Lily Evans was a little taller than Remus, and she could just make out the bobbing light of the giant man leading them through the thick foliage, down a narrow, steep dirt path. There was little talking, save for a few frightened whispers. "Where d'you think he's taking this?" "My brother didn't say anything about this!" "I hope he knows what he's doing--"

"Ooo!!" someone squealed from the front, and Remus got his first view of Hogwarts as the line fanned out on the shore of a huge, black lake. It took his breath away. The sight brushed all his expectations off to the side. As he stood, marveling, he heard someone say in front of him, "There you are!"

His eyes came into focus, and he saw Peter. "Sorry about that," he apologized quickly.

Peter shivered, and waved it off.

James, alongside him, suddenly pointed. "Look!" Remus followed his finger. A fleet of coracles was waiting at the bottom of the hill. The giant man held his lantern up to check the numbers, and then, satisfied, ordered,

"Four to a boat. C'mon, in then, sharpish now."

The first-years clamored forward. Too late, Remus watched Peter, James, Lily, and the boy with the black hair climb in. As soon as the boat was full, it pushed off from the shore on its own. Peter turned around and gave him a shocked, "oh my gosh I'm really really sorry" look. Remus knitted his brow and hung back, looking about for someone he might be welcome to share the trip with.

The last three students to board the coracles were not very welcoming-looking at all. They were a thin, sallow-skinned boy with greasy black hair (what is it with magic and black hair? Remus wondered), flanked by two girls with distasteful expressions on their faces. The giant man looked at them, and grunted, "Le's go, kids. Don' wanna be late, do we."

Remus obediently scrambled into the boat (I've never been near a boat before what if I fall out and drown they'd like that maybe shut up you!) and sat, waiting for the other three to join him. With a look of "fine, if this is what it takes to get across," the greasy-haired boy climbed in, and sat in the opposite corner. The two girls followed, and the three of them then sat staring at him as the boat gave a little jolt and started sailing toward the castle on the cliffs. Remus, unused to such eye contact, quickly averted his eyes and studied the water.

"Who are you?" came a voice.

"What?" Remus looked up. The boy was regarding him disdainfully.

"I said, who are you?"

Remus offered a quick smile. "I'm Remus Lupin. And you?"

The boy didn't answer the question. Instead, he replied, "Where are your family from?"

That question again. "All over, really," he muttered. The three other children watched him for another moment, then the boy spoke again.

"I'm Severus Snape. I'm the fifth Snape to come to Hogwarts in the last century. This is Sheile Donnegan, from Castle Monragen outside of Galway, and Janina Woyczek. She's from Poland. She was up for Durmstrang but her parents moved her to England so she could come here instead."

Remus could tell he was supposed to be intimidated by this. It did, in fact, make him a little scared. What could he say? My da's from Wales and my mum's a...a Muggle, and I don't think either fact would go over well with you. Instead he smiled, and politely said, "That's nice."

Severus sneered at him. Then: "So, what house do you think you'll be Sorted into?"

I don't like this. "I'm not sure. I'm the first one to come to Hogwarts, actually."

Janina and Sheile exchanged withering looks, then turned them on Remus. He cowered a little, and then swiveled around in his seat to see how close they were to the castle. He furrowed his brow. All the boats seemed to be headed straight for the cliff! Maybe it'll open up with a password, like "Open sesame" or something.

"Heads down!" the giant roared, and they all ducked. Remus felt a curtain of leaves brush his head. He picked his head up, and saw that they had all entered a cave, a sort of underground harbor. The boats were drifting smoothly toward a pebbly shore. Remus breathed a great sigh of relief as the coracle bumped against the shore, and he hopped out. He spotted James and Peter, and hurried over to them, glad to escape his own boat companions.

