Remus woke himself up quite early one dull summer day purely out of excitement. It was August first and the heavy parchment ladled with glimmering ink shone on the small desk in the corner of his room. To call it a desk my have been a stretch; it was a haphazardly constructed table that Remus's muggle grandfather had given the boy at the age of eight. It had flat space enough for two sheets of paper side by side and only one drawer. Remus had begged for a new one, or for his father to simply enlarge it using magic, but so far John hadn't found the time.
He had tried to sleep with the Hogwart's letter under his pillow, but his father had managed to pry it from his son's grasping hands when he came to tuck him in. Remus had wriggled in annoyance under his father's warm hand as John brushed the boy's hair from his forehead. Eleven years old was really too old to be 'tucked in' according to Remus's standards.
"Daad," he had whined, "stop it, please!" John had hidden his disappointment by taking a teasing tone with his only child.
"Just because you're old enough for Hogwarts you think you're too old for your Dad, huh?" John Lupin had a thick Scottish accent, being originally from Glasgow but the Lupin's had relocated to the Northern countryside outside of Manchester before Remus's fifth birthday.
Remus had responded in an exasperated voice that it wasn't that he didn't love his Dad or anything, but did he really have to push his hair down like that all the time? John had chuckled softly and dove in to kiss the top of Remus's fluffy head before lumbering from the room with an affectionate "Goodnight!".
Remus had spent his night dreaming of Hogwarts and all the magnificently magical things he would surely learn there. He had forced himself to leave his fantastic dreams as the sun came up so he could begin packing. A month was hardly enough time!
The young wizard did not have many clothes or toys, but John had, being both practical and doting, had always managed to scrape a few extra galleons to buy Remus a few new books each month. The rest of the Lupin's savings was mailed to hair-brained experiments and research projects to cure lycanthropy. The boy's bookshelf was an imposing site and if it hadn't been for magic, the thing would have surely collapsed by now. In fact, upon his grandparent's latest visit to the cottage last month, his Nan had demanded just how the lopsided and over-loaded case was still holding up! Remus had studiously tried to explain the logic of sticking and reinforcement charms but his Nan hadn't understood. To be fair, she was now so old that Granda had to re-teach her how to use the stove for tea. She didn't much trust the electric kettle his Uncle Pat had given them for Christmas.
Remus now sat on the dull red rug in front of his monstrous bookcase, contemplating the many tomes. His father liked to buy him books on a variety of subjects and usually his mum's side of the family would give him muggle fiction for his birthday. He had a rather gorgeous copy of Lord of the Rings sitting precariously atop a study of Goblin wars from the seventh to tenth centuries.
When John Lupin came into Remus's room later that morning he found his son surrounded by stacks of books in neat rows.
"Remus?" he asked nervously.
"Hmm?" the young werewolf muttered without glancing at his father.
"You aren't bringing all of those, are you?"
Remus's head did snap up then and he blushed as his Dad appraised the fifty-odd books.
"I just want to be prepared."
"Remus, son, you've read that Magical Creatures book three times since April! Do you really need to bring it?"
"It's a good book." Remus defended, anxiously snatching the book in question to his chest. "And what if I get bored?"
"You've got courses and homework to keep you busy. And there will be plenty to do with the other students."
"What if…what if I don't make any friends, Dad?" Remus whispered breathlessly.
"Of course you'll make friends, Remus!"
"But I don't know how! I haven't had any friends and the muggle kids at school hate me. And what if someone finds out."
The 11 year-old was really working into a fit, John could tell by his fidgeting and flickering amber eyes as he scooped some more books closer to him.
"What did Headmaster Dumbledore say when he came to visit?"
"That it was really quite lucky you never registered me with the Ministry." Remus said, being purposefully obtuse and difficult. John cocked one blonde eyebrow.
"He said," began John, "that he would help you keep it a secret the first year until it was so normal none of the other kids even noticed."
"But how?" Remus shouted. The fit his father was trying to avoid had nearly arrived.
"I don't know, Remus, he didn't tell me the plan. But the Headmaster is a great wizard, I'm sure he has a—"
"I don't want to go anymore!" Remus cried, suddenly overcome with fear.
"Remus." John took a stern tone, having no patience for temper tantrums.
"I'm not going!" he said, leaping up and lunging for the letter on his desk. "I'm not a wizard, I'm a—a horrible monster and I'll hurt someone." Remus was sobbing as he tore the letter in half.
"Remus John Lupin, that is enough! I will not have this bigoted nonsense in my house." John pulled the shreds of parchment from his son's hand and announced that tea would be ready in a moment and that the boy had best come down for breakfast.
Remus wished his father had hugged him before he left the room.
