The morning of September first dawned bright, sunny and warm. My mum came to wake me up…we intended to drive into London. I looked around my room to be sure that I hadn't forgotten anything.
For the first time, I began to feel worried. After a quick breakfast, my dad loaded my trunk into the car. As I watched my parents, I felt sad. These were the only two people who I trusted…and the only two people whose unconditional love had made my life worth anything. While I dealt with disappointment from "friend" after "friend, my parents were with me, supporting me, helping me.
I felt guilty for abandoning them so readily, to a school where I was sure to find plenty of others who hated me.
I stared out the window as we drove to London, watching the scenery flash by. My mum noticed the look on my face and said, "Remus, why are you so down? You will have a lot of fun at Hogwarts."
I didn't answer…I didn't know what to say. "Remus, we are going to miss you, but its time for you to go to Hogwarts. It is time for you to go out and find yourself. Your father and I both left our parents. It's time for you to do the same."
I nodded unconvinced. In almost no time, we had arrived at King's Cross Station. My dad loaded my trunk onto a cart, and we walked together into the station. We found platforms nine and ten straight away.
We took the barrier at a run, and ended up on platform nine and three-quarters. I looked at the multitude of students calling to each other. The hooting of owls and calling of cats was barely audible over the tumult of voices. A scarlet train sat at the tracks billowing steam over our heads.
A lump formed in my throat. I turned to my mum, and it was then that I noticed that she was crying. She enveloped me in a hug, as did my dad.
"Remus," she said, "we are so proud of you. We are very happy that you are going to Hogwarts. We will always be here for you if you need us. I love you." She kissed my forehead.
"You know I love you too son," said my dad. "Have fun. And we'll see you at Christmas." He ruffled my hair.
"Don't forget to write Remus," said my mum, "and remember to attend that meeting with Professor Dumbledore tomorrow morning." She lowered her voice, "It's a month until the next full moon, but Professor Dumbledore would like to go over the plan he made up for your transformations." She straightened herself up. "Have a good term, love. You best be getting on the train, it will leave in a few minutes. Self- confidence! Smile! Make friends…just be yourself…people are bound to see the smart, kind, funny, and loving boy that we know."
"Are you done, Anne?" said my dad sarcastically, "Are you sure there isn't anything else you'd like to tell him? Maybe, remind him to change his underpants every day?"
"David!" said mum exasperatedly.
"Only joking," replied my dad with a smile at mum, "you know I love you." He then turned back to me. "Have a good term Remus. I'm sure you won't even miss us."
I boarded the train, lugging my trunk behind me. The train whistled, and the pistons hissed. I leaned out the window to say goodbye.
"Goodbye Remus," called my mum.
"Goodbye son!" said my dad.
"Goodbye!" I replied waving frantically.
The train started up, and pulled away. My parents continued waving until the train turned a corner…and they were gone.
Heaving a sigh, I pulled away. I dragged my trunk, and set to looking for a seat in a compartment.
I had to pass bye several compartments, all of them filled with talking and joking students. I pressed on. My hands and arms began to hurt from the weight of the trunk.
I stopped to rest. The door to the near-by lavatory opened, and a girl with red hair emerged, drying her hands on her jumper. She met my eyes with her emerald green ones.
"Out of towels" she said half laughing half apologetic with a shrug. Not knowing what to say, I grinned and nodded.
Ok, I thought, now walk away slowly while teasing me.
Instead of that, she asked, "Are you a first year as well?" I nodded.
"Are you looking for a seat?" I started to nod but forced my self to speak. "Yes. All the compartments I passed are full."
"Hmmm…I think my compartment is full as well, but I can help you look if you'd like. I could give you a hand with your trunk…" she said.
Just then the compartment door behind her opened. A girl popped her head out of the compartment door. "Lily, are you coming back or did you get flushed down the toilet?" she asked.
She opened her mouth to respond, but I answered quickly to avoid any sort of argument. "Thanks for the offer, but don't worry about it…I'll…I'll manage." Lily blinked. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Yes," I answered.
