Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, no profit is made or intended with this, etc., etc.
Chapter Summary: A conversation that takes place between Remus and Dumbledore during the latter's earlier years at Hogwarts.
A note on names: You will notice that throughout this fic, I may refer to Remus Lupin as Remus, Lupin, or Moony. I will try to be as consistent as possible in my usage of these names. "Remus" is the most common name I will use, for when RL is a young child, Hogwarts student, or Order member during the FWW; or when the scene is an informal conversation between friends. "Lupin" (or "Professor Lupin") refers to RL during or after his time as a Hogwarts teacher, or in a more formal setting. "Moony" refers to RL in his werewolf form, regardless of his age. During the "missing" period of 1981-93, I will be a little more flexible and use "Remus" and "Lupin" interchangeably. Of course, his friends', colleagues', and students' ways of addressing or referring to him may vary within the chapter as well.
"Something is troubling you, Remus," said Dumbledore, his hands folded behind his back.
"Yes. Professor," said Remus to Dumbledore as they walked out onto the bridge on a brisk afternoon, "I don't think I should be in Gryffindor. I have so many fears. I'm afraid of the moon, a sliver in the sky. I'm afraid of stars, and the night, and darkness, everything that's associated with the full moon. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I can't help it. I'm sorry, sir, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I know all you went through just so I could go here, but perhaps I should be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I'm not brave."
Dumbledore met with Remus for an hour or so once every few weeks, just to check in on him. The headmaster knew he wasn't supposed to have favorites, but he couldn't help loving Remus, who was brilliant and sensitive and reminded him a bit of himself at that age. He too had a secret, and he too often doubted himself. Though it saddened him to see Remus so down on himself, Dumbledore was sure that it was just a phase he would outgrow, and tried to convince him of that fact.
"Nonsense, my boy," said Dumbledore, cutting him off. "From your point of view, it doesn't sound ridiculous at all; in fact, it makes perfect sense. One cannot be brave if one has no fears to overcome. And I am positive that, in Gryffindor, you will overcome them." He turned to Remus suddenly. "Have you heard, by any chance, of Franklin Delano Roosevelt?"
Remus wrinkled his brow. "He was a Muggle, right?"
Dumbledore nodded. "He became President of the United States of America during the Muggle 'Depression', and remained so for the next twelve years until his death. Like you, he had a crippling medical condition, acquired during childhood, which he tried desperately to hide for fear of rejection. And like you - " here he paused for effect - "he had the courage to rise above his disability, and led his countrymen in fighting one of the greatest evils the Muggle world has ever known; an evil which, had it succeeded, might have even conquered our world as well."
Remus' eyes widened. "Grindelwald?"
"No, but also German, and coinciding right around the same time. Very perceptive, Remus. I suspect the rise and fall of one had something to do with the rise and fall of the other. Now, your mother is a Muggle, so you know perhaps more about them than most students at this school." He paused thoughtfully to lean over the railing of the bridge. "I often say, though many ignore me, that we could learn a lot from Muggles. We wizards tend to underestimate their intelligence, but in many ways their society is even superior to ours. I myself have devoted much time and energy towards understanding them. For example, Muggles cannot see dementors, and they are immune to their Kiss. But they can feel their presence, as cold and emptiness. For Muggles, a dementor is not so much a being as a metaphor, a conglomeration of every negative emotion. They have other names for them - sadness, depression, hopelessness, bitterness, despair. A dementor can even represent fear itself. I have never met someone whose boggart was a dementor, but I imagine that such a person would be immune, or at least highly resistant, to the banal fears that control wizards and Muggles alike.
"As I was saying, when Roosevelt became president in 1933, the Muggle American economy was in crisis - Muggles depend a great deal on their economy - and the nation was desperate for a strong leader. People were terrified, and this fear prevented them from investing in their country, in each other, and thus bringing the country back from the brink of collapse. But Roosevelt - a good friend of our Muggles' Winston Churchill, by the way - said the best thing he could have possibly said. In his inaugural address, he told the people that the only thing they had to fear was fear itself. What do you suppose he meant by that?"
"He didn't want a panic," said Remus thoughtfully. "He didn't want people turning on each other trying to spread blame, but to keep cool and band together to do what was best for everyone."
Dumbledore patted the boy on his back. "Precisely, Remus. I couldn't have put it better myself. Now I, for one, always thought this was very wise. Fear is always the first enemy to be defeated when fighting a battle. When we are afraid, it can be difficult to keep one's head and remember what one is afraid of, and it is vital that we do so. Your friends James and Sirius, they are brave, but often reckless. In this way, you are not like them. You ask why you are not in Ravenclaw, since you are cautious and level-headed. You think about things before you do them, frightening things, but then you do them anyway. In this way, you may be the bravest amongst your friends. Not that it is a contest, of course - " here he winked confidentially. "I see no need to pit friend against friend, nor for you to divulge any of this to Potter and Black. But it seems to me that those who underestimate themselves are often the truest of companions, precisely because they have no yearning for glory, nor are they rebelling for the sake of rebellion; whatever they do, they need a good reason for it."
"Professor," said Remus, "did the dementors escape from our world during this... crisis? Did they go loose into the Muggle world to wreak havoc there?"
"Many did," said Dumbledore. "Dementors feed off of hardship, especially war. But a Muggle's defense against a dementor is, oddly enough, not very different than our own. Though they do not know it, many Muggles fight dementors every day without the use of magic, and some emerge victorious. They do not have wands and cannot cast a patronus charm, but many of them have proved surprisingly adaptable at countering gloomy thoughts with optimistic ones. They too arm themselves with their happiest memories. Memories that no one can take away from them.
"Remus, I want you to go out and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day. I want you to go find your friends and make memories with them that are strong and happy enough to fight off a whole army of dementors. Be a child, Remus Lupin, for days like this may be your last chance to do so."
Remus nodded in surprise. "Yes, sir." He ran off, not happily exactly, but with plenty to think about.