Before the Dark Days Episode I

prej•u•dice n
1. a preformed opinion, usually an unfavourable one, based on insufficient knowledge, irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes
2. the holding of opinions that are formed beforehand on the basis of insufficient knowledge
3. an unfounded hatred, fear, or mistrust of a person or group, especially one of a particular religion, ethnicity, nationality, or social status
4. disadvantage or harm caused to somebody or something
vt
1. to make somebody form an opinion about somebody or something in advance, especially an irrational one, based on insufficient knowledge
2. to cause harm or disadvantage to somebody or something
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Chapter I: The Unexpected Voice

The smell of freshly baked biscuits wafted up towards the bedroom door of an eleven-year-old boy. The boy sleepily opened his eyes, and sniffed the air. Chocolate. He inhaled once more, closing his eyes and letting the glorious smell wash through his body. Sighing, he opened his eyes again, and looked at the small clock, placed on the bedside table in his neat and tidy room. It was nine fifteen, on a Saturday morning. He stifled a yawn as he slowly sat up in his bed, pushed down his doona and let his legs dangle over the right side of his bed. He bent down and placed his slippers on his small feet. The boy walked over to his window and pulled back the curtains. The sun washed over his pale skin and warmed him to the bone. He closed his eyes and imagined the sun smiling at him. He loved the sun.

He tied back the curtains, gathered his clothes for the day, and walked out of his bedroom and down the hallway to the bathroom. He would have loved to have run down the stairs and eaten some of his mother’s fabulous biscuits, but he knew that she wouldn’t let him have one until he’d eaten his breakfast anyway. He stopped in front of the closed door, and sniffed the air. He could still smell his mother’s biscuits, but he could also smell something else: his brother. He could smell his brother from the other side of the door. He carefully knocked.

‘Romulus, are you almost finished?’ the boy inquired. The door opened and Romulus stood in the doorway, smiling at his younger brother.

‘Yep,’ he replied, and as he walked past his brother he ruffled his hair. ‘All yours,’ he added as he started to walk down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Romulus Lupin was four years older than his brother. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and in just over a month he would be going back to the school to start his fifth year. He had deep blue eyes, like his father Faustulus, light brown hair, like his mother Ameli, and he shared the warm smile that the Lupin family seemed to inherit in every generation. As he disappeared down the stairs, his brother wondered for a moment what it would be like to be Romulus: go to Hogwarts, have friends, play Quidditch and not be a freak.

The boy walked into the bathroom and shut the door carefully so that he wouldn’t slam it. Sometimes he didn’t know his own strength. He placed his clothes on the chair in the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He did look rather like his brother, the exception being he didn’t have either of his parent’s eyes. He had gold eyes, with dark brown rims. He was paler than his brother too, and slighter than his brother was at his age. The boy washed, stepped out of the shower and walked over to the basin. He prepared some shaving cream, brushed it over his face, picked up his razor and started to glide “Shannon and Shanley’s Magical Shaver” over his young face. The boy had been shaving for about four and a half years now, and was quite used to it. He finished, washed his face and got dressed, tidying up as he went. He opened the door to the room and quietly walked back towards his bedroom. He placed his pyjamas under his pillow, his slippers on the right side of his bed and eagerly walked down towards the kitchen. As he started down the stairs he could hear his mother, father and brother talking. But there was also another voice that he hadn’t heard before, an older man’s voice. Intrigued, he quietly walked down the stairs, along the hallway and carefully opened the door to the kitchen, where he had heard the voices coming from. He poked his head around the door as to inquire who the unknown man was.

The man looked tall, thin and very old, the boy judged by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes and high-heeled buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. The boy recognised this man as Albus Dumbledore, his older brother’s Headmaster at Hogwarts. He’d seen his picture once or twice in the Daily Prophet, and the boy owned at least seven of his chocolate frog cards. Dumbledore’s head turned immediately at the sound of door opening. He looked kindly at the boy, and spoke in a soothing voice.

‘Ah, Remus.’ He smiled. ‘Why don’t you come and sit down here with me,’ he continued, motioning to the chair beside him at the kitchen table.

Remus wasn’t sure what to make of all this. He looked to his mother and father. His father looked apprehensive and his mother looked quite shocked. His brother was sitting down opposite Dumbledore and had a slice of toast in his hand, looking as though he thought the headmaster were extremely mad.

Remus slowly entered the room and shut the door behind him. He walked over to the seat next to Dumbledore and sat looking intently at the Professor who had just taken a chocolate chip biscuit from the plate in the middle of the table. The Headmaster took a bite and beamed in satisfaction.

‘You’re biscuits are still perfection, Ameli,’ he said sincerely to Remus’ mother, who was still looking shocked.

