James and Sirius were the last students off the train. Laughing, they made their way over to the carriages. The platform was emptying quickly and in the space between the different groups of students a brown coat was made visible around all the black robes. James was the first to notice this.
"Sirius!" he stopped in his track. "Is that…?"
"Remus!" Sirius exclaimed as he saw whom James was talking about. "It is!"
Sirius took of in a sprint towards the boy in the brown coat, with James just half a step behind. As they got closer they saw for a fact that it was Remus. He was loading huge boxes, which looked like they would break his skinny arms, onto another smaller carriage.
"Remus", James shouted.
Remus turned around and grinned at them.
"Hey", he said.
"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked as he and James came to a halt in front of him.
"Work", Remus replied. "I'm doing a bunch of different stuff for mr Nelson, that blonde dude over there, here in Hogsmeade. I think I'll be staying here the entire year."
"Cool!" Sirius said excitedly. "We'll be able to see you during our Hogsmeade weekends! Thank God we're in third year now and get to go."
"Yeah", Remus grinned. "You'll have to write me when you know the dates."
"Of course we…" James response was cut short as the booming voice of mr Nelson took over.
"Oi boy! Hurry up."
"Gotta go", Remus said and took off to the blonde bearded man who promptly slapped him upside his head for his laziness. Remus turned back to James and Sirius for a second, rubbing the back of his head, and gave them a wide grin as a: "goodbye, see you soon!".
James, Sirius and Remus were walking through the streets of Hogsmeade. It was October and Sirius and James' second visit to the village. They had been to Zonko's and Honeydukes and were now just strolling around, joking and laughing.
They had just turned around a corner when they saw a tall, thin man approaching.
"Professor Dumbledore", James said, half as a greeting, half in shock of meeting the headmaster outside of school.
"Good afternoon, mr Potter, mr Black", the headmaster said with a smile. "And who may this be?"
"This is our friend, Remus Lupin", Sirius introduced.
Dumbledore took in the appearance of the young boy. He was skinny, with unkempt light brown hair and pale brown eyes. He was not wearing robes, but grey trousers, a once white shirt and a brown coat. He had been laughing but when he caught sight of the headmaster he had shrunken back and a slight frown was evident on his forehead.
"I don't believe we've met", Dumbledore said. "I take pride in recognizing my students."
"Oh no, sir", Remus said. "I don't go to Hogwarts."
"I see."
The boy was squirming, uncomfortable under Dumbledore's gaze. It certainly didn't go unnoticed.
"Well, I shall resume my walk then", Dumbledore said. "I'll see you at school, mr Black, mr Potter. Nice meeting you Remus."
"You too", came as a quiet response after Dumbledore had walked past them.
A week later, Dumbledore found James and Sirius out of bed right after midnight. They were sneaking around the castle, which wasn't too surprising to Dumbledore.
"Hello, boys", he announced his presence and chuckled slightly as the boys jumped in surprise.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Sirius exclaimed.
"We were just… um…" James struggled to find some kind of excuse.
"I understand young curiosity", Dumbledore said. "But you should be careful. Let me walk you back to your common room."
Neither James nor Sirius had anything to say to that, so they just nodded and went along with him.
"I wanted to ask you about your friend Remus Lupin", Dumbledore said. "And this moment seems to be as good as any."
"Remus?" Sirius questioned. "Why?"
James elbowed him in the ribs.
"What did you want to know about him?"
"Where does he go to school?" Dumbledore asked.
James and Sirius shared a look before Sirius replied.
"He doesn't."
"He can't", James added.
"Why is that?"
No reply was given.
"You feel that's his right to answer for himself?" Dumbledore asked.
The boys nodded.
"That's very noble of you", Dumbledore nodded. "Excuse an old man for his curiosity."
James and Sirius exchanged looks. They didn't know how to answer that. So they stayed silent until they arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Well, here we are, boys", Dumbledore said. "Have good night."
James and Sirius watched him trail off and when he was out of sight they let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank Merlin we didn't get detention", James said as they climbed through the tunnel and Sirius nodded in agreement.
Dumbledore was once again walking through Hogsmeade, though this time it wasn't during a Hogsmeade weekend. To anyone else it would seem like he was just out on an afternoon stroll, but he did actually have a target. Ducking through an alley he very soon came up towards the station. Around the corner from there he saw what he had feared.
There had always been workers around Hogsmeade. Low-paid people who transported various items to various shops, or fixed up the station, or were hired to repair houses or stores. But Dumbledore could never have believed that they would hire a child to help with these heavy jobs. It was dangerous and accidents happened. There were many reports of injuries of grown adults. Just think what could happen to a child.
But here Remus Lupin was, dressed in the same attire Dumbledore had seen him in the only other time he'd seen the boy. He was standing on a wobbly ladder with a hammer in one hand while the other one was braced against the wall to keep his balance. The store sign he was working on was still slightly crocked. With a cringe Dumbledore saw him remove his hand from supporting him to be able to hammer another nail into the wood.
Dumbledore waited for Remus to be done and climb down from the ladder before he said anything. He didn't want to startle the boy, make him fall. But when Remus feet hit the ground and he looked up to examine his work, Dumbledore took another step towards him.