"Alright," she said, "It was nice to meet you…er…"
"Remus, Remus Lupin."
"Oh, I'm Lily Evans…well; I guess I'll see you around."
"Ok," I said, and I dragged my trunk away quickly. Making friends is not that bad Remus, I said to myself, now, if you could only try that again without making a complete fool out of yourself.
I managed to find a compartment at the very end of the train, which was occupied by two boys, which, I assumed, were around my age. They were occupied in a game of Exploding Snap. Taking a deep breath, I opened the compartment door. Both their heads turned in my direction. One of the boys looked up in alarm, but his expression changed as soon as he saw my face.
"Sorry, I thought you were someone else," he said. "Er…do two mind if I sit here…with you…everywhere else is full…and er…" They exchanged a look.
"No, this is our compartment, get your own," said the boy. I blinked in shock. I started to turn around and leave, wondering where I could possibly go. The other boy, black-haired and bespectacled looked at me with an odd expression. "He was only joking…HEY! Don't leave." I turned back and looked at him incredulously.
The other boy caught my look and began to laugh. "Did you actually believe me?" he said, "shut the compartment door, and pull up a chair." Feeling sheepish, I closed the door. They got up to help me stow my trunk in the overhead compartment.
The boy with glasses wiped his long messy black hair out of his hazel eyes. "I'm James Potter," he said, still grinning, but in a kind voice. The other dark-haired boy sitting down said, "I'm Sirius Black."
"Remus Lupin," I said. "What a cool name," said James. "You must be joking," I said, "everyone picks on my name; they say it's weird…" "No, I'm serious," said James. "NO! I'm Sirius," said Sirius.
I snorted. James grinned. "I have a feeling that you are going to overuse that one Sirius," said James. "NO! I'm Sirius," said Sirius laughing. This time James and I cracked up laughing.
"Anyway, Remus Lupin…would you care to join us in a game of Exploding Snap?" What proceeded was the most amusing game I had ever played. James and Sirius joked around so much. I had a lot of fun with them. At the train headed steadily northwards, the scenery outside our window became less neatly kept. The sky began to get cloudy, and before noon, it began to rain.
At noon, a witch came into our compartment with a trolley full of sweets. "Anything off the trolley?" she asked with a smile. James and Sirius jumped up to buy sweets. I got in line behind them. We each bought some, and we pooled them together to share between the three of us. James dared me to eat an odd-looking green Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean. I took it, and decided that it was grass-flavoured. Their respect for me seemed to grow…they thought I was brave.
James and Sirius laughed. "Have you known each other long?" I finally asked, wondering how they seemed to think so much alike.
"Not really," said James, "We met at Diagon Alley near Quality Quidditch Supplies, and we were re-united today on the platform." "Best day of my life," said Sirius, wiping an imaginary tear away from his eye. James and I laughed.
I loosened up to them rather quickly. How could I not? They shared my taste for humour, only they were not half as reserved as I was. It pained me to think that they might abandon me as soon as they found out that I was a werewolf. If they found out. I made a solemn oath to myself to never let them find out my condition. After making a few sarcastic comments of my own, I felt that they were fully warmed to me as well.
As the sky grew dark outside, we dressed in our Hogwarts robes. I felt very nervous. I could see my reflection in the rain-soaked dark window. I looked scared and pale-looking. James seemed to read my feelings.
"It shouldn't be too bad," said James, "I mean the sorting…it would be cool if we ended up in the same house…I hope I make Gryffindor." "I wish I could," said Sirius sadly, "but my family ahs been in Slytherin for ages."
"But you aren't like them," said James seriously. We sat in silence for a bit. The trained slowed to a stop. Sirius looked between us, and then decided he would break the tension.
Sirius leapt up and put an arm around each of our shoulders and called out with a bright smile, "This looks like the start of a BEAUTIFUL friendship."
James and I laughed. We stepped out of the train and onto the drizzly platform.
Into the darkness I thought, into the unknown. Then shaking myself, I thought, into hope…into the future.