Chapter 2
The rest of the train ride was awkward for Remus, to think he was honestly about to chew out a complete stranger, over his name. It wasn't like Soot would have known the difference between being made fun of anyway, and all Remus did in response to the introduction of Sirius was move Soot between him and Peter. As idiotic and childish as it seemed Remus was thankful Peter moved the conversation away from the incident all together. Introducing himself as, "Peter Petttigrew." While Sirius merely smirked at Peter, it was enough to have Sirius take back his hand and get comfortable on top of his seat, legs outstretched besides Remus's legs. Remus couldn't bring himself to look up at Sirius after acting out about his owl, so Remus kept his attention on the scenery that passed by as the train moved along. The hills and valleys of the land were really beautiful, nothing like Remus ever saw at home. There was always a huge spread of trees and wooded areas where the Lupin's decided to live, and for good reason. His Father had always sought out the same type of Environment to live in. The area was always secluded, not a living human within miles, and definitely a house that the owner wouldn't notice additional damage to the interior upon moving out. The additions of rips and tears to the faded and peeling wallpaper was considered an improvement anyway.
"So R.J., where do you think you'll get sorted into tonight." Sirius spoke bringing Remus back from his thoughts, Peter was gone. Probably had to go and stretch out for a bit, he was pretty skirmish.
"I don't know, probably Ravenclaw. I'm unsure if the sorting hat takes into what house your family is in, and my name is Remus. Not R. J." Lyall Lupin was in Gryffindor, which when Remus read all the Houses descriptions he felt that the clever and witty winning attitude suited his traits the best, rather than that of brave and courageous. Not that his father wasn't, it's just above all else Lyall was always striving for perfection and buried in the texts of magic.
"Right, Remus. Got it. Gryffindor, it would be my family's funeral if I got sorted there. My cousin Bellatrix was in Slytherin, the family is all intertwined in. Suiting when I look at it, the whole lot of them are as slippery as serpents." Sirius was a rugged looking boy, long wavy black hair that went past his shoulders. It was lucky if it ever saw a brush in its lifetime. His robes seemed on the more comfortable side than properly fitting, the way he wore the undershirt of his robes with the buttons mismatched to their according buttonholes and the top two unfasten gave the sense that Sirius was a very laid back guy. Sirius was taller than Remus, just a smidge, and definitely filled out more than Remus did especially for only being eleven. Remus was never a very bulky boy, he was more on the lanky horror film monster side of the spectrum. When it came to dressing Remus never let any of his skin show that he didn't need to, from years of being a wild animal Remus was thankful that he had never gotten any defining scars that could have given him away visibly.
"Do you and your brother get along?" Remus asked curious about the nature of siblings as he had none, nor had he had many friends growing up to begin with.
"He's okay, very seclusive honestly. He's always been that way, if he laughed at my jokes my mother would always get on to him." Sirius then spoke in a screechy tone "Sirius, quit bringing your brother down to your level, and start acting with some sort of dignity about you." Remus chuckled at the odd depiction of his mother, glad that his mother never really seised the little fun Remus was able to find in life. Honestly, any idea that came to Remus's mind as a child his mother always went along with. After finding out that muggles went into space, Remus went around the house referring to his mother as Houston, in which his mother always responded in a Houston like way.
"What is your family like Remus?" Sirius asked, rubbing his face tiredly as he maintained conversation and stretching out even more so than before.
"My father works for the Ministry and my mother is a muggle. Although she is a very open minded muggle, my father was always allowed to use magic in the house." Normally doing magic in front of a muggle was against wizardry law , as the ministry didn't want any of the muggles finding out wizards and witches were involved in the same dimension as them. Imagine the look on their faces that the pyramids and the northern lights were just scientific matters at play and had nothing to do with magic performed by people in cloaks. "My family really doesn't get out much either, we are indoor people and spend quite a lot of time in books." Remus continued knowing fully well the reason that his family stayed in doors, this adventure to Hogwarts was the biggest freedom he had ever had and he was not sure how long it was going to last. He hoped it lasted, Remus finally was able to at least converse with other kids his age. Even if the other kids were as shy as Peter or as ego filled as Sirius, Remus was just happy to have something to entertain himself other than a book. At that moment the train compartment slid open and an eldery lady popped her head around the corner behind a tray filled with all the possible treats you could think of.
"Any of the trolley…" she said smiling.
"I'll take a pack of the every flavors." Sirius said, handing her a few coins and receiving a pack of jelly beans. Remus had some of those jelly beans before, after biting into a vanilla custard flavor, he would now go and hand pick out his favorites, Chocolate, Raspberry, and cinnamon dulce.
