Arcanus Black sat at the heavy mahogany writing desk that graced the cozy
study of his family's traditional home. He twiddled with his quill for a
moment before dunking it into the inkpot and beginning to write.
To the Honorable Clifford P. Lupin, Greetings.
Cliff, old boy, I bet I've about knocked your socks off, writing to you after all this time. We really should've kept in better touch, I suppose. I've missed you, my friend. Anyway, I'm writing because I had the pleasure of meeting your son Remus at King's Cross today. He and my boy, Sirius, are the same age and are starting Hogwarts together. Wouldn't it be fantastic if they ended up friends, too? Well, I say if, but I really mean when. They seemed to get on famously.
There's an important matter I need to discuss with you, which is the second reason I'm getting in touch with you after all this time. It's not the sort of thing I want to go into in a letter, though. I'd like to invite you to Black Castle at your earliest convenience, to spend the afternoon here and have dinner with me, as well. This letter is a portkey to the castle (just read aloud the text at the bottom of the page to activate it), so please hang onto it, and send Perseus back to me with your reply. I'm truly looking forward to seeing you again, old friend.
My best and warmest regards,
Arcanus Black
There. That was innocuous enough, conveyed his urgent wish to speak to his friend without alerting anyone else who might chance to see it, he hoped. He whistled a piercing call, and his faithful Perseus swooped into the study. Arcanus rolled the parchment deftly, and sealed it shut with scarlet wax stamped with his family crest. He tied the missive securely to the spotted owl's leg.
"Right then, Perseus, this is for Clifford Lupin, of Castle Blaidd Lloches near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales."
Perseus screeched and took off. Arcanus watched him go, wondering how he was going to tell his friend of his concerns.
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Remus swam slowly up out of a delightful nap. He snuggled happily into the comfortable, warm...something that cradled him. It had been so long, so very long since anyone or anything had held him, and he soaked up the physical comfort like a sponge. He kept his eyes closed, fuzzily imagining that some*one* was holding him.
As alertness gradually returned to him, he remembered. Remembered that he was on the train to Hogwarts, and the last conscious memory he had was of Sirius Black hugging him when the little token of his friendship told him that Remus was sad. Which meant that somebody was probably *still* holding him. Remus stiffened and cautiously cracked open one eye. Sure enough, he was still cuddled against Sirius' chest, firmly ensconced in his lap. Sirius was fast asleep above him.
Remus sighed with relief. Sirius was still asleep, thank goodness. Surely it wouldn't hurt anyone if he enjoyed the sensation of being held for just another minute. He'd be sure to move before Sirius awakened. He sighed again as he settled back into Sirius' arms. Best mates, Sirius had said. He'd never had a friend his own age before. He'd been so young when the nanny had gotten distracted, and he'd toddled off into the woods near his family's estate. He'd been found an hour later, screaming from the pain of a werewolf's bite. After that, he'd rarely been let outside the castle walls, and he'd had very little to do with his parents. But Clifford and Rowena Lupin had several other children; children who had NOT been cursed by a Dark creature, and Remus supposed they were very busy with his brothers and sisters. Too busy to bother with him, except when they dragged him off to the latest wizard or healer in secrecy in the middle of the night to see if he could be cured.
For his part, Remus couldn't figure out what the problem was. Every month when the moon got full, he was locked in a cage for no apparent reason since all that happened was that he dreamed he became a wolf pup. Nothing ever happened, nobody ever got hurt in his dreams, so he really was at a loss as to why his dreams were so troublesome to other people. At the tender age of seven, he'd finally sought out his older brother, Phelan. For reasons Remus did not understand, Phelan had recoiled violently when Remus had asked his innocent question.
"Don't you know anything?" the older boy had spat derisively. "You're a werewolf, Remy. You're an evil creature that everyone hates." Phelan had then fled to his mother's drawing room, tattling on Remus for leaving his little room in the basement and coming into the main house without permission. Remus had been beaten and denied food for two days for that transgression. He'd well and truly learned his place after that. One thing he'd never understood, though, was why his family thought he was evil. He didn't feel evil. He didn't want to do evil things. But they hated him and told him he was evil, so he supposed it must be true. He must remember to warn Sirius before the next full moon. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his new best friend, and he was very afraid that he would. But he really truly wanted to have a friend for a while longer, and he was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.
He quietly considered the boy that was currently serving as his pillow. His features were sharp and angular, and he wore his raven's-wing hair long, longer than was stylish. His skin was almost as pale as Remus' own, and Remus briefly wondered if Sirius had ever been kept inside away from sunlight.
The train lurched suddenly, and Remus didn't have time to move before sleepy blue eyes blinked at him drowsily. Remus' heart leapt into his throat, and he tensed, but Sirius just grinned.
"Have a nice nap, Remus?" he asked playfully in a voice still hoarse with sleep.
Remus relaxed, relieved. "Mm-hmm. Thanks. You make a nice pillow."
Sirius snorted. "You're a passable blanket, I suppose."
Remus giggled.
They heard a clanking noise coming down the aisle outside the compartments. Sirius fairly dumped a startled Remus onto the floor as he scrambled for his bag to fish out a handful of coins.
"That'll be the snack cart. What are you getting?"
Remus blinked. He hadn't known there *was* a snack cart. "Uh, does everything cost money?"
