Diamonds in My Heart
By Sesshochan1
Chapter 1
The Letter That Changed Everything
"Daddy! Daddy! Can I go play over there?" Said a tiny little boy, the age of five. His father, who was very occupied with talking to some of his friends he'd met on the way to town agreed without thinking. The boy was off. Daddy never let him play in the forest, this was a rare and exciting chance! He ran into the strange and wonderful new world filled with trees that went higher than he could see. He plunged deeper into the woods, his young imagination running wild.
Meanwhile the man, who was called Oscar, went on chatting with his friends, completely oblivious to his small son's disappearance.
"So, Todd, what's this I hear about those murders in the south?" Oscar Lupin asked. He friend scratched the back of his head.
"Some loony went out and murdered three people in their home two nights ago. No reason a'tall. Just went in-" He made a swishing motion with his hand. "Avada Kedevra!" He hissed. The other two fell silent.
"It's quite strange. People just don't appreciate life anymore . . ." Said the third man. "Why, when we were at 'Ogwarts-" The portly man started off on a long and overall pointless rant about crazy youths (Todd failed to mention that the man who'd committed the crime was well out of his teens) and their reckless plans. They continued this chat until it the sunset shone through the thick woods.
"Bloody Hell, is it 6 already?" Oscar said looking at the strange watch on his wrist. It looked a bit more like a sundial than a watch. "Rosetta will destroy me! I was supposed to be coming back from the market right now!" Oscar looked back. "Remus! Time to go!" But Remus was so far into the deep woods right now that the chances of hearing his father's voice were slim to none. He was perfectly content in his own little world; not noticing it was getting quite dark.
"Did you see where he went, Ralph?" Oscar addressed the portly man. He fingers his bushy black moustache.
"You told 'im 'e could go off an' play in the woods 'bout an 'our ago . . ." He explained. Oscar opened his eyes wide in alert.
"No I didn't . . ." He said, a quiver in his voice. Todd nodded.
"You did, mate . . ."
"Hurry! We've go to go find him!" Oscar commanded, belting off into the woods. He knew very well what these woods contained and none of it was good. Ralph and Todd exchanged glances and trudged off after Oscar, who was rabidly screaming his son's name.
Remus, however, was finally noticing something was wrong. The sun was going down, bugs were starting to bite at his arms and there was no one around him to be found. He bit his thumb, a habit he just couldn't seem to break. He shivered a little in the chilly evening, his eyes scanning the horizon all around him. He picked a random direction, not remember which way he'd taken and padded off at a moderate speed.
The sun had gone all the way down now and the first few stars were blooming out of the darkness. Oscar jumped into a tiny gulch and scrambled up the other side.
"It's a full moon tonight." Todd noticed, following after Oscar in a less desperate manner. "No wonder ol' Oscar's acting crazy." Ralph looked up. The perfectly round, silvery orb decorated the sky through the thin layer of overcast that was slowly dissipating with the day.
Remus's heart began to beat a little harder. He thought he'd heard a rustling in the bushes just ahead of him. He furrowed his brow and tried to analyze it with his still-developing mind. He backed up slowly and sat down in the dust between two massive tree roots. He put his back to the rough bark and didn't make a sound. His golden-brown hair was tinted a soft blue in the night as he closed his eyes, hoping to hear some sign of an adult. He sat by that tree for quite a long time, too frightened to venture out again. As he was just getting lulled into a sort of safety, a piercing howl echoed all around him. He flashed to his feet, rapidly looking all around him for signs of the sound.
"Daddy!" He moaned into the palpable tension. "Is that you?" He hoped to God it was no one but his dear old dad. No one or nothing, for that matter. Then something crawled out of the bushes. It walked on all fours and had glinting golden eyes. It was shaggy and covered in gray-black fur. Its face was like a dog's but the body and tail were much more beastly. A low, dangerous growl issued from its bared fangs and it curled it lip back, looking ferocious and livid.
"Puppy . . ." Remus squeaked on a hopeful note that sounded quite pitiable. It barked viciously, it throaty sound hurting Remus's ears. He bit his lower lips and instinctively flattened himself against the tree. He whimpered involuntarily and the snarling brute advanced, putting one clawed paw in front of them other. A bit of slobber dripped revoltingly from it black gums. It was so close to little Remus he could smell its foul breath. His entire body trembled violently as he shrank to his knees, pressing hopelessly against the tall tree. Suddenly, without warning, the great creature lashed out, clamping it massive and powerful jaws around the small boy's arm. Fire spread through his limb as he heard a sickening snap. His entire arm was rendered useless and he was swung side to side like some pathetic doll. He wailed in shock and anguish, his heart racing uncontrollably in his chest. The rocklike teeth then released, sending the child flying. He collided front-on with the very tree he been hiding in, his tiny back exposed to the monster. He felt the flesh tear away and he gave a piercing scream, which ended in piteous shivering sobs.
