〚First Night〛
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September 1st, 1971
Dear Diary,
James asked what house we think we're gonna be in. Sirius reckons he'll be in Slytherin, just like everyone else in his family. I didn't answer, I still don't know which one I'd want. Sirius asked Potter about his house, he said he reckons Gryffindor, just like his dad.
These boys have been so nice, I almost want to be in the same house as at least one of them.
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"Welcome, First Years, to Hogwarts!" A voice boomed from the entrance. Remus glanced up as he walked closer with James, Sirius and a couple of girls named Dorcas and Mary (with whom the boys had shared a boat with).
If Remus had thought the train looked exquisite, the entrance to the school proved to exceed that. Could it even be considered a school? With all the pointed towers, the amount of stairs leading up to the entrance, and the enormous height of the walls, Remus wondered if any royalty lived there.
Remus was so distracted by the enormous castle, he almost didn’t hear as the voice spoke again. He glanced at the tall, sharp looking woman near the door, as she addressed them all.
“Stay out of trouble, Remus. Professor McGonagall’s radar is not one you want to be on.” His papa had explained one day, preparing Remus for his experience at Hogwarts. “Stay respectful to all your teachers.”
“When we go inside, you all will head towards the front of the Great Hall. There, we will conduct the Sorting Ceremony, followed by a feast.” Her voice, Remus noticed, was precise and clear. It must’ve been McGonagall, though he didn’t have long to ponder, as he felt someone nudge him forward into the giant doors.
Remus looked around, a conscious effort to keep his mouth from falling open, as he took in all the details of the castle. Paintings and suits of armour lined the hall, and he couldn’t help but notice the paintings moving, seemingly cheering at the students as they walked.
A hand grabbed his wrist, and Remus snapped his head to look at the new appendage, his gaze trailing the arm to see Sirius’ face. The boy was smiling at him.
“Don’t get lost on us, Lupin.” The boy hummed teasingly, and Remus could feel his face heat up slightly.
“Er.. Sorry,” he mumbled in response, opting to walk next to Sirius the rest of the way to the Great Hall, instead of looking around the castle.
The students had made their way into the Great Hall, and once Remus was standing at the front, waiting, he couldn’t help but admire the room. Now that he wasn’t worried about wandering off, he allowed himself to look around. The ceiling was non-existent, with thousands of candles floating where it should’ve been.
“Amazing, I can’t believe it!” A voice startled Remus out of his thoughts. He turned to see a red headed girl behind him. He was inclined to agree, Remus had never seen such vast amounts of magic in his life.
“Yeah, it is pretty cool,” he hummed, his gaze dropping so he didn’t make eye contact with the girl. He did catch her smile from the corner of his eye, as she looked at him.
Soon, a man appeared at the front of the room, and Remus recognized him almost immediately. It was Albus Dumbledore, a man his dad had been inclined to inform Remus about, following the arrival of his acceptance letter. The man- Dumbledore- announced the beginning of the Sorting Ceremony, and Remus heard as every voice around him quieted down.
The same sharp looking woman from before produced a scroll, and her voice suddenly boomed. The first name was called. Remus watched as a nervous 11 year old walked up to the stool, placed the hat on their head, and awaited their fate.
Remus couldn’t lie, it wasn’t half boring, watching kids he didn’t know get sorted into houses. The first name that caught his attention was Sirius Black.
He watched, as Sirius waltzed up to the stool, a smug look on his face. Remus couldn’t help but stare at the amount of confidence the boy held. It was captivating. He noticed he wasn’t the only one in the Hall, captivated by the young boy.
Remus hadn’t been paying attention before, but he watched now, as the silence filled the space. Whispers filled the room, as the hat took longer to sort the boy on the stool. Remus couldn’t help but feel nervous for Sirius, he would hate that amount of attention.
Finally, after what seemed like almost forever, the hat shouted out a name, but not one anyone was expecting.
“GRYFFINDOR” Even more whispers flooded the hall, and the boy in the front of the room had wide eyes as the hat was plucked from his head. He all but ran to the red and gold table, and Remus watched as he had his head on the table.
Remus tore his eyes away, chewing on his lip. Sirius had told he and James, earlier on the train, that he was likely to get sorted into Slytherin.
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“Why should it matter what house your family was in? You’re not them.” James spoke, even after commenting on his own fathers house for his fate.
Remus just watched. His father had been in Ravenclaw, but he rarely talked to Remus about anything, anyways.
“They’re expecting me to be a Slytherin, too.” Sirius sighed, looking out his window. “I’m just not sure I’m all that cunning or ambitious.” He shrugged.
“Er, are the houses sorted by qualities, then..?” Remus had asked, quietly. He watched as the two boys stared at him, as if he had a second head growing from his body. That was the last of any family talk, as the two boys tried to explain to Remus the different house qualities.
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Remus blinked out of his daydreaming when someone had nudged him forward. He looked behind him to see James, nodding to the stool.
“It’s your turn, mate.” James whispered, smiling reassuringly at Remus. Or, Remus thought it was reassuring, at least. He took a breath, looking at the front of the room, before he managed to move his legs. Eventually, he found himself sitting on the stool, looking back at the tables.