They followed the man up a long flight of stone steps, and emerged in a high-ceilinged room. A witch in brilliant green robes was waiting for them, an impatient tightness around her mouth.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," announced the man.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall replied curtly. "I shall take them from here." She surveyed the bedraggled looking children in front of her. "Follow me, please!" she ordered, and the new students obeyed, stumbling after her.

She lead them through several magnificent hallways. Remus could feel his jaw hanging loosely in awe as he gazed all around him, wanting to take in every inch all at once. He only noticed they had stopped when he tread on the back of someone's foot. He looked up at the green-robed witch.

She welcomed them to Hogwarts, and began a brusque speech informing them about Houses and the Sorting Ceremony. "Please wait quietly here," she was saying when Remus started listening again. "I shall fetch you shortly."

Panic. He had not been listening to a word she'd said. What if she had told them what they were supposed to do? Supposing they had to do some sort of magic? Damn! if only he hadn't left his wand in his trunk on the train. Now he was going to look like a fool. So much for his chances --

Two doors swung open. Professor McGonagall shot the crowd a meaningful look, and then swept into the huge room on the other side of the doors. Several people gasped, Remus included. He glanced around -- even Severus Snape was looking interested.

Four tables teeming with students were all watching them eagerly. Lights seemed to twinkling from every which way, from torches ensconced on the columns supporting the ceiling, to--

Stars. On the ceiling. And --

Remus stopped dead in his tracks. A newly waning moon shone down on him. A horrible image flickered before his eyes. The wolf, changing during dinner, leaping up, scattering terrified students, blood flowing, angry howls--

"Remus, come on, move along," muttered James behind him. Remus felt a push on his shoulder, and with a gulp he banished the image and stumbled forward, catching up with the line of first years. His feet brought him to an open space between of the four long tables and a smaller table, perpendicular to them. As soon as he was standing still, he became deaf again, shivering and unable to rip his gaze from the moon overhead. He was vaguely aware of silence, and singing, and applause, but his mind remained on the sky.

"Ashenthorpe, Amelia!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Bennington, Annelies!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Remus looked up. He saw, but did not understand, Professor McGonagall calling off names. "Black, Sirius!"

The tall boy who'd shown James and Peter the boats strode forward, an alarming grin on his face. He approached a stool, and sat down, wrapping his legs around the stool's. McGonagall lowered an extremely tattered pointed hat onto his head. The hat slipped down over the boy's eyes, and the whole hall watched with baited breath. Finally, a tear appeared near the base, exposing the boy's eyes. "GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted. The hat shouted? Sirius Black bounced off the stool and swaggered off to the table on the far left. Remus had the faint impression -- that hat was singing before. I must be losing my mind.

"Cain, Jeremy!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Donnegan, Sheile!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Evans, Lily!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus looked back up at the ceiling. He couldn't stop trembling. It was all so confusing. What did Mr. Dumbledore think he could do to keep him safely away from all the others?

"Hughes, Thackery!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Islington, Timothy!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

He floundered in his thoughts. The group at the front of the room was growing smaller and smaller.

"Kincaid, Daniella!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Kale-Mickford, Stella!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Ledgewood, Michael!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Lestrange, Gregor!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Lupin, Remus!"

"What?" The world came crashing down. Remus was rooted to the spot, staring horrified at Professor McGonagall and the hat. What if it doesn't shout out a house? What if it yells "Werewolf! Get out!"?!

"It's you," whispered James hesitantly. Remus turned. Peter was giving him the thumbs-up and mouthing "Good luck!"

Remus's stomach heaved. He took one heavy step towards the hat.

He was perched on the stool before he knew what was going on. The hat was coming down over his eyes, and the moon and the sky and the faces and the room had vanished. Everything -- light, sound, smells -- was blocked out. When a small voice in his ear broke the silence, Remus jumped.

"My my my my!" it exclaimed. "What do we have here?" Remus began to sweat. "Certainly nothing I've seen in a while. Yes yes, it's been many a century since we had a Lupin at Hogwarts..."

You...you mean I'm not the first?

