Remus Lupin was not a happy man. That was not to say that in general he had a sour disposition, because he did not, but life as a werewolf was anything but glamorous; the Ministry made sure of that. He'd had little money in his bank account when he'd emptied it days ago, and few possessions worth anything that he could sell to raise funds for what he was about to do. He had few friends and even fewer people he could trust. Those he had once been closest to were dead or imprisoned.

Being a werewolf meant he was untrustworthy and unemployable, so that left little legal recourse when it came to Harry Potter. He'd been to Dumbledore three times now begging the man to remove Harry from the care of his relatives. He'd even taken pictures of Harry's bruises and one of his uncle manhandling him as he dragged him by the arm up the front steps into the house. Dumbledore didn't care. He was insistent that Harry stay there until he was 17. "He'll be eleven next year," Albus had told him. "Then he'll be safe at Hogwarts for most of the year."

"And in the meantime he'll be beaten and starved and ignored," Remus had spat back angrily, "and you'll send him right back to that place every summer and every holiday. What if he doesn't make it to Hogwarts?"

Albus had not disagreed with his angry statement and it made Remus' blood boil. There was not much that could make Remus angry, but Albus had been pushing all the right buttons lately, and he had a feeling that the man really did not care for Harry's well-being at all. It was well known by the members of the Order (which had been disbanded years ago) that Dumbledore didn't believe Voldemort was dead. The man believed he would come back and that Harry would have to fight him one day. Remus felt it in his bones that Harry's placement with the Dursley's had something to do with that grim future fight, though he couldn't figure out how.

With Dumbledore having control over Harry's future (he had a lot of pull with the Wizengamot) and with Remus' status in the wizarding world, there was no way he could petition the court for custody of Harry. It just wasn't possible. That only left one option, for which Remus had been preparing for over the last few days. He was going to do something very wrong for a very right reason: he was going to kidnap Harry Potter. He'd taken the meager thirty galleons out of his account, sold his grandfather's pocket watch and his mother's wedding ring (both family heirlooms) and bought supplies. He was ready for Harry, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was, was Harry ready for him? Remus was a stranger to him after all, and Harry had no reason to trust him. He didn't fancy snatching the child up off of the sidewalk and apparating away either. If Harry didn't trust him, none of his carefully laid yet quickly made plans would work.

Remus watched Harry from down the street. He was weeding the front garden again as the sun beat down on his back. It was August and school hadn't started up yet and the child's aunt and cousin had gone into town like they did every Thursday afternoon. Now was the time he thought, steeling himself for the reality that kidnapping The-Boy-Who-Lived was sure to carry a life sentence in Azkaban. If he was lucky, maybe he'd get a cell next to Sirius. This certainly wasn't going to lend him any help in the trustworthiness department either, but then again, being a werewolf, he had no hope of ever being trusted. Shaking himself mentally, Remus walked down the street. He had no illusions that this wouldn't eventually end in his capture. Until then he had one mission: get Harry away from harm and keep him safe. Remus was a Marauder and Marauder's stuck together and helped each other, even if all the others were gone.

Smoothing down the front of his button up Muggle shirt, Remus sighed and headed towards the working child. This was it. There was no turning back now. "Harry Potter?" he put on a smile as he stood on the sidewalk behind the small child, hands in his pockets. He didn't want to look menacing, though he worried that with the scars on the side of his neck it was impossible to avoid.

Harry turned and frowned. "Yes?" His voice was uncertain, and Remus knew he wasn't used to being addressed as anything other than 'boy' while there with the Dursleys.

"You don't know me," Remus said, still smiling, and trying not to stare at Harry's black eye or the bruises in shapes of fingerprints on his bare arms, "but I knew your father and mother. We went to school together."

"They're dead," Harry said flatly, and turned back around to pull at a stubborn weed that didn't want to release it's hold on the earth.

"Yes," said Remus, unable to keep the sadness from his voice. "I know."

"It was a car crash," Harry said, back still to the stranger.

Remus stared at him. "It was not a crash."

Harry turned. "My aunt said it was a crash. My dad was drunk."

"Your father was in law enforcement and a very bad man broke into the house one night and killed he and your mother."

