Author's note: I know this has been done before, and it will be again, but it's just my
way of coping for the long wait for the next wait. If anyone reviewing this has
any new rumours about when it will come out, include it in the review please, I'm
desperate. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this
story that you recognise, just a few of the Professors. That's it, so don't sue
me.
Year 1
Chapter 1: Meetings
Three boys sat in a compartment of the Hogwarts
Express, listening boredly to a fourth, much older, boy. The first boy, who had
messy black hair and vivid blue eyes covered by glasses, fidgeted, whilst
listening glumly to the elder boy, a virtual carbon copy of himself.
"House pride is
everything!" the elder boy explained forcefully. "That means you have to be
good, James. No more childish tricks, no more leading your friends into
trouble." He shot an angry glance at the remaining two boys. "This is big
school now."
His little brother, whose mind had obviously drifted,
snapped his head around at these words. "David, I didn't fall for that when I
was five and I'm not going to fall for it now. It's a load of crap. And I don't
"lead" my friends into trouble. They come willingly. That's their problem, not
mine." The taller of the two boys sitting next to him nodded his head
vehemently.
"Well don't think I'm going to go easy on you just
because you're my brother. I'm Head Boy and I take my duties very seriously."
James scowled, having an elder brother as Head Boy was terrible. Especially if
you were as likely to get into trouble as he was. "Can you leave us to enjoy
our train ride in piece now?" he snapped. "No w that you've finished lecturing
us?" David Potter glared at him and stamped out of the compartment, obviously
annoyed that his supposedly impressive lecture hadn't had the desired effect.
James' two friends sniggered, as James turned to them.
"Lets plan our first prank, Remie!" he said
excitedly. The train hadn't even started moving yet.
*****************
Meanwhile,
a red headed girl stood with her parents in Kings Cross Station, shooting
confused glares at platforms 9 and 10.
This was where she was meant to be, no doubt about it, it said it right
there on her ticket. So where was the damn platform?
She
looked at her parents, who looked just as confused as she did. Her brand new
owl, Chancery, squawked angrily in her cage. It appeared that the owl had a
temper to match her red-headed mistress'. The girl was just about to stamp her
foot angrily when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to find
that she was staring into the mischievous face of a boy she had never seen
before. He stuck his tongue out at her and said "Hogwarts?"
She
stuck her own tongue out, before replying "Yeah. How did you know?"
"Not many Muggles that
walk around with owls and huge trunks, is it? Do you need help getting on to
the platform?"
She smiled at him. "Yeah,
I do. Wait a min…………" she turned to her parents and said heavily: "Well this is
it. Do you wanna say goodbye here or on the platform?"
"Now darling, 'Nia's
waiting in the car." As her parents hugged and kissed her, smoothing her hair,
telling her she was bound to be a success, the girl thought about her elder
sister.
Petunia had refused to talk to her since she had
found out she was a witch. Nia was terribly jealous, and covered it by
pronouncing her sister a freak. She sighed. She really had loved her sister.
When her parents had hugged her for the last time,
the girl turned back to the boy. "So where is it?" she asked curiously. "Who
knows?" he smiled back mysteriously, his black eyes twinkling. "Take my hand
and do what I do." All her luggage, as well as his, had disappeared. Seeing her
look, he added, "My Dad took it."
As he smiled at her once again, she had the strangest
feeling that she trusted him. He took her hand, pulling her at a run straight
towards platforms 9 and 10. She stifled a scream, sure they were going to
crash.
They didn't. Instead they fell out underneath a sign
saying Platform 9 ¾, Hogwarts Express. Right in front of them was a huge
scarlet steam engine. "Thank you," she smiled gratefully at the boy, who bowed
low in return. "Glad to be of service, m'lady!" Dropping the act, he said, "I'm
Sirius Black, I'm a first year."
"I'm Lily Evans. Shall we
find a compartment?"
************************
James sat happily in his compartment, planning
mischief with his friend, a shy looking boy with light brown hair and fearful
eyes. His other friend, a pudgy, round-faced boy, sat sleepily watching the
scene out of the windows of howling parents saying farewell and others looking
exultant to see the children go. All was calm until-
"JAMSIE-BOY! Get out of
here. We want this carriage!" It was his brother's rather stupid friend, Henry,
blond haired and red faced, looking as if he was about to explode. "Go on," he
continued, slightly calmer "Your brother'll be here in a minute and then you'll
be in trouble." Of this, James had no doubt. He didn't exactly have the best
relationship with David. He pulled down his travel bag and walked out of the
compartment, but not before kicking Henry in the back of the leg. Again his
friends laughed quietly, before following him out.
