A note from the Authoress, thank you all for keeping up with this story and commenting your thoughts. It means more than anyone could ever know.

Scene Ten

Remus's shoes had been thrown over by his bed half an hour ago. He sat next to Sirius on the far end of James's bed and watched the boys talk again about classes. This time they were discussing which ones they thought were going to be their favourites.

"Transfiguration seems the most interesting to me," James commented as he leaned back on his headboard. "Plus that is what Ollivander told me that was what my wand was best at."

"Defence Against the Dark Arts is my vote," Sirius said to them both.

Remus let his eyelids drop slowly down but he jerked his head up when Sirius said his name, "Remus, you've been pretty quiet. You're already quite the Ravenclaw boy, I'm sure you're looking forward to some classes."

"Uhm, I'm really interested in charms and potions." Remus straightened up as he talked, "I've learnt a few charms from my parents but I haven't done much potion work before; so that will be interesting endeavour."

James and Sirius nodded at his response, "Potions should be fun," James replied. "I wonder—" he stopped as a deep yawn overcame him. "I wonder what our schedule will be like."

Remus fought the urge to yawn alongside Sirius but couldn't help but wish to go to bed. He didn't allow himself to refuse James's invitation an hour ago to sit on his bed and talk with him and Sirius despite how tired he already was. He was in no position to ignore a social invitation and since James and Sirius were both being nice to him even after him being cross to them both, Remus felt obligated to sit with them even though he hadn't talked all that much.

"Maybe Peter had the right idea about passing out as soon as we came up here," said Sirius. Remus looked up at Sirius, hoping that this was a sign that his wish would be granted.

"Yeah, we will have a pretty big day with classes tomorrow," James answered with a yawn. "We should probably go to bed," Remus looked down at his watch and saw that it had just turned midnight. Technically a new day. He couldn't help but calculate the numbers in his head: thirteen days until his next transformation.

"That settles it, I'm tired as Merlin," Sirius hopped off the bed and Remus followed him by gently climbing off.

"G'night, boys," James said to them both as they stood near the bed. Remus wished them both a good night as well and turned around to his own bed. Sirius and James both had no problems with changing in front of each other but Remus still felt embarrassed by the scars that had accumulated on his torso and legs from years of transformations. Instead he grabbed his father's letter from atop his bed and blew out the candle on his desk before climbing in underneath the sheets and under his grandmother's quilt.

"Welcome to Gryffindor," he heard James call out from his own bed across the dorm. Sirius called out a muffled response as Remus closed the tapestries around his bed. Even though it was later and he was tired, he placed his father's letter safely beside him.

He quickly removed his trousers under the combined safety of his drawn bed curtains and the security from being covered until three layers of fabric; content in sleeping in his boxers for the night.

When he no longer heard any sheet shuffling from the other beds, Remus kicked the sheets off from around his legs and moved into a sitting position in his bed. He brought out his wand from underneath his pillows and whispered, "Lumos." A small beam of light flickered from the tip of his wand but went out a moment later. "Lumos," he whispered again, hoping that James and Sirius were asleep. He sighed contently when the light emitting from his wand stayed on. He set the wand in front of him so that the soft glow of artificial light lit the thick unaddressed envelope in his hand. He bit his lip as he slipped his right index finger underneath fold of the envelope, breaking the seal.

Treating the letter as the most fragile object he had ever owned, Remus slipped out the sheets of paper his father had written and unfolded the parchment. Before allowing himself to read the letter Remus looked up and tried to make out any signs of life outside of his four poster bed. Happy to only hear different paces of deep breathing he squinted his eyes to make out the tiny impeccable script of his father.

Dearest Remus,

I trust that you have followed my wishes and opened this only after your sorting. I know you have heard what I am about to write you numerous times before from your mother and me, but I cannot help but stress to you how very proud we are of you. And this is not just about being sorted into whichever house you are now a part of; this is about showing bravery by going to Hogwarts in the first place.

I have known you your entire life and you still seem to astound me in so many ways. It would have been understandable for you to wish to remain at home as our previous plans had been, but instead you do what perhaps was the most difficult decision you have had to make thus far in your life, and decided to leave home to attend school. It certainly would have been the easy decision for you to stay with your mother and me; but perhaps no great actions arise from what is considered easy and safe.

