Of Wolf and Wizard

The sun had already set by the time the train finally pulled into the station at Hogsmeade, and after the twenty-seven games of Exploding Snap he'd played with James and Peter, Remus was starting to feel both very comfortable and very bored. By the end of the ride, the three boys were sitting on the floor of the compartment amidst loose cards, Chocolate Frog boxes (the old wizard with the cart had made his rounds one more time, and James and Remus had bought his entire Frog supply), and a few Cauldron Cake wrappers, still playing round after repetitious round while they took turns sharing stories. James asked Remus all sorts of questions about his life and family, and Remus was more than happy to satisfy his curiosity. He simply chose to leave out certain bits.

For his part, James was no less than enthralled by the way Remus described his life. Like Remus, James was an only child who lived with both of his parents - but he had never heard of a young wizard being sent to a Muggle school.

Remus simply shrugged. "I think they were afraid I'd be a Squib," he explained. "They weren't sure I'd get into Hogwarts at all." James nodded understandingly and Remus hurriedly dropped the issue.

In truth, he knew exactly why his parents had sent him to Muggle school, and it had nothing to do with magical ability or lack thereof. The Lupins had entertained no hope of their son receiving a proper Wizarding education until only a few years prior, when Albus Dumbledore had been appointed headmaster of the school. But even then, they knew that the chances of the letter ever arriving were very slim.

Remus loved it when his parents were wrong.

James, on the other hand, had been immersed in the Wizarding world since he the day he was born, and knew next to nothing about Muggles. He asked Remus about them with eager curiosity, and Remus promised to share as many Muggle anecdotes as he could think of, which excited James to no end.

Peter, as James kindly pointed out as soon as the blond boy stepped into the corridor to greet a passing acquaintance, knew next to nothing about anything at all. This was why James was, as he put it, "letting him tag along."

"Keep Peter company at school," said James in a high-pitched imitation of his mother's voice. "You know he doesn't make friends as easily as you do, and you don't want him to be lonely!" Remus smiled, even though he'd noticed that James didn't exactly seem to know anyone beside Peter either.

James and Remus kept each other talking, interrupted by the occasional comment from Peter, even as they got off the train. The older students were heading toward a long line of dark carriages, but a giant figure stopped the first years from following them.

"Firs' years this way!" said the figure loudly, and Remus gaped as he caught his first glimpse of the biggest man (if it was a man!) that he'd ever seen.

Catching Remus' expression, James poked him in the arm to get his attention. "That's Hagrid," he explained as they followed the other first years, who in turned followed the giant man. "My dad told me he was huge, but he's friendly enough. He's the gamekeeper."

"Your dad didn't say he was that huge," said Peter quietly.

Upon reaching the shore of an impressive lake, the first years were herded into small boats. The three boys chose an empty one, but they were soon joined by two girls: a smug-looking brunette and a wide-eyed blonde. The entire group - or fleet, as it were - of first year students moved across the huge lake in the magically propelled boats, and even James Potter was awed into silence as Hogwarts Castle came into full view.

"It's so... big," said Peter, and James just nodded.

Staring in unabashed wonder at the castle, Remus thought back to all the times that his parents had tried to describe the place to him. It had always sounded rather amazing, but the images they'd put into his mind were nothing at all compared to the real thing.

He glanced up at the tiny sliver of the waning moon, half-hidden by wispy clouds - and he grinned. Can't stop me now, can you? he thought at it, resisting the urge to stand up and howl a declaration of victory to the stars.

"What're you grinning at?" asked James.

Remus turned his grin on James. How could you put into mere words the majesty of the massive turrets and the luminous windows? The wild allure of the shimmering water and the powerless moon? Or, most of all, the indescribable feeling everything inspired?

"It's just... it's so...."

"Big?" suggested Peter again. James snickered, but Remus nodded - he couldn't think of a word to describe it all, and "big" would have to do.

The boats docked, and the first years (fifty of them? sixty? Remus couldn't tell) were led up a series of increasingly grand staircases until they were stopped just outside a particularly ornate set of double doors. A witch in a neatly pointed hat began to explain the Sorting process to the students, but Remus barely listened; he knew all of this already. Apparently it was something of a tradition for older wizards to keep the details of the process secret from those still too young to attend - but, having been convinced for so long that Remus would never be able to attend Hogwarts as they had, his parents had long ago told him about the hat that could sing and think for itself.