The voice chuckled. "Ah no, young man. Your forebear was a very great wizard indeed. Let's see if you're really made of the same stuff..." Remus had the uncomfortable feeling that the hat was searching him for something he couldn't detect, but should be able to. "Very intelligent, that's plenty evident, and a thirst for what you think you cannot have... Excedingly loyal, though very naive -- you haven't been around people much, have you? I could put in you Hufflepuff, they always take care of the unsure -- but I don't quite think you would be happy there. Far too fierce a heart you have. You need some intensity. Shall I put you in Ravenclaw? You would certainly learn how to use this brain of yours." Suddenly, the voice stopped, as if it had found something troubling.

Remus stiffened. Oh no, here it comes. Please let me stay, please put me in a house, any house, as long as I can stay!

The hat began to speak again. "Oh dear. This explains the extraordinary toughness, the fear, and the loneliness. I must say, I've never come across one of your kind this way before..." The hat was silent for a long time. Remus's head began to ache, and he was sure he was crying. Then: "You have a bravery in you right now that few other wizards have ever matched in their lifetimes. You suffer through countless injustices, and yet you don't lash out. I think there's only one place where you belong.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word boomed out for the whole hall to hear, and as Remus lifted the hat off, he could see people clapping and hear their cheers. He stared, still holding the hat, and began to hyperventilate. I got in! It put me in a house! It-- A huge grin of relief swept across his face. Shaking, he slid off the stool and handed the hat back to McGonagall, who was watching him with a small smile playing about her face. He turned around to look at the line of students behind him. James was clapping very hard, and Peter looked slightly disappointed. Down at the far end, Severus was looking smugly relieved. But then another face caught his eye, a distinctive visage behind the line of eleven-year olds.

Dumbledore. His eyes were twinkling with pleasure as he and Remus exchanged looks. Finally, Remus broke away, calling "Thank you!", and bounded off towards the table Sirius Black had sat down at.

McGonagall's voice came across the hall again. "O'Malley, Katherine!"

A tall, red-haired boy with more freckles than seemed possible pounded him on the shoulder. "Welcome to Gryffindor!" he beamed.

"Thank you," Remus said shakily. He took a seat next to Sirius Black, the only other Gryffindor boy so far. Sirius shot him a devilish smile.

"Hi. I expect we're to be roommates, then. I'm dying to find my way around this place, d'you know anything about it?"

Remus shook his head. "No, I'm... I'm the first one in my family to come here for a really long time."

Sirius looked a bit disappointed, but that didn't last long. The hat had just shouted out another Gryffindor. The two of them looked up -- and saw Peter fall off the stool. The whole hall laughed -- the Slytherin table on the other end of the room particularly so. Remus felt a twinge of anger, but ignored it as he patted the chair next to him for Peter to sit in.

Next: "Potter, James!"

The result was almost instantaneous. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius and Remus both let out yells. They looked at each other, a bit surprised, and then began laughing and cheered once more. James's face was flush was happiness as he sat down. "I knew I'd be a Gryffindor," he said breathlessly, "but it feels so cool to hear it out loud!"

"Cheers!" Sirius declared. Peter squirmed a bit, but he laughed too, and the four of them twisted in their seats to watch the remainder of the Sorting Ceremony.

With "Wryst, Maryanne" joining Hufflepuff, the Ceremony could finally end. Remus felt like his ears would never work properly again. His head was buzzing with the events of the days -- of his new friends, and his new identity. I'm going to have to fight to keep this, he thought determinedly, but they'll never know. This is all worth it.

And he looked at the ceiling, right at the moon shining down benignly on the Great Hall, and thought, Moon, I defy you.

A/N Yes, I realize I put Peter in Gryffindor. There's a good explaination for this, so don't worry too much about it. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far: Sweetgirl, orion, andicarmen, Jessica, and especially Thing1 :) Right, let's make this list longer next time! Thank you *grin*