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Chapter Four: Family

What might have been an otherwise pleasant shopping trip was overshadowed by the approaching conversation. Moon couldn't bring herself to be excited over getting robes, books, cauldrons, or whatever else Dumbledore had her purchase in Diagon Alley. The afternoon became a blur after she obtained her wand, her thoughts circling around one central idea.

Their father. Their. Plural. Two or more.

She had been an only child for as long as she could remember. Her mother never remarried, and she never heard of her father finding anyone else. She had seen her classmates in primary school, ignoring their siblings, teasing them relentlessly, or playing with them at one or the other's hesitance, and she wished that she could have a brother or sister. It was a strange desire in retrospect—she didn't want to be teased or bullied or flat out ignored by someone she was related to—but she always wanted a sibling.

Now, like some peculiar genie wish, she was getting what she wanted in a way she hadn't asked for.

A sibling, or rather a half-sibling, and most likely someone much older than her. Someone who had grown up knowing they were a wizard, and someone who knew much more about their father than she did. Someone who, in all likelihood, wouldn't be interested in someone like her at all.

She'd never admit it, but the thought of rejection made her incredibly sad.

They left Diagon Alley by Disapparating, and Moon managed to stay on her feet. She looked at her new surroundings, and frowned.

"Hogsmeade?"

"It's impossible to Apparate into Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained. "I've sent for a carriage to retrieve you."

"Just me?"

"I will be taking a different route back to the castle."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a carriage being led by nothing she could see went over the small hill that had blocked it from their view.

"Right on time, then."

He opened the carriage door for the young girl. She placed her shopping bags in first, keeping her own personal bag close to her, and slid into the cushioned seat. The door shut behind her, and she could hear Dumbledore rap his knuckles against the carriage.

The carriage lurched forward, and the package containing her new cauldron would have slid off of the seat if Moon had not blocked it. The bag of robes fell down, but that was the only thing she could not save. She looked out the window to see Dumbledore heading towards the same pub that she had gone to the day before.

Just a day before, she had been chasing criminals. She had been a champion, the first of Alola, the one chosen by Tapu Koko to wear a Z-Ring for as long as she had been a trainer. Now, she was a witch, heading off to the school her father (and presumably her sibling) had once attended.

She pulled out her brand new wand and studied it intently. There were so many questions she needed answered. Did her father ever suspect she might be a witch? Did her mother know about magic? Did her mother know about her sibling? Who was this sibling of hers anyway, and why was it so crucial that Dumbledore tell her when no one could overhear them?

Her train of thought carried on for the entire ride. Moon was oblivious to her surroundings until the carriage jolted to a stop and she once again had to save her cauldron. A thick book clattered onto the floor, and she picked it up with a sigh. Her copy of Magical Drafts and Potions had a noticeable crease on the front cover now.

Someone knocked on the carriage door twice, but opened it without asking for permission. Moon was greeted by the sight of a man that was certainly taller than ten feet.

"We bin expectin' yeh, Miss Blakesley," the giant man greeted. "Come along now, leave yer stuff there, yeh'll get it back later."

She reluctantly left her purchases inside the carriage, but kept her bag strapped to her shoulder.

"My name's Hagrid, by th' way. Keeper of keys and grounds here a' Hogwarts."

"Nice to meet you, sir," she greeted with a friendly smile.

"No need ter call me sir. Hagrid'll do just fine."

When she finally saw Hogwarts for the first time, her mouth dropped open. She had seen palaces in Kalos, and manors over every single region, but all of them paled to the marvellous castle that was a school.

"Woah."

Whatever she had been expecting when she heard the word 'castle', it certainly hadn't been this.

"Firs' years usually get here by boat. Very memorable. Dumbledore told me yeh never got yer letter, though," Hagrid stated. "Real shame, tha' is."

Moon nodded, although she didn't really agree. Even if, by some miracle, she had figured out that she was a witch before she was eleven and did attend Hogwarts, everything with the Aether Foundation, Team Skull, and the Ultra Beasts would have gone on without her. Chances were things wouldn't have ended as nicely as they had.

