The Lupus Chronicles

Chapter 1: March 20th 1967

For Joseph Lupin, a birthday couldn't haven't been better for his son…even through the week they had been through. He sat in their cabin stroking a mug of tea watching his little boy sleeping in his bed. Wind swept through his hair as the window suddenly slammed open and closed it quickly. The newly turned 7-year-old boy stirred but only barely as he turned the corner and slipped back to sleep.

The father sighed, sitting beside the bed he put the mug down and brushed his child's hair out of his eyes. Mr Lupin smiled to himself as he thought of his child's name…Remus John Lupin. That was a strange name for a child but his wife had loved mythology and the names fit his boys perfectly, Romulus and Remus, but also this child wasn't any ordinary one…but a wizard.

Mr Lupin was a squib, a wizard with the inability to use magic, and so had his father and his elder son Romulus but Remus would be the first in his family bar his sister to go there, and of course not to mention his beautiful mother... Then Mr Lupin looked around the house, in a matter of days they would move from here…it was too terrible to live here with such memories living in it.

In that very room, only 3 days ago, his wife Sarah to both of the Lupin's delight had been giving birth to twin girls, but she had died sadly through lack of blood and the children had died with her. Not to mention that his eldest son 18 year old Romulus, had been killed by a dark wizard just the evening before.

Yet he'd stayed strong and not become the broken man he should have done, for Remus's sake. After all the 7 year old understood none of what had gone on around him, bar the facts that his father had gone suddenly quiet and that his mother and brother had disappeared without saying goodbye.

Without warning, Mr Lupin put his head in his arms and broke into the sorrow he should have done three days ago. He looked like a little lost child, sad and alone, a broken man…and that was what he had officially become…broken.

A pair of eyes opened slowly as he heard a small unfamiliar sound, the eyes then locked on the sight of his father crying, the small boy with short scruffy brown hair was shocked, his face screwed up in puzzlement. His dad didn't cry--that wasn't a job of any dad let alone his own…Remus looked up and put his hand on his fathers shoulder; Joseph looked up from his hands and saw his son there. Remus though happy the crying had stopped was still confused. Wasn't his dad supposed to be stopping him from crying and not the other way round?

"What's wrong dad?" asked Remus gently, his eyes were wide, he didn't like this at all, not one tiny bit. His dad was upset and he wanted to help.

"Nothing kid…" muttered his father weakly, "everything is fine…"
"But -- you said people cry when they are lost alone or upset…so you must be one of those things right?" said the child.

Mr Lupin forced a smile and ruffled his sons hair, "You're a smart kid you know that…!" he muttered smiling, but then he looked down, "I am upset…that your mother and brother isn't here…"

Remus sighed, "Well they'll be back soon…after all they can't just leave us too alone can they!" said the 7 year old, un aware of what emotion them words had just caused. Though his father wouldn't display his sadness, his throat went strangely dry and sore…

"I'm afraid they can Remus my boy…we are on our own now…"

Remus suddenly understood. Not knowing the truth but guessing that for the first time since his mother and brother had left--that they were not coming back. To his surprise, he started crying and couldn't stop.

"I don't like being on my own…" he muttered miserably through the downpour of tears and his father held him tight and wiped the tears away.

"Neither do I…" muttered Mr Lupin, the tears building in his eyes, but force them not to overflow.

"Now kid get some sleep…tomorrow is a busy day…tomorrow we move home…"

Remus's crying stopped abruptly, "Why dad?"

"Because son it is cheaper to live somewhere else and I heard the village nearby is having difficulty with attacks on the villagers…" said Mr Lupin, though it was true about the village he just wanted to get out of this house and wasn't worried about the attacks nearby. After all he had nothing in his house of value…why would an attacker want to attack a home with nothing but a broken family?

Mr Lupin swallowed sadly seeing Remus's frightened face, "So we're moving to be closer to London…You'll like it there Remus. There are lots of children in London you can make friends with…and don't forget about Hogwarts…"

Remus smiled weakly, "I forgot about that place…is it nearer to us if we move?"

"Definitely…" muttered Mr Lupin smiling.

"That's wicked then!" said Remus smiling even more than before. "Then I could make loads of friends and we can go to school and learn about magic!"

"Yes son about magic…now gets some sleep…"

Remus nodded and settled back down into bed, "Dad…?" he asked

"Yes son…"

"You know Warthogs school…" said Remus yawning.

"You mean Hogwarts School…"

"That's the one…is it a good school…will there be loads of friends I can make there?"