Whichever House you may have been sorted into tonight, I know the Sorting Hat has chosen wisely. If ever you feel a moment of doubt, remember that you were selected to be in that particular house above all the others. Whenever you feel discouraged by standards you feel you cannot meet, take a moment to reflect when the Sorting Hat decided which House you would prosper in the most. You will have challenges, moments of self-doubt— moments that cause you to think whether you belong or not. And that is okay. Problems cause innovation and thought and action as a catalyst for change. But when you have these moments, remember that you were selected to belong to a specific culture that has an outstanding legacy.

Remus, I do admit, it will be strange not having your presence in the house. But I know as a father that I will have to not be selfish and allow you to grow into your own person. My concession is that I know you will have the opportunity to become your own person with wizards and witches your own age. I know without a doubt that you are going to meet the greatest people throughout your entire duration at school. You will meet people that you will learn to dislike, you will meet people that you will learn to love; regardless of how people fall into these two groups, these are the people that will shape and morph your life. You will be challenged to grow and evolve, and I encourage you to explore this time of who you are and what you stand for in life-to question what you are willing to fight and change. There is so much more than lessons at Hogwarts.

Headmaster Dumbledore has given you such a privilege for you to experience the joy of friendship and camaraderie that you could have never felt at home. The people you may have possibly met even on the train, tonight, in your dormitory with the other first years, or even the people in your classes tomorrow or in three years, will change your life. I do not know their names, but I know these people have the power to change your life into something spectacular.

I encourage you to give your classmates a chance. I know your mother has drilled into you the importance of not telling anyone of your circumstance. And I know that you have not had the best relationships with wizards in my family because of your circumstances, but do not let this stop you from getting close with people. You are extremely adept at being by yourself, and I know it will be easy for you to only concern yourself with your studies-but please believe me Remus when I say that studies and lessons will not help you when you have trouble. I was convinced that you would not be able to attend Hogwarts because of my actions at work that prompted the attack of you when you were four. It has pained me so and the guilt has overwhelmed me on many occasions. As a result, I feel as a father I have encouraged your recluse activity too well. Which is not to say that there is anything wrong in valuing the art of self-reflection and realising the importance of isolation.

Allow yourself to become a presence in people's lives and allow people to become a fixture in your life. It may be difficult in the beginning, but I am confident in you to make true friends and make yourself belong. You have not had the best proof of this in your life just yet, with your limited exposure to strangers, but there is goodness in people that you should always believe in. It may be hard for you to see, but I assure you that overall, people are good.

If you find my words hard to believe, for I can imagine that at eleven years of age that it might be near impossible for you to think of your later life, trust in my own experiences. I was a Ravenclaw prefect in my seventh year when I met your mother in her fifth year as a Hufflepuff student. I was busy on my rounds at the beginning of the year when I met her in the hallway trying to give directions to a first year on how to get to the astronomy tower. I don't remember seeing anyone lovelier than your mother that day, and I know I made a fool of myself by her presence. Suddenly I did not know how to talk or walk properly. After that chance encounter I volunteered to help with the Hufflepuff prefects whenever I could and tried my best to become a presence in your mother's life. And somehow, this extremely kind and accepting girl saw something in me allowed me into her existence—and as a result, changed my life.

I urge you to allow yourself to be close with people because a few will become close with you. That is why I am going to go against your mother's advice; I give you permission to tell people about your condition. I know that is a terrifying thought, especially since you have had first hand experience of people treating you differently because they know of your circumstance. But I do not expect you to tell anyone this year, or even in the next two years. I merely feel like as you become close with people and them to you, that you need to know that you are allowed to be as honest with people as they are to you. You have been dealt a difficult card for your life, and I hold all responsibility for that as much as it pains me to know that I caused you to have this condition. But there will be people who will love you and continue to love you even after you tell them.

But this is all speculation on my part because of my particular experience at Hogwarts. You will know within your own heart if you are at the point to begin thinking that you could confide your secret to someone.

I cannot help but tell you again how proud I am of you to accepting your place at Hogwarts.

And if it turns out that it isn't a right fit, then that is an accomplishment in its own right because you have come to realise that fact only through giving yourself a risk . And that is the most important thing of all; you allowed yourself the possibility to fail.