The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter I: An End and a Beginning

June 1996

"I was six at the time!" shouted Brittany Miller, playfully slapping the arm of her brother, Nick.

"That doesn't change the fact that you ran out of the tent and onto the beach, stark naked, in front of well more than a hundred people!"

"Well maybe it's about time the rest of us hear about how your pet goldfish died, don't ya think?"

The conversation of the Millers went on for a while longer. Joanne and Nicholas, the proud parents-and-now-grandparents of the family, had once again taken the whole family camping for the weekend in the mountains of Scotland. The family had been going to the same site every June for a few decades now, enjoying the crisp mountain air, the clean lake, and the endless trails. The water in the lake was still a tad chilly, but that never stopped the Millers from having a good time.

This evening, the adults were all around the fire, remembering the past and discussing the future. Nicky and Kathryn, the children of Nick, Nicholas and Joanne's oldest son, and his wife, Laura, had found all this quite boring, and had gone off to the beach to build a sand castle. The light of a full moon gave them more than enough to do their work, and the dead of the night gave the game a new sort of fun.

The moat complete, Kathryn was given the typical youngest's job of carrying water back and forth to fill the moat. Her course from the lake to the castle was just over four meters, and when you're a ten-year-old girl, a two-liter bucket holds a lot of water to carry that far. But labor she did, until at last the moat held to its brim. The castle was magnificent, but the story behind it was even more magnificent.

Nicky pretended it to be a great battle, such as a scene right out of Braveheart (not that a twelve-year-old had seen an R-Rate movie). The towers shot out explosives and rocks from their not-really-there catapults, and the cavalry advanced. He suddenly began to wish that he had a siege tower with him.

Kathryn's imagination was on a far different path. When she had read Cinderella, she had not wished to be the girl who lives happily ever after with transparent sandals. No, she had wanted nothing more than to be the one with the true power - the fairy godmother. When she had read Snow White, she had felt very sorry for Ms. White's situation, but she had envied her evil step mother. How she longed for magic spells and powerful potions and to meet fantastic creatures!

Her castle was no battle scene. Hers was a great sanctuary of magic. There, wizards traded old spells of her own invention, witches tried on the funniest looking hats, and fantastic creatures served fantastic creatures for lunch.

Their separate scenes went on awhile. War and magic. But all too soon, the youngsters' attention was soon taken from their creation.

The full moon was bad enough. All children hear the fairy tales and learn of how on full moons, all sorts of dark creatures come out. And all youngins eventually learn that these myths are just myths. But that doesn't mean all muggles believe them to be nothing. On this full moon, a wolf, a few hundred meters away, howled, startling both children.

"Did you hear that?" said Kathryn. "The werewolf? It'll come and eat us!"

But the adults a dozen meters away didn't even take notice. Nicky, a twelve-year-old wishing to imitate their nonchalance chose to belittle her fears. "Kathyrn, it's just a wolf howling at the moon. There's no such thing as werewolves."

"How would you know? You're only two years older than me."

"And those two years have made me wiser," boasted the boy. His parents, aunt, and grandparents would have laughed.

"Did you hear that?" Something in the woods had moved, raising Kathryn's alarm even more.

"It's probably just the wind. I'll go take a look." Bravely, the young boy crept towards the woods where the sound had been made. As he got closer, clouds began to pass over the moon, halfing its light. When he was about a meter away, something, although Kathryn could not tell what, jumped at him.

He screamed, bringing the adults rapidly to attention. Nick clicked on a flashlight and ran over to his son. To his horror, a huge wolf was attacking the boy. Little Kathryn screamed at the site of a gap in his brother's neck. Turning to the woods, Nick found a thick log. Wielding it as a club, he swung forward at the wolf. But the man with a thick log was no match for the wolf. Brought down in one great pounce, he too was sporting a bloody wound before anyone else could get there.

