The Betrayed
The moon was a gift to some, a curse to many. To some, it is a light in the darkness, a light that can guide them home when they're lost. To others, it's a curse, a harbinger of darkness, a reminder that the night is not yet over. A reminder that there's a lot to go through before you see the sun again. It's ironic, seeing as the moon is only a reflection of the sun. A great rock circling the Earth giving off the sun's light, guiding people through the night. That's probably what Remus Lupin hated about it the most. It was a constant reminder that there was more to come, a reminder that the next day was just out of reach. He hated that the sun was hidden from him during those dark nights, the only proof of its existence being the light shining down on him from the great full moon. That's what he thought of as a green light flashed in front of him, hitting him square in the chest. He thought of the moon, and how it had been a curse to him all of his life.
"Alright! Alright! I'm coming!" Lyall Lupin's voice echoed throughout the house, mixing with the knocking at the door. That was what had initially woken Remus up, the pounding of the door made him open his eyes, only to be blinded by the moonlight poking through his curtains. He turned over in his bed, away from the horrifying memory of the night before. He winced as a bruise on his torso hit a spring in the mattress, but he didn't care. The dull ache that took over his body was almost comforting to him. It reminded him that he was human, the pain made him feel slightly less like a monster. "Professor, what are you doing here?"
"Hey, Remmy, are you awake?" His mother's soothing voice reached his ears as the bed dipped a little. A hand connected with his forehead and ran through his hair. He opened his eyes slowly, squinting up at his mother, Hope, as she smiled down at him.
"Morning?" He asked, wearily. He still hadn't recovered from the full moon the night before, his ribs were littered with bruises and his lungs burned when he breathed, but he never complained. The only way Hope would ever know he was in pain would be the occasional wince at the dinner table, or a strain in his voice when he spoke. It broke her heart in every possible way, especially when he said, 'It doesn't matter, I'm used to it by now.' That one sentence made her heart break into a million pieces and she excused herself from the room to cry into her pillow. The same strain on his voice was evident when he spoke then. Hope swallowed, willing herself not to cry.
"No, sorry, sweetie, it's still night time."
"What's going on?" He asked, sitting up slightly, careful not to knock his bruises. It was rare for anyone to have a visitor in the middle of the night, but especially them. His father had grown more and more paranoid over the years, ever since that night when Remus was five-years-old, he rarely let people in during the daytime now, so hearing his muffled conversation with a stranger in the middle of the night, was an incredibly unusual thing to happen. "Who's downstairs?" Fear flooded his features. Whenever Remus made a slight mistake, his father threatened him with the Ministry of Magic, and now he wondered if he had finally followed through.
"Nothing, no one. You have no need to worry."
"HE'S NOT GOING!" Hope winced as Lyall's booming voice reached them. Remus' eyes widened even more, he sat up, desperately clinging to his mother. She shushed him, trying to soothe him, when Lyall's voice called out again. "Hope, can you come down here?"
"Coming." She called back, tucking Remus back into the covers. She turned back to look at Remus before she left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar as she went to her husband. She peered through the open living room door and saw the most peculiar man she had ever seen. He was tall and thin, with silver hair so long she was sure it could be tucked into his belt. He had a long crooked nose, with small half-moon glasses resting at the top of it, where blue, piercing eyes stared back at her. His emerald green robes went down to the floor and matched the ink on the envelope he was holding in his wrinkled hand.
"Mrs. Lupin, it's a pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand for her to shake, which she did tentatively. "You are probably wondering who I am, and I will hold you in suspense no longer. My name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Hope didn't need the rest of his title, just by his name she knew who he was. Lyall used to talk about his time at Hogwarts a lot before Remus was bitten. He used to sing Dumbledore's praise from the rooftop for all to hear. From what she knew, Dumbledore was campaigning for more muggleborns to be allowed into Hogwarts and, in general, the Wizarding World. This, in Hope's opinion, was already admirable, being a muggle herself.
"Please, call me Hope." She smiled at him, taking a seat next to her husband.
"Albus is here to talk to us about Remus." Lyall explained.
"What about Remus?" Hope asked, worried, as far as she knew her and Lyall were the only ones who knew about Remus' 'condition'.
"I am aware that there are certain difficulties that prevent your son from attending school, but I have come here to inform you both that I believe I have found a solution." Lyall scoffed, clearly not believing anything this man said.
"What kind of solution?" Hope asked, desperate for any way to help Remus. She knew it was dangerous for him to go outside, she knew he couldn't play with the other muggles around the village, but this made him a very lonely boy. He barely spoke anymore, only when he believed it to be necessary. She knew that Remus would never be able to lead a normal life, but this gave him the opportunity to be around other people, people he could interact with, people who could understand.
