Chapter 3
A new school was nothing new for Remus, but he had never managed to perfect the art of finding a table to sit with at lunch. Hopping from school to school with each move had, if anything, tired him of trying. As he wandered through the fourth train carriage after climbing aboard the Hogwarts Express, he was starting to feel as though he would fail at this vital step in making friends yet again. Memories of eating lunch at a table alone on his numerous first days of school flashed in his mind with each step.
Remus glanced into each compartment to see if the occupants had room and seemed his age with special care to not draw the occupants attention. The issue was that even when they did have room, and seemed to be as young as he was, the doors to the compartments were closed, and it felt impossible to open the door. Remus couldn’t imagine opening the door and asking if there was room.
Surely they'd think him odd. Surely they'd say no.
But then a door opened from a few compartments behind him, and a young squeaky British voice chirped out down the hall.
“Remus!” Remus stopped, “It is Remus, right?” Remus turned to see the boy from earlier, still red cheeked, lugging his trunk out of the compartment that he must've been in prior. Remus heard a mix of older boys voices, from behind the boy. Peter. His name was Peter, right?
The boy only grew more flushed and out of breath as he clunked down the corridor, banging into the sides of the hall with the corners of his trunk until he finally got it upright. He was about the same height as Remus. But, where Remus’s bones stuck out at odd angles, and his clothes hung loosely, Peter was rounded out, his buttoned up shirt, vest and trousers were trimmed perfectly to fit. Remus thought of his second hand robes he would be changing into later and cringed. They were a couple sizes too large so that he could “grow into them,” as his Mam had put it.
“Thought that was you!” Peter huffed, smiling as he caught up to Remus, “I was sitting with my older brother, Martin, and his friends. Then I saw you passing by and well- better this way, right? I thought I’d lost you forever on the platform.”
“Sorry,” Remus replied, “It was crowded. I did look for you,” a bit of a lie, but Remus was glad the boy in front of him hadn't seen him crying to his Mam like a baby.
“Right it was. Anyways, Let’s go find somewhere to sit, yeah?” Peter said, still smiling, and they started down the corridor together.
It didn't take long before Remus decided that he liked Peter. Not only had Peter saved Remus from wandering the train on his own, but also Peter didn’t seem to mind talking. Which was good, because Remus liked listening. Peter gabbed on about his morning, and how he had lost his wand but it was actually at the bottom of his trunk, which they had to upturn and repack. His brothers had been so worried they would be late.
“George said he wouldn't speak to me for the whole year if I made us miss the train. Martin said he’d hex me each time I passed him in the halls.” Peter said fearfully from behind Remus, “They didn't mean it, not really. But I don't think it would be a great start to the- Oh, looks like there's one open up ahead.”
There was indeed an empty compartment a couple doors ahead. Remus and Peter made their way in, only for Remus to try the door and find that it wouldn't close.
Reter tsk-ed, “That’s why it’s empty. Well, I’m good here if you are.” Peter said. Remus nodded, ready to finally sit down. They helped each other stow their trunks, and finally settled in.
The compartment was cozy, with warm toned wood and dark red fabric on the seats. It was not opulent by any means, but Remus was happy when he finally sat and was able to look out the window at the rolling hills that they sped by. It made him wonder how the platform really worked. Had they really been transported? They were not in London, and no train he had been on could’ve gotten them out of the city that fast. It hit Remus then, there was really no going back. He was going to Hogwarts.
“So, where are you from? You sound Welsh.”
“I am Welsh,” Remus replied. “Well, mostly. My ma’s Welsh and my tads British. We’ve moved around a lot, but mostly lived in Whales, different places in the country.”
“Blimey, that’s neat. I’ve only lived in one place my whole life. A bit nervous to be living away from home honestly, but my brothers say it’s loads of fun- Hogwarts. My mum and dad said it’s great too. What about your family?
Remus shrugged, “My mams- eh, not a witch. And my tad doesn’t talk about it much, I suppose.”
The boy across from him nodded thoughtfully. “Your moms a muggle then? ‘Spose it makes sense you wouldn’t know much then, but interesting your dad doesn’t talk about it much. Does he not use magic around the house?”
“He uses it a bit, just doesn’t talk about it too often. He’s gone off for work a lot too.” Remus shifted in his seat nervously. Peter didn’t seem to dislike Remus yet.
Peter opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as there was a commotion in the hallway.