So he took this opportunity to look around at all of his classmates, gathered together for the first time and all wearing the same slightly scared, slightly excited look that he imagined was on his own face. He caught Severus' eye and chanced a smile. Severus returned the smile, though it was more a crook of the lip and a lift of the brow. The expression reminded Remus vaguely of pirates.

Finally, the doors opened. A gasp went up among the first years as they saw the Great Hall for the first time. They moved as a nervous group toward the front of the hall, where a raised table presided over the four house tables that Remus' mother had described in detail. A row of teachers peered down at them from the raised table, some smiling, some not.

A stately looking wizard with a very long beard and half-moon spectacles stood up, extending both his hands in welcome. "Let the Sorting begin!" he announced, and the four house tables were suddenly alive with cheers. Remus exchanged excited grins with both James and Peter, and took a deep breath. He just hoped he wouldn't be first.

The Sorting Hat straightened itself upon its stool, and Remus watched and listened in wonder as it sang a lively tune whose words detailed the qualities that each of the four houses sought in a student. Phrases like "house that prizes loyalty" and "home to the bravest ones of all" stuck in Remus' mind, but only momentarily; as he tried to quell the increasingly insistent beating of his nervous heart, he found that his patience with the hat's song was wearing thin. All he wanted was for this whole process of waiting, waiting, and more waiting to be over.

Finally, the hat finished its song, and everyone in the hall burst into applause. The hat drew itself up proudly and took a bow, which made Remus smile.

The witch with the pointed hat flicked her wand, and a scroll appeared in her hand. She unrolled it - and almost instantly, dead silence reigned in the Hall.

"Weston, Athena!" called the witch in a crisp, clear voice. The blonde girl from Remus' boat almost fell over. He heard her mutter something about "reverse alphabetical order" as she passed, but that came as a relief to him, as he knew that any kind of alphabetical order meant that he'd be right in the middle.

Athena Weston took her seat on the little stool as instructed, and she gingerly placed the battered old hat on her head. Remus watched intently: the hat twisted this way and that upon the girl's head, considering. After many moments, during which everyone in the hall seemed to be holding their breath, the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!" A broad grin spread across Athena's face and she bounded over to the Gryffindor table, where her cheering housemates welcomed her.

Remus decided that the process seemed easy enough. A little less nervous now, he watched the hat sort four more students before the first familiar name was called: "Snape, Severus."

Severus strode up to the stool, a look of determination on his face, and donned the hat. It considered, but just barely. "Slytherin!"

Remus smiled, glad that Severus had got what he'd hoped for. Another girl was sorted into Gryffindor, another into Hufflepuff, and two boys into Ravenclaw before James Potter's name was called. The hat took even less time with James than it had with Severus, and James looked quite proud as he walked toward the Gryffindor table.

Peter Pettigrew was next, looking so nervous that Remus thought he could see the other boy's hands shaking. He pulled the hat down so roughly that it fell over his eyes. The hat was still for a moment before it twisted ever so slightly, and Peter shook his head fervently. The hat considered Peter even longer than it had Athena Weston, and after a minute or so Remus could see Peter's lips start to form silent words, though he couldn't tell what they were.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted suddenly, and Peter sprang up with a look of sheer glee on his face as the house table erupted into cheers again. Peter seemed so surprised that he forgot to take the Sorting Hat off - he was already halfway to the Gryffindor table when the witch with the scroll caught up with him and made him put the hat back on its stool.

Seven students (four Ravenclaws, two Gryffindors, and one Slytherin) later, the witch with the scroll called, "Lupin, Remus!"

Even though he'd been expecting it, Remus still jumped. Willing himself not to shake, he made his way up to the stool, which suddenly seemed much farther away. He had a sudden horrible vision of the hat sitting atop his head and shouting not a House name, but an animal name. He pictured all the students laughing - or worse, all the students running away. That's silly, he thought, quashing the image and pulling the hat down forcefully over his eyes.

