From Beginning to End

Chapter 3: First Moon

Remus paced his empty dorm room, head pounding, muscles tightening with each minute passed. The full moon was that night, September 4th. The weekend had quickly come upon him and the moon refused ignorance. He rolled his shoulders, moving his head side to side, sighing in relief when a crack echoed in response. It did little to help but was satisfying nonetheless.

Chancing a glance out the window that overlooked the quidditch field where James and Sirius had gone to fool around and prove that they belonged on the team. Remus observed the slowly darkening sky. There was an hour or so before moonrise.

Headmaster Dumbledore had explained the process for this sort of thing but Remus still doubted the security of it all. One simple mistake and everything would come crashing down in an instant. Parents would certainly not want their children associated with a dangerous beast such as he was. Expulsion haunted him from every corner, every shadow. As appreciated as the Headmaster's efforts were, it couldn't possibly be viable in the long run. But, Remus had to try it. Passing up an opportunity to learn magic among his peers was inconceivable.

There was one problem however; how to explain his absence to the boys that shared his dormitory. Although not close with them, anyone would notice their roommate's absence for days at a time. For this precise reason was why Remus Lupin was pacing between the small space between his bed and Peter's, watching golden-hour fade into twilight.

There had to be some excuse to trick them. He thought of saying he'd simply gotten hurt and ended up in the Hospital Wing but that was just too dangerous of an idea given that they might visit the Hospital Wing while he was out.

So instead he decided to craft the idea that his mother was ill and he must go visit her. Afterall, no one would question the validity of his mum's sickness especially with the fact that she was a Muggle. His professors would not be able to confirm or deny the claim and so the boys would have to just take his word for it.

So, when James and Sirius returned from the quidditch pitch and Peter from writing a letter to his grandpa, that was precisely what Remus told his friends.

"Alright we'll miss you Remus," James had said while Peter and Sirius just nodded in agreement.

"Come back soon. We need someone to keep us out of trouble."

      Remus rolled his eyes at that. Despite not knowing each other well enough, it had been established that Remus was the most mature and well-behaved of the four. They had no clue just how much of a troublemaker he could be. He spoke no such thing of that though, instead grabbing the instructions from Dumbledore and a bag with a change of clothes, and exited the common room.

Dumbledore had set a place for him to stay during the full moon. It was a shack. The 'Shrieking Shack' it was called. Dumbledore had started rumors about the shack being haunted by ghouls which would be a solid alibi and keep people from questioning what the screams and shrieks during the full moon really were.

It was found at the base of a willow tree planted earlier that year, charmed with magic to keep others out of the vicinity. Kids had already begun challenging it, trying to see who could get the closest. One boy by the name of Davey Gudgeon had nearly gotten his eye ripped out because of it. Needless to say, the game hadn't lasted long.

Remus met Madam Pomfrey near the Black Lake – Sirius claimed it was named after his family since his great-something grandfather had been the Headmaster once – so that she could lead and assist him through the process.

She was a shorter woman, possibly in her mid to late thirties, with a kind round face, bright twinkling eyes akin to the Headmaster's, and a head of tight honey-blonde curls. She did not say much as Remus approached, though she was not unkind either.