"No, thank you madame." Remus was set with his regular chocolate, the frogs were to in touch with that of being animalistic to eat. Although, Remus did very much enjoy reading the history tidbits found on the cards from all the famous witches and wizards. Before Albus Dumlbedore set foot in his house almost a year ago, Remus knew him from reading about him on the cards. Having made a few rules for the ministry and working with a friend on very enhanced magical experiments was more than enough to be among the cards. The lady pressed forward with her cart, which Remus thought as bizarre, the end of the train was down the direction she was heading, but he figured there was some enchanted reasoning behind it. A vortex loop perhaps, where an individual can walk in and appear at the other end of the connection. Vortex loop were very advanced magic, and Remus hoped that he would learn that type of magic at Hogwarts. Deep down though, as he watched Sirius making disgusted faces and hiding his laughter by biting his cheeks, he wanted to be good at potions. Hearing the talk amongst his parents in the late nights he was to be sleeping, he knew about all the different remedies for his condition. One in particular that Remus heard about was Wolfsbane. Incredibly difficult to make, even more expensive to get. Even then Remus concluded, it would be years before it even would be considered to be in a common wizard classroom lesson as the testing of it was still be hushed by the Ministry of Magic.
"And three..." In popped another trunk , in which Peter was on one end of with another boy "ok now up we go." Peter looked at the boy like he was crazy, "oh right, uh would you mind." The boy asked Sirius, still holding his end of the trunk up.
"Sure thing." Sirius said, throwing his snacks off him and lifting his trunk up as Peter took a seat back down next to Remus. Together the boys climb on top of the seat opposite Remus.
"Thanks, I'm James." He said to Sirius and Remus.
"I'm Sirius, and this is R.J." Remus rolled his eyes and went back to eating his chocolate. James was a very talkative guy, more so just silly jokes that Sirius easily fed off of. It was almost as if they knew each other in another life. Peter even began to pipe in, at which Remus could tell was just desperation to befriend the two boys.
Finally the Train came to a stop and Remus quite frankly was thankful. While James was funny, him and Sirius gave him a minor headache. Remus was so used to everything being so quiet that any loud environments put him on edge.
"First Years follow me." Remus' eyes followed a trail of light that was held by a cat-like looking witch, her yellow eyes and silver hair were in complete contrast to her black robes. Without an introduction, she turned and the masses of first years followed her to the edge of a lake. Peter tailed behind Sirius, who was helping him carry the other side of his huge trunk. James was beside Remus, quiet as he was taking in the environment of the lake.
"Do you think anything lives in the lake…" James said chilled at the sight of the small boats that were lit with lanterns.
"I wouldn't doubt it, if the lake is anything like the lakes at home in the muggle world , it's a habitat for many creatures." Remus spoke getting in the boat that was to occupy himself, Sirius, James and Peter , "What. Not a wizard for water like journeys." James was the last to get in, not including Peter who would need all the three boys' weight to stabilize the boat enough for him to get in without toppling over.
"Not, Particularly. I prefer land, or the sky." James said taking a seat beside Sirius, Remus at the head of the boat. The water was dark, and the depth of it was unknown. Remus however was not scared of many living creatures, he himself was considered to be a very scary creature. Besides, he knew he could swim if either him or more likely Peter fell in the water at any point.
After all the first years were on a boat , the Cat-like witch tapped the water and the boats began their journey into the dimly lit passageway the water led them to. In the darkness, Remus could barely make out anything, it was at least until Sirius had made his way to the front with Remus. His silhouette was just a shade lighter of black wavy hair than that of the cave walls, against his very pale skin.
"Sorry R.J. , I just don't like seeing what's coming and James is making the boat rock a bit." Indeed as Remus looked back James was shuddering, trying to keep it together more than Peter who was under the cloak that was already engulfing him.
"It's. Remus." Remus said turning back to the front and now seeing the end of the cave, where the boat that contained the Cat-like witch was already passing.
"Sorry, does it really bother you that much. I mean it is etched on your trunk." Sirius countered.
"And yours just says Black. Shall I just call you by your surname." Sirius smiled and huffed.
"Point taken Remus. My apologies…" Before Remus could say anything the Cat-like Witch spoke echoing down the cave.
"Welcome my dears to Hogwarts." and as each of the boats went through the passage ahead gasps and giggles of excitement were heard. With this Remus turned to Sirius, who looked ahead anticipating what was to come.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so easily tempered by something as minimal as Initials, besides I don't want to ruin your excitement." Sirius chuckled as the boat passed into the open area. His eye gleaned and his mouth fell open. Beyond the rest of the lake was Hogwarts, it was bigger than any pictures that Remus had seen, the stone walls were embellished with brightly lit windows, and torches of fire at the outdoor pathways around the school. Beyond the castel to the left there was a forest that seems to surround most of the school grounds there, and there was an arena made out of posts in which Remus turned around to James.
