"Lyall!" Her scream rang through the already trembling house. "Lyall!" she called again, her arms tightening around the terrified boy in her arms. Remus Lupin quaked in her arms as a terrifying bang resounded in the room to their right. Someone desperately wanted in, someone magical. Another bang and the walls shook, causing Remus to yip and cower, hiding further into his mother's arms.

"Hope! Hope, get downstairs, both of you!" Lyall Lupin called to his wife. His wand was out and pointed at the front door but his eyes were on his wife and son. "Go down to the basement! It's already prepped for tomorrow night, no one will know you're there."

"But Lyall-" Another crashing bang cut her off.

"Go!"

Hope nodded, scooping up the soon-to-be 11 year old boy in her arms. Remus turned to watch his father, howling when there was a bang that rocked the house.

"Oh honey, Remus, please no, don't do that, no howling my love," Hope babbled above him, fear for her son causing her words to come tumbling out without order. They had reached the basement door but, when Hope tugged, nothing happened. Her face went white. "Lyall! The spells!" She turned back to the living room just in time to watch the door fly off its hinges and smack right into her husband. "Lyall!"

Remus fell to the floor, arms around his head and knees curled to his chest, his eyes shut tight. This was it, he was certain, someone had found out about him and was here to kill him. But why his house, his family? They had so little and had never done anything wrong. They couldn't have just kidnapped him and done him in quietly? The noise had stopped. All Remus could hear was the blood rushing in his ears, fueled by his rapidly pounding heart. When it had been too quiet for too long, Remus gathered all his courage and looked up to face the intruder.

A somewhat plump man, with a long gray beard and even longer gray hair, stood in the doorway. His blue eyes twinkled over half-moon glasses, taking in the damage and the faces of those in the house. A light smile played upon his face, and grew to a full one when his eyes fell upon Remus.

He blinked in confusion. This wizard version of Santa Claus was not what Remus had expected at all. When the man smiled at him, he knew he should have felt fear or even apprehension, but instead a warm sense of comfort began to flow through his body. He untangled his limbs but did not stand. Surprise and curiosity had made him brave. "Who are you?" he squeaked out, his young age clear in his high voice.

Before the man could answer, however, his father's voice roared to life. "Professor Dumbledore!" Remus flicked his eyes to his father. The man was on the floor, bleeding, and his arm was at a rather unnatural angle, but the smile on his face was so wide and bright, Remus had to wonder if his father even noticed his own injuries. "Professor, sir, what are you doing here?"

"Good evening, Lyall." Remus jumped again. The man – Dumbledore – had such a kind voice. So soft spoken and warm, tinkling like music. This was the man that had nearly bought his house down? "I'm sorry for the rude means of my entrance, but you seem to have this place spectacularly guarded. Understandably," his eyes quirked to Remus before landing back on Lyall, "of course."

Remus felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over his head. He knew? This Dumbledore person knew about him? He began to shake and curled into himself again, cursing the nearness of the full moon when he heard an involuntary whimper rise out of his throat.

Dumbledore turned his eyes back to Remus. "Not to worry, lad. I'm not here to harm you. I myself believe the prejudice against werewolves to be highly antiquated, much like the prejudices against giants." He gave a laugh at that, having made a joke only he seemed to understand. Remus glanced to his father, whom he found standing and healed, silently asking for advice on what to do now. Lyall held out his hand. Remus took the hint and stood, shakily, before walking across the house to sit down next to his father. He began to look around wildly, realizing he was missing a person.

"I'm right here, Remus love." Remus spun so fast his neck cracked, spotting his mother hiding in a corner. No, not hiding, trapped. A large hunk of what looked like the coffee table was resting in front of her. She seemed unharmed but there was clearly no way to get out. A low, rumbling growl started in him. Dumbledore seemed kind, but no one was allowed to trap his mother. He turned back, his eyes holding promises of pain and torment, and he locked them on the bespectacled man in the doorway. The growl escaped him then, causing his lips to furl back from his teeth in a distinctly canine way.

