Okay, I'm trying something new... the first chapter of what I hope will be Sirius's life...I'll write faster if people like is. So Review! tell me what you think...

Note: Italic words are Sirius's actual thoughts...

1. A train to freedom.

"Sirius! Sirius Black! Get here!" Mrs. Black's high voice shouted through the house. She had been searching for her son, her trouble child. It had been a good behaving boy but ever since that stupid party three years back at the ministry her son wasn't a real Black anymore. He was becoming a disgrace to the noble house of Black. Now she was searching for him, wanting him to join her and his father so that they could once again remind him of the expectations they had..

"Sirius Black, if you don't get down here right now, you won't be going to Hogwarts!" Mrs. Black tried the ultimate threat.

"Coming, coming." Sirius shouted down the stair. He had been up in his bedroom finalizing the last details for a prank he and his best friend were going to pull on a bunch of students in the Hogwarts train. This interruption was particular annoying as he was finally getting the hang of the jelly-leg hex. He had been practicing on a lost mouse for the last two hours.

When Sirius reached his mother at the bottom of the stairs he realized that he wouldn't be back to practicing any time soon. He knew what was coming and felt already sick.

"Have you packed everything for tomorrow?" Mrs. Black asked.

"Yes, mother." To be completely honest, Sirius had been packed for weeks, ever since his mom had taken him shopping in Diagon alley. He couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts, to be with his best friend and enjoy the freedom. He was already sick of this house, of his parents and of his brother, who had been nothing but a pain in the ass with his sucking up to their parents. The so well behaved Regulus Black.

"Good, now come, your father and I want to go over some very important details about your education at Hogwarts."

Grumbling, Sirius followed, he knew no good would come from these conversations with his parents. Trying to stay calm Sirius breathed deeply through his nose. He had a temper and he knew it, more importantly, if he wanted to go to Hogwarts he would have to keep his temper under control.

"Sit." His mother barked.

He did as he was told. Kreacher, the very young house-elf served them tea, Sirius's younger brother Regulus sitting at the other side of the table.

"Sirius, we wanted to talk to you about going to Hogwarts. We want to make sure that you will keep the noble name of Black in honor." His father started. Sirius had already difficulties to control some kind of gagging motion but he fought hard. 'only twenty-four hours left and I'll be free' Sirius kept reminding himself.

"Now, your cousin Bellatrix is doing a formidable job at Hogwarts, she is scoring very high grades for the important subjects, is a real Slytherin, and doesn't associate with mudbloods or blood traitors. Just like her parents told her too. We expect the same from you. So rules are, you make sure you'll be in Slytherin house."

Certainly not! Sirius thought.

"Good grades, no fooling around."

That's a lost cause.

"No contact, or as minimum as possible with mudbloods and blood traitors."

Can't do that, James's parents are the biggest blood traitors.

"And last, Bellatrix will keep an eye out for you. She'll help you if you need it and she will keep us informed about how you are doing."

"I think I can do perfectly fine myself, thanks, I don't need to be baby sat by Bella." Sirius decided to speak up.

"Sirius Black! How dare you speak to your father like that!" his mother screeched. "You are to follow our rules and not to disgrace the family name or you'll be in big trouble."

Sirius never made that promise, he just kept his thoughts to himself and his mouth wisely shut. Tomorrow he would be on the train, with his best friend, getting away from the hell-hole he was supposed to call home. By tomorrow night he hoped to be a Gryffindor, secretly he hope the perfect Bella would write his mom about it, maybe they would leave him alone after that.

After a long icy silence, Sirius excused himself with the pretences of forgetting something that should be in his trunk. Luckily his mom allowed it and he dashed up the stairs. He pulled up his bed and grabbed the stacks with letter from underneath it. These letters that had literally prevented him from going crazy, but they also opened his eyes to a complete different family situation than his. The Black family was all about pure blood and status, there was no room for love and attention. James's letters had showed a different world, James's parents loved their only son, his father was an auror and his mother an assistant healer at St. Mungo's. they didn't care about the purity of blood or the status you carry, they only cared about their son and his happiness.

James was their only child, and Sirius considered James a bit spoiled. The letter told him about James getting a very good racing broom for his eleventh birthday and about the gifts his mother would buy for him when ever he asked. Secretly Sirius was a little jealous, it was hard not to be, but he knew that everything would work out for the best.