Harry stared at him, unable to break eye contact, and they stayed that way for long moments while the boy worked through what he'd just been told. "They were murdered?"

"Sadly, yes."

"And you did it? You're coming to finish me off too?"

Remus couldn't keep himself from laughing then. "Forgive me, I know there's nothing funny about it. It's something your father would have said though. No, the man who killed them was named Voldemort. My name is Remus Lupin."

"And you knew my parents?" Harry asked to confirm again.

"I did. We were in the same year at school. Your father was one of my best friends."

"Then tell me his name."

"James Henry Potter. And your mother was Lily Evangeline Potter, but her last name used to be Evans."

"I didn't know their middle names. Aunt Petunia doesn't talk about them."

"No, I don't imagine she does."

Harry turned to go back to his weeding but then paused and looked back at the man who had identified himself as Remus. It felt strange to be having a civil conversation with him. He did seem to know his parents, but why did he care to stop and talk to Harry? Nobody talked to Harry like Remus was speaking to him.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, and noted that Remus' features grew serious even though his smile was still there.

"To take you away from here."

Harry sat up straight and wiped his dirty hands on his pants. "What do you mean?"

"By your black eye it looks like your family doesn't take the greatest care of you. If you'd like to live somewhere else, then I would like to offer you a safe place." He paused and considered Harry. He needed to tell him the truth about what he'd be in for if he went with him willingly. "I can't promise you a glamorous life Harry. I'm not wealthy. I can't even promise you a nice house like the one you live in now. I can promise that you'll be fed and clothed though, and that I will never harm you. I can promise that I will do my best to protect you no matter what."

"Why would you want to do that? I'm not worth much except to do chores. I always burn the bacon and I can't fry eggs without breaking them." He was going to mention accidentally scratching uncle Vernon's car the last time he'd washed it and how he'd gotten walloped for it, but held back. This man wanted to take him away from here, and Harry was too curious about what he'd say next to spoil it with telling him all of his flaws in one go.

"I don't expect you to do chores or cook or clean. I only expect that you'll do your best in whatever you decide do."

Harry stood up and dropped the tool he had in his hand. He walked over to Remus and stared up at him. Remus wasn't tall like uncle Vernon, but he was still a lot taller than Harry. "Will I live in a cupboard?"

"Never."

"And you said I could have clothes?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll come."

As Remus stared down into the serious green eyes he couldn't decide if Harry was too trusting because of his young age, or if he was simply so desperate to get away from his family that he'd risk leaving with a stranger he'd just met. He'd have to have a talk with him later about who he chose to give his trust to in the future. Remus didn't want to push his luck now though. He was simply thankful that Harry was going to make this easy for him.

"If you're going to come, we have to leave now. Others will consider this kidnapping and there will be people looking for us. Like I said, there will be nothing glamorous about the life we will lead."

"My aunt and uncle won't call the police. They don't want me here anyway."

"No, I don't imagine they will, but it's not them I'm worried about."

"I don't care," Harry said, growing desperate. "I don't want to be here anymore. I don't belong here. I don't," he insisted, and his eyes shone with wetness in the bright sun. Remus wondered then how long Harry had been trying to convince himself that he wasn't all of the nasty things the Dursley's told him he was, and that he really didn't belong there.

"Then take my hand, and I'll explain everything when we get to where we're going."

Harry gave his scarred hand an uncertain look, but then took it. He'd never held anyone's hand before, and he felt strange doing so now as a ten year old and with a stranger no less. He expected the man to take him to his car. Maybe he was being foolish going with him. They'd been warned in school about strangers and their false promises... anything to get kids to go with them so they could kidnap them, but Remus had been honest. He'd said that he was kidnapping Harry for his own good and that there would be people after them, hadn't he? He'd said they'd be on the run, that life wouldn't be perfect. Harry didn't care. He had to chance it. He never wanted to see this street, or this house, or his family again. Instead of walking away, Remus gripped his hand tight and darkness engulfed them. Harry felt like he couldn't breath, like all the air was gone or like pillows were being pressed around him on all sides, but then there was light again, and he was breathing, and they weren't on Privet Drive anymore.

