Prologue
Summer 1971
Remus Lupin watched from their shabby couch as an owl swooped down from the sky and through their window. It dropped a letter on his lap before immediately flying back out as quickly as possible, trying to get away from the boy as fast as it could, as most animals did. Remus observed it suspiciously. It was so rare that they received wizard post that sometimes Remus forgot that most wizarding families found this normal.
Although she loved her son dearly, his mother, Hope, hated any reminder of her late husband Lyall and therefore avoided the wizarding world as much as possible. As she was a muggle herself, this wasn't such a sacrifice for her when Lyall killed himself. However, Remus would always be left to wonder how different his life might have been if he had had his father beside him. If he wasn’t the reason why his father was dead.
Perhaps if Lyall was still alive Hope wouldn't be storming across the threadbare carpet, anger and fear marring her face as she approached Remus. “Was that an owl?!”
Any other day Remus would have lied and told her that she was imagining things, after all that wasn't entirely made up as Hope was becoming more and more reliant on mind numbing medications the older she got. However, Hope had alrighty caught sight of the letter and immediately snatched it from Remus’ fingers. She took one look at the stamp on the letter and threw it in the trash without a single moment of hesitation.
“That could have been important,” Remus complained.
“It's not,” she replied in that no nonsense voice of hers that Remus knew not to question.
She opened the kitchen cabinet and pulled out an orange prescription bottle, one of plenty, and placed it on the counter while she opened up the fridge for a cup of cheap wine. She popped a few pills into her mouth and chased them down with a gulp of wine. “I'm going to sleep,” she said as she made her way down the narrow corridor of their old flat. “Be a darling and buy me a pack of fags”.
Remus mumbled an okay and grabbed loose change from the dwindling pile in the bowl next to the fridge. Once he was sure that his mother was out of earshot he stuck his hand into the garbage and took out the letter that the owl had brought in. He quickly stuffed it into the waistband of his faded jeans and hurried out of the flat and down the narrow, dirty stairs to the equally dirty street. He took out the letter and ran his fingers over the unfamiliar wax seal before tearing into it and taking out the folded letter inside.
The first thing he noticed was the logo at the top of the page and the header reading “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” he hadn't heard of the school before but wasn't very surprised by that, considering how little his mother told him about the wizarding world. The second thing Remus noticed was that the letter was addressed to him of all people. Startled, he curiously looked over the rest of the letter.
By the end of the letter he had come to two conclusions.
For some insane reason that he didn't know yet, a wizarding school wanted him, sickly, skinny, barely even magic, Remus Lupin to attend this upcoming year.
His mother would not, under any circumstances, allow him to go.
His heart ached at the second fact but he knew it was useless to dwell on it. This was just the way his mother was. Remus knew that if it weren't for the fact that he was Hope’s own blood she would have thrown him in the streets for that bit of magic in him the second Lyall died. Remus knew she blamed him for his father’s death and he also knew that he couldn't fault her for it. Although he was only five at the time and the logical part of his brain knew that he wasn't actually responsible for what happened that night, there would always be a part of him that wished he had died that night instead of being turned into a monster. Instead of being left with an incurable curse that ensured he would never live a normal day again. He wished five year old Remus had appreciated his normal life more, before it was too late.
Remus tore the letter into tiny pieces and let them float to the ground. He stuck his hands in his pockets and meandered his way down to the corner shop where Ali, the shop owner, wordlessly handed him the pack of cigarettes and accepted the handful of coins. He knew what Remus was there for even without him saying a word. Remus put the pack in his pocket and turned back towards the flat, only to be stopped by an old man with a long white beard and blue eyes that looked much brighter than the eyes of people who lived in this part of town. Remus took in his long midnight blue robes and instantly knew that this man was magic. His eyes flew wide open as the old man noticed his arresting stare and gave him a kind smile.
“Hello there Remus.”
“‘Ello,” Remus said bewilderedly, “I didn't tell you my name.”
“”No you didn't” the old man agreed, “I’m Dumbledore.”