He realized immediately why Peter had been mouthing words: the hat spoke to him, right into his ear. "Let's see, let's see," it mused in a raspy voice, and then paused. "Very sharp mind," it continued, much to Remus' surprise. "You would do Ravenclaw proud. And a fiery spirit... a quality much prized by Gryffindor House. Ah, but I also see a good, loyal heart. Will it be Hufflepuff, then?"

Remus furrowed his brow as the hat shifted upon his head. What about Slytherin? he wondered.

"Slytherin?" said the hat. "I see no Slytherin in you. But there is something... a secret. You wonder if I know. You wonder if your classmates can tell." Remus froze, and the hat made a leathery noise that might have been a chuckle.

"Your classmates don't know," it said, "but oh, I do! A werewolf - very interesting indeed. I haven't sorted one of your kind in a long time... a very, very long time. A werewolf in Ravenclaw? A werewolf in Hufflepuff? A werewolf at Hogwarts at all is a very brave werewolf indeed. Yes... I've found just the place for you." Remus' heart gave a thrill, and the hat paused for a split second before shouting the name so that the whole hall could hear:

"Gryffindor!"

Remus thought his face would split in two from grinning so hard. The cheers from the Gryffindor table were for him - he already had two friends in his house - and wait till his parents heard!

Feeling as though he were walking on air, Remus made his way over to the table, where James had pushed a couple of second years down to make room for him. "Congratulations, mate!" said James, clapping him on the shoulder. "And here I was, wondering if I'd have to start school with no friends at all."

Peter beamed at both of them.

Remus looked around at his fellow first year Gryffindors. He knew James and Peter, of course, and the girl called Athena Weston sat a little ways down from them. Two other girls had since joined her, and the three of them were smiling proudly at one another.

Relieved that his sorting was finally over, Remus glanced around for the first time at the other house tables. As he studied the Slytherins, his eyes suddenly met those of Severus Snape who, it seemed, had been waiting for Remus to look his way. Remus grinned. Severus scowled.

The Slytherin boy's eyebrows knitted, though whether in contemplation or contempt Remus couldn't tell. Had Severus perhaps hoped that Remus would be Sorted into Slytherin as well? Remus was rather glad he hadn't been - of course Severus could keep him company, but he didn't think his parents would be terribly pleased. His mother always adopted a rather disdainful expression whenever she spoke of Slytherin House, and she had assured him over and over again that the fact that he was technically a Dark creature certainly did not mean he'd end up practising the Dark Arts.

Though Remus felt it was quite impossible that every single Slytherin student should have an inherent knack for evil, he didn't want to take any chances. After all, he was sure that whatever similar inherent knacks he might have as a werewolf would certainly surface more easily among others interested in Dark magic. His eyes flitted back to Severus, and he remembered the other boy mentioning an interest in their upcoming Defence lessons. Just how interested was he? Remus' grin slowly slipped off his face, until he was frowning almost to the point of returning Severus' scowl.

"Why so glum, Remus?" said James, suddenly interrupting his thoughts. "Look, we just got another pretty girl!"

Indeed, another girl had just sat down at their table amidst cheers and whistles. Remus supposed she was pretty enough, what with her large blue eyes and very wide smile. But on the other hand, her mouth looked as if it'd been coated in pink gloss, and Remus couldn't help but wonder why anyone would want to do that to their lips.

He shrugged at James.

But James had already followed Remus' eyes over to the Slytherin table, where Severus had turned his scowling gaze toward him instead. James scowled exaggeratedly back at him, causing Peter to laugh and Severus to wrinkle his nose and turn away.

"Friendly fellow, that one," said James. "What'd you ever do to him?"

Remus shrugged again. "Met him on the train."

"Ahh," said James wisely. "Now I can understand his problem. You shouldn't go around meeting people on trains, Remus. It upsets them."

"Clearly," said Remus; Peter was laughing again.

The number of students waiting to be sorted was dwindling, and Remus' stomach was starting to growl. Despite having eaten more Chocolate Frogs than any normal person ever saw in an entire lifetime, he hadn't had anything substantial since breakfast. Judging from the rather pained look on Peter's face, the other boy was probably thinking something along the same lines. James, however, was still watching the Sorting very intently.

