Dear Mum and Dad 10/9/71
Well, it's been a little over a week now. I missed Monday and Tuesday's classes but I've had five days, and have experienced all the classes so far except for flying which starts up on Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to it. Remember when I fell out of the tree and broke my arm so badly? I mean I was fine but ever since I've been kinda afraid of heights. Remember when you tried to get me to climb the apple tree, Dad, and I started crying? That's why. Heights kinda worry me. I know even if I fall I'll be 100% fine but I still don't like it. It makes my stomach all swoopy. The Gryffindor dorm is in a high tower and I want to sit on the windowsill and read but every time I look out... swoooop there goes my stomach. The Astronomy tower is the tallest tower in the whole school but the top is wide enough I don't have to be at the edge, and we look through telescopes up and not down so it's okay.
Three of my roommates keep trying to talk to me and I'm worried if I keep avoiding them that will make them suspicious. I know making friends is bad and I can't but they keep talking to me and if I keep pushing them away what if they start to wonder why? I don't want to be rude to them. Maybe I have to.
I've been getting Os on all my homework so far except DADA (Defense Against the Dark Arts). I don't know exactly what I'm doing wrong there but I'm still getting passing grades at least. I'll try harder, I promise.
It's been raining all day so the common room is really crowded. I should probably be up in the dorm but two of my dormmates are there and one of them really doesn't like me.
Remus started on the next line when there was a loud KABOOM! and instead there was a great slash of ink across the bottom of the page. Everyone in the common room was looking over at a sort of nook area where smoke drifted out. One of the prefects went towards the area as Potter and Black staggered out of the smoke, coughing loudly, hands waving the smoke from their faces.
"It's not so bad...!" Potter said.
Pettigrew stumbled out, soot all over him from head-to-toe making him almost as black-haired as his friends, and his hair stood on end, and his school vest and tie were slightly singed. "What did you do to me?!" he squeaked, grabbing at his hair. He tried to squash it down and it sprung back up. Several people began laughing.
"The spiked look is very punk," Black said coolly.
"You told me you'd make my hair longer!" cried Pettigrew, who had been mortally embarrassed ever since school started of the awful bowl cut his parents made him get. "You blew me up!"
"Did not, you're fine," Potter said, brushing some soot off of Pettigrew's shirt. "See? You're fine."
Remus couldn't help but give a bit of a snicker and withdrew farther into his chair, finishing off the letter.
Anyway, Mum please don't worry about the house, it's really nice actually and I think having furniture to chew on helps me not chew on myself so much. We'll have to wait and see next time. It was a little rough this time around since I was in a new place and I think that upset the wolf.
I really hope you're both doing well. I miss you both so much and can't wait to see you at Christmas!
Love Remus
PS Don't mind the big line across the page, there was a loud noise and I got startled.
()
Over the weekend Remus kept completely to himself or at least did his best to do so. He spent Saturday morning and afternoon in the library, finishing up all his assignments and then doing some research on how to make Potions easier. He didn't want to stop up his nose completely since he figured he'd probably panic if he couldn't breathe through his nose but he had to find something. There were a couple spells that might work and he carefully copied them down to try later. After supper he went to his dorm, knowing Evans and her friends would be in the library and he wanted to avoid them while at the same time wanting to join them.
When he got to the common room he found a bit of chaos as several people were standing on furniture while loads of other students were running around. Remus watched as a mouse ran by followed by an older student.
"Accio mouse!" someone else said and the mouse went flying and was promptly stuffed into a cage.
"Wh-what's g-g-going on?" Remus asked one of the first-year girls who was trying to study, her feet up off the floor.
"Someone nicked a couple cages of animals McGonagall was using for Transfiguration classes and let them loose," Alice Colgate replied, giving him an annoyed look. "Three guesses as to who. Mice, toads, and-ah yes, rabbits," she added as a bunny bolted past them.