"What if I'm weird? Or I smell funny, what if my face is ugly?" he muttered to himself, or his books, depending on who was asking.
Remus heard a loud snort from the hallway; apparently John hadn't made it very far.
"Dad! Stop laughing at me. I'm serious."
"Remus, stop inventing excuses. Wash your hair more often if you think you smell funny. You are weird, but all Lupin's are! You're also smart and funny and kind and helpful, son." John did hug Remus then, stepping back into the small bedroom at the top of the narrow staircase to hold the boy carefully.
"And," he said softly looking into his boy's wide eyes, "your face is not ugly. You take after your mother, you know. She would be so proud of you."
"Yeah, I guess." Remus responded with a tentative shrug. "Do I have to leave all my books at home though?" He asked while chewing his bottom lip.
"How many do you have there?" John asked patiently.
"Fifty-four."
"Let's go with 30, hmm?"
"Thirty-five?" Remus bargained hopefully.
"We'll discuss it later. Let's get that breakfast before we go to Diagon Alley for your school things."
After they had finished their morning tea and toast, Remus went to the sitting room to wait for his father. On the fireplace there was a small pot of floo powder.
"I'll go first so I can meet you on the other side." John told Remus, who nearly bounced off the sofa in his excitement. "Remember to speak very clearly! And you'll only need a few pinches."
Remus watched him toss the powder into the fireplace before stepping in. "Diagon Alley!" his father said, winking at Remus from within the emerald inferno. As soon as John was out of sigh, Remus grabbed a fistful and followed. He ducked down and tucked in his elbows as he annunciated carefully. The wizard let out a whoop of joy as he felt himself spinning quickly. Remus Lupin loved traveling by floo.
When he arrived at the Leaky Cauldron he popped quickly out of the flames and stumbled into whoever had remained in front of the large fireplace. Honestly, he thought to himself, didn't people know you had to move?
"Sorry." the other person, another young wizard, said sheepishly.
"It's alright." Remus muttered back, not entirely sincere.
"I was just waiting for my mother, I didn't mean to stand in your way."
Remus was just about to forgive the boy, again, when a shrill voice cut through the din of the pub.
"Sirius Black!"
"That's her." Sirius said dully, scuffing his shiny dress shoes through the pile of ashes on the ground.
"What is this?" The shrill voice was disturbingly frosty as Walburga regarded Remus and the boy was struck by the sudden realization that the 'this' Sirius's mother was referring to was in fact, Remus. "Sirius, you're absolutely covered in soot. Disgraceful!"
"Yes, Mother. It tends to happen when one travels by floo. Perhaps next time I could apparate with you or Father."
The spindly witch flicked her wand and stared down at her son, "Sirius, do not talk back to me. You know that your father and I have several very important meetings today. Why are you dawdling here?"
Remus thought the boy's clothes seemed to suck in all the dim light around them they were now so dark.
"I was just apologizing, Mother, for being in his way as he came through the fireplace."
"Blacks do not apologize, Sirius, especially to such grubby half-bloods."
It was at this moment that Remus's father finally surfaced.
"Remus!" he cried happily. His smile fell dramatically when he saw the Blacks, and the stunned look on Remus's face. "Mrs. Black."
Walburga turned her nose up at John's plain clothing.
"Let's go, Sirius, this place is crawling with half-bloods today. Absolutely disgusting."
"How dare you—" John started, but Walburga had already glided away with her poor son trailing dutifully behind her.
"Who are they?" Remus asked.
"Walburga Black, and son, one of those crazed pureblood fanatics. Sorry to have left you, I saw one of the boy's from work and they were gibbering on about new protocol for muggle repelling charms."
"It's alright." Remus assured him, even though he was quite sure that he had been emotionally scarred by the horrible woman.
"Well, let's go then. Would you like to get your wand first?"
Remus was suddenly nauseous he was so excited. He could only nod sporadically as he dragged his father out by the hand.
"See you tomorrow, John!" Someone shouted from inside the pub.
"Cheers!" John barely managed to call back before Remus whipped him around the corner.
When the pair arrived in front of the brick wall, John paused and stared ahead as if contemplating a very serious question. Finally, after what seemed like a hundred million years, his father seemed to get a move on.
"Here, would you help me today, Remus?" John placed the wand in his son's right hand. "Go on then, do you remember the pattern?"
"Yes!" Remus burbled out, quickly tapping the bricks before standing back. There was a brief moment of panic, when he was afraid that the magic wouldn't work which was simply ridiculous because really, all the weird stains on the walls and minor catastrophes Remus had been causing in the Lupin household since his birth were too numerous to count. This very long history of accidental magic use however, was not comforting enough.