"Hey, look!" said James suddenly, when there was only a handful of students left. Remus recognized the boy who was now sitting on the stool, pulling the hat down over his thick, dark hair. "It's Ear Boy," James clarified, in case there was any doubt.

The hat took a very long time with Ear Boy. It twisted this way and that and even turned itself inside out and back again, so fast that Remus wondered if he had imagined it. The boy's face wavered between worry and exasperation, and a couple of voices in the Hall began to mutter their impatience under their breath. The teachers, however, all watched with undisguised interest.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted at last.

"All right!" yelled James as he punched his fist into the air, and Remus wondered briefly why he was so excited. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers again, but only slightly less audible were the hisses from the Slytherin table. Remus was quite surprised; they hadn't done that for anyone else as far as he'd noticed. He looked over at Ear Boy, who'd taken a seat a little ways down the table.

The boy looked positively floored, although it was unclear whether he was exceptionally angry or exceptionally pleased. A couple of older students clapped him on the back as he sat down, and he just stared at all of them as if he couldn't think of any words that would do. James caught his eye - the boy kept staring. James grinned widely at him, then took hold of his own ears and stretched them out as far as they would go without magic, crossing his eyes to complete the effect.

Ear Boy didn't seem perturbed in the least. He merely pushed his nose up with a finger, making a pig snout at James, while simultaneously sticking out his tongue and pulling down his bottom eyelids so that the reds showed.

James looked slightly taken aback. "Ew," he said. "Did you see that?" Remus nodded, stifling a laugh. "No table manners at all," said James, shaking his head sadly.

"We're not eating," Peter pointed out.

"We should be," said James as if realizing this for the first time. "I'm very hungry. I wish they'd feed us."

Within another few minutes, James had his wish. No sooner had the last student been sorted than the wizard with the long white beard (who Remus had guessed immediately must be Professor Dumbledore) waved a hand, and a veritable feast appeared on each of the tables. Hunger outweighed amazement, and soon everyone in the hall was happily stuffing themselves.

When the feast began to slow down, Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat. Almost instantly, the hall grew silent. "Thank you," said Dumbledore, smiling. "I hope that a pleasant summer was enjoyed by all. I don't wish to disrupt with long speeches the welcoming of new faces or the filling of stomachs, but I do have one or two things to say to you. First of all, I would like to make it absolutely clear that the Forbidden Forest is, as its name suggests, forbidden to students. Secondly, the use of magic in the school corridors is prohibited. I do hope" - and here his eyes flickered for a brief moment over toward the Hufflepuff table - "that we don't have to deal with any repeats of last year's... fiascos. Third, I would like to introduce two teachers who are new to the staff this year.

"Due to an unfortunate incident of a rather explosive nature, Professor Badarci is unable to resume his duties as professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. However, I have no doubt that Professor Harker will prove an excellent replacement." Dumbledore gestured to a tall, thin man with a short beard and rather squinty eyes. Professor Harker smiled tightly and gave a little wave.

"I would also like," the headmaster continued, "to introduce your new Astronomy teacher, Professor Sinistra." This time he gestured to an youngish, olive-skinned witch who gazed down at the students with piercing black eyes. Her lips spread into a wide, friendly smile, and she nodded in recognition of the introduction.

With this, Dumbledore returned to his seat, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "And now," he said, "I am sure you are eager to get settled into your rooms. Prefects, if you would lead the new students in your houses to their respective dormitories."

"Who are the prefects?" Remus asked quietly.

But before either of his friends could say anything, another voice interrupted: "Excuse me, Mr. Lupin." Remus turned around, surprised. Approaching him through the throng of now-noisy students was the witch who had been reading the names of the first years off the scroll.

"Yes?" said Remus, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Professor McGonagall," she said by way of introduction. "Head of Gryffindor House." James and Peter exchanged looks. "Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you." Remus nodded and followed her toward the staff table, ignoring the whispers of the students behind him.

They found Professor Dumbledore standing beside the table, engaged in animated conversation with the new Astronomy professor. "Excuse me, Headmaster," said Professor McGonagall, with a courteous nod to Professor Sinistra. "This is Remus Lupin."

Remus chanced a weak smile at the headmaster, who seemed much more impressive up close than from halfway across the Great Hall.