Remus sighed and went up to his dorm to find the culprits sitting on Potter's bed, laughing their heads off. Pettigrew's hair was at least mostly back to normal though the ends were still a little sticky-uppy. All three of them grinned as Remus came in, asking if there were still loose animals. "Y-yes... q-quite a bit," Remus replied, dropping his bag onto his bed. "Th-there aren't any up h-h-here are there?"
"Nah, just in the common room," Black promised. "Afraid of rabbits, are you?"
"D-deathly so," Remus said as he took his shoes off and then glanced up to see all three of them giving him anxious looks. "Th-that was-was s-sarcasm."
"Oh, whew," Potter breathed out. "Hey, wanna play cards? Peter's gonna teach us some Muggle card games."
Remus shook his head and then debated going down back to the common room, but didn't want to deal with the animals and chasing. Then he debated just going under his bed but he didn't want to seem any weirder than he already was, so finally he tucked his feet under him on his bed and went back to figuring out how to stop the scents being so strong in Potions. Almost right away static blasted and he glanced over to see Potter adjusting the dial on a fancy radio until he got to a rock station. Then Potter actually asked Remus if he minded the music, and Remus shook his head again.
It was actually rather nice, sitting there reading while the other three played cards and laughed. Remus had to bite his tongue to stop from laughing at some of the jokes they shared with each other. One particular word-pun-play one he couldn't help but laugh and then began blushing when they looked at him. He mumbled an apology and considered shutting his curtains but...
"Hey Lupin, what did the athlete use to cure his rash?" Potter asked and Remus frowned. "Quit-itch."
Remus snorted and covered his mouth. "Th-that's t-t-terrible!" he choked out between giggles.
"Lupin, which part of a centaur has more hair?" Black asked.
"Th-the equine ha-"
"The outside," Black cut him off and Remus began giggling even more.
"What do you call two Quidditch players who share a room?" Potter asked and Remus gave a helpless shrug, waiting for the pun. "Broom-mates." That set him off into more giggles.
"Hey Lupin, how do you get a fantastic beast into the house?" Black said and Remus just waited. "Through the... Griffin-door."
He slumped down, covering his face with his book, trying to stop from laughing. "Th-th-these are awful!"
"You tell one," Potter said.
"N-no, I-I-I d-don't know any," Remus protested.
"Oh come on, you've got to know at least one joke," Black begged.
"Come on, tell us one!" Pettigrew added.
Remus wracked his brain trying to figure out a joke that wasn't too stupid or weird. Nothing really came to his mind, nothing as simplistically punny as the ones they told. They were all waiting though and looking at him and it was too much.
"Well, how about instead you join us for cards?" Potter said, noticing the look of panic in the tiny boy's eyes.
Relief swept through him. "N-no, th-thank you."
The three of them went back to their game and Remus went back to his book but, "Hey, Lupin?" Black asked and he glanced back up. "Why is the ceiling in the Great Hall enchanted to look like the sky?"
"Is-is that a-a literal-"
"Cause if it was enchanted to look like the ground it'd just be brown with a lot of worms." Black beamed as Remus once again snorted and giggled behind his book.
()
On Sunday Remus finally drew on his Gryffindor-ness and after supper went to the library. He stopped and started to turn back multiple times thinking no, I shouldn't, I shouldn't! Finally he slipped into the library, ignoring the glares the librarian gave him. He knew perfectly well why Mr. Farrow disliked him: the librarian was rather suspicious of anyone who spent an exorbitant amount of time in the library and since Remus had spent most his free time in there... that was him.
He crept through the aisles and came upon a table near the west side of the library. Evans was sitting at a table with a handful of other students. They were whispering about History class when Remus took in a deep breath and nervously went forward. "E-Evans?"
She turned and looked up at him with wide green eyes. "Oh, Lupin! Hullo! Come to join us?" She moved her books out of the chair next to her.
"Um, if-if-if-it's okay," Remus stammered as he sat down, hoping the other students wouldn't mind him there.
