My nonhuman-ness is important to me but also isolating. It's weird and contradicting but real and lived by me. I live in two contradicting truths. I am but am not. I am a were-thing but not separated from also being human. I have experienced what felt and i believed was like physically transforming into a dog/wolf-ish form I couldn't push back on thinking I was a dog and being addressed otherwise distressed me. Now after that I haven't been able to reach that state the same way an. doubting it as real enough.
more often I'll have smaller partial transformations but I have no one to validate my inhumane nature or "play into" my transient delusions. even to me it is elusive. I can't prove it to feel real.
when the wolf in me finds its way to the surface I want to embrace it despite how transient my state of nonhuman-ness can be. I feel persistent emptiness and being a werewolf and dog is one of the few consistent things that makes me feel less hollow.
Okay, so I’m making this post 1. Bc I was thinking about it while in the car, and 2. Bc werewolves in my dr are different from in the movies and the books/how they’re described on the pottermore website. Also bc im a werewolf in my dr in case you couldn’t tell (and I’ll have you know I’ve scripted that while transforming does hurt i don’t really experience pain past my limit).
Most(?) of the basic folklore is the same in that werewolves transform on the full moon, are “repelled” by wolfsbane but retain ‘human consciousness’ when taking wolfsbane potion, etc.
No. 1: The Bite
One can only become a werewolf if bitten (while the werewolf is in their wolf form). On the pottermore website it says “When the werewolf’s saliva mingles with the victim’s blood, contamination will occur.” This makes it sound like it’s possible to be turned if a werewolf licks an open wound, however this is not true in my desired reality. One must be bitten on a full moon, and the victim will not turn until the next full moon.
Lycanthropy is also not genetically passed, meaning if a werewolf has children they will be born as normal human wizards, although they may develop some wolffish behaviors, but this is more of an environmentally developed thing. If children are conceived and born on a full moon, they will be born as wolf cubs (as insinuated on the pottermore website) with human intelligence and human like eyes. These wolves are not only incredibly rare, but they’re also very docile (or at least much less likely to run away from and attack wizards, though that doesn’t necessarily mean they are nice).
It is also said that muggles taste different to werewolves, and that most/all muggles that have been bitten have died. This is true, however it is not because they lack magic, but rather because muggle doctors do not know how to treat their wounds, as they will not stop bleeding unless a mixture of powdered silver and dittany is applied (as insinuated on the pottermore website).
On top of this, any wound caused by a werewolf (specifically in wolf form, however it’s possible if they’re in human form) will scar, no matter how small. Especially the bite.
No. 2: Physical Appearance
Werewolves are nearly indistinguishable from Grey wolves (or other native wolves, depending on the region the werewolf is from/what country they got bitten in), with 3 key differences.
1. Distinctly human eyes
2. Skinnier tails (with less fat around the bone and muscle, and more tufted fur rather than fluffy fur on them).
3. Slightly shorter muzzles
Werewolves also stand at the same height as their human bodies on their hind legs (for example, a werewolf who is 6ft/182.88cm tall in human form is the same height in their wolf form when standing on their hind legs, see picture below). This means werewolves have more size variation than regular wolves, and can sometimes be much larger.
Wolf standing on its hind legs next to a human.
These are the main ways to distinguish werewolves in terms of appearance, however their behavior is the main distinguishing characteristic.
Werewolves in their human form however, can be identified by bite mark scars, slightly sharper canine teeth, and wolfish behaviors (note that not all werewolves will always present wolfish behaviors and traits in human form).
No. 3: Behavior
Werewolves in their human forms are completely in control of themselves no matter whether or not they’re taking wolfsbane potion (which is like a prescription medicine that has to be taken once a day for the 7 days leading up to the full moon), although they may display certain wolfish behaviors such as a fondness for meat, chasing or playing like a dog, territorial behavior, and pack mentality.
Werewolves, when not taking Wolfsbane Potion, are much more agressive and solitary than normal wolves, although there have been several recorded cases of small packs of werewolves hunting and living together. They succumb to their wild wolfish instincts and typically spend most of their full moons hunting and searching for prey. Such behavior has earned the werewolf a reputation for being highly aggressive, however this is not exactly true. Such behavior is because the transformation is extremely taxing on the body, and leaves the individual starving and dazed immediately after.
Werewolves are much more ‘human’ when taking wolfsbane potion, and act much like their human selves. The individual is still extremely hungry, however they may choose to sleep through the night, hunt, or have a pre-prepared meal in their wolf form. These more ‘tame’ werewolves still have wolfish instincts, however the individual has much more control over these.
No. 4: The Transformation
(Tw description of body transformation)
As mentioned before, the transformation is extremely taxing on the body and leaves the individual hungry and dazed. Bones grow and shrink, shifting and popping in and out of place; muscles stretch; the spine, skull, and teeth elongate; cartilage grows and fur sprouts from the pores.
This transformation plus the exercise of hunting can often times build muscle on the werewolf’s human body, especially after years of being afflicted.
It’s extremely painful for the sufferer, and lasts around 15-20 minutes, however there have been cases of it being faster or slower (8-35 minutes), this seems to depend on if the individual is “resisting” the transformation or “accepting” of it, however not much information is known at this time*.
It is common for werewolves to pass out from the pain during the transformation, and several witches and wizards in the past have likened it to suffering the cruciatus curse.
*this is true, I just wanted to write like I was writing a book on lycanthropy. Also a demonstration on how little is known about werewolves, even in the 2020’s when my dr takes place (although werewolf activism is ramping up and an effort to properly educate people on werewolves is being made. Wolfsbane potion, because it’s so difficult to make, is expensive and many lower class werewolves are unable to get their hands on it, especially especially bc you have to admit to being a werewolf to get it from healthcare providers and there’s still negative stigma around lycanthropy due to the reputation Fenrir Greyback has given werewolves).
[ID: Digital art showing a set of open, sharp teeth against a black background, with each tooth striped in the colors of the trans pride flag: Blue, pink, white, pink, and blue.
In the center of the open teeth is all caps text in the Antihero font, looking like it was spray painted, reading, "Trans werewolves unite".
Each word is in the stripes of a different pride flag.
"Trans" is in the colors of the furry pride flag, with stripes of: Sky blue, white, and brown.
"Werewolves" is in the colors of the lycaogenos, or werewolfkin flag, with stripes of orange, amber, cream, light brown, and brown.
"Unite" is in the colors of the all-inclusive werewolf flag, with stripes of: light purple, dark purple, light brown, and dark brown.
End ID.]
>:)
Web archive links:
Furry pride flag
Lycaogenos flag
All-inclusive werewolf flag
Two HD versions of this design you can download. One has a black background like the one posted here, the other has a transparent background with a black outline around the text and teeth.
You can buy this design on products from my Threadless store!
You are encouraged to save this art to use for icons, in headers, backgrounds for your computer or phone, art, literally anything you want. If you're able to, you can even print it out and make your own buttons and shirts!
The only thing I ask in return is that, if you are sharing this design somewhere online, you include an image description. If you're just sharing the plain image, you can literally just copy and paste the ID I used above!
