A/N: See? I told you, I wouldn't let you hang for long! So this is the next chapter where the story really starts. Be good and let me know what you think (virtual cookies for all who do). I promise to update as soon as possible.
Chapter 1: A Letter Unexpected
Remus had always rather liked school. Still he couldn't help but feel relieved that it was finally over. It had gotten harder and harder to stay inconspicuous over the past few months. Well, as inconspicuous as he could get, anyway.
Living in a small town had its pros and cons but in his case it simply was a necessity. Small towns had small schools where all the pupils knew each other by name. Remus soon had found himself singled out. One reason for that was that his mother was a teacher in his own school. This, too, was a necessity because the only thing his mother had ever learned was how to teach and the next school where she could have gotten a job was almost two hours drive away.
Another reason was his clumsiness. Not a day went by where he didn't show up at school with at least a few bruises. There where however times when he showed up with more than just a few bumps or a black eye and more than once he had been asked by the school nurse if his mother beat him. That was horrible every time. His mother was the single most caring and loving person in the world. And there was just no better explanation he could offer for all the injuries he sometimes – often – bore.
To Remus it was obvious that people didn't talk to him because they where afraid of him, even though he was quite sure that they had absolutely no clue what they where actually afraid of. He blamed it on primary instinct.
Although he sometimes wished for company he was never really lonely. He had his books and they've never once disappointed him, filling his head with knowledge and his heart with wisdom. When the other boys of his class where outside during break, playing football or having snowball-fights during winter, he usually sat on his favourite bench and read.
And that was just what he did right now. School was over, the final bell had rung. He sat on his bench, a book on his lap, waiting for his mother to join him on the way home. The sun burnt mercilessly through the feeble shadow that was provided by the oak standing some feet behind him. He watched two of his late classmates kick a football at each other. One of them, Michael Holvey, had been his friend once. They had played canasta together and had hunted for salamanders and spiders in the nearby forest after school. That was before Michael's mother had told him to stay away from Remus as there was "obviously something wrong with that strange Lupin kid".
Remus saw Michael and his friend Phillip Box – who never missed an opportunity to trip Remus up in the corridors or elbow him in the ribs whenever he walked past him – looking in his direction and whispering something at each other. Box rummaged around in his bag which lay some feet away in the middle of the football field. Michael watched him for a while and then turned and smiled at Remus. Hesitantly he smiled back. At precisely that moment an apple shot at him like a bullet and hit him squarely in the head. He let out a surprised yelp and toppled off the bench. He heard the two boys' laughter as he rubbed the spot just above his right eye where the apple had hit him. He saw it lying innocently in the grass next to his shoe and picked it up. Rubbing it clean on his T-shirt he took a bite and then waved at the boys.
"Thanks for that, Phillip! I was just thinking about how hungry I was. Tastes a bit sour but I guess it'll do" he gave them a huge smile and went back to his book. Out of the corner of his eye he saw them exchange an annoyed look and grinned to himself.
Suddenly he heard a fluttering sound behind his back and turned around to find a huge bird sitting in the grass next to the oak. It was an owl, that much was certain. Having read Great Birds of Britain, he knew that owls where night active and he started to wonder. He got up and slowly approached the bird, hoping not to startle it. It didn't move, merely watching him curiously out of its amber eyes.
"Hello, beautiful" he said calmly. "Why are you up so late?" He scanned its legs, half expecting-
And there it was. He'd been right! This was no ordinary owl. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the letter the bird was holding in its claws. Carefully he knelt down and extended his right had as he would do when approaching a dog. The owl ignored his gesture and continued staring at him unblinkingly. Then it suddenly hopped forwards and dropped the letter onto his knees.
Remus picked it up and the owl appeared to nod contentedly and took off. Mouth hanging open he stared after it until it was nothing more than a tiny dot on the horizon. He lowered his gaze and started to examine the letter the owl had just delivered. It was made of heavy yellowish parchment that smelled funny and was sealed with a large purple wax seal that bore a coat of arms: the letter H surrounded by a badger, a lion, a serpent and an eagle.
That night Remus found it extremely hard to pull himself out of the whirl of thoughts and emotions that kept dragging him under. He'd kept the letter a secret from his mother until now, planning to tell her all about it over dinner when he'd had enough time to think. He'd known where it came from, what the H meant, even before he had ripped it open to read. It was a letter from Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had told him that he'd been accepted and when term started and what to bring along. Unfortunately it had failed to tell him how not to freak out.
"Mum, I need to show you something" he piped up after a very quiet lasagne.
"About your head? Yes dear, I've noticed the bump" she said, repositioning her glasses which had slipped to the tip of her nose. "What was it this time? Did you trip or bump into a wall again?"
"No, it was an apple this time" he muttered, blushing slightly.
"Really? Good lord, what am I going to do with you, boy? Fruit attacking you? What's next? Flying radioactive tomatoes?" she chuckled and shook her head in mock concern.
Remus glared at her for a moment.
"Anyway" he finally said. "Look at this and tell me what you think." He held out his letter which she took, frowning. For a long time she just sat there, staring at it with growing disbelief.
"Is this really-?"
Remus nodded.
"But how can this be?"
Remus shrugged helplessly. "I hoped you could tell me."
They sat in silence as Remus's mother read and reread the letter over and over again.
"Mum" he said finally, barely managing to conceal the hint of panic in his voice. "What are we going to do?"
