We know of Remus Lupin. That in an attack by Fenrir Greyback before the age of five, he was bitten and turned into a werewolf. But we don’t know about his parents, Lyall and Hope Lupin, and the events leading up to and following the attack, nor about his life up until he went to Hogwarts. So...what were some moments that defined Remus’ childhood like?
Part 1: The Trial
The fateful trial that brought the Lupins’ name to the attention of Fenrir Greyback.
Part 2: Everything’s Fine
A conversation between Lyall and Hope Lupin after the trial.
Part 3: Revenge
The night Fenrir decided to teach Lyall Lupin a lesson. Alternatively known as the night Remus Lupin’s life changed forever.
Part 4: Changes
At St. Mungo’s the morning following the attack on Remus Lupin.
Part 5: Search for a Cure
Lyall Lupin wants to fix his mistakes.
Part 6: Loneliness
Hope and Lyall do what they think is best to protect Remus.
It had been nearly four months since the attack that had turned his son, and Lyall Lupin had not stopped searching for a cure. He stayed in the back room of their cottage in the village they had moved to recently as rumors began about their son’s odd behavior. It would be Remus’ fourth moon soon, and Hope Lupin had been taking care of her son who became achier and didn’t know how to respond to the pain his body began to feel as the moon approached.
Pushing open the door to their home, Hope placed her bag on rack on her left, removing her coat as she called out to her husband and son.
There was the sound of blocks being dropped and then the soft thump of running feet as Remus ran the short way from the floor of the living room to the front door. “Mum!” he called out with a wide smile, slipping a bit on the wooden floor.
Hope laughed as she bent down, dropping a kiss to Remus’ forehead before kneeling to be level with her son.
“Da was in the room all day. Weird smells from there,” he explained, wrinkling his nose a bit. He seemed to brighten immediately after as he remembered something. “Mummy! I got to make my own lunch today!” he said proudly, puffing up his chest before wincing a bit as one of his joints popped.
The young boy laughed at the teasing, an easy joy filling his face as he giggled, “Mam! Nooo.”
”I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner.” Hope watched with a sad smile as Remus ran back off to where his blocks were and immediately set back to playing and creating his castle. She watched him a moment longer, before she sighed and stood back up, turning to walk down the hall to her husband’s study.
She gave a short knock before twisting the doorknob and walking in, gazing finding her husband quickly. Lyall sat at a desk, his hair messy, a clear sign of how often he must have been running his hands through his hair recently. A cauldron simmered on a separate table, ingredients laid out haphazardly and random bits of paper with notes crossed out strewn about, both on the table and on the floor.
Hope leaned against the wall, pressing her lips together for a moment before speaking.
Lyall’s silence was all the answer she needed.
“And to do that,”
“How do you think he must feel when his da doesn’t spend the day with him? How do you think any of what you’re doing looks to him? How easy do you think it is for him knowing that you can’t accept what happened to him? That you can hardly look at him? Holing yourself up in this room?”
“As if he doesn’t think, as if he doesn’t have feelings, as if-” her voice cracked and she stumbled back a bit, her breathing heavy. “As if we didn’t create that beautiful bundle of happiness that’s sitting in the living room, playing, and waiting for us so we can have dinner together.” She took a deep breath, forcing back the telltale pin pricks of tears.
The begins of a sob seemed to burn the back of her throat but she swallowed and continued on before Lyall could argue. “Because all he’s going to hear from every witch or wizard he meets is how terrible werewolves are. Dehumanizing him. It won’t matter what he does or doesn’t do. They’ll still be afraid of him. Call him a monster. What do you think that’s going to do to him? But we’re his parents, Lyall.”
“And, Lyall, I love you, but,
“Because it’s going to drive you mad. And that’s not going to do any of us any good. Least of all Remus.”
It was silent in the room. They could hear the soft bubbling of the cauldron, the quiet howl of the wind outside, and then Remus’ voice slowly coming closer as he made his way over from the living room. “Mam? Da? Are we going to have dinner soon?” The innocent question seemed to snap both adults out of their quiet and Hope shut her eyes as she took a breath to compose herself and clear the shaking from her voice before opening her eyes once more.
When Lyall Lupin returned home that night after the trial, his wife heard him before she saw him. It was difficult to miss the sound of the Floo in their living room followed by a loud curse and a low thump as something hit the wall. Hope Lupin made her way out of the kitchen to see her husband standing there with his coat thrown off, pulling his tie loose and undoing the top button of his shirt as if he couldn’t breathe. Hope settled herself on the arm of the couch before speaking.