"AWAY! BACK!" Bellowed a liberating voice. "Petrificus Totalus!" A flashed of light blinded them all momentarily as Oscar Lupin sprinted over and scooped up his weeping son. He raised his thin black wand over his head. "I'm going to the healer's place." He told the other two critically. A popping noise sounded and Remus and Oscar Lupin disappeared from sight, materializing a mile away at the local healer's cottage. He raced up and rapped viciously on the wooden door. When nothing happened he balled up his fist and pounded heavily onto it. The healer, a plump woman with curly brown hair, opened the door, looking wind blown and razzed.
"What?" She asked venomously, looking peeved.
"Please, you've got to help my son!" Oscar forced his way inside, Remus's dead arm dangling and leaking blood on the woman's.
"Good God! What happened?" She inquired, her eyes blazing at him.
"Just fix it! I'll goddamn pay you for it, just do something before he dies!" Oscar stressed, putting his hand to his forehead with his wand still in it. She noticed he was on the verge of tears. She set the bleeding boy down on the nearest sofa and did a few quick spells, repairing his broken bones and mending the torn skin. She then carefully examined the remainder of the wound. There was some mild irritation along with some poisonous looking black rings where the teeth had pierced into the skin. She knew those symptoms . . .
"I-is he all right, Ma'am?" He asked, his voice shaking.
"What exactly attacked him?" She asked gently.
"Some sort of dog thing, I didn't stick around that long." He answered hastily, his breath still absent.
"Are you married, mister, er . . ." She pronounced carefully.
"Lupin. Yes, why?"
"Because your wife might want to know the seriousness of this, as well. . ."
"Seriousness!?" Oscar reiterated, sounding sick. She nodded with a miserable expression on her face. "What the Hell are you talking about? What's happened?"
"Mr. Lupin, your son is going to live, don't worry, but I'm afraid his life has taken a drastic change for the worse . . ."
"What? Tell me what's happened to him right this instant!" He demanded, his face bloodless.
"Mr. Lupin, that was no ordinary wolf he was attacked by. That was a werewolf." She let the words sink in. Oscar looked blank.
". . . so . . ." He began uncertainly
"So this boy will live the rest of his life as a werewolf as well. Every full moon he'll transform into a wolf until the day he dies." She put sadly, pitying the entire Lupin family.
"Surely there's a cure . . ." Oscar put forth, adding a nervous laugh with into it. She shook her head solemnly. Oscar looked over at his boy. He'd passed out and was sleeping on the sofa. "Oh, God . . ." He breathed painfully as he put a hand on Remus' head "You poor thing . . ." Remus could still hear his mother's tortured cry when Oscar told her. He could still remember them yelling at one another while he watched stunned in the corner.
"I can't believe you let him out of your sight! How could you do that!? HOW COULD YOU!?" Rosetta Lupin screamed at her husband, he face red, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I told you! I don't even remember doing it!" He yelled back, he deep voice rumbling off the walls.
"Thanks to you my son's life is ruined! You practically murdered him! DO you know how he'll suffer? Do you have any idea?"
"Rosetta, calm down! We can deal with this calmly . . ." he said, barely keeping cool himself.
"Goodbye, Oscar!" She screeched, sweeping like a whirlwind through the door of their cheaply built home. He sighed and sat down on the shabby armchair with the hole in the back of it. Remus was confused. Were they shouting because of him? Was he misbehaving in some way? Were they angry at him? Whatever the case, he did not want his mother to go . . . But she was right. It was frightening how right she was . . . Remus shuddered at the very thought. She did not leave for good. She was back on the doorstep, tired and frustrated two days later. There would be many more fights and screeched farewells but Remus soon learned that-
Tap. Tap Tap. Remus Lupin was brought out of his memory by this sound. He turned his head to see a large barn owl knocking it's sharp little claw onto the pane of the window, a letter clamped in its shiny black beak. Remus went over, opened the window carefully so as not to hit the large bird. It dropped the yellowish envelope into Remus' hand and fluttered off. Remus' watched it go, and then looked down to inspect the formal looking parchment. He walked towards the kitchen door, planning on delivering it to his father but stopped shortly when he found it was addressed to him. He furrowed his brow and read it more carefully.
Mr. R. Lupin 7 Bridgewater Pl. Valenhale Britain
Remus turned over the thick paper in his hand. It was closed up with wax and the seal showed a lion, snake, badger and eagle all around a letter 'H'. Remus's heart sank. This was his Hogwarts letter.
