A/N: I do not own Harry Potter
This story was written for The Houses Competition
House: Hufflepuff
Position: Prefect
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Era] Marauders Era
Wordcount: 1417
To Mr Remus J Lupin
Remus sat in his bedroom, listening intently. His father and mother had been arguing for quite a while. It started right after that letter had arrived; the envelope was made from thick parchment, and on the front was his name: Remus J Lupin. The writing was unlike any he had seen before, written in emerald ink by an elegant hand. He had been hurried into his bedroom, and the envelope snatched away before he could read the rest of his address. Remus knew what it was though; it was his Hogwarts letter. On the other side of the door, his parents argued in hushed tones.
"He can't go, Hope!" his father hissed.
"Lyall, I am sure they can make arrangements! It's a magical school for crying-out-loud!"
"We took Remus to every healer in the country; there's no cure! They cannot protect him or the other students during the full moon; he could attack a child! What if the children found out?" Lyall was clearly pacing in the other room; Remus heard the wooden floorboard creaking under his father's weight.
"Surely they'll understand," his mother pleaded, sniffling. Remus could tell that she was fighting back the tears. "It's not Remus' fault."
"Maybe your world—the Muggle-world—has moved on from such prejudices, but the wizarding world has not. We'll have to decline on Remus' behalf–for everyone's safety."
Remus sank into the pillows on his bed. His father's tone said it all: it was final. Remus would not be going to Hogwarts. He had always known it was a far-fetched dream, but to hear it now with such finality was devastating; Remus was crushed. He remembered the night that everything changed.
Remus was only five, and he was supposed to be asleep, but instead he gazed out of his window, looking at the night sky. The sky was inky blue with bright stars piercing the night, and behind the grey clouds shone a bright moon, a full moon. His dad had told him scary stories about the full moon, but Remus thought it was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. His wide brown eyes were filled with wonder and excitement as he dreamed of the far off monsters from his bedtime stories. In the distance he heard a low rumble, almost like a growl.
As Remus' eyes closed, slowly drifting into the land of nod, there was a distant rustling. Soon he was dreaming; he was a great adventurer roaming the forests of a far away land. He was going to save the village from a terrible beast, just like in his stories. He searched high and low, his wand in his hand. His heart raced in excitement and the bright full moon illuminated the clearing that he'd stumbled upon.
Suddenly, the dream darkened, and Remus found he could no longer move. He was pinned against a tree and was suddenly filled with fear, and the only thing he heard was a snarl in his ear. Remus thought it might have been raining in the dream, as a thick drip landed on his face, rousing him from his slumber.
As he woke, he found himself pinned beneath a giant wolf. First came his scream, and then came the pain as the beast slashed at his face, tearing the skin. Everything became a blur, the sting in his face was followed by more attacks to his chest. He heard shouting from his father, crying and pleading from his mother, but soon there was nothing but blackness.
Remus was now the very monster that he had dreamed of capturing. His parents had been so supportive throughout his childhood, and they tried to protect him from the obvious prejudice of the wizarding world. Remus still knew he was a monster, and he couldn't be around other children, regardless of what his parents said.
It had been a long week since he had watched his father send an owl back to Hogwarts, politely turning down Remus' spot. It had been hard, but his father had explained—hiding the tears in his eyes—that it just wasn't possible. They would have no way to protect the children during the full moon, and no way of getting him home each month. How would he complete his studies when he was gone for up to a week every month? Then his father explained about the prejudice against werewolves, and that if they ever found out, Remus would be an outcast. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would not become a qualified wizard.
There was a faint knock on the door, but Remus' attention was focused elsewhere. Tonight was the first day of his cycle, and he would be helping his father reinforce the basement; it was where he would spend the night of his transformation. While he was busy, he didn't see the old wizard his father let into the house.
When Remus came back upstairs, he found his father, mother, and a strange wizard with long white hair and brightly coloured robes sat at the kitchen table. They all had a cup of tea, and the man, with a twinkle in his eye, held out a yellow paper bag to Remus.
"No thank you, sir," Remus whispered politely, looking to his father.
"It's okay, Remus. This is Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts." His father smiled, almost as if he were proud, but of what, Remus didn't know.
Still a little shy of the colourfully dressed man, he reached out and took a bright yellow sweet. When he popped it in his mouth, he couldn't help but smile as the lemony, fizzy taste exploded on his tongue.
"Fank-oo, sir," he mumbled, his mouth full of sherbert lemon.
"Remus, Professor Dumbledore is here to talk about you going to Hogwarts! Won't that be exciting!" his mother gushed, smiling down at Remus.
His father was also beaming, Remus couldn't believe it; what on Earth would they do to protect everyone at school? What if anyone found out? Would he come home every month?
"Professor Dumbledore has a fantastic solution, Remus. You'll be safe, so will the other children, and it will be secret!" His father smiled. "My little Remus, finally off to Hogwarts!"
It was evident that his father had never really thought he would go to Hogwarts—not because of his ability, but because of his condition. It was also very clear that his father now swelled with pride; they would go wand shopping together, possibly be in the same Hogwarts house, and he would be able to help him with his homework. Finally, there was something that he and his father had that was just like all the other wizarding children in the world. Remus pulled himself into a chair, waiting to hear whatever this fabulous plan would be.
"Mr Lupin," the old wizard began, "I believe that all young wizards have the right to a magical education, and as such, we have made plans to ensure that you get yours." He smiled, and Remus instantly felt at ease.
Professor Dumbledore's bright blue eyes gleamed with a childish joy despite his obvious aged, wrinkled skin. With another smile, he began to outline exactly how they would help Remus.
"We have a building just off the grounds of Hogwarts; it's called the Shrieking Shack. It has quite the fierce reputation, and as such, any disturbances caused by a teenage werewolf would go unnoticed."
"Really?" Remus asked disbelievingly. "But what if someone goes there on the full moon?"
"We have thought of everything," he said, his smile growing. "The entrance will be covered with a rather large tree: a Whomping Willow."
"What will a Weeping Willow do?" Hope, Remus' mother, asked.
"Not weeping, whomping," Albus clarified. "It's a highly valuable, very expensive kind of willow. This willow will attack anyone that comes within range of its branches. Its branches are more like limbs, and if anyone tried to follow Remus down the path to his hiding spot, they would flail like arms, making it impossible to do so."
Hope was amazed. She had known about the magical world since Remus was born, when Lyall had finally been allowed to tell her about it, but there was always something else that would floor her.
"But what about Remus? How would he get through?" she asked, puzzled.
"We have our ways," he said. "All Remus has to do is show up, and work hard."
"I can do that, Professor." Remus grinned. He would be going to Hogwarts!