August 7th, 1971

The glowing orb of the full buck moon slowly sank below the horizon as the first rays of sunlight penetrated the lush Welsh countryside. Remus Lupin could only imagine watching the moonset, as he rolled over, groaning, on a mat that served as the only furniture in the dark basement. He stretched, the last of his bones and ligaments popping into place. Only a few traces of blood stained the sheet. This was not a bad one, then. A voice called to him from the door at the top of the basement stairs, "Remus? You are very quiet in there, cariad. I need to know you are okay."

"I'm okay, mum," the boy mumbled, and he reached up to pull the bell twice in the signal that he was awake and had no serious injuries. It took nearly an hour to remove the wards that his father had to set up each full moon to contain him during transformations. If he was injured badly or unresponsive, they could call in the help of a small handful of friends who knew about the boy's condition and get to him faster. But today, Remus could tend his cuts and scrapes himself while he waited.

Remus scooted over to the cabinet where they kept the first aid kit, and pulled out the bandages and antiseptic. The muggle remedies were the best he could do for now, but he knew that Mrs. Fortescue would look him over later, and she could heal the worst of the cuts in an instant using magic. Remus didn't bother turning on the light. He never had trouble seeing in the dark, and the early morning rays of sunlight were already streaming in through the small windows near the basement ceiling.

For someone whose life was so closely tied to the lunar cycle, Remus had never actually seen a full moon. At least, not that he could remember. For the last seven years, since he was four years old, Remus spent every full moon in the basement of his parents' modest house in a remote village in Wales. He had seen paintings of the moon, of course, and photographs. Every time he saw an image of the full moon, it felt like a punch to the gut. His biggest fear was to be caught unaware by a full moon. He had nightmares about it. About the beast tearing apart his body and then running free, hunting. Biting, ripping, killing. The dreams were terrible and bloody. But the moon, shining brightly in the sky, was always unimaginably beautiful. The knowledge that he would never actually see it left a pit of remorse in Remus's gut.

He lay back on the mat, almost drifting off to sleep when the basement door creaked open. He heard his father's heavy footfalls as he stomped down the stairs. In a tired voice, he asked, "Son, can you walk?"

Remus opened his eyes and looked over at the tall, quiet figure. "Yes, Father," he responded, pulling himself to his feet.

Lyall Lupin was a man of few words. Remus barely knew him, even though it was just the three of them living in their cottage together. His father always made it quite clear that the rest of the wizarding world would never fully accept someone with his condition. He was pretty sure that his father was still part of "the rest of the wizarding world" himself.

"Off we go then." Lyall stood aside and waited for Remus to head up the stairs before following behind him.

When they reached the top of the stairs, his mother greeted him, quickly pulling him into a hug before looking him over for injuries.

"Mam, I told you, I'm fine. I just want to go to bed please." Remus said impatiently, even though he appreciated the attention. It had been a lonely night, as it always was, but he was very tired now and he ached for sleep.

"Okay darling, off you go. We'll wake you for tea and have Maggie look you over then." She smoothed out his shaggy brown hair with her hands and kissed him on the forehead before allowing him to escape her arms and head down the hall to his modest bedroom. He crawled into the bed, pulling a threadbare quilt over him. He quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Wakey, wakey!" a cheerful voice pulled Remus back to consciousness and he opened his eyes to see the smiling round face of Alice Fortescue. "There you are, sleepy head! Come downstairs so mum can look you over and we can go out to the garden. The weather is an absolute dream today. I have so much to tell you, Remus!" She was practically bouncing with excitement. She had cut her sandy hair into a short bob that was very modern. It made her look more grown up, and Remus wasn't sure if he liked that. Alice was his best friend. Okay, his only friend. She already felt like they were growing apart since she started going away to boarding school. She was two years older than him, and at 13 she was an actual teenager. Remus had been afraid she wouldn't want to spend time with an 11-year-old recluse like him anymore. Thankfully, that fear appeared to be unfounded as she was currently dragging him by the hand down the hallway to meet her mother for tea.

Mrs. Fortescue was chatting with his mother, and they fell silent as the two children came stumbling into the sitting room. "Remus, there you are!" she said as she set down her tea cup and waved him over.