"I er- what? What happened?"

"I promised you I would explain," Remus said. He pointed and Harry looked and saw a thick tan canvas tent. They were in a meadow surrounded by woods and they were alone. Harry was fairly certain he was dreaming at this point. He'd had dreams about someone coming to rescue him from the Dursleys before and was always disappointed when he woke up. Once he'd even dreamed that Santa had come to deliver presents at Christmas and his present was getting to ride away in Santa's sleigh, laughing as they flew away because all the Dursleys got was coal. Strangely enough, Santa's sleigh was a flying motorcycle, and Santa wore flying goggles and didn't have gray hair.

Remus seemed to be waiting for a reaction. Harry wanted to say something about living in a tent, but remembered that he'd told the man he didn't care, and wasn't about to complain.

"Let's sit down and then I'll tell you," Remus said, and let Harry lead off to the tent. There were two blue folding camp chairs sitting in front of the tent flap around a campfire ring made of stones, and Harry sat down in one of them, feeling nervous like he had when the stranger first approached him.

"What just happened was called apparation. It's something that wizards can do," Remus explained.

Harry frowned. He wanted to point out that wizards weren't real, but aside from this being a dream, he had no way of explaining how they had been on Privet Drive one moment, and then here the next. "And you're... a wizard? Uncle Vernon said magic isn't real."

"Your aunt and uncle lied to you about your parents deaths. They also lied to you about other things. Magic is real, and I'm a wizard. So are you."

"Me?"

Remus pulled out his wand and held it out to Harry, who took it uncertainly. "That's my wand," he said at the skeptical look on Harry's face. "Wave it." Harry did so and jumped back when a single blue spark came out the end.

"It's not a trick," Remus assured him, holding his hand out for his wand and taking it back. "That only works for someone who has magic. Both of your parents were magic. We went to school together at Hogwarts, a magic school in Scotland. I told you that your parents were murdered. They were murdered by an evil wizard named Voldemort. People in the magical community call him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who or even the Dark Lord because they're afraid of him, even though he's dead. They think he'll come back one day and cause all kinds of terror again."

"Why did he have to kill my parents?"

Remus gave him a hard look. "Harry, I'm going to be honest with you. Things have been kept from you for long enough. Your parents fought him and he came to kill them. They died protecting you. When he went to kill you, his magic rebounded back and killed him instead, leaving you with that scar." He pointed to Harry's forehead and Harry's hand automatically went up to the lightning bolt under his fringe of hair. He'd always thought his scar was kind of cool, but knowing now that it had been the result of a murderer trying to kill him, it didn't seem like it anymore.

"You're a hero Harry. The wizarding world adores you, and when they find out you've been kidnapped, every auror, every ministry official will be out looking for us."

Harry wanted to object about being a hero. It just wasn't true. His parents may have been murdered (if he really was going to believe this man... Remus), but there's no way he had been responsible for defeating an evil murderous wizard. He clamped his mouth shut as he thought about it all for several moments, before he finally asked, "Auror?"

"Wizarding police. They work for the Ministry of Magic. Your father was an auror for a very short time before he was killed."

"But you didn't kidnap me, I went with you on my own."

"Harry, there are politics involved. I'm not exactly sure of everything myself at this point. The Headmaster at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, made the decision to place you with your aunt and uncle as a baby. A little over a month ago I decided to come and see you, but instead I was turned away at the door by your uncle and I watched the house to see if you'd come out. You did. I saw what they were like... how they treated you. I tried to convince Albus to take you away from there, but he refused. Three times. There are many wizarding families who would be happy to take you in, but he thinks you should stay put where you are. He, like most of the wizarding world think you have the ability to vanquish Voldemort."

"But you said he's dead." And I'm just Harry, he insisted silently. I don't vanquish evil wizards, I mess up my chores and make adults mad. That was the only truth Harry knew.

"The Headmaster spearheaded the movement against Voldemort in the first war, and he believes that Voldemort is not dead. He thinks he'll come back, and that it's your destiny to destroy him."

"I don't even know how to do magic though!" Harry insisted loudly, and Remus held up his hand to calm him.

