Author's Note: This is just something I just found myself writing, so forgive me if I'm waffling. R&R, pretty please?
Remus Lupin hovered uncomfortably on platform 9 ¾, waiting for his dad to come back through the barrier. Dumbledore was a great person, he thought, to let him come this far. After all, most werewolves didn't get to go to Hogwarts. He sighed. Apparently arrangements had been made for his monthly transformations, but he wasn't sure what yet. He doubted that it would help him make any friends.
Hope Lupin looked down at her pale son. It was coming up to the full moon again, and she could see he looked sickly even in the dim morning light. She heaved a quiet sigh. It really was marvelous that Dumbledore decided that Remus could go to Hogwarts still, even after they wrote to him explaining Remus' condition. She smiled at the memory of Dumbledore entering their house to explain the arrangements, only for Lyall and herself to come back minutes from getting him a cup of coffee and find him playing gobstones with Remus. Her son didn't really have friends. She felt a tug on her sleeve, and looked down at Remus, his eyes wide with anticipation.
"When's Dad coming back? We'll be late. I can't move my trunk on my own." Hope smiled a reassuring smile.
"Dad's just getting you a going-away present. He won't be long." Remus nodded and turned back to the crowded platform, not looking like he quite believed her. However, at that moment, Lyall ran back through the barrier and jogged over to his wife and son.
"Come on then, this trunk isn't going to move itself," he smiled, pushing the trunk over to the luggage carriage and heaving it up. He made a big show of how heavy the trunk was, then shoved it into the compartment. Remus had laughed quite a bit at this display of comedic idiocy, but now was back to looking worried. Hope squeezed Remus tightly, as Lyall patted down his pockets, looking worried. But with a flourish, he produced the biggest bar of chocolate Remus had ever seen. He winked, and patted his son on the back. Remus's face lit up at the sight of the chocolate bar. With a wave to his parents, he boarded the Hogwarts Express.
Remus quickly found a compartment with no one but a redheaded girl sitting with her face pressed against the window, and sat in the middle seat. With all the faint scars on his face, he doubted any other kid would come in. So it was surprising when the compartment door opened.
"Do you mind?" a cheerful voice asked, and Remus looked up to see a obviously well-cared for boy with messy dark hair, and Windsor glasses. He had pink cheeks, like he'd ran all the way there. Remus ducked his head politely.
"Not at all." The boy slid into the seat nearest the compartment door, diagonally opposite from Remus. He held out a hand.
"I'm James Potter." Remus took it.
"Remus Lupin." They smiled at each other for a second, then looked away. James started fiddling with the bottom of his robes. An awkward silence filled the air, and was broken by the sound of the compartment door opening again. Another boy entered, looked around, and sat in the seat opposite James. He grinned at them.
"Sorry for invading, just everywhere else is full of people I'd rather not mingle with." James raised an eyebrow. The boy stuck his hand out to Remus and James.
"Sirius." Remus and James both shook it.
"James Potter."
"Remus Lupin."
Sirius looked at James.
"Have you heard about the first year broomstick ban? It's dreadful." The two boys started chatting about Quidditch, and how they were both going to try out for their house teams. Remus nodded and laughed at the right points, but owing to the lycanthropy, he'd never seen a game of Quidditch, and didn't really know how it worked. All three boys were oblivious to the next one that came into the carriage, as he made a beeline for the clearly upset girl in the corner. He had already changed into his robes, and was discussing nothing of importance, at least, in the boy's' point of view, until James perked up when he said, "You'd better be in Slytherin,"
"Slytherin?" James looked at the other boy with a disgusted look on his face. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He directed his last question towards Sirius, who didn't smile.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin." .
James looked shocked.
"Blimey, and I thought you were alright!"
Sirius grinned.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" James lifted an imaginary sword, and pretended to be a knight.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart!" He stopped pretending. "Like my dad." Remus didn't miss the disparaging sound the other boy made, and neither did James.
"Got a problem with that?"
The other boy sneered.
"No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy…"
Sirius interjected, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Where are you planning to go, seeing as you're neither?" James started cracking up, and even Remus couldn't help a small smile. But the redheaded girl in the corner looked from Sirius to James with a mix of disgust and dislike written all over her face. She stood up.
"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment."
"Ooooo, 'Come on Severus,'" James imitated her, which set Sirius off laughing again. When Severus tried to exit, he tripped him up.
"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called out, then turned back to the others. "Well, that was a laugh."
Remus smiled, but felt he should probably be the voice of reason.
"We should probably change. We must be nearly there now." To his relief, the other boys didn't scorn him, but nodded, and started pulling on their robes. Remus smiled to himself.
When Remus entered the Great Hall, and looked at the starry sky he'd only read about, he realised he really was at Hogwarts. Him, the werewolf. A Hogwarts student. It was Remus' dream come true, and he decided right then and there that he would try really hard so he could live his dream a little while longer. Mainly, though, at the minute he was worried about his sorting. His dad had said that they had to knock down a door and fight a troll, but his dad joked a lot of the time, so Remus wasn't sure. He didn't see a troll, just a scruffy-looking hat, all patched and worn. He realised everyone was looking at it. What did they have to do to it? Then to all the first-years' surprise, the hat opened a rip near the brim and sang:
Yes, I am an ancient Hat
As old as I can be,
For dear old Godric Gryffindor
A long time back did own me
Way back when this school was set up
The founders needed me
On teaching methods did they argue
Loud and angrily
Said Slytherin, "Ambitious ones
Pure Blood through and through"
Gryffindor said "No No No!
Take the brave and true."
Ravenclaw said "Nonsense!
Only the cleverest shall do."
Hufflepuff said "I shall take
All loyal to me and you."
But I was the problem solver
Now even though you're small
Green and Red, Yellow and Blue
Now I shall sort you all
Now don't you be on tenterhooks
For you are in safe hands
Don't worry, in your futures
The World has great plans!
There was a smattering of applause, and Remus breathed a sigh of relief. They just had to try on the hat? That was easy enough. Professor McGonagall, a stern witch who had taken them into the hall, stepped forward with a scroll and began reading off names in alphabetical order. There was a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin before the voice said,
"Black, Sirius." The whole hall watched interestedly as Sirius sauntered forward, Remus included. Sirius hadn't mentioned being a Black on the train,and it seemed weird that he didn't want to be in Slytherin. After all, the Blacks were known to get almost exclusively Slytherin. The Hat debated for quite some time, before it finally shouted out,
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hall went quiet, as every mouth dropped open, including the teachers. No one had expected it, especially Sirius' cousins, who had stood up from the Slytherin table angrily. Sirius just took the Hat off and sat down at the Gryffindor table in a daze. McGonagall cleared her throat and proceeded with the next name. Remus watched as the red-headed girl from the train was made a Gryffindor, several others were made Ravenclaws, someone called Diggory was made a Hufflepuff until finally McGonagall called out, "Lupin, Remus!". Remus wobbled his way up to the stool and sat down, pulling the hat over his eyes. Almost immediately, a tiny voice whispered in his ear,
"A werewolf, eh? I've never sorted one of those before. This should be interesting." Remus gulped. "Oh, don't worry. Didn't you listen to the song? Now, where to put you… Definitely not Slytherin, you wouldn't do well there," Remus breathed a sigh of relief. "Hmm, clever, could be a Ravenclaw, loyal as well, but I sense a courage, better be… GRYFFINDOR!" Remus heard him shout the name to the school, and felt a sense of relief. He was a Gryffindor, like his dad. And when he sat down, and saw Sirius grin at him, he realised maybe his problem would be tolerable at Hogwarts, as long as he had friends around him.