*Disclaimer* This story is my interpretation of what I believe these young heroes were like in their youth. I have, through research, attempted to maintain as much canon fact as I can.

*note* This is my first fanfiction, so when reviewing keep this in mind xD But I do welcome any critisism. I hope you enjoy reading!

Remus hadn't always been different, he hadn't always had the scars across his face. But that had been a long time ago, or so it seemed to 10-year-old Remus. The young child awoke a fortnight before his eleventh birthday and just lay in bed staring up at the drab and yellowing ceiling above him. They hadn't been in this place long but forgetting about his promise to himself not to make a place feel like somewhere they could stay permanently - Remus had started to feel that way./span/p

However, that was not what young Remus was thinking about now. No, what was on his mind was that he was nearly 11-years-old, the age most magical children started to get excited about going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In Remus' case, no such excitement filled his mind because as far as Remus knew he would not be going. From everything he had read, been told and heard in the various towns the small family had lived in over the years, letters would go out sometime in July or early August. Remus didn't expect to get one because Remus… was a werewolf./span/p

He had been bitten at 5-years-old because his father Lyall, a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, had insulted a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback (not that Remus knew the identity of his attacker). While his father had saved him from being killed by reaching him in time, he could not stop the fact that Remus was forever changed. That he would forever be doomed to transform into a fully-fledged werewolf at the full moon./span/p

So that was why Remus never expected the visitor the family would get while they sat around the small breakfast table./span/p

As it was by the time Remus was nearly through his bacon and eggs, the bacon being less cooked through than most people would eat, he did not expect the sharp rapping at the door

"Now who could that be?" His father, Lyall, questioned as he got up from the table to go answer the door

Remus, who had just about finished eating, leant backwards in his chair attempting to see around his father as he opened the door. He was talking in a low voice to someone just out of sight before he stepped aside and allowed an older man, his beard and hair showing the signs of age while still retaining some of its auburn colour, enter the small home

This man was dressed just as Remus had come to expect of most witches and wizards and had a maroon cloak fastened around his neck. He wore half-moon, wire-rimmed spectacles upon a crooked nose that looked like it had once been broken and his face was just starting to show the signs of age as Lyall closed the door firmly and beckoned for Remus and Hope, his mother, to join them in the small sitting room.

Once everyone was seated, a fire lit in the grate and a game of gobstones started between Remus and the as of yet strange man, the man introduced himself.

"I would like to first wish you all a good and pleasant morning and to apologise for calling so early. I have an urgent meeting to attend to later in the day but this meeting is also very important to me and I wanted to devote the appropriate amount of time to it."

"My name, Remus, is Albus Dumbledore and I am Headmaster at Hogwarts."

Remus swallowed and replied in a quiet voice, "I've read about you and Hogwarts, Sir. It is good to meet you."

Dumbledore smiled and continued, "I am here, today, because of a letter I received not long ago stating that there was no need to send the usual acceptance letter once you turned eleven because you would not be attending Hogwarts."

Remus swallowed nervously, looking across at his parents but nodded, "Yes, Sir."

He was afraid that they were about to find out that they would have to move again, just as he had started settling in

Dumbledore continued, "Now, the reason I am here is because I know of your... unique condition and I wanted to personally assure you that it should not be a deciding factor in your decision to attend the school or not."

Remus simply stared at Dumbledore but Lyall spoke up, "But what of the danger he would pose to other children? I know Remus wouldn't want to put other children at risk during those times of the month when he is dangerous."

Remus had nodded his head in response to his father's statement, "Yes, I don't want to hurt anyone else, Sir. So how is it you believe that I can safely attend the school?"

Dumbledore smiled kindly at the young boy, "I am glad you asked, my boy. I'm glad you asked because I am here to tell you that we have made certain… arrangements in order to ensure you are not a danger to anyone."

"Arrangements? What sort of arrangements?" Lyall asked as Hope sat watching the exchange, looking silently hopeful for her son

Dumbledore laughed, "I'm glad you asked. The arrangements that have been made are thus, I have personally purchased a small parcel of land with an old house just outside of Hogsmeade. The house has been given every manner of protective enchantments inside and out and a special tunnel connecting it to the school grounds has been constructed. To ensure no student or staff member accidentally stumbles across you while you are transformed we have had a Whomping Willow planted above the entrance to the tunnel. Professor Sprout assures me that the growth potions and charms placed upon it should have it reach its full magnificence with plenty of time left to go before term starts for you. The procedure will be thus, The day of the first full moon when you will transform, you will present yourself to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey, our Matron, will bring you down to the tunnel that leads to the house."

Dumbledore paused to allow this plan to sink into the small families minds. Remus was already starting to feel excitement for the first time in his young life. He was going to be able to go attend Hogwarts like his father before him!

After a few moments of silence, Hope spoke up in her quiet voice, something Remus had in common with her, "So the staff would know of Remus'... condition?"

Dumbledore smiled across at the women, "Yes, staff would be made aware. However, and I believe we can all agree on this, such knowledge would not be publicly known. If anyone is to ask questions Remus will simply say that he is ill."

He then turned to Remus, "Do you understand the plan, Remus?"

"Remus, excited though he was, ran a hand through his hair awkwardly, "Yeah, I understand. Tell no one, report to the hospital wing on the day of the full moon and keep my head down."

Dumbledore smiled at him before clasping his hands together and pulling a letter from the folds of his robes, handing it to Remus, "Since your birthday is approaching soon, I shall leave this prematurely and tell you that Hogwarts looks forward to your owl. Alas, now I must bid you adieu - I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts, Remus."

With that, he pulled from the depths of his cloak a thick envelope with Remus' name upon it. And then with a brief kiss to Hope's hand and a hearty handshake to Lyall in passing, Dumbledore exited the small house and was gone before his cloak had time to do more than swish.

Remus just stared for the first couple of minutes off into space, still sitting in front of the gobstones board. When his parents came back into the room Lyall crouched down to his sons level.

"Remus? Are you alright?"

Remus was running his hands over the letter, his letter. And it was a moment before he said anything but an ear-to-ear smile soon spread across his peaky looking face. "I am brilliant! Fabulous! Couldn't be happier! Dad! I get to go to Hogwarts!"

He pumped a fist in the air before looking hurridly from one parent to the other. "Can we go to Diagon Alley soon? Today?"

Lyall looked at his wife, who smiled, then back at his son. "Soon, Remus. Soon! Trips like this need to be planned after all!"

Remus fidgeted in his seat, still clutching the letter as if afraid someone was going to rip it from his hands and laugh at his excitement about going to Hogwarts. Lyall chuckled at this, "Well. Are you going to open your letter or just hold onto it?"

Remus blushed, the tips of his ears going red, and flipped the letter over to the wax seal - staring at it for a moment before slitting it open carefully and pulling out the letter and supply list contained therein.

The little family spent the rest of the day relaxing by the cosy fire, Remus occasionally re-reading his coveted letter so much that Hope had to soon tuck the supply list away for safe keeping so that his constant unfolding would not tear it.

Remus was happier on this day then he had ever been in his life