Hi there! This is my first Harry Potter fic and is written to celebrate one of my friend's birthday. Putti7777777 Happy birthday! I hope you like it! Reviews are much appreciated. I really need constructive criticism. So, read it and tell me what you think...
James Potter was very excited. He was finally going to Hogwarts, tomorrow. His eyes shone from behind his glasses and he was bouncing up and down, unable to contain his excitement.
His father, Charlus Potter smiled fondly at his hyperactive son. "Now, now James. Stop jumping around so much, otherwise you'll break something and you know your mother doesn't like that,"
"Sorry dad," James said sheepishly. Dorea Black was a very scary woman and both her husband and her son tried their hardest to remain in her good books.
Charlus smiled at his son. Unknown to James, he too had been hyperactive when he was a kid and his father, James' grandfather had had a hard time controlling him.
Dorea entered the house through the back door. "James, why aren't you in bed yet?"
"Bed? Mom, you said I could stay up for a while tonight."
"I did and you have stayed up. For a whole half an hour. So you are going to your room and going to bed. You do have to wake up early tomorrow and at this rate that is something which is not going to happen."
"Okay mom," the youngest in the Potter family sighed, "but dad, are you sure that first years are not allowed to have brooms?"
"Yes son. I can show you the letter again, if you want?"
"No, that's alright. I'm going to bed now. Good night mom. 'Night dad." and giving his parents a hug, James ran up the stairs of their enormous mansion and went to his room.
He changed into a comfortable shirt and pants and crawled underneath the covers. For a few minutes, he looked out of the open window to his right, wondering if such a window existed at Hogwarts.
Against his will, his eyes began to close and soon, he was fast asleep, dreaming about Hogwarts and the pranks he would play.
Dorea entered his room and made her way to her son's bed. Looking down at his innocent face, she wondered how Hogwarts would treat him and how he would treat Hogwarts. She hoped, for his sake, that he found some one there who would always look out for him.
She sighed, glancing around, at the mess in his room. Almost all his clothes had been packed, but he still managed to keep it on a mess.
She picked up a few of his used clothes and put them in the laundry basket outside his door. Entering again, she tucked up James and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
XXXXXXX
The next morning, the Potter Mansion was in a cheerful uproar. Nothing could be found.
James was rushing around, wearing just his pants, searching desperately for his shirt. He had kept it right there, on the table before going to bed. Or had he?
Dorea was making breakfast when her husband entered the room. His tie was askew and so were his glasses. He was buttoning up the last of his shirt and was stumbling because of his half-worn socks.
She sighed and took the bacon and eggs of the fire. After arranging them on the plate, she walked over to Charlus and fixed his tie and glasses, asking, "Where's James? Is he still running around like a headless chicken?"
Dorea and Charlus were older than your average parents of eleven year olds. They hadn't been expecting a child in their lives and the birth of James had been a wonderful surprise.
So, understandably James was slightly spoilt. His parents loved him to a pieces. He was also lonely. He was the only child in an enormous bungalow and there was rarely anyone around.
His father had taught him flying and Charlus always maintained that James' first love was his broomstick. The Potters had a huge garden and James would zoom around everyday yelling his lungs out.
James finally found his shirt ( it was in the laundry basket! ) and sauntered down. By then, it was almost time to leave - it was 9:36am and they had to leave at 10:00am for James to be able to board it at 11 o'clock.
James reached his place on the table bouncing up and down. His eyes were sparkling with excitement and mischief. Dorea and Charlus also took their seats and they began to eat.
James, unable to control his energy, began kicking his legs under the table. Unfortunately for him, one of his kicks caught Dorea.
"James dear, if you don't control your hyperactive self, then I suggest that you leave the table. Hogwarts would also be better off without you, anyway."
James flushed. The very idea! "Sorry mom. I'll try controlling my 'hyperactive' self."
"Is that sarcasm I detect?" Dorea asked, her voice dangerously low.
Charlus intervened, "So James, got any pranks planned?"
"Yeah actually. See, what if you put a curse on the Slytherins, that turns their no-good idiotic selfs pink? And then—"
"Charlus! Stop encouraging the boy! And you," Dorea said, rounding on James, "stop insulating a house you don't even know that well."
"But mom, aren't all Slytherins no-good idiots?"
"Are you saying that your dear mother is a no-good idiot?" Dorea Black asked, her eyes flashing; a telltale sign that she was soon going to become mad.
