Chapter 2- Fourth Year
Stepping out of the train was a surreal moment for Remus. The towering castle perched upon the mountainside before him solidified the fact that he was indeed going to Hogwarts and this wasn’t just an intense fever dream. All his belongings were left behind on the train as Lily assured him they'd be delivered separately. Without anything in hand, Remus found himself following Lily through the throng of students, trailing behind her as she guided him toward a line of waiting carriages. “I’m not even sure if you're supposed to be following me or going with the first years Remus.” she yelled behind her. This information was no comfort for Remus as he continued to chase after her. Eventually she led him towards the one of the middle carriages and they clambered in, finally taking a moment to breathe.
This didn’t last long however as they were quickly followed by not only Marlene and Mary but James and Sirius as well. “We don’t have room for you two blundering idiots,” Lily groaned, moving closer to the edge of her seat. “You heard her girls, go on and find your own carriage,” was Sirius’s response which just caused Lily to groan louder. Remus smirked at Sirius and moved over so he could sit down next to him. “Evans there are six seats in this carriage, surely you can survive ten minutes of close proximity to me,” James pouted, putting an arm around Sirius. Lily looked over at him in disdain while the two other girls giggled.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have to suffer another year of your pathetic attempts at romance Potter,” Marlene asked, kicking him lightly in the shin, “The team needs you to bring your A-game so we can get another win.” James rolled his eyes playfully at that, “I always bring my A-game, McKinnon, you know this,” he responded, giving her a lopsided smile. “Do you play as well Marlene?” Remus asked, turning in his seat to face her. “You know it! Best beater on the team I’d say,” she responded, sticking her tongue out at Sirius. “You do realise I agree with you right?” Sirius revealed, smiling fondly. Marlene just grinned and turned back to Remus. “What about you sunshine, are you gonna try out?” chuckling, Remus shook his head, “absolutely not, I don’t do sport.” Lily nodded in approval as they all fell into easy conversation.
The group talked about many things, like how many new students they thought there would be and what food they were going to devour at the feast, Remus added a few comments here and there but mostly listened as the Gryfindors conversed. He was starting to get nervous again however, now that the ceremony wasn't nine hours away and even though he knew it was stupid, Remus was worried that the sorting hat might not work with his werewolf brain. He was absentmindedly stroking the scar along his knuckle when Sirius lent in slightly. “How did you get that?” he asked quietly, looking down at Remus’s hand. Quickly Remus hid the scar with his other hand and glanced up nervously. “Umm I think I got it falling out of a tree or something” he mumbled, looking away as Sirius made eye contact. Merlin, he needed to get better at this lying thing if he wanted to go four years without his secret being discovered, it hadn’t even been a day yet and he was already struggling. “Maybe it is a good thing you don’t do sport if you get bested by trees,” he smirked and Remus felt a little more relaxed.
Sirius went back to arguing with James about some Quidditch related nonsense and Remus smiled down at his hands not noticing that the carriage had finally come to a stop. Everyone had started to move and Remus felt himself panic again “I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to be doing” he declared while everyone gave him reassuring smiles before climbing out. “We will go and find McGonagall, she’ll know what to do” Lily responded as Remus helped her out of the carriage. When he turned around there were two new people standing with the group. One of them was short and slightly plump with a mop of blond hair and the other was an equally short but pretty girl with long brown hair and a fringe almost obscuring her eyes.
"Remus, this is the famous Peter we were telling you about," Sirius exclaimed, giving Peter a friendly pat on the back. The boy looked up at Remus and gave him a shy smile." James and Sirius were telling me about you, it’s nice to finally meet," Peter said. Remus returned the smile and extended his hand for him to shake. "It’s good to meet you too," he replied. After they shook hands, the girl sitting next to Peter cleared her throat and extended her hand as well. “I’m Alanza Alves, Peter’s girlfriend” she announced whilst Remus took her darker hand in his. “Nice to meet you.” he responded as she gave him a wide smile. Remus saw Sirius whisper something to James behind her back and afterwards they both started snickering before turning around to walk up to the castle.