"Hello Mrs. Fortescue," he said politely. He dutifully stood in front of her as she slowly moved her wand up and down his body looking for injuries or misaligned bones. Most of his cuts had already healed. A rare advantage of being a werewolf was an inhuman healing rate for most injuries. But still, he was lucky that their nearest neighbor and close friend of the family was a trained healer, and was willing to check him over every month. There had been times when he had broken bones or cuts that bleed so profusely that even his rapid healing ability would not have been enough.

After Mrs. Fortescue deemed him in good health, and he ate his fill of bacon sandwiches, Remus headed out to the garden with Alice. They lay down in a partially shaded spot under a huge oak tree. Alice chatted away about all of her friends at school and Remus encouraged her with a "wow" here and a "really?" there. He wasn't all that interested in the drama with her friends, like the gossipy Hufflepuff girl who was just jealous of Alice's friend Flo. Or about how her friend Edgar was dating a fifth year, or how the boy she fancied was so good on a broomstick that he would probably be on the Gryffindor quidditch team next year.

But he loved hearing about her school. Alice went to a school of magic that was held in an immense castle in Scotland, called Hogwarts. His father, Lyall, had attended Hogwarts as a boy, but he rarely talked about it. Alice told Remus all about the Great Hall with the floating candles and enchanted ceiling. She told him about the incredible food with the magically refilling plates and goblets of pumpkin juice. And she told him about the incredible things she was learning in Charms, History of Magic, Potions, and Astronomy.

"And next year, I get to take two more courses! I chose Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. I hope I get to see a unicorn!" Alice sighed dreamily. Remus supposed she was imagining petting a unicorn.

"Are there unicorns in Scotland?" Remus asked, suddenly curious. He was fascinated with magical creatures, possibly because he sort of was one himself.

"Oh yes! I haven't told you about the Forbidden Forest! It's just outside the school grounds. I've heard that the groundskeeper goes in there quite often and knows all sorts of interesting creatures. Oh, wait until you see it!" Alice grabbed his wrist in excitement.

Remus pulled his arm away, irritated. "Alice, you know I'm not going to Hogwarts. You shouldn't say things like that."

"Well, we don't know that. Letters are just coming out this week, after all. And you are definitely a wizard. You used to beat me in marbles all the time, and nobody is that lucky." She laughed. But upon seeing his expression, she took on a more somber tone. "Remus, I thought you wanted to go to Hogwarts?"

"Of course, I want to, do you know how boring it is around here when you're away at school? Gods, I've read every book in our house at least 10 times. But it doesn't matter if I'm a wizard or not. No school would let me attend. Why do you think we live way out here, and I don't have any other friends? I'm too fucking dangerous to be around other kids!"

"Remus! Don't talk that way about yourself. You wouldn't hurt a soul!" Alice pleaded with him, looking heartbroken.

"It doesn't matter. I won't be going, so just drop it, okay? Can we talk about something else, please?" She nodded, frowning. But neither of them could think of anything else to talk about.

When Alice first went to Hogwarts Remus talked about it incessantly to his parents, asking if he would be able to go, too. At first, they humored him, letting him daydream about living amongst other, normal, wizarding kids and participating in normal wizarding society. When Remus was 10, after Alice left for her second year, he asked again. Then his father sat him down and told him that it just wouldn't be possible for him. He would never be accepted into a school with so many children around. He would never be able to work in a job at the Ministry as his father did. He would just have to learn to fend for himself and stay hidden away for the rest of his life. He just had to get used to the idea.

After that, Remus didn't read Alice's letters. He asked her to stop writing them, telling her that it made him feel lonely and he liked hearing about it in person when she came home. All that was true, but he didn't tell her how it made him feel sick with envy whenever he got an owl from her telling him about the adventures she was having and all of her wonderful friends at school.

Eventually, the heat started to get to them, even in the shade of the tree, and Alice suggested they head back to the house for some cold lemonade. Remus was still feeling groggy from the full moon and had almost fallen asleep right there on the ground. He agreed and reluctantly pulled himself into a sitting position allowing Alice to pull him to his feet. They made more small talk on the walk back to the house, but Alice's spark of excitement at seeing her friend seemed to have dulled. Remus felt bad for upsetting her, but it couldn't be helped. He was eleven and a half years old, after all. It was time to stop living in a fantasy world in which a werewolf would ever be admitted to a school like Hogwarts.