"Of course," said Dumbledore in a kind, though distinctly businesslike, voice. "A pleasure to meet you at last, Remus. Minerva, if you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Lupin up to my office, I shall meet you there shortly."

Professor McGonagall gave another curt nod and, pressing a hand against Remus' back, she proceeded to escort him out of the Great Hall. Remus watched the other students go off in all different directions, though none of them were heading the way that Professor McGonagall was taking him. The knot in his stomach grew tighter. Professor Dumbledore hasn't changed his mind about admitting me, he thought frantically, has he?

Once they had left the rest of the students behind, she finally spoke to him. "You seem anxious, Mr. Lupin," she commented.

He looked up at her, but could read nothing on her face. "Mm," he replied.

She smiled. "You've nothing to worry about, I assure you. The headmaster merely wishes to inform you of certain arrangements that have been made on your behalf."

Remus said nothing. After all, "arrangements" could mean anything from a special timetable to a newly installed torture chamber, and in a place this huge and unfamiliar, both options somehow seemed equally possible.

"Sugar quill," said Professor McGonagall. Remus was about to ask what she was talking about, when he realized that they had stopped in front of a large stone gargoyle - and that the gargoyle was swinging open. Despite his anxiety he was quite amazed, for behind the gargoyle there was a rotating staircase, the likes of which he had never seen before. "Go on," said Professor McGonagall, and he did. She stepped on behind him, and the staircase carried them upward.

A large landing, a short hall, and another door later, Remus found himself standing beside Professor McGonagall in what could have easily been a small one-room flat. It had a homey air and was decorated with all sorts of trinkets and oddities; the only thing that betrayed the place's true official nature was a large desk strewn with paperwork.

"Have a seat, young man," said a gruff male voice. Looking around, Remus realized that one of the portraits that lined the wall was speaking to him.

"Thank you," he said uncertainly, and sat stiffly in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

A few short minutes later, Professor Dumbledore entered the office in the company of another witch that Remus didn't recognize. "Hello, Albus, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall warmly. The three exchanged greetings and quick pleasantries while Remus sat, wondering whether or not it was polite for him to watch them.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the headmaster turned toward him. "And here's our young man," he said, making his way to the chair behind his desk and sitting down. The two women took the seats on either side of the boy. Remus' heart pounded frantically; it had begun to sink in that these were all people who, more likely than not, knew exactly what he was. He sat very still and tried not to think about how small the room suddenly seemed.

"Well, Remus," began Dumbledore, folding his hands on the desk as he peered at his new student, "first of all, I'd like to welcome you to Hogwarts. We are sincerely glad to have you here."

Remus was not sure that he quite believed this statement, so he chose not to say anything. Dumbledore smiled.

"Secondly, your mother and father have expressed their anxiety regarding your admission to the school, and though I've assured them that they have nothing to worry about, I cannot pretend that their concerns are unfounded. The simple fact is that this school has not admitted a lycanthropic student - a werewolf, if I may," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "in over one hundred and fifty years. However, I firmly believe that you should and shall be able to fulfill your potential as a wizard, so long as certain precautions are taken."

Remus' stomach turned over. No matter how friendly Dumbledore seemed, he still did not like the emphasis that the headmaster had placed on the word "precautions."

"No need to look frightened, Remus," said Dumbledore, as if reading his mind. "I'm referring to precautions quite similar to those that your parents take every month on your behalf."

"You're going to lock me in the basement?" Remus blurted out.

"Not at all, dear boy," Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm afraid that the basements here are quite dank and mouldy - most unsuitable for our students. The dungeons, on the other hand, are far too spacious and full of insecure passageways to contain a transformed werewolf. Besides, if we keep you inside the castle, there is always the danger that someone might hear the howling of the wolf and try to investigate the source of the noise." He shook his head. "And I'm sure you'll agree that this is a secret that must be closely guarded."

Remus nodded fervently. "But Headmaster - who does know?"