Joseph Lupin smiled. "Your mother told me that there are hundreds of children there Remus. I am sure that you, a boy like you would easily become someone's friend…" he said and then waited for an answer but found that child had soundly fallen asleep.


Gun shots…

Remus sat up in bed after soundly jumping out of his skin, as a large terrifying howl was heard in the forest. He looked around the room and guessed he must have slept for a good 2 hours at least, climbing out of bed he crept to his father's room…he saw a bed a pillow and ruffled sheets but no father amongst them. Looking round he then heard more gun shots…his breathe came short in his throat.

"DAD…" he muttered, and then as he walked down stairs he saw blood on the door of the cabin. His fear choking him, smothering him to prevent him from feeling any happiness. Not knowing what he was going to do or how he ran outside into the thick and fading snow of that winter and shouted at the top of his voice.

"DAD!"

He called out in the cold air again and again, and still got no answer, when the howling came back. He quivered in fear, when he suddenly he saw a figure creeping toward another, one looked like a wolf, the largest wolf he'd ever seen, and the other was human and lying face down in the snow. The human was untouched but whatever this wolf planned to do--it wasn't something a child would forget and Remus knew it. At the tip of his lungs, as he ran forward he screamed out.

"LEAVE MY FATHER ALONE!"

The wolf froze and turned to face him, yellow teeth bared, red eyes glowing. Remus went to shout in terror, but couldn't bring himself to speak, or even to move before the monster came in for the kill.


Screaming.

Joseph Lupin opened his eyes, and then all he heard was a child screaming, not just any child screaming.

His child.

"REMUS!" he called out to him, and then he saw his young son run toward him fear in his eyes. Mr Lupin grabbed the gun he'd used against the wolf, but it was empty, he knew this wolf what ever it was about to kill his son - he'd lost his wife, had just lost his first son and he would not lose his youngest. With all the strength he could gather Mr Lupin ran forward and then sprinted through the trees. The twigs scraped his face as he ran past but his son mattered--nothing else.

He found a clearing and saw that his son was running toward him beaten and bruised and wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and a thin dressing gown proving that the boy must be freezing. The boy's father noticed his boy had to new addition marks on his face--2 scratches…bleeding fiercely, which to his regret would endure forever as scars. The monster to his relief was no where to be seen…

"REMUS!" he called out. The wolf must have run off--got bored of chasing his prey and the nightmare was over. When suddenly, barely meters away Mr Lupin saw a figure out of the corner of his eye come racing forward: The wolf was gaining on him and had gone past him swiftly. His prey was no longer the adult, but his defenseless seven year old.

"REMUS RUN!"

Remus's heart stopped and he tried to stop running and turn to run as fast as he could back the way he came but the enemy reached him first.

"NOOOO!" he could hear his father screaming in anger and grief as the wolf took his jaws and bit his son squarely in the shoulder.


Remus couldn't feel much, he felt the pain as the fangs fell into his shoulder, and he also felt the pain as he fell onto the snow. Nevertheless he felt nothing else after that and as he lay there, he saw blurred images, and then he also saw the figure that'd attacked him go and attack his father.

"No…" he said brokenly tears rolling down his face, he tried to stand, but he couldn't, all he could see was his father trying to hold off the creature who caused him this pain.

Mr Lupin saw his son was alive, but the wolf had liked what he'd tasted and wanted more--Lupin ran forward and on impulse took the dagger from his boot he used in emergencies and used to it in a swift flick of his wrist. The wolf whimpered in agony and fell to the floor. He went to stab it again when the wolf did something that he didn't expected.

The silver fur seemed to shed off him like water washing off mud…the wolfish eyes became a brown colour and then human skin flared under the fur…Joseph Lupin looked in terror as the wolf suddenly became human before his very eyes. The human then looked up and to Joe's surprise the man was smiling with relief as though the fatal injury was nothing but a tickle.

"You have released me from hell…" the old man muttered. "May you be blessed"

"This doesn't make any sense--" began Joseph angrily, and grabbed the old man by the shoulder…"WHAT ARE YOU…!" he cried out but the only response the man made was to stop breathing and let his eyes close as he passed away, still smiling happily.

Joseph then suddenly realized, he looked up at the moon. It was full…the man he'd just killed was a werewolf…a monster feared by muggles squibs and wizards alike…and his son had--

He stopped, his heart started pounding quickly--if that man was a werewolf…then his seven-year-old son was one also!