Ever since Remus had learned about the school he had dreams of attending it. He dreamed of being with all the other boys his age and attending all the classes, perhaps making a few friends . . . But he knew these were only dreams. He felt a terrible melancholy rise in his chest. He slapped the letter down on the battered table in the less than tiny study and marched into the kitchen. His father sat at the table reading 'How to Recognize and avoid the Dark Arts'.
"Dad, my Hogwarts letter came. Will you write back saying no. I don't want to do it . . ." Remus explained sitting across from him.
"Not now . . ." He said, writing some thing down while peering through his round spectacles. Remus guessed he was doing something for his work. Oscar had a respectable post at the Ministry of Magic. He was part of the squad that did most of the memory charms for Muggles who've found out something of the wizarding world. They made a fair amount of money but it was all spent on Rosetta. She was born with a rare disease that left her quite weak and tried if she did not have medication. So more than half of the budget was spent on potions for Rosetta. She always stressed how terribly guilty she felt about this. She worked in a small flower shop in the village and used all of her salary to help pay for her medicine, but it still wasn't enough. Remus didn't mind being poor though. It didn't really matter to him if he only got new robes once every two years. What really bothered him was what the other boys said about it . . .
Remus sighed. He knew his father was not going to do it. He got out a bit of parchment from the counter and began writing back to Hogwarts himself. With every word his heart sunk lower.
Dear Headmaster, I regret to inform you that because I'm a werewolf, I can't come to Hogwarts.
Remus J. Lupin
To the mind of an eleven year old, this was a near perfect letter. Remus folded it up, stuck it in an envelope of his own and went up stairs to find his father's owl, Stanley. They'd gotten Stanley on a discount and they soon found out why. He was the most unintelligent owl on the face of the earth. Usually it took him around a month to make deliveries, but there was always the occasional miracle. Remus went up to his parent's bedroom and tied the letter to Stanley's leg.
"Take it to Hogwarts, all right? Hogwarts! The big castle!" He told the dumb creature. It flapped its long gray wings then flew straight into the closed window. Remus sighed and dutifully opened the window, releasing the brainless bird into the sky. He had no idea when he would see poor Stanley again. He shook his head and spent the rest of the day reading a rather uninteresting book.
When it was getting late Remus went into his bedroom, put on his white and blue striped flannel pajamas and crawled into his bed. It was too small for him and the coverlet had one too many holes in it, but he couldn't sleep without it. He looked over at the stuffed wolf on his counter which was, like everything else he owned, old and battered. It was a present his grandfather had given him after he had received his curse. He smiled, trying to forget his sadness at not being able to go to school ever in his entire life. He dropped into a troubled sleep, dreaming of something unpleasant he could not remember when he woke up . . . it wasn't exactly a nightmare, but something strange and inexplicable that leaves you in a state of bewilderment when you awaken. He woke once and two in the morning and found it difficult to drop off once again. Finally, around three thirty he slept once more, being awakened by a low voice resonating from the kitchen. He assumed it was his father as first but then sat up suddenly. His father was working at this time. He wouldn't be home until four o' clock. Why was there a low voice?
Remus stepped onto the dingy peach color carpet of his room, which he hated with a passion and made his way over to the door. He swung it open, rubbing his eyes, which were not all the way up yet and grabbed the doorknob to the kitchen with his other hand. He turned the knob silently and opened it up just a smidge. He put his eye up to the crack and peered in. He fancied himself a master of stealth. Inside was his mother of course, her long, rich blonde hair tied with a purple satin ribbon and dressed in her usual white apron over some sort of dress and the back of another man he'd never laid eyes upon before in his life. Remus could tell from the back he was very old with long white hair that was long enough to rival his mother's. He wore lavish purple and gold robes and a pointed wizard's hair that matched his attire.
"I can't imagine why you would come here, Professor. Oscar is at the ministry today, if you were looking for him." She said kindly as she poured him a glass of steaming tea, rich in milk and sugar.
"Well, Rosetta, it is mostly about your son." He said in his calming voice. Remus felt his stomach twinge. Had something happened when he last transformed? Had some poor unsuspecting person wandered into the forest and gotten attacked by Remus? Was this old man here to take Remus away and lock him up? Or maybe . . . was he from the Disposal of Dangerous Magical Creatures? Remus backed away a little. "Right, Mr. Lupin?" He said kindly, turned around and looking at the door. Remus jumped had he known he was there all along!? Remus poked his head shyly in. Rosetta looked a bit confused.
