The Letter
August 31st, 1971
The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual, or maybe Remus was just too aware of it. He sat on the worn sofa in the Lupin family’s cramped living room, the letter from Hogwarts trembling slightly in his hand. The parchment felt heavy, like it carried the weight of every hope and fear his parents had tried to shield him from for years.
Lyall Lupin paced by the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Every so often, he would glance toward the garden as though expecting someone to appear with bad news. Hope Lupin was quieter, seated at the kitchen table with a mug of tea she hadn’t touched. Her eyes were on Remus, her expression soft but taut with worry.
“You don’t have to go, you know,” his father said, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, but there was a tremor underneath it. “We can say no. We can keep you safe here.”
Remus swallowed hard. His mother opened her mouth to speak but said nothing, as though she were afraid of saying the wrong thing.
He didn’t answer right away. It wasn’t just the thought of leaving home—leaving behind the safety of their quiet, secluded life. It was a risk, and he knew it. The others might find out. He might hurt someone. He might prove to be everything people said a werewolf was: dangerous, unpredictable, unworthy.
But it was also Hogwarts.
He glanced at the letter again, the crest of the school shining faintly in the lamplight. For years, Remus had imagined what it might feel like to go to Hogwarts, to wear robes like any other wizard, to learn magic in the halls his father had spoken about so fondly. For the first time since Greyback’s attack, the dream felt like it was within reach.
“I want to go,” he said finally, his voice quieter than he’d meant it to be.
His father stopped pacing. His mother let out a soft breath, like she’d been holding it in since the letter had arrived.
“It won’t be easy,” Lyall said, his brows furrowing. “There are rules. Conditions. You’ll have to—”
“I know.” Remus met his father’s gaze, trying to sound more certain than he felt. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
His mother stood and crossed the room in a few quick steps, placing her hands on his shoulders. Her grip was firm but warm, grounding him in a way only she could. “You deserve this, Remus,” she said softly. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
For a moment, the weight of her words fought against the gnawing self-doubt he carried like a second skin. He nodded, even though part of him still didn’t believe her.
Outside, the summer evening had begun to fade, the first stars appearing in the inky sky. Tomorrow, he would step onto the Hogwarts Express, away from the only life he’d known and toward a world that might never fully accept him. But tonight, he let himself imagine it—a new beginning, however fragile it might be.