Taming a beast wasn't difficult. What mattered was patience.
Voldemort was certainly patient, as the rhythm of his lashes against Greyback made clear.
Steady as a drumbeat, neither fast nor slow, neither hurried nor hesitant.
"Ah... ugh..."
Greyback occasionally let out a pained groan, but more often his body merely jerked with each lash.
He no longer had the strength to ask Voldemort why he was doing this. Staying alive had become his sole priority.
But Voldemort didn't care about him. It wasn't difficult to raise a new pack leader among the wolf pups.
If Greyback was whipped to death, he'd simply find another.
"I need you to think of someone: Remus Lupin, a werewolf who went to Hogwarts and studied magic."
Voldemort shouted the question at the werewolves Old Nott, Lucius, and the others had summoned.
The werewolves cowered on the ground, glancing now and then at their twitching leader.
When Voldemort asked his question, they looked around at one another for a while, then all shook their heads in confusion.
Voldemort wasn't surprised by the answer.
Lupin might not have used his real name. That would have been too dangerous for him.
He was a careful, calculating sort. He would certainly have found a way to hide his identity.
"His clothes are shabby but clean, and he doesn't have much contact with you. Most importantly, he usually shows up before Dumbledore meets your leader."
Voldemort offered more details and looked expectantly at the pack.
He hoped they could give him an answer. He didn't want to search through their memories one by one.
"Doesn't anyone know?"
After a long silence, a note of displeasure crept into Voldemort's voice.
The werewolves, who had just been exchanging glances and whispering among themselves, immediately crouched obediently on the ground again, not