Year One: Of Invitations and Chocolate Frogs

Remus is sure that a mistake has been made. Surely Hogwarts wouldn't want someone like him as a student.

He clutched the small parchment of paper between thin, bony fingers as if he feared someone might demand to see it at any time. Demand proof that he was expected this year. It was silly, he knew, but he couldn't help the feeling that there had been some sort mistake. As if - though they'd let him board the train, let him exit on the other end, and cross the Black Lake with the other students - they might see his face and realize it had all been some grave error. Surely they didn't want him there.

"Everything has been taken care of," his mother had said as she straightened his vest for perhaps the fifth time in the past three minutes as they had stood at the station, ready to send him off to his first year. "Your father and I have spoken to the headmaster himself and he knows everything. He wants you there, sweetie. He said he'd take care of all of the arrangements. Isn't that wonderful?" She had beamed as if she'd been given the world. "Think about it, love, Hogwarts. Your father and I are so proud."

With that she had pulled him close, as if she might be unwilling to let go after all. She kissed his hair, straightened his clothes again, and made him promise to write at least once a week. She had been in Ravenclaw herself, but there was no pressure. The Sorting Hat would see him to the right house, of course. His father reached out a hand to shake it, his serious expression breaking in the last instant and he ruffled his son's hair.

They had sent him from there, waving as the train lurched into motion and began speeding towards a castle in Scotland that Remus Lupin had only heard about.

Now he found himself standing in the Gryffindor common room with perhaps sixty or seventy other students his age. They'd taken his luggage for him from the train and he'd been sorted, just as his mother had described. He had held tightly to his acceptance letter the whole time through.

The elder students had already moved to their rooms, knowing exactly where to go. Remus felt as if he were in a daze, even as a prefect urged him up the stairs to the boys' dormitories and he was directed towards a room with his things piled very neatly on the far bed. He'd been sure that he wanted to go into the Ravenclaw house, just as his mother had, but now that he saw the scarlet and gold drapes, curtains, and other such decorations, he felt a steady certainty of the Hat's choice.

Remus was nearly knocked to the ground by two laughing boys that seemed to barely notice him in their rush. Both dark haired and excitable, they stopped only when they'd piled onto the beds that presumably held their things.

"So who are you then?" asked the round-faced boy, hazel eyes nearly sparkling in excitement. And what was there not to be excited about? They were in Hogwarts. In Gryffindor.

"Remus," he answered, his voice sounding just a bit unsure. "Remus Lupin."

"Right," he said in response. "I saw you get sorted. Close one, wasn't it? The Hat almost put you in Ravenclaw." He paused just long enough to begin unpacking his bag. "I'm James Potter, by the way. That's Sirius Black over there."

The boy with the curly hair looked up from his bags with an easy wave.

"Hello. My mum was in Ravenclaw. I think it might have caught that," Remus said reasonably.

"Well, you got the better end of it," James said with a grin. "What house was your dad in?"

"He wasn't. He's a Muggle."

James gave a shrug. "No worries, mate. Some of the best wizards and witches come from mixed families." He glanced over at his friend. "Sirius is the first person in his immediate family to be sorted into Gryffindor too."

"Yeah, most of my family's in Slytherin. Good riddance to them. I didn't want to be with them any more than I had to."

Remus watched him for a moment before deciding that the other boy truly wanted nothing to do with his family. He could hardly imagine why.

"Hey, James," Sirius called, "I thought there were supposed to be five to a room. Did we luck out?"

"Looks that way, but there's more luggage on that bed there. Four in a room for five still ain't bad."

The door burst open again, a blond boy coming through nearly taking Remus down again. He was small - even shorter than Remus' own slight form, but certainly rounder - and mumbled his apologies. "Which one's Remus Lupin?"

"I am."

"Professor McGonagall wants to see you in the common room."

"Bloody hell, Remus, in trouble already?" James laughed.

"Looks a bit quiet at first, but you may prove to be fun," Sirius agreed.

Remus gave a small smile, reflexively clutching the letter in his hand. Well, he'd thought this might happen. The headmaster had come to his senses and was going to waste no time putting him straight on the train back to London. He'd sent the head of the house to collect him.

"You want me to save you a chocolate frog?" James asked as Remus turned to shuffle out of the dorm room. "For when you get back?"