"Of course, but it doesn't cost much," Sirius said encouragingly. "Just a few Sickles and Knuts for an iced pumpkin juice and some goodies."
Remus' face fell. "I suppose I'll pass, then. I've the fudge and all."
Sirius looked puzzled for a moment before the light finally dawned. Remus didn't have any pocket money. For his part, Remus was mortified all over again. Sirius must think he was a pauper. He bravely tried to cover for the obvious lack of regard by his parents.
"Mum was in such a hurry when she dropped me off. She must've forgotten to give me money for the trip."
The dubious expression on Sirius' face proclaimed louder than any words that the taller boy doubted the slight had been the result of a flighty and forgetful mother.
"Not to worry, Remus. It just so happens I've got enough for both of us," he said cheerfully.
"Sirius, I couldn't accept..."
Sirius cut him off. "Nonsense. Da told me to treat if I met a new friend on the train," he improvised, "so he'll be sore at me if you don't let me buy."
"Well, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your folks," Remus said, relieved to take the out Sirius had offered him.
Sirius smiled uncomfortably and dropped his eyes. "Not folks, just Da and me ever since Ma died."
"Oh, Sirius, I'm sorry," Remus breathed as he gripped his friend's shoulder. He had a sensitive soul and felt Sirius' lingering grief most keenly.
Their tableau was interrupted by the arrival of the cart.
"Anything for you young gents?" the witch pushing the cart asked brightly.
Sirius cleared his throat. "Two pumpkin juices, and two heaps of treats, please."
"That'll be 22 Sickles, 14 Knuts. If you want to purchase a half-dozen extra cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs, it will bring the price up to an even Galleon."
"We'll do that," Sirius declared and handed over a gold coin. The witch passed him two bottles of pumpkin juice, a pair of boxes filled with treats, and an extra sack for the cauldron cakes and frogs.
Sirius wedged himself into one corner of the seat with the goodies spread out between him and Remus. Remus' golden eyes were wide; he'd never seen such a delightful spread in his entire life. Well, maybe at the family dinner table, but he'd always had to eat with the servants anyhow. He almost reverently accepted the cauldron cake that Sirius offered him.
It was scrumptious. Remus chewed with a happy sigh. He had a definite feeling that life at Hogwarts was going to be leaps and bounds better than life at home, even if they did lock him up as his mother had threatened they would.
They were distracted from their munching by a noise from the open door of their compartment. A young boy stood there, clearly another first-year, with a thatch of overenthusiastic black hair and a pair of spectacles perched on his pointed nose. His knapsack was slung over one shoulder, and his arms were full of treats.
"Pardon me," he said, "but is that seat taken? The other lads in my compartment were, ah, anxious to relieve me of my snacks," he finished sheepishly.
Sirius gestured magnanimously towards the empty bench seat. "Go ahead; it's just the two of us in here."
The other boy smiled, relieved, and plunked himself down in the seat. "Oh, thanks awfully. I'm James Potter, by the way."
"Sirius Black," Sirius mumbled around a bite of cauldron cake.
James turned to look at Remus, who hastily swallowed his mouthful. "Remus Lupin."
The three boys spent the rest of the train trip enjoying their treats and chattering about their various hopes, fears, and expectations of their first year at Hogwarts. By the time they arrived at the huge castle, they'd struggled into their black school robes and were properly awestruck by their first glimpse of their new residence.
The platform at Hogwarts was abruptly thronged with students, the older ones drawing their wands and magicking their baggage to the dormitories before flocking off to the horseless carriages that would take them up to Hogwarts Castle. The first-years stood about in the deepening twilight looking lost until a truly humongous man rumbled at them that all the new students were to follow him, please, and not to worry about the baggage; it would be waiting for them in the dorms after they'd been assigned.
And so it was that, just as night fell, all the first-years were seated in boats that began floating serenely across the glassy lake towards the school. The atmosphere was oddly hushed considering that the passengers were all eleven-year old children, who are not generally known for their ability to sit still and be quiet. But quiet they were, indeed, as the boats moved across the dark water, ensorcelled into motion in the absence of any wind or waves. Eyes like saucers, they drank in the sight of the enchanted castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Towers and turrets studded the stone exterior, and golden light flickered randomly from various windows. While the tall windows of the Great Hall blazed with light, most of the rest of the windows were dark, since everyone was in the Hall waiting for the Feast to begin.
"Wow," James breathed eloquently from his seat in front of Sirius and Remus.
"Yeah," Sirius answered.
Remus just sat quietly, his pale skin washed to alabaster in the light of the waning moon. His attention was divided between the school, of which he was clearly as in awe as the others, and the bloated, gibbous orb in the sky, the sight of which appeared to cause him a nameless sorrow.
Anxious that his new friend should be happy about their arrival at school, Sirius slung a companionable arm about Remus' shoulders and pointed ahead to the pier, where the figure of a waiting witch was becoming rapidly more distinct.
"Look, Remus! That's where we're going. I wonder if she's one of our new teachers!"
Remus recognized Sirius' effort to cheer him for what it was, and he smiled up at the other boy. "She rather looks like a teacher. I wonder if she'll be strict."
They were interrupted by an impolite snigger from the boat behind them. "Look at the sissies," an haughty voice sneered rudely.