The wolf made quick work of the other campers. The grandparents, in their advanced age, were clearly no fight for the wolf. Even with her father's old hunting rifle, Brittany (Nicholas and Joanne's daughter) could not dispatch the beast. Remembering the little girl, the wolf turned and lunged forward. She screamed as the monster bit into her side. But quickly, the wolf was gone.

She opened her eyes to see a second wolf of similar size come. The two wolves fought for some time. Scratching, clawing, tearing, and biting, the wolves battled over the territory. Whether out of stubbornness or nearly human dedication, the new wolf won. The beaten wolf that had killed her whole family retreated, leaving Brittany at the mercy of a fresh monster. In pain and scared for her life, the girl passed out. Had she not, she would have seen the wolf lie down beside her and wait. She would have seen the wolf transform back into a man when the full moon finally set.

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Somewhere, a kilometer or so from the village of Hogsmeade in rural Scotland, a man, wizened well beyond his age, began to consider getting out of bed. He lived in a small three-room home a fair distance from what muggles would consider civilization, but this never concerned him. Indeed, the thoughts of others hadn't really troubled him much since his teenage years, when he finally came to grips with his state. Remus Lupin was bitten by a werewolf shortly before his sixth birthday. Nearing the thirtieth anniversary of that bite, he took a moment to reflect upon his life.

Remus Lupin recalled his earliest memory - the only one he can recall before the bite. His fifth birthday party had been held with his mother's family. Joanne Davis Lupin was a muggle, so there was absolutely no magic involved. It still was a magical party for the birthday boy, and he received many presents that he enjoyed. His grandmother had given him a locket, inscribed RJL. Today, it was the only thing Remus had kept with him all his life, save his wand.

The werewolf attack was no pleasant memory at all. He remembered the game of Sorry quite well, as it had provided distraction for the big bad wolf to sneak up on an unsuspecting family. The death of his father had not been easy, and the impending doom of his lycanthropy added to a very dark time in his life. His mother had raised him well after that, but he could not shake the attack from his mind.

This particular memory brought him quickly back to the present, when he remembered the little girl he had rescued last night. She had been bitten, and would become a werewolf just like himself, but for now, she needed care. If Remus Lupin had been any regular Ministry employee, he would not have understood why the girl had survived - muggles who are bit cannot withstand the infusion of magic, sending them into shock and killing them quickly, but painfully. Somehow, this little girl had survived. But Remus Lupin was no Ministry idiot. He knew that she must have had some rudimentary magical ability, not much because surely a werewolf attack would have triggered some kind of auto-protective magical response and she had done no magic, but enough to keep her alive. Remus would need to talk to her, cry with her, and help her cope with the loss of her family. He would have to help her learn a new life. But for now, Remus Lupin decided it would be best to get out of bed and make her a nice breakfast.

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Remus Lupin was never one to do things halfway. When he cooked, the food was always quite good. But when he had kitchen disasters, those too went all the way. After setting the eggs on fire, he decided that buttered toast, sausage, and chocolate milk would make the perfect breakfast for himself and his young guest to enjoy.

After setting two plates on the small table, he moved to the other room. He was surprised to find the girl awake, although she probably thought he couldn't tell. Today being the first day after the full moon, he still had heightened senses. He knew her resting breathing pattern, and could tell that she was no longer asleep. Still, he played along and went over to her. He spoke softly, "Wake up." She did not stir, choosing to maintain the illusion of sleep. "Please wake up. I know you're frightened, I would be too, but you're in need of help and I would like to provide some."

Kathryn chose to trust his soft voice, and so she opened her eyes. She saw before herself not a monster, but a man. He appeared tired, and carried several fresh cuts and bruises, but he was well dressed and recently bathed. His head carried light brown hair with spots of grey, but he didn't seem to be of the ages typically associated with grey hair. The look on his face was gentle, but not assuming. The same soft voice spoke again, "I've made some breakfast in the next room. It's not much, but you must be hungry."

