I always wondered how the marauders became best friends and how they found out that Remus was a werewolf so here's my view.

It was a well-known fact that werewolves do not fit in with society. Even the parents find it hard. The parent of a child werewolf would either become too protective of the child and isolate them or reject them all together. Mrs Alyss Lupin was one of the mothers who suffocated the child by protecting it so much, Mr John Lupin however being the wizard that he was knew what would happen to the child, he was the parent who rejected the child. Remus knew back then that if he were to attack his muggle mother she would stand no chance. His mother was scared of him of course however she refused to admit this fact to him. Every full moon she would take him to the safe house created by the local witches and wizards who took pity on her and her child, they would lock him in the house and the next day Alyss and the local healer Martin would tend to the boys wounds.

Remus still remembered the night it happened; he was young barely six years old, it had been his birthday five days previous. His father had told him that he could play in the garden as long as he kept in sight. Remus knew his father would be too busy reading the daily Profit to care what his son was doing, his father had never really wanted a child Remus knew that but his mother was desperate to have one. The rustling of a near by bush caught the boys attention. It's nothing he told himself, just the wind. Remus had become very logical since reading most of his fathers books about all sorts of magical things, he knew now that all a good wizard should be afraid of is fear itself. He heard the nest bush along rustle; perhaps it was time to go in he thought. He picked up his book and pencil and made his way back to the gate. Every plant on the way rustled as if some sort of a thin wind was pushing them.

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself, there's nothing to fear but fear itself." The boy repeated these words again and again speeding up as he made his way through the gate. Locking the gate quickly the boy let out a sigh of relief, see he thought to himself, nothing to fear but… His thought stopped there as a low growl could be heard behind him. It's just a dog, it's just a dog, it's just a… "Werewolf" He screamed as he turned around to see crouching animal the size of a small pony its teeth bared ready to attack. Don't panic he told his brain, don't look it in the eyes simply walk slowly through the gate and then find another way out, okay… go. He told himself. The wolf however had already made lunch plans it seemed. As he unlatched the gate the wolf's teeth gripped his arm tightly crushing the bone, Remus let out a whimper but knew better than to cry loudly he needed to think straight. The beast was going to kill him. Dad. Dad could help he thought.

"Dad! Dad help!" he screamed so loudly the words felt as though they were burning his throat. The beast chose this moment to close its bloody jaws around the boy's neck leaving his arm dangling limply. The last thing he saw or heard were his parents running to him, with his mum shouting "Remmy we're coming"

It had been a slow painful recovery; his father who found out his son was a werewolf said that he needed to take a vacation. His mother sat by his bed crying all the time; she didn't understand why the bites weren't healing fast like normal ones do. Remus had to suffer two full moons with the almost healed bite marks reopening. The full moon became his greatest fear mostly because he feared hurting the people he loved but a close second was the pain it caused. It felt like he was having his skin ripped off with white-hot pins.

On Remus's eleventh birthday his father (who had returned from his 'vacation' but still refused to look his son in the eyes.) told him that this would have been about the time he would have gotten his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts. Things seemed worse than ever for the family, Remus would be refused the privalage of going outside, instead he would remain inside his fathers library reading up on charms and potions that he would never get to use.

Three days after his birthday a letter came through the letterbox that held a beautiful stamp made of wax. The stamp was a maroon colour and had the imprint of a lion, a badger, a bird (possibly a raven) and a snake.

Mr. R.J.Lupin

Kitchen table,

20 Nockinan Close

York

Dear Mr Lupin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Please find enclose a list of all the necessary books and equipment. Term begins September 1st. We await your reply no later than the 31st July.

Yours sincerely

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress.

Remus felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, he couldn't go, he would be a danger to the other students. He held the parchment tightly between his fingers. After a few minutes, on the verge of tears Remus let the letter slip from his fingers falling gracefully to the table. As it fell another letter fell from in between the list and the original letter. On closer inspection the letter had been written in emerald green ink with elegant curly writing.

Dear Mr R.J.Lupin,

We are aware that you are infected with lycanthrope. Plans have been made should you wish to attend Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardry.

You understand that the safety of all students is my first priority however should you wish to attend you will be very welcome (of course you will have to work twice as hard as all the other students to keep up.)

Yours Sincerely

Albus Dumbledore

Head Master.

Remus read it through five times before standing up pinching himself (to make sure he was awake) then running upstairs to tell his parents the good news.

Dumbledore came to see the Lupins only a week later to discuss the 'full moon' with them.

"… All of the teachers will be informed of your lycanthrope and will allow you to have days off after the full moon to recover." Dumbledore looked over his half moon glasses at the excited boy with a look of concern on his calm face. "You must understand Remus it will be hard work keeping up with everyone else when you will be taking three days off about every twenty eight days. Also" Dumbledore's face became stern now "You must not tell anyone of your Lycanthrope, for their own protection." Remus had never really had good friends but he knew that he wouldn't make any so it would be okay. He would be okay if he lied to strangers.

"I will do my best with everything." Remus replied. Dumbledore smiled happily back at him, clearly this was all that the man needed to hear because a second later he was gone with a small pop.

Remus John Lupin was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was the happiest day of his life.