First Year - It's bad enough Remus Lupin has to start his first ever year at Hogwarts wearing hand me down robes and clutching second hand spell books. But worse even than that - the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake - is his secret. If the other children find out about that - it will be the end for him. The secret must be kept at all costs … no matter how weird it makes him look. Meanwhile, Lily is trying to turn Hogwarts into Malory Towers, Sirius and James are trying not to get expelled, Peter is just trying to keep up and Snape … well, Snape is just … Snape.


Chapter One: The Visitor

It was night time, when the visitor arrived out of the blue. Remus was ready for bed, and was just brushing his teeth, when he heard the knocking on the door. 'Who can that be?' he heard his mother's voice ask, 'at this time of night?' Her tone was anxious. Hope Lupin was always anxious these days… and Remus knew that that was his fault. He turned the tap off and left the bathroom. Standing on the landing, he hung over the banister so he could listen in.

The door opened. 'Lyall!' a voice greeted his father, 'I trust you are doing well? I must say your magnolias are doing splendidly.'

Remus couldn't see the new arrival - but he guessed he must be one of his father's kind, if he greeted Lyall Lupin so familiarly. A wizard. The thought made the young boy take a step backwards, into the dark, and his whole body seemed to shrink a little - like he was making himself as small and unobtrusive as possible. A wizard might spell trouble for the family. They might have to move again. In his mind's eye, he could see the crumpled, worried expression that would have taken up residence on his mother's face, as she realised the magical world had caught up with them once more.

'D-Dumbledore?' Lyall stammered, 'what are you doing here?'

That made Remus's ears prick up and - against his better judgement - he sneaked down the first couple of stairs, so he could listen in better. 'Come on in.' His father invited the old wizard into their home and - as the new headmaster of Hogwarts entered the small living room - Remus got his first good look at him.

He was very tall, and his long nose was crooked - like it had been broken at some point in time... possibly more than once. He wore flowing, deep blue robes and a pointy wizard's hat. Both were embellished with stars and, due to his height, the tip of his hat brushed against the low ceiling of the cottage. His long auburn hair and beard were fading to white, and he wore half moon spectacles. Behind those, his light blue eyes twinkled in the firelight. He looked kindly - but Remus could tell from their stiff demeanour that his parents were still worried.

'Can I offer you anything? A - a cup of tea?' Hope asked the unexpected guest.

It seemed that Dumbledore could sense her anxiety, as he settled himself onto the armchair and smiled at her genially, refusing her offer. 'No need to trouble yourself, Hope, my dear… I've brought…' he produced a bottle from one of his capacious sleeves, 'finest oak matured mead - join me for a snifter?' With a flick of his wand, three glasses appeared in mid air, and the bottle poured its contents into them. Then, two of the glasses zoomed over to the Lupins, sloshing the amber liquid as it went. They plucked them out of the air and sat down on the sofa, so they were facing Dumbledore.

'Er - Albus - not that this isn't a welcome surprise,' Lyall said, 'but what can we do for you?'

The older wizard took a sip of his mead, shifted around so he was more comfortable, and then took a letter out his sleeve. Remus wondered what else he kept up there. 'I'm here to talk to you about the letter you sent me… regarding your boy - Remus, isn't it?'

Lyall and Hope gulped - and glanced at one another.

'You say you're not going to be sending him to Hogwarts,' Dumbledore continued. 'I must say that is a shame. You're a fine wizard, Lyall - and I don't see any reason to think Remus will be any different. Hogwarts is the best place for him, you must realise that?'

'In any other circumstances…' Lyall began to say.

'He will be safer here, with us,' Hope interrupted. 'My family aren't magic, Mr. Dumbledore, and Remus will be safer amongst people like us - you must see how it is.'

Dumbledore nodded slowly. 'There is - regrettable prejudice - in the Wizarding World around people with Remus's condition, and I hope that over time this will change - so that by the time Remus is a man, he can live a full and happy life free from the troubles he currently suffers. And my dear,' he smiled his warm smile at Hope, 'I understand completely why you would feel he will be better off amongst the muggles - who will not know what he is or treat him with that prejudice. But the truth is… Remus is not a muggle.' He took another sip of mead, and then turned his kindest expression on the worried parents who sat before him. 'He is magic - and he needs to learn to control that magic - and will be better off amongst other witches and wizards his own age, learning alongside him.'

Up on the staircase, Remus sat down and leaned forward - clinging to the rails of the banister. He was holding his breath. His letter inviting him to Hogwarts had arrived not long ago - and it had broken his heart when his father had gently explained to him that - even though he was magic enough to qualify - he simply couldn't go. 'They mustn't know about you already,' Lyall had said, 'that's good - it means we've protected you well. But you can't hide a condition like yours at a boarding school. You would be a danger to the others. You would hurt them...'