Their mothers were chatting together in the kitchen while cutting up vegetables for soup. Hope Lupin was a muggle, a non-magical person, so most of the cooking was done the muggle way in her house. The same with most of the cleaning and gardening. But there were certain unpleasant chores that she would save for her husband to complete with a wave of his wand. Like scrubbing difficult pots or cleaning the toilet. And some things that could only be completed by magic, such as repairing broken dishes as though they'd never had a crack.

When she heard the slamming screen door as Remus and Alice entered, Hope called out "Back already? Are you thirsty, kids? Why don't you get settled in the sitting room, we'll bring out biscuits and lemonade."

"Thanks, Mam!" Remus responded as he and Alice plopped onto the overstuffed sofa. His mother soon entered with a tray of cold drinks. He suddenly realized how thirsty he was and he almost finished the glass in one go. They were having a polite but boring conversation about the weather when there was a tap on the window.

"Who would be sending an owl?" Hope said, surprised.

"Could it be Lyall letting you know he's working late again? That man works ridiculous hours, Hope, I don't know how you put up with it." Mrs. Fortescue commented.

"I'll get it for you, Mrs. Lupin!" Alice said, jumping up from the couch and heading to the window to let the post owl in. When she returned with the letter, her eyes were wide and everyone was still waiting for her to give the letter to Mrs. Lupin. She looked from Hope to Remus and announced to the room. "It's addressed to Remus J. Lupin. I think it's from Hogwarts!" And she handed him the letter, grinning ear to ear.

Dear Mr. Lupin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress

P.S. Due to your special circumstances, accommodations have been made to ensure the safety of all students. You shall be expecting a visit from the Headmaster prior to the beginning of term to discuss these accommodations.

Remus read the letter over and over again, waiting for his father to get home. Mrs. Fortescue used the floo to contact his office and his secretary said that he would be returning home at his usual time. She and Alice left soon after that, saying that the Lupins needed "family time". Remus was pretty sure it was due to Alice's continued excitement and insistence that she had been right all along and Remus would be going to Hogwarts! Remus was still struggling to believe it was real and didn't dare get his hopes up before he heard from his father that it was true.

Finally, the fireplace burst into green flames, and Mr. Lupin stepped out. Remus jumped up from the couch, the letter still clutched in his hand. He stood quietly while his father greeted his mother and removed his cloak, and finally turned to acknowledge Remus. "So, I hear you received a letter today," He said as though he were commenting on the weather. Remus's voice shook as he replied, "Da! Is it true? Am I really going to Hogwarts?"

Lyall didn't respond right away, instead reaching out his hand for the letter. Remus waited patiently while he read. Finally, his father looked up from the letter and smiled. "Well, it appears the old man came through after all. Assuming these accommodations are satisfactory, yes, you will be attending Hogwarts."

Remus felt paralyzed with shock. He stood glued to the spot, afraid that it was all a dream and that any movement or sound would cause him to wake up and shatter the illusion. But then Hope laughed and embraced her husband. They were both laughing when they pulled him into a family hug. "Did you hear me, boy? You're going to Hogwarts!" Remus laughed with and cheered with them, feeling dizzy with joy.

August 21, 1971

Remus shoved his list of school supplies into his pocket, even though he already had it memorized. He counted the galleons and sickles he had in his coin purse, hoping they would be enough for the supplies he needed. They were going to a second-hand book store and robe shop, but some of the supplies needed to be purchased new, such as quills and parchment and potions ingredients. There was one thing on the list that he was the most excited about. He would be purchasing his very own magic wand. Remus knew that once he held his wand in his hand, he would be a real wizard.

"Bye Mam, I'm off!" He called as he hurried down the hallway to the front door.

"Not even a hug for your mother?" She protested, standing in the doorway with an admonishing, yet cheerful, look. He ran back up the walk and pulled her into a quick hug. "You be safe, now. I want you home before dark!" Remus was already halfway down the path to the road when he called back to her, promising that he would.