"It's fine, the more the merrier," Evans said brightly. "Do you know everyone here?" Remus shook his head. The only other one he could remember the name of was Matilda Twycross, also a Gryffindor and Evans seemed to understand she didn't need to introduce her. "This is Simon Bones," she said, indicating a red-headed Hufflepuff boy. "This is Kyra Pierce." Also a Hufflepuff, dark skin and long braids. "This is Raven Craft." A Ravenclaw with a scowl on his face, the one who had asked Remus why he wasn't a Ravenclaw after their first Astronomy class. "And Florence Buckling." Ravenclaw, very round with long glossy brown hair. "Everyone, this is Remus Lupin."
"We were just discussing Emeric the Evil," Craft said. "And the wizard that defeated him, and what caused it all."
"I mean, it's a bit obvious what caused it," Pierce said, waving her hand. "He's not exactly known as Emeric the Enjoyable."
"I thought he was Emeric the Egre-Egrig-Egg something," Bones said.
"No, that's Egbert, the wizard that defeated Emeric," Evans said, flipping through her history book. "Egbert the Egregious. That's a mouthful."
"What does egregious even mean?" Twycross asked, wrinkling her nose.
"Bad," Remus said. "Er, e-evil..."
"What, so it's basically Emeric the Evil and Egbert the Evil?" Buckling asked.
"I thought Egbert was good since he defeated an evil wizard?" Twycross asked, tapping her quill on her parchment. "I wrote that he's a good wizard..."
That cast the lot of them (minus Remus) into a big discussion over Emeric versus Egbert and whether Egbert should be considered good for killing off an evil wizard, and what did he do to be considered egregious? The history book wasn't too clear and didn't even mention that Egbert wasn't a good person.
"Are you sure egregious means bad?" Evans asked and Remus nodded. "I'm going to see if another book has more information."
No! Remus thought as she left the table. He barely knew Evans but at least she talked to him on occasion, now he was left alone with a bunch of people he didn't know at all and his heart began pounding heavily in his chest. Craft said something about why Evans was even getting a book about Egbert when the essay was on Emeric.
"Th-they are intrinsic-sically l-linked," Remus pointed out then gulped when Craft shot him a rather dark look.
"How can something be instinctively linked?" Bones asked. "What does that mean?"
"Intrinsically," Pierce said, elbowing him. "Errr... what does that mean?"
"It probably means like... closely," Buckling said. "I think." She looked at Remus who gave an anxious nod and then slid a bit lower in his seat, wishing Evans would hurry up and come back. He felt like he was being judged for using that word, for knowing what egregious meant. He felt like he was showing off which wasn't at all what he intended. I should be more careful with using different words.
Evans returned, dropping a big book on the table. "All right, I think I found out some more information..." She opened the book, flipping through about a quarter of the way through the book. "It says here that Emeric and Egbert got into a very violent duel and that Emeric was absolutely slaughtered by Egbert, who then took something of Emeric's that gave him great power."
"Maybe whatever gave him great power turned Egbert evil," Bones suggested.
"It doesn't say much about what Egbert did before the duel but it does say he went 'mad' with power so you might be right about that." Evans shut the book and sat back down. "He was killed shortly after."
"What does this have to do with Emeric anyway? The essay is about him," Craft complained. "We've gone completely off subject."
"They're linked," Buckling said. "Unless you're going to cut out his death completely which, really, I wouldn't."
Craft's face went pinkish. "I was going to write about his death!"
Everyone began discussing various possibilities, and Remus found himself being sucked into the conversation though he didn't talk too much since every time he stuttered and tripped over his words he could feel everyone privately laughing at his inability to talk like a person. Except Evans. He wasn't sure why but whenever they sat together at meals it felt as if she didn't care he was a freak.
After Emeric, they moved on the their Potions homework and then DADA. Remus paid close attention for the last bit, wanting as much help as possible. They know about what I know, he thought, a little let down. Actually, Craft is wrong about that bit. Maybe this Defense essay will be an O.