Sirius and James had met at that party three years ago. That party his mother wished she had never taken Sirius to. The new minister for magic, Garry Thickle, had thrown a party to celebrate his election. He had invited all high ranked ministry employees and other important persons. Being a Black, his parents were invited, somehow being a pure blood was still important in the ministry. They had taken Sirius with them to show off the next generation of Blacks. James's parents had brought him for a different reason, his father thought it would be good for James to see how to behave in the company of well-known witches and wizards.

Sirius and James had spotted each other and bonded instantly. Both bored to death they talked about jokes they had pulled and about going to school. They thought alike, and they both loved Quidditch. Somehow, somewhere during that party they got brave enough to try out a prank on the guests. It backfired a bit as Mr. Potter immediately know who was behind it and both the boys got send home.

Still Sirius had a friend, somebody who loved to plan a prank like him. So when Sirius turned eight the next week he asked his uncle for an owl, his parents didn't do presents but his uncle was the complete opposite of his father and loved Sirius like his own and always got gifts for him. His uncle lived abroad but every year when it was Sirius's birthday he visited the Black house. Only staying long enough to wish him a happy birthday and watch Sirius unpack his gift. Sirius suspected that his uncle just couldn't stand to stay any longer around his parents.

The owl he got, a black with gray colored owl, made a lot of miles over the last three years, James and Sirius wrote each other almost daily. Sirius made sure that his mother never noticed, the Potter's were in her eyes the worst blood-traitors ever, she wouldn't like it very much if she found out her son was writing to a Potter.

The letters slowly became a life line to a normal happy existence. James told all about his life in his letters, also about the fun he had with his father when they would observe muggles in their free time, about an old neighbor that had her niece over as a guest and how pretty the girl was. Also about life in a village full of wizards and witches. Sirius read about a meeting James's father had with professor Dumbledore at their house. James's life sounded so interesting.

Later the letters became about school and they discussed houses. James was sure he would be a Gryffindor but Sirius feared he would be placed in Slytherin. One of James's reaction to Sirius's writing about his fears, he would never forget.

"I asked my dad, he says sorting isn't based on blood but on personal character and qualities. So I don't think you should be too worried, you are anything but a Slytherin."

Those two lines had been what Sirius needed to even dare to go to school, for tomorrow becoming a Slytherin would be the worst, anything else he could live with. He would be happy in Huffelpuf, but if it was Slytherin he would probably ran away.

Over the last few weeks James and Sirius had been writing about what to do when they would finally team up and the ideas of pranks had been born. James had already a head start in the prank department as his father was known as one of Hogwarts biggest trouble makers of his time, a Potter legacy, he called it.

"but Dad keeps reminding me that I have to do well in school, we have to figure out a way to do both, or they will home-school me." James had written in one of his last letters.

Sirius had not yet come up with an answer to that, they would have to see when classes started. James was naturally talented and he claimed Sirius would be as well, after all they were both the descendants of a long line of talented witches and wizards.

Putting the stack of letters in his trunk he smiled, finally, just a few hours left and he would be going to Hogwarts.

With his owl in its cage in one hand and in the other his mothers stone cold hand Sirius stood on the first step in front of his house, there where the muggles couldn't see them. He and his mom would apparate to the platform, his mother would die of shame if she had to walk through a muggle train station, so his Dad had arranged with the head of the auror office that they could apparate onto the platform. Sirius had almost retched when he thought about the amount of money his father had used just so that they could show how important they thought to be.

His trunk already gone, Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For a second his felt like he was pressed into jelly, but then his feet hit the stone floor of the platform and he opened his eyes again.

The large red steam engine stood before him, it was like a dream. He let go of his mother and turned to look around, two compartments away he saw the jet-black hair of his friend, sticking out at all directions, just as he remember. He wanted to go to James but he her his mom clearing her throat.

"Now, behave and act like a Black." His mother snapped, she still was glaring at her son. The fight they had gotten in this morning was still brooding in her. Sirius had wanted to wear muggle clothing so he wouldn't stand out, but his mom had made sure he was wearing the most ridiculous looking robes. "A Black should be dressed like a pure blood. Making a good impression counts." She had shouted, and with a wave of her wand his muggle clothes disappeared and were replaced with black on black wizards robes. Sirius felt he looked like an idiot.

"Sirius Black! Are you listening to me at all!" his mother pulled him back from the memory of the fight.

"Yes, mother."

"Than what did I say?"

"Behave like a Black, make sure you're in Slytherin house, get good grades and listen to Bella." he recited, he hadn't heard her but he was sure that she had said something along those lines. It was like her brain got stuck on those words.