He felt as the hat was placed on his head, and he fought to wrinkle his nose at the smell. How many heads had this thing been on? He didn’t have long to think about that, though, as a voice rang in his ear. Not any normal voice, though. It almost was inside his head.
Hmmm… You read a lot, Kid. Perhaps Ravenclaw, for you?
Remus didn’t care, he was about ready to accept that as his answer, when-
But, perhaps not…
“GRYFFINDOR” As soon as the voice rang out his house, Remus saw his robes change to the matching red and gold colours. He shrugged, plucking the hat from his head, before stumbling down the few steps and joining the still terrified Sirius at the Gryffindor table.
The raven haired boy stared at him, before cracking a smile. “At least I won’t be completely alone.”
Remus couldn’t help a small smile, and he watched the rest of the ceremony go off without a hitch. Eventually, the people Remus recognized so far had all been sorted into the same house, with the exception of Dorcas, who had gotten into Slytherin.
As the last student had gotten sorted(Remus thanked Merlin for his last name, middle of the alphabet), the food suddenly appeared on the empty plates. Remus couldn’t help but gasp at the amount of food he saw, it matched the almost seismic proportions of the rest of the castle.
The plates were piled high with cornish pasties, boiled potatoes, and much more. Goblets filled with pumpkin juice in front of each spot. Remus never knew this much food could exist in one place at one time.
A snort broke him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see James holding back a laugh, reaching for a pasty. “Merlin, Lupin. You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
Remus huffed quietly to himself, shrugging, as he reached to fill his own plate to the brim. “Th-this is a lot of food..” he mumbled, opting to look at his food, rather than anyone else at the table.
“And you’re going to eat all of it!” Sirius exclaimed from next to him, slapping Remus on the shoulder. “What, did your parents not feed you today?”
Remus kept his gaze focused on his plate, willing his ears to not turn red at the thought. He had eaten that morning, but there were some days where he was only allowed one meal, when money was tight. He stayed quiet, stuffing his face with the food in front of him. The other boys eventually moved on to a different topic, hearing Remus’ own silence.
“Mr. Lupin.” A stern voice sounded behind him, and the sandy haired boy looked up to the same woman that called their names. He noticed the others at the table look up as well.
“Y-yes, ma’am?” Remus stuttered, swallowing the last bits of food in his mouth. He straightened a little, trying to not be nervous around the Head of his House.
McGonagall let on a small smile, nodding at the boy as he straightened. “You are to report to my office after dinner. Welcome to Gryffindor, Mr. Lupin.” And with that, she left, a flourish of her robes billowing behind her.
Remus just sat there, blinking, as he processed the information.
“Wow, are you in trouble already?” James asked from across the table, as Remus turned back to his plate.
Sirius shook his head next to him. “Couldn’t have, Lupin here was already doing his homework, remember? No way he would get in trouble, not that fast.”
“Well then, what was all that about?” James asked again, looking between Remus and Sirius. Remus just shrugged, staying quiet. He didn’t know what the professor wanted from him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Taking Remus’ silence once again, Sirius started a different conversation with James, while everyone finished their dinners. Remus had finished everything on his plate. He couldn’t tell if it was his nerves for Professor McGonagall, or because this was his first time away from home, ever. Either way, he noticed himself wanting to go back for seconds, and eating a whole serving of dessert after that.
A couple times, Remus caught James’ and Sirius’ eyes on him, as he ate, but he tried to ignore them. Maybe, due to his circumstances, he’d get his own dorm. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about the reactions of other people.
Eventually, the food disappeared, and everyone started standing. Remus followed suit, silently wishing he would have grabbed another cauldron cake. He followed James and Sirius as they followed an older Gryffindor, who had introduced himself as Frank Longbottom. Frank directed the first years towards the Gryffindor common room, and Remus looked around as he tried to spot where McGonagall’s office could’ve been.
At some point, Frank pointed to a door down the hall, explaining that it was the office of one Professor McGonagall. Remus nearly bolted towards it, feeling Sirius’ and James’ gaze on his back.
He made it to the door, knocking lightly on the wood. After hearing a sharp “Enter”, Remus opened the door slowly, peering inside.
“Ahh, Mr. Lupin. Come in,” the tall woman greeted, her wand swishing through the air, as a tea kettle floated onto the fireplace. “Tea?”
Remus shook his head, taking in the neat surroundings of the room. It nearly contrasted the woman in front of him, a warm, almost cozy feeling filling his bones. “Er, no thanks…” he muttered, watching as the door closed.
McGonagall hummed, and she motioned for Remus to sit down, a chair on the other side of her desk. “Please, sit, Remus.”
Remus nodded quietly in response, quietly moving to the aforementioned chair and sitting down. “A-am I… Am I in trouble, Professor?” he asked, his voice barely above a squeak.
McGonagall looked shocked. Remus watched as her jaw dropped just the slightest bit, before shaking her head. “I should hope not, Mr. Lupin! To get in trouble this quickly would be record breaking.”
“Oh… Okay,” Remus nodded, now even more confused. If he wasn’t in trouble, then why was he here? Why did she need to speak with him?