Remus stiffened, obviously upset but prepared to take the abuse. Sirius was not nearly so complacent. He whirled around and scowled at the speaker, a skinny boy with a beaky nose and oily demeanor.
"Oh leave off. You're just jealous because you haven't made any friends yet," Sirius scoffed.
James had figured out what was going on by now, and he wriggled onto the seat on the other side of Remus, squishing all three of them into a space meant for two. He flung a long arm as far around both other boys as he could. "Yeah," he said over his shoulder. "You're just jealous because you haven't found any mates yet. They're good chaps, and I'm glad they've let me be their friend."
Sirius beamed at James, and Remus smiled between them. He could definitely get used to this having-friends thing. As one, they turned their backs on the other boy, who quieted down after that.
They all disembarked at Hogwarts Pier and approached the massive stone castle that was to be their home for the next seven academic years. The witch, a relatively young woman as wizards reckoned time, led them up to the doors of the Great Hall and then turned to address them.
"Good evening, children. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You're aware, I'm sure, that, here at Hogwarts, we have a feast to start off the new school year. Before you sit down to eat, however, you must be sorted into your Houses. There are four Houses here, and they are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Your House will be like your family while you're here. Your successes will earn the House points, and any rule-breaking or slovenly performance will lose the House points. Now then, follow me." She turned and lead them into a huge hall.
James, Sirius, and Remus stared in wide-eyed awe at the sight which awaited them. Flickering candles hung suspended in the air, and the ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky. There were four long tables filled with black-robed returning students, and a head table where the professors sat. In a large chair at the center of the head table, there sat a wizard who looked as though he must be the wisest and most wonderful sort of wizard ever. His hair and beard were long and silvery, heading rapidly towards white. A few feet in front of him, there was a stool upon which rested a dilapidated, dusty, wrinkled, pointed hat.
The man rose. "Before the sorting ceremony, there are a few matters of general business that need to be addressed," he said in a deep, friendly voice. The three new friends decided they liked him at once. "For those of you who are new to Hogwarts, I am Headmaster Dumbledore. Groundskeeper Hagrid has asked me to remind all the students that the Dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, Mister Filch has asked me to inform you that Divination classes will be held in the mornings in the Astronomy tower until the ladder up to Professor Trelawney's tower is replaced. Now then, we can get on with the important matters." Dumbledore smiled and winked at the anxious first-years and sat down.
Professor McGonagall mounted the steps and stood beside the stool. "Now, when I call your name, step forward to be sorted." She unrolled a parchment and picked up the old hat. "Iris Kensington."
A small girl with huge violet eyes and a cap of unruly blond curls stepped nervously up to the stool. She sat down, and the Professor placed the hat on her head. "Hmm," it said, then, "Ravenclaw!" it bellowed. The Ravenclaw table cheered, and Iris went happily off to join her new Housemates.
"Sirius Black."
Sirius gulped and mounted the dais. He perched on the stool and felt the weight of the hat as it descended upon his head. "Oh my," the hat said. "I remember your father. Only one place for you. Better be... Gryffindor!"
Sirius grinned and headed for the cheering Gryffindors after giving Remus an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder.
"Severus Snape."
Sirius whirled around, remembering that the Snape boy was one that his father had warned him about. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to see the boy who'd insulted them in the boats step up to the stool. The hat had scarcely been put on his head when it shouted. "Slytherin!"
The Slytherins cheered, and an older boy with blond hair clapped Severus on the back as he joined the table. Sirius waited impatiently while several other names were called, then finally...
"James Potter."
The hat had no trouble with him at all. It merely snickered and said, "Has to be Gryffindor!!"
James beamed and hurried to join Sirius at the table, taking the seat across from him.
"Peter Pettigrew."
A short, rather pudgy boy with a round face, chestnut hair, and freckles stepped up. The hat deliberated for a minute. "Hmm. You'd do well in Hufflepuff, I think, or perhaps even Slytherin. But no, I can see that you'd better be in... Gryffindor!"
Another cheer from the Gryffindors as Peter took the seat next to James.
"Remus Lupin," Professor McGonagall called.
Remus gulped and mounted the dais. He sat on the stool and closed his eyes as the hat was placed on his head.
"Well, what have we here?" the hat mused to itself. "I know where to put a creature like you. S..."
"Oh, please, anywhere but Slytherin!" Remus begged silently.
"What's this? You don't want to take that path? Hmmm, no, I can see now that you want to fight it. You aren't like others of your kind. That takes great courage, to fight what you are. And I can't very well separate you from the other if you are to fight it," the hat said cryptically. "Then, you'll have to be in... Gryffindor!!"
A cheer went up from the Gryffindor table. James and Sirius were on their feet, cheering for their friend and beckoning him over to join them.
Remus was nearly inarticulate with relief. Whatever happened now, at least he wasn't in Slytherin. A shy smile spread across his face as he hurried to join his new Housemates.
Sirius pounded him enthusiastically on his back and tugged him down to sit beside him.
"Remus! I'm so glad you got sorted into Gryffindor! I didn't know what I'd have done if you'd ended up in another House. Now we'll have classes together, and we'll be in the same dormitory, and we'll be able to eat together, and isn't that grand?" Sirius was so excited that he could scarcely keep up with himself as the words tumbled out of his mouth.
Remus grinned at his overeager friend. "Yeah, Sirius, I think it'll be terribly grand."
