A/N: Thanks to: Crystal Blue Dry Ice, lostjackal and KawaiiTenshi27 - incidentally, did I imply in the last chapter that Dumbledore knew about the illegal animagus thing? I wasn't sure.

I still don't own recognisable characters or places - if you recognise it, it probably belongs to JK Rowling. I forgot to mention in the last chapter, in case you didn't notice, this story is pretty flashback prone. It will STILL be RLSB in future chapters. Flashbacks are bold italics

Chapter One - Skeletal Fingers

His compartment in the Hogwarts express was warm and comfortable. He hadn't realised quite how much he had missed this journey, and he almost expected to look up and see James and Peter grinning at him, sitting opposite and Sirius sitting next to him, pulling faces at the people walking past or stuffing his face with chocolate frogs that Remus himself snatched and ate when he looked away. He could almost hear the sound of Lily and James's banter.

"Evans! Go out with me?"

"Oh grow up Potter, you pathetic excuse for a wizard!"

Remus sighed and wrapped his tattered cloak around himself, deciding that if he closed his eyes the memories would fade and hopefully, no one would come in and disturb him. He was tired, having barely recovered from the last full moon.

Voices approached and a vaguely familiar scent filled the werewolf's nostrils, a scent that he couldn't quite place; yet seemed so achingly familiar.

The compartment door opened.

"This is the only compartment left," a girl said, dropping into the seat opposite Lupin.

"What about-?"

"He's asleep."

The compartment door closed. "Who is he d'you think?" A male voice.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." The girl replied and Remus could picture her rolling her eyes.

"Do you know everything?" The other voice questioned incredulously.

"Its on his suitcase Ronald," the girl sighed exasperatedly.

Remus smiled to himself behind his robes. She was pretty observant.

"Hey guys, do you think he's really asleep?" The other male voice asked.

"Why?"

"I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Harry?"

"You know Sirius Black? Mr Weasly said he's coming after me."

Remus bit back a sharp gasp. These people sitting opposite him were Harry Potter and his friends. That certainly explained the familiarity of his scent.

"How come Dad didn't tell me?"

That made the other boy Ronald Weasly. And thus, the girl must be Hermione Granger. They reminded him a lot of his own Hogwarts days.

A sharp screech and the Hogwarts express ground to a halt and a sweeping cold rushed over them. Having grown up in the generation of Voldemort's last 'reign', Remus quickly identified the feel of this damp cold as Dementors. But why were Dementors coming aboard the Hogwarts Express? Surely Albus hadn't authorised this. The werewolf shuddered as the sight of Lily and James's bodies appeared in his mind, Sirius being dragged away, screaming. . His very first transformation. With a visible effort, he pushed away the painful memories and brought back some of his best. Sirius, James and Peter running with him in the Forbidden Forest..

Just as a skeletal hand pushed the compartment door open, Remus flung his robes out of the way and stood up, wand pointing straight at the offending creature.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A flash of white light and a huge dog shot out of the tip of his wand, chasing that overpowering coldness out of the train. The lights flickered back on and warmth began to return to the train. Remus stowed his wand away in his trouser pocket and crouched down beside Harry who was just coming around from some sort of fit. He pulled out some chocolate and handed it to the boy.

"Here. Eat this. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate and nervously nibbled at the edges. Remus smiled weakly.

"What were those things?" Hermione questioned weakly.

"Dementors. The guards of Azkaban. They must be searching for Sirius Black." He suppressed a shudder. "I'm going to go have a word with the driver."

Something wasn't right about this picture. Sirius had betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort and then killed Peter Pettigrew and now he was after Harry to get back into his master's good books? It didn't seem right to Remus. Why would he kill Peter? James had practically been a brother to Sirius, and Harry was his godchild. Not to mention the fact that he had been sure that Sirius despised the Dark Lord and all his beliefs.

He sighed again and strode up to the driver's compartment. May as well do what he was expected to do. The driver did not look pleased. The lights flickered back on and heat rushed through the train.

"Dementors on my train!" The driver all but exploded. "I will not stand for this! See to it that you tell Dumbledore I will not stand for this!"

Remus ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I don't like it either. But I highly doubt this is Albus's doing."

"Yes, well. Are the students all safe?" He tapped a few buttons on the complicated looking controls and vaguely waved a hand over them.

"I should think so. I'll be patrolling the carriages for the rest of the journey I suspect."

"Have fun."

Remus rolled his eyes. The driver of the Hogwarts express clearly was not much of a social man.

The remainder of the journey was thankfully uneventful.

The Great Hall was exactly how he remembered it. The high ceiling that mirrored the sky and the floating candles that lit the room. The four long tables, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and the teacher's table at the head of the room. Albus sat in the largest chair, in the centre, as he always had. On his right sat Minerva McGonnagal and on his left, Severus Snape. Beside Snape was the small figure of Professor Filius Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw and beside him was Sybil Trelawny, looking as mystical as ever. Hagrid sat beside Minerva and there was a space between him and Professor Sprout. Next to professor Sprout was Professor Vector. The other professors he did not recognise.

He took his seat quietly, and after a whispered discussion with Albus about the Dementors on the Hogwarts Express, settled back to watch the sorting.

When it came to Albus's speech, the Headmaster was looking uncharacteristically sombre. It was with a cold, terrified heart that Remus listened to him announce that the Dementors would be surrounding the school for the entire year, or until Black was captured.

He suddenly lost his appetite, and even as the food was laid out before him, he merely tossed it around the plate with his fork.

"Ye A'right Remus?" Hagrid asked, nudging him so hard he almost toppled off the chair.

"I'm fine Hagrid. Just a little tired."

"Ah well. Don't be overdoin' it on yer firs' day now will ye?"

"You either, Professor Hagrid. Congratulations by the way." He forced a forkful of chicken into his mouth.

Hagrid puffed out his chest proudly.

Remus smiled and hid his face in his goblet, watching the Gryffindor table over the rim. He could almost see the marauders over there. Sirius being flung off the bench for being a jerk, Peter laughing weakly and shovelling food into his mouth, and James eyeing Lily across the table.

He blinked to dissipate the vision and found the emerald eyes of Harry Potter fixed on his own amber eyes. He looked so much like James... Remus smiled and raised his goblet to the Gryffindor. He looked away.

Remus had a sudden feeling that it hadn't been at all wise for him to come back to Hogwarts. But still, at least this year wouldn't be boring. He leaned back in his chair, surveying the room with barely veiled apprehension.

This will be a year to remember, he mused.

A/N:SIGH I'm aware that particular chapter sounded more like a filler than anything else. I'll get the next one up as soon as I've written it. Bye for Now.