The humorless laugh echoed loudly in their quiet home.
And so, Lyall and Hope Lupin made their way to the end of the hall to their four year old son’s room, entering quietly and pressing soft kisses to the top of his head. The four year old was clearly trying to pretend to be asleep as his parents whispered their “I love you”s, but he couldn’t stop himself from calling back “I love you too” as they shut the door behind them and walked to their room at the beginning of the hall.
After Dumbledore came to give Remus his acceptance letter to Hogwarts on his 11th birthday, and with the promise that there would be arrangements made for Remus’ transformations on the full moons, all Remus could do was talk about how excited he was for school to start in September. Remus was looking forward to exploring the castle, to learn magic, to be around other people and make friends. September 1st could not be any sooner.
Finally the day came. On September 1, 1971, Remus walked into the train station with his parents, pushing his cart along until Lyall took over when Remus nearly ran over one too many passersby while he was looking around excitedly for the entrance to the platform. It wasn’t much longer before they came to a stop.
Hope laughed, watching her son’s eyes light up as he looked up at the area around platforms 9 and 10.
Lyall led the way, holding both Remus' and Hope’s hands on the cart and leading them into a short run at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Remus’ eyes squeezed shut until he heard the bustle of people surrounding him once more. Eyes snapping open, Remus turned, looking everywhere to try and take in all the sights and sounds. His eyes finally settled on the train itself, and all of a sudden he closed in on himself, turning back to his parents.
Hope gently reached out to cup her son’s cheek with a soft smile, her hand dropping to his shoulder after a moment. She noted that she no longer needed to bend down to reach her son. He was getting closer to her height and she felt her chest tighten a bit at the thought as she took in the timid look on his face.
Flattening the back of Remus’ hair to keep her hands occupied, Hope added, “You’re going to have a safe place each time. You know what you need to do.”
Lyall nodded, gently giving Remus’ shoulder a squeeze. After taking a quick look around to be sure no one was paying them any attention, Lyall bent down to Remus’ level, looking at him closely. He risked a glance at his wife who simply sighed, nodding her head in response to their unspoken conversation.
Seeing Remus’ shoulders drop further and his eyes downcast made Hope’s heartache. She couldn’t bear to see her son so upset when this was meant to be one of the best days of his life.
The general air around them was heavy, and Hope and Lyall couldn’t help but feel the sadness weigh on their chests, even as Remus offered them a smile. Slowly, as they helped him get his trunk on the train, some of the earlier excitement came back to Remus, and his parents let his energy infect them as they said their goodbyes, Lyall ruffling Remus’ hair fondly while Hope kissed her son’s cheek with a loud smack, pleased to hear him giggle as he stepped away. Remus stepped onto the train after a moment of hesitation and his parents lost sight of him. Hope and Lyall stood on the platform, hands clasped together as they waited for any last sight of Remus. Hope looked around, Lyall gently reassuring her that Remus was looking for a seat. They heard the whistle of the train and the doors slammed shut before the train began to slowly chug along.
A shout of “Mam! Da!” caught their ears from among the loud chatter of other students and their families, and as they looked over toward the familiar voice, they saw Remus’ head poking out with, for the first time all day, a truly excited smile on his face. He was waving at them, his cheeks a bit flushed. “Bye! Love you! I’ll see you during the holidays!”
Hope laughed and Lyall was grinning, waving back at their son. “We expect an owl as often as possible!” Hope called after him, listening to his returned laughter as the train pulled out of the station more quickly now. “We love you, cariad!” she shouted once more as the train disappeared behind a cloud of smoke.
And just like that, Remus Lupin was off to his first year at Hogwarts.
A month had passed since the trial, and Lyall Lupin had continued to work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He continued in his efforts to enforce harsher regulations, especially directed at werewolves. There was no doubting how Lyall Lupin felt about werewolves. However, Lyall kept talk about werewolves to a minimum while at home per Hope’s request because Remus had been having nightmares recently, saying he had seen on staring at him outside his window, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight.
Monday, February 15, 1965 had been a rainy day, the rain lasting well into the night. The full moon was partially hidden as the clouds moved across the sky. In the Lupin house, a soft patter of rain could be heard on the roof. Remus had been asleep the last few hours, and Hope and Lyall were going to bed at just past midnight. The two were giggling, warm from the tea they had just had and from the happiness of a quiet night together just dancing to music from the muggle radio in their kitchen.
Lyall stepped into their room having just come from the bathroom, watching his wife who was sitting on their bed and pulling her hair away from her face and into a bun. He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes full of fondness. Hope looked up, her face melting into a warm smile as she caught his eyes. She dropped her hands from her hair, letting it tumble back down as Lyall stepped away from the door.