The three boys roamed up and down the corridor
looking for an empty compartment, before realising there weren't any. So they
knocked on the door of the emptiest one, then burst in uninvited.
"I am the ever wondrous James Potter!" James cried,
throwing his arms out wide.
"And I am the amazing
Remus Lupin!" his friend called clearly, getting really into the act. The pudgy
boy just made a bored face.
Two people sat, astonished, in front of them. The boy
closed his mouth, then got up and bowed deeply before them. "Oh great ones," he
intoned flatly, "how honoured I am that you grace us with your presence!" Lily
decided that she too would join in the joke, and curtsied. "I am in
concurrence, my Lords, but I am in too much awe to speak in front of you." She
spoiled this by sticking her tongue out.
James Potter looked delighted. "James," he said,
holding out his hand. Sirius took it.
"Sirius Black."
"Not the Blacks!"
James asked wretchedly. "As in Esmerelda?" Behind him, Remus looked horrified.
"My fame spreads!" Sirius
said triumphantly.
"No, you don't understand.
My brother goes out with your sister!" They stared at each other, identical
looks of horror on both faces.
James snapped out of it first. "And you are……….."He
turned his vivid blue eyes to the girl.
"Lily Evans," she replied,
taking his outstretched hand. To her surprise he kissed it and she laughed.
"Why didn't you do that to Sirius?"
"Because Sirius is prettier
than you and I wanted to make him jealous!" James returned quickly. They all
laughed.
"Hey, I'm Remus, and this
is Peter Pettigrew," the sandy haired boy said, stepping forward, his hand
extended. Lily looked at him sceptically. "I won't, I promise," he smiled
reassuringly, and they shook hands.
Their first meeting over, the five sat sown and soon
discovered they had many things in common. As the train started moving slowly
towards their destination, they began to talk more freely. Sirius and Remus
discovered a shared love of wizard chess, while James and Lily discussed
lessons and pranks and Peter slept peacefully in a corner. Almost before they
knew it the train had pulled in to Hogsmeade Station.
Each of them jumped up. Not a single one of them had
changed into their wizard's robes, and they hurriedly pulled them on over their
Muggle clothes. Jumping out on to the platform they saw that it was deserted,
and James swore, while Peter's lip trembled.
"Oh stop whining!" Remus snapped at him, looking
worried. A porter came on to the platform and shouted bad temperedly at them:
"Oi! You! Get out of here!" Lily smirked at the boys before turning to the man,
her lip now trembling and her eyes wide with fear. "But-but p-please, sir,
we-we don't know where to go! We're only fi-fi-first years and we're l-lost!"
The man visibly softened. "Over there by the lake,
quickly now," he shooed them along. Lily, James, Sirius and Remus ran off quickly, Peter trying to
keep up.
They ran down a road, turned a corner and collided
with a boat. In the distance they could just make out the lanterns from a fleet
of other boats. This boat didn't look big enough for the five of them.
"In we get!" cried James and Sirius.
"I'm not sure it's big
enough," Remus said slowly.
"We could always leave
Lily behind," Sirius suggested with a wicked grin. At that Lily leapt into
boat, and Peter, scared of being left behind, followed more slowly. "Come on,
Re," James cajoled, "We're already late!" Remus threw aside his doubts and
jumped in, causing the boat to sink almost to water level. It moved off
unaided, carrying them in the direction of the other boats.
Lily, James and Sirius thought the whole trip was a
great adventure. Peter was curled up into ball, eyes closed, obviously
frightened of boats. Remus kept glancing at the sides of the boat, which were
so low the water was almost over the side.
When they reached the magnificent Hogwarts Castle,
there was no sign of the other boats or their occupants. The five moved towards
the huge doors and pushed them open. Stepping into the entrance hall, they
barely glanced around before moving towards the door where a huge noise was
coming from, not in the least bit nervous anymore. They would now be the most
famous people at Hogwarts. They pushed the door open and entered.