"Um, sorry sir, but . . . I'm not in trouble, am I? Did I hurt someone, 'cause if I did, I'm really sorry . . ." Remus said, feeling embarrassed about being seen by a stranger in his pajamas. Th old man laughed. He had such bright, sparkling blue eyes that danced with emotion. His beard was probably as long (or longer) than his hair and he wore half-moon spectacles. He gave Remus a warm smile.
"No, no, dear boy . . ." He said, sounding fatherly. "I'm here because you sent me a letter yesterday." He explained. Remus searched his memory. "Oh, are you from Hogwarts, sir?" He asked as formally as he could.
"I am the very headmaster of that school, Professor Dumbledore." He smiled. "And I certainly do not accept your excuse for you not being able to attend." Remus was silent, wishing his mother would say something.
"Um, Professor, I just don't see how it's possible . . ." He spoke slowly and stared at his feet. "You see, I'm-"
"I know very well what your excuse is." He said, sounding like he somehow knew what Remus was feeling. "And I think we can work around it."
"Sir, he could be a possible danger to the students." Mrs. Lupin said softly.
"Special facilities can be constructed so that he will be nowhere near any student when the time comes." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. Rosetta looked at the tile.
"Sir . . . There's no way we could ever pay for that . . ." She said, sounding very humble and sorrowful.
"You do not have to worry about the costs, my dear. I shall take care of that." He said gently.
"Oh, sir. We could never ask you to do something like that. We don't want you to be troubled." She continued politely.
"You have not asked me, nor do I believe you will in the future. I am insisting on it. He got up and looked at Remus. "See you first day of term. Thank you very much for tea, Rosetta. Goodbye." He waved his wand with a crooked grin and disappeared into thin air. Remus held his breath.
"M-mum, was he being serious? Can I really go to school?" Remus asked excitedly, not daring to believe it just yet.
"Well . . ." She said rising with a smile that is shown only but the most loving mothers. "I've never heard Professor Dumbledore lie."
"Does this mean we'll be able to go to Diagon Alley soon and get my school things?" Remus asked, his heart beating joyfully with excitement.
"Seems that way." She said kindly, cleaning up the kitchen.
"Can we go today?" He asked, taking the plate that his father probably ate off of (he could tell because barely any of the food had been touched) and washing it in the sink.
"Let's see what your father says." Rosetta say beaming. It was a rare thing when Remus looked this excited. He usually just sat around going through his books and not talking much. She never saw him go outside; in fact she'd discourage it if he did. Ralph and Todd unfortunately saw Remus gaining his werewolf curse and they told their family, who in turn told their friends and it spread through the town like wildfire. Rosetta as well as Remus learned quite quickly that if you were a werewolf, you were automatically seen as a vicious person who could attack and kill at any moment, be you old man or toddler. Poor Remus was always being teased and tormented by the other boys whenever he set foot outside his door. A group of particularly nasty boys would always throw things at him from afar whenever his mother sent him to pick something up from town. He'd even been beaten up twice when the boys realized Remus would never fight back.
Remus scurried into the study and snatched up his letter from the low table and hastily tore it open. He wrenched out the contents and arranged them in a way where he could read them all very quickly.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Lupin,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find an enclosed list of all the necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
Remus shivered with excitement. He wondered what strange and wonderful things he's have to find to bring along with him to Hogwarts. And this was just a wonderful excuse to go to Diagon Alley; a place Remus hadn't visited since he was a child. He quickly went over the rest of the letter. He'd be needing three sets of robes, a hat, gloves and a winter cloak. He swallowed, feeling a bit guilty. This would cost a lot of money. He wasn't even sure if his parents had a Galleon between them. They'd probably buy most of it secondhand . . . he went on reading. He found he needed textbooks for History of Magic, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a standard spell book. All these classes sounded so exciting and fun. Remus couldn't wait to start. He'd need some other equipment including a wand and a few others but he didn't want to bother with that now. All he wanted to do was wait for his father to get home to tell him the good news and ask about Diagon Alley.
And when four o' clock came around that's exactly what happened.
"Dad! I get to go to Hogwarts! Isn't that great? Can we go to Diagon Alley? Please?" He ran outside and bombarded his father with questions when he heard the popping noise that signified someone nearby apparating.
"Really? That's not some story you made up to sneak in, is it?" He asked dubiously.
"It's true Oscar, Dumbledore visited this morning. He said he'd make some special arrangements so it would be fine." Rosetta Lupin explained as she shut the front door behind her.
"That's great!" Mr. Lupin exclaimed.
"Can we go to Diagon Alley, Dad?" Remus asked one more time. Oscar glanced at his sundial watch.
"I don't see why not." He said amiably.
"Yeah!" Remus cried, running inside to get the Floo powder ready. Rosetta looked kindly at her husband. There were very few moments since that fateful day when she admitted to herself she loved or even had been in love with him. This was one of them.
