Remus Lupin lay away in his bedroom, staring at the full moon through his window. He found it so beautiful, the way it shone with its silver light. So much more beautiful than the sun.
His parents didn't feel the same.
At dinner that night his father had watched the moon rise with growing fear in his eyes. John Lupin had also acted oddly: boarding up the downstairs windows and doors, making sure nothing could get into the house. He wouldn't tell Remus why he was doing it, whenever Remus asked John's face would become tense and fearful again. His mother gave the same reaction.
Now, as he lay in bed he heard snippets of conversation.
'Why did you do it John? How could you be so stupid?' his mother's voice was a worried whisper. 'You knew what he was! Now we have to live in fear of him each month, knowing he might come for us, for you!'
A door closed downstairs and cut off his father's reply. Remus had no idea what they were talking about.
A little while later, Remus heard an odd rustling sound from the garden. He looked out of his window to the spacious garden lined with huge bushes, backing onto a forest. The upstairs windows hadn't been boarded up so he could clearly see one of the bushes quivering. He wondered what it could be… an animal? A fox or a lost dog, or something else entirely? His curiosity built and built until he couldn't stand watching any longer. He had to go and find out. He slipped on some trainers, opened his window as far as it would go and climbed out. His room was right above the porch roof, so he easily slipped down onto it and dropped to the floor from there.
The night was cold and Remus wished he'd thought to put on a jacket over his pyjamas. The bush was still shivering as he stealthily stepped towards it, checking that his parents couldn't see him out of bed.
He was a few feet away from the bush when it stopped shaking. Dropping to his knees so he wouldn't scare whatever creature was hiding in it, he crawled forward the rest of the way. He felt the cold, wet mud seeping through the knees of his thin pyjama trousers. How would he explain that to his parents?
He was right by the bush. Carefully, he reached out to move some leaves. The wind ruffled his hair as he looked into the depths of the shrub.
Black eyes stared back at him.
Remus jumped backwards with a gasp, lying on his back. The creature in the bush straightened up. It was taller than a man, with a thin body and lanky limbs. It had an elongated nose, more like the snout of a dog, its fingers were long and ended in sharp claws. As it stretched, it arched its back and howled at the moon.
Werewolf.
Remus recognised the creature now and terror coursed through his veins. He began to yell for help, at the same time hoping that no one would come. He didn't want the wolf to hurt his parents, but he was terrified it was going to hurt him. He was only seven.
The wolf stopped howling, Remus didn't stop yelling. He scrambled backwards screaming 'HELP! HELP!' as loud as he could as the wolf dropped to its four paws and advanced on him with slow, menacing steps.
Terrified, cold and alone, Remus Lupin backed against the front door of his house and his voice finally failed him. He heard his mother screaming his name on the other side of the door and his father trying to rip the wooden boards from the door frame in vain. He had put them up with the intention of keeping a werewolf out, not keeping them in. In their panic, all thoughts of magic were forgotten.
Remus held his breath in fear as the wolf began to snarl at him and pick up its pace.
One. The long sharp canines glittered like death in the moonlight.
Two. Remus watched the werewolf's muscles tense as it prepared to pounce. His own body was rigid with horror.
Three. He closed his eyes as the wolf flew towards him, claws and teeth reaching for his flesh.
Four. He screamed in agony beyond description as strong jaws clamped around his shoulder and pierced his skin, breaking through muscle and bone like a knife through butter.
Five. The door behind him burst open and he fell backwards. The pressure on his shoulder vanished as the wolf released him. His mother's scream sounded far off, as if he was at the bottom of a well.
Remus opened his eyes. There were arms around him, pulling him up. The wolf's black lips were pulled back over its bloody fangs, like a smile. Its dark eyes fixed on Remus' father. It let out three short barks. A laugh.
The wolf turned its back on the Lupins and padded towards the forest. A flash of red light just missed the wolf. John Lupin had remembered his wand, but the stunner missed. The werewolf picked up its pace, still laughing.
As Remus Lupin faded into unconsciousness in his mother's arms, he heard a werewolf laughing.