The man had told Kathryn that she was scared, something she could definitely agree with. She had been camping with her family and they had been attacked. In a moment, she went through the events of the previous night. In the end, she had passed out, certainly with a bite wound, and had woken here. She rubbed her side where the wolf had bitten her, and there was no wound. The spot ached, and was tender to the touch, but the open bite had been healed. Her young mind could not understand the situation (most older muggle minds couldn't have either), but she had little option but to trust this strange man.

Slowly, she stood up from the couch where she had rested. The man smiled as she arose, not a confident smile, or a humored smile, but a reassuring smile. Kathryn found strength in this, and followed him into the other room. The man began, "My house is small and my settings meager," pointing to the table. It was pushed against a wall, with a setting at either end. The table would not have fit a party larger than themselves. "But I have been told that I know how to cook."

The girl sat on a chair and examined the food before her. She wasn't accustomed of eating strangers' food, and wasn't quite sure what to do. But then again, she also wasn't accustomed to most of the events of the past twelve hours. Nervously, she lifted her fork and took a bite of one of the sausages. He may be a stranger, but this man was no liar - he had told her he could cook and this was the best sausage she had ever had.

After taking his first bite of toast and a sip of milk, the man started, "Well I suppose you have many questions. I'll offer as much as I can to save you the trouble of asking. My name is Remus Lupin. I am a wizard, a member of the magical community hidden from your own muggle world. I used magic to heal your wound, to heat the couch, and to make your meal." With his final comment, Kathryn looked down in surprise. "The food itself is real to your experience. The bread came from wheat, the milk from cow, and the sausage from pig. I used magic to toast the bread, clean the dishes, and cook the sausage."

With that, Remus paused a moment to let the girl digest what she had just heard. She took a few bites of her toast, and looked up at her helper. "Was the chocolate for the milk real?"

"Quite. I never learned a spell to transfigure white milk to chocolate." Remus stood and turned to the refrigerator. He opened it and removed a deep brown bottle. "Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. No greater magic is there than the products of Hershey, Pennsylvania."

Kathryn smiled at Remus, the first smile she'd worn since the sand castle. She had visited the world capital of chocolate while on holiday in the United States just last year, and remembered Hershey fondly. Images of the Kissing Tower, Zoo America, the factories, and Chocolate World passed through her head as she finished her breakfast. Memories of time well spent with her family brought her back to the present - her family. "Where is my family?"

Remus sighed. He motioned her to rise and led her back into the living room. She sat on the couch and he began. "Do you believe what I've told you about magic?"

She nodded her head, looking at him questioningly.

"There are lots of kinds of magic. This," he took his wand from his belt, "Is my wand. I use it to channel magical energies inside me. There's transfiguration, which I can use to turn that tea cup," - he pointed his wand at the cup - "into a mouse." He muttered a short incantation and waved his wand, causing the cup to turn into a mouse. It immediately made for the floor. "And back again before it runs away." He reversed the spell.

Kathryn was amused, but it could not draw her attention away from her family. Remus could sense this and went on. "There are lots more. Charms can make things fly, potions can store magic in a more accessible manner, and healing magic can help you as I demonstrated while you were sleeping. This is all good magic, magic that helps people to live their lives. There are also magical creatures. Centaurs, unicorns, goblins, even dragons exist in our world. But there's more to the magical world than goodness and interesting creatures. Dark magic also plays significant roles in our lives."

Remus sat down. "Most of us wizards never use dark magic. Its use is illegal, and can lead one down the wrong path. But just as there are good creatures, there are dark creatures. No one is quite sure how they came to be, but werewolves do exist. On full moons, men and women who suffer from lycanthropy - a scientific term for the condition of being a werewolf - transform into mindless beasts. You and your family were attacked last night by a particularly powerful werewolf."

Kathryn's eyes widened in shock. It had been no nightmare. Remus continued. "Very recently, a potion, named Wolfsbane, was discovered that allows werewolves to keep their mind when they transform. They are still ugly, ruthless-looking beasts, but they have the minds of their human form, rendering most harmless. The trouble is werewolves are driven out of magical societies as non-entities. Very few have access to this life-saving potion." Remus paused for a moment to gather his strength. "I am a werewolf. I was bit when I was five, and have survived as one for almost thirty years. I took Wolfsbane last night before I transformed, and went exploring in these woods in my wolf form. I heard your scream and went to you as fast as I could. In my wolf form, I fought the other wolf away. It was too late for your family. I'm so very sorry."