"Thus far, your secret is known only to myself, Professor McGonagall, because she is my deputy Headmistress and now your Head of House, and Madam Pomfrey." The witch called Poppy smiled at him. "Madam Pomfrey is the school's Healer, and she has kindly agreed to see that your transformations go smoothly. If you wish to inform any of your other teachers, you may do so at your discretion - but I ask that you exercise extreme caution should you decide to share your secret with any of your fellow students. There are, unfortunately, those who would adamantly oppose your admission to this school if they knew of your condition, and I wish to avoid a confrontation over the matter, for the sake of everyone in this room."

Remus couldn't imagine ever wanting to tell anyone, but he nodded nevertheless. "And... what kind of precautions are you going to take?" he said quietly.

"That," said Dumbledore, "is precisely what I want to show you." With this, all three adults rose and headed for the door, and Remus followed behind. Madam Pomfrey patted him reassuringly on the shoulder as he passed her; he was already starting to feel a little better about the situation.

"According to my plan," said Dumbledore as they headed down the stone staircase outside his office, "you will meet Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary on the evening of each full moon, whereupon she will escort you out of the castle." Dumbledore turned abruptly on the stairs and faced Remus. "It is necessary that you arrive one hour before moonrise each month, Remus. Do you understand that?"

"One hour before moonrise," he repeated. "Yes, of course."

Dumbledore smiled and then gave a wave of his hand. The wall moved aside; they were once more in the corridor outside the stone gargoyle. The small party moved quietly through the school and outside, where they walked swiftly across the grounds and toward the lake. By the light of the waning moon, Remus saw the distant outline of what must have been the Forbidden Forest, and he toyed with the notion that the headmaster might intend to hide him among the trees somehow. He doubted it though; Dumbledore seemed too clever a man to think that a werewolf could be contained in a forest without force.

The headmaster drew the group to a stop in front of a large willow tree whose branches were swaying wildly in the wind. Remus found this exceptionally odd - especially when he realized that he could not feel so much as a breeze. The tree was enchanted (that much was evident) but he could not imagine how an enchanted tree was supposed to help him.

Remus approached the tree for a closer look, but Professor McGonagall pulled him back before he could go more than a few steps. It was a good thing too, for one of the tree's branches had decided to take a swing at him, and it ended up missing by mere inches. "It attacks if you go too close," explained Professor McGonagall, though Remus felt that she might have imparted this information slightly sooner.

"Would you like to demonstrate, Poppy?" said Dumbledore as he offered the Healer a long stick.

She nodded and took the stick. As Remus watched, she poked it through the branches of the violent tree and used it to press a large knot at the base of its trunk. Instantly the branches froze, leaving not so much as a leaf-rustle in evidence of the tree's behavior only a moment before. Dumbledore bent over slightly and walked beneath the branches, indicating that Remus should follow. Right next to the knot that Madam Pomfrey had pressed, a large hole had opened in the ground. Remus looked down into the hole, but he could see nothing except a small chamber lined with packed dirt. The knot in his stomach returned. Did they really mean to shut him in so small a space?

"There is a passage down there," said Dumbledore. "Come, you can see it from over here. If you follow it away from the school, you will arrive in the village of Hogsmeade. The passage leads directly into a very grand, very old house that has not been occupied in over thirty years. Every means of entering or leaving the house has been sealed off with both boards and enchantments, except for this tunnel. Once you arrive in the house, you will seal off the entrance to the tunnel using a simple Colloportus Charm, which Professor McGonagall will teach you once your lessons begin. If I am not mistaken, you will not remember as a wolf how to reverse the charm, so you will not be able to leave the house until you become human again."

"I'll have an entire house?" said Remus, gaping.

Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey exchanged smiles, and Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Three storeys, a finished basement, and plenty of old furniture that I'm sure your lupine counterpart will thoroughly enjoy ripping to shreds." Remus looked up in alarm at this insinuation of violence, but Dumbledore's eyes were sparkling with mirth behind his spectacles. Out of relief and genuine amusement, Remus laughed.

"Lupine," Dumbledore repeated softly to himself. "Lupin. I hadn't noticed before... surely that isn't a coincidence?"

Remus shrugged. "It is, as far as I know. Mum says it's fate or something."

"She may be right," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "One never knows."

Remus peered again into the opening in the ground, which suddenly seemed infinitely more interesting for the knowledge of what was at the other end of the passage. A thought occurred to him. "Headmaster - what if someone else should use the passage while... er... during the full moon?"

