Remus Lupin woke up under a tall fir tree in the middle of the woods. Stark naked. He blinked at the rising sun a couple of times. It was barely dawn.

He stood up shakily and started walking away from the sun towards the west. His family cottage sat about a mile west of the edge of the woods. He reached the edge of the forest after about an hour's walk. He could see his house, and it helped him get his barings. He walked north a short way, keeping behind the line of the trees. He almost immediately came across a tall tree with a hole in the trunk. He reached in and pulled out his clothes. He dressed quickly and easily jogged the mile distance to his home.

Theirs was the only house for many miles. It was a safety precaution that Remus understood. He was a werewolf and a great danger to people.

He would leave the house well before dusk every full moon so that he could be deep inside the woods before he changed. He would hide his clothes in the tall tree and walk east for as long as he was able. Changing was always painful, and he didn't have control over himself when he was a wolf. He could remember everything about being a wolf when he woke, but the wolf could never remember the boy.

This had been his life ever since he was bitten by a werewolf when he was just five. It was a short six years later, but Remus felt that he had had this curse for decades, if not longer.

He hated what he was. Hated it with a blind fury. He would have given anything to be a normal kid. One who could go off to school and make friends. One who didn't have to live alone and secluded. He hated being a burden to his parents. They had dropped their whole lives and moved out to the middle of nowhere so that Remus wouldn't be too much of a threat. True, they could still get around by floo powder, but that wasn't cheap, so they could only make trips to visit friends and such once every few weeks. But most of all, Remus hated to know that there was blood on his hands. It had only happened one time. The first time he had changed. He had killed somebody. He had been only five, and he didn't understand too well what had happened. All he knew was that he woke up covered in blood, lost and confused, with memories of being a wolf that he thought only a dream at the time. His parents had found him and they moved immediately after. Now that Remus was older he understood. He had killed an innocent person. It had to have been a person, because werewolves aren't a danger to animals. Remus Lupin was a monster.

He reached the house and opened the back door. His mother was inside making pancakes at the stove while his father read the Daily Prophet. They both looked up as he entered with big smiles on their faces.

His mother set the spatula down and pulled him into a hug. "Happy birthday!" she said. Remus was startled. Could his birthday really have come so quickly? It seemed like it was weeks away. His mother released him and he looked at the calendar. Sure enough, June 15 was the date. His mom let go of him and shared an excited look with his father.

"Do you want your presents now, or after breakfast?" his mom asked.

Remus was starving, but he was also curious. And his curiosity won. "Now, I guess." He said. His mom handed him a wrapped package. He opened it and was delighted to see Zonko's Filibuster Fireworks. "Thanks!" he said happily. He had never had them before. He looked over all the different fireworks. His eyes were drawn to the words printed on the front of the box: "Be the envy of your friends!" He felt a pang in his stomach. What friends? "Thanks," he said again a little quieter.

His parents exchanged a startled look as if guessing something was wrong. Rather than address it though, his dad merely pulled an envelope out of his coat pocket and handed it to him. "You have a letter," he said with faked nonchalance.

Remus grabbed the envelope tentatively. No one had ever written him a letter before. He looked at the address. It read:

Mr. Remus Lupin

The lone house

Edge of the wood

Excitedly he tore it open and pulled out two pieces of parchment. The first was a letter. He couldn't believe what he was reading.

Dear Mr. Lupin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Remus had to read the letter three more times before the words finally sank in. He had been accepted at Hogwarts! The finest wizarding school in Britain. He was trembling with excitement.

A leaf dislodged itself from his hair and landed on the table in front of him. This brought him back to reality. He couldn't go to Hogwarts. He would be a danger to everyone there. He put the letter down and buried his face in his arms. He didn't realize he was crying until his mom grabbed his arm. "Remus, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

His shoulders should and his hands trembled. He answered in a very shaky, slightly muffled voice. "I can't go," he said. "I'll only be a danger to everyone. They won't want me there!"

"Remus," his mom said softly, "It's ok. You can go." She looked at her husband for help.

He cleared his throat loudly, so that Remus would be sure to hear him. "This letter actually came about a week and a half ago. We recognized it as an acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and we thought the exact same thing you're thinking. We sent a letter to Professor Dumbledore right away explaining the situation and declining. Though we were proud that you had been accepted. It's a prestigious honor. Not everyone from wizarding families is accepted. He wrote back explaining that precautions have been made that will allow you to attend school without being a danger to others."

Remus lifted his head up, hardly daring to believe. "What kind of precautions?" he asked.

His mother answered. "There has been a safe place set aside for your transformations," she explained. "It is secure and guarded, so no other students will be able to find you and get hurt.

Hope swelled in Remus's chest. "I. . . I can go to Hogwarts? You'll let me go away to school?" he asked excitedly.

His mom and dad smiled. "Of course," his mom said. "It's high time you were able to be with other children your age. I think it will be good for you." She hugged him tightly. His stomach growled and she laughed. "Now, breakfast I think." And she went to fix up three plates of pancakes.

Remus couldn't believe it. Today was the best birthday he had ever had. He could go to school, and maybe even make friends! He ate his pancakes slowly, pouring over the list of the required books and equipment, truly happy for the first time in a long, long time.