By Sesshochan1
Chapter 1
The Letter That Changed Everything
"Daddy! Daddy! Can I go play over there?" Said a tiny little boy, the age of five. His father, who was very occupied with talking to some of his friends he'd met on the way to town agreed without thinking. The boy was off. Daddy never let him play in the forest, this was a rare and exciting chance! He ran into the strange and wonderful new world filled with trees that went higher than he could see. He plunged deeper into the woods, his young imagination running wild.
Meanwhile the man, who was called Oscar, went on chatting with his friends, completely oblivious to his small son's disappearance.
"So, Todd, what's this I hear about those murders in the south?" Oscar Lupin asked. He friend scratched the back of his head.
"Some loony went out and murdered three people in their home two nights ago. No reason a'tall. Just went in-" He made a swishing motion with his hand. "Avada Kedevra!" He hissed. The other two fell silent.
"It's quite strange. People just don't appreciate life anymore . . ." Said the third man. "Why, when we were at 'Ogwarts-" The portly man started off on a long and overall pointless rant about crazy youths (Todd failed to mention that the man who'd committed the crime was well out of his teens) and their reckless plans. They continued this chat until it the sunset shone through the thick woods.
"Bloody Hell, is it 6 already?" Oscar said looking at the strange watch on his wrist. It looked a bit more like a sundial than a watch. "Rosetta will destroy me! I was supposed to be coming back from the market right now!" Oscar looked back. "Remus! Time to go!" But Remus was so far into the deep woods right now that the chances of hearing his father's voice were slim to none. He was perfectly content in his own little world; not noticing it was getting quite dark.
"Did you see where he went, Ralph?" Oscar addressed the portly man. He fingers his bushy black moustache.
"You told 'im 'e could go off an' play in the woods 'bout an 'our ago . . ." He explained. Oscar opened his eyes wide in alert.
"No I didn't . . ." He said, a quiver in his voice. Todd nodded.
"You did, mate . . ."
"Hurry! We've go to go find him!" Oscar commanded, belting off into the woods. He knew very well what these woods contained and none of it was good. Ralph and Todd exchanged glances and trudged off after Oscar, who was rabidly screaming his son's name.
Remus, however, was finally noticing something was wrong. The sun was going down, bugs were starting to bite at his arms and there was no one around him to be found. He bit his thumb, a habit he just couldn't seem to break. He shivered a little in the chilly evening, his eyes scanning the horizon all around him. He picked a random direction, not remember which way he'd taken and padded off at a moderate speed.
The sun had gone all the way down now and the first few stars were blooming out of the darkness. Oscar jumped into a tiny gulch and scrambled up the other side.
"It's a full moon tonight." Todd noticed, following after Oscar in a less desperate manner. "No wonder ol' Oscar's acting crazy." Ralph looked up. The perfectly round, silvery orb decorated the sky through the thin layer of overcast that was slowly dissipating with the day.
Remus's heart began to beat a little harder. He thought he'd heard a rustling in the bushes just ahead of him. He furrowed his brow and tried to analyze it with his still-developing mind. He backed up slowly and sat down in the dust between two massive tree roots. He put his back to the rough bark and didn't make a sound. His golden-brown hair was tinted a soft blue in the night as he closed his eyes, hoping to hear some sign of an adult. He sat by that tree for quite a long time, too frightened to venture out again. As he was just getting lulled into a sort of safety, a piercing howl echoed all around him. He flashed to his feet, rapidly looking all around him for signs of the sound.
"Daddy!" He moaned into the palpable tension. "Is that you?" He hoped to God it was no one but his dear old dad. No one or nothing, for that matter. Then something crawled out of the bushes. It walked on all fours and had glinting golden eyes. It was shaggy and covered in gray-black fur. Its face was like a dog's but the body and tail were much more beastly. A low, dangerous growl issued from its bared fangs and it curled it lip back, looking ferocious and livid.
"Puppy . . ." Remus squeaked on a hopeful note that sounded quite pitiable. It barked viciously, it throaty sound hurting Remus's ears. He bit his lower lips and instinctively flattened himself against the tree. He whimpered involuntarily and the snarling brute advanced, putting one clawed paw in front of them other. A bit of slobber dripped revoltingly from it black gums. It was so close to little Remus he could smell its foul breath. His entire body trembled violently as he shrank to his knees, pressing hopelessly against the tall tree. Suddenly, without warning, the great creature lashed out, clamping it massive and powerful jaws around the small boy's arm. Fire spread through his limb as he heard a sickening snap. His entire arm was rendered useless and he was swung side to side like some pathetic doll. He wailed in shock and anguish, his heart racing uncontrollably in his chest. The rocklike teeth then released, sending the child flying. He collided front-on with the very tree he been hiding in, his tiny back exposed to the monster. He felt the flesh tear away and he gave a piercing scream, which ended in piteous shivering sobs.
