Remus knew it was all still real when he woke up two days after a full moon and his schoolbooks were sitting on the table. He weakly sat up, and, although aching all over, reached for the mahogany box containing his wand. He carefully flipped the lip and studied it. "Ten inches, rigid, slender, elm and dragon heartstring, good for self-defense," he whispered, repeating the words of strange Mr. Ollivander.

He heard something moving around him, and craned his neck, squinting into the early dawn light. His mother was pulling a mug out of the refrigerator. She shuffled over to his bed -- the couch, really -- and offered the mug. "Drink it," she said softly. "Your dad made it up while you was sleeping. Says it'll keep you awake." He took the mug and sipped it -- it tasted foul at first, but it warmed him, and after a few more swallows, he felt more alert.

"Get up," she continued in the same soft voice. "Mr. Pettigrew will be coming to collect you soon." Obediently, Remus struggled upright and rolled off the couch. He looked around the trailer. All his possessions had last night been packed into two hefty trunks that Owen Lupin had acquired through a want ad. Remus grabbed at the handle of one of his trunks, and Roberta didn't object as he dragged it outside onto the makeshift front porch. He brought the other one out too, and then sat panting atop it. He then returned inside and gathered his books and his wand, and put them into the messenger bag his mother had made him.

He waited, watching the sun rise off to the east. Owen came out and joined him. Both were silent for a while, enjoying the beauty of the spectacle. Finally, Remus's father commented, "Should be comin' soon," and went inside. He came back out again with Roberta, and the two stood on either side of their son, fussing and talking and exclaiming over and over again how they couldn't believe it was all happening. Remus could only smile. He'd never been so excited in all his born days. He wasn't sure what it was that was keeping him still, what was stopping him from leaping off the porch and shouting for joy. He kept searching the area, wondering when Mr. Pettigrew would arrive.

A bang suddenly disturbed the morning quiet, and the Lupins jumped up, alarmed. When the smoke cleared, they saw a very short, portly man clamoring out of a very beat-up Austin Mini. He gave the Lupins a weak, sheepish grin, and said, "She's a bit heavy on the get-go, but she's a good lass all the same." He dusted his trousers off and scanned the family in front of him. "You must be young Remus," he said with that same bashful grin. The boy nodded eagerly and stood up, hefting his back up on his shoulder.

Mr. Pettigrew came forward and breathlessly introduced himself. He then rubbed his hands together and examined the two hefty trunks. As Remus followed his gaze, he realized with a sinking feeling that they would never fit in the ridiculously small car, not to mention two other people. When he pointed this out to Mr. Pettigrew, he chuckled and drew a wand from an inner coat pocket. "Don't you worry about it, son." He muttered, "Wingardium leviosa," and Remus witness his first piece of magic. The two pieces of luggage leapt off the porch, narrowly missing Mrs. Lupin, and drifted over to the car. Mr. Pettigrew opened the trunk and guided them in. Remus watched, his jaw agape. When the two cases had disappeared into the car, he sputtered,

"Wh-where did you put them?!?"

Mr. Pettrigrew smiled. "Come and see if you'd like."

Remus ventured over and examined the trunk of the car. It had somehow been expanded, and had enough space to make a station wagon jealous. Remus blinked, and looked at his parents, his eyes wide. His father grinned. Then he exclaimed, "C'mere, boy, let us see yeh one last time."

Remus's voice caught in his throat. He walked over to his parents and was enveloped in hugs. His mother began to cry, and Owen too looked like he might begin to blubber if things weren't ended quickly. He was finally let go, and giddily walked away and climbed into the car. "Send us a letter as soon as you get there!" his mother cried as the door slammed shut.

"Thank you, Pettigrew!" his father called out. Mr. Pettigrew smiled again and waved. Remus kept his face pressed to the glass, and only looked away when his driver advised him,

"Strap in and hold on, we've got to get back to Little Marshwood for Peter." The world around the car began to spin, and Remus felt his stomach lurch forward. He gasped in surprise, and hid his head between his knees. After five minutes of movement, the car pitched forward and landed somewhere with a heavy bump. Mr. Pettigrew gave an apologetic shrug, and climbed out of the car. Remus did the same.

They were parked in front of a row of council houses, all identical two-story affairs with a small front yard surrounded by a brick wall, which had a creaky iron gate on the left. "Would you like something to eat?" Mr. Pettigrew asked. "Some cheese and crackers, perhaps? We've got a bit of a drive ahead of us, and Merle doesn't like crumbs in the car." Remus shook his head, but thanked him. Mr. Pettigrew nodded, and said, "Well, we won't be but a minute. Peter should be ready by now..."