‘Merci beaucoup,’ she replied, finally coming to her senses. Her brown eyes flicked from the Headmaster to her youngest son. ‘Remuz, Professor Dumbledore ‘as come to speak wiz you about something,’ she said, gestured to the man Remus was sitting next to.

Remus was taken aback. Why would the Headmaster of Hogwarts want to talk to him? Remus looked at the Headmaster intently, waiting to hear what he had to say. Dumbledore placed the half eaten biscuit on his plate and looked at Remus thoughtfully.

‘Tell me Remus,’ he started. ‘What do you think of Hogwarts?’

Remus wasn’t really sure what to say first.

‘I think it’s brilliant,’ he replied honestly. ‘I love hearing Romulus tell me stories about Hogwarts and the people there. It sounds like a wonderful place… but I know that I can’t attend,’ he added hastily. He didn’t want the Professor Dumbledore to think for one minute that he had even contemplated the idea of being able to attend when he knew that he never could.

‘But,’ Dumbledore continued. ‘You would like to attend Hogwarts if given the opportunity?’

‘Oh yes sir, without a doubt.’

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtfully at the young boy in front of him.

‘What would you say if I told you that I am going to give you the opportunity to attend Hogwarts for the next seven years of you life?’

Remus was astounded. Was the Headmaster really offering him a place at the school? Why? He had always been told that he couldn’t go to Hogwarts. What had changed? He suddenly knew why his parents and brother were looking shocked. After a few long seconds, Remus finally got a grip on himself. There were a lot of questions he wanted answering!

‘But I’m not allowed to go to school!’ he exclaimed. ‘I’m not even allowed to have a wand!’

‘That can all be arranged,’ Dumbledore said smiling at the youngster. ‘People such as yourself are allowed to have wands, provided that they receive proper wizard training. Something that, I think we can provide for you,’ he paused and looked directly at Remus. ‘Believe me Mr. Lupin, I have thought about this long and hard. There is absolutely no reason as to why you cannot attend Hogwarts like any other regular student. You have definite magical talent Remus; I understand that you have made quite a few things happen around the house without the aid of a wand already. We have the facilities that your situation requires and we are quite equipped to deal with any problems that may arise. All we need is your approval and my plan can go ahead.’

Remus felt an extreme urge to give the Headmaster the biggest hug he had ever given anyone, but a nagging feeling arose in the back of his mind.

‘Headmaster, what about the other children at Hogwarts? Won’t they realise that I go somewhere once a month? And where am I going to go? I can’t stay at Hogwarts for my transformations obviously. What about the silver cutlery, won’t people notice that I use something different?’ Remus was starting to panic; there were so many questions, with no answers that he could think of. There were so many things that could go wrong.

‘Remus, calm down,’ Dumbledore said soothingly as he placed a hand slowly on Remus’ shoulder. Remus jumped a little; he wasn’t used to people touching him other than his family. Most people who knew about his lycanthropy thought that if they touched him he’d infect them. Apparently not Professor Dumbledore. ‘We have everything worked out. Everything you need to know is in this letter,’ he continued as he handed Remus a letter with his name on it. ‘Everything except perhaps the cutlery question,’ he chuckled. ‘I hadn’t thought that you’d ask that one. But yes, we have done something about that. We no longer have silver cutlery or taps in the bathrooms. They are all gold, so there is no need to worry. Personally, I prefer gold, so everything works out quite nicely.’ Professor Dumbledore smiled kindly.

Remus looked down at the letter in his hand, and then up at Professor Dumbledore’s smiling face.

Remus smiled back. For the first time in a very long time, he actually let himself think that he could, and would be going to Hogwarts.

‘Now, if you’ll excuse me,’ Dumbledore said as he stood up, taking the rest of the biscuit with him. ‘I have one or two more things that I have to attend to before returning to Hogwarts. Thank you for your hospitality, I hope to see Romulus and Remus on the first of September. Please, feel free to owl me with any questions any of you might have.’

‘Thank you very much,’ Faustulus said as he held out a hand and shook Dumbledore’s. ‘We’ll be in contact.’

Dumbledore smiled at the Lupin family and Apparated out of the kitchen.

Ameli looked at her husband. ‘Well, fanzy that,’ she concluded.

Romulus still looked like a stunned fish with the toast halfway up to his open mouth.

Faustulus was shaking his head in disbelief.

Remus was looking down at the letter in his hand. He opened it carefully and began to read:

Dear Mr. Lupin,
We are pleased to inform you…
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Please Read & Review.
Next Chapter: Chapter II: The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters
Remus says 'goodbye' to his parents and 'hello' to the brave new world of friends and Hogwarts. Although they mightn't be the friends you think they will be...

Peace,
Rotae