"AWAY! BACK!" Bellowed a liberating voice. "Petrificus Totalus!" A flashed of light blinded them all momentarily as Oscar Lupin sprinted over and scooped up his weeping son. He raised his thin black wand over his head. "I'm going to the healer's place." He told the other two critically. A popping noise sounded and Remus and Oscar Lupin disappeared from sight, materializing a mile away at the local healer's cottage. He raced up and rapped viciously on the wooden door. When nothing happened he balled up his fist and pounded heavily onto it. The healer, a plump woman with curly brown hair, opened the door, looking wind blown and razzed.
"What?" She asked venomously, looking peeved.
"Please, you've got to help my son!" Oscar forced his way inside, Remus's dead arm dangling and leaking blood on the woman's.
"Good God! What happened?" She inquired, her eyes blazing at him.
"Just fix it! I'll goddamn pay you for it, just do something before he dies!" Oscar stressed, putting his hand to his forehead with his wand still in it. She noticed he was on the verge of tears. She set the bleeding boy down on the nearest sofa and did a few quick spells, repairing his broken bones and mending the torn skin. She then carefully examined the remainder of the wound. There was some mild irritation along with some poisonous looking black rings where the teeth had pierced into the skin. She knew those symptoms . . .
"I-is he all right, Ma'am?" He asked, his voice shaking.
"What exactly attacked him?" She asked gently.
"Some sort of dog thing, I didn't stick around that long." He answered hastily, his breath still absent.
"Are you married, mister, er . . ." She pronounced carefully.
"Lupin. Yes, why?"
"Because your wife might want to know the seriousness of this, as well. . ."
"Seriousness!?" Oscar reiterated, sounding sick. She nodded with a miserable expression on her face. "What the Hell are you talking about? What's happened?"
"Mr. Lupin, your son is going to live, don't worry, but I'm afraid his life has taken a drastic change for the worse . . ."
"What? Tell me what's happened to him right this instant!" He demanded, his face bloodless.
"Mr. Lupin, that was no ordinary wolf he was attacked by. That was a werewolf." She let the words sink in. Oscar looked blank.
". . . so . . ." He began uncertainly
"So this boy will live the rest of his life as a werewolf as well. Every full moon he'll transform into a wolf until the day he dies." She put sadly, pitying the entire Lupin family.
"Surely there's a cure . . ." Oscar put forth, adding a nervous laugh with into it. She shook her head solemnly. Oscar looked over at his boy. He'd passed out and was sleeping on the sofa. "Oh, God . . ." He breathed painfully as he put a hand on Remus' head "You poor thing . . ." Remus could still hear his mother's tortured cry when Oscar told her. He could still remember them yelling at one another while he watched stunned in the corner.
"I can't believe you let him out of your sight! How could you do that!? HOW COULD YOU!?" Rosetta Lupin screamed at her husband, he face red, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I told you! I don't even remember doing it!" He yelled back, he deep voice rumbling off the walls.
"Thanks to you my son's life is ruined! You practically murdered him! DO you know how he'll suffer? Do you have any idea?"
"Rosetta, calm down! We can deal with this calmly . . ." he said, barely keeping cool himself.
"Goodbye, Oscar!" She screeched, sweeping like a whirlwind through the door of their cheaply built home. He sighed and sat down on the shabby armchair with the hole in the back of it. Remus was confused. Were they shouting because of him? Was he misbehaving in some way? Were they angry at him? Whatever the case, he did not want his mother to go . . . But she was right. It was frightening how right she was . . . Remus shuddered at the very thought. She did not leave for good. She was back on the doorstep, tired and frustrated two days later. There would be many more fights and screeched farewells but Remus soon learned that-
Tap. Tap Tap. Remus Lupin was brought out of his memory by this sound. He turned his head to see a large barn owl knocking it's sharp little claw onto the pane of the window, a letter clamped in its shiny black beak. Remus went over, opened the window carefully so as not to hit the large bird. It dropped the yellowish envelope into Remus' hand and fluttered off. Remus' watched it go, and then looked down to inspect the formal looking parchment. He walked towards the kitchen door, planning on delivering it to his father but stopped shortly when he found it was addressed to him. He furrowed his brow and read it more carefully.
Mr. R. Lupin 7 Bridgewater Pl. Valenhale Britain
Remus turned over the thick paper in his hand. It was closed up with wax and the seal showed a lion, snake, badger and eagle all around a letter 'H'. Remus's heart sank. This was his Hogwarts letter.