The group broke up at six-forty-five so everyone could get back to their common rooms before curfew. Remus, Evans, and Twycross went up to the seventh floor while the two girls continued discussing some things and Remus remained silent. He had enjoyed his time with the group for the most part, and decided he'd try to come again the next night. Plus he wanted to rewrite his History and DADA essays to include some more information he had gleaned from the study group.
()
Tuesday afternoon came far too quick and at ten till three Remus was walking with the other Gryffindors to an expanse of grass where a scowling witch was waiting with multiple brooms laying on the ground. Remus made himself sick dreading this lesson, and it didn't help that Potter kept bragging about how he already knew how to fly. He had his own broom, apparently, last year's model but he felt there had been no need to get a new broom this year since he'd be spending most his time at school and he wasn't allowed a broomstick.
"I hope the school brooms are all right," he said as they made their way to the teacher.
At least Remus wasn't the only one terrified. Evans and Struthers-the two Muggleborns-were really frightened. A few others seemed a touch worried too, but it was just the three that were really shaking as they lined up. Remus found himself between Potter and Pettigrew somehow, and wished he wasn't next to Potter cause he knew Potter would be showing everyone up. Maybe he was lying, Remus thought as Madame Hooch introduced herself and then snapped at everyone to stand by a broom and explained how to get the broom in their hand.
"Up!" everyone chorused and the only broom that obeyed was the one under Potter's hand. It flew upwards and he smoothly caught it.
Orrrr he wasn't lying, Remus thought miserably. His own broom hadn't even moved. "Up!" came another round and a couple more brooms made their way into the hands of the first-years. One of the Slytherins—a boy with sallow skin and greasy-looking hair—and Cassandra Inkwood, a black girl with a puffy ponytail from Gryffindor. Remus's broom trembled. "Up! Up! Up!"
Remus was one of the last ones to get a broom but not the last. Pettigrew's broom was now rolling away from him, towards a hill. All the Slytherins and several Gryffindors laughed as Pettigrew had to go chase it down and return, blushing furiously.
"I'd run away from him too," a Slytherin said, not bothering to whisper.
Madame Hooch had everyone mount their brooms and went around, adjusting the seating and hand positions of almost everyone. When she got to Potter she gave him a narrow-eyed look then moved past him without saying anything, to correct how Remus was seated. Potter grinned.
"When I blow the whistle you'll kick off from the ground-hard-and rise up. Hover for a minute or so, then bring your broom back down by leaning forward. Up is up, down is down. I imagine that's simple enough even for you lot. Three, two, one...!" She blew her whistle and Remus kicked as hard as he could but nothing happened.
On one side of him Pettigrew tried jumping and fell over (causing Slytherins to laugh again) and on his other side Potter smoothly rose up into the air. Black and Inkwood also managed to get into the air without much trouble. Across from the Gryffindors there were four Slytherins in the air.
"I can't believe Potter got in the air with that big fat head of his," a Slytherin said loudly.
"I can't believe you got in the air with all your hair grease dragging you down," Potter replied easily.
Hooch blew her whistle. "This isn't a Quidditch match, no trash talking. Come on everyone, kick!"
Remus tried again and the broom jerked upwards then went right back down into the ground and he fell. The Slytherins laughed at him.
"That's what you get for having a house full of dirty blooded idiots," one of Slytherin girls said.
"I SAID no trash talking!" Hooch snarled, clapping her hands. "Any more and you'll be kicked out of the lesson. Oh, Pettigrew," she sighed as Pettigrew's broom was trying to jerk out of his hands and then managed, sending Pettigrew onto the ground once more. Hooch had to summon the broom back and then had Potter come down and switch brooms with Pettigrew. Potter had zero issue getting this broom up into the air and he began zipping around until Hooch yelled at him for doing a loop-to-loop and showing off.