werewolves in Britain and Ireland, and an estimated 300 unknown unregistered werewolves. [7] This number is believed to be about 80% reliable. It was calculated by cross-referencing data from the Werewolf Registry, Werewolf Capture Unit, the little information made available by St. Mungo's, muggle reports, and Azkaban Prison records (which are not considered complete or reliable).