1 September 1971
The rest of the sorting ceremony passed without incident, and Gryffindor house welcomed four boys and five girls in total. One of these boys was Peter Pettigrew, the boy who had stood next to Remus in line. He took a seat several places down the table from Remus, looking absolutely thrilled to be in the house of his dreams, his round face flushed and his watery blue eyes alight with happiness. The other new boy, James Potter, was Sirius Black's bespectacled friend. He had squeezed himself onto the bench between Remus and Sirius, and he and Sirius had already put their heads together, whispering excitedly.
The first year Gryffindor girls also appeared to be very happy with their new home—all except for one, the red-haired girl sitting on Remus's right, Lily Evans. Remus had seen her face fall when one of the first year boys, "Snape, Severus," had been sorted into Slytherin. Now, she looked on the verge of tears. Remus wished he could say something to comfort her, but he had no idea where to begin.
Once all of the new students had settled down and Professor McGonagall had taken the Sorting Hat away, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet, beaming around at the hall, his arms spread wide.
"Welcome, all, to a new year at Hogwarts," he said happily. "I have a number of important announcements to give you—but now is certainly not the time. So, as they say, eat, drink, and be merry!"
A great cheer and an outbreak of appreciative laughter rang throughout the hall, and Remus gasped, jaw dropping, as the dishes in front of him suddenly piled up with every type of food he could have imagined: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, jacket potatoes, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, steak and kidney pies, peas, carrots, and gravy. Remus's face split into a broad grin—and even Lily seemed to brighten slightly at the sight of the food. She began chatting across the table to one of the other new girls, Mary Macdonald.
Stomach rumbling (he hadn't realized just how hungry he was until that very moment), Remus immediately loaded his plate with steak, peas, and carrots. But as soon as he cut into his steak, his stomach dropped. It was cooked almost all the way through. At home, Remus's mother always prepared his meat very rare. Swallowing, he tentatively skewered a piece of steak with his fork, raising it to his eyes and examining it cautiously. Then, he took a bite—and grimaced. It didn't taste right at all.
"All right, mate?"
Remus jumped, looking around. James Potter was eyeing him curiously.
Remus felt a heat creep up his cheeks. "Fine," he said quickly, putting his fork down. "The steak's just a bit…overcooked for me."
"Oh, well, take something else, then," James said good-naturedly, nudging a platter of chicken toward Remus.
Remus felt a pang of guilt as he looked down at his practically untouched steak. "I don't want to waste anything."
James snorted. "Relax," he advised. "Look around—there's a reason they make so much food."
Remus glanced around the table and realized that almost everyone had served themselves far more food than they would be able to finish. Smiling slightly, he reached out and forked some of the chicken onto his plate.
"I'm James, by the way," James introduced himself, grinning and holding out his hand. "And this is Sirius." Sirius, whose mouth was stuffed with bacon, gave Remus a little wave.
Remus shook James's hand. "I'm Remus."
"Are you Muggle-born?" piped up Sirius, swallowing his mouthful of bacon so quickly that it made his eyes water.
"Er—no," Remus shook his head. "My dad's a wizard. My mum's a Muggle, though."
Sirius's bright gray eyes lit up. "Excellent!" he exclaimed.
Remus blinked, uncomfortable, wondering if Sirius was having a go at him—but James laughed and rolled his eyes, elbowing Sirius in the ribs.
"Sirius's family is really strict about blood status," James explained, shaking his head. "He's never met anyone who isn't pure-blood before today, can you believe it? I'm pure-blood, too, but my parents don't care about that stuff."
"I'm the first Black in generations that isn't in Slytherin," Sirius added, and Remus thought he sounded rather delighted with himself. "Even Meda's in Slytherin, and she's the only one I can stand to be around anymore."
"Will your parents be angry with you?" Remus asked with a worried frown.
"Probably," Sirius shrugged unconcernedly, swallowing another mouthful of bacon. He grinned. "But who cares? It's only the first day, and I've already made friends with a blood traitor and a half-blood! This is brilliant!"
James snorted with laughter, but Remus's heart did a somersault in his chest. Having spent the last six years near-isolation, Remus had resigned himself early on to the fact that he would most likely not make friends very quickly—or quite frankly, at all. But here he was, on the very first evening, easily welcomed into this conversation with two cheerful and confident boys. A tingling happiness seemed to take root somewhere in Remus's chest, and he beamed at Sirius.
Once all of the students had worked their way through dinner and dessert, and the noise level in the hall had begun to creep steadily upwards, Professor Dumbledore climbed to his feet once again. At once, the chatter in the hall ceased, as all heads turned to face the headmaster. Remus let out a sigh, feeling pleasantly drowsy.
"Now that we are all fed and watered, I must ask for a few moments more of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Professor Dumbledore. "First years are forewarned that the forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds, and Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has also asked me to remind everyone that magic in the corridors between classes is strictly prohibited.
"Quidditch tryouts for the house teams will take place during the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house should contact Madam Hooch.
"And lastly, Professor Sprout, our lovely Herbology professor—" Professor Dumbledore gestured toward a squat little witch with wavy brown hair and a kindly smile, who was sitting at the staff table next to Professor McGonagall, "—has asked me to warn you all about a new tree that has been planted on our castle grounds this year. It is called a Whomping Willow, and it has an incredibly vicious temperament. It is not to be approached by students under any circumstances."