Remus sat in the car for twenty minutes before the front door opened again. Finally Mr. Pettigrew came bustling out of the house, followed by a rather hefty woman and a boy Remus's own age. The Pettigrews were each hauling a trunk, but none used the "Wingardium leviosa" Remus had seen before. The woman began bawling about her little baby going off on his own, and her son -- Peter, presumably -- looked heartily embarrassed. Mr. Pettigrew reminded them of the time, and soon they were driving toward London.

Mr. Pettigrew looked in the mirror at his son sitting in the back. "Peter, this is Remus. Remember, the boy I told you about? So now you'll know somebody on the train! What do you think of that, eh?"

Remus wrenched himself around in the seat and smiled nervously at Peter. "Hi," he said, and awkwardly stuck out his hand. He supposed he should have gotten out and sat in the back too, but it was too late for that now. Peter returned the timid smile which he shared with his father, and limply shook the offered hand.

The drive was about two and a half hours, and the conversation consisted mostly of Mr. Pettigrew asking the boys questions and telling stories about his son, who shrank into the seat somewhat. When the car entered London, however, Remus spent his time glued to the window. He'd never been anywhere near a city before -- except for that brief trip to Diagon Alley ten days ago -- and couldn't drink in the sights fast enough. He was a bit disappointed that he was only going to be whisked away from all this as soon as they got to King's Cross Station, but he told himself firmly that there were much greater things awaiting him at the other end of the train ride.

They parked the car, found three trolleys to carry the trunks the Muggle way, and headed into the station. The noise of so many people was alien to Remus, and quite disorienting. He did a lot of gawping, but also just as much worrying about his safety and sanity. All this combined with the pounding headache from the last full moon... He held his hands over his ears, and watched Mr. Pettigrew's mouth to see when he should listen. Mr. Pettigrew examined the paper with directions to the Hogwarts Express. "Hmm... yes, I think I remember this. Platform 9 ¾, where are we, now?"

Remus furrowed his brow, but scanned the view all the same. Nine and three-quarters? That seemed awfully funny... Why would there be a platform that wasn't a whole number? And where was it? But Mr. Pettigrew was steering his cart towards 9 and 10, and as Remus and Peter exchanged glances, they silently agreed to follow the one who seemed to know what he was doing.

"Now do just as I do, boy," Mr. Pettigrew muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Just run between the two, straight at the barrier -- nothing to be afraid of, it'll let you through." Remus's legs seemed locked together, but he made them move to follow Peter and his father. As he strolled toward the barrier, closing his eyes hopefully and feeling very stupid, he felt his heart begin to pound. Maybe it was all a great prank. Maybe they're leading me to some sort of roundup where I'll be taken away and locked up! Maybe I'll just fall over the barrier and be run over by one of those trains--

"Alright, boys, there it is!"

Remus opened his eyes. He realized he was panting, and shook himself. He gazed around at the new space he was in. A bright red train with the golden words Hogwarts Express emblazoned on the side puffed patiently on the track. Parents and children of all ages milled around. Caged pets, especially owls, screeched and howled and made more ruckus than the chattering crowds. The train suddenly let out a long, echoing bellowing sound. Mr. Pettigrew glanced at a large clock nearby. "Heavens! We're just in time! Fifteen minutes, boys -- let's get you on that train."

Remus was staring even more at the people around him now than ever before. People wearing pointed hats, wearing robes, carrying broomsticks -- they really were wizards! He stopped walking once and stopped to gaze at a boy showing off a talking cat. Mr. Pettigrew then grabbed his arm, saying, "Come now, Remus, we don't have much time!" They loaded their things onto the furthest car down, because that seemed to be the emptiest. After Mr. Pettigrew got them settled in to their compartment (which seemed bigger than the Lupins' trailer had ever been), he hugged his son and ruffled Remus's thick brown hair. "See you boys in the summer!" he boomed, and was gone.

Peter watched his father through the window. "Phwew, I'm glad that's done with!" he said finally. "I was wondering when he'd stop telling you embarrassing things I did when I was small." He gave Remus another weak grin, who returned it. After a moment's pause, he said, "D'you like Chocolate Frogs?"

"I've, um, never had them."

Peter's face brightened. "Would you like one? I've got a whole bunch in my bag for the trip. They're my favorites, besides Fizzing Whizbees, that is."

Remus looked at him curiously. "What're those?"

A dreamy look crossed the other boy's face. "Ooo, they're these little sherbet candies, and when you suck on them you float for a few minutes. And they sort of fizz in your tongue and they're just lovely." He began rooting through one of his bags. "Here, let me get you a frog."

The train began to move forward, and Remus watched the train station slid away. As he sat sucking on his second Chocolate Frog ever (having already examined and marveled at the moving pictures on the collectible cards), the door to their compartment slid open with a loud, jolting thud. The two of them looked up, startled. Remus nearly choked on his frog.

Another eleven-year old, a thin boy with too-large glasses and uncontrollable black hair that put Remus's wild mess to shame was standing in the doorway. "Mind if I come in?" he asked.

