Chapter 1: Under the Whomping Willow
11 year old Remus Lupin was waiting in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was waiting for the matron, Madam Pomfrey, to escort him to the place where he would be able to spend the full moons where no other student was able to get hurt. Eventually she showed up and led him out of the Hospital Wing, out of the castle and into the grounds.
"Okay Mr. Lupin, your 'haven' is over there." She said, pointing to a tree in the distance. "But be warned, that tree will injure you if you aren't careful. What you have to do is to prod the knot in the roots and it will stand still and you will be able to continue down through the gap in the roots and down into a large, safe house on the other end of a tunnel. Good luck."
"Madam Pomfrey, how will the tree injure me if I get too close?" Remus asked her and she sighed.
"The tree is called the Whomping Willow, and it flails its branches around if it senses something's getting too close to it." She said patiently. "That's what will make it safe for you and other students, because no one will be able to get to you and you won't be able to get out as a werewolf. Just be very careful, and once you have prodded the knot, get into the tunnel as fast as you can, because the tree will only stay still for one minute, after that, it will be mobile again, okay?"
"Okay."
"Now go, quickly, before you transform." She said and Remus nodded, gulped and walked towards the Whomping Willow standing in the centre of the grounds. Picking up a stick, he approached it cautiously and went to prod the knot that he could see in the roots, but the tree was now flailing its club-like branches. One branch hit him on the stomach and he felt all the air leave his lungs with a soft whoosh. He doubled over, when another branch got him hard on the head and he fell to the ground. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Madam Pomfrey prodding the knot in the roots before carrying him up to the school.
"Hmmm…hit hard in the head, cuts on his arms, hit in the stomach, not very good injuries…"
Remus could hear the voice, but couldn't see who was talking. He opened his eyes a tiny bit and he could see white all around.
Am I in heaven? He thought to himself, before he saw Madam Pomfrey bending over him, tending to his injuries.
"Ah, you're awake, are you?" she said as he opened his eyes. He could now see that he was in the Hospital Wing, and not in heaven.
"Wh-what happened?" he asked her.
"You were hit quite badly in the head. You could also have possible concussion. But just to make sure – do you remember what your name is?"
"Remus Lupin."
"And how old are you?"
"Eleven."
"And when's your birthday?"
"25th of July."
"Do you remember who I am?"
"Madam Pomfrey."
"Okay, you're not concussed, that's good." She said, just as the door opened and Remus' friends, Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, walked in.
"What happened, Remus?" Sirius asked him.
"I was beaten up by the Whomping Willow, that's all." Remus replied and Sirius looked at the cuts on his arms and the bump on his head.
"It doesn't look too good to me, though." Sirius commented and James and Peter agreed.
"Oh well, I'll live. I'm not going to die that easily on you." Remus said and the four of them started laughing.
"When are you allowed out, Remus?" Peter asked him.
"It depends on how long he takes to completely heal." Madam Pomfrey said and Remus grinned.
"It's alright, Madam Pomfrey." He said to her. "My body heals quickly." He said and his friends all started laughing again.
By the time Remus was allowed to leave the Hospital Wing, it was almost the next full moon, and he knew that if he didn't try to convince them otherwise, his friends would find out that he was a werewolf.
"Hey Remus, why are you looking so down-hearted?" James asked him, clapping him on the back.
"Oh, nothing. I'm alright, just thinking." He lied, knowing that James, along with his other friends, were highly likely to hate him for what he was. He hated himself for what he was and having to lie to his only best friends.
"Watcha thinkin' 'bout, Remus?" Sirius asked him, also clapping him on the back.
"Only that my dad's sick in hospital. I just received a letter from my mum, saying that he's not expected to survive." Remus said, tears beginning to leak out of his eyes. That part was true, and Remus couldn't bear the thought that he might lose his father.
"Oh my god, mate. I didn't realise Remus. Sorry mate." Sirius said and Remus forced a strained smile. He knew that although Sirius liked to joke around, his heart was in the right place.
Three days later, Remus had to prepare for the full moon and the first thing he did was to write a note to his friends, saying why he wasn't there. He wrote:
Dear Sirius, James and Peter,
My father unfortunately passed on last night, and I need to go home to see him before his funeral next month. I hope you can forgive me, but I can't stay.
I'll explain tomorrow when I return. Please accept my sincere apology and understand.
Thanks guys.
Your best friend,
Remus.
Remus finished writing the note and left it on his bed as he grabbed his cloak and ran to the Hospital Wing to await Madam Pomfrey to escort him down to the Whomping Willow so he could begin his transformation.
Madam Pomfrey came out of her office a few minutes later and the pair walked quickly but silently out of the castle and into the grounds, where the sky was already darkening and there was a distinct chill in the air, which told them winter was approaching.
"This is where I must leave you, Mr. Lupin. I'll watch you until you're safely inside the tunnel, but after that, I need to go back up to the school." Madam Pomfrey said and Remus nodded, walked towards the Whomping Willow, picking up a stick on the way, and quickly prodding the knot in the roots, before going into the tunnel beneath the tree. It was pitch black in the tunnel, so Remus took out his wand and whispered "Lumos." His wand lit up and he could see the earthen tunnel sloped gently downwards. Following the tunnel, the ground eventually evened out and the ceiling looked rather low. So low in fact, that Remus had to bend over and run along the tunnel like that.
Remus noticed the tunnel sloping suddenly upwards and the slope was so steep, that steps were engraved into the tunnel to help him. His back beginning to hurt, Remus hoped that he would be out of the tunnel soon. He eventually found that the tunnel evened out again, and the ceiling was slightly higher, so he was able to stand up straight as he ran.
Eventually, he was out of the tunnel and in a shabby old house. He was exploring, when he suddenly felt extreme pain throughout his body and he knew he was beginning the slow, painful transformation into a werewolf. He yelled out in pain as his hands and feet turned to paws and his nose grew to a snout. His clothes tore as his back became more hunched over, and he grew a tail, his neck lengthening and his ears growing more pointed. He grew fur all over and eventually the transformation was over and he was a full werewolf again.
Looking around for prey, but finding none, Remus decided to bite himself instead. Roaring in pain as his teeth tore at his own skin, he licked at the blood that he drew, before running around the room and biting the legs of the tables and chairs in the room.
Eventually the sun rose and Remus began the transformation back. His whole body went back to normal and when it was all done he wearily climbed back into the tunnel and walked slowly along it.
Eventually coming out into the sunlight, he collapsed only to be beaten up by the tree again.
He woke in the Hospital Wing again, to see his mother sitting next to his bed, looking concerned. He sat up slowly and winced as he put weight on his left wrist. Looking down at it, he saw it was bandaged and he had several deep cuts to his left arm.
"What are you doing here, Mum?" he asked her softly.
"Remus, I need to tell you something important. It's about your father." She said and Remus' ears pricked and he looked only at his mother, not noticing Madam Pomfrey coming out of her office and walking briskly over to him.
"What's wrong with him, Mum?" he asked her urgently.
"Remus, he's…he's…" she began, tears beginning to choke her voice. "Remus, he's dead." She said finally and Remus just sat there, his face white and his mouth slightly open. His heart was thumping hard against his ribs and his eyes were wide. He stayed like that for several minutes, not noticing when Madam Pomfrey gently pushed him back onto the bed, before his eyes overflowed with tears and he sat back up suddenly, his head in his hands and his shoulders shaking with sobs.
"Mr. Lupin, I'm very sorry about your loss, but I really need you to lay down." Madam Pomfrey said, gently pushing him back into a lying position.