Ever since Remus had learned about the school he had dreams of attending it. He dreamed of being with all the other boys his age and attending all the classes, perhaps making a few friends . . . But he knew these were only dreams. He felt a terrible melancholy rise in his chest. He slapped the letter down on the battered table in the less than tiny study and marched into the kitchen. His father sat at the table reading 'How to Recognize and avoid the Dark Arts'.
"Dad, my Hogwarts letter came. Will you write back saying no. I don't want to do it . . ." Remus explained sitting across from him.
"Not now . . ." He said, writing some thing down while peering through his round spectacles. Remus guessed he was doing something for his work. Oscar had a respectable post at the Ministry of Magic. He was part of the squad that did most of the memory charms for Muggles who've found out something of the wizarding world. They made a fair amount of money but it was all spent on Rosetta. She was born with a rare disease that left her quite weak and tried if she did not have medication. So more than half of the budget was spent on potions for Rosetta. She always stressed how terribly guilty she felt about this. She worked in a small flower shop in the village and used all of her salary to help pay for her medicine, but it still wasn't enough. Remus didn't mind being poor though. It didn't really matter to him if he only got new robes once every two years. What really bothered him was what the other boys said about it . . .
Remus sighed. He knew his father was not going to do it. He got out a bit of parchment from the counter and began writing back to Hogwarts himself. With every word his heart sunk lower.
Dear Headmaster, I regret to inform you that because I'm a werewolf, I can't come to Hogwarts.
Remus J. Lupin
To the mind of an eleven year old, this was a near perfect letter. Remus folded it up, stuck it in an envelope of his own and went up stairs to find his father's owl, Stanley. They'd gotten Stanley on a discount and they soon found out why. He was the most unintelligent owl on the face of the earth. Usually it took him around a month to make deliveries, but there was always the occasional miracle. Remus went up to his parent's bedroom and tied the letter to Stanley's leg.
"Take it to Hogwarts, all right? Hogwarts! The big castle!" He told the dumb creature. It flapped its long gray wings then flew straight into the closed window. Remus sighed and dutifully opened the window, releasing the brainless bird into the sky. He had no idea when he would see poor Stanley again. He shook his head and spent the rest of the day reading a rather uninteresting book.
When it was getting late Remus went into his bedroom, put on his white and blue striped flannel pajamas and crawled into his bed. It was too small for him and the coverlet had one too many holes in it, but he couldn't sleep without it. He looked over at the stuffed wolf on his counter which was, like everything else he owned, old and battered. It was a present his grandfather had given him after he had received his curse. He smiled, trying to forget his sadness at not being able to go to school ever in his entire life. He dropped into a troubled sleep, dreaming of something unpleasant he could not remember when he woke up . . . it wasn't exactly a nightmare, but something strange and inexplicable that leaves you in a state of bewilderment when you awaken. He woke once and two in the morning and found it difficult to drop off once again. Finally, around three thirty he slept once more, being awakened by a low voice resonating from the kitchen. He assumed it was his father as first but then sat up suddenly. His father was working at this time. He wouldn't be home until four o' clock. Why was there a low voice?
Remus stepped onto the dingy peach color carpet of his room, which he hated with a passion and made his way over to the door. He swung it open, rubbing his eyes, which were not all the way up yet and grabbed the doorknob to the kitchen with his other hand. He turned the knob silently and opened it up just a smidge. He put his eye up to the crack and peered in. He fancied himself a master of stealth. Inside was his mother of course, her long, rich blonde hair tied with a purple satin ribbon and dressed in her usual white apron over some sort of dress and the back of another man he'd never laid eyes upon before in his life. Remus could tell from the back he was very old with long white hair that was long enough to rival his mother's. He wore lavish purple and gold robes and a pointed wizard's hair that matched his attire.
"I can't imagine why you would come here, Professor. Oscar is at the ministry today, if you were looking for him." She said kindly as she poured him a glass of steaming tea, rich in milk and sugar.
"Well, Rosetta, it is mostly about your son." He said in his calming voice. Remus felt his stomach twinge. Had something happened when he last transformed? Had some poor unsuspecting person wandered into the forest and gotten attacked by Remus? Was this old man here to take Remus away and lock him up? Or maybe . . . was he from the Disposal of Dangerous Magical Creatures? Remus backed away a little. "Right, Mr. Lupin?" He said kindly, turned around and looking at the door. Remus jumped had he known he was there all along!? Remus poked his head shyly in. Rosetta looked a bit confused.
"Um, sorry sir, but . . . I'm not in trouble, am I? Did I hurt someone, 'cause if I did, I'm really sorry . . ." Remus said, feeling embarrassed about being seen by a stranger in his pajamas. Th old man laughed. He had such bright, sparkling blue eyes that danced with emotion. His beard was probably as long (or longer) than his hair and he wore half-moon spectacles. He gave Remus a warm smile.