Once the new introductions were over they all fell into step and Remus found himself at the back talking to the couple. “So are you both in Gryffindor as well?” Remus asked which caused Alanza to giggle. “No, just Pete, I’m too smart to be in Gryffindor with this lot.” This caused Peter to roll his eyes. “Alanza thinks that just because she’s in Ravenclaw she’s smarter than everyone else,” he explained. “But she forgets that Lily is at the top of our year.” Alanza slapped his shoulder playfully at this. “And I am in full belief that she was sorted into the wrong house.” she claimed as they continued walking. “How did you two meet?” Remus questioned and watched as they gave each other matching smiles. “Well last year we both joined the herbology club and instantly bonded.” Alanza answered, grabbing Peter’s hand. “Yeah and when she saved me from getting choked to death by devils snare I knew she was the one.” Peter joked, squeezing her hand back as she giggled. Remus smiled at this and decided that these two are quite cute together even if they were a lot.
“So Remus, what house do you want to be sorted into?” Alanza asked, peering over at him. Remus kicked a rock off the path as he thought of an answer to this. Earlier on the train he would have said Gryffindor but at this point in time he was just praying to be put into a house. “I don’t think I’m smart enough to be put into Ravenclaw.” he replied smiling over at her “So I think we can rule that one out.” At that moment Sirius and James started laughing hysterically in front of them. “I don’t think you could be more stupid than those two.” She muttered as Peter shook his head. “You do realise that they’re my best friends right?” he asked, sounding exacerbated, like this was a recurring conversation they had. “Yes I know, but I just think you could do so much better than them,” she insisted. “They’re always dragging you into their ridiculous pranks and getting you into trouble.” Peter rolled his eyes and gave Remus a quick smile. “They don’t drag me into anything,” he explained. “I always know what I’m getting into.” Remus nodded his head at this. “Trust me, I heard all about the pranks you guys pull on the way here,” he stated. “And I’m all for it.” Peter gave him a grin after this and clapped him on the shoulder. “I knew I would like you,” he said as they caught up with the others waiting for them at the front of a large arch doorway.
Inside, two grand marble staircases spiraled up on either side of the hall, framing an archway that was filled with a sea of students. “Where’s this professor you wanted me to speak to?” Remus asked Lily, who was now standing beside him. Instead of answering, Lily scanned the room, rising onto her toes for a better view. “Minnie’s over there, if that’s who you’re looking for,” James said, nodding toward an older woman wearing a large green hat, standing across the hall. “Come on, Remus.” Lily tugged him toward the woman who, Remus couldn’t help but notice, looked rather intimidating. “Professor,” Lily greeted with a bright smile. “This is Remus Lupin, who’s here to be sorted as a fourth-year.” The woman looked down at them, her gaze softening as she turned her attention to Remus. When she spoke, her strong Scottish accent made her sound even more imposing than he had imagined. “Ah, Mr. Lupin, I wondered where you’d gotten off to,” she said, before shifting her smile to Lily. “Thank you, Miss Evans. You may return to your friends now.” Lily began to turn back toward the others when Professor McGonagall’s voice stopped her. “Oh, and Lily,” she said, her smile easing a little, “it’s good to see you, dear.” “You too, Professor,” Lily replied. “See you later, Remus,” she added, giving him a quick wave before heading back.
“I’m glad to see you’ve met Hogwarts’ finest student,” McGonagall remarked, glancing down at her clipboard. “Now, you’ll be sorted first, as your situation is a bit different.” She paused before continuing. “You’ll wait here until I call for you. After the feast, I’d like you to come to my office so we can discuss your classes and other matters.” She then looked up at Remus, offering him another smile as he stood there, quietly freaking out. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Lupin.” With that, she turned and began directing the other students into the Great Hall. This gave Remus a brief moment to himself as he watched the students surge forward, chatting excitedly. Unfortunately, this silence only allowed his mind to spiral, giving him ample time to overthink everything that was about to happen. The flood of anxiety rushing through him seemed unstoppable. Could anyone blame him though? At this point, Remus and Murphy’s Law were practically soulmates.