"Oh.." he breathed as the Alley came into view.
"Budge along then." John said, equally as excited as his son.
Ollivander's was full of students and families. Remus didn't care, he would wait days if he had to for a wand. John sat down on the bench by the shop's front door and pulled a book from his jeans (undetectable extension charm on his left front pocket, and he wondered where Remus got it from, honestly). Remus carefully looked at the other students out of the corner of his amber eyes while pretending to study the stacks of boxes.
"Mum!" a loud voice cried happily. "Mum look!" Remus saw a boy his age with goofy black hair and glasses waving a wand around triumphantly as violet sparks flew from the tip of the wood.
"Yes, James, love. That's wonderful." Remus felt a twinge of sadness as he tried to remember his own mother's voice, but he couldn't. "While don't you let the next student go now?" Mrs. Potter continued in a truly adoring tone.
This James boy raced over to an amused looking man with long dark hair and beckoned for him to lean down. Remus watched as they whispered furiously for a moment before the boy screwed his eyes closed and muttered something unintelligible. Suddenly, he was holding a bouquet of flowers.
"These are for you, Mum." He said cheekily as the entire shop crooned in delight.
"Wonderful wand work, young Potter!" Ollivander congratulated while Potter Sr. handed over several coins for the wand. Remus watched impatiently as two more wizards and a witch received their wands.
"Hello there!" Ollivander said happily as Remus stepped forward. He had begun shaking.
"Hold still!" the enchanted tape measure squeaked out as it measured the length of his pinky nails on each hand.
"We'll start with this one. Not too powerful, but maybe you prefer delicate spells, hmm?"
Remus grasped the lightly colored wand and looked up a bit hopelessly when nothing happened. John chuckled behind him.
"No, no." Ollivander muttered.
Five wands later, and Remus was feeling queasy. What if the wands knew he wasn't a real wizard?
"Well I've never!" snapped Ollivander as he ripped the sixth wand back before Remus truly even had a chance to grasp it.
John was still reading his book, unconcerned, Remus felt that no wand would ever choose his werewolf son. Ollivander was digging through the shelves in the very back of the shop, mumbling to himself. One of the girls waiting behind Remus sighed impatiently and whispered something to her mother. Remus blushed in embarrassment and was nearly ready to call the whole thing off when Ollivander returned from the back of the shop.
The box was thinner than any other he had presented Remus with, but no longer than the others.
"Cyprus, unicorn hair core, 10 and a quarter inches." Ollivander informed him.
The werewolf reached for it, not really expecting anything to happen at this point and nearly dropped it as the shop was filled with the most magnificent shower of sparks and ribbons he had ever seen. He waved it hesitantly, feeling his adrenaline coursing through him, and the annoying tape measure found itself in a messy tangle at Mr. Ollivander's feet. The ancient wizard chucked merrily as someone behind them cried "Wicked!"
"Very good, very good. And seven is a magically powerful number, my boy."
Remus hadn't been listening and was instead studying his wand lovingly. His own wand. He was a wizard afterall!
"Dad!" Remus said happily, "Dad, did you see me?"
"It was wonderful, Remus. You're going to be absolutely brilliant." John bustled up to the counter to pay.
"Psst." Remus turned around to see Sirius smiling at him. "I wanted to apologize for my mother. She's a daft banana."
"Oh," Remus said in shock. "Um, thank you." Who even used 'daft banana' as an insult anyways? Remus found this boy and his snooty posh accent to be very strange.
"You're going to Hogwarts, right?"
"Yes." Remus said, excitement flooding back.
"Wicked." Sirius announced. "I'll see you on the first, then. What's your name?"
"Remus. Remus Lupin."
"Nice to meet you Remus Lupin." Remus had to transfer his wand to his left hand before he shook Sirius's offered one, just as John came up behind them.
"Hello Mr. Lupin!" Sirius said, acting as though the last time they had all met hadn't been horribly cruel and awkward.
"Er, hello." John said.
"I'm Sirius."
"Um, yes. Nice to see you, Sirius." He guided Remus past the boy to the door.
"See you, Remus!" Sirius shouted loudly enough that everyone turned. Remus blushed as the boy winked at him and waved.
"See you." Remus squeaked, sounding much like the tape measure. Sirius laughed at the light blush on Remus's cheeks as the Lupin's left the shop.
"Weird kid." John said to himself, guiding Remus by the elbow to Flourish and Blotts. "Let's put your wand away for now, Rem."
"Can I hold the box?" Remus pleaded.
"If you'd like."
Remus didn't think he was ever going to let his wand out his sight, much less his hand.
He was a wizard.