Welcome to Hogwarts Hall
Remus walked down the halls of his new school, bag slung over his shoulder, David Bowie playing on his headphones. His hand gripped his cane firmly, making sure to be careful with every step so as to not make the dull pain he always feels any worse. This was the first time he'd been back in town since the accident ten years ago.
Full of nerves, he reached the principal's office. The door was ajar, revealing the principal typing on his computer. Beside him sat a young man with an air about him that suggested that he was part of the audiovisual club. His chubby fingers fiddled with a camera, and when he acknowledged Remus’ presence he nervously tried fixing his messy blonde hair. Finally, Remus took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The man looked up and gestured for him to enter.
He entered the office. The man looked up and said, "Remus Lupin?"
"Yes, sir, that's me," Remus replied.
The principal steepled his fingers and said, "I was looking at your records and noticed you've attended ten different schools in the past ten years. Quite a journey, Mr. Lupin."
Remus said, "We had to move around a lot because of my father's job." But the explanation felt hollow on his tongue. The truth, the reason for the constant uprooting, was a tangled mess of emotions he wasn't sure he was ready to untangle, especially not with a stranger. Taking a deep breath, he decided to focus on the present. "I'm hoping for a fresh start here," he added.
He could feel the blonde boy looking at the jagged scar that ran through his face, which parted a thick white line in the constellation of freckles that decorated his face. What the boy didn’t know is that the rest of his body was covered in painful reminders of the accident like the one that parted his face like lightning parts a tree during a storm.
The ache in his leg throbbed with a dull rhythm as he sat down. Taking a deep breath, Remus forced himself to focus on the conversation with the principal.”Mr Lupin this is Peter Pettigrew he will show you around the school and answer all of your questions: I can assure you that you won’t find Hogwarts Hall any different from any of your past schools”
Remus and Peter went out of the room and they started the tour of the school. Remus nodded at Peter, his gaze lingering on the camera slung over the boy's shoulder. "Hogwarts Hall, huh? Sounds...unique." A flicker of something unreadable crossed Peter's face before he gave a small smile. "It's got its quirks, but it's grown on me. You will see that it's not that bad"
Remus followed Peter down a brightly lit hallway lined with colorful banners. A strange, sweet smell tickled his nose. "What's that scent?" he asked, curious.
“That is today’s dessert from the cafeteria, it’s triple chocolate cake,” Peter replied.
“Let's go there, I wanna try to get some of it,” Remus said excitedly, the truth is that Remus loved chocolate. It is one of the things that can turn a dreadful day into a good one.
Peter kept showing the school to Remus, all of the different labs and classrooms. Remus pushed open the pair of heavy oak doors with difficulty, and a hush fell over him. The library was vast and peaceful, lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in a rich, dark wood. Fat armchairs were scattered around invitingly, and sunlight streamed through large stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns on the worn carpet. In the corner, a group of students huddled around a table, deeply engrossed in a game of chess. It seemed like the perfect spot to relax, read undisturbed, or catch up on rest.
Remus ran his fingers along the worn spines of the books, a sense of calm washing over him. He pulled out a well-worn copy of Crime and Punishment and settled into a plush armchair in a quiet corner. As he opened the book, Peter began to speak again... "We should really get going," Peter said. "There's a lot more to see."