“Off to make some better friends right Sirius,” a young boy's voice followed by laughter from another bounced down the corridor and into Remus and Peter’s compartment.
“That Severus Snape, was it? He’s a right prick. He is. We'll have to show him right from wrong if he gets too big,” footsteps sounded down the hall, heading towards them.
“Yeah, yeah.” The other boy spoke, his tone far more nonchalant, “but let’s not let it ruin our first trip, yeah? Look, they've got their door open down there!” Peter and Remus looked at each other uncertainly.
The voice got louder as the footsteps trotted closer, “Oi! Anyone in there? Room for a couple more?” a head poked around the corner into their compartment. A boy with long black curls and porcelain pale skin greeted them with an almost mischievous smile dancing on his face.
“Are you first years as well?” Peter said, the boy nodded, and that was all it took, the long haired boy, pulled his trunk into the compartment first. His clothing matched his hair, all black, sleek and tailored even more precisely than Peter's clothes. It was all made of what Remus assumed was luxurious looking fabric with fine black embroidery on the vest. It was odd to see someone his age look so formal, all sharp edges and straight lines.
“My name is Sirius Black. Give me a hand will you?" He looked at Remus with a piercing look, despite his smile. Remus thought that he had never seen eyes that were such an icy blue.
“Remus, ah Lupin” Remus said, standing. It was odd that everyone felt the need to use last names when introducing themselves. He stood up to help with the trunk
“I’m Peter Pettigrew,” Remus’s companion stood up to shake the other boy's hand. Remus wondered if Peter had looked so desperate when he introduced himself to Remus earlier.
“Peter! The other boy who had been waiting in the hallway finally made his appearance, rushing over to tackle Peter with a rather aggressive hug. Peter grinned at the boy, and a strange knot tugged in Remus’s chest.
“I’m James.” The boy straightened himself and looked at Remus, pushing his glasses up. “Petey and my parents’ are mates, so we’ve met. What’s your name?”
“Remus,” he tugged at the end of his sleeve. As Peter helped James with his trunk, Remus sat back down, looking at the newcomer.
James’ was also dressed like a puff, but his brash confidence and taller stature had Remus bracing himself. This boy exuded confidence, but he was smiling at Peter. Remus had been readying himself to step up to the other boys if they started picking on Peter, who painfully reminded him of boys that had been bullied alongside him in the past. Surely Peter would be a target to some kicking and pranks as Remus was. Did wizards not do the whole bullying bit?
Two patent leather shoes propped themselves up on the seat next to Remus, drawing his attention from one of the newcomers to the other.
The shoes were of course attached to the boy with dark curls and pale skin. Sirius was looking at him with a challenging expression, as if daring him to say something. Remus’s mother would have scoffed at the poor manners.
“Nice to meet you, Remus,” James said, taking a seat beside Remus. “Thanks for letting us join you here. We had to leave the other compartment we stared in, full of idiots,” he rolled his eyes at his own words.
“Right.” Remus said, trying his best not to look back at Sirius, whom he was pretty sure hadn’t stopped looking at him. What was his issue?
“What was that all about?” Peter spoke, now seated across from James.
“Agh- I’ll tell you later, Pete.” James waved his hand dismissively, but Remus noticed the boy’s glance in his direction. The knot in his chest tightened.
They all settled in and began to exchange introductions. James and Sirius were both from all wizard families as well. Remus wondered if that was why they were all so posh, or maybe it was just the fact they were British. Their accents took some adjustment, and at times Remus had to repeat himself because of his own Welsh intonation. Remus tiptoed around his odd upbringing, but it went unnoticed due to the fact that both James and Sirius seemed to love hearing themselves talk.
Remus didn’t mind this at all. If anything, it was nice to sit and listen. There was so much he didn't know about the wizarding world, and he tried to cling to each morsel of information his peers gave to him. Much of it didn't make sense.
James and Peter told the other two boys about their hometown, which was practically made up of all wizards. They could use magic a bit more openly, and there was a field in the forest nearby where all the village kids would ride on broomsticks and play a game called Quidditch.
Quidditch ended up taking up most of the conversation on their train ride. They explained the rules to Remus. He thought the sport sounded a bit like football 30 metres in the air. Beyond that, Remus was very lost. He just nodded his head in agreement as he stared out the window and they went on talking about their favorite teams and which positions they liked to play.
Eventually, a sweets trolley came by, much to Remus’s chagrin.