After what felt like hours of intense stress and an exuberant amount of overthinking, Remus was finally called to enter the great hall. As he stepped inside, he felt the weight of countless eyes following him, all positioned to watch as he walked down the middle of the room. On either side of Remus were four long tables which he assumed were for each of the houses. At the end of the walkway was one more table filled with an assortment of adults, all eyeing him curiously. The one Remus's attention fell to however was Albus Dumbldore. He was positioned in the middle of the table and was one of the only people in the room that didn’t acknowledge him with confusion and was instead smiling kindly. As Remus took in the sight of the many floating candles and the stunning high ceiling that mirrored the night sky, he couldn't help but wonder if all the professors knew about his condition, or if only a few were aware. He hadn't even considered the possibility that he might have to keep his secret from the people teaching him as well. Remus finally reached the front of the hall and turned to sit on the worn wooden stool. As the hat was placed on his head, Remus heard the whispers of his classmates and felt as if they could see right through him, recognizing him as a fraud.
"Hmm, how intriguing, yes, very interesting," the voice in his thoughts echoed, making Remus jump. "This mind is older than the others," the hat noticed. Remus could feel the curious gazes of all the students upon him, including the Gryffindors he had met on the train but Lily just offered him a reassuring smile. “I see you don’t feel worthy of Ravenclaw,” the hat mentioned before pausing. “Actually,” it continued. “It seems you feel unworthy of all the houses. Why is that Mr Lupin?” that hat asked. Remus wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer aloud or just in his head, but he definitely didn’t want his entire audience to hear the response. "Feel free to speak to me through your thoughts," the hat suggested, sounding amused. Remus shifted uncomfortably on the now painfully hard stool before answering. "I guess I always assumed Hogwarts wasn’t meant for someone like me, so it’s taking a while for my mind to catch up," he said in his head. When the hat remained silent, he continued after an awkward pause. "There’s also the werewolf thing," he added, whilst the hat chuckled in response. “Yes, I can see the part of your brain controlled by the werewolf now," the hat remarked, its tone curious. "I’ve never experienced something quite so angry before.” Remus was at a loss for words. What the fuck was he supposed to say to that? Of course, he knew about the anger—he had the scars to prove it—but he hadn’t realized it was always there, quietly lurking in the back of his mind. “Well I see a great many things in this head, yes. I see ambition, the desire to prove people wrong and to make others proud. I also see kindness and loyalty to those you love and care for, a very important trait to have. And even though you don’t believe it yourself I do see a great deal of intelligence and you have the capabilities of going far here at Hogwarts,” The hat paused for a second before continuing. “Although these traits are significant within you Mr Lupin, I have met few other wizards who possess as much courage and bravery as you. And with that in mind it might as well be… GRYFFINDOR.”
The cheers and shouts that followed him all the way back to the Gryffindor table made Remus grin widely. It hadn’t been nearly as bad as he had expected. Yes, he’d learned that his favorite dark creature was always lurking in the back of his mind, but the hat also seemed to believe he had plenty of admirable qualities to go along with it. The best part, however, was that he could now join Lily at Gryffindor. Judging by the massive smile on her face, he could tell she agreed with him. "I knew my manifestation would work!" Mary called out to Remus as he took a seat between Lily and Marlene. "Nice of you to finally join us, mate. It only took about..." James began, glancing down at his hand. (which, for the record, didn’t contain a watch.) "20 minutes for the Sorting Hat to get its shit together." Remus just laughed at this, looking over at Peter as he started to speak. “I think that beats Sirius’s record from three years ago, what was it again James?” he asked, turning back to look at him. “I think it was about 15 minutes,” James answered, clapping Sirius on the back. “Hey, it was only because I was so perfect the hat didn’t know what to do,” Sirius responded while Marlene just scoffed. “I think it was considering whether it should kick you out before it was too late.” she added while Sirius stuck his tongue out at her from across the table.