"No, no, dear boy . . ." He said, sounding fatherly. "I'm here because you sent me a letter yesterday." He explained. Remus searched his memory. "Oh, are you from Hogwarts, sir?" He asked as formally as he could.
"I am the very headmaster of that school, Professor Dumbledore." He smiled. "And I certainly do not accept your excuse for you not being able to attend." Remus was silent, wishing his mother would say something.
"Um, Professor, I just don't see how it's possible . . ." He spoke slowly and stared at his feet. "You see, I'm-"
"I know very well what your excuse is." He said, sounding like he somehow knew what Remus was feeling. "And I think we can work around it."
"Sir, he could be a possible danger to the students." Mrs. Lupin said softly.
"Special facilities can be constructed so that he will be nowhere near any student when the time comes." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. Rosetta looked at the tile.
"Sir . . . There's no way we could ever pay for that . . ." She said, sounding very humble and sorrowful.
"You do not have to worry about the costs, my dear. I shall take care of that." He said gently.
"Oh, sir. We could never ask you to do something like that. We don't want you to be troubled." She continued politely.
"You have not asked me, nor do I believe you will in the future. I am insisting on it. He got up and looked at Remus. "See you first day of term. Thank you very much for tea, Rosetta. Goodbye." He waved his wand with a crooked grin and disappeared into thin air. Remus held his breath.
"M-mum, was he being serious? Can I really go to school?" Remus asked excitedly, not daring to believe it just yet.
"Well . . ." She said rising with a smile that is shown only but the most loving mothers. "I've never heard Professor Dumbledore lie."
"Does this mean we'll be able to go to Diagon Alley soon and get my school things?" Remus asked, his heart beating joyfully with excitement.
"Seems that way." She said kindly, cleaning up the kitchen.
"Can we go today?" He asked, taking the plate that his father probably ate off of (he could tell because barely any of the food had been touched) and washing it in the sink.
"Let's see what your father says." Rosetta say beaming. It was a rare thing when Remus looked this excited. He usually just sat around going through his books and not talking much. She never saw him go outside; in fact she'd discourage it if he did. Ralph and Todd unfortunately saw Remus gaining his werewolf curse and they told their family, who in turn told their friends and it spread through the town like wildfire. Rosetta as well as Remus learned quite quickly that if you were a werewolf, you were automatically seen as a vicious person who could attack and kill at any moment, be you old man or toddler. Poor Remus was always being teased and tormented by the other boys whenever he set foot outside his door. A group of particularly nasty boys would always throw things at him from afar whenever his mother sent him to pick something up from town. He'd even been beaten up twice when the boys realized Remus would never fight back.
Remus scurried into the study and snatched up his letter from the low table and hastily tore it open. He wrenched out the contents and arranged them in a way where he could read them all very quickly.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Lupin,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find an enclosed list of all the necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
Remus shivered with excitement. He wondered what strange and wonderful things he's have to find to bring along with him to Hogwarts. And this was just a wonderful excuse to go to Diagon Alley; a place Remus hadn't visited since he was a child. He quickly went over the rest of the letter. He'd be needing three sets of robes, a hat, gloves and a winter cloak. He swallowed, feeling a bit guilty. This would cost a lot of money. He wasn't even sure if his parents had a Galleon between them. They'd probably buy most of it secondhand . . . he went on reading. He found he needed textbooks for History of Magic, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a standard spell book. All these classes sounded so exciting and fun. Remus couldn't wait to start. He'd need some other equipment including a wand and a few others but he didn't want to bother with that now. All he wanted to do was wait for his father to get home to tell him the good news and ask about Diagon Alley.
And when four o' clock came around that's exactly what happened.
"Dad! I get to go to Hogwarts! Isn't that great? Can we go to Diagon Alley? Please?" He ran outside and bombarded his father with questions when he heard the popping noise that signified someone nearby apparating.
"Really? That's not some story you made up to sneak in, is it?" He asked dubiously.
"It's true Oscar, Dumbledore visited this morning. He said he'd make some special arrangements so it would be fine." Rosetta Lupin explained as she shut the front door behind her.
"That's great!" Mr. Lupin exclaimed.
"Can we go to Diagon Alley, Dad?" Remus asked one more time. Oscar glanced at his sundial watch.
"I don't see why not." He said amiably.
"Yeah!" Remus cried, running inside to get the Floo powder ready. Rosetta looked kindly at her husband. There were very few moments since that fateful day when she admitted to herself she loved or even had been in love with him. This was one of them.