“I’m not hungry,” he claimed when the boys looked at him after ordering mountains of their own sweets. The woman nodded at him with a smile and continued on her way.
“Oh but you have to try some!” Peter said, his mouth somehow already full of chocolate. The slight smell wafting towards him had Remus’s stomach growling.
“Yeah! It's not like muggle sweets,” James said, his hand hovering above his own stash in contemplation. Before he made his choice, something landed in Remus’ lap.
Remus looked down to see a brightly colored, hexagonal box with a frog shaped chocolate inside. He looked up at Sirius Black, who was grinning at him. “A chocolate frog,” he said, “You’ve got to try one of them.”
No shit its a chocolate frog. Remus thought, excited at the prospect of chocolate, but not pleased with it being bought by someone else, especially not the boy with such fancy robes. “Thanks,” he said, mustering a smile, and opening the box.
“Careful, they-” Peter had started talking, only for James to dive across the aisle and put a hand to his mouth. Remus paused to find the other three boys now just staring at him.
“Is this a trap?” it came out of his mouth before he could stop himself. His mother would have scoffed at the poor manners after receiving a gift, but the black haired boy across from him was smiling in a way that Remus knew something was off.
“Go on and open it.”
Remus resumed opening the packaging, and soon the chocolate frog was free of its cocoon and in his hands. He looked at it, nothing seeming unusually. He looked back up at Sirius who was still grinning at him with that lopsided smirk. Something wriggled in his hand.
Remus’s eyes went wide as looked down and beheld a now alive chocolate frog, blinking up at him from his hands.
“Bloody-” he threw the thing.
It landed smack dab on the center of Sirius’s finely embroidered vest, smearing chocolate over it.
And then it jumped…
Onto Sirius’s face.
Chaos erupted. All four boys shouted, and leapt out of their seats as Sirius flung the frog off his face.
“Where’d it go?” James shouted, patting himself down in search of the frog.
“Up there!” Peter pointed to James’s trunk that was stored above them. Remus could not see the frog.
“It’s probably done moving now.” James said, disheartened.
“It's your frog, Remus. Go and get it.” Sirius said, crossing his arms.
“You were the one who threw it up there.”
“You threw it at me first.”
“I didn’t know it was going to spring to bloody life! No one thought to inform me of that bit?!” Remus glared from James to Peter to Sirius. A moment passed.
Then the four of them broke into laughter.
“Brilliant,” James managed through wheezes “Bloody brilliant.”
“You’ve got chocolate on your face, and your vest,” Peter said between breaths.
“You’ve done me a favor,” Sirius said, looking at Remus with a lopsided grin as he unbuttoned his robe and vest to take them off. “Mum made me wear this bloody awful thing. I hope it’s ruined forever.” Remus smiled back, feeling that knot in his chest unwind ever so slightly.
Remus did not get to actually eat a chocolate frog that train ride, but he managed to try almost everything else. He felt less guilty when the boys shared their other sweets with him, especially Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which had left him with the taste of sardines (before he washed it down with a Pumpkin Pasty). Peter kept reminding the group that the Hogwarts feast was supposed to be really good, so they should leave some room. Then, he’d tear open another sweet.
They left the Hogwarts express changed into their robes and with lingering stomach aches.
Stepping off of the train, Remus saw the glistening light of Hogwarts Castle through the settling evening fog.
It was magnificent.
Remus had never seen anything like it.
Perhaps it was the approach over water. Despite the fact James had made a game of rocking their boat back and forth, occasionally splashing musky dark water inside, Remus couldn't take his eyes off the building ahead.
The castle stood high atop a hill next to the water. Warm light flickered from each window of each tower, almost looking like floating lights in the dark. It matched the lanterns hanging from the boats ahead of him as they made their way towards the docks. Both sources of light, reflected off the water brilliantly. Even the moon, waxing a few days off of a full moon, looked beautiful hanging in the sky above the castle. It was even more magnificent than Lyall Lupin had described when pestered by Remus leading up to his departure.
This would be his home for the next few years?
If I can keep your secret. If I’m lucky. That voice in the back of his head whispered. As he looked up at the glimmering towers growing closer, the sound of his three new acquaintances’ laughs echoing over the water reached his ears. And something in his chest hardened in resolution. He was going to keep his secret. He was going to learn magic and make friends.
He was going to make this place his home. The lights glimmering across the water seemed to agree.