Remus had opened his mouth to protest, but his father had cut him off, 'I know you wouldn't want to, but you know how your transformations are. You couldn't help it. And I shudder to think what they would do with you, if you hurt a fellow student during the full moon.' And, with great regret, Remus had had to agree ... He didn't want to get sent to Azkaban. He would be safer at home. The other students would be safer if he were at home. It could not be.

But now, Dumbledore was here - and if Remus was following the conversation properly - he did already know about his condition - and the headmaster still thought he should attend the school. Remus could not understand it - and neither, apparently did his mother.

'They will not want a werewolf learning alongside them,' Hope said. Her tone was cold. She had accepted her husband's magic - and the world he lived in - when she had met him. She had loved him, so she had had no choice. But once her precious, little boy had been bitten, she had become afraid of the Wizarding World - and increasingly angry at the way they would treat an innocent child for having a condition which was not his fault. Now, 12 years after first meeting her husband, she wanted to keep her family as far away from magic as possible.

'My dear,' Dumbledore winked at her, 'they do not need to know.'

'He shouldn't have to hide who is,' she replied - her voice was still cold.

'No,' Dumbledore's voice became sad, 'you're quite right - he shouldn't. It is to the Wizarding World's eternal shame that any child should find themselves in Remus's position. But I'm afraid, my dear - Remus has no choice but to hide what he is, one way or the other. You want to keep him with your muggle family, where he will forever have to conceal his true nature as a wizard - and a werewolf. I am suggesting that he join the magical community, and merely keep his condition a secret. Of course - he may, in time, reveal it to those he loves and trusts… but whichever path is chosen - secrecy will be a part of his life. I am simply asking that you can reconsider and let him take up his place at Hogwarts.'

The headmaster glanced around the little room; it was threadbare and shabby. The little house was in the middle of nowhere - and was hard to get to. It had been chosen specifically for it's remote positioning. Chosen specifically to deter visitors. 'This must be a very lonely life for a young boy,' he commented.

The Lupins looked at each other again. Since Remus had been bitten they had had to move several times in order to keep him hidden. Lyall had had to give up working at the Ministry. They were poor, they were constantly afraid, Hope was getting sick… but this had been the best they could do for their son. He was their world - and protecting him was their priority.

It had always seemed to them that it would be impossible for Remus to join the world he belonged in. Not only would he not be welcome at school - where he could learn how to control his magic - but he would have no future amongst the wizards. Werewolves lived on the margins, homeless and penniless. They were driven out of communities, refused work, and had to resort to crime in order to survive. They had always thought Remus would stand a better chance in the muggle world - where he could pass off his condition as an illness and find employment that he could fit around the full moon.

But now, Dumbledore was suggesting there was another way - that he would be welcome at the school after all. 'How would you keep him safe?' Lyall asked, 'and the other students? How would you keep his secret?'

'I have one or two ideas,' Dumbledore admitted. 'And if you are willing to reconsider your position - we can go over them until they are to your satisfaction, but now,' he cleared his throat and smiled again, 'I do believe the walls have ears. The boy has been listening in to every word…'

Remus scrambled to his feet and ran back up the stairs, he heard his mother get off the sofa and come to the foot of the stairs, 'Remus,' she called up, 'you get to bed now!' He fled into his bedroom, but he didn't shut the door. Once he heard her footsteps move away from the stairs, he crept back out onto the landing and strained his hearing to listen in to the rest.

'Now now - Hope, my dear,' Dumbledore was saying, 'the boy is old enough to be a part of this decision. Tell him the facts and let him make up his own mind… Well, it is quite late enough and I have given you a lot to think about. Goodnight, Lyall, Hope...' And Remus heard the front door open, and then close again behind the headmaster.

He returned to his bedroom and lay down, his thoughts whirling in his mind tumultuously - confused and giddy and surprised. Hogwarts. He didn't know that much about it. His mother hadn't gone - she had no magic - and his father rarely spoke of it. They had always assumed Remus would not be able to go. But now Dumbledore was the headmaster and - cut off from the Wizarding World as he was - even Remus had heard of Albus Dumbledore… and how odd he was.

And it seemed like Dumbledore was willing to let him go to school. So he could learn how to use his magic. And he could make some friends. He wouldn't be alone anymore…

He closed his eyes - and tried to picture what the place might look like. He knew it was a castle, and he knew there was a lake… and it was in the Highlands. He could scarcely believe that what he had overheard was true but .. he could go and live in a castle. And be a proper wizard. Because Dumbledore was willing to let him…

He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face, as he imagined one wondrous thing after another. Magic and adventure and children his own age. He kept on smiling to himself as he drifted off to sleep - and dreamt of castles and mountains and friends. And, for the first time in a long time, his dreams were not disturbed by images of monsters in the night - and teeth and fur - and pain.