It was almost a mile and a half to the Fortescues' house, even though they were the nearest neighbor. Still, it took Remus less than 20 minutes to get there, in his excitement. He had been to Diagon Alley with them once before when he was 9 years old. Alice had been so excited to do the shopping for her first year at Hogwarts, she invited her best friend to come with her to shop for supplies. His parents had reluctantly agreed that it would be a good experience for him to visit the wizarding street in London. It was the first time that he had ever seen such large crowds of people. And there were so many other children! He had been overwhelmed by it. So much so, that after the first shop they went to, he started to feel faint and his heart rate increased and he went pale as a ghost. Mr. Fortescue noticed his anxiety and brought him inside the ice cream shop run by his father to escape the crowds. Alice's grandfather was a kind old man, and he let Remus try every flavor of ice cream while he watched the witches and wizards stream by through the window.

Remus had been mentally preparing himself, and he was confident that there would be no panicking this time. He was 11 years old, and he was about to go to a school filled with other magical children. He was ready. He could handle it. He was in high spirits as he knocked on the door, and Alice burst out and grabbed his hand, pulling him along to the portkey stop, her parents following behind shaking their heads and reveling in their daughter's joy. They walked up to a courtyard next to an old abandoned church and Mr. Fortescue pointed to a sun-faded football in the grass. "That will be our portkey. Everyone gather round." They all put a hand on the ball and the world was turned upside down and inside out.

Remus hit the ground with a thud. He shook his head and looked around. They were in another courtyard, but this one was small and walled in behind a pub, The Leaky Cauldron. "Up you go." Mr. Fortescue hauled Remus to his feet as Mrs. Fortescue was already tapping the bricks on the wall. "We need to be quick, as another portkey will be arriving in two minutes."

"What happens if we are still here?" Remus asked, curious.

"Well, they'd land right on top of us. I don't suppose that would be very comfortable." Mr. Fortescue responded, jovially.

The wall opened up before them, and they stepped through it onto a street bustling with activity. Witches and wizards in colorful robes and arms full of shopping bags were moving about in droves. Some had charmed their hauls to float behind them like balloons on a string, but they were held with nothing but magic. Remus's jaw dropped open, and Mrs. Fortescue watched him with concern. "How are we doing, hon? I believe the used bookshop is just about a block north of here."

"I'm ready." Remus let out, barely over a whisper. He was having trouble finding his voice. But he wasn't nervous or nauseous, even after the portkey. He was still every bit as excited as he had been when he left his house that morning. He nodded to the right, signaling he was ready to head to the bookshop.

They were able to purchase all of his first-year books, and most of Alice's at the second-hand bookshop, but they still needed to purchase a couple at Flourish and Blotts, so they headed there next. Remus could have spent hours in the bookshop! He didn't even mind the crowd and was feeling quite confident as they headed to their next destination, the second-hand robe shop.

Remus fidgeted impatiently as he was measured by a magical floating measuring tape, which then zoomed over to the sales associate. The young witch looked frazzled, her hair falling in wisps from the bobby pins that were meant to contain it. She blew a stray strand out of her eyes as she looked at the measuring tape hovering in front of her. "Hmm, okay, you -" She pointed at Remus, "Come with me." She handed him several sets of robes to try on. He ended up purchasing three of them, along with a pointed hat and a winter cloak. He was running dangerously low on funds. He furrowed his brow as he counted his galleons. He had six galleons and seven sickles left and he desperately hoped it would be enough for a wand at Ollivanders.

When they entered the wand shop, Remus's skin tingled with the magic that permeated the air. Shelves and shelves of long thin boxes towered over them from each side of the small shop. The old wandmaker, Ollivander himself, turned from where he was reshelving a pile of wands to greet them. "Welcome, welcome! What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. We are here with young Remus Lupin. He is ready to purchase his first wand." Mr. Fortescue patted Remus's shoulder, encouraging him to step further into the shop.

"Ah, yes, Lupin! I remember selling your father his first wand. Black Walnut with dragon heartstring. Unyielding." The wandmaker walked over to Remus and stared at him, considering. Remus felt as though he were being x-rayed, and suddenly felt hot and itchy under the collar. "For you… perhaps Hawthorn and Thestral hair." He moved away suddenly and started pulling boxes from the shelves. He handed one to Remus. "Go on boy, give it a wave."

Remus took the wand and waved it. A small puff of smoke came from the end. Remus was startled, and he looked up at Mr. Fortescue nervously. Was that what was supposed to happen?

"Nope, not quite right." Mr. Ollivander pulled the wand from his hand and shoved another into it.