The professor flourished her wand, a small cup of tea landing in front of her. “You are certainly not in trouble, Remus. This is just a matter of safety. For you, and everyone else around you.”
Oh. Oh. Right.
Remus nodded slowly, taking in what she was implying. “You mean-”
“Yes, Remus.” McGonagall nodded in return, taking a sip of her tea. “Every night, on the full moon, I will need you to report to me.”
He could do that. Remus hummed in acknowledgement, not wanting to be rude. “Yes, Professor.”
The professor smiled, seeming satisfied. She nodded again, setting her tea cup down. “Good, then I will see you in class, Remus.”
Remus stood quickly, making his way to the door, when he heard McGonagall speak again. “Oh, and Remus?”
“Yes, Professor?”
Turning back, Remus saw the look in McGonagall’s eyes. Pity. Oh, how he hated that look. “Might it be best if no one knows. For your own safety.”
Remus nodded again, out of politeness. Like he would ever tell anyone. Lyall already ingrained that into his brain. “Yes, Professor. Good night.”
Remus heard the small sigh that left McGonagall’s lips as he closed the door. He shook himself off, hoping he wasn’t too frazzled looking, before making his way towards the portrait of the Common Room.
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Dear Diary,
Alot happened today. The feast was amazing. I wonder if there will always be that much food!
James and Sirius wanted to play a game called 20 Questions after the Feast today. I didn’t join them, I didn’t know how to play, and I was super tired.
I could tell Sirius was disappointed when I didn’t join them. I feel bad, but I was really tired. I could feel people’s eyes on me almost all day, watching that ‘clumsy scarred boy’. It drained a lot out of me.
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" Scallywiggle " Remus sighed as he clambered through the open portrait hole. Upon entering the common room, his breath was stolen at how big it was.
3 velvet couches and 4 single-seaters seated around a circle in front of the grand fireplace, which was currently lit with a few older students sitting and chatting around it. In a corner, a few more single-seaters and loveseats sat around a few tables. A table sat with what Remus presumed to be a set of magical chess. 2 walls were fully adorned with beautifully golden framed paintings, all just as alive as the paintings in the halls of the castle. The 3rd wall opened a doorway which led to a winding staircase, most likely leading to the dorm rooms.
Climbing those stairs, Remus found the room with his name on it, as well as three others. Opening the door, he was met with 2 figures unpacking their stuff, and chatting.
One looked up, James Potter. The bespectacled boy smiled, running a hand through his messy hair. "Remus! Isn't this great?? Ah! This is Peter!" he nodded pointedly to the other boy, who had looked up at Remus, and waved shyly.
Remus smiled kindly, waving back. The boy—Peter—had blond hair, and pudgy cheeks. He was easily the shortest of the three in the room, even by just an inch or two. "N-nice to meet you, Peter."
"It-it's nice, t-to meet... nice to m-meet..you t-too, Remus," Peter squeaked, fidgeting with his fingers.
Remus nodded politely, walking over to the last bed that hadn't yet been claimed. Just as he opened his trunk, preparing to organise his things into the spaces near his bed, another door opened, the second raven haired boy from the train waltzing out into the room.
"Ah, Lupin! You're here," Sirius smiled, plopping down onto his own bed with a flunk. "We were thinking of playin' a game, wanna join us?" he beamed, his bright blue-grey eyes sparkling with the reflections of the lights.
Remus looked up from his trunk, glancing at the others to see them giving affirmative nods. Running a hand through his messy dirty blond hair, he shrugged. "I, er.. I'm knackered.. Maybe.. m-maybe tomorrow?-"
"Awe, c'mon, Remus! It'll be so much fun! Just a couple rounds of 20 questions," James started, moving to sit on the floor, Peter and Sirius following his move. "You've played before, right?"
Remus shook his head, sitting on his bed, rather than the floor. "N-no.. I haven't-"
Sirius whipped his head around, his hair flinging into his face. Remus almost winced at the fact he could hear a 'pop' from his neck. "You're kidding?! Merlin! Have you lived under a rock your whole life??"
Remus shrugged, his hands tugging at the sleeves of his robes, before he stood. He grabbed his pyjamas, pointing towards the bathroom door. “S-sorry, I’m gonna go get changed…” he mumbled, walking to the small shared bathroom and closing the door quickly.
He heard a sigh from behind the door, and a few whispers.
“Hey, mate, maybe don’t comment on his home life? I can only imagine, he’s so skinny…”
A small groan, probably from Sirius. “That’s exactly why he should talk about it. My family’s not exactly the best, either.”
“He may not want to talk about it. So just, don’t push him, okay?” Remus heard James sigh again, and then rustling as he heard the boys shuffling into bed. That Peter kid had stayed pretty quiet.
Remus quickly changed into his sleep wear, pulling on a fluffy jumper over top, before opening the bathroom door and quickly crossing the room to his bed. He tried to ignore the stares from Sirius, as he laid down and pulled his curtains shut.
He internally groaned when he heard more rustling, and a small pitter patter as he smelled Sirius walking closer to his bed.
“Remus..?”
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