"Remus, you don’t understand how happy I am right now!" Lily exclaimed, grabbing his arm and shaking it excitedly. "You’ve only known me for 10 hours, what if I’m the worst person you’ve ever met?" Remus joked, nudging her gently with his elbow. “Oh, shut up," Lily replied, laughing, just as the great oak doors at the front of the hall swung open again. Slowly and cautiously, the new first years began to file through, looking as nervous as Remus had felt 30 minutes ago. The room fell silent as the official sorting ceremony began, each student anxiously awaiting their turn with fate. Remus watched as the hat called out each chosen house, clapping along when someone new was sorted into Gryffindor. What Remus did notice, however, was that no one seemed to sit on the stool for as long as he had. But it didn’t matter—he would’ve stayed there for hours if it meant being sorted into Gryffindor.
Eventually, the ceremony came to an end, and Dumbledore stood to address the room. “Now, I understand you’ve all had a long day and are likely starving, so I’ll save my speech for after you’ve filled your stomachs… Enjoy.” He clapped his hands once, and the tables instantly piled high with food. A warm, constant chatter filled the hall as students eagerly dug into the feast. Remus didn’t even realize how hungry he was until his gaze landed on the steaming chicken wings and roast potatoes in front of him. As the group settled down and started serving food, Peter began the conversation. “So Remus, what was it like being homeschooled for three years?” He asked from across the table. Remus cleared his throat and swallowed his mouthful of chicken. “Umm it was mostly fine I guess, but I have nothing to compare it to so feel free to ask me again after a week of classes,” he replied, passing James the bowl of garden salad with a hint of pity after witnessing his rather awkward attempt to grab it.
“What electives are you taking? Maybe we’ll share a few,” Sirius asked, prompting Remus to glance over. “Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Arithmancy,” he replied. This made Mary look over in excitement. “Oh, good! We have all the same classes, Remus!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know if that’s good for you. I’ve never cared for a creature in my life, or done anything related to Divination, for that matter.” Remus responded. Peter glanced over curiously after that. “Are there any other subjects you’re taking that you’ve never done before?” he questioned over Marlene’s head. “I’m so glad you asked, Peter,” Remus replied with a smile. “I’ve never touched a magical plant before, so I’m going to need your help with Herbology.” Peter grinned, waving his fork at Remus. “That,” he declared, “I can do.” Marlene quickly pushed Peter’s fork back down and rolled her eyes. “Mary can help you with Divination,” she chimed in. “It’s weird how good she is at it.” Mary nodded enthusiastically at this, then turned to strike up a conversation with the boy sitting next to her.
“What’s your best subject, Remus?” Lily asked, adding more peas to her plate. Remus paused to think about this. When his father taught him spells and enchantments, he never explicitly said what Hogwarts class they related to. So subjects like defence against the dark arts, charms and transfiguration all blended together in his mind. “I’m alright with potions and defence spells but I’m not sure if I’m at the same level as the rest of you. Chances are, I’m severely behind,” he replied. “Well, if you need help with anything, we’ll all be more than happy to assist,” Lily said with a smile. “Mate, if you need help with Potions, don’t even look in my direction,” James chimed in with a mouthful of potato. “I’m actually hoping you’re good enough to assist me instead,” he added, and Remus could practically feel the eye roll from Lily. “Well maybe if you actually paid attention in class you wouldn’t need help,” she muttered. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.” James raised his hand in mock salute, “yes ma’am,” he said, smirking at Remus.
The rest of the feast passed quickly, and by the time the desserts arrived, Remus was nearly falling asleep at the table. He wasn’t the only one, though; he noticed Mary stifling a yawn as well. Just as the conversations were dying down, Professor Dumbledore stood to give his closing speech. “I hope everyone is well-fed and looking forward to getting a good night’s sleep before classes begin tomorrow,” he said, surveying the hall. “Now, to inform the first years, and to remind others,” he added, glancing toward their part of the Gryffindor table, “The Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students, as is the Great Lake. Should you choose to venture into these areas, there will be severe consequences—if you manage to make it out to face them.” Dumbledore continued with his speech, outlining various school rules like no magic in the corridors and no leaving the common rooms after curfew. And as he spoke, Remus had a sneaking suspicion that the three boys he would be sharing a dorm with had probably broken every single one of these rules.