"Not yet. I intend to teach you. I also intend to keep you safe from your relatives, and that means keeping you away from Albus Dumbledore. If he catches us I'll go to prison and you'll go back to your family."

"We'll both go to prison," Harry said glumly.

"Yes." Remus sighed.

"Do I- do I get to go to the school then? Hogywarts? Since I'm a- wizard?" He seemed to be testing the words, as if he'd get yelled at just for saying them.

"Hogwarts. Students start to attend when they're 11 and go until they're 17. And I haven't figured that out yet. If you go the headmaster will send you back to your family for holidays like summer and Christmas."

"I don't want that."

"No," Remus agreed. "There's still a year until we have to worry about that. For now I intend to teach you what I can to keep you safe. You need to learn defensive and offensive spells in case we're found. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already discovered that you're gone. There are rules you need to know though. There's a law against underage magic, so I can't get you your own wand. You'll have to use mine. Typically you're not allowed to begin learning until eleven and even then you're only allowed to use your wand at school until you're seventeen. They put a trace on all wands of those under seventeen. You'll be able to use my wand without consequence though."

"So- we're going to live here in a tent, and I get to use your wand to do magic, and we have to stay away from the Dumbledore guy." He wanted to make sure he had everything straight. If this was a dream, it was a confusing one and he wanted to remember everything that had been said so he could try to figure it all out later.

"Yes," Remus said with a warm but tired smile. "Dumbledore and a host of other people. Right now there's no one we can trust. We'll move our camp every few days to ensure no one can get close to us. I already have magical wards... special spells up around us," he clarified, "so no one can see us, Muggle or Wizard."

"Muggle?"

"People like your aunt and uncle. Non-magical." He paused and wondered if Harry believed what he had been telling him. "Before we do anything else though, I need to take care of your injuries and get you something to eat."

Harry reached up to touch his black eye and squinted from the painful contact.

"Come into the tent. I have healing potions."

Uncertain, Harry followed him into the tent, still wondering if this was some sort of trap, or a dream that would soon turn into a nightmare. He was surprised by how big the tent was inside. It wasn't huge but it was certainly bigger inside than it was outside. There were two cots on opposite sides with sleeping bags and blankets and pillows, an aging wooden trunk between the two of them, a short wooden stool, and a small wooden table. There were also two large clear plastic storage containers that looked like they were filled with food, and there were two pots and one pan stacked on top of them.

"It's not much," Remus said, "but it's what we need. We'll have to get food in town every few days, but if we stay away from wizarding communities we should be fine. Have a seat."

Harry sat on the edge of one of the cots and Remus opened the trunk and began to rummage around. "Here," he said, pulling out a blue backpack and handing it to Harry. "That's yours, your clothes are inside."

Ignoring what Remus was doing for a minute, Harry opened the bag eagerly and began to pull things out and set them on the cot. There were a few shirts his size, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of pants. He could tell they were gently used but they were wonderful, he thought. No rips, tears, or stains and they weren't faded or baggy like what he was wearing now. At the very bottom there was a brand new package of underwear and a new package of socks. When he looked up again Remus had set a toothbrush, toothpaste, and hairbrush on his cot next to the clothes.

"It's important to keep everything in your bag when you're not using them so we can pick up and leave at a moment's notice. There are shoes under your cot and you can keep them attached to your bag with these." He handed Harry two green metal D-rings, the kind people used to rappel with. Harry got on his hands and knees on the floor and looked under the cot. There was a pair of gray and blue hiking boots and a pair of brown sandals. They looked new and he eagerly pulled them out and began taking his dirty gray trainers off.

"I can see your black eye and the bruises on your arms, is there anywhere else that you're hurt?" Remus asked, finally pulling several glass jars with screw top lids out of the trunk.

"Huh? Oh, I've got some bruises on my ribs but I don't think they're broken this time."

"Lift your shirt and let me see."

Harry dropped his new sandals and did as he was told. He wasn't sure what could be done about it. Remus had said he could heal him and Harry guessed it would be with magic, but he couldn't imagine how such a thing would work. He wondered if it would hurt. Remus withdrew his wand and touched it to the tip of Harry's bruised ribs and then said, "One of them is cracked but the potion will take care of that."

