moony and wood | r. lupin

the order

"what happens when you both get killed?"

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

January 1978, Year 7

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

It was freezing when they arrived in Hogsmeade.

Jace, Celine, and Gwen had met at the Wood's home less than fifteen minutes ago, and apparated to Hogsmeade village in the blink of an eye.

Less than a week prior, Gwyneth Wood, who was living in a tiny flat in London, had received a letter by owl from none other than Albus Dumbledore himself. The notion had alarmed her– what could her former headmaster want of her? The worst-case scenarios went through her head– had there been a miscount on one of her old exams, or maybe the school somehow discovered something bad she did while she was in school?– but she shook away the thought. She graduated four years ago. Nothing of the sort could've happened– right?

She tore the envelope open with shaky hands.

Dumbledore had written to Gwen with the intention of asking her to visit his office at Hogwarts on official business. Her brother and sister-in-law had been asked too, and he hoped they would meet with him for urgent matters.

Gwen almost threw the letter away– it had to have been a scam, or some kind of ridiculous joke Evie and her friends were playing to have her come back to visit. It wasn't until she received a letter from Jonathan himself asking whether she was going to go did she realize it was legitimate.

So it was decided for her. Any time your old headmaster, the Albus Dumbledore, asks you to see him, you drop everything and leave.

The three met up in the siblings' hometown Puddlemere, at their parents' house– where they used to live. Mr. and Mrs. Wood agreed to watch one-year-old Oliver while his parents and aunt traveled.

To their surprise, Hagrid had been at the Hog's Head, ready to escort the three to the castle.

"So, Hagrid," Jace said. "Do you have any idea what Dumbledore wants us for?"

The half-giant made a noise of uneasiness. "Erm– 's probably not best I tell ya," he replied, shrugging. "But, er– it'll have to do with..." Hagrid glanced over his shoulder. "You-Know-Who."

The three shared confused looks– what could Dumbledore have called the three of them, regular Hogwarts graduates, back to the school for, especially regarding You-Know-Who?

"But still–" Hagrid continued. "'S not my business to tell."

Gwen nodded, grateful he at least shared something.

Walking into the school felt surreal to Gwen– it hadn't changed one bit. The sight of the school alone brought back waves of memories that she'd nearly forgotten– sitting with her Ravenclaw friends by the Black Lake during lunch breaks, watching her brother's quidditch games, leading the first-year Ravenclaws to their new dormitories, walking her little sister to Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing when she'd tripped and sprained her ankle one day in the courtyard. This time however, she was entering the school with an anxiousness she couldn't explain.

The three made their way quickly to Dumbledore's office, remembering each corridor with ease.

When they entered the office itself, Gwen took in the moment with awe. She'd been in Dumbledore's office once– when she was appointed Head Girl in her last year at Hogwarts. Even so, there was something dream-like about being in such an important room.