Chapter 20
"Oh Remus, your father and I are just so happy you're home!" Remus's mother said as she hugged him strongly on platform 93/4 . Mr. Lupin smiled to his son and joined the hug. Remus looked over to Sirius and his family. A tall thin woman with wavy black hair and a snarly expression looked down in disgust at Sirius's Gryffindor Scarf. The man she stood next to, also a tall slender black haired man snatched the scarf from around his neck and held it to his side. Sirius tried to retrieve it, but Mr. Black gave a violent wave of his wand and said "incendio" and the scarf ignited in hot yellow flames.
"I'm happy to be home." Remus sincerely replied.
When Remus returned home, he was filled with happy nostalgia. He went up to his room and was delighted to find everything exactly as he left it, including his old keyboard. It was rusted and gave a fuzz when it was turned on. He sat down in front of it and gentilly played a major F chord. He then embarked and played Beethoven's Fur Elise flawlessly. He missed playing piano, he only got to play a few times at Hogwarts. He remembered one November night in particular, when Katelyn first found him playing in the music room.
Remus was playing and singing Hey Jude on a huge ivory grand piano, still depressed by the events of Halloween night. Katelyn came in the empty music room, decorated with ivory marble and bronze accents.
"You're really good." Katelyn said. Remus was startled and stopped playing and turned around. She was wearing a red sweater and a grey skirt. Her hair was let loose for once and formed a beautiful curly frame around her smiling face. "Please don't stop."
"Sorry - I just usually don't play and sing around others." Remus replied.
"Well that's stupid." Katelyn said quickly and bluntly.
"Excuse me?" Remus asked shocked.
"Pardon me, I just mean if I wouldn't have tried out for the quidditch team because it scares me to perform around others, then I would not be in Gryffindor. So why don't you perform?"
"I-" Remus replied not sure what to say.
"See, you don't have an excuse." Katelyn said she marched over and sat next to Remus on the bench. "Well come on, let's be havin' ya." She added motioning to the piano. Remus began to nervously sing again. Katelyn saw this and put her hand on his knee to calm him. Remus relaxed and belted out a beautiful rendition of Hey Jude. After he looked to Katelyn's gorgeous smile and felt comfortable with her.
"Remus?" Remus' mother said through the door.
Remus broke his attention of his memory and said "Yes, come in." Mr. and Mrs. Lupin waked in the door and sat on the end of his small brown bed. Remus turned around in his chair to face them.
"So, we need to talk about something." Mr. Lupin said. He handed a newspaper over to Remus to read.
Hogwarts Freshman Killed by Werewolf Fugitive, Frederick Greyback.
"Dumbledore informed us of the note he wrote to you, and we are questioning if Hogwarts is the safest place for you." Mr. Lupin explained. Remus started to tear up and looked to the ground in silence.
Mrs Lupin grabbed his hand and said nurturingly. "We understand that that girl must have meant a lot to you, you must have been devastated. But we are a bit confused why you didn't chose to tell us."
"I don't want to leave Hogwarts." Remus sobbed.
"I know you wouldn't but there's a fugitive trying to kill you." Mr. Lupin exclaimed.
"But Hogwarts is the safest place ever. Professor Mcgonagall said that they would have Aurors guarding the school every full moon." Remus frantically testified.
"I'm sorry son, we have already decided, you're staying home for the rest of the year." Mr. Lupin said sternly.
"But what about my friends?" Remus asked.
"You made friends?" Mr. Lupin questioned and Remus nodded.
"Really great friends. There're James, Sirius and Peter, they're all super fun. Also there are Severus and Lily who are very studious." Remus explained.
"Son, you knew coming into school that making friends would be very dangerous with your condition. You didn't tell any of them, did you?" Mr. Lupin said threateningly.
"No of course not!" Remus said.
"Calm down, Lyall! Now there's no reason why you cannot stay friends with them over quill." Mrs. Lupin suggested to Remus, but his heart sank.
"But-" Remus pleaded.
"No buts! You're not returning to Hogwarts ever again!" Mr. Lupin screamed. He left in rage. Mrs. Lupin kissed Remus's forehead and left Remus alone in depression.
On Christmas morning, Remus received a letter or gift from each of his friends. James was visiting America with his family, Severus was grounded by his, and Peter sent a "Happy Hanukkah" card. Lily gave him a hand knitted Gryffindor hat and Sirius gave him a vial of liquid luck that he brewed over break. Remus gave them both a phoenix feather quill that he found outside of dumbledore's office one day, he wished that he could have bought them something nicer, but money was tight at the Lupins, once again. He also sent all his friends that he wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts' for now, and his friends were outraged and confused. Remus didn't know how to explain it so he just ignored the constant owls delivering concerned mail and joined his parents downstairs.
His father cut down a beautiful pine tree from the back woods and brought it inside. They decorated the tree with ornaments and lights. His father even charmed the tree to glow in a rainbow of colors. His mother was mesmerized by this magic and Remus watched in happiness as they kissed underneath a mistletoe they had set up. Remus helped his mother cook a glazed ham and potatoes while his father cleared the thick layer of snow from their driveway. After dinner, they opened gifts. Remus gave his mother and father an enchanted photo album of their family. His mother was enchanted by the beauty.
"You learned how to enchant photos already?" His father asked impressed. Remus nodded. Mr. Lupin gave Mrs. Lupin a new wooden chair that he made himself, and Mrs. Lupin gave Mr. Lupin a new hammer.
"And Remus, your father and I felt very sorry for you for all the struggles you have been through this year, so we got you something a bit bigger than before." Mrs. Lupin said excitedly. Mr. Lupin waved his wand and a brand new keyboard appeared before Remus. Remus's eyes glowed in delight.
"Play us a Christmas tune, would you?" Mr. Lupin asked. Remus played Carol of the Bells and the family sang together in complete holiday happiness.
December's full moon was the 31st , a bitterly cold night. Remus went to the basement to transform. It seems I haven't been here in forever. He went through the painful transformation and lost consciousness for an entire day. When he woke up on the 2nd, he was traveling in his father's small blue car. He looked to his mother in the front seat, she was nervously chewing her fingernails and her brown eyes were wide. His father was sweating and he noticed that he was speeding, going 125 kmph in a 110. He also noticed that luggage was stacked and crammed into the small car.
"What's going on?" Remus grumbled.
"Remus, you're awake!" His dad said excitedly.
"Why are we traveling?" Remus asked confused.
"We're moving." Mr. Lupin stated.
"Moving?" Remus questioned
"Moving back to London." Mr. Lupin expanded.
"But, why?" Remus asked.
His dad pulled over the car and turned to face him and said "On the full moon, while you were, you know, Frederick Greyback tried to attack your mother and me in our bedroom."
"Oh my god, are you both okay?" Remus panicked.
"Yes. I was able to hit him with a stupify and he left before he could reach our bed." Mr. Lupin said confidently.
"And we're moving so he doesn't find us?" Remus asked for clarification. His mother was still biting her nails and staring blankly out the window.
"Yes, and I took my old job back at the Ministry of Magic so I can help to find Greyback. It will help to protect your mother and I from him while you are at school." His father explained. He put the car in drive and started moving again.
"I get to go to Hogwarts?" Remus asked excitedly.
"Yes, your mum and I were wrong. Hogwarts is the safest place for you." Mr. Lupin said a bit weary.
"Thank you so much!" Remus exclaimed. He turned to the window and watched the english countryside glide by.