"Oh, and by the way," Sirius continued, "this is Peter. James and I were just talking to him, and he's going to be our friend, too, okay?"
Peter stuck out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Remus."
Remus smiled and shook the other boy's hand. "Hullo, Peter. I'm pleased to meet you too."
Sirius beamed as he looked on. Everything was working out famously so far. He had three new friends, and he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, just like his father. Life at Hogwarts was looking pretty good so far.
The foursome waited for the rest of their classmates to be sorted. When the last of the first-years had been seated, the Headmaster rose and called out, "Let the feast begin!" He clapped his hands once, and platters upon platters of food appeared on the tables.
Remus' eyes went wide. He'd never seen such an abundance of delicious food.
James and Sirius exchanged matching devilish grins and filled their plates until they heaped with food. Peter was already munching happily on a chicken leg with several more awaiting him on his plate.
Remus reached out eager fingers and filled his plate, smiling happily. He chomped into a thick slice of fresh bread spread liberally with butter and sighed blissfully.
"I haven't tried the bread yet," Sirius joked, but it certainly looks like it's good."
Remus blushed, but nodded anyhow. "It's wonderful!" he said after swallowing his mouthful. The four boys ate and chattered happily until Professor McGonagall clapped her hands and announced that the prefects should take their Houses back to the dormitories.
A taller boy stood up and said "Right then, Gryffindors follow me please. Returning students can go on ahead." The older Gryffindors disappeared in a flurry of black robes and excited prattle.
"I'm Evan Rockford," the prefect continued, "and I'm the student in charge of Gryffindor House. Professor McGonagall is Head of our House, but I'm in sort of her second in command. So if you do something not entirely sanctioned by the rules, make sure I don't catch you." He grinned rakishly at the first-years, who giggled in response.
"Now, come this way, and I'll show you how to get to Gryffindor Tower. Evan turned and left the Hall, the dozen first-years trailing after them. He led them through halls of darkened classrooms.
"Here's where you'll need to come tomorrow morning. You'll have Transfiguration with McGonagall first, then History of Magic with Professor Binns, and then Potions with Professor Widdershins. Oh, and don't forget your flying lessons in the afternoon with Madam Hooch. She's the new Quidditch coach and flying instructor."
By this time, Evan had led them into the base of a huge tower. "This is the fastest way to the dorms," he said, " but you have to look sharp on the stairs; they like to change."
The new Gryffindors craned their necks backward and gaped at the stone staircases as they ground ponderously against the landings while swinging through the air.
"This way, please, and keep up!" Evan started up the stairs at a brisk trot, and the younger students scrambled to keep up. He paused a time or two to wait for the stairs to realign in the proper configuration. At length, he halted in front of a painting of a portly woman dressed all in pink satin.
"This is our Pink Lady. She guards the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and our Common Room. She won't let anyone past without the password, so listen carefully." He cleared his throat to get her attention. "Flamboyantum Draconis!" he called, and the Pink Lady smiled and swing her painting aside. Evan hurried the first-years down the short corridor and into a cozy, dimly lit room decorated in scarlet and gold and filled with couches, chairs, and small tables.
"Welcome to Gryffindor Common Room," Evan said proudly.
The tired first years smiled, but said little.
Evan assessed his weary audience. "Alright then, the rest of the details can wait until tomorrow. We'll have a meeting here after dinner. For now, you kids need to get some sleep. Boys' dormitory is up the stairs to your left; the girls' dorm is on the right. Sleep well, Gryffindors." Evan flashed them a parting smile and disappeared into the prefect's room that was right off the Common Room.
"Well," James said in the uncomfortable silence that followed the prefect's departure, "I guess it's off to bed then. Come on!" He led the class up the stairs, continuing on with the boys after the girls had filed into their own dormitory.
The stairs eventually opened into a large, round room with crimson-canopied four-poster beds stationed at regular intervals around the perimeter. Their trunks were all in a group in the center of the vaulted chamber. Voices drifted down the staircase that continued to spiral up around the walls, presumably the voices of the older boys who slept in the rooms above.
The first-years looked at their trunks, then at each other, and grinned. James grabbed his cart and made for the bed opposite the stairs.
"Dibs on this one," he called cheerily.
As if his actions had suddenly unleashed a flood, the room exploded into a frenzy of chatter and activity. Sirius dove into one bed next to James, and Peter scuttled over to claim the other. Sirius hurriedly tossed his cauldron into the bed on his other side to reserve it for Remus, whose robes had gotten caught on another boy's luggage cart.
"Remus, I've saved ye a space," Sirius called to his hapless friend in a Scottish burr thickened with fatigue and excitement. "Ye can 'ave the bed next to mine if ye want."
Remus smiled and waved from across the room, where he was trying to extract himself from the tenacious luggage cart, which its owner had dragged across the room with Remus in tow in his haste to claim a bed. He finally wrenched his robes free and hurried over to his three new friends.
"Thanks, Sirius," he said breathlessly, "I don't think Ian even realized I was attached to his baggage before he hauled me off across the room. Thanks for saving me a space." He flopped onto the bed and snuggled into the thick coverlet and fluffy pillows. "Mmm, I could get used to this," he sighed.
Sirius chuckled as he opened his trunks and sent Screech off to the Owlery. Remus reluctantly dragged himself out of his comfortable sprawl and followed suit.