Remus, eager to make as many friends as he could, scrambled to move his things off the seats. "Sure!" he said. "Sit down."

"Thanks." The new boy flashed them a smile. His teeth were very white and straight. After he'd dumped his things up on the rack above, he sat down next to Peter. "I'm James Potter," he said.

"Peter Pettigrew," Peter said quietly. "Would you like a Frog?"

"Sure thanks."

"I'm Remus Lupin. Where are you from?"

James shrugged. "Near Shrewsbury. We live outside of Godric's Hollow." Peter looked impressed. Remus, who hadn't the slightest clue what that was, nodded. James looked at both of them. "How about you two?"

"I come from Little Marshwood," Peter said. "It's mostly Muggles, but we're happy there."

Muggles again. Remus had gathered from Mr. Pettigrew that a Muggle was someone who couldn't do magic. "Remus, how about you?"

"Hmm?" James seemed to come into focus a bit. He heard the question and then felt trapped. How do I answer that? "Oh. We, um, we move around a lot," he said finally. "We lived near Stonehenge when I was little, but now we're up in the Lake District."

There was a silence, as the three boys waited for somebody else to think of something to say. Then Peter offered, "Anyone fancy some Exploding Snap?"

James's face brightened. "Sure! Have you got a pack out? Mine's in my case."

Peter shuffled around a bit. "Yeah, hold on, it's somewhere..."

"How do you play Exploding Snap?" Remus asked.

James look surprised. "Are you Muggle-born?" he asked, not impolitely.

"Well, my mum is a... a Muggle, I guess, but my da's a wizard. I think."

James smiled. "Well, Exploding Snap's not that hard...."

Remus watched the other two play several rounds, until he got the hang of it. He had lost three times when they were interrupted by a jolly-looking witch pushing a cart full of food and candy. When James saw Remus hanging back, eying something called "Cauldron Cake" rather longingly, he bought three and told him to forget about it. Remus was thankful. And glad. He'd been a wizard only since dawn and he'd already made two friends.

After Remus finally won a game and they got bored with Exploding Snap, they talked. "What house d'you suppose you'll get into?" Peter asked.

"What're those?" Remus repeated for seemed like the millionth time.

"Well," James scratched his head. "I think it's something like teams. They divide you up into houses and you room with those people and so on. There's four -- Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin." He made a face. "My dad says Slytherin is for gits. He said I should hope I get into Gryffindor."

"My parents were both in Hufflepuff," Peter sighed. "I guess that makes things pretty clear for me."

"What about you, Remus?"

"I don't know. My da didn't go to Hogwarts, he went somewhere in Wales. I guess as long as they don't just throw me out, I'm happy." He smiled wanly.

I wonder what they'll do with me. Maybe they'll say I'm an animal and I don't belong--

Don't say that! You're a person. Mr. Dumbledore himself came and told you that. Everything's going to be fine.

It was pitch black outside when the train began to slow down, hours later. The three boys eagerly began looking out the window for lights. The Hogwarts Express chugged and slowed and finally stopped with a loud hiss. A voice suddenly boomed through the corridors. "Leave your bags in the train! They will be taken up to the castle shortly. Please leave in an orderly manner. Thank you for riding with us -- enjoy your year!"

Remus, James, and Peter stumbled out onto the platform, much smaller and more primitive than in King's Cross. Hundreds of other students were pouring out of the train as well. A new voice, this time accompanied by a bobbing lantern, thundered overhead. "Firs' years, over here! T'me! Firs' years!"

"Can you see where that's coming from?" Remus asked nervously.

"No," replied James. He looked around, and then grabbed the nearest passing student. It was a tall boy who also had black hair. "Hey, do you know where we're supposed to go?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, can't you see him? Over there. C'mon, we'll all go." Remus peered over the heads as he followed the boy who seemed to know what he was doing. Indeed, the source of the summons was a massive man whose head would have probably brushed the ceiling in the train.

As about sixty children gathered around the giant of a man, he inspected them through the lantern light. When he was satisfied, he grunted, nodded, and then brogued, "Foller me. Yer ter take a special path out to th'castle. C'mon then." The first years surged forward. James, Peter, and the other boy vanished behind a dark sea of heads. Remus froze, then told himself not to panic. He looked around and saw a red-headed girl hurrying after the crowd.

"Hey!" he called out. She turned. "Hey, wait, please!"

"Hurry!" she urged, but she waited. She smiled kindly at him. "Hi, I'm Lily Evans. D'you have any idea of what's going on?"

"Not a clue," Remus sighed wearily, and the pair jogged to catch up with the others.


A/N Okay, sorry to leave you guys in the lurch, but I have to go to Maine really early tomorrow morning, so I can't finish this right now! I'll be gone two weeks, but Thirteen Months Since Morbihan will probably be all scribbled out in my notebook and ready for publishing by the time I get back :)