Chapter 4 - Remus POV

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First Year


I lie in bed, contemplating over the day I've had. Gosh, I've already really messed up. I've come across as violent. I was afraid of not fitting in and then what do I do? Punch someone! What was I thinking? I mentally face palm. To make it worse, the password had to mean werewolf. Dumbledore couldn't have made it any less obvious a werewolf had come to his school? Jeez. And full moon this coming Wednesday. I couldn't be more nervous. Do people know? Who knows? I catch Sirius looking my way. He must think that I'm insane. Oh god. I'm paranoid aren't I.

I look back over to Sirius' and James' beds. Maybe it won't be too bad. They did ask me to be their friend after all.


~


It's been a couple of days since coming to Hogwarts. I look down at my timetable and see that first I have Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, Flying Lessons with Madam Hooch, and then History of Magic with Professor Binns. Not too bad.

I'm already dressed so I try to sneak out to breakfast before the others wake up. As I am climbing out of the Common Room through the Fat Lady's portrait, someone sneaks up behind me and taps me on the shoulder.

"Leaving so soon Lupin?" Sirius asks, "You're not even going to wait for us?"

"Umm... err... yes! No. Sorry!" I stutter back at him.

"You're not going anywhere without us," he says, pulling me back and onto one of the soft cushioned chairs in front of the Common Room fires. He squishes down beside me.

"Let's wait for James and Peter here."

It's weirdly comforting having him next to me, I really hope I don't scare him off.

James comes down the staircase from the boys dormitory with Peter in toe. James drags Sirius and I up from our position and down to breakfast.

"Hey y'all! Do any of you have Transfiguration with McGonagall?" announces James over his pumpkin juice at breakfast.

"Oh yeah!" Sirius says loud enough for the whole house to hear.

They jump up and down and hug and smile at each other like they're the only two in the world, and I look back down at my bacon, wanting to do anything but eat. I mumble that we all have the same Transfiguration teacher but they don't seem to hear me.

We make our way to the classroom. I'm trailing behind James and Sirius lost in thought. They always seem as if they are off in their own world. How could I ever think that I could fit in? That I could have friends. I'm just the violent freak everyone who knows my true identity sees me as. I wish it wasn't such a constant struggle. I feel like I don't even know myself.

When we get to the classroom Sirius comes over to me. He grabs onto my arm and says, "Come on mate! Sit over here!" I am pleasantly surprised and happily sit down next to him, Peter on my other side.

A tabby cat strolls leisurely into the classroom shortly after that, much to the class' surprise. A boy called Barry Jordan shouts to the class; "Where's McGonagall? You wanna have a party or something?"

Suddenly the cat transforms into a middle-aged witch with brown hair pulled up into a tight bun. "I think that will be unnecessary, Mr Jordan," Professor McGonagall says curtly with a small smile. Sirius beside me gasps as she transforms.

"What? We have no say in this matter? How are you a teacher? You need to be more student-centric!" James says.

"I think it would be unwise to provoke your teacher on the first day, Mr Potter," McGonagall says, "First impressions are rather important."

Sirius raises his hand. "Excuse me for asking, Professor, but how did you do that? It was amazing! Will we be learning how to do that?"

"Mr Black. This is the last interruption that I will excuse. And no, learning to become an animagus is extremely advanced, especially so for First Years."

James and Sirius shut up after that and the lesson continues. The now satisfied witch starts explaining what Transfiguration this year will be about.

"This year we hope you all will settle into Hogwarts life very quickly and progress far in Transfiguration as well as other subjects. In order to do so, our next lesson will be based around transfiguring buttons into Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. However, this will mean you have to look over Chapter 1 of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch and write a short essay on beginning small transfigurations."

I stick my hand up instantly, ready to ask how long "short" means but the red-head from the train, Lily Evans, who I'm kind of friends with, beats me to it.

"How long does it have to be and is there a limit?" she says. I make a mental note to talk to her more often.

"For you I don't think there will be a problem, Ms Evans, but for others, at least one scroll," the professor replies.

I catch James staring at Lily but he snaps back when McGonagall starts talking again.

The class ends eventually and we go to lunch.

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