CHOCOLATE HEARTS || remus lupin

v. the headmaster

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AFTER THE feast was over, a small envelope flew up to me and landed on the now-empty space in front of me, since the dishes had disappeared just like they'd came. Others looked over at it so I opened it quickly, avoiding eye contact with my house mates.

The note inside was simple, just asking me to head to Professor Dumbledore's office after dinner. I didn't know where his office was, though, but, as if on cue, the professor stood and announced for the first years to follow their prefects back to their dorms.

His eyes met mine and he winked, sitting back down as everyone rose from their tables. I felt a tug and looked down to see the note pulling itself out of my hand then folded in until it became an arrow, which pointed out of the hall.

I looked back up to the professors' table but the headmaster was nowhere to be seen. The arrow, as if it were impatient, poked me in the back then jabbed towards the doors. I got up and followed after it as it hovered in front of me, pointing and guiding.

When it finally came to a stop, I was standing in front of a large gargoyle. I didn't know whether this was the place or not but the note unfolded and I snatched it out of the air. The previous words were gone and they'd been replaced with "sugar quills."

I read it aloud and, behind the gargoyle, a spiral staircase appeared and the note disappeared in a puff of smoke. I stepped onto the staircase, which turned upwards until I was at the top. I knocked on the door and it opened on its own accord, silent on its hinges.

His office was more storage than it was a professional work place. There were books and desks, of course, but also many odd instruments taking up shelves and table space. It wasn't silent at all, either, since whirring and clicking and ticking emitted from different objects.

Portraits of who I presumed were past headmasters, watching intently as I studied them all.

Amongst it all was Professor Dumbledore himself, sitting calmly behind his large desk, who smiled at me when I finally looked over to him. "Miss Thompson," he greeted, "please, take a seat."

I crossed the room and settled into one of the chairs in front of his desk hesitantly, watching him as he studied me. His eyes weren't judging in any way but he did seem to be greatly interested in me.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," he started off, twirling a fancy quill between his fingers as he peered at me over his half moon spectacles, "I'm sure you know why you are here and it's certainly not because you're in trouble."

I nodded, not knowing if he was actually wanting an answer.

"To address your, ah, furry little problem, the staff and I have decided on a simple, yet smart, solution. We had our Herbology professor plant a Whomping Willow this summer, which I'm sure you're familiar with, and created a tunnel under it. The tunnel will lead into a house, just outside of Hogsmeade, and it has been furnished and decorated to ensure your comfort. Additionally, the house will be split into two and I beg of you to stay in your side of it," he looked up at something and I followed his gaze to the sorting hat, perched above us on a shelf, which I hadn't noticed before, "The sorting hat as already spilled the secret, hasn't it?

"No worries, however, since it would've come to light soon enough, anyway. There's another of you at Hogwarts at this very moment and he will be sharing the house with you during full moons. You are to avoid him and he is to avoid you, something I will tell him when he comes to visit me after you have left. I do not want your secrets shared with each other unless you have absolute surety, since it can cause many problems," he leaned back in his chair, "On that note, when the full moon comes, press a knot at the base of the trunk with something and the tree will freeze. I'll have Madam Pomfrey show it to you on a later date, before the moon."

"Thank you," I told him, since it felt like an appropriate moment.

He smiled, his eyes bright behind his eyes, "Of course. Now, I believe your guide left, tired of its job, so I'll give you another. Show it to your prefect and there'll be no punishment for being out too late."

I watched as he pulled a square of paper out and tapped it with his wand, causing ink to spread over it in words I couldn't read from my angle. It folded itself into an arrow and sped off to the door, waiting for me.

"Have a good evening, Miss Thompson, and I hope you enjoy your years at Hogwarts."

I nodded and stood, leaving his office while turning the information over in my head. The sorting hat had been right, there were two werewolves attending Hogwarts this year. He had to be another first year, didn't he, since Professor Dumbledore had stated he'd inform the other of the instructions, as well? If he'd been attending already, then he'd already know how it worked.

He also must've gone before me during the sorting, since the hat knew of him before I'd been sorted. I couldn't remember any of the other kids' names so I gave the subject up as I followed the arrow back down towards the dungeons of Slytherin house.

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