The first report arrived in October.

Three unexplained deaths. Five missing hikers. And a terrified Muggle claiming something enormous had been moving through the forests near Forks, Washington.

At first, MACUSA dismissed the reports. Muggles were prone to exaggeration, especially when frightened. But then the incidents continued. Strange tracks appeared deep in the wilderness, people vanished without explanation, and multiple witnesses described seeing wolves far too large to be natural.

That was when MACUSA sent me to investigate.

Being a Muggle-born witch/ wizard made me uniquely suited for the assignment. I understood the non-magical world well enough to investigate without attracting unnecessary attention, while my training allowed me to determine whether something magical was responsible.

There was also one unexpected complication.

Forks was home to my distant cousin, Bella Swan.

I hadn't seen Bella since we were children. Our families had drifted apart long ago, and we'd grown into lives that had little connection to one another. The Bella I remembered was a quiet, dark-haired girl who rarely seemed to leave her family's side. I knew nothing about the person she'd become.

Now, years later, I was being sent to investigate the very town where she lived.

My orders were simple: determine what was responsible for the deaths and disappearances, investigate the reports of enormous wolves, and identify any potential threat to the Statute of Secrecy.

I decided to bring someone I trusted.

Remus Lupin.

I'd met Remus through the British magical community and valued his knowledge more than almost anyone's. He was an experienced wizard, a former professor, and a werewolf. If the creatures being reported in Forks were werewolves, Remus would recognize them.

At least, that was the theory.