After a few more wands, Alice, who had gotten bored and was people-watching out the window, exclaimed "Oh, there's Edgar and his family!"

Mr. Fortescue straightened up. "Oh, wonderful. Remus, shall we leave you to this and meet up for ice cream in half an hour?" Remus assured him that he was okay with that, as Mr. Ollivander brought over another stack of wand boxes.

He must have gone through fifteen different wands before he picked up one that was cypress, unicorn hair core, and very swishy. It was a light-colored wood, with bumps carved into the handle which made it fit perfectly between his fingers. He felt a warmth go through him and a pure white light emanated from the tip of the wand. Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands excitedly. "I believe we have found your wand, Mr. Lupin!" Remus was sure he had never felt this happy in his life.

The wand cost five galleons and two sickles. Remus still had enough money left in his coin purse to be able to buy some quills and parchment. He was still feeling elated and looking at the wand in his hand as he burst through the door ready to run straight to the ice cream shop to show it to Alice when he ran straight into something solid and with an "oof" he fell to the ground.

"Oh, bloody hell. Are you okay?"

Remus looked up into the face of a very good-looking boy around his age, with wavy dark hair falling into his eyes. The boy stuck out his hand to help him up. Remus took it, feeling his stomach twist with nerves as he was pulled to his feet. He had never met another wizard his age. This boy was dressed in high-end wizard robes and had shiny shoes. The boy was talking very quickly. "Did you just buy your first wand? That's what I'm about to do, too! Can you believe it? Are you going to Hogwarts? I'm Sirius. Sirius Black. And this is my brother, Regulus." He gestured to another, smaller boy, standing a few feet behind him. Remus nodded, trying to form words, but having difficulty finding his voice. He glanced back at Sirius's brother and his heart twisted in his chest. Regulus was staring at him, wide-eyed and concerned. As soon as their eyes met, the concern was wiped from his face, replaced by a haughty glare.

"Sirius, we shouldn't be talking to strangers," Regulus said and a look passed between the brothers. Regulus nodded almost imperceptibly to a space somewhere behind Remus's right shoulder.

A stern woman's voice came from behind Remus. "Sirius, what are you doing? You know better than to associate with filth like this. Please tell me you did not touch this loathsome creature?"

Remus turned to see a tall woman, who would have been pretty if it weren't for the sneer of disgust on her features as she looked at him. Remus felt the blood drain from his face. She knows. He tried to swallow, but his throat felt dry and he couldn't catch his breath. Werewolves will never be accepted into wizarding society.

Sirius had stepped away from him immediately but flashed Remus an apologetic look before mimicking his brother's stony expression. "Of course not, mother. It was only an accident."

Remus's head was spinning and his stomach roiled. He reached out automatically to the closest solid object, which happened to be Sirius's shoulder, before promptly vomiting up his breakfast.

Mrs. Black shrieked. "Really! You foul, disgusting little mudblood, get your hand off of my son!" She pulled Sirius next to her.

Mrs. Fortescue suddenly appeared from the crowd, heading straight for Remus, "Oh, Remus! Are you alright?" She quickly vanished the pile of sick on the ground with a wave of her wand and pulled Remus into a hug.

"Are you responsible for this filth? He's soiled my son's shoes!" Mrs. Black bellowed. Mrs. Fortescue responded, but Remus couldn't make out what she said, as he was quickly losing consciousness.

"Thank you, Mr. Fortescue." Remus smiled politely as a heaping bowl of ice cream was set in front of him.

"Eat up, my boy. There's nothing a good ice cream sundae can't cure." The man said cheerfully, patting Remus on the shoulder before wandering off to help other customers.

"Are you feeling better, Remus? You're starting to get some color back at least." Alice said between bites of her ice cream sundae. She and her friend Edgar sat in the booth across from him. They had been trying to act like everything was normal, and he hadn't just vomited and then fainted in front of the first person he met who would be going to Hogwarts.

"I'm fine." Remus lied, as he swirled the spoon around in his ice cream. He loved ice cream, and it was a rare treat for him. But he had no appetite and his stomach was still churning with nausea. The thought of the pity he saw on Sirius Black's face made him want to vomit all over again. He had been so excited to go to Hogwarts but now he dreaded it. It sat like a rock in the pit of his stomach. Were there a lot of wizards like Mrs. Black? Would they all look at him and know instantly that he was a dark creature that didn't belong in proper wizarding society? How did he ever think he could go to Wizarding school and not be noticed?