"Good afternoon, Remus", he said.
Remus jumped, startled. He turned to the man and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Oh. Hello, sir. I'm sorry, you scared me."
"My apologies", Dumbledore said. "I did not mean to startle you. I see you're quite busy."
Remus glanced up on the sign and then quickly over his shoulders. Dumbledore's comment seemed to have made him realize where he was.
"Do you mind talking to me for a minute?" Dumbledore asked him.
Remus seemed to fight an internal battle.
"I will make it quick", Dumbledore added.
Remus looked over his shoulder again, down the street. Then he looked back at Dumbledore and nodded, although a bit uncertainly.
"Is this what you do, Remus? Work? Do you go to school?"
Remus shook his head.
"Why not?"
For the longest time it didn't seem like Remus would answer.
"I have a problem", he finally said, very quietly.
"Which doesn't allow you to go to school?"
Remus nodded. He refused to meet Dumbledore's eyes. Dumbledore doubted the boy would willingly tell him what this problem was.
"Boy! Didn't I tell you to…"
The man in question stopped short in his sentence when he saw whom Remus was talking to. But he still stomped up to them.
"I'm sorry sir, is the boy bothering you?" he said and put a heavy hand on Remus' shoulder. Dumbledore saw the boy grimace at the pressure.
"No, not at all", he said. "I was only talking to him. Does he belong to you?"
"Works for me", the man gruffed.
"Do you not think he is a little young?"
The man didn't flinch under Dumbledore's icy stare.
"Ain't good for much else", he said. "He's a werewolf."
Remus' eyes cast down.
"I don't see a problem", Dumbledore said, looking at him. "He should still go to school. He deserves it as much as anyone else."
Remus glanced up. Dumbledore smiled gently at him. So this was the problem. Sure, there were some precautions to take care of, but Remus was still just a boy.
The man was looking between Dumbledore and Remus.
"If you want him, take him", he said and turned to leave.
He walked fast and soon there was just the two left. Remus peered up at the old headmaster.
"Would you really let me go to school?" he asked in a way that sounded like he didn't really dare to hope.
"I would", Dumbledore nodded. "But to be able to do that I need to know a few things about you. Would you be alright with that?"
Remus nodded, anxiously.
"Where are your parents?" Dumbledore asked.
Remus shrugged.
"You don't know?"
"No", the boy shook his head. "I haven't seen them in years."
"Where do you live?"
"I've worked for a couple of different people and they've set me up with somewhere to sleep, often the floor of the workplace. One summer I stayed in James Potter's tree house, which was great. Sometimes I stay at this shelter. They don't care much who sleeps there so that works."
"How old are you?" he asked.
"I'm the same age as James and Sirius", Remus replied.
"Thirteen?"
Remus nodded.
"My last question is; would you like to go to Hogwarts?"
"Yes", Remus nodded furiously.
"Good", Dumbledore smiled. "Then I will see what I can do. Come on, you look hungry."
Everything got cleared up with time. Remus was a patient boy without complaints and took to the uncertainness of the beginning without difficulty. It wasn't hard for Dumbledore to make sure the boy would be able to go to school; he was the headmaster after all. Remus got to start his first year immediately, with the promise from Dumbledore that he could study up and with some time and his teachers' help possibly move up a year or two. Dumbledore knew that he was definitely bright and eager enough.
Remus being a werewolf wasn't a big problem either. Every full moon he would go to a shack in the outskirts of Hogsmeade to transform where he couldn't hurt himself or anyone else.
He was sorted into Gryffindor and a bed was added in the first years' dormitory. Hagrid volunteered to take him to Diagon Alley to get his wand and robes and while at it, the other supplies he needed for school.
What was harder was finding a caregiver and a home for him. Remus didn't have any family and no one else was willing to take in a werewolf. This worried Dumbledore. Even though there weren't too much of a problem to find somewhere for the boy to sleep during summer, he wouldn't have an adult to turn to. Every child needs a caregiver who's there for them.
Dumbledore received a letter from mrs Potter who'd heard from her son what was going on. She wrote that she and her husband could take Remus in during summers and after consulting with Remus this was decided. Dumbledore was still worried, but simply vowed to keep an eye on Remus.
Remus watched the portrait swing open and hurried inside. James and Sirius had managed to snatch the good seats by the fire.
"Hey", he said and plopped down besides them.
"Hi Remus", James said without taking his eyes from the chessboard. Suddenly he shone up in a triumphant grin and moved one of his chess pieces to take out Sirius' queen.
"You're playing?" Remus raised an eyebrow as Sirius groaned.
James and Sirius rarely had the patience to finish a whole game of chess.
"Better than doing homework", James shrugged.
"Where've you been since dinner?" Sirius asked.
"Library", Remus replied.
"Of course."
"I finished the first years' history book", Remus said excitedly. "Binns said I could take the test before Christmas."
"See!" Sirius exclaimed. "If you were able to get through that book, you'll be in our year in a heartbeat."
"I hope so", Remus grinned. "That would be fun."
James and Sirius nodded in agreement.