James backtracked. "N..no! Of course not, mother!" He cast a helpless glance at his father. Charlus was very carefully ignoring both his wife and son and was chewing his food.
"Good." his mother said. And then, she muttered low under her breath, "most Slytherins are no-good idiots."
"What was that?" Charlus asked, putting himself into the conversation.
"Nothing dear,"
They gobbled up their food and Charlus and James went to get his trunk. Panting they brought it out to the car and were soon driving down the road to King's Cross Station.
They reached the busy-bustling commercial area at 10:44 on the dot and went through the barrier, James pushing his trunk in front of him. He went first.
Crossing to the other side, James paused, taking in the enormous train in front of him. The awesome sight of a 4-6-0 Hall Class steam locomotive model number GWR 5900 is sure to impress even the toughest critiques.
James knew that this train had been installed by the muggles and used to run on coal. Now however, it ran purely on magic.
James bounded over to one of the entrances and was about to get in when he a young boy, standing with his parents caught his eye. The boy had black hair which fell into his startling grey eyes.
He was staring at his mother who appeared to be giving him a lecture. James stepped down and stood next to his parents. He took his mother's fussing - his hair never lay flat! - without complain and barely paid attention to what his father was saying.
The boy was roughly handled by his mother but didn't resist. His father barely spoke to him. A younger boy - presumably his brother - stood cowering behind his mother.
The whistle blew.
Dorea ushered her son to the train. James lost sight of the boy. He hugged his parent and kissed his mother on the cheek one last time. "I'll write very week mom. Dad, don't worry. I'll tell you the minute I plan a prank!"
"Don't you dare! No pranks!"
James laughed at his mother. "No promises!"
"Bye son! Tell me all about your first day. And all the pranks you plan on pulling!" Dorea glared at her husband.
"I'll send you food from there mum! Dad needs a break from your terrible cooking!"
This was not true. Dorea cook exceptionally well and Charlus had often praised his wife on this. It was a standing joke between James and his mother to insult her food. He rarely got away with it, but she couldn't do anything now.
"Send me loads of letters, love!" Dorea shouted, causing James to wince at the silly nickname.
"Enjoy Hogwarts James! You only have seven years there!"
"I will Mom. Don't worry. I plan on using my time at Hogwarts wisely dad!" James moved to hug his parents one last time before he got on the train for good.
The Hogwarts Express started moving slowly at first but then picked up pace. James waved wildly to his parents until they were out of sight.
Then, he squared his shoulders, picked up his trunk and began walking down the train, trying to find a place to sit. The first few cabins were stuffed full. He walked on.
While he was walking, he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him. His attention was trained on the cabins to his left and right. So, it was no surprise when he smacked right into someone who also wasn't looking.
"Ouch!"
"Watch where your going!" the boy yelled.
James was about to retort sharply when he saw who he run into. The boy from the station! He had the same hair and eyes. The retort died on his lips.
The boy seemed to notice that James was no longer angry and his own anger slowly subsided. He got up and offered his hand to James. He seemed surprised when James took it and pulled himself up.
"Let's look for a place to sit together?" James suggested, when he was standing. The boy nodded and they set off down the train, once again.
After crossing one carriage and entering the second one, the found one cabin in which there was only one person sitting - a boy about their age. He had light brown hair. His back was turned to them and he was looking out of the window.
He started when suddenly the two of them entered.
"Is this seat taken?" James asked.
The boy shook his head. He had big green eyes with flecks of gold in them. They had widened slightly when James and the other boy had entered and they slowly resumed their normal size.
James took this as an invitation to sit down and sat. The other boy - the one who had entered with James - sat down cautiously on the seat.
Taking upon himself to initiate conversation, "Hey! I'm James Potter."
The boy with the green eyes muttered something. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that."
"Remus Lupin." the boy said in a low, musical voice.
They both smiled at each other and turned to the other boy. He was shrinking into himself as if embarrassed. Catching their questioning looks, he said, "Sirius Black."
There was a stunned silence in the cabin for a minute. James had grown up hating the Blacks and couldn't imagine that he had just tried to befriend one.
Remus broke the silence, smiling nicely at Sirius "Nice to meet you."
Sirius' neck snapped up and he stared at Remus, unable to believe that this boy was being nice to him. "You aren't going to kick me out?"
"No," Remus said, glaring at James who looked as if he might protest.
"Thanks," Sirius said gratefully, having not noticed James.
"So which house do you want to be sorted in?" Remus asked, trying to get everyone to participate in the conversation.
"Gryffindor," Sirius said.