"They won't," said the old wizard with certainty. "This passage was built only this summer, for your exclusive use. The willow and the trapdoor are simply extra measures to ensure that no student discovers the passage by mistake, during the full moon or at any other time. In addition, once you master the Colloportus Charm, the sealed door at the other end of the tunnel will provide an excellent barrier for your fellow students."

Remus said the only word that he could think of: "Wow."

"I quite agree," said the headmaster. The willow, perhaps in attempt to voice its agreement as well, pounded the ground in front of them with a heavy whomp, whomp sound.

The group dispersed after that: Madam Pomfrey raced back to the hospital wing, Professor Dumbledore expressed an interest in having a stroll round the lake before retiring to his office, and Professor McGonagall offered to show Remus the way to Gryffindor Tower.

Teacher and student exchanged hardly a word as they climbed the seven flights of stairs, but as they made their way down the last corridor, Remus began to worry anew. "Professor McGonagall?" he said in a low voice.

"Yes?"

"What about missing lessons? You know... after?"

She looked at him sharply. "Ah... yes, your mother did inform the headmaster of the physical strain and its after-effects." Remus noted that she was keeping her language vague now that they were back inside. "It usually takes one or two days, yes?"

"Yes. Sometimes more, depending on, er, things," said Remus, wrinkling his nose slightly at the thought.

"I understand. I will make suitable excuses to your teachers regarding your absences from lessons. However, I fully expect you to catch up with the work that you miss."

"Thank you," said Remus with a genuine smile. He could handle that; after all, he'd been doing the same thing at his Muggle school for many years.

"Here we are," she said, stopping in front of a portrait of a pink-frocked fat lady. "The password is 'pickled newt scales.'"

The portrait swung open as she said the words, but she stopped him before he could climb through the hole behind it. "Remus," she said in a soft voice, "welcome to Gryffindor House. I mean that. I'm truly proud to have you."

She gave him a warm smile and Remus watched her walk away, a little surprised. Proud? he thought to himself. She does know what a werewolf is, doesn't she?

He climbed through the portrait hole and found himself in a huge, warm room filled with couches, chairs of all varieties, and quite a number of students.

"Remus Lupin!" called a familiar voice, and James Potter came barreling toward him, clambering over a couch that happened to be in the way. "We were wondering where you'd got to. You didn't get detention already, did you? What did you do wrong?"

Remus laughed, sinking into the nearest empty chair. "I didn't do anything wrong. It was just... my mother had owled Professor Dumbledore...." He trailed off, racking his brain for a suitable explanation.

James looked patiently at him. Remus thought fast.

"She's sort of ill, you see," he explained earnestly. "And she's afraid that it'll pass on to me, so she wanted to be sure that the school Healer was going to keep an eye on me." He rolled his eyes for effect. "Too worried, my mum. Worries about everything."

"So does mine," said James sympathetically. "She always makes me bring an extra pair of socks wherever I go. I'm not sure why."

"What sort of sickness does she have?" asked Peter Pettigrew, who had appeared at James' side.

"Er... I don't know the name of it," said Remus. "Something long and complicated. She'll be just fine for weeks at a time, then just like that" - he snapped his fingers - "she won't be able to get out of bed for days. Says there's no cure for it. And she gets green spots all over, too," he added in a burst of creative inspiration.

"Green spots?" echoed Peter fearfully, taking a surreptitious step away from Remus.

"It's not contagious, nitwit," said James, "or else you wouldn't be here, right, Remus?"

"Exactly," said Remus.

"Right," said James. "So if you start getting spots all over, then I'll tell you so, and you can nip on up to the hospital wing, they can cure you, and your mum won't have to worry anymore."

"Good plan... except that she'll worry no matter what," Remus said quite truthfully.

As they were all tired from the day's journey, James and Peter showed Remus up the staircase to the first year boys' dormitory. Inside the rather spacious room there were six large four-poster beds.

"That one's yours," said James, pointing to the bed nearest the door, which already had Remus' trunk on it. "The one next to it is mine and the one on the end is," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Ear Boy."

Ear Boy, though sitting in plain sight on his bed, did not appear to have heard him, engrossed as he was in a magazine.