Green eyes squeezed shut as their owner forced his voice to be steady. "Sure. Thanks."

James grinned. "We're going to be roommates for seven years. Bound to be friends, right?"

Remus nodded and disappeared down the hall before his chest tightened so much that he wouldn't be able to speak. He had friends. James Potter wanted to be his friend. His illness, as his mother called it, had certainly limited his ability to make friends, much less to keep them. It would continue now.

Professor McGonagall stood waiting in the common room, hands folded and patiently waiting by the fire. She turned as Remus entered, eyes fixated on him and studying. "Mr. Lupin," she greeted, voice neither warm nor accusatory. "Professor Dumbledore needed to see you this evening. He asked that I escort you, as you have been sorted into Gryffindor."

"Yes, ma'am," Remus managed. The tightness in his chest had since made it to his throat and the words barely squeezed by.

The Transfiguration professor said very little as she led Remus out of the common room, through the opening in the wall and down the stairs. Green eyes watched as the layout of the staircases changed even as they descended. People in the paintings on the wall seemed to watch with some sort of vague interest as they passed, and a ghost greeted them with a tip of his head from his shoulders and a friendly smile.

"He's expecting you," McGonagall said as they paused outside of what appeared to be a statue of an eagle. Before Remus could question where, exactly, the headmaster's office was, the aging professor spoke a few short words and the bird began to turn, revealing a hidden staircase. "Well hop on then," she encouraged.

Remus had been so caught up watching that he hadn't moved, but at her words he lept forward, feet firmly planted on the steps as they moved beneath him. He'd never seen anything like it before.

The hidden staircase left Professor McGonagall behind, emptying the young student into the large office. His eyes were wide and awe-struck as he took everything in.

"Ah, young Mr. Lupin! Pleasure, my boy. Come on in. You didn't have to bring the letter with you. I quite remember sending it to you."

Remus felt his cheeks heat as he stuffed the letter into his trouser pocket.

"I shouldn't want to hold you for long, Mr. Lupin, as you'll be expected at breakfast tomorrow early to receive your class schedule-"

"Then...you're not sending me home?" Remus asked, watching as the headmaster popped a piece of candy in his mouth and offered one to him as well.

"Home?" Dumbledore echoed. "Do you want to go home? Do you not like Hogwarts?"

"No! I don't want to leave at all. The school is amazing... More beautiful than anything I've ever seen. The people are nice and friendly, and I've already met my dorm mates, but..." He paused, watching Dumbledore for any signs that he should not continue. The elder man wore a friendly expression that urged the first year to continue. "Well, I thought maybe you'd just had time to think about it and decided that you didn't want me here after all."

Dumbledore's smile could have brightened the room, but it was his words that eased Remus' mind more than anything. "My dear boy, of course we want you here. We sent you a letter didn't we? You have it there. Look at it if you please? That's your name, is it not?"

"Well, yes sir. But..."

"Oh, certain precautions will need to be put into place to make sure you and the other children are kept safe, but I dare say we're up for the task. Are you?"

"Yes sir! I'll do whatever I need to to stay, sir!"

"That's the spirit. I had a good friend in my childhood with the same affliction as you. Sharp fellow. He had to be to get by in those days. I'd wager not much has changed in that regard." He smiled and offered another toffee. "I know a thing or two about it because of that. There's a place that is set up for you to use to keep you from the other students on that night. We've kept the number of people that know down to a minimum: myself, Professor McGonagall - as your head of house -, and Madame Pomfrey - so that someone in the hospital wing will be privvy to the situation."

"No one else knows? I don't have to go on any registry?" Remus asked, unable to keep the hope out of his voice.

"Dreadful things," the headmaster grumbled. "They breed distrust from ignorance." He paused, eying the boy. "But you must do your part as well, Mr Lupin. I suspect questions will arise as to your whereabouts after a time. You must not divulge your secret to another student, lest you put them and the school in danger. If a teacher approaches you with questions, come to me without delay. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir."

The smile returned and Dumbledore gave a hearty laugh. "Well that sounds about like we have an understanding, my boy. Off to bed with you. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Thank you, Professor. I don't know how to thank you."

"You can prove to me that I've made a good discussion on this. I have no doubt that you will."

"I will. I won't disappoint you. I promise."