Ten minutes later, the dormitory went dark as seven exhausted young Gryffindors found their beds and drifted off to dreamland.
To the Honorable Clifford P. Lupin, Greetings.
Cliff, old boy, I bet I've about knocked your socks off, writing to you after all this time. We really should've kept in better touch, I suppose. I've missed you, my friend. Anyway, I'm writing because I had the pleasure of meeting your son Remus at King's Cross today. He and my boy, Sirius, are the same age and are starting Hogwarts together. Wouldn't it be fantastic if they ended up friends, too? Well, I say if, but I really mean when. They seemed to get on famously.
There's an important matter I need to discuss with you, which is the second reason I'm getting in touch with you after all this time. It's not the sort of thing I want to go into in a letter, though. I'd like to invite you to Black Castle at your earliest convenience, to spend the afternoon here and have dinner with me, as well. This letter is a portkey to the castle (just read aloud the text at the bottom of the page to activate it), so please hang onto it, and send Perseus back to me with your reply. I'm truly looking forward to seeing you again, old friend.
My best and warmest regards,
Arcanus Black
There. That was innocuous enough, conveyed his urgent wish to speak to his friend without alerting anyone else who might chance to see it, he hoped. He whistled a piercing call, and his faithful Perseus swooped into the study. Arcanus rolled the parchment deftly, and sealed it shut with scarlet wax stamped with his family crest. He tied the missive securely to the spotted owl's leg.
"Right then, Perseus, this is for Clifford Lupin, of Castle Blaidd Lloches near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales."
Perseus screeched and took off. Arcanus watched him go, wondering how he was going to tell his friend of his concerns.
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Remus swam slowly up out of a delightful nap. He snuggled happily into the comfortable, warm...something that cradled him. It had been so long, so very long since anyone or anything had held him, and he soaked up the physical comfort like a sponge. He kept his eyes closed, fuzzily imagining that some*one* was holding him.
As alertness gradually returned to him, he remembered. Remembered that he was on the train to Hogwarts, and the last conscious memory he had was of Sirius Black hugging him when the little token of his friendship told him that Remus was sad. Which meant that somebody was probably *still* holding him. Remus stiffened and cautiously cracked open one eye. Sure enough, he was still cuddled against Sirius' chest, firmly ensconced in his lap. Sirius was fast asleep above him.
Remus sighed with relief. Sirius was still asleep, thank goodness. Surely it wouldn't hurt anyone if he enjoyed the sensation of being held for just another minute. He'd be sure to move before Sirius awakened. He sighed again as he settled back into Sirius' arms. Best mates, Sirius had said. He'd never had a friend his own age before. He'd been so young when the nanny had gotten distracted, and he'd toddled off into the woods near his family's estate. He'd been found an hour later, screaming from the pain of a werewolf's bite. After that, he'd rarely been let outside the castle walls, and he'd had very little to do with his parents. But Clifford and Rowena Lupin had several other children; children who had NOT been cursed by a Dark creature, and Remus supposed they were very busy with his brothers and sisters. Too busy to bother with him, except when they dragged him off to the latest wizard or healer in secrecy in the middle of the night to see if he could be cured.
For his part, Remus couldn't figure out what the problem was. Every month when the moon got full, he was locked in a cage for no apparent reason since all that happened was that he dreamed he became a wolf pup. Nothing ever happened, nobody ever got hurt in his dreams, so he really was at a loss as to why his dreams were so troublesome to other people. At the tender age of seven, he'd finally sought out his older brother, Phelan. For reasons Remus did not understand, Phelan had recoiled violently when Remus had asked his innocent question.
"Don't you know anything?" the older boy had spat derisively. "You're a werewolf, Remy. You're an evil creature that everyone hates." Phelan had then fled to his mother's drawing room, tattling on Remus for leaving his little room in the basement and coming into the main house without permission. Remus had been beaten and denied food for two days for that transgression. He'd well and truly learned his place after that. One thing he'd never understood, though, was why his family thought he was evil. He didn't feel evil. He didn't want to do evil things. But they hated him and told him he was evil, so he supposed it must be true. He must remember to warn Sirius before the next full moon. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his new best friend, and he was very afraid that he would. But he really truly wanted to have a friend for a while longer, and he was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.
He quietly considered the boy that was currently serving as his pillow. His features were sharp and angular, and he wore his raven's-wing hair long, longer than was stylish. His skin was almost as pale as Remus' own, and Remus briefly wondered if Sirius had ever been kept inside away from sunlight.
The train lurched suddenly, and Remus didn't have time to move before sleepy blue eyes blinked at him drowsily. Remus' heart leapt into his throat, and he tensed, but Sirius just grinned.
"Have a nice nap, Remus?" he asked playfully in a voice still hoarse with sleep.
Remus relaxed, relieved. "Mm-hmm. Thanks. You make a nice pillow."
Sirius snorted. "You're a passable blanket, I suppose."
Remus giggled.
They heard a clanking noise coming down the aisle outside the compartments. Sirius fairly dumped a startled Remus onto the floor as he scrambled for his bag to fish out a handful of coins.
"That'll be the snack cart. What are you getting?"
Remus blinked. He hadn't known there *was* a snack cart. "Uh, does everything cost money?"
"Of course, but it doesn't cost much," Sirius said encouragingly. "Just a few Sickles and Knuts for an iced pumpkin juice and some goodies."