As Lyall was starting to climb onto the bed, they heard a muffled crash from down the hall and the wind seemed to be blowing harder. They both startled, brows furrowed in confusion. Hope looked up at her husband. “Lyall?” Her voice trailed off slowly as she looked towards the door, Lyall reaching for his wand on the nightstand.
Not three seconds later there was a high-pitched scream and Lyall burst into action, running out of the room with Hope only a few steps behind him.
----
Remus Lupin had been sleeping peacefully in his bed, tucked in under his sheets, listening to the quiet sounds of music and his parents voices’ just down the hall mingled with the rain outside. With Lyall and Hope away in their room, there was no way they would have seen the werewolf that watched their home only a few meters away, waiting for the lights in the house to turn off.
Fenrir Greyback, now a werewolf, was illuminated by the light of the full moon. His fur was matted down from the rain, yellow eyes narrowed and lips curled up in a low snarl as he padded his way over to where he knew the window of the boy’s room to be. Fenrir had learned to let his mind give into the wolf, allowing him to be completely aware of his actions and in control, and as he peered into the window, seeing the small form of Lyall Lupin’s son, his anger came back full force and he leaped at the window, breaking the glass. The boy had barely begun to stir when Greyback was upon him, biting his side and then letting his werewolf instincts take over as he attacked Remus.
Lyall reached the bedroom, his wand at the ready. And he was not prepared to see his son being torn at by a wolf - a werewolf, something in his mind supplied as he took in the slightly more human characteristics of the creature. He did not let his thoughts linger on that, nor on the loud scream behind him as Hope ran up behind him and saw what was happening. Lyall’s wand arm was already moving and he was shouting curse after curse at the creature.
A burst of light hit the creature, pushing it off Remus. It yelped, turning and jumping back out the open window into the night, its shape illuminated by the moonlight and the burst of spells that followed in its wake.
The ringing in Lyall’s ears cleared. He could hear the rain outside, but that was a much fainter sound in comparison to Hope’s distress as she held their bleeding, unconscious son. Her hands looked painted red, and she held Remus close to her, saying his name repeatedly, trying to get him to wake up. Lyall heard her calling for him next, telling him to get help. That Remus was bleeding out. That they needed a Healer. Lyall could feel himself going numb.
He had arrived in time to save his son’s life, driving Greyback out of the house with a number of powerful curses. But the damage was done. It had been done a month ago at the trial, and the effects were only beginning to role in. Lyall felt sick as he turned back to his wife, gathering up their son in his arms and telling Hope to grab onto him. The second he felt her hand on his arm, he apparated them away to St. Mungo’s.
All Lyall could think was that it was just under a month before Remus’ fifth birthday.
When Remus woke early in the morning, his first thought was that his body ached more than it ever had, and it added to the beginnings of his panic when he realized he was not in his own bed and a woman he had never seen before was placing glass jars down on the table beside him. The previous night’s events were still fresh in his mind and a scream of horror ripped from his throat, causing another sharp pain to course through his body as he scrambled to try and get away.
Hope had been in and out of sleep while sat in a chair beside her son’s bed, and the instant his screams hit her ear, she was awake and out of her seat. She reached out to her son, her hand gently touching Remus’ shoulder as she raised her voice to say his name and get his attention. Remus jerked, his head turning towards the source of the touch, and his eyes welled with tears instantly as he recognized his mother, immediately launching himself into her arms. Hope held him close, careful to not hold too tightly, but still needing to comfort him as much as she could.
“Shh, Remus, it’s alright, cariad. I’m right here,” she whispered into his hair, relief and tenderness seeping into her voice as he cried into her chest, his entire body shaking. She barely heard the soft click of the door as the healer left the room to give them time alone.
When Remus was finally able to breathe and his panic had subsided, he pulled away to be able to look up at his mum, wide eyes rimmed red. His hand came to wipe at his nose, and Hope noticed the bandages that were wrapped around his wrist. Her heart clenched as she took him in once more.
“Mum?” Remus asked through sniffles, blinking up at Hope. “Where are we?”
Hope swallowed thickly and licked her lips, reaching up to brush back Remus’ hair. Her palm lingered against his cheek for a moment.
She caught herself, taking a deep breath. “Someone came into the house last night. A bad man. He came in and he hurt you while you were sleeping,” she explained, speaking slowly and willing her voice not to crack even though her throat felt thick with emotion. She watched as Remus’ eyes seemed to get wider if possible and he began to curl in on himself. Hope continued speaking, her hand reaching out to grasp his gently. “Your da got him away from you and we brought you here. The Healers have been treating you,” she finished.
