NOT ALL WHO WANDER
This particular universe is not mine but JK ROWLING's.
Chapter 1: A Normal Meal
Eating porridge in early morning is not an unusual activity. Even under a ceiling of a gigantic hall bewitched to display a cloud-less blue sky. But the seventeen-year-old boy eating was unusual. He was both a wizard and a werewolf.
Remus Lupin was thinking about the future. Sunlight straggled palely through the windows of the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where students were dragging their feet, bleary-eyed, to breakfast at a time where most decent wizard or Muggle should be asleep. One of his friends was wont to argue, "Midnight is witching hour. Morning is for sleeping.'
Remus' mind, however, worked best in the morning. And for someone leaving school in a few months, there was plenty to ponder about although he would much rather not.
"Are you going to the career fair, this afternoon, Moony?" another friend, Peter Pettigrew piped up suddenly. " I heard the Ministry's hoping to recruit a record number of Aurors this year. And Gringotts…"
Remus tried to suppress a wince. The future again. His two other good friends, James Potter and Sirius Black, winced for a different reason. Peter's enthusiastic squeky voice grated on their aching heads.
"Please, Wormtail, not in the morning, " Sirius groaned. Peter looked bewildered.
"What? I only asked –"
Hurriedly, Remus introduced a new topic before either Sirrius or James snapped.
" Where were the two of you last night? I don't think that headache was the result of exam revision," he commented.
"Out patrolling the corridors like a good Head Boy, " James yawned. Remus forbore from pointing out that Head Boy duties sound suspiciously like a euphemism for spending nights with the Head Girl, who happened to be James' girlfriend. "And a good thing, I did too. Caught Padfoot here sneaking in at past midnight."
"You knew I was coming back around that time, " Sirius pointed out. " You gave me your Cloak."
James grinned. "There is nothing more fun than flaunting authority to a troublemaking friend."
" You really were patrolling," Remus was astonished.
"Yep. Had to keep an especial close watch on the secret tunnels," James said. "Probably something to do with Voldemort again." From James' tone, it was plain that he thought extra security a waste of time. Although in the past 3 years, whispers of an exiled Dark wizard gaining power and gathering followers had reached the sanctuary of Hogwarts, few were worried. He was a far-away mystical figure, the Ministry of Magic remained in charge and school-going wizards stayed more affected by homework and exams. He checked his watch. "Lily is probably still sleeping it off. She doesn't have an early morning class."
Sirius grunted. "Lucky her."
" What were you doing off grounds, Padfoot?" Peter asked.
" Went to see Alyssaeudora Figg."
" The Squib from the Three Broomsticks?" the note of disappointment in Peter's voice was obvious.
" Is that how you see people; just witch, wizard, Muggle or Squib?" Sirius shot back.
Peter looked puzzled yet again. " That's what we are."
"Then Moony here is just a monster because he is a werewolf?" Sirius challenged.
"You might want to say that louder," Remus said mildly. "A couple of people at the end of the Hall might not have heard."
Sirius subsided. "Sorry. I am just tired of the pure blood tosh. My family's been spouting that rubbish for years and with Voldemort in the news, a lot of wizards are just swallowing the bilge."
"He-Who-Must-not-be-Named," Peter corrected.
Sirius looked like he was biting back a sharp retort. Three irritated rejoinders in the morning were quite enough. Peter might have none of James' brilliance, Sirius' good looks or cool nor Remus' kindness and tact but he had always been there with them. The Marauders protected their own. Most of the time.
A flock of owls swooped into the hall.
"Mail time," James said. He caught the daily newspaper he subscribed to with the practised ease of a Seeker. The headline jumped out at him. "Bugger.."
"What is it?" Remus asked.
James silently handed the paper over.
MINISTRY VOICES SUPPORT FOR WEREWOLF BILLFollowing the successful control campaign against vampires and giants, the Ministry is now focusing on bringing werewolves under its closer guard. The first step will be the Compulsory Registration Act currently being pushed by Augustus Rookwood junior attaché at the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
"Werewolves, like Dementors and giants pose a serious danger to the community at large. They must be brought under some form of control" said Rookwood during an interview yesterday. The Bill will be debated before the Wizengamot in 2 months time. It is expected to be unanimously passed."
"Like Dementors and giants! Successful control!" Sirius read incredulously over Remus' shoulder, absently adding salt into his tea. " The Ministry must be full of bungling fools."
"I would say most ministries are full of fools but that's beside the point. The campaign against vampires and giants only turned them against us. Most chose to leave Britain – and no one could stop the,," James said as be buttered his toast.
"Why would we want to stop them?" Peter asked.
"Wormtail, think," James began wearily. "They win;t leave and simply fall off the face of the earth. They need a place to settle and someone to find it for them. Too much infighting, no strong leader- and who will they turn to?"
Comprehension began to dawn on Peter's round face.
"That's if you are just talking about the potential disastrous effects on wizards, " Remus felt compelled to add. "Hounding any group out is reprehensible – it's the principle of the thing."
Sirius groaned. A discussion of wrong and right in early morning was too much for him. He got up, holding his aching head. "Maybe I should get a bit more sleep."