The weather in the British Isles is notorious for delighting in giving it's inhabitants the worst of both worlds. By mid March it had decided that in order to signal that spring was on it's way it should provide a few April showers. However since it was after all only mid March the rain still had the freezing chill of winter. For this reason there was no dawdling on the doorstep the next time Albus Dumbledore visiting the Lupins' home. The narrow corridor was a tangle of cloaks and people and umbrellas as introductions were made and drying charms cast. Remus looked on from the edge of the mayhem, his eyes fixed on the young witch in the brown cloak and pale blue robes. Albus was the first to break out of the chaos, he strode up to Remus and shook his hand.
"Hello again Remus, how are you? How was your birthday?"
"It was good thank you," said Remus.
The tenth of March this year had fallen only a couple of days after the full moon. That, combined with the bad weather which had chosen that day to launch it's assault on the hills of the Peak District, had meant that Remus's birthday had consisted mainly of sitting at home playing wizard's chess and cluedo and of course gobstones, and eating cake, something Remus was not inclined to complain about, especially since he wasn't feeling up to much else at the time.
Dumbledore smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening in a way that pleased Remus.
"There's tea and biscuits in the living room," said Hope, as she emerged from the tangle along with Madam Pomfrey, leaving Lyall to sort out the shoe and umbrella avalanche that had caused most of the confusion.
"Excellent," said Albus, and he gestured for Remus to through the door before him.
As they drank they're tea Remus's parents made conversation with madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore.
"...I didn't really like St. Mungo's," Madam Pomfrey explained, "I did my training there. By the end of the first month I was in tears and telling my mum I wanted to pack it in, but she told me to stick with it and I'm glad I did. I have always wanted to be a Healer, but my expectations of the job were very different from the reality. I went into Healing because I wanted to help people but most Healers there didn't seem to care about the patients at all. Seems paradoxical doesn't it? I don't know whether they started out like that or whether so many years in that place destroyed their ability to feel anything for the people they were treating. One of my mentors actually told me my biggest weakness was that I couldn't distance myself from my patients, and that's probably true but I didn't want to work somewhere where that was a weakness. So when I heard that the old Hogwarts Matron was retiring I had my application in straight away. Coming back to Hogwarts was wonderful, to me it was even more wonderful that going for the first time because by then I missed it so much. That's the thing about Hogwarts, it's not like anywhere else in the world, so it's sort of a haven for misfits of all sorts. Even if you don't feel like you'll ever belong anywhere else you can belong at Hogwarts. I wasn't cut out for St. Mungo's, and maybe it was because I was weak or maybe just because I was different, but either way it doesn't matter because I'm back at Hogwarts now."
By the time she started talking about belonging Remus knew Madam Pomfrey was speaking directly to him. He could feel himself going red and cast around for something to say, eventually coming up with "did you like Hogwarts then?" which he immediately realised sounded truly lame, but Madam Pomfrey seized on it and continued to speak.
"I loved it," she said, "and you'll love it too. I've never met anyone who hasn't loved Hogwarts. Your condition shouldn't be too much of a problem. You'll just need to come to the Hospital Wing about an hour or so before moonrise so that we have plenty of time, or earlier if you're feeling ill, and then we can go down to the Whomping Willow together and we can go through the tunnel into the house Professor Dumbledore has arranged for you. Then I'll come back and get you first thing in the morning and I'll heal any injuries you've got and you can rest up in the Hospital Wing until you're well enough to go back to lessons."
"Thank you," said Remus, again thinking of nothing better to say.
"Is there anything you'd like to ask Remus?" asked Professor Dumbledore, "any questions about Hogwarts or anything you're concerned about?"
Remus thought for a second.
"I don't think so," he said, "I think... I think Madam Pomfrey's explained everything."
"Good," said Dumbledore, "I'll look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts."
"I'll look forward to coming," smiled Remus, "thank you," he said again, "really, thanks."