To Remus’s absolute horror, Dumbledore insisted that all the students end the night by singing the school song. With every verse, he could hear James and Sirius getting louder and louder, until they were practically shouting the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Marlene and Lily groaned in embarrassment, while he, Peter, and Mary just laughed at the display. When the song finally ended, there was a loud round of applause, before everyone stood up, slowly filing out of the hall. “I can’t wait for you to see the common room Remus,” Lily said excitedly, dragging him across the hall. “Wait, Lily, could you show me Professor McGonagall’s office first? She wants me to speak with her about some things,” Remus asked, trying to navigate through the crowd without bumping into anyone. “Yeah, of course,” Lily replied. “Her office isn’t too far from our common room anyway, since she’s our head of house.” And with that, they finally exited the Great Hall together.
The journey to Professor McGonagall’s office was much quieter compared to the rest of the evening. Remus and Lily walked in a comfortable silence, feeling too tired to talk after the long trip and good food. This gave Remus the perfect opportunity to observe his surroundings. As they walked, he couldn't help but admire the towering stone walls and winding staircases that seemed to change every time he looked. The walls were covered with framed portraits, each inhabitant moving around their canvas with a sense of ease Remus wished he had. As they moved further up the tower Remus felt the need to explore every inch of the castle, desperate to learn every secret and visit every room. They made one final turn and Lily led him towards a door at the end of the corridor. “What does she teach again?” Remus asked, looking over and seeing Lily’s fire red hair sway back and forth with each step that she took. “Transfiguration,” Lily answered and Remus just hummed in acknowledgement. She then knocked on the door which swung open instantly, McGonagall could be heard inviting Remus in from inside. “I’ll wait out here until you’re done,” Lily said with a smile, which Remus returned before stepping inside.
The room was much larger than he had expected. Tall windows stretched across the walls, offering a view of the grounds below, and the ceiling was high and pointed, giving the space an airy feel. In the center of the room sat Professor McGonagall, who looked up as Remus entered. “Mr Lupin, how did you enjoy the feast?” she asked politely. “It was good, thanks,” he responded a little awkwardly. “Good. Please, take a seat,” McGonagall said, gesturing towards the empty chair in front of her desk. After Remus sat down she gave him a warm smile. “Welcome to Gryffindor,” she congratulated. “I’m not sure if you have been informed, but I am the head of this house so let me tell you about a few of the values I expect from my students.” Remus nodded, listening attentively as she continued. “Now, I will not go easy on you just because you are in my house. I want you to put great effort into your classes—especially mine—and I expect no rule-breaking.” She paused, fixing him with a stern look. “I’m well aware of whom you share your dorm with, so I’ll warn you now: they tend to get themselves into trouble. If you’re planning to befriend them, I hope you’ll be a good influence, not the other way around.” Remus met her gaze and grinned as he replied, “I’ll do my best, Professor, but I can’t promise anything.” This earned a faint smile from McGonagall. However the smile faded as she gave him a more gentle look. “I’m sure you know the real reason you’re here, Mr. Lupin,” she said softly. “I’m not going to pretend to know how hard it is for you, but what I can offer you is my full support.” She crossed her hands on the desk, her expression sincere. “If you ever find yourself in need of help—or anything else—don’t hesitate to ask.” Remus traced the scar on his knuckle before responding, “thank you professor.” She gave him one final nod before dismissing him.
