Written for:

The Single Parent Challenge

Camp Hogwarts - Kayaking - Write about your OC going to Hogwarts for the first time.

Game of Life: compliment, communicate, and conjure.

Drabble Club: Robes

Quidditch Pitch: Lake

Eridanus is Remus and Sirius' son. The events still follow canon with Sirius going to Azkaban. (Though this is obviously an AU).

Eridanus is the name of a constellation.

Thanks to RedButterfly33 for reading this over for me.

The Unknown Star

It was the scariest thing Eridanus had ever done: attending Hogwarts.

He had heard so many stories from his father. He had heard all about the different houses and about the Gryffindor Common Room. He knew how big the library was too, and how to get into the kitchens. He almost knew the layout of the school, the way his dad talked about it all the time.

He knew that the first years went by boat across the lake, and Remus would always get lost in his memory as he talked about how they went across the water and the sight of the stars was beautiful and how they headed into the great hall together, overwhelmed at the sight of the ceiling.

He was completely terrified.

His interactions with the Wizarding World to date hadn't been very good. People shunned his father due to his condition and they looked at him with pity. The ones that didn't know about his condition all talked loudly about their views, not caring whose feelings got hurt.

They all thought bad things about Werewolves, and Eridanus longed to shout out that his father was a good man, he would never hurt anyone. But Remus would just walk briskly past, without a word or even a glance in their direction. Even if Eridanus was trying to get him to stop so he could tell them that his father was a better person than them.

His father would give him an odd smile at those moments, and Eridanus would find himself with an extra bit of cake or pie or something for dessert.

But now - now he was going to attend a wizarding school and his father was forcing him to go under a different name... wanting Eri to be known as something more than the son of a Werewolf.

That was one of the biggest disagreements he had ever had with his dad. He tried to communicate that he wasn't ashamed of anything, but Eri had finally relented, knowing it made him happy. He knew his name hadn't always been Eridanus Lupin, so changing it wouldn't be new, (not that he remembered what his name had been before).

He had asked, knowing it had to do with his other parent - one Remus would never name. His dad had promised to tell him when he was older though, and Eridanus trusted his reasons. His father rarely kept things from him, so he must have had a good reason for this.

Though he wasn't ashamed of his father's Lycanthropy in the slightest. He loved his dad more than anything (maybe apart from Nanna and Grandad of course). But his father had worried so much over it, and Eridanus hated his father worrying. He hated to see him upset, so he agreed.

So after his father had met with the Headmaster, Eridanus Howell was registered to attend Hogwarts instead of Eridanus Lupin, though any exams would still have Lupin on them.

Eridanus hugged his father and his grandmother on the platform before taking a long look at the train. He had heard so many stories about his father and his (unnamed) friends riding the train together.

He had always asked for more stories. More details, more about his dad's friends, but his dad rarely gave more information.

Eridanus sometimes wondered if one of these friends were his other parent? But he dared not ask - not when his dad looked so unhappy at the questions. He hated seeing him so hurt.

His father had been working every hour he could for months just to buy Eridanus what he needed to start. Granted, the robes were all a bit big on him, but Eridanus knew that money was valuable and not to be wasted lightly. He also knew to take utmost care of the items he had - because his father couldn't afford to replace them often.

Almost everything he received was new - except the books of course. His father had been given a set of second hand books by his father's friends, the Tonks family. They sometimes had him come and stay over during the full moon, when he wasn't staying with his Grandparents.

Dora Tonks was the one who had owned the books. She had just left Hogwarts and Andy had kept all the old books ready for Eridanus.

Even if some had little doodles in, it gave him something to look at, not that his father would approve. Drawing in books was like a crime to his dad.

"Write to me," his father said softly, looking quite overwhelmed at being on the platform.

Eridanus nodded. "Of course Dad," he replied.

"Make friends, and have fun. But make sure you study and keep on top of your work..." his father trailed off, and Eridanus followed his gaze, settling on a small skinny boy with a family of redheads that had just emerged from the barrier.

When he turned back, his father was studying the train, and had managed to conjure up a smile. Eridanus pushed his father's shocked look to the back of his mind.

"It's almost time," his father informed him. "Go and get a good seat and make house you're in, I'll be proud, but I want a letter so I know!"

Eridanus allowed his grandmother to hug him, hoping no-one was looking their way (not that he didn't love her - he did, but no-one else's grandmother was hugging them) and he kissed her cheek,

"Bye Dad, Nanna," he said, pushing his black hair away from his face. "I'm going to miss you both."

"I'm going to miss you too," Hope replied, tears in her eyes as she took in Eridanus' appearance. "You look so handsome in your robes."

"Thank you," he whispered at the compliment, smiling at his grandmother. His gaze moved to his father uncertainly. He didn't want to leave him, because then he would be alone. At least Eridanus would have the other students. For all these years it had been mostly his father and him. He would go to his grandparents when his dad was working, or for a Sunday dinner, but that was different.

Now he was leaving his father alone. He hesitated, his gaze moving between his father and the train. He could stay home and ask his father to homeschool him perhaps?

Hope reached out for her grandson again, but Remus put a hand on her arm, stopping her from grabbing him a second time. He nodded for his son to board the train. "Don't worry about me," Remus said, guessing what concerns his son had. "I will be fine. I'll be happy knowing you're at Hogwarts. It's the most amazing experience and nothing you can say could convince me to let you stay home."

Arms wrapped around him, and Remus hugged his son back. "I mean it, I want lots of letters to know how things are." Eridanus let go and headed to the train with his belongings.

The pair stood and watched the train until it departed, Eridanus suddenly looking nervous as it pulled away. He waved to his family and they waved back.

"Was that James Potter's son?" Hope asked, as the platform began to empty.

Remus nodded his head. "He looks just like his father."

Hope watched after the train. "So does Eri," she said, softly. "And the Professors know to keep quiet?"

"Only a few are aware of his existence," Remus replied. "I'm sure that it'll be kept a secret. Dumbledore has assured me of that."

"You'll have to tell him one day."

"When he's finished Hogwarts," Remus replied. "I told him that I'll answer all his questions when he finishes school."

This is a one-shot, but I do have plans for a MC involving Eridanus. That'll come in the future though, once I've finished all the stories that need to be completed. That's if people are interested.

Review Please :)