Remus sighed loudly and collapsed back onto the pillows. He wanted to cry. He wasn’t sure why, but the fact that for the first time in his life, he had friends, scared him. "Hand me my guitar James." he said. James had brought the instrument to Remus earlier. Remus held the guitar gently and played a slow, sad song. He couldn’t remember the words, but he knew it was about being friends forever. He hated the song, and he wasn’t quite sure why he was playing it. He wanted to scream so loud, but he held everything in. His emotions were under perfect control. "Just like the wolf," Remus thought, "just like everything." He set the guitar aside and buried himself under the blanket. James, Peter, and Sirius fell silent, and after a few moments, Remus heard them get up and leave. He sat up in bed and reached for a piece of parchment and a quill.

Dear Rom,

Remus set the letter aside to send with Vulcan and then picked up the guitar again. He found himself sobbing and tried to stop, reminding himself that he was eleven, and that was quite old enough to stop being a baby. He hugged his knees to his chest and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the joy of being at Hogwarts was over. He just wanted to be held by his mum, tucked in at night by his aunt, and talked to by his best friend and brother. He was lonely, and he could do nothing but sit and feel sorry for himself. Remus shook his head. This was so stupid. He was acting like a child and he knew it.

"I have to calm down." he told himself, "Otherwise the wolf will get the best of me."

A knock resounded on the door and Remus hurriedly wiped his tears away. Madam Pomfrey came in with her wand and a goblet of purple liquid.

"How are you Remus? Feeling a bit better?"

Remus nodded, doing his best to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. Madam Pomfrey touched his forehead briefly with her wand and said "Tempeturus Farenheitus." Thin wisps of smoke shot out of the tip and spelled out "98.7 F" in the air.

"Well, your temperature’s normal, so are you ready to go back to Griffyndor tower?"

Remus nodded again, frowning. Madam Pomfrey put a reassuring hand upon his shoulder.

"Are you sure you’re okay? Because if you still feel ill, you are welcome to go back to bed dear."

Remus shook his head, sniffing back tears. "I’ll be alright." he mumbled as he gathered up his belongings, "I’ll just get my robes on and go."

"There’s not anything bothering you? I’d be glad to help."

"No." lied Remus flatly; "I’m fine."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, giving him a kind smile, and left him to change. Remus pulled on his robes, rolling up the sleeves where they hung down too far. He swung Rom’s guitar over his shoulder and headed off to the owlery to mail Rom’s letter. He found the tower with some difficulty and entered. There, Vulcan flew over and greeted him with a soft hoot. Remus secured the letter to his owl’s foot and sent him off. Then he sat in the center of the room, watching the owls perched peacefully above in the rafters. He pulled out the guitar and strummed it aimlessly as the owls hooted quietly. Remus stopped as footsteps approached and the door swung open.

"Remus?" a voice called gently, "Are you in here?"

James’s feet appeared in the room and Remus began playing once more. James wandered over and sat next to him.

"I thought you’d be up here." James said, "Why didn’t you come back to the common room? It’s nearly dinner."

"I didn’t feel like it."

"You never ‘feel like it’. What’s wrong with you? Are you still sick?"

"No." said Remus, "I’m just thinking. That’s all."

"Oh." said James slowly. "Anything you want to talk about?"

That was the final straw. Something in Remus burst and he dropped the guitar, letting it clatter on the floor.

"There is nothing wrong!" Remus hissed, "Nothing! So just tell everyone to stop asking!"

James’s eyes widened. "Sorry Remus! I was just worried. Chill out!"

Remus relaxed slightly, leaning against the wall, and sliding downwards to rest his head upon his knees. "Sorry. I just miss my brother, that’s all. We were really good pals."

James smiled. "What’s his name again?"

"Romulous." said Remus, "But I just call him Rom, and he calls me Rem."

"I wish I had a brother" said James, "I’m an only."

"A what?"

"An only child. I don’t have any siblings. It’s quite boring, really. Do you and Romulous ever fight?"

"No." said Remus, "Never. He’s my best friend."

"I grew up near Sirius," said James, "so I guess he’s my best friend."

"Yeah." said Remus sadly.

"But you’re a pretty good friend yourself Remus" added James.

"Thanks James, that’s just what I needed."

~Dumbledore’s Dilemma~ James and Remus headed down to dinner, Remus now smiling considerably more then he’d been in the past few hours. They sat with their fellow roommates, including Ethan and Laurence, and the conversation circled around Quidditch, which James was exceptionally passionate about.

"-and the Chudley Cannons had a horrible season! I’m all for the Wimbourne Wasps!"

"No! The team from Edinburgh is doing well I’ve heard!"

"Uh-hem!"

A voice from the head table silenced the Great Hall, as Dumbledore stood to face the four house tables.

"As I informed you yesterday, Hogwarts is experiencing a great sorrow for Miss Jill Kilow, who died yesterday due to a wizard named Voldemort."

Remus turned to look at the student’s reactions. A boy and a considerable amount of girls at the Hufflepuff table were crying softly, and a number of students had their heads bowed respectfully.

"We need to discuss the meaning of this with all you," Dumbledore continued. "Voldemort’s objective is not hidden. He is rallying young people to fight with him. Although he is a fairly new threat to our society, he is a threat nonetheless. I need all of you to understand that Voldemort is not someone to joke about. He is killing people, and the problems will only increase unless we join together against him. The school is safe from any further threats, and I hope that Hogwarts will remain a positive environment for you all. I am telling you this not to upset you, but to help you understand. What Voldemort is doing is wrong, and I hope you all acknowledge that fact. Thank you."

Dumbledore sat back down, and gradually the chatter rose again. James stole a glance at Remus and said, "I want to do something. It’s not right that he killed that girl."

"I know." said Remus, "Let’s…I’m not sure yet. But we’ll think of something."

a/n: I know this was a short chapter, but I’ll get on with it soon. I’ve had a bit of a writer’s block. Please tell your friends about this story if you like it. It’s not getting to many reviews, lol :)

Review!