Remus was chewing his bottom lip, still sniffling into the quiet room before he speaks, voice quieter than Hope had ever heard him, “Am I okay?”
The question hit her like a slap in the face and her grip around his hand tightened slightly as she thought back to the conversation she and Lyall had had with the Healer not two hours ago.
-----
*Two Hours Earlier*
Before Hope could speak, a door opened and a Healer stepped out, waving the couple over and saying, “Mr and Mrs Lupin? May I have a word with you?”
Lyall and Hope made their way over, stepping into the office and sitting down across the desk from where the Healer sat. The couple reached for each other’s hands at the same time, clasping their hands together, both their shaking easing a bit as they used each other to ground them.
The two listened as the Healer explained, and confirmed their suspicions, that their son had been infected with lycanthropy after the attack. Lyall Lupin had left the room almost immediately, hands shaking in rage, leaving Hope to be led to Remus’ room and sit in vigil, waiting for him to wake up.
-----
“Truth?” She waited for him to nod. “You’re healing, so you’re going to feel better soon, but there’s going to be some changes, cariad. The man who hurt you-” she hesitated, pressing her lips together. “You’re not entirely okay,” she admitted finally. Hope took a breath, looking at him closely. “You’re still our Remus. Our clever and loving little boy.”
“A lot of other things might change. A lot of things will change. But not that. Never that. I promise.”
For a four year old, Remus’ face seemed to have aged overnight, and he already looked so tired, his skin still slowly regaining color. He rubbed his eyes with his fist, a small yawn escaping him as he did so. Hope smiled softly, ruffling Remus’ hair gently. “Something tells me you still need some sleep, my love. Let’s get this potion in you and then you can get some more rest. We’ll wake you when we’re allowed to go home,” she said, reaching over to the table on the other side of the bed, grabbing the vial and uncorking it as she handed it to Remus.
Hope laughed softly as she watched Remus’ nose wrinkle while he drank the potion reluctantly, so similar to how he drank any type of medicine. She reached into her pocket and pulled something out wrapped in gold foil.
“Tastes better than what you just had, I bet,” she told him with a playful smile, watching as Remus quickly unwrapped the candy and placed it in his mouth with a happy hum.
Hope stayed, humming quietly as she stroked her hand over Remus’ hair while he settled back under the sheets of the hospital bed and fell asleep, unaware of just how much his life was going to change.
They had been careful. So very careful of making sure Remus’ secret stayed secret. The first time they moved, it was to a wizard neighborhood, and they made sure to keep Remus away when he transformed. Lyall would take him to a shack in the woods - kept him chained, put up all the necessary charms, and stayed nearby throughout the night on full moons. It should have worked out, but they foolishly didn’t count on their son making friends during the day and being invited places on full moon nights. They didn’t count on children asking their parents seemingly innocent questions like "Mum, why does Remus Lupin have scars on his neck?"
Parents started forbidding their children from playing with “That Lupin boy.”
When Remus came crying home one Thursday afternoon, it was the final straw.
Hope was just done singing Remus to sleep for a nap, gently wiping away the dried tears from his cheeks, when the front door shut. She looked down once more at her son, a sad smile on her lips before she kissed his forehead and stood up. Lyall was setting down his bag when Hope turned into the living room.
“They’ve been asking questions. The other children. Their parents. These are wizards, not Muggles,” Hope sighed tiredly.
“But we just...”
“I won’t feel comfortable raising him here. Not surrounded by wizards who could very easily make our son feel less than human.”
Sure enough, two weeks later, their belongs packed up, the Lupins moved from that town to another town near a forest in Wales. The forest, they hoped, would provide cover and a safe place for Remus to transform. When Remus had asked why, they told him that Hope missed Wales. It had been enough of an answer for their son. But there were more questions when they told Remus he couldn’t leave the house as often, least of all without one of his parents. That he wasn’t going to be able to play with the other kids often, if at all, because they wouldn’t understand Remus. They told him it was because of the magic. They said it was for his safety, and it was. They never said, but they couldn’t be sure the now six year old could keep the secret of his condition if he became close with any of the neighboring children. Remus reluctantly accepted their explanation. He became quiet, and while Lyall was at work, Hope tried to fill that quiet, lonely space by bring him books. It started with simple picture books as she taught him to read, progressing into short chapter books, and then longer series by the time he was 10. Remus became engrossed in the stories, his only form of escape from the constant loneliness.