"We have planted a tree on the grounds, a Whomping Willow, it attacks anything that comes too close. Underneath the tree there is a passageway to the Shrieking Shack, which is closed off from the people of Hogsmeade, so there is no way that he will be discovered when he transforms." Lyall cringed as he said that, he had never quite got used to the thought that his son wasn't completely human anymore, that part of him was a beast. Hope, ignoring her husband's reaction, carried on questioning Dumbledore.
"What about the other children, what if they question the scars, or where he disappears each month?"
"Well, this is the part where you come in. If anyone should question where Remus goes, he will tell them that his mother is very sick, and he goes to visit her, with my permission, of course. Now, I have to ask, are you willing to be a part of this lie?"
"Yes." She replied instantly.
"Hope, no." Lyall said, jumping back into the conversation. "What if this great plan of yours doesn't work, Dumbledore? What are you going to do then? No, I won't allow it, it's simply too dangerous. He is too dangerous." He was speaking more to his wife now than Dumbledore, so he didn't notice the old man's eye's drift towards the staircase.
"Remus, I presume." He said, interrupting Lyall. Both of their head's span to where Dumbledore was looking to see Remus sat on the staircase, leaning through the bars, illuminated only by the moonlight shining through the windows.
"Remus, come here." Hope said, holding out her hand. Remus moved slowly down the stairs and into his mother's arms. She held him in front of her, hands on his shoulders, squeezing them to try and keep him calm. But he wasn't afraid, not of the man in front of him, not of the long, crooked nose, or blue piercing eyes. He wasn't afraid as Dumbledore stared into his soul, in fact this was the longest somebody had held eye contact with him in years. His father had stopped meeting his eyes altogether many years ago, Remus wasn't sure if it was because of the guilt he felt, or the fact that his scars made him unbearable to look at. "This is Professor Albus Dumbledore. He's the Headmaster of Hogwarts." Hope explained. Dumbledore crouched down so he was level with Remus and presented him with his envelope.
"For you." Remus took it from his hand and opened it, eyes wide with curiosity. Hope looked down at her son, a smile gracing her face. Lyall looked down at him, grimacing at the situation, but even he couldn't deny that he hadn't seen Remus this excited in years, and it sent a warm feeling through his body. Remus scanned the parchment quickly, taking in as much information as he could, afraid that this was all a dream.
'Dear Mr. Lupin,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1st of September.'
After reading it through, Remus looked back up at Dumbledore.
"At Hogwarts you will be taught not only how to use magic, but to control it."
"Will you be able to help me?" Remus asked. Hope closed her eyes momentarily, once again fighting with herself to contain her tears.
"I'm not sure. But I can provide you with a safe place, not only to transform, but to make friends."
"People don't usually want to make friends with me." Remus admitted he didn't really want to be saying any of this, but because of the way Dumbledore's eyes stared into his own, Remus found himself spilling everything to him.
"And, why's that?"
"They think I'm strange, because I can do things that they can't."
"At Hogwarts, people won't think you're strange. Hogwarts is filled with people like you, people who have your abilities. There, you will nurture and master your abilities until you become a great wizard. You have potential, Remus, I can see that. Your mother believes you can do this, if you give it a chance."
"Do you think I can do it?" He asked. At first, Lyall thought the question was directed at him and he was about to go into a long list of reasons as to why this was a bad idea, but then he realised that Remus' eyes were still trained on Dumbledore.
"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here." He sent Remus a wink, making him smile, before returning to his full height to talk to Hope and Lyall. "I will send you an owl with the details. You can have a tour of the grounds before term begins if you think that will settle your worries." He said, to which Hope nodded eagerly. "Very well, I shall see you soon, Remus. Lyall. Hope." He bid farewell, before moving out of the living room and out of the house. They heard the familiar crack of someone disapparating and Hope and Lyall immediately jumped into an argument, each of them arguing their sides. Remus stayed silent, staring at the spot where this stranger, Albus Dumbledore, had just changed his life.
It was that moment, he realised as he fell to the ground, hearing the heartbroken call of his name from his wife's lips. It was that moment that had changed everything for him. That moment changed his life, not the moon or the sun or the stars. It was at that moment that Remus Lupin had decided that the moon wasn't going to have control over his life. And as his eyes began to close, he realised that the moon had cursed him, but it was at that moment, with that tall stranger who had changed his life forever, that his petals began to fall.