History and Truth

Remus' Wand and Dishes of Gold

"Remus, would you wait outside for a moment please?"

"Yes sir."

I was very confused. They seemed genuinely interested in my condition and concerned about my education. I liked them both. They definitely lived up to their reputations. I'm not sure how long I waited outside his office but then I heard my name.

"Remus, would you rejoin us please."

"Yes sir."

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me on a little trip."

"If my parents say its okay."

"Your parents have consented."

"Then, yes sir. Where to?"

"First, we go for a walk."

Professor Dumbledore and I walked across the grounds and through the main gates. Once we had cleared the gates by several feet, he stopped.

"Have you ever done side along apparition, Remus?"

"No sir."

"Well, first time for everything. I need you to hold onto my arm very tightly."

He turned on the spot and I felt a horrible squeezing sensation and thought I might be smothered by it. Then it was gone and I was sick. When I had finished I looked around to see where we were.

"Diagon Alley?"

"Yes Remus. Follow me please."

We walked down the street and then turned into Olivander's wand shop. My heart skipped several beats. I was hoping I was correct in my thinking. A gentleman stepped up to the counter to greet his customers. As his eyes fell on Albus Dumbledore a wide smile brightened his face.

"Albus, and to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"I have a special request for you. Young Mr. Lupin here is in need of a wand. He is only 9 but we need to assess his skill level, as he has been homeschooled. He has only rarely used a wand which had belonged to his father."

"Well, Mr. Lupin please lets have a look at you."

He took out his measuring tape. It immediately began measuring me in every imaginable way.

"Yes, that will do."

The tape measure stopped and laid itself down on the counter. "Hmm, something about this boy. Something different. Something special." He then proceeded to bring out various wands for me to try. Most were qualified disasters from the jump. After more than an hour of trying various wands, Mr. Olivander stopped and seemed to be thinking. I was about to panic thinking that no wand was going to choose a werewolf.

"Ah, yes!" he exclaimed. "Of course."

He wandered to the back of the last row and climbed a ladder to the top shelf. He picked up several dusty boxes and laid them back down. Finally, he climbed down and returned to the counter.

"Give this one a go Mr. Lupin."

I reached out and took the wand. It was beautiful! When my fingers touched it I felt a warm shiver run up my arm and expand throughout my body. Sparks began to spit out of the end of it. First red then green, gold, blue and finally white.

"And we have found your wand Mr. Lupin. Very odd that it should be this wand."

"And why is it odd Mr. Olivander?" I asked.

"It's a strange combination that wand is. The wood is from a tree found in the Southern United States. Dogwood they call it. The core is the hair of a thestral. My grandfather carved the handle. He told me that I would know when the time came as to how the handle should be used and with what core. He said someone special would show up to claim it."

"I like it," I said more to myself than anyone else. With that Dumbledore reached into his pocket and paid Mr. Olivander for my wand. Business complete, we sat at a small table in the back of the shop and had tea. We then flooed to the 3 Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. We visited the sweet shop where the professor loaded the both of us with tons of sweets. From there we made our way back inside the school grounds. When we returned to the Headmaster's office I saw both of my parents and all four of my grandparents sitting with Professor McGonagall I ran to them so I could show them my wand. As I started to pull it out from the bag I carried Professor Dumbledore placed a hand on my arm.

"I guess all of you are wondering why I have asked you here. Please have a seat. Now I would like to discuss Remus' future."

I glanced up at him. He was smiling with a twinkling in his eyes. He motioned for me to have a seat next to my grandpaw. I was so excited that I found it difficult to sit still.

"At breakfast this morning it came to the attention of my Deputy Headmistress and I that you all have a remarkable young man."

Teddy stopped reading suddenly and sat there quietly. Harry, who had been lost in his own wonder at the situation before Teddy stopped reading, was now watching his godson carefully.

"Teddy? Are you ok?"

"I was just thinking about everything we've read," Teddy finally said in a voice that wasn't much more than a whisper.

"So was I Teddy," Harry commented. "I now understand your dad a lot better. He had an unwavering trust in Dumbledore even when it didn't make sense to me. Now I know why. I mean I knew Dumbledore was the reason he was able to attend school but I honestly never gave much thought to how that happened."

"So many things would be different if it wasn't for Dumbledore. I might not even be here if it weren't for him," Teddy commented.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked.

"Well, my dad met Harry's parents and Sirius at Hogwarts. My mom was Sirius' cousin. So my parents probably would never have met if it weren't for what we were just reading. An that was all because of Albus Dumbledore seeing the potential in a scared and confused 9 year old."

"While you are correct technically, Teddy, let me share with you something Dumbledore told me. 'It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.' Choices that your dad made along the way far outweighed his power and ability. And another thing he said, 'You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!'

"So what your saying is even though Dumbledore saw the potential in my dad and gave him the chance to attend school, ultimately it was decisions my dad made that really set his course."

"Exactly! Teddy, many people start Hogwarts every year but it was choices Remus made that caused him to be friends with my parents and Sirius. I'm sure we will get to some of those choices soon. But if you want to play what ifs for a minute, if it hadn't been for your dad my parents might never have gotten together. From what I understand for most of their time in school she thought he was a jerk."