Kathryn began to weep bitterly, just as a little girl would. A little girl with no future. She curled up into a small ball, taking up only a quarter of the two-person couch. Her head sank deep in her shoulders as the sobs grew harder. Remus moved to comfort her, but she batted him off. She wished to be alone with her tears.

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About half an hour later, Lupin walked back into his living room to find the girl asleep, still curled up in a ball. His senses still heightened from the previous night, he could smell the drying tears and the sore eyes. He had left the girl there to cry on her own; she had not wished his comfort or companionship. But that must change. If she were to survive in a new world with a new life, she would need the help of a wizard, preferably one with a safe, out-of-the-way place for her first transformation. He could offer that and more - he could monitor her during the transformation in his own wolf form.

He began to clean up the room, but stopped a moment later, thinking it would be best if she woke up to the exact same surroundings. He briefly considered waking her before realizing the lack of wisdom that thought possessed. Lupin raised his wand over her and muttered an incantation and the girl glowed green. Smiling, he returned the wand to his belt and began to walk away. When he was a few feet away, he turned around. For a moment, he stood there watching her sleep on the couch, before he returned to the kitchen to clean up.

Plates were washed, pans cleaned, and the table wiped down. Just as he had put the dry cups away, he turned around to find the girl standing in the doorway. Her eyes were swollen, her face red, but her countenance gentle. For a moment, their eyes locked, communicating sorrow and comfort in the silent room. She broke the silence, asking, "May I have a glass of water?"

Lupin smiled and retrieved one of the recently cleaned glasses from the cabinet behind him. He poured some water from a pitcher into it and gave it to her. She drank it slowly, gathering her thoughts and considering her situation. "What will happen to me now?"

Lupin sat down at the table and she joined him, taking another sip of her water. "A series of interesting and exciting things lie before you. The grief for your family will still be there, but a new life has been opened up to you. When a person is bit by a werewolf, a new magic is infused in them. I was a wizard before I was bit; the new magic added to my own, making me a very powerful wizard."

"When a muggle (our term for non-magic folk) is bit by a werewolf, this infusion is too much for their body to handle. They die quickly, but painfully from shock. However, you survived. It is likely that before you were bit, you possessed very little magic. Not enough to be a witch yourself, but enough to keep you alive. With the new infusion from the bit, you have an ordinary amount of magic for a magical child of your age."

"Now I offer you a choice. Regularly, there would be no question - a magical child would be raised to be a wizard or witch. However, your status has been changed in an extraordinary way. I would not force that life upon you. Do you wish to be a witch?"

The girl had been contemplating his words, the whole time staring into the glass before her. With his interrogative, she looked up, her eyes full of joyful hope. "I can be a witch?"

Remus smiled. "Absolutely. It would mean going off to school. But if you wish to, you can."

"Yes!" the girl shouted. She laughed at her childish reaction, and smiled at the future before her. A moment later she frowned - how quickly she had forgotten her grief. But right now, she had her life to plan - she would take the time to grieve later.

Remus took out a parchment and quill. "I need to know a bit about you. What is your name?"

"Kathryn Miller."

"How old are you?"

"Ten. I'll be eleven next month."

"Ten almost eleven!? You'll be going off to school September 1^st!"

"Really? So soon? That's only two months off." Kathryn paused to think, and Remus paused his questioning to let her do so. "I don't know the first thing about being a witch. I don't have a wand like you, I don't have robes like yours, I don't know..."

"That's alright, Kathryn. We'll fix all that up tomorrow. For now, I just want to help you adjust and get used to our ways." Remus stood up and offered his hand. She rose and took it. He smiled and said to his young friend, "You're going to be a fine witch one day, Kathryn. A fine witch indeed."