Grimmauld Place 12: A New Start

Will, Dumbledore, and Remus arrived at the house on 12 Grimmauld Place on a gray and cool evening. The house, once belonging to the Black family, now served as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. The doors swung open, and all three stepped inside.

Sirius Black, the master of the house, greeted them with visible relief. His face wore a mask of friendliness, but worry flickered in his eyes. In the dimly lit living room, the Weasley family sat together. Molly Weasley, carefully maintaining an atmosphere of warmth and comfort, approached each new guest, while Ron and Ginny, deep in conversation with Fred and George, paused their jokes to curiously glance at the new arrival.

Noticing the interest and curiosity in the eyes of those present, Dumbledore politely addressed them.

"Dear friends, allow me to introduce our new guest. This is William Lupin, the nephew of Remus Lupin. He will be staying here with Remus for the summer."

Will felt the eyes of everyone in the room on him as Dumbledore continued.

"William, this is the Weasley family: Molly and Arthur, along with their children—Bill, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George. Also present are our friends and allies from the Order: Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks. Bill is also a member of the Order."

Noticing that Will looked somewhat lost, Ron immediately decided to approach him. He was determined to do whatever he could to help Will feel more comfortable in his new surroundings.

"Hey," Ron said, stepping up to Will with an open and friendly expression. "I'm Ron. My sister and I have been living here with our parents for a while now. I can show you around the house if you want."

Will, slightly surprised by the direct offer, looked at Ron cautiously. His eyes reflected stress and exhaustion, but he could see the sincere desire to help.

"Hey, Ron. Thanks, but… I think I need some time to settle in first."

Ron nodded, understanding that Will might not be ready for socializing just yet. He didn't insist but kept his friendly smile.

"Got it. If you need anything, I'm around. You can come to me anytime."

As Ron stepped back, Nymphadora Tonks approached Will, her bright appearance and cheerful smile standing in stark contrast to the grim atmosphere of the house.

"Hi, Will!" she said warmly. "I'm Nymphadora Tonks, but just call me Tonks. I hope you'll settle in quickly here."

Will, noticing her openness, responded with a small smile.

"Hi, Tonks. Thanks for the welcome."

Tonks nodded, clearly pleased that Will had accepted her greeting.

"If you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. We're all a team here."

She left Will, and he once again sank into his thoughts, feeling his inner tension ease slightly from the kindness of those around him.

Molly Weasley approached Will, trying to establish contact.

"William, welcome. If you need anything or want something to drink, don't hesitate to ask."

Will only nodded in response, his expression brief and restrained. He didn't want extra attention, preferring to remain on the sidelines.

Remus led Will to his new room. The spacious space was decorated in dark tones and had a minimalist look. Some things had already been set up for the new occupant. Will sat on the edge of the bed, glancing around, feeling a strange sense of loneliness and loss.

Remus, noticing his withdrawn state, considered saying something but, seeing that Will was lost in thought, decided to leave him alone. It was still extremely unusual for Remus to realize that he was now the guardian of a nephew he hadn't even known existed a few days ago. But he was determined to do his best in his new role as both guardian and uncle.

Will sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thoughts of the past and his lost family. The room was silent, interrupted only by the whisper of the wind outside the window. Images of his loved ones resurfaced in his mind over and over—their laughter, their warmth—now seeming unreachable.

The next morning, Molly Weasley called everyone for breakfast. Will wasn't particularly eager to join the noisy Weasley family. Instead, he simply asked for a cup of tea and stayed in his room. To him, all these people still felt like complete strangers.

Thus, the first week passed, filled with memories, contemplation, and attempts to figure out how to go on in a world that felt alien and hostile. Will spent most of his time in his room. When he was invited to breakfast or dinner, he behaved modestly at the table and barely spoke. Ron and Ginny tried several times to start a conversation with him, but seeing that he wasn't ready for socializing, they would apologize and leave him alone. Molly had warned her children in advance that Will had recently lost his entire family and was going through an extremely difficult period in his life. The Weasley children understood and respected his withdrawn behavior.

A few days later, Hermione arrived. Ron was especially happy about her arrival. Molly Weasley asked Hermione to help carry her suitcase to Ginny's room. As they went upstairs, they passed Will's room. The door was slightly ajar, and Hermione caught a glimpse of a boy she didn't recognize sitting at a desk, reading something.

When Ron, Hermione, and Ginny entered the girls' room, Hermione immediately asked who that was. Ginny replied,

"That's William Lupin. He's Remus's nephew. He's staying here for the summer."

Hermione was very surprised to hear that Remus had a nephew.

"I never knew Remus had any family. I thought he was alone."

Ron answered,

"Well, he didn't know either until a week ago. We still don't have all the details. We're not allowed in the Order's meetings. But a week ago, Dumbledore gathered the entire Order. Fred and George tried to eavesdrop on what was being discussed, but they only caught bits and pieces. What we do know is that You-Know-Who recently killed Will's entire family. We don't know how Will survived. But it turns out he's Remus's nephew. Remus himself was completely shocked by the news. Dumbledore asked him to take guardianship of Will until he comes of age. Remus agreed. And now Will is living here with us."

Hermione listened carefully to the story about Will. She felt deeply sorry for him.

"Losing your entire family at once… that's awful. I can't even imagine what Will must be feeling right now."

Ron continued,

"Mum asked us not to push him too much for now. He's not very open to talking. He barely leaves his room."

Hermione thought for a moment and then replied,

"I think we should still try to gradually start talking to him. Going through something like that is terrible. He needs support and attention. We just need to do it gently."

The next day at breakfast, Sirius, Remus, the Weasley family, and Hermione were all gathered. Will also joined them. When he entered the dining room, Hermione, noticing him, stood up and approached him with a warm smile. Her eyes were full of genuine interest, and her voice was kind and caring.

"Hi, Will. I'm Hermione Granger. We didn't get a chance to meet when I arrived yesterday. I heard about your loss, and I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for what happened."

Will, slightly wary but still appreciative, replied,

"Hi, Hermione. Thank you. Yeah, I… I'm trying to get used to everything."

Hermione nodded, making sure her first impression was as welcoming as possible.

"I understand. If you ever need help or just want to talk, know that I'm always here."

Will felt that this simple but sincere kindness brought some relief. He responded with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Hermione. I'll keep that in mind."

As everyone sat down at the table, Hermione returned to her seat, and breakfast continued in a more relaxed atmosphere. Will sat across from Hermione, continuing to adapt to the new reality he had found himself in.