Remus looked down at his empty plate as his stomach gave a low rumble- he hadn't felt as hungry in a long while. Maybe it was just because of the nerves. 

Albus Dumbledore was on his feet now, beaming at all the students with his arms open wide. "To our new students," he said, "welcome. To our old students- welcome back to a new year at Hogwarts! And now, I'd like to say two words- tuck in."

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered, as did Remus though mildly confused. Potter was laughing the loudest while his friend Black had a stony expression on his face, as if not sure what reaction was expected off him.

Remus was still busy chortling lightly at Dumbledore's little speech, when he suddenly realized that everyone had already started eating and the plates in front of him were now piled with mouth-watering food. He had never seen so many different things he liked at one table and was soon piling up his plate with a little of everything he could lay his hands on.

He looked over at the Slytherin table and saw Selena talking excitedly to a rather sulky looking ghost with blank eyes and a proud face, wearing blood stained robes. He chuckled and dug in.

"I'm a Muggle-born," Lily Evans was saying to a girl beside her. "Found out I was a witch last month only. Oh, I was so excited!"

"Hey, how'd you get that scar?" Potter asked Remus casually, while stuffing some potato mash into his mouth.

"Oh, um..." Remus rubbed his cheeks awkwardly wishing his scars would disappear. They didn't. "Fell down a flight of stairs," he said in what he hoped was a casual voice.

It was a white lie, of course. The scar had come from one of his nights as a werewolf, when his father usually locked him inside the cellar. The monster had been trying to ram the door open and after a few futile tries had angrily smashed its face in an old rickety chair which had splintered and grazed its left cheek, thereby giving Remus yet another scar.

"I got one right above my elbow," James Potter went on, to Remus's great relief, "fell off a broomstick."

"You can fly?" Sirius Black asked.

"Well, of course not. But I just wanted to try, you know, so I sto- borrowed my father's Cleansweep when he wasn't looking." He was stuffing down some roast beef now. "Dad was furious, of course- grounded me for a month."

"You don't say?" said Sirius sarcastically.

"I still think you got off easy," said Peter. "My dad would have skinned me alive."

"My father probably will, seeing as how I ended up in Gryffindor," Sirius said in a would-be casual tone.

"Fear not my friend," said James patting Sirius on the back. "You're a Gryffindor now, where dwell the brave at heart!" He puffed up his chest and raised his arms as though lifting an invisible sword. It was so ridiculous that everyone around them burst out laughing except for Lily Evans who rolled her eyes and looked away.

Soon the feast was over and Dumbledore stood up again. The hall fell silent as he spoke.

"Ahem- a few more words now that we are all full. First I'd like to introduce you to our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher- Iasion Bay." There was a light applause across the Hall at that, but mostly the teachers were the only ones who clapped.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupil. I have also been asked to remind you, by our caretaker- Mr. Filch, that no magic should be used in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term and anyone interested in enrolling should contact their Head of House."

"And finally I must tell you that a new tree- a Whomping Willow- a rather precious and rare variety of the willows, has been planted on the grounds this year and all students who don't wish to end up in the hospital wing after a much painful ordeal shall stay well away from it."

"And now it's time for bed. Chop chop!"

The Gryffindor prefect sitting beside Sirius stood up. "First years, follow me," he said in a commanding voice.

They followed him through the chattering crowd, towards the pair of double doors leading outside the Great Hall.

"Remus! Peter!" a voice called and Remus turned around to face Selena.

"You know what?" she whispered conspiringly. "The Slytherins really hate the Gryffindors. They told me you were all rude and mean." And then she sniggered. "Can you believe it? And I thought you were nice."

"You must really hate it there," said Peter.

"Oh no, not really. They're just a bit competitive, that's all," she said. "Okay they are really competitive, but in a good way."

"All Slytherin first years to follow me!" came a lazy drawl from somewhere in the crowd.

"Oh, that must be Malfoy. I'll see you around." And she was gone, though not before pulling another Slytherin boy along with her who was talking to Lily Evans.

"C'mon, Severus," she said as the pale skinny boy struggled to free his arms from her hold.

"Spirited, isn't she?" said Peter as they walked out of the Hall and climbed up the marble staircase.

*

An owl hooted somewhere on the Hogwarts' grounds as the lights of the castle extinguished and the night became inky black. And though everyone slumbered deep into their sleep, Remus lay awake late into the night staring at the canopy of his four poster bed. Too scared to wake up and find himself back in his old room, to wake up and realize that it all had indeed been a dream, he willed his tired eyes to remain open. But as the clocks struck twelve, his body gave up and a quiet peaceful sleep- something he had never known before- took over him.

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A/N: The classes are just about to start guys. What did you think of the story so far? Please comment and let me know. :)
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