"Really?" James asked unbelievingly. The entire Black family had been in Slytherin for as long as anyone could remember.
"Yeah. Don't want to follow in dear Narcissa and Bellatrix's footsteps. My mom's an old twat. Wants me to become a Slytherin. As if!"
James cheered up immediately and there was no more hostility in the room. "No one important has been in Slytherin!"
"Voldemort." Remus pointed out.
"You think he's important?" Sirius and James yelled together. "Are you crazy?"
"See this from a historian's point of view. History favours the people who actually try to change the world, however much mad they are. So yes he is important to history,"
This reasoning prevented the two boys from losing it completely. Sirius nodded. "It makes some sense," he said grudgingly.
"Okaay. Back to my point. No one important has ever been in Slytherin."
"Actually..." Sirius began and then paused. He looked to Remus who was also torn between telling his friend or not.
Coming to a conclusion, Sirius continued, "Merlin was in Slytherin." And then winced, waiting for James' reaction.
James just stared at them blankly for a minute. Remus was afraid that he had fine into shock. Then he began spluttering. And as he spluttered, he choked on his saliva so now he was coughing.
Remus and Sirius waited patiently for their friend to end his fit. "Mer...Merlin? In...in SLYTHERIN?! How is that even posibble!"
"It is possible James," Remus said tiredly.
"But why?" James whined. "Slytherins are so laaaaame! Like seriously! They are so disgusting! And creepy! And they just plain suck!" James paused, and then added to Sirius, "no offence meant, of course."
"Don't bother." Sirius said waving off the suggestion. "Slytherins do suck."
Just then, two children entered the cabin. They heard Sirius' last sentence and one of them stiffened. The girl didn't seem to notice.
"Are these two seats free? I'm Lily..Lily Evans by the way."
"You're beautiful..." James drooled.
"Excuse me? I think she asked for seats." The boy, Severus Snape growled.
"Excuse you. We heard her." Sirius said very rudely.
"Black? What are you doing here?"
"None of your business Snivelly."
Lily huffed at the boys. She was mad. Her green eyes were flashing and her red hair looked as if it was on fire. She crossed her arms. "Come on Severus. They're not worth our time."
The two of them went out, James' yells echoing in their ears, "Of course you can sit here! Hey! Come back!"
"You've got it bad, man," Remus said, looking amusedly at his friend.
"Shut up," James said angrily. That stupid girl! Why did she have to be friends with that git?
"Anyway," Sirius said, changing the topic. "You guys want to prank the hell out of Hogwarts?"
"Sure,"
"It'll be fun."
The three of them whooped. Then, Remus said, "Hogwarts won't know what hit it."
"Too right, my dear friend. Too right."
"I almost feel sad for it. Almost."
Those few words solidified their friendship. They spent the rest of their journey, playing exploding snap. When the trolley lady came, all three of them bought heaps of chocolates.
So much that they hadn't finished them even when they had reached Hogwarts. Even with Remus' obsession with chocolate.
They stuffed the remaining chocolates into their pockets and followed the other first years out. They saw a giant man calling to all the first years. Remus called a greeting, "Hey Hagrid! How's it going?"
"Wha...Remus! 'ows it going?"
Remus grinned at Hagrid and moved away. There was no point in shouting, they could barely hear each other anyway.
They got into one of the four-people boats. A small boy came to them shivering, "do you think I can sit with you guys?"
"Sure," Sirius replied for all of them.
"Thanks. I asked them over there," the boy said pointing at a group of boys in another boat, "and they pitched me into the water." he said with a shiver. "I'm Peter Pettigrew, " he added.
"James Potter."
"Sirius Black."
"Remus Lupin."
They sat on the boat for a few minutes and then, got off when they reached the other side of the lake.
Hagrid knocked thrice on a large oak door and it opened to reveal a stern looking professor.
"Firs' years Professor McGonagall,"
"Thank you Hagrid. Move in children."
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter followed the long line of kids into a separate room. McGonagall told them that it was the room next to the Hall and then left them to prepare themselves.
Getting bored, Sirius looked around. He gasped when he saw people coming out of the wall. "Ghosts," he whispered.
"Yes, ghosts we are. Though we would prefer if you didn't rub it in," The Bloody Baron said.
"Wicked." James and Sirius said at the same time.
Professor McGonagall entered again and told the ghosts to go away. "Follow me. We need to get you sorted into your houses."
James, Remus and Sirius looked at each other and then followed her. Walking to one of the most important moments of their lives.