Remus raised his eyebrows, turning to look at James and Sirius. Both were smirking devilishly, and Remus got the impression that Professor Dumbledore's warning about the Whomping Willow fell on deaf ears. He couldn't help but grin, too.
"And now, it is time for bed! A very good night to you all!" Professor Dumbledore finished, clapping his hands, his blue eyes twinkling as usual.
There was a deafening scraping noise as the benches were pushed backwards, and suddenly, hundreds upon hundreds of students began swarming the aisles between the tables, filing out of the hall. Remus stared around in bewilderment, feeling quite overwhelmed.
"First years over here!" cried a female voice. "Gryffindor first years, please come with me and Frank!"
Remus looked around and saw a blond, sweet-faced Gryffindor Prefect and her partner attempting to shepherd the first years through the massive sea of people in the Great Hall. Falling into step beside James and Sirius, Remus followed the two Prefects out of the large double doors and into the enormous Entrance Hall. He was halfway up the grand marble staircase when he heard someone call his name.
"Mr. Lupin, may I have a word?"
Remus turned around, his stomach sinking. Professor McGonagall was standing at the foot of the stairs, her expression stern. James and Sirius both skidded to a halt on the staircase, as well, and Remus could feel their curious gazes boring into his back. Avoiding making eye contact with either of them, Remus swallowed heavily and nodded, stumbling back down the stairs to join Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall laid a hand on Remus's shoulder and threw a sharp look in the direction of the stairs. "Off you go, both of you! Mr. Longbottom and Miss Fawley are waiting!"
Remus looked around just in time to see James and Sirius scramble up the marble staircase to rejoin the two Prefects and the rest of the Gryffindor first years. Cheeks burning, Remus glanced up at Professor McGonagall.
"Did I do something wrong, Professor?"
Professor McGonagall looked at him, and Remus thought he saw her expression soften a fraction. "Not at all, Mr. Lupin," she assured him firmly. "But if you could follow me, please."
Stomach churning now, Remus trailed across the enormous Entrance Hall after Professor McGonagall. All around, students were still milling about, chatting and laughing, as they made their way toward different staircases. Quickening his pace, Remus followed Professor McGonagall into the same small, private chamber off the main hall where she had addressed the first years before the sorting ceremony.
Turning around to face him, Professor McGonagall conducted a shrewd, swift sweep of the chamber with her sharp green eyes. Then, she looked at Remus. "I'm very sorry about this, Mr. Lupin, but I couldn't risk being overheard. If any of your housemates ask you what this meeting was about, you may tell them that there was an issue with identifying your luggage."
Remus's stomach twisted into a knot. Suddenly, he had a fairly good idea of what was coming.
Professor McGonagall eyed him closely through her square spectacles. "As the first full moon of the term is this Sunday, I would like to discuss with you the preparations that have been made to accommodate your condition. I know that Professor Dumbledore briefly explained the situation to you and your parents in March, but I would like to ensure that there are no further surprises." She paused, and Remus shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "What do you know so far, Mr. Lupin?"
Remus folded his arms across his chest, staring down at the floor. "Professor Dumbledore said that you found a…house, in the village."
"That is correct," Professor McGonagall said briskly. "Each month, before the full moon, Madam Pomfrey, the school matron, will accompany you to the house. Then, she will return to collect you in the morning."
Remus looked up and met her gaze, frowning. "How will we get there, Professor?"
"An underground passage had been constructed, directly connecting the house to the school grounds—"
"A passage on the grounds?" Remus asked, frightened. "What if somebody finds it?"
A corner of Professor McGonagall's lips seemed to twitch. "The entrance to the passage is located at the base of the Whomping Willow, the particularly vicious tree that Professor Dumbledore warned students about in his speech. I can assure you, Mr. Lupin, that it would be impossible to access this passage without explicit directions."
Remus remembered the mischievous grins on James's and Sirius's faces when Professor Dumbledore had first mentioned the tree, and he felt a wave of unease. However, he nodded.
Professor McGonagall gave him another searching look. "In the meantime, Mr. Lupin, it is my duty and my privilege as your head of house to assist you in any way that I can. Please do not hesitate to contact me—or the other heads of houses, Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Slughorn—if there is anything troubling you at any time. Aside from the four heads, Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid—our groundskeeper—are the only ones who know of your condition. The rest of the staff has simply been told that you are ill—and I strongly advise you against contradicting this notion and revealing the true nature of your condition to anyone else."
Remus nodded again. If it were up to him, nobody would know of his condition. He was already feeling quite uncomfortable that so many of his professors were aware of it.
But then, Remus felt a pang of shame. He was being incredibly ungrateful. Professor Dumbledore had only divulged Remus's secret to his most trusted staff members—and it was for the sake of Remus's own protection. And after all, if it weren't for Professor Dumbledore, Remus wouldn't be at Hogwarts at all.
Forcing his lips into a smile, Remus looked up at Professor McGonagall. "Thank you very much, Professor."
Professor McGonagall gazed at him for another moment, and for the briefest second, Remus thought he saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes. But then, the next instant, it was gone. "It is my pleasure, Mr. Lupin," she told him with a thin smile. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
Author's Note:
EEP! Sorry for the long gap between updates! Life has been a whirlwind lately. I hope this makes up for it. :) Do drop me a review! I'd love to know your thoughts.
Ari
