Some time before the strange events in the Hospital Wing, Hogwarts's new and returning students were making their way toward Hogwarts Castle by water and land respectively. This year, however, the staff member in charge of the water route was not the gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, but a softly spoken wizard with a face as long as the moon.
"Everyone, check your belongings again. Once you're sure you haven't left anything behind, line up and follow me in a moment-the wind is rather strong tonight, so don't lean too far out once you're aboard. If you fall in-haha, I don't think anyone wants to sit through a soggy Sorting Ceremony and start-of-term feast, do they?" Remus Lupin took a deep breath, composed himself, and smiled at the students.
He had come with Hagrid and Professor Flitwick today to help bring the students into school, but something unpleasant seemed to have happened aboard the Hogwarts Express.
His two friends, Chet Brian and Sirius Black, had stepped off the train with a dying Dolores Umbridge and two corpses. After a brief exchange, they had commandeered Hagrid, who was supposed to handle the water route, along with three Thestrals that were supposed to handle transportation by land. As the wizard closest to Hogwarts's Thestral herd, Hagrid had naturally taken on the task of directing them, leaving Lupin in charge of the water route.
"-Oh, that's Professor Remus Lupin. He's the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. They should announce that before the Sorting Ceremony-but my brother said the gamekeeper took the first-years across by boat in previous years. Why is it him this year?"
Ginny Weasley, standing among the crowd, asked Luna Lovegood beside her in some puzzlement. She recognized Lupin; Sirius had dragged him to the Burrow for drinks