a/n: We're leaping ahead a few months. I'm not sure this is a crucial scene, but it will give you a bit of necessary information and a nice tribute to Remus Lupin. If you're unfamiliar with the music of "The Remus Lupins" or wizard rock in general, you can check them out on "My Space."

"So soon at school, I made new good friends. I hid and I hoped that they'd understand."

From the song, "Origin," by The Remus Lupins (a.k.a. Alex Carpenter)

Chapter 21: The Unassuming Mr. Lupin

In the Summer of 1982 Arthur brought Bill to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies. Charlie, Madeline, and Percy accompanied them, but Molly decided to stay home with the four littlest Weasleys. In Madam Malkin's robe shop, Percy amused himself in the racks of clothing. Charlie and Madeline, being a bit bored, got in on the game which quickly became too boisterous for Madam Malkin's taste. She starchily asked them to leave. Arthur followed them out the door and gave Charlie some money.

"Go take Madeline and Percy to the sweet shop. We'll meet you there," said Arthur.

Madeline's eyes popped. "By ourselves?" she said in amazement.

"Just don't get into any trouble or Mum will turn me into a toad." He winked and popped back into the shop.

Madeline and Charlie each took one of Percy's hands and walking toward the sweet shop. "I'm going to get pumpkin ice-cream," said Madeline.

"I want chocolate frogs. How much you think we can get?" he asked, looking at the money in his hand.

"I don't know, but you'd better let me hold it."

"Why?" he asked as he handed over the money.

"You'll lose it," she explained, putting it into the pocket of her periwinkle cloak.

"Oh," he replied simply, because he knew an argument would be useless. He didn't think that was really true, though.

Madeline stopped suddenly. "Look," she whispered, gesturing to a wizard sitting on a bench reading a newspaper. He looked to be in his early 20's but he was thin and his robes were shabby. Charlie just looked at Madeline quizzically.

"Let's go," said Percy, tugging at their hands. "I want candy," he whined.

"Wait," said Madeline. "It's Mr. Lupin," she whispered, and when Charlie looked blankly at her she mouthed the words, "from The Order." She pulled them over to the bench and timidly said, "Mr. Lupin?"

The wizard looked up and smiled kindly at the children. "Hello, er..."

"Remember me? I'm Madeline. I'm Ala-"

"Alastor's sister," he said with his eyes lighting up with recognition. "Yes, I remember you." His smile was genuine. She took this as an invitation to sit down. Percy joined them on the bench. Charlie stood uncomfortably looking at his shoes.

"This is Charlie and Percy Weasley. We're shopping for their brother, Bill's, Hogwarts stuff. It's his first year!" she said enthusiastically, kicking her feet. Lupin smiled and nodded. He folded his paper and gave the children his full attention. What else had he to do today? Apply for a job that he wouldn't get?

"You're about eleven now, aren't you?" he asked the girl.

Charlie mentally braced himself. They were approaching a sore topic.

She wrinkled her nose and frowned. "Twelve, actually." Then she looked at her hands and considered for a moment before blurting with scorn, "I'm a squib."

"Ah," he said nodding in sympathy. He sighed. His eyes met Charlie's.

Charlie said quietly, "She's not allowed to go to Hogwarts. She's going to go to Muggle school." He didn't add that the worst part, for him anyway, was that she was going to move out of the Burrow and into her brother's house now that the auror was retiring.

"I see," the wizard said softly. Then he looked back at Madeline who was still looking down. "You know, you could think of this as an adventure." Charlie looked hopefully at Madeline. This was exactly what he and dad had been trying to tell her.

Madeline desperately wanted to tell Mr. Lupin that it wasn't the same as learning magic and can't he see that this is ruining her life, and how inept she felt, and how unfair it all was! But she had a lot of awe for anybody who had been in The Order of The Phoenix. So, she controlled her outburst and merely smirked faintly at the ground, "Yeah, an adventure."

Lupin tried again. "Listen to me. You can't help what you are. Maybe you won't ever like it, but you can make the most of what talents you do have," he said. She looked at him, surprised at the earnestness in his voice. "It's not our abilities that determine who we are, but our choices," he said. A light popped on behind her eyes and she smiled. He said, "Somebody told me that once. It's good advice, even if I forget it myself sometimes." He seemed to say this last part to himself, really, and looked down at the newspaper in his hand. He knew what it meant to feel like an outsider.

Madeline wasn't sure if he was right, but she was moved by the way he took her feelings seriously when everyone else wanted to sweep them under the carpet. It seemed like he actually gave her permission to hate being a squib and for some strange reason, that made her hate it a little bit less. She told herself that she'd think about what he had said.

Charlie saw the change in Madeline's face, then looked at Mr. Lupin with admiration. He futilely hoped that Madeline wouldn't pick this time to impart on the kind wizard, her bizarre theories regarding the murderer Sirius Black.

But, she did.