After they had finished having a chuckle, Peter pointed to the middle bed on the opposite wall. "And that's mine," he announced.

"Hey everybody," said James loudly. "This is Remus Lupin! If you want a Chocolate Frog or an easy game of cards, he's your man."

Remus scowled at him, but he was soon distracted by the three other first years. Ear Boy looked up from his magazine with mild interest, and two other boys - a plump Asian boy with a friendly smile, and a tall, lanky boy with wavy brown hair - regarded him from where they stood near the window. "Hi!" said the Asian boy. "I'm Danny Liang. This is Lysander Hayden."

"Andy," the brown-haired boy corrected him.

"Andy Hayden," said Danny without missing a beat.

"And I'm Sirius Black," said Ear Boy with a small smile. James smothered a laugh.

"Nice to meet you," said Remus to the room at large.

"Sirius," whispered Peter, and he and James cracked up completely.

Sirius rolled his eyes dramatically. "If you don't like my name, feel free to keep calling me 'Ear Boy.'"

"All right, Ear Boy," said Peter, though Remus was surprised that he'd heard them using the nickname in the first place. Danny and Andy, looking confused, resumed their windowside conversation.

"What're you reading, Ear Boy?" asked James.

"A magazine, Pottyhead," said Sirius as he nonchalantly flipped a page.

"Ouch," said James unconvincingly, and he moved closer to the other boy's bed. "What sort of magazine?"

Sirius smiled benignly and shoved the magazine under his pillow. "The sort that only Ear Boys are allowed to read."

James pointed his wand at the pillow. "Accio magazine!" he shouted.

Nothing happened.

"Bugger," he said. "That always works for my dad."

Ear Boy snickered, leaning on the pillow. "Maybe your dad knows how to do it right, then."

"I can do it," said James defensively. "I'm just too tired right now." He yawned for effect. Remus, who was already in his pyjamas, could see where he might have a point.

Ear Boy nodded. "And tomorrow I expect you'll show me what's what, will you?"

"You bet your wand I will," grumbled James, beginning to look sincerely disgruntled.

"I look forward to it," said Sirius, "though I don't bet with Pottyheads."

"Good thing, too," countered James, "because you'd lose."

"Of course I would," said Sirius in an aggravating voice that put Remus in mind of a teacher trying to quiet a rowdy student. He calmly pulled out the magazine and opened it again.

James didn't reply, choosing instead to silently change into his pyjamas and slip into bed. All was quiet for a few minutes except for the rustling of Ear Boy's magazine, when suddenly Danny and Andy burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" said James, suddenly on the defensive again.

The two boys turned away from the window. "Not you," said Andy, still laughing.

"There was just a ghost outside the window," explained Danny. "He tipped his head sideways at us, and it almost fell right off."

"Ew!" exclaimed James with glee, forgetting his indignation as he jumped out of bed and ran over to the window. But much to his disappointment, the ghost had already gone.

All six of the first year boys slipped into their beds after the excitement over the ghost had died down. The day's events had worn all of them out, and soon the room fell completely silent except for the light snores and sleep-murmurs coming from five of the six beds. Remus, however, couldn't fall asleep no matter how tired he was. A night-owl by nature, he had grown accustomed to staying up long after his parents had told him to go to sleep, and reading by the light of the moon.

But now it would be very difficult to try and take advantage of what little moonlight there was. His bed, through no fault of his own, was the furthest one from the window, which made his corner of the room very dark indeed. This in itself was not a problem, but Remus was used to falling asleep with the moon outside his window, showing him clearly how many days remained until he would become a wolf again. Without its threatening, comforting light he felt oddly disconnected, almost as if he'd been locked underground two weeks too soon. Even his exceptional night vision didn't help matters; all he could see were the canopy of his bed above him, the stone wall to his right, and the closed curtains around James Potter's bed to his left.

A wave of claustrophobia washed over him. He pulled his blankets up over his head and tried to convince himself that just outside those blankets was a huge room, as big as the Great Hall - and if he got out of bed, he'd be able to run and run until he collapsed from exhaustion, then fall asleep in the glow of the moonlight that shone through a wall that was made entirely of windows. He smiled to himself, relaxing a bit at the thought, but it was still a long time before he fell asleep.