"Look at the Quidditch fields, bet you can't wait for tryouts." James peered over and gave a somewhat of a smile, still a bit of uneasiness in his face. Behind him Peter was peeking out of his robes now and his eyes glittered with little reflection of light, Remus thought he looked like a rat that would wait by the trash cans of food places in the muggle world.
Once they made it to shore Peter and James were back to normal, grounded and even more small compared to the castle that was before them. They followed the Cat-Like Witch to the top of a huge stair-case that led up to the main doors of the castle.
"I'm going to tell you guys right now, I'm going to get lost." Peter piped, looking at the ways the halls went. Remus honestly thought that he would too, especially in the first week. The whole group stopped in front of two big doors, that the Cat-like witch disappeared through and was quickly replaced by a witch who was very stern looking, her back in a bun and was topped with an emerald hat. She looked around at all the first years and easily silenced the excitement that was buzzing around the crowd so they could listen.
"I would hate to get on her bad side." Sirius whisherped to James who had to hold back a laugh in the moment of importance.
"Behind these doors, is the rest of the school. Who are waiting for you to be sorted into one of four houses…" She went on to list the characteristics and the name of the houses as if she had done it many times, while she wasn't old enough that you worried about losing breath from talking, Remus concluded that she was maybe ten years older than his mother , "And welcome to Hogwarts." she finished as she pushed open the doors to a Hall full of students who sat at long tables under flags that showed which house they represented. At the head of the Hall Remus saw what he expected to be all the Professors at Hogwarts and in the Center of it was Albus Dumbledore. It had been a few months since the enthusiastic wizard appeared at the Lupins doorstep, hoping to talk to the Lupin's about their only son going to Hogwarts. While Remus's Father was not open to the idea because of the lack of supervision that Remus would have, it wasn't even a full game of Gobblestone later that his parents were convinced he could go. Remus had his mother to thank, she was grateful that the oddly dressed man with lengthy facial hair was giving Remus the sense of normalcy that she so desired him to have.
One by one, they were all sorted into their houses by the sorting hat. A girl named Lily Evans was the first girl to be sorted into Gryffindor (Sirius being the first new student) , at which Remus noticed her hair matched perfectly to. Beaming she ran off the cheering table and quickly patted and hugged by the others at the table. Remus felt a bit of dread as he noticed that was not how all the tables acted. The Slytherin table was an army-like handshake and a hand placed on the shoulder type, Ravenclaw nodded and smiled still somewhat distant and the Huffelpuffs were a raised glass and drink type. Not that Remus was really into human contact, he actually wasn't, but the belongingness of being welcomed as part of something that was bigger than the current team of one, was wanted.
"Remus. Lupin." The stern witch called out, at which timidly Remus left James and even Peter, from the middle of the crowd to being seated in front of. Remus knew that the sorting hat was some-what of a mind reader, but which mind would he take into consideration the human side or the creature within. Not that Remus knew where he wanted to be sorted but he knew that the other side of him would no doubt be sorted into Slytherin. Remus focused on his breathing, keeping a stone face as he looked out into the crowd and the sorting hat was placed on his head.
"Don't worry… the headmaster told me about you. Luckily as a hat, you dont scare me." The hat cooed in Remus's ear. This didn't help much in wondering where he was gonna be placed and how.
"Your Father was clever. No doubt you will be too, I sense that you will be power of equal matching of those that choose to counter you. Though there is no will to show force by nature. Not showy, so it won't be Ravenclaw for you." Remus's heart fell a bit as he was sure that was where he was going to be sorted. Still Huffelpuff wouldn't be too bad, and being at a table of Gryffindor listening to Sirius's small talk wouldn't be the end of him either.
"I wouldn't dare put you in Slytherin…" the hat torted insulted, "The pure bloods are not as nice as the one you met on the train. If his family found out he was talking to you, they would be happy about the news of him escaping the long line of related Slytherins." Remus wanted this to be over, he knew that his condition made him a fearful outcast, but he had no choice but to live with what he was, the way that he was. Happy, as he was allowed to leave the house of his mother and Father, and show them he was capable of still making them proud. That the Lupin name wouldn't be socially outcast or deemed talentless on his account.
"That's the Spirit my boy…" Remus forgot he was being analyzed by the sorting hat still "Gryffindor!" And as the stern witch took off the hat, Remus went to the table and was quickly pulled into a hug by all of the students and Sirius.