"Good. You'll be coming home for Christmas to attend the family dinner. Goodbye and behave."

Without further words his mother was gone and Sirius let out a sigh of relieve. Finally he was free. He quickly scanned the platform for his horrid cousin, but to his immense relieve she was nowhere to be found.

Picking up his owl and trunk he strolled toward the place where he had seen James. Lucky for him, James looked like his father, a lot, and Sirius could see the tall frame of James's father over all the other people.

"Yes, mom." Sirius heard James wail. A smile spread over Sirius's face as he realized that Mrs. Potter was giving James the standard mom orders.

"You behave better than your father did! If I get too many owls from professor McGonagall you'll be in trouble mister." Mrs. Potter threatened.

"Yes, mom."

James looked away from his mother's eyes when he made that lie. Sirius caught his eye and smiled at James. James looked relieved and waved for Sirius to release him from his parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter noticed the lone boy as well, with one long stride Mr. Potter stepped towards Sirius.

"Hello Sirius. Shall I get your trunk onto the train?" Mr. Potter offered.

"Yes, please." Sirius said. To polite and to lazy to refuse. He was surprised that Mr. Potter knew who he was but didn't say anything about it. Something you just have to except.

"Ah, you must be Sirius. It's very nice to meet you." Mrs. Potter said. Sirius nodded and took her hand politely.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Potter." He said.

"You boys are going to have so much fun at school." Mrs. Potter said excited. "Behave, and listen to the professors."

Mrs. Potter gave her son a kiss on the cheek and much to Sirius's surprised she gave him a short hug. Mr. Potter gave both boys a hug and ordered them onto the train as the whistle blew.

"Don't forget to write!" Mrs. Potter shouted as the train left the platform.

When the platform was out of sight James let out a deep sigh.

"Pfew, I thought she would never stop."

Sirius looked at James for an explanation.

"Mom have been teary the whole morning. Constantly muttering about how big her son got." James sounded annoyed.

"Could be worse." Sirius shrugged.

"Oh…was your mom that bad."

"Nah, more of the same nonsense. Get into Slytherin, keep the Black name high, be a good pure-blood. Don't associate with mudbloods and blood traitors. Like I said much of the same."

"I'm sorry." James muttered, Sirius knew he felt sorry that he lacked the loving parents James had.

"Don't be. I'm free now." Sirius said with a huge grin.

"Yeah, lets find a place to sit and celebrate."

"As long as it is on the opposite side of the Slytherins. I don't want to see Bella yet." Sirius shuddered when he said that name out loud. He didn't fear his cousin but he didn't like her. Maybe that was a bit of an understatement, he hated the beloved Bellatrix. The little Black princess. She was everything he despised.

"What will your family say when you don't end up in Slytherin?" James asked while they searched for an empty compartment.

"Don't know, don't care, really." Sirius shrugged, "Maybe they kick me out of the family."

Sirius sounded almost hopeful when he said that.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be with me in Gryffindor."

"My mom would like that!" Sirius laughed. "Lets sit here."

Sirius had pointed to a compartment which was almost empty. A small girl with red hair and pale skin was sitting alone staring out the window. She stared out the window and didn't acknowledged the two boys coming into the department. Sirius didn't care much, the red head could be shy or sad, either way not much fun. He sat down at the opposite side of the compartment, after a few seconds he noticed James was still looking at the red head. Sirius pulled on James's sleeve to get him to sit down.

"What?" James asked.

"You have been staring at that girl for too long. Lets sit and figure out how to have some fun."

"Oh…yes. Your ideas in your letters were brilliant." James said excited as he sat down opposite from Sirius. Leaning forward to start the prank discussion, every now and than Sirius noticed James glancing at the lone girl in the corner but he decided against teasing James about it.

With in second the boys launched themselves in the weirdest and best pranks. Because both of them had never seen Hogwarts before all discussions were theoretical and needed proper planning before they could be put to practice. Hexes on the other hand could be done on the train or at school at any time but before they got to discussing those the door to the compartment opened. A tall but sick looking boy stumbled in, followed by a small scared looking kid.

The red head looked up, but after a short second she returned to the scenery. Sirius did pay her much attention as he looked at the two boys, they were looking around skittishly, maybe not sure if they should sit down. Sirius decided that either these two boys could be fun as receivers of hexes, or maybe as friends, partners in crime.

"Hey, come sit with us, there is space here." Sirius invited the new boys.