Remus' face fell. "I suppose I'll pass, then. I've the fudge and all."
Sirius looked puzzled for a moment before the light finally dawned. Remus didn't have any pocket money. For his part, Remus was mortified all over again. Sirius must think he was a pauper. He bravely tried to cover for the obvious lack of regard by his parents.
"Mum was in such a hurry when she dropped me off. She must've forgotten to give me money for the trip."
The dubious expression on Sirius' face proclaimed louder than any words that the taller boy doubted the slight had been the result of a flighty and forgetful mother.
"Not to worry, Remus. It just so happens I've got enough for both of us," he said cheerfully.
"Sirius, I couldn't accept..."
Sirius cut him off. "Nonsense. Da told me to treat if I met a new friend on the train," he improvised, "so he'll be sore at me if you don't let me buy."
"Well, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your folks," Remus said, relieved to take the out Sirius had offered him.
Sirius smiled uncomfortably and dropped his eyes. "Not folks, just Da and me ever since Ma died."
"Oh, Sirius, I'm sorry," Remus breathed as he gripped his friend's shoulder. He had a sensitive soul and felt Sirius' lingering grief most keenly.
Their tableau was interrupted by the arrival of the cart.
"Anything for you young gents?" the witch pushing the cart asked brightly.
Sirius cleared his throat. "Two pumpkin juices, and two heaps of treats, please."
"That'll be 22 Sickles, 14 Knuts. If you want to purchase a half-dozen extra cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs, it will bring the price up to an even Galleon."
"We'll do that," Sirius declared and handed over a gold coin. The witch passed him two bottles of pumpkin juice, a pair of boxes filled with treats, and an extra sack for the cauldron cakes and frogs.
Sirius wedged himself into one corner of the seat with the goodies spread out between him and Remus. Remus' golden eyes were wide; he'd never seen such a delightful spread in his entire life. Well, maybe at the family dinner table, but he'd always had to eat with the servants anyhow. He almost reverently accepted the cauldron cake that Sirius offered him.
It was scrumptious. Remus chewed with a happy sigh. He had a definite feeling that life at Hogwarts was going to be leaps and bounds better than life at home, even if they did lock him up as his mother had threatened they would.
They were distracted from their munching by a noise from the open door of their compartment. A young boy stood there, clearly another first-year, with a thatch of overenthusiastic black hair and a pair of spectacles perched on his pointed nose. His knapsack was slung over one shoulder, and his arms were full of treats.
"Pardon me," he said, "but is that seat taken? The other lads in my compartment were, ah, anxious to relieve me of my snacks," he finished sheepishly.
Sirius gestured magnanimously towards the empty bench seat. "Go ahead; it's just the two of us in here."
The other boy smiled, relieved, and plunked himself down in the seat. "Oh, thanks awfully. I'm James Potter, by the way."
"Sirius Black," Sirius mumbled around a bite of cauldron cake.
James turned to look at Remus, who hastily swallowed his mouthful. "Remus Lupin."
The three boys spent the rest of the train trip enjoying their treats and chattering about their various hopes, fears, and expectations of their first year at Hogwarts. By the time they arrived at the huge castle, they'd struggled into their black school robes and were properly awestruck by their first glimpse of their new residence.
The platform at Hogwarts was abruptly thronged with students, the older ones drawing their wands and magicking their baggage to the dormitories before flocking off to the horseless carriages that would take them up to Hogwarts Castle. The first-years stood about in the deepening twilight looking lost until a truly humongous man rumbled at them that all the new students were to follow him, please, and not to worry about the baggage; it would be waiting for them in the dorms after they'd been assigned.
And so it was that, just as night fell, all the first-years were seated in boats that began floating serenely across the glassy lake towards the school. The atmosphere was oddly hushed considering that the passengers were all eleven-year old children, who are not generally known for their ability to sit still and be quiet. But quiet they were, indeed, as the boats moved across the dark water, ensorcelled into motion in the absence of any wind or waves. Eyes like saucers, they drank in the sight of the enchanted castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Towers and turrets studded the stone exterior, and golden light flickered randomly from various windows. While the tall windows of the Great Hall blazed with light, most of the rest of the windows were dark, since everyone was in the Hall waiting for the Feast to begin.
"Wow," James breathed eloquently from his seat in front of Sirius and Remus.
"Yeah," Sirius answered.
Remus just sat quietly, his pale skin washed to alabaster in the light of the waning moon. His attention was divided between the school, of which he was clearly as in awe as the others, and the bloated, gibbous orb in the sky, the sight of which appeared to cause him a nameless sorrow.
Anxious that his new friend should be happy about their arrival at school, Sirius slung a companionable arm about Remus' shoulders and pointed ahead to the pier, where the figure of a waiting witch was becoming rapidly more distinct.
"Look, Remus! That's where we're going. I wonder if she's one of our new teachers!"
Remus recognized Sirius' effort to cheer him for what it was, and he smiled up at the other boy. "She rather looks like a teacher. I wonder if she'll be strict."
They were interrupted by an impolite snigger from the boat behind them. "Look at the sissies," an haughty voice sneered rudely.
Remus stiffened, obviously upset but prepared to take the abuse. Sirius was not nearly so complacent. He whirled around and scowled at the speaker, a skinny boy with a beaky nose and oily demeanor.