Lily was leaning against the wall waiting for Remus as he stepped outside of the office. “How did it go?” she asked as they began to walk towards the common room. “Yeah it was good, just wanted to warn me about my roommates,” he smirked while Lily laughed. “Honestly, I don’t blame her. The amount of stress those three cause has to be taking years away,” she joked as they walked up the final staircase. “Merlin, you weren’t wrong when you said the common room was close,” Remus observed as he realised the short distance they travelled. The two of them had stopped in front of an extravagant portrait of a large woman sitting down at a table. She was looking between them now like she was expecting something. “Password?” the woman asked, voice sounding bored. “Godric,” Lily answered hurriedly, which caused the portrait to swing inwards, revealing a wide entrance
. Remus followed Lily into the crowded yet cozy looking common area. The walls were covered in windows or bookshelves, with a large fireplace to the right, surrounded by comfortable couches and armchairs. On the left side of the room there were tables with chess boards and books, surrounded by more chairs and bookcases. Sitting on one of the seats was Missy, surrounded by an excited Marlene and Mary who were playing with her. “Remus you’ve made it.” Mary cheered, picking up the cat and handing her to him. “We found Missy and thought we would look after her until you got back,” she continued, giving her one last pat. “Cheers,” Remus answered happily before holding Missy like a baby and cuddling her. “Did you miss me?” he cooed, scratching her behind the ear. The girls giggled before Marlene let out a yawn. “Gods I’m tired, please let’s head off to bed now,” she begged. The others nodded and hummed in agreement as they made their way towards the two staircases in the middle of the room. “Remus, your staircase is on the left, just go up four floors and you should find your room,” Lily explained. Remus thanked her before saying goodnight to the girls and making his way up the stairs. He found his room on the fourth floor like Lily said but In the end Remus didn’t even need her advice seeing as the amount of noise coming from his room was a dead giveaway.
Remus didn’t know what he was expecting when he walked into his dorm but it was definitely not a massive venus flytrap looking creature trying to eat all of his roommates. So when he laid eyes on the large writhing plant in the middle of the room, Remus didn’t know what to do except just stand there with his jaw on the floor. There were sparks flying all over the place and Peter was screaming about using stunning spells without hurting it, while James jumped over one of the beds to dodge a row of sharp teeth. Missy, who was still in his hands, wanted absolutely nothing to do with the situation and jumped off, running back down the stairs. It wasn’t until Sirius actually got caught by the plant, its monstrous jaws snapping shut around his sleeve that Remus jumped into action. “Stupify,” he shouted after quickly pulling out his wand and pointing it towards who he could only assume was the real life Audrey 2. The plant fell to the ground letting go of Sirius in the process and the room finally went quiet. “What in the actual fuck is going on in here!” Remus yelled, looking between the three guilty boys. “It’s Peter’s fault,” Sirius declared. “He was the one who brought the fucking thing,” he continued to complain, glaring over at the shorter boy. “My fault!” he cried, “you’re the dumbass who decided to feed him six times more food than he needed,” Peter retorted, giving Sirius a matching glare. “Guys let’s not argue, it’s late and we’re all exhausted,” James reminded, rubbing his eyes from under his glasses. Peter turned away angrily and started to clean up the mess with his wand, shrinking the plant down to what Remus guessed was its actual size.
Now that his life wasn’t at risk, Remus finally entered the room properly and was greeted by a small smile from Sirius. “Thanks for saving me, you don’t understand how mortified I would have been if a plant killed me,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t worry about it,” Remus responded, finally smiling before looking around the dorm. “Which one of the beds is mine?” he asked as Sirius walked into the adjoining bathroom. “There’s a spare bed at the end next to Sirius’s you can take,” James shouted from behind his curtains. Remus walked over and pulled his trunk out, finally he started to relax as he changed into his pyjamas, which were a band t-shirt and sweatpants. After brushing his teeth and saying a tired goodnight to the other boys he was more than happy to sink into the soft mattress and close his eyes. He was still overwhelmed by the day he had, but as Remus tried to process everything, his exhaustion finally took over. His thoughts grew slower, and despite the chaos of the day, he found himself drifting off to sleep. For the first time in a very long time, Remus didn’t dream.