A town raided, a family shattered, and a woman nearly killed.

The doors swung open as they approached. Moon saw a lone figure—a woman dressed in tartan—standing on the top of the staircase facing the entrance.

"Nice ter see yeh, Professor McGonagall."

"Likewise, Hagrid," the woman responded. "Is this Miss Blakesley here?"

"Yes," Moon replied.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Blakesley. The headmaster has requested your presence in his office. I'll show you the way."

She switched from following the giant to following the stern professor, and had trouble keeping her focus as they swept through the halls of the castle. The portraits did, as Dumbledore said, chatter.

"Students already?"

"There's only one, you fish brain!"

"No need to get snappy!"

"Too old for a first year."

"Well she can't be a teacher, can she?"

"Don't pay any attention to them for now," McGonagall advised, and many of the portraits sputtered. A few swore. They eventually stood in front of a gargoyle statue.

"Crystallised Pineapple," the old woman said clearly. The statue moved away to reveal a moving staircase. After a rather disorienting trip up, the two witches stepped into an office that was in complete disarray. Stuff was piled on every surface, whether it be stacks of papers, books, or metal trinkets that seemed to serve no real purpose other than for decoration. Portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses hung on the walls, whispering to each other or ignoring the world completely.

"Glad to see you have arrived safely," a voice said cheerfully, and Moon looked over to see Dumbledore fiddling with one of the contraptions he had. "Was the trip enjoyable?"

"I suppose," the young champion said. The sound of the gargoyle statue sliding back into place made her jump, and she looked glanced around the room.

When did that professor leave?

"Minerva has plenty of work to do," Dumbledore said, correctly guessing her thoughts. "As interested in your case as she may be, she still has duties as the deputy headmistress."

The old wizard glided over to the main desk in the room and sat in the chair. Moon sat on the bench opposite him.

"There are plenty of things you will need to know before your education can properly begin," he started. Moon's jaw clenched in frustration, and he smiled. "Of course, there is one pressing matter that needs to be addressed. Your family."

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday that I had a brother?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought that it would be too much stress for one day, especially in the state you were in."

"I was fine."

"You were hit by two hexes and received a concussion as a result," he chided. "Not considering the weight of the other revelations, you were in no state to be told something like that."

"So you just decided you'd hide the fact I had a brother."

"I would have told you when you arrived, regardless of what Ollivander said," he stated. "Nevertheless, you have been able to figure out a fair bit on your own."

"It wasn't that difficult," Moon said. "Given what you and Ollivander said, it was pretty easy to figure out that I had an older brother."

"How so?"

"Ollivander said I looked like him, and you said we both take after our father. So it's a simple step to believing I have a brother. The earlier parts of the discussion imply that Ollivander originally thought I was this man's daughter, so I'm guessing this mysterious brother of mine is at least eighteen years older than me. I'm also guessing something rather horrible happened to him, given that you refused to talk about him in public and my dad never mentioned him, but you referred to him in present-tense, so I think he's still alive."

A slow grin spread across the old wizard's face. "Very perceptive, Miss Blakesley. Your guesses are rather accurate.

"This is a fairly long story, but I think it is one you need to hear. Whatever I say shall not become public knowledge, understand?"

Moon nodded.

"Very well. Let me tell you about your brother, Remus Lupin…"

So:

I have been leaving a few small hints in the previous chapters as to who Moon is related to. To confirm: her father is Lyall Lupin, and Remus is her half-brother.

This deviates from canon slightly, as we don't know much about Lyall. He reportedly offered Remus a place to live after the war, but seeing as Remus didn't take the offer, I'm switching that.

I don't want to give too much away yet, as I'll reveal more about this throughout the story (remember, this story takes place during PoA. Confrontation is inevitable here).

Finals are on the horizon, so I'll try to stay on top of updates. I won't be getting much writing done, I imagine.

Hope everyone enjoys their week! And good luck to those who have exams like I do!