"Oh leave off. You're just jealous because you haven't made any friends yet," Sirius scoffed.
James had figured out what was going on by now, and he wriggled onto the seat on the other side of Remus, squishing all three of them into a space meant for two. He flung a long arm as far around both other boys as he could. "Yeah," he said over his shoulder. "You're just jealous because you haven't found any mates yet. They're good chaps, and I'm glad they've let me be their friend."
Sirius beamed at James, and Remus smiled between them. He could definitely get used to this having-friends thing. As one, they turned their backs on the other boy, who quieted down after that.
They all disembarked at Hogwarts Pier and approached the massive stone castle that was to be their home for the next seven academic years. The witch, a relatively young woman as wizards reckoned time, led them up to the doors of the Great Hall and then turned to address them.
"Good evening, children. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You're aware, I'm sure, that, here at Hogwarts, we have a feast to start off the new school year. Before you sit down to eat, however, you must be sorted into your Houses. There are four Houses here, and they are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Your House will be like your family while you're here. Your successes will earn the House points, and any rule-breaking or slovenly performance will lose the House points. Now then, follow me." She turned and lead them into a huge hall.
James, Sirius, and Remus stared in wide-eyed awe at the sight which awaited them. Flickering candles hung suspended in the air, and the ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky. There were four long tables filled with black-robed returning students, and a head table where the professors sat. In a large chair at the center of the head table, there sat a wizard who looked as though he must be the wisest and most wonderful sort of wizard ever. His hair and beard were long and silvery, heading rapidly towards white. A few feet in front of him, there was a stool upon which rested a dilapidated, dusty, wrinkled, pointed hat.
The man rose. "Before the sorting ceremony, there are a few matters of general business that need to be addressed," he said in a deep, friendly voice. The three new friends decided they liked him at once. "For those of you who are new to Hogwarts, I am Headmaster Dumbledore. Groundskeeper Hagrid has asked me to remind all the students that the Dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, Mister Filch has asked me to inform you that Divination classes will be held in the mornings in the Astronomy tower until the ladder up to Professor Trelawney's tower is replaced. Now then, we can get on with the important matters." Dumbledore smiled and winked at the anxious first-years and sat down.
Professor McGonagall mounted the steps and stood beside the stool. "Now, when I call your name, step forward to be sorted." She unrolled a parchment and picked up the old hat. "Iris Kensington."
A small girl with huge violet eyes and a cap of unruly blond curls stepped nervously up to the stool. She sat down, and the Professor placed the hat on her head. "Hmm," it said, then, "Ravenclaw!" it bellowed. The Ravenclaw table cheered, and Iris went happily off to join her new Housemates.
"Sirius Black."
Sirius gulped and mounted the dais. He perched on the stool and felt the weight of the hat as it descended upon his head. "Oh my," the hat said. "I remember your father. Only one place for you. Better be... Gryffindor!"
Sirius grinned and headed for the cheering Gryffindors after giving Remus an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder.
"Severus Snape."
Sirius whirled around, remembering that the Snape boy was one that his father had warned him about. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to see the boy who'd insulted them in the boats step up to the stool. The hat had scarcely been put on his head when it shouted. "Slytherin!"
The Slytherins cheered, and an older boy with blond hair clapped Severus on the back as he joined the table. Sirius waited impatiently while several other names were called, then finally...
"James Potter."
The hat had no trouble with him at all. It merely snickered and said, "Has to be Gryffindor!!"
James beamed and hurried to join Sirius at the table, taking the seat across from him.
"Peter Pettigrew."
A short, rather pudgy boy with a round face, chestnut hair, and freckles stepped up. The hat deliberated for a minute. "Hmm. You'd do well in Hufflepuff, I think, or perhaps even Slytherin. But no, I can see that you'd better be in... Gryffindor!"
Another cheer from the Gryffindors as Peter took the seat next to James.
"Remus Lupin," Professor McGonagall called.
Remus gulped and mounted the dais. He sat on the stool and closed his eyes as the hat was placed on his head.
"Well, what have we here?" the hat mused to itself. "I know where to put a creature like you. S..."
"Oh, please, anywhere but Slytherin!" Remus begged silently.
"What's this? You don't want to take that path? Hmmm, no, I can see now that you want to fight it. You aren't like others of your kind. That takes great courage, to fight what you are. And I can't very well separate you from the other if you are to fight it," the hat said cryptically. "Then, you'll have to be in... Gryffindor!!"
A cheer went up from the Gryffindor table. James and Sirius were on their feet, cheering for their friend and beckoning him over to join them.
Remus was nearly inarticulate with relief. Whatever happened now, at least he wasn't in Slytherin. A shy smile spread across his face as he hurried to join his new Housemates.
Sirius pounded him enthusiastically on his back and tugged him down to sit beside him.
"Remus! I'm so glad you got sorted into Gryffindor! I didn't know what I'd have done if you'd ended up in another House. Now we'll have classes together, and we'll be in the same dormitory, and we'll be able to eat together, and isn't that grand?" Sirius was so excited that he could scarcely keep up with himself as the words tumbled out of his mouth.
Remus grinned at his overeager friend. "Yeah, Sirius, I think it'll be terribly grand."
"Oh, and by the way," Sirius continued, "this is Peter. James and I were just talking to him, and he's going to be our friend, too, okay?"