“Why are you here?” Remus knew that he should probably be nicer to this kind man, but he was wary about the fact that in his 11 years of life, Remus had never encountered another wizard. And it certainly wasn't a coincidence that this man showed up just after a wizarding letter came addressed to him no less.
“Ah! Not a fan of chitchat, I can appreciate that. Very well. I’m here to personally tell you that you've been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as your letter seems to have been destroyed.”
Remus didn’t question how this man knew about the letter being destroyed, he seemed to know many things that normal people didn't, but then again, he was a wizard.
“I read your letter,” Remus replied stiffly, “I won't be attending.”
“Hmmm. Interesting. Do you not wish to be a wizard?”
Remus was starting to get annoyed, “Of course I want to be a wizard, but my mother won’t let me go.”
Dumbledore looked at him thoughtfully, “I feared that might be the case. Very well then let's go talk to your mother.” he motioned for Remus to lead the way.
Remus knew that this man-wizard probably knew exactly where he lived and did not need Remus to show him the way, but he started walking anyway. He didn’t let his heart swell with hope. His mother would not be strongarmed into letting him go to the school. He wondered why the old wizard even cared about one child. Did he visit every kid that tore up their letter? If that was the case then the wizard certainly had too much free time on his hands.
He opened the creaky door to the flat and his face flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't that the flat was dirty exactly (Remus did his best to keep it as tidy as he could), but it was old and falling apart. He saw what it must look like to an outsider, the stained couch and carpet that had holes in. The kitchen cabinets that were falling apart and the three legged chair that had never been fixed.
If Dumbledore felt uncomfortable in his surroundings, he didn't show it. He sat down on the couch and waited for Remus to go and wake his mother, and if he found it strange that Hope was asleep at two in the afternoon he didn't say anything.
Hope walked into the living room, her dressing gown wrapped tightly around her narrow waist and her thin hair thrown up in a messy knot. “Can I help you?” she asked Dumbledore with a scowl.
She was seconds away from throwing the familiar old wizard out of the flat. “Remus, go to your room.” she said before Dumbledore could answer.
Dumbledore smiled at Remus as he left the room and faced Hope again. “Hello Mrs. Lupin. I'm here to speak to you about your son going to Hogwarts in September.”
Remus sat down just inside his room with his back to the closed door, listening to the conversation with his enhanced hearing.
“My son will not be attending Hogwarts, Mr. Dumbledore. He hasn't a magical bone in his body, I'm afraid.” Hope lied. Remus tensed up against the door, his heart hammering a million miles a minute.
“Our radar is never wrong, Mrs. Lupin. Your son is a wizard, and according to wizarding law he must attend a wizarding school in order to hone his abilities. If this is about his condition then i have already worked something out.'' Dumbledore explained. Remus flushed in shame at the mention of his disease and sharpened his ears in order to hear his mother’s reaction.
“I think it's time you leave my home.” Hope replied sharply, “do not insult me by pretending to have good motives while you steal my son away from me to be butchered. I may not be a witch but I am no fool.”
Dumbledore's sharp intake of breath rang through the air. “Mrs. Lupin, I assure you my motives are pure, if I had intended to kill your child I would have called the ministry six years ago. However, I think every child deserves the right to learn. And wizards who do not learn to control their abilities do not live very long.”
Hope shuddered, the thought of her son being away from her for so long, around people who would wish him harm if they knew what he was, terrified of her. But the thought of him staying behind and being unable to control his magic terrified her even more. “I can't afford to send him you know.” She was grasping at straws.
Dumbledore smiled, he knew he had won the argument. “That is not an issue Mrs. Lupin, I will send everything he needs before the start of term.”
“We don't want your charity.”
“It's not charity, they will be procured from Hogwarts’ storage.”
“Promise me. Promise me that he will be safe.” Hope pleaded.
“Fear not Mrs. Lupin, Remus will be well taken care of in Hogwarts.” Dumbledore said, his tone comforting.
“I suppose that's it then.” Hope said defeatedly.
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