"That's very nice of you." The tall sick looking one said.

"Take it while you can, Sirius isn't really generous with being nice." James joked as he held out his hand. "I'm James Potter, and mister nice guy here is Sirius Black."

Sirius hit his friend on the back of his head but laughed anyway.

"I'm Remus Lupin." The sick looking boy said.

"And I'm Peter Pettigrew." The small mouse like boy said.

"Wait, wait, before you sit down. Which house will you be in?" Sirius suddenly asked.

"Gryffindor, I hope but I'll probably end up in Huffelpuf." Peter squeaked.

"I'm lucky enough to be going to school, I don't mind as long as it isn't Slytherin." Remus said thoughtful.

"Good, now you may sit down." Sirius said seriously. "We can't go make friends with Slytherins."

"Good thinking mate, we couldn't have Slytherins around here." James said.

"I take it you two will be in Gryffindor?" Remus asked.

"I will, but Sirius here isn't in the safe zone yet. His whole family is Slytherin, his mom will disown him if he ends up in anything but Slytherin." James answered. It was met by Sirius loud laughter.

"You're not bothered by that?" Peter asked Sirius, looking like he was a madman.

"Nah, it's the quickest way to get rid of the lot of them." Sirius said still laughing at the idea of his mother disowning him. It would be a dream come true, he was sure it would never happen, his life just wasn't that easy.

"Do you two meet today, or did you know each other already?" Remus asked.

"We met at the most boring party in the world." Sirius sighed.

"Yeah, but we made it a lot nicer." James snickered. "Specially after you sprinkled the cake with salt."

"Or after you tried to tell your dad there was a troll in the bathroom." Sirius laughed. "anyways, yeah, we met at a ministry party. The celebration for the newly elected minister for magic. God it was so boring, but once James and I figured out how to have fun…"

"we got kicked out." James finished the line.

"Really?" Peter breathed in awe.

"Yeah, I think that the firework pixie did it. The minister kicked us out." Sirius laughed and James joined in.

The two boys told Remus and Peter about their letters and about how Sirius had to hide them from his mother. They laughed loudly about the jokes and hexes the two had come up with. Both Peter and Remus, were good allies to have Sirius decided. Sirius found out that Remus was a bit of a book worm, but that was very useful, he told them about spells and hexes easy to perform but good for jokes. For Peter he had no use, yet but the boy was nice and could be used as a decoy for the big pranks. Nobody would expect the mouse like boy. Sirius could see them all becoming good friends, if they got into the same house.

They were so deep in their conversation that they didn't notice the greasy hair boy sitting down next to the red headed girl by the window. Non of them noticed the girl crying, not even James.

"You'd better be in Slytherin." The greasy hair boy said very loud.

James's head snapped towards the red girl and was quickly followed by Sirius. It looked like the red head was crying.

"Slytherin?" James said questioningly. Sirius half expecting it to be an older student who was threatening the girl but when he looked closely he saw only a boy, a dirty greasy boy sitting with her. Sirius immediately knew he had found his guinea pig, he hoped that James would agree.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin?" James said to Sirius, hard enough for the greasy boy to hear, "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Sirius caught on immediately and played serious. "My whole family have been in Slytherin."

A line delivered by an already practiced actor, Sirius would have every teacher wrapped around his finger and he knew it.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed alright." James joked.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got a choice?" Sirius repeated the line that they had spoken the first time they really talked about Hogwarts at the party. Sirius's antics where catching and James lifted an imaginary sword.

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!" he shouted through the compartment.

The greasy boy laughed, he actually laughed at James. Sirius boiled with anger, there was only one person who was allowed to laugh at James and that was his best mate, not that greasy slimy git. James was fuming too, Sirius could see his skin turn paler, bot boys had a temper and were about to loose it.

"Got a problem with that?" James asked sneering.

"No." the boy tried to sneer, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy…"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius scored the goal. James broke out in laughter, joined by Peter and Remus, who had been following their new friend closely, incase it came to dueling.

The red head wasn't impressed and glared at the boys.

"Come, Severus, let's find another compartment." She said.

"Ooooooo…" James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice.

When they got up James tried to trip the boy named Severus.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called loudly, causing a laughing brake down in all four boys.

Sirius felt so happy, here he was on the train to Hogwarts, away for home, away from everything he hated, having a blast with his best friend and two new good friends. All he now did was praying that he would be in the same house as James and not in stinking Slytherin.