Peter stuck out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Remus."
Remus smiled and shook the other boy's hand. "Hullo, Peter. I'm pleased to meet you too."
Sirius beamed as he looked on. Everything was working out famously so far. He had three new friends, and he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, just like his father. Life at Hogwarts was looking pretty good so far.
The foursome waited for the rest of their classmates to be sorted. When the last of the first-years had been seated, the Headmaster rose and called out, "Let the feast begin!" He clapped his hands once, and platters upon platters of food appeared on the tables.
Remus' eyes went wide. He'd never seen such an abundance of delicious food.
James and Sirius exchanged matching devilish grins and filled their plates until they heaped with food. Peter was already munching happily on a chicken leg with several more awaiting him on his plate.
Remus reached out eager fingers and filled his plate, smiling happily. He chomped into a thick slice of fresh bread spread liberally with butter and sighed blissfully.
"I haven't tried the bread yet," Sirius joked, but it certainly looks like it's good."
Remus blushed, but nodded anyhow. "It's wonderful!" he said after swallowing his mouthful. The four boys ate and chattered happily until Professor McGonagall clapped her hands and announced that the prefects should take their Houses back to the dormitories.
A taller boy stood up and said "Right then, Gryffindors follow me please. Returning students can go on ahead." The older Gryffindors disappeared in a flurry of black robes and excited prattle.
"I'm Evan Rockford," the prefect continued, "and I'm the student in charge of Gryffindor House. Professor McGonagall is Head of our House, but I'm in sort of her second in command. So if you do something not entirely sanctioned by the rules, make sure I don't catch you." He grinned rakishly at the first-years, who giggled in response.
"Now, come this way, and I'll show you how to get to Gryffindor Tower. Evan turned and left the Hall, the dozen first-years trailing after them. He led them through halls of darkened classrooms.
"Here's where you'll need to come tomorrow morning. You'll have Transfiguration with McGonagall first, then History of Magic with Professor Binns, and then Potions with Professor Widdershins. Oh, and don't forget your flying lessons in the afternoon with Madam Hooch. She's the new Quidditch coach and flying instructor."
By this time, Evan had led them into the base of a huge tower. "This is the fastest way to the dorms," he said, " but you have to look sharp on the stairs; they like to change."
The new Gryffindors craned their necks backward and gaped at the stone staircases as they ground ponderously against the landings while swinging through the air.
"This way, please, and keep up!" Evan started up the stairs at a brisk trot, and the younger students scrambled to keep up. He paused a time or two to wait for the stairs to realign in the proper configuration. At length, he halted in front of a painting of a portly woman dressed all in pink satin.
"This is our Pink Lady. She guards the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and our Common Room. She won't let anyone past without the password, so listen carefully." He cleared his throat to get her attention. "Flamboyantum Draconis!" he called, and the Pink Lady smiled and swing her painting aside. Evan hurried the first-years down the short corridor and into a cozy, dimly lit room decorated in scarlet and gold and filled with couches, chairs, and small tables.
"Welcome to Gryffindor Common Room," Evan said proudly.
The tired first years smiled, but said little.
Evan assessed his weary audience. "Alright then, the rest of the details can wait until tomorrow. We'll have a meeting here after dinner. For now, you kids need to get some sleep. Boys' dormitory is up the stairs to your left; the girls' dorm is on the right. Sleep well, Gryffindors." Evan flashed them a parting smile and disappeared into the prefect's room that was right off the Common Room.
"Well," James said in the uncomfortable silence that followed the prefect's departure, "I guess it's off to bed then. Come on!" He led the class up the stairs, continuing on with the boys after the girls had filed into their own dormitory.
The stairs eventually opened into a large, round room with crimson-canopied four-poster beds stationed at regular intervals around the perimeter. Their trunks were all in a group in the center of the vaulted chamber. Voices drifted down the staircase that continued to spiral up around the walls, presumably the voices of the older boys who slept in the rooms above.
The first-years looked at their trunks, then at each other, and grinned. James grabbed his cart and made for the bed opposite the stairs.
"Dibs on this one," he called cheerily.
As if his actions had suddenly unleashed a flood, the room exploded into a frenzy of chatter and activity. Sirius dove into one bed next to James, and Peter scuttled over to claim the other. Sirius hurriedly tossed his cauldron into the bed on his other side to reserve it for Remus, whose robes had gotten caught on another boy's luggage cart.
"Remus, I've saved ye a space," Sirius called to his hapless friend in a Scottish burr thickened with fatigue and excitement. "Ye can 'ave the bed next to mine if ye want."
Remus smiled and waved from across the room, where he was trying to extract himself from the tenacious luggage cart, which its owner had dragged across the room with Remus in tow in his haste to claim a bed. He finally wrenched his robes free and hurried over to his three new friends.
"Thanks, Sirius," he said breathlessly, "I don't think Ian even realized I was attached to his baggage before he hauled me off across the room. Thanks for saving me a space." He flopped onto the bed and snuggled into the thick coverlet and fluffy pillows. "Mmm, I could get used to this," he sighed.
Sirius chuckled as he opened his trunks and sent Screech off to the Owlery. Remus reluctantly dragged himself out of his comfortable sprawl and followed suit.
Ten minutes later, the dormitory went dark as seven exhausted young Gryffindors found their beds and drifted off to dreamland.