"Remus!" He felt a light cuff on his head and spun, still growling, to face his father. "That is enough, Remus John. Professor Dumbledore meant no harm to any of us. He healed me, and he will get your mother out." Remus growled again, yet this one lacked the dangerous tone. "Stop. Now." His father's voice was firm, his jaw set. Remus gave a final growl for good measure before turning back to Dumbledore. He settled on glaring at the man, an action that was neither human nor animal as every living thing seemed to do it. He swore he had even seen a magic carpet glare once. A Persian wizard had been in town a few years back and a toddler Remus had yanked on a brightly colourful loose thread. It must have been akin to pulling the tail of a dog, because the carpet had jerked and spun in midair to find the culprit.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes bright. "Ah, Lyall, you know how it is. Kids will be kids. And pups will be pups. You're in the unique position of having a kid who is also a pup, and I have been a most unruly guest. Destroying his home, harming his father, trapping his mother. If a little growling is all I get, I count myself rather lucky." He stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on Remus' head, petting it. In spite of himself, Remus loved the sensation, and immediately calmed down. He even nipped playfully at Dumbledore's hand, much to the embarrassment of the entire Lupin family. Dumbledore mearly chuckled again and, with a wave of his wand, levitated the chunk of table out of Hope's way. She scrambled out, rushing to her family's side, before Dumbledore set it gently down again. "Hello again, Hope. I'm sorry for the destruction I seem to have caused. Let me just..." He gave a very complicated wave with his wand and Remus felt a strong surge of magic rush over him before turning around to find the house put together again. "There we are, no harm done. Now then," Dumbledore bent his knees and sat on the floor next to the Lupins with an astounding level of grace, "I'm sure you have questions."

"Yes, Professor, we do. Why are you here?" Lyall had never been very tactful.

"I would have thought the answer to be obvious. Remus turns 11 in barely a month, but it seems all the protective spells you have placed on your house have been keeping my owls away. I was afraid that if another of those lovely creatures returned with singed feathers, I may very well be pecked out of the castle. I decided it would be wise, therefore, to pay you a visit myself."

The stunned silence that met this answer was almost comical. No one made a sound, no one even seemed to breath. Remus didn't understand why his mother and father were having such a strong reaction. Then again, he also didn't know what castle the man was talking about. After a few more tense seconds, when it seemed no one was going to speak, Remus took matters into his own hands.

"What castle?"

Dumbledore turned to Remus and smiled brightly, as if he had been hoping this whole time to explain everything directly to Remus himself. "Why, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is housed in a castle."

Remus nodded. He knew the name, his father had gone there. "Oh. Ok. Why were you sending owls to my father?"

"Not to your father, my dear boy. To you."

Remus cocked his head to the side. "Me? Why me?"

Dumbledore chuckled again, his eyes warm. "To inform you, Mister Remus John Lupin, that you have been accepted into Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What?!" It had been Lyall who responded to that. "He's in?! But... but... how?!"

"Well, Lyall, he is a wizard after all."

"But Professor," Hope started to say, gripping Lyall's hand, "what about-"

"Taken care of. I've had a rare plant known as a Whomping Willow planted on the grounds. It will house a tunnel to an isolated area, away from the school and the village, where Remus will be able to transform in peace. Our new Healer, luckily, holds no prejudices against werewolves and has agreed to take care of him after each full moon for the duration of his education."

Hope and Lyall were stunned silent again. Remus looked between their pale, disbelieving faces and Dumbledore's smiling, patient one. His thoughts were reeling. I get to go to school? With other kids?! I don't know how to do that!

"He's never interacted with other children before," Lyall said, inadvertently giving voice to his son's thoughts. "We kept him isolated, home schooled him, for everyone's safety. He won't be able to go from such a solitary life to the busy world of Hogwarts. It's hard for any 11 year old boy, never mind one who's never even had a friend before."

"It would be difficult," Dumbledore conceded with a small nod of his head, "but I do believe it to be for the best. Perhaps it will ease your worries, Lyall, if I told you he would be started the same year as a new Potter would be. You know what they're like. You were only a few years below the last one."

Lyall made a humming noise, as if considering it. "That would help. They all end up in Gryffindor though, and there's no way to guarantee what house Remus would be sorted into."

"After the way he growled at me, I would be greatly surprised if he wasn't placed in Gryffindor. Besides, the Gryffindors get along well with all the houses."

"Except Slytherin." The way his father's voice turned cold gave Remus pause. He looked up to find a frighteningly hard look in Lyall's eyes. If I go, I will not be a Slytherin, Remus silently vowed.

"Ah, you'd be surprised. Even with old rivalry, the bonds of friendship can still survive. What do you say, Lyall? Hope? It is Remus' choice if he attends or not, but it will be much easier for everyone if you allow him to."

"Remus?" The young boy turned, facing his mother. "Remus, honey, this will be very hard if you decide to do it. We won't be there every month when you transform."

"And you would be expected to keep your marks up and stay out of trouble," his father added, voice stern yet caring. "We understand the full moon will make things harder, but we will not allow it to be used as an excuse."

"And there will be people around. Lots of people. You know the dangers that come with the moon and crowds."

Remus nodded, allowing all the information to soak in. He weighed and considered everything, all the bads and the goods, before turning to Dumbledore with a smile so large that it barely fit his little face.

"Is there a library?"