When Albus Dumbledore had come to his house the previous week he had explained that Remus's condition should be kept quiet. The school mediwitch of course was fully aware of his condition and would be his main point of contact for full moon care. After being sorted into a house, his head of house would be provided with more details about his condition and the accommodations that were put in place to manage it. Other professors would only be told what they needed to know to explain his frequent absences.

What Remus needed to focus on was the first part. His condition must be kept quiet. Remus would need to be completely inconspicuous and unremarkable. Unnoticeable. He would not make friends. He would not join clubs. He would be practically invisible. Because as soon as someone noticed him. As soon as another wizard tried to get to know him, he would be found out. And if he was found out, if they knew what he was, he would be shunned. Parents of other children at the school would be outraged that the headmaster endangered them all by allowing a ferocious beast into the school with them.

And so he would avoid anyone who tried to befriend him. He would avoid anyone who came from a high wizarding society family. He would definitely, definitely avoid Sirius Black. Alice would be his only friend. That was fine. That was how it had been his whole life, anyway. If that was what it took to be able to stay at Hogwarts and learn magic, then that was exactly what he would do.

September 1, 1971

The great hall was just as magical as Alice had described it. More magical than she described it. Because it just couldn't be put into words. Remus was filled with awe as he lined up under the enchanted ceiling with candles hovering over the long house tables. He looked over at Alice and Edgar as they were waving at him from the Ravenclaw table. Edgar's siblings, Amelia and Andrew, were starting at Hogwarts this year, too. Remus had met them briefly in Diagon Alley and then spent the entire train ride to Hogsmeade with all of the Boneses and Alice. They were funny and kind and didn't mind that Remus didn't talk much. He got along best with Amelia, who was a fan of muggle fantasy books. She managed to get him talking about The Lord of the Rings for hours and by the end of the train ride he had decided that the Bones family might be an exception to the "no friends'' rule he had set for himself. After all, he already knew them through Alice, so there wasn't much to be done about that.

"Black, Sirius" the deputy headmistress, Professor McGonagall called out. Remus looked up at the name. He felt his stomach clench. He had seen Sirius earlier trying to get his attention at King's Cross, but Remus quickly looked away and pretended he didn't see him. The embarrassment about what happened in front of the wand shop rose like bile in his throat whenever he saw the boy with his aristocratic features and refined fashion. He could hear Mrs. Black's voice in his head, reminding Remus that he was a lowly, despicable creature.

As Sirius sat on the stool in the front of the room, the old hat that was used to sort the students was placed on his head. "Gryffindor!" it shouted after a moment. Sirius looked surprised but pleased as he headed to the Gryffindor table, shooting a rude hand gesture to the Slytherin table.

"Bones, Amelia" Professor McGonagall called. Amelia nervously climbed up onto the stool and the professor placed the hat on her head.

It took less than a moment for the hat to exclaim, "Ravenclaw!"

Remus cheered for her, looking over to see Amelia engulfed in a hug from Alice, as Edgar congratulated her with a huge grin on his face. Andrew was also sorted into Ravenclaw and received much the same reaction.

As more students were sorted into Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff, Remus grew nervous. He hadn't fainted since that day in Diagon Alley and he would be mortified if it happened to him here, now, with the entire school watching.

"Lupin, Remus" It was his turn. He felt like he was in a trance as he stepped up to the stool and sat down, the hat placed on his head.

A voice sounded in his head, startling him. "Well, aren't you an interesting one? You have strength and determination, and a strong sense of justice. You would do well in Gryffindor." Remus thought of Sirius Black, having to share a dorm with him, and he felt sick. No, please not that! Anything but that. "No? Well alright, you do have a sharp mind and wit. Yes, you are very clever. You could thrive in Ravenclaw." The hat seemed to be listening to his thoughts. Remus thought about Alice and Amelia and Edgar and all of Alice's stories about book clubs and chess games in the cozy common room. Yes, he thought with all his might, Please, please put me in Ravenclaw. "If you insist…"

"Ravenclaw!"

Remus was flooded with relief and practically ran to join his new friends at the Ravenclaw table.