After dropping his shirt Harry accepted a cup that Remus had given him and held it steady as Remus poured a clear liquid out of one of the jars. "Drink that down." Harry did and made a face but didn't complain. Is this what medicine tasted like? He didn't know, aunt Petunia had never given him any. Well, there had been the one time she'd given him a dose of cough syrup because his coughing was interrupting uncle Vernon's evening news, but it was so long ago he couldn't remember what it was like. "That was a general healing potion. A few more doses and your ribs will be healed."

"Here," Remus handed him a jar with white cream inside. It looked like lotion. "This is bruise balm. You can put it on the bruises but know that you shouldn't use it more than three times a day and not more than three days in a week or you'll get sick. It should only take a couple of days for the bruises to go away altogether."

Harry unscrewed the lid and put it on his black eye, which hurt the worst. He also coated the bruises on his arms and chest and then let Remus put the balm on his back for him. Remus went outside with one of the clear boxes full of food and Harry took the opportunity to change into a soft green t-shirt and the pair of shorts and sandals. They were the best clothes he'd ever had, and looked a far sight better than the worn, faded clothes that Remus was wearing.

"You didn't have to do all this for me," Harry said when he went back outside, glad to be out of the warm tent and into cool clothes in the heat. Remus was bent over a fire making what Harry hoped were grilled cheese sandwiches.

"No, but it's what your father would have done if you were my son and I was unable to be there for you. And Sirius would have done the same."

"Sirius?"

"Our other friend."

"Is he dead too?"

"No."

It seemed like Remus didn't want to talk about it so Harry stopped asking questions. He had a feeling that Remus would have told him if he kept asking, because he'd promised to be truthful with him, but Harry didn't want to seem nosy. He knew adults didn't like that.

"Here, it's hot mind you." He gave Harry the sandwich on a green metal plate and Harry accepted it gratefully. He hadn't gotten lunch today and it was already near dinner time.

"When do I get to start learning magic?"

"I have a list of spells I want you to learn as soon as possible. They're all useful. If something happens to me you're to take my wand and your backpack and run, do you understand?"

"Yes," but he was uncertain even as he said it. Where would he run to and what would he do with the wand? Make it shoot out useless blue sparks?

"We'll begin learning tomorrow then. You'll also learn history of magic and I'll tell you some basic things about the potions we have with us. You have to be prepared."

"For if they find us?"

"Yes. It will happen, there's no question, but I want to make sure you're safe for as long as you can be."

"I wish that Dumbledore guy would just stay out of things," Harry said.

"You're not the first to wish that," Remus told him.

After dinner Remus washed the dishes with a spell and brought out several books for Harry to look through. "These are what we'll be learning out of," he said. "You can read any of them any time you want. They're yours now. We'll be practicing a lot though and you'll have homework to do as well. I have school supplies for you to take notes with."

"That's ok," Harry said. "I like school."

"That's good. So did Lily. She was very bright and always reading something. She wasn't the top of our class, but that was because she was busy getting into trouble at school."

"What kind of trouble?"

"She liked to explore the Forbidden Forest and she got caught a lot. The Head of Gryffindor house took to waiting for her just outside the front doors of the castle every Saturday morning because she knew Lily would head straight for the Forest."

Harry had a long list of questions as he tried to take everything in, and Remus spent the remaining hours until dark telling Harry about school, the four houses, and his parents. Eventually Remus told his new charge that it was time for bed and had Harry put all of his things back in his backpack before climbing into the sleeping bag.

"Remus, this isn't all a dream is it? You'll still be here in the morning?"

"I'll be here. Good night Harry."

"Thanks. Goodnight." Harry wanted to stay awake and ask more questions and to start learning magic that moment, but he was tired and his mind was spinning with all of the information he'd already taken in. His parents had been murdered, his aunt and uncle had lied to him, he was magic, a crazy man named Dumbledore wanted him to suffer for some reason and would be searching for